Serie A: Fiorentina to test Roma's mettle

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Serie A: Fiorentina to test Roma's mettle

ROME, Sept 24 (Reuters) - AS Roma visit Fiorentina on Wednesday for the second of four matches in 10 days that will show the Serie A leaders how credible their domestic and European ambitions are.

The trip to Tuscany comes before Saturday's home game against champions Inter Milan and next week's visit to English title-holders Manchester United in the Champions League.

Roma, last season's runners up, lost their 100 percent record in the first of the four big tests on Sunday when Vincenzo Iaquinta's late header earned Juventus a 2-2 draw.

Nevertheless, Roma coach Luciano Spalletti said he was proud of another convincing performance and will take heart from the form of captain Francesco Totti, who struck twice on Sunday and has scored five times in the last four games.

Fiorentina are in fine fettle too after beating Catania 1-0 on Sunday thanks to Adrian Mutu's third league goal of the season.

The home side have eight points from four games, two points fewer than Roma, who they will leapfrog in the standings if they win.

Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo said his team mates are relishing the challenge.

'We have been waiting for this match against Roma for a long time,' Montolivo told Fiorentina's website. 'It will be beautiful to play against them'.

Inter, who also have eight points, will be looking to put a bad week behind them against Sampdoria at the San Siro.

The champions were held 2-2 by basement club Livorno on Sunday and lost their Champions League opener 1-0 to Fenerbahce in Istanbul last Wednesday.

Inter coach Roberto Mancini will be without Brazilian defender Maicon, who was sent off at Livorno.

Cristian Chivu and Marco Materazzi also miss out through long-term injuries and Patrick Vieira is doubtful because of a hamstring problem.

Atalanta, another team on eight points and in striking distance of the top spot after their 2-1 home win over Lazio, visit Siena.

Juventus, sixth with seven points, host Reggina without suspended French defender Jonathan Zebina and Portuguese centre back Jorge Andrade, who is set for a long spell on the sidelines after breaking his kneecap at Roma.

European champions AC Milan, ninth with six points, are seeking to end a run of three consecutive league draws with a win at Palermo.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
19:30 UK Catania Calcio v Empoli Stadio Angelo Massimino
19:30 UK Fiorentina v Roma Artemio Franchi
19:30 UK Genoa v Udinese Comunale Luigi Ferraris
19:30 UK Inter Milan v Sampdoria Stadio Giuseppe Meazza
19:30 UK Juventus v Reggina Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino
19:30 UK Lazio v Cagliari Stadio Olimpico
19:30 UK Napoli v Livorno Stadio San Paolo
19:30 UK Palermo v AC Milan Renzo Barbera
19:30 UK Parma v Torino Stadio Ennio Tardini
19:30 UK Siena v Atalanta Artemio Franchi Montepaschi Arena

Big week for Inter and Roma.

Inter need need to win there two games this week. Samp is first and if Inter sort out the back and play like they can should win.

Roma dont have the same problems and arent under as much pressure as Inter but did drop points at the week end. The Viola are on the way up. GOna go for a draw in this one.

dor83

Yeah, Roma and Fiorentina should be a good game and probably will be a draw. I think Inter should win, but with so many defensive players out it will be hard. Do you think Adriano will play? he played well against Catania and I heard he played better against Livorno, but I'd like to see Suazo play too. Maybe Ibra and Suazo start and Adriano come off the bench. Juve should get win and Milan should get a win too but Palermo a well capable of getting a result. Should be a few good games there, I'll be watching Inter v Samp myself but would'nt mind seeing the Fiorentina v Roma game either.

Mr. Presentable

Roma now without Totti.

godtabh

nipplenuts wrote:

Roma now without Totti.

Yeah just saw that. Massive loss

godtabh

Serie A: Milan lose, Inter go level at top

MILAN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - AC Milan's patchy form continued when they lost 2-1 at Palermo while Inter Milan went level at the top of Serie A with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring another brace in a 3-0 win over Sampdoria on Wednesday.

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Roma, without the injured Francesco Totti, drew 2-2 at Fiorentina to stay in first place but conceded a goal with 10 minutes to go when Matteo Ferrari fouled Christian Vieri and Adrian Mutu converted the penalty with a cheeky chip.

Juventus crushed Reggina 4-0 while former AC Milan striker Marco Borriello scored a hat-trick in promoted Genoa's 3-2 win at home to Udinese.

Milan looked on track to end a run of three 1-1 league draws after Clarence Seedorf flicked the ball home following Kaka's clever pass in the 10th minute.

The European champions continued to dominate but Aimo Diana equalised from close range after Amauri chested the ball down and squared for his team mate amid protests from Milan that he had used an arm and that Diana was offside.

Palermo's Fabrizio Miccoli then grabbed the winner when he blasted home a free kick in stoppage time to condemn Milan to their first defeat of the campaign.

Milan's reserve goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, playing instead of the injured Dida, could have done better with Miccoli's effort.

'Milan deserved to win. This defeat hurts because we didn't deserve it and there were some decisions that went against us,' Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti told SKY TV. 'It is difficult to play better than we did.'

Inter produced their best display of the season to recover from last weekend's 2-2 draw at Livorno and last week's 1-0 defeat by Fenerbahce in the Champions League.

Ibrahimovic, who also scored a double at Livorno, drove in two excellent efforts from the edge of the box either side of halftime with Luis Figo adding the third.

Inter joined Roma on 11 points after Luciano Spalletti's side conceded late in Florence having looked set to stay clear at the top.

Roma, who won their first three games before drawing with Juve last weekend, took the lead thanks to a superb chip from Mancini but then let Fiorentina defender Alessandro Gamberini grab a scrappy equaliser.

Ludovic Giuly restored their advantage before the break only for Ferrari to give away a penalty with an ill-judged slide on Vieri leaving Mutu to coolly convert the spot kick.

Fiorentina's Marco Donadel was sent off for two bookings with five minutes left.

Juve romped to victory over hapless Reggina in the second half thanks to close range goals from Nicola Legrottaglie and Hasan Salihamidzic before long runs and finishes from David Trezeguet and Raffaele Palladino.

Inter joint top and starting to hit from.

Totti was a big loss to roma last night

Mr. Presentable

kearnsr wrote:

Totti was a big loss to roma last night

Frey was man of the match,that says it all for me.