Monday 11 November 2013


Fernando Llorente got his first so also Napoli needing to play catch-ups as Juventus closes on stuttering Roma as Bayo Salau rounds up the curious from wk 12 serie A games.


The last time Napoli conceded three goals on their travels was also in Turin, but a 5-3 victory at Torino on March 30. The Partenopei had been unbeaten in five competitive games. The Azzurri have won only one of their last 18 visits to Juventus, a 3-2 result in 2009, earning five draws and 12 defeats between Serie A and B. They also haven’t kept a clean sheet here since the goalless stalemate in May 1982.
Fernando Llorente scored his second Serie A goal, the fourth for the Bianconeri in all competition. He became the first ever Spanish player to score against a Spanish goalkeeper in the Italian top flight. Andrea Pirlo went up to 53 in the top flight and 24 of them were direct free kicks. Paul Pogba rose to nine in Serie A, his second in as many games.
Rafa Benitez had never previously lost to Juventus, managing a win and two 0-0 draws between Liverpool and Inter.

Roma conceded their first goal at the Stadio Olimpico since Napoli’s 2-1 win in May, ending a 550-minute clean sheet. Sassuolo are unbeaten in their last three away fixtures, amassing five points, thanks to Domenico Berardi’s fourth goal in two games.
Chievo still haven’t beaten Milan in their last 14 League meetings, home and away, but kept a clean sheet against them at the Bentegodi for the first time. The Flying Donkeys are without a goal in 302 minutes and have the mostanaemic attack in the Division with just seven in 12 games. Alberto Paloschi marked his 100th Serie A game against his parent club.
The Rossoneri have amassed just two points from their last six competitive games and for the first time since 2007 are without a victory in four Serie A rounds. With 13 points by Week 12, this is their worst start since 1981-82, when on nine points they were eventually relegated.
Inter hadn’t won two Serie A home ties on the bounce since December 2012.Yuto Nagatomo set a new personal best with his third goal of the campaign, seven in the League overall. Livorno have lost their last eight consecutive visits to San Siro and won here only twice in 1934 and 1942, losing 14 and drawing three. Bizarrely, the Amaranto haven’t won any of their last 22 Serie A fixtures played on a Saturday since a 3-1 over Palermo on April 22 2006. This was Livorno’s 600th top flight match (excluding play-offs) with 168 victories and 264 losses.

Javier Zanetti returned for his 604th Serie A appearance. Only Paolo Maldini has amassed more in the all-time charts with 647. The Nerazzurri have benefited from three own goals this season, a record in Europe’s top five Leagues shared with Manchester City and Nantes. Roma have received two, their best own goal haul since four in the 2000-01 Scudetto-winning campaign.
Fiorentina have conceded 11 goals in their last six home games. Giuseppe Rossi rose to 20 Serie A career goals with his fourth brace, netting 11 in 12 rounds. The last Viola player to better that tally at this stage was Luca Toni with 15 goals in 2005-06. Sampdoria suffered a third consecutive defeat, their worst run since December 2012. The Blucerchiati have scraped just three draws from eight visits to Florence after a 2-0 win in 2004. Manolo Gabbiadini scored his 10th top flight goal, while it was Angelo Palombo’s 300th appearance.

Lazio managed just three draws and a defeat since their last Stadio Tardini success, 2-0 in 2010. Parma have picked up one point from three rounds, but ended their 333-minute goal drought. Alessandro Lucarelli bagged his 16thSerie A goal, the first since September 2012. Keita Balde scored his debut Serie A strike at the fourth appearance, though it was his first start. The Aquile are still without an away victory in Serie A since their 3-1 at Inter on May 8, followed by three stalemates and four losses.
Genoa notched up three Serie A wins on the trot, something they hadn’t achieved since September 2009. Gian Piero Gasperini has amassed 13 points from an available 18 since replacing Fabio Liverani. Daniele Portanova got his 17th Serie A goal, the first since Napoli 2-3 Bologna on December 16 2012. Juraj Kucka took his career tally to seven, with two in as many games.
Verona fired blanks for only the second time this season after 25 goals in 13 competitive games. The only other side they failed to score past was Roma.
Catania registered their second win of the season, the first under Coach Gigi De Canio, after a 2-0 over Chievo on September 29. Maxi Lopez celebrated his 100th Serie A appearance with the 28th goal, but hadn’t found the net since Sampdoria’s 3-1 loss to Cagliari on March 10. This was his third strike past Udinese, making them his favourite victims with Palermo and Cesena. Udinese have lost four of their last five games and failed to score in each of those defeats. In the last three League meetings with Catania, home and away, the Friulani earned just one point.
Bologna have only ever conquered Bergamo once in 2009, losing 14 and drawing 12 between Serie A and B. Atalanta ended a run of one point from three rounds and Stefano Colantuono enjoyed his 400th match as a professional Coach, 174 of which were victories. Davide Brivio scored his third Serie A goal, the most recent being in Lecce 2-2 Genoa on March 4, and Marko Livaja his fourth. Rolando Bianchi went up to 46 Serie A goals, ending the Rossoblu’s 400-minute drought.
Daniele Conti marked his 300th Serie A appearance with only his second brace, the other achieved against Torino in February. Conti has scored 12 Serie A free kick goals since 2005-06 and only Pirlo has done better in that period with 17.

Torino haven’t won away to Cagliari in Serie A since a 1-0 result in 1991, managing four draws from nine attempts. The Granata extended their winless streak to eight rounds, while Giampiero Ventura has never beaten Cagliari, scraping one point from seven meetings.

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