Serie A: Juve coach Ranieri returns to Fiorentina

godtabh

Preview

MILAN, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri faces a tricky return to former club Fiorentina and struggling AC Milan visit an upbeat Lazio in Sunday's top Serie A clashes.

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Champions and league leaders Inter Milan host fifth-placed Napoli on Saturday with striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in superb form following his fourth double of the season in the 2-0 Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.

The Sweden forward has seven league goals this term and is joint top scorer with Juve's David Trezeguet, who has jumped straight back into top flight football despite spending last season in Serie B following his side's match-fixing demotion.

The France striker will find life tougher against flying Fiorentina, who have coped with Luca Toni's departure to Bayern Munich thanks to the form of ex-Juventus forward Adrian Mutu.

Inter top the table on 14 points with Juve just one point behind and Fiorentina in third place on 12.

Ranieri was boss of the Florence club between 1993 and 1997 but goes back without suspended midfielder Cristiano Zanetti, who started his career at Fiorentina.

Juventus fans will also be banned after the match was ruled to have a high risk of trouble following violence before last weekend's Turin derby between Juve and Torino.

Milan have suffered a lacklustre start, winning their opener and then drawing 1-1 four times and losing at Palermo.

The holders also conceded in the last minute to lose 2-1 at Celtic in the Champions League on Wednesday when goakeeper Dida was struck by a fan and fell to the ground several seconds later before being carried off.

Lazio meet Carlo Ancelotti's side at the perfect time with confidence high after a battling 2-2 Champions League draw with Real Madrid in midweek.

Milan are also still without Paolo Maldini and Ronaldo after surgery with defender Kakha Kaladze joining the injury list.

AS Roma, in fourth, visit Parma without Ludovic Giuly after his red card in the 4-1 defeat by Inter last weekend. Alberto Aquilani is also out for two months after his injury in Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League loss at Manchester United.

* Atalanta entertain Udinese in Saturday's first game at 1600 GMT before Inter play promoted Napoli at 1830 GMT.

* All Sunday's matches start at 1300 GMT except Lazio against Milan which kicks off at 1830 GMT.

Saturday, October 6, 2007
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
17:00 UK Atalanta v Udinese Stadio Azzurri D`Italia
19:30 UK Inter Milan v Napoli Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

Sunday, October 7, 2007
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
14:00 UK Catania Calcio v Livorno Stadio Angelo Massimino
14:00 UK Fiorentina v Juventus Artemio Franchi
14:00 UK Genoa v Cagliari Comunale Luigi Ferraris
14:00 UK Palermo v Reggina Renzo Barbera
14:00 UK Parma v Roma Stadio Ennio Tardini
14:00 UK Siena v Empoli Artemio Franchi Montepaschi Arena
14:00 UK Torino v Sampdoria Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino
19:30 UK Lazio v AC Milan Stadio Olimpico

Milan to lose. Lazio were mant to be very good against Real and Milan couldnt turn the screw against Celtic.

Juve and the Viola will probably draw. To good teams will probably cancel each other out.

Roma should do away with Parma.

Inter should be Napoli but this is one of those risky games that could go either way.

godtabh

Inter strikers love scoring in 2's! Cruz on the double

Inter 2 Napoli 1


Atalanta 0 - 0 Udinese

~Rebel~

for a second when I read the thread title i thought Ranieri had left Juve!

Did Ibra start? Almost odd not to see him on the scoresheet at this point!

godtabh

~Rebel~ wrote:

for a second when I read the thread title i thought Ranieri had left Juve!

Did Ibra start? Almost odd not to see him on the scoresheet at this point!

He started. Got an 8.5 in the fans poll. Cruz got 8.9 so I think the both of them had a good game!

DerekD Goldfish

Nice to see Milan finally put in a good performance and Gilla get off the mark

Mr. Presentable

kearnsr wrote:

(Ibra) started. Got an 8.5 in the fans poll. Cruz got 8.9 so I think the both of them had a good game!

Ibrahimovic was amazing. He may be the best I've seen since Maradona. He even seems to have sorted out his temperament.

godtabh

nipplenuts wrote:

Ibrahimovic was amazing. He may be the best I've seen since Maradona. He even seems to have sorted out his temperament.

People on boards dont rate but I always have since when ne played for Ajax. I saw play in a champions league game for them years ago and he scored 2 goals on of them a peach. Met him as well (well I said hello as the rest of the Ajax team walked by me).

Thing about him when he is good he's good but when he is bad he is bad.

Wonder what happend to lazio. They got smashed by some old timers

Vokes

kearnsr wrote:

People on boards dont rate but I always have since when ne played for Ajax. I saw play in a champions league game for them years ago and he scored 2 goals on of them a peach.

He's a great player but ...didn't he score only his first CL goal the other week for something like 2 years (with Juve?) :S

Scored some good goals though at the last Euros in Portugal IIRC.

godtabh

SofaKing wrote:

He's a great player but ...didn't he score only his first CL goal the other week for something like 2 years (with Juve?) :S

Scored some good goals though at the last Euros in Portugal IIRC.

How long did it take Wayne Rooney between when he scored his first goals in europe to his goals against roma last year? People dont question his greatness?

Mr. Presentable

kearnsr wrote:

Wonder what happend to lazio. They got smashed by some old timers

They were on top until the first goal, a fluke that was meant as a cross. Even then they were doing OK, but the penalty put them two behind and they had to chase the game. Old, Milan may be, but you don't want to have to push forward against them. Plus the goalie, looked about 17, had two go between his legs and basically had a 'mare.