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**D-Kin** · 27-01-2007, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Serie A Week 21 - 27/1/07 (17.00 UK)
Torino - Udinese

Stadio Olimpico

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Udinese take on a sorry Torino in Week 21 at the Stadio Olimpico. The Zebrette will be willing to test their improvements under new Coach Alberto Malesani, while the Granata will be trying to come out of a nightmare run of negative results.

Udinese are holding seventh place in the table, but they are just two points behind the last Champions League spot. Torino have lost their last two matches and haven’t won in their last four. In Week 20 the Bianconeri had a solid display against Messina winning 1-0, while Torino were defeated 1-0 at Parma.

Udinese President Giampaolo Pozzo is satisfied with his decision to axe Giovanni Galeone and replace him with Malesani. Pozzo also claimed that he wasted too much time sacking Galeone. All the players seem very motivated as apparently none of them liked the way the experienced tactician was running the club. Malesani has switched to a 3-5-2 formation, and Udinese are much more balanced now.

Andrea Coda, Cesare Natali and Cristian Zapata should form the defensive trio. Marco Motta should play on the left flank, but Malesani is hoping to recover Brazilian youngster Felipe, who suffered a thigh injury at the start of January. This could also be the last match at Udinese for explosive midfielder Sulley Muntari. Giampiero Pinzi is banned and his place should be taken by Gaetano D’Agostino. In attack Vincenzo Iaquinta and Antonio Di Natale will surely be reconfirmed.

For Alberto Zaccheroni, it will probably be a very sensitive clash. The Coach from Cesenatico started his successful career with the Bianconeri, but on Saturday afternoon he will have to ask his players for nothing less than a victory. The Granata cannot afford to miss out on more points.

After a week of suspension, Christian Abbiati returns to goal. Marco Di Loreto, who was unavailable because of flu, will replace Orazio Brevi. Gianluca Comotto will cover the right flank while on the opposite side Jacopo Balestri will once again be preferred to Giuseppe Pancaro. Toro star man Alessandro Rosina and Serbian winger Nikola Lazetic will play just behind lone striker Roberto Stellone. Former Udinese aces Stefano Fiore and Roberto Muzzi will probably have to watch from the bench.

Man on fire: Antonio Di Natale (Udinese) – The former Empoli striker nearly scored against Messina but hit the post. He will probably enjoy a good day playing against Torino’s ‘slow motion’ defence.

Last season: Not played

Form guide: Torino (W L D L L) Udinese (W W L L W)

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Torino (probable): Abbiati; Di Loreto, Cioffi, Franceschini; Comotto, Barone, De Ascentis, Balestri; Rosina, Lazetic, Stellone

Udinese (probable): De Sanctis; Coda, Natali, Zapata; D.Zenoni, D’Agostino, Obodo, Muntari, Motta; Di Natale, Iaquinta

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**D-Kin** · 27-01-2007, 01:35 PM

Iaquinta is out with a flu virus.

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**D-Kin** · 27-01-2007, 01:46 PM

Torino squad: Abbiati, Taibi; Balestri, Brevi, Cioffi, Comotto, Di Loreto, Franceschini, Ogbonna, Pancaro; Ardito, Barone, De Ascentis, Fiore, Lazetic, Music, Rosina; Abbruscato, Oguro, Stellone.

**D-Kin** · 27-01-2007, 01:48 PM

Udinese squad:

GOALKEEPERS: Casazza, De Sanctis
DEFENDERS: Coda, Lukovic, Natali, Rinaldi, Zapata
MIDFIELDERS: D’Agostino, De Martino, Gotti, Motta, Muntari, Obodo, Siqueira, Vargas, Zenoni
STRIKERS: Asamoah, Barreto, Di Natale, Gerardi

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 04:30 PM

With Iaquinta out, Torino should take advantage and look for the win. This is an important game for both teams with a win for UDI they will be in a temporary CL spot and a win for Torino puts them in an sniffing distance of a Uefa spot.

**D-Kin** · 27-01-2007, 04:32 PM

Losing Iaquinta is huge, it's a real break for Torino.

Udinese are a different team without Iaquinta.

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 05:23 PM

What a nice goal by Obodo.......beautiful feed to him in the box....nice

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 05:38 PM

2-0 Udinese.....goal by Barreto...Udi are playing many through balls to the Torino defense. Torino playing with 3 defenders i believe.

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 06:19 PM

Torino trying to push foward with Rosina and Stellone leading the way with little success. Things not looking good for Torino

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 06:28 PM

3-0 Udi...goal by Asamoah........61'

Fiore coming on now...with 3 goals down, might be too little too late for Torino!

