© EuroFootball.com
Over the weekend, the 8th round of matches took place in the Italian "Serie A" championship. All the championship favorites secured victories, including the fourth-placed "Fiorentina", while the mid-table teams "Chievo" and "Livorno" continued their excellent start to the season by adding a fourth win to their tally.
Defending champions Turin's "Juventus" repeated their best start to a season in the last 20 years, crushing the "Lecce" team away and achieving their eighth victory out of eight possible. The goal scorers for the leaders were the trio of attackers - Z. Ibrahimovic, A. Mutu, and M. Zalayeta.
Five points behind the Turin club is the vice-champion "Milan", who managed to come back at home after conceding a goal by "Palermo" player A. Caracciolo, with goals from G. Gattuso and F. Inzaghi who returned to the field after a long spell of injuries. Interestingly, this was Inzaghi's first league goal since March of last year.
Intriguing matches took place in Udine - there, "Udinese" hosted recently unsuccessful Milano "Inter" team in the Champions League. The only and winning goal in this match was scored by the Argentine J. Cruzas, who stood out after coming on for the injured Brazilian Adriano in the first half.
"Fiorentina" returned to fourth place, leaving no hope for the "Parma" team and defeating them with a score of 4-1. The victorious team's hat-trick was achieved by their attacking leader L. Toni, with one goal by S. Fiore, while the visitors got a consolation goal in the middle of the second half through V. Grella.
Verona's "Chievo" is demonstrating excellent form, winning against the "Cagliari" team with two quick goals in the 71st and 73rd minutes and jumping to fifth place, tied with the "Livorno" team, who defeated "Reggina" thanks to a late goal by C. Lucarelli after a dramatic battle.
The most intense and beautiful match took place in Genoa - there, "Sampdoria" played against the "Siena" team and despite the home team taking the lead twice, the guests not only managed to equalize but later, with their opponents reduced to ten players, they turned the score around. Nevertheless, in the last minute of added time, a penalty was awarded to "Siena", which was converted by S. Volpi, granting them a draw against the "Sampdoria" team.
In the final moments, "Ascoli" also grabbed a point from away against "Messina". Meanwhile, the league debutant "Empoli" finds themselves in the middle of the table after a victory over Treviso, whose match was their first one at their home stadium, as initially, they were not allowed to play there due to existing violence prevention rules.
In the central match of the round on Sunday evening, one of the most intense and exciting rivalries in world football will take place - the Rome derby between the "Roma" and "Lazio" clubs.
Results of the 8th round:
"Messina 1 - 1 Ascoli" 28` [1 - 0] Riccardo Zampagna (penalty) 90` [1 - 1] Gianluca Comotto 87` Maurizio Domizzi (Ascoli) sent off "Fiorentina" 4 - 1 "Parma" 2` [1 - 0] Luca Toni 24` [2 - 0] Luca Toni 36` [3 - 0] Stefano Fiore 60` [4 - 0] Luca Toni 66` [4 - 1] Vincenzo Grella "Milan" 2 - 1 "Palermo" 28` [0 - 1] Andrea Caracciolo 30` [1 - 1] Gennaro Gattuso 77` [2 - 1] Filippo Inzaghi "Sampdoria 3 - 3 "Siena" 38` [1 - 0] Francesco Flachi (penalty) 48` [1 - 1] Tomas Locatelli 54` [2 - 1] Sergio Volpi 70` [2 - 2] Enrico Chiesa (penalty) 82` [2 - 3] Simone Vergassola 90` [3 - 3] Sergio Volpi (penalty) 80` Francesco Flachi (Sampdoria) sent off "Udinese" 0 - 1 "Inter" 36` [0 - 1] Julio Cruz "Lecce" 0 - 3 "Juventus" 9` [0 - 1] Zlatan Ibrahimovic 81` [0 - 2] Adrian Mutu 90` [0 - 3] Marcelo Zalayeta "Livorno 1 - 0 Reggina" 88` [1 - 0] Christian Lucarelli 29` Stefano Morrone (Livorno), 77` Giandomenico Mesto (Reggina) sent off "Chievo" 2 - 1 "Cagliari" 71` [1 - 0] Lorenzo D'Anna 73` [2 - 0] Victor Obinna 90` [2 - 1] David Suazo "Treviso 1 - 2 Empoli" 25` [0 - 1] Sergio Almiron 78` [1 - 1] Dino Fava 80` [1 - 2] Francesco Tavano"
