CAGLIARI

[D-Kin]

Roma owned former Juventus player.

Well done Matteo.

[Forza_Roma]

2-0 Chievo...goal by Bogdani

[D-Kin]

Simple finish, game over.

[Forza_Roma]

FT 2-0 Chievo

[Forza_Roma]

Chievo get a nice win here...

Serie A Week 29 - 18/3/07 (14.00 UK)

Cagliari 0 - 2 Chievo
Brighi 50 (Ch), Bogdani 55 (Ch)
Stadio Sant'Elia

Chievo earned a crucial away victory in the search for safety, although it could have been an even wider winning margin.

This was a battle to avoid being sucked back into the relegation zone. The Sardinians had picked up four points from their previous five matches, while the Flying Donkeys failed to make the most of an extra man in their 1-1 draw with Messina last weekend. Gigi Del Neri was still banished to the stands along with Paolo Sammarco and Lorenzo D'Anna.

Matteo Brighi wasted a golden opportunity for Chievo after 10 minutes, as he pounced on a defensive error on the edge of the area only to balloon over with just the 'keeper to beat.

D'Agostino's acrobatic volley at the back post was always going to be tricky and Vincenzo Italiano missed the target from a promising position.

Brighi made up for his horrible misses by opening the scoring after the restart. He began the move and, when Erjon Bogdani's low shot was parried by Marco Fortin, pounced on the loose ball for the simple tap-in.

Cagliari needed to fight back, but their defence fell to pieces and Chievo made it 2-0. Franco Semioli sprung the offside trap and rolled across for the totally unmarked Bogdani to waltz into the empty net.

The Sardinians wanted a penalty for Brighi's handling offence and substitute Giuseppe Cozzolino skimmed the target.

Cagliari: Fortin; Ferri, Lopez, Bianco, Del Grosso; Biondini (Pepe 56), Conti, Colucci (Budel 56), D'Agostino (Langella 70); Suazo, Capone

Chievo: Squizzi; Moro, Mandelli, Mantovani, Lanna; Brighi, Italiani, Marcolini; Semioli, Bogdani (Cozzolino 73), Pellissier (Kosowski 86)

Ref: Rocchi

channel4.com - Football Italia

[D-Kin]

Game highlights:

TalkSoccer Media Player

[Forza_Roma]

Serie A Week 30 - 1/4/07 (14.00 UK)

Cagliari - Messina
Stadio Sant'Elia Cagliari welcome Messina to the Sant’Elia on Sunday. After a week’s break we have a full blown relegation head to head between two teams who desperately want to keep hold of their Serie A status. Although Cagliari are ahead of their opponents in the League their advantage is negligible, just one position and only three points. The Sicilians will know that these are the type of games that decide a team’s fate come the end of the season and will want to close that small gap.

The Sardinians are mathematically safe at the moment but their position is very precarious. Three loses in the last five have not helped and they are only one bad result away from the drop zone. This will be their second consecutive clash with another club in trouble, last time out they played Chievo Verona and were leap-frogged by them after losing 2-0. They lost the midfield battle in that match and in the end lost out on the points as well. They can ill afford to make that kind of mistake again this time.

Coach Marco Giampaolo looks like he has only one change in mind for this game. It should be in defence, where Michele Ferri may make way for Francesco Pisano at right-back. Other than that the tactician looks like leaving his line-up untouched. He has had a week to tell his midfielders Daniele Conti and Leonardo Colucci how important this game is and how they can forget and avoid last week’s errors. Andrea Capone and David Suazo should start in attack.

The away side were on the receiving end of a 0-3 after Torino visited them as they went behind after 26 minutes and never really found a way back into the game. It is hard to believe that this is the same team who were flying high not so long ago. Since then however, it has been a steady drop and now the Sicilians are really in danger. Coach Alberto Cavasin will be hoping his strikers can find their form again and find the goals that would save his team and his job.

He seems happy with the XI that were beaten by the Granata. The likes of left-back Alessandro Parisi and central midfielder Roberto D’Aversa will have to have a good game if Messina are to get anything out of this match. Arturo Di Napoli should partner club top goalscorer Christian Rigano’ in attack. The latter will hope to add to the 12 strikes he has already this term.

Man on fire: Marco Zoro (Messina) –The Ivory Coast international has been doing well despite his side’s bad recent run, covering at right-back and centre-back with equal confidence and class.

Last season: Cagliari 1-1 Messina

Form guide: Cagliari (L L W D L) Messina (W L W D L)
Cagliari (probable): Fortin; Pisano, Lopez, Bianco, Del Grosso; Biondini, Conti, Colucci, D'Agostino; Capone, Suazo
Messina (probable): Paoletti; Lavecchia, Zoro, Zanchi, Parisi; Alvarez, Candela, D’Aversa, Masiello; Di Napoli, Riganò
Ref: To follow...

channel4.com - Football Italia

[D-Kin]

Interesting game, I'm expecting a draw.

[Forza_Roma]

I think Cagliari will get the win...Suazo to score...on a penalty!! He has 5 goals on the spot so far. 9 in total!

[Forza_Roma]

1-0 Cagliari..goal by Biondini....left all alone in the Messina area...puts it home!

[Forza_Roma]

2-0 Cagliari...goal by Budel....shot from outside the box.

[Forza_Roma]

HT 2-0 Cagliari

[Forza_Roma]

FT 2-0 Cagliari

[Forza_Roma]

Good result for Cagliari

Serie A Week 30 - 1/4/07 (14.00 UK)

Cagliari 2 - 0 Messina
Biondini 12 (C), Budel 24 (C)
Stadio Sant'Elia

Cagliari got back on track with a potentially decisive result in the relegation race that keeps Messina in the bottom three.

This was a relegation six-pointer between teams that have recently had a change of management. Marco Giampaolo's men had lost three of their last five games, while the Sicilians were still smarting from their 3-0 home defeat to Torino.

Only some very brave defending stopped Sergio Floccari opening the scoring early on. The Messina forward lobbed the goalkeeper and was six yards in front of an empty net, but Diego Lopez stuck with him and got a kick in the face as he smothered the shot.

However, it was Cagliari who took the lead against the run of play. David Suazo ran into the area and Andrea Capone cut back for Davide Biondini to smash in totally unmarked from eight yards.

The Sardinians lost Capone to injury as he made way for D'Agostino, but doubled their advantage with a stroke of luck. Alessandro Budel's screamer from 25 metres took a decisive deflection off Marc Zoro to leave Gabriele Paoletti stranded.

Floccari also went off after a clash with Zoro left him with a deep gash to his forehead.

Suazo had a great chance after the break, but his powerful volley from five yards was too central and bruised Paoletti's chest.

Messina were forced to play the final 20 minutes in 10 men after Zoro brought down Suazo for a second bookable offence. However, Rigano' took advantage of a lucky ricochet, but his pass across to Ivica Iliev was turned wide.

Paoletti kept the scoreline down with some tough saves on Honduran hitman Suazo.

Cagliari: Fortin; Ferri, Lopez, Bianchi, Del Grosso (Agostini 78); Budel, Biondini (Marchini 73), Conti, Pepe; Capone (D'Agostino 20), Suazo

Messina: Paoletti; Rea (Giallombardo 46), Zoro, Zanchi, Lavecchia (De Vezze 70); Alvarez, Candela, Pestrin, Masiello; Floccari (Iliev 40), Rigano'

Ref: Bergonzi

Sent off: Zoro 75 (M)

channel4.com - Football Italia

[Forza_Roma]

Serie A Week 32 - 14/4/07 (17.00 UK)

Cagliari - Empoli
Stadio Sant'Elia Cagliari welcome Empoli to the Sant’Elia on Saturday. The Azzurri lie in sixth place in the League, five places above this week’s oppon