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 06:42 PM

3-1 goal by Abbruscato....cross in the box from Fiore, took a bounce of a slinding tackle from Udinese then Abbruscato for the empty net. 12 minutes remaining!

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 06:50 PM

Cioffi receives a Red card. for a tackle and shirt tug. Cioffi almost pulls a Totti in hitting his manager on his way off

...he's very frustrated as well!

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 06:57 PM

3-2 Abbruscato gets another......is there still time to equalize? 93 min

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 06:58 PM

FT 3-2 Udinese...credit to Torino for attempting a comeback. With the Udinese win, that makes them par with Catania with 29 points in a CL spot. Catania have a game in hand.

Forza_Roma · 27-01-2007, 07:20 PM

Too little too late for Torino in this one...

Quote:

Serie A Week 21 - 27/1/07 (17.00 UK)

Torino 2 - 3 Udinese Obodo 18 (U), Barreto 32 (U), Asamoah 61 (U), Abbruscato 76, 93 (T) Stadio Olimpico Alberto Malesani's triumphant return to Italian football continued despite a valiant Toro comeback, but Gabriele Cioffi could be in for a very long ban after pushing the referee.
The Friulani have now won both games since Malesani took over from Giovanni Galeone, but the Granata suffer their third defeat on the trot. Vincenzo Iaquinta and Giampiero Pinzi were ruled out, so Paulo Barreto was given a rare start upfront.
Alessandro Rosina created the first opportunity by threading through for Simone Barone, but after getting past Cristian Zapata he fired over the bar. Morgan De Sanctis was also tested by an Elvis Abbruscato angled drive and Rosina free kick.Udinese take on a sorry Torino in Week 21 at the Stadio Olimpico. The Zebrette will be willing to test their improvements under new Coach Alberto Malesani, while the Granata will be trying to come out of a nightmare run of negative results.

Udinese are holding seventh place in the table, but they are just two points behind the last Champions League spot. Torino have lost their last two matches and haven’t won in their last four. In Week 20 the Bianconeri had a solid display against Messina winning 1-0, while Torino were defeated 1-0 at Parma.

However, after the first 15 minutes Udinese came out of their shell. Christian Abbiati, returning from a ban, performed a crucial save to keep out Antonio Di Natale's snapshot.
Andrea Ardito clipped the upright for Torino, but the deadlock was broken at the other end of the field moments later. Barreto's through ball cut the Granata defence open and allowed Christian Obodo to turn in the opener for Udinese.
It remained a very open game with D'Agostino's set-piece skimming the frame of the goal and a Barreto counter-attack.
The visitors doubled their lead on 32 minutes with the same two players combining. This time Obodo turned provider, his pass allowing Barreto to spring the offside trap and waltz past Abbiati to deposit into an empty net. Unfortunately, the Brazilian never quite recovered from an earlier knock and limped off to be replaced by Gyan Asamoah.
De Sanctis flew to palm away a curling Barone strike from distance, while at the other end Di Natale and Asamoah combined brilliantly at pace for the Italian to eventually drill over the bar.
The tension grew in the Torino ranks as time wore on, an Abbiati howler almost gifting Di Natale a goal and Asamoah struck the side-netting. Abbruscato wasted a golden opportunity and Toro were punished for it.
Di Natale spread the play for Sulley Ali Muntari, whose cross-shot took a deflection off teammate Asamoah to beat Abbiati for a third time. It was a controversial goal, however, as the Ghanaian World Cup star appeared to be offside.
Torino's heads inevitably dropped and only a fine Abbiati save prevented Di Natale from making it 4-0.
Nonetheless, Abbruscato made the scoreline more respectable in the closing stages by tapping in from close range at the end of a chaotic move.
It proved enough to spark a reaction out of them and the home side went all on the attack with Rosina and Barone shaving the woodwork.
However, all hope seemed to vanish when Gabriele Cioffi saw red for a second bookable offence. The defender could be in for a very long ban indeed, as on his way off the field he pushed the referee.
Yet Udinese were in for a nervous finale, as Abbruscato completed an acrobatic brace deep into stoppages, chesting down the ball and whipping his shot past De Sanctis.
Asamoah could've made it 4-2 at the death, but wasted the opportunity on the counter-attack in a pulsating match.
Torino: Abbiati; Di Loreto (Fiore 64), Cioffi, Franceschini; Comotto, Barone, Ardito, Balestri, Rosina (Brevi 84); Stellone, Abbruscato
Udinese: De Sanctis; Zapata, Natali, Coda; Zenoni, Obodo (Lukovic 88), D'Agostino, Muntari (De Martino 79), Motta; Barreto (Asamoah 41), Di Natale
Ref: Brighi
Sent off: Cioffi 85 (T)

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