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On Sunday, the remaining 15 matches of the Italian league were played. The most attention was drawn to the Milan derby, where "Inter" triumphed. The championship leader "Juventus" also secured a victory.
"Inter" defeated their city rivals with a score of 3-2 thanks to Adriano's goal in extra time. This was the first "Inter" victory in the derby in the past three years.
The match started with dangerous attacks from "Inter." In one of them, in the 24th minute, "Milan" defender Alessandro Nesta touched the ball with his hand and the referee awarded a penalty to "Milan" goal. Adriano successfully converted it, making the score 1-0 in favor of the "black and blues." Another penalty was awarded after fifteen minutes. This time on the other side of the field. During the penalty kick, the ball hit the hand of "Inter" defender Dejan Stankovic and the referee awarded another penalty. Andrea Shevchenko's kick deceived the goalkeeper and the score became 1-1. So the first half ended in a draw, although "Inter" had a clear advantage.
The second half started more decisively with "Milan" players, but they had to concede another goal. In the 59th minute, the team's goalkeeper Dida blocked Adriano's shot straight to "Inter" forward Obafemi Martins, who had to put the ball into the empty net. Then "Milan" started attacking the opponents' goal even more fiercely, and in the 83rd minute "Milan" defender Jaap Stam scored a header after a brilliant pass from Andrea Pirlo. However, just when it seemed like the match would end in a draw, one of the best forwards in the world, Adriano, stepped up. As extra time approached, he jumped higher than everyone else during a corner kick and secured victory for his club with a header sending the ball into the "Milan" goal.
In other matches, "Palermo" team celebrated a victory after a long break. The club defeated a struggling "Roma" team 2-1 on the road. These matches were notable because the current "Palermo" coach Luigi Del Neri led the "Roma" club last season but left due to poor results and discipline within the team.
The home team scored their first goal in the 21st minute when defender Giuseppe Biava, unmarked by the opponents' defenders, sent the ball into the net. However, after fifteen minutes, the talented "Roma" forward Antonio Cassano equalized the score by sending the ball into the net after a great pass from Christian Panucci. But "Palermo" forward Andrea Caracciolo scored in the 78th minute and secured victory for the visitors.
The championship leader "Juventus" easily defeated the "Cagliari" club at home with a score of 4-0. Already in the 18th minute, the hosts led 2-0 after goals from Pavel Nedved and David Trezeguet. In the second half, another goal from Trezeguet and a shot from "Cagliari" defender Fabio Vignati into his own net extended the humiliation.
After the failure in the Champions League, it seems that the "Udinese" club still cannot recover. The team had to admit the superiority of "Lecce" at home with a score of 2-1. The guests' victory was determined by two goals from forward Mirko Vucinic. "Udinese" could only respond with a consolation goal, which Antonio Di Natale scored in extra time.
The "Lazio" team also experienced defeat, losing 2-1 to the "Livorno" club on the road. All the goals in the match were scored in the second half. In the 59th minute, the home player Diego De Ascentis led his team forward, but after six minutes, "Lazio" Macedonian legionnaire Goran Pandev equalized the score. However, the hosts managed to snatch victory after Cristiano Lucarelli scored a precise goal in the 78th minute.
"Parma" unexpectedly secured a draw at home, playing 1-1 with "Sampdoria." The hosts scored in the 25th minute through Bernardo Corradi, who played for "Valencia" last year. "Sampdoria" equalized with six minutes remaining through Emiliano Bonazzoli.
Last weekend, after defeating the "Milan" club, "Chievo" unexpectedly stumbled away against the "Messina" team with a 2-0 result. Both goals were scored by the hosts in the first half. Arturo Di Napoli scored in the 17th minute, and Riccardo Zampagna converted a penalty from the 11-meter mark at the end of the half.
In the duel of the outsiders between "Ascoli" and "Reggina," a draw was recorded at 1-1. "Reggina" escaped defeat two minutes before the end of the match when Carlos Humberto Paredes equalized the score, even though the team was playing with ten players after Ivan Franceschini was sent off in the 58th minute.
Statistics of Sunday's matches:
3 - 2 24` [1 - 0] Adriano (penalty) 39` [1 - 1] Andrey Shevchenko 59` [2 - 1] Obafemi Martins 83` [2 - 2] Jaap Stam 90` [3 - 2] Adriano
1 - 2 21` [0 - 1] Giuseppe Biava 36` [1 - 1] Antonio Cassano 78` [1 - 2] Andrea Caracciolo
4 - 0 10` [1 - 0] Pavel Nedved 18` [2 - 0] David Trezeguet 53` [3 - 0] David Trezeguet 68` [4 - 0] Fabio Vignati (own goal)
1 - 2 41` [0 - 1] Mirko Vucinic 57` [0 - 2] Mirko Vucinic 90` [1 - 2] Antonio Di Natale
2 - 1 59` [1 - 0] Diego De Ascentis 65` [1 - 1] Goran Pandev 78` [2 - 1] Cristiano Lucarelli
1 - 1 25` [1 - 0] Bernardo Corradi 84` [1 - 1] Emiliano Bonazzoli
2 - 0 17` [1 - 0] Arturo Di Napoli 45` [2 - 0] Riccardo Zampagna (penalty)
58` Daniele Franceschini was sent off the field ("Chievo")
1 - 1 60` [1 - 0] Michele Fini 88` [1 - 1] Carlos Humberto Paredes
58` Ivan Franceschini was sent off the field ("Reggina")
