Rivals aim to put pressure on injury hit Inter

godtabh

Preview

MILAN, Dec 13 (Reuters) - AS Roma and Juventus have the chance to close the gap on injury-hit leaders Inter Milan this weekend - at least for a few hours.

Third-placed Juve, eight points behind Inter in Serie A, visit midtable Lazio on Saturday (1930 GMT) hoping to pile on the misery after the Rome club were dumped out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in midweek.

However, despite an impressive return to the top flight after last season's demotion for match-fixing, Juve have won only once away from Turin this term. The Turin side are also without winger Mauro Camoranesi, out until January with a thigh problem.

AS Roma, in second, travel to Torino on Sunday (1400 GMT) before Inter also have an away game at bottom side Cagliari in the day's late game (1930 GMT).

Roma's talismanic Francesco Totti is now fully fit after over a month out with a foot injury and managed 90 minutes against Manchester United in the 1-1 Champions League draw on Wednesday.

After the trouble that marred both quarter-final ties between the two teams last season, there were more clashes among rival supporters. Five United fans and one Roma supporter were stabbed before kickoff, the ANSA news agency reported.

The incidents follow a number of violent episodes surrounding Italian soccer in recent months with authorities severely restricting away travel to clamp down on the problem.

Inter are more worried about who they have on the pitch than in the stands after fielding a weakened side in the Champions League game at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.

The Italian champions were already through to the knockout stages so would have made changes anyway, although options remain limited in midfield with Patrick Vieira, Luis Figo, Olivier Dacourt, Luis Jimenez and Dejan Stankovic all injured.

On the plus side for Inter, defender Marco Materazzi started against PSV after recovering from a long-term thigh layoff.

Cagliari are also in dire straits at the bottom with media reports saying new coach Nedo Sonetti could be forced out despite only being appointed in mid November.

Midtable AC Milan do not play this weekend because they are in Japan at the Club World Cup.

Saturday, December 15, 2007
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
17:00 UK Catania Calcio v Udinese Stadio Angelo Massimino
19:30 UK Lazio v Juventus Stadio Olimpico

Sunday, December 16, 2007
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
14:00 UK Atalanta v Palermo Stadio Azzurri D`Italia
14:00 UK Empoli v Genoa Stadio Carlo Castellani
14:00 UK Parma v Reggina Stadio Ennio Tardini
14:00 UK Sampdoria v Fiorentina Comunale Luigi Ferraris
14:00 UK Siena v Napoli Artemio Franchi Montepaschi Arena
14:00 UK Torino v Roma Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino
19:30 UK Cagliari v Inter Milan Stadio Sant'Elia

Against the bottom side I hope Inter should win despite the injuries.

Lazio have been stung and Juve are poor away from home so I reckon this will be a draw.

Roma for 3 points!

LostinBlanch

Andif that wasn't enough. Now the turks are ganging up on them.

And remember this is serious folks :rolleyes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/12/wfootball112.xml
Inter Milan football strip 'offends Muslims'
By Megan Levy
Last Updated: 2:23am GMT 13/12/2007

A football strip worn by Italian team Inter Milan is at the centre of a legal row after a lawyer claimed it offended "Muslim sensibilities".

Players wore the new strip – a white shirt with large red cross on it – in a Champions League match last month against Turkish team Fenerbahçe to celebrate the club’s centenary.

But a Turkish lawyer, Baris Kaska, took exception to the "Crusader-style" cross which he said symbolised "Western racist superiority over Islam".

He claimed the offending shirt reminded Turks of an emblem of the Christian order of the Knights Templar.

Mr Kaska, who specialises in European law, has lodged a complaint in a local court against the club.

He is seeking damages, and is appealing to Uefa to annul the match, which Inter Milan won 3-0.

Mr Kaska told the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia: "That cross only brings one thing to mind - the symbol of the Templar Knights.

"It made me think immediately of the bloody days of the past. While I was watching the game I felt profound grief in my soul."

advertisementHe said the court had contacted both Uefa and Fifa to convey his demand that Inter Milan should be "heavily fined for displaying an offensive symbol".

Inter Milan officials are reportedly "astounded" at the controversy.

They have pointed out that a red cross on a white background was the symbol of the city of Milan, and that many Italian football clubs have incorporated the cross on their shirts

MrJoeSoap

That is nuts, plain nuts.

godtabh

LostinBlanch wrote: »

Andif that wasn't enough. Now the turks are ganging up on them.

And remember this is serious folks :rolleyes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/12/wfootball112.xml
Inter Milan football strip 'offends Muslims'
By Megan Levy
Last Updated: 2:23am GMT 13/12/2007

Turks are a bit harsh. Its just one nut job

godtabh

Inter win 2-0. Big game next week

Juve beat Lazio 3-2. Looked a good game