© EuroFootball.com
Today in the Italian championship, three matches took place, where the three strongest clubs of this league played, but the matches were quite tough for them - "Juventus" and "Inter" finished their matches tied, while "Milan" secured a minimal victory.
The Serie A leader defending the title, Turin's "Juventus", who had to play without defender Fabio Cannavaro from the 52nd minute, played to a 2-2 draw away with the "Messina" team.
Just three minutes after the start of the match, the hosts took the lead. Sergio Floccari, who joined the club in January, scored after a great pass from Massimo Donati, beating "Juve" goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. This was his first goal in the Serie A championship.
However, the "Messina" lead did not last long. In the 18th minute, "Juventus" forward Zlatan Ibrahimović equalized the score. After a great team play involving Alessandro Del Piero, Mauro Camoranesi, and Pavel Nedvěd, the ball reached Z. Ibrahimović and the Swede finished the attack with a precise shot into the goal.
However, in the 52nd minute, "Juventus"' hopes of scoring another goal diminished, as their defender Fabio Cannavaro was sent off the field for a second yellow card. Taking advantage of this, the hosts intensively attacked the opponents' goal hoping to take the lead again, but luck was not on their side. With ten minutes left until the end of the match, Zlatan Ibrahimović was brought down in the hosts' penalty area and the referee awarded a penalty, which was successfully converted by Adrian Mutu.
"Messina" did not give up and just five minutes later managed to equalize, when the same Sergio Floccari redirected a cross from a teammate into the goal during a penalty kick and scored an important point for his team against the mighty "Juventus".
The closest pursuer of the championship leaders, "Milan", managed to snatch a victory at home against the championship underdog "Cagliari". The hosts took the lead from the start of the match, after twenty-three minutes, when a penalty was awarded against Filippo Inzaghi towards the guests' goal. The penalty was successfully converted by the Italian Alberto Gilardino. After this victory, "Milan" secured the second place, ahead of "Inter" by two points, but still trailing "Juventus" by ten points.
Milan's "Inter" extended their winless streak to three games, this time playing goalless away with the "Livorno" team. During this match, Milan's coach Roberto Mancini allowed several main defenders and defenders to rest before the Champions League match with the "Ajax" team.
The statistics of Saturday's matches:
2 - 2
3` [1 - 0] Sergio Floccari
18` [1 - 1] Zlatan Ibrahimovic
81` [1 - 2] Adrian Mutu (11m)
86` [2 - 2] Sergio Floccari
52` Fabio Cannavaro sent off the field ("Juventus")
1 - 0
23` [1 - 0] Alberto Gilardino (11m)
0 - 0
League table:
