Serie A; Udinese to play host to Milan's Pato roadshow

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Udinese to play host to Milan's Pato roadshow

MILAN, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Midtable AC Milan head to fourth-placed Udinese on Sunday hoping new Brazilian striker Pato can have the same galvanizing effect as he did in last weekend's 5-2 win over Napoli.


The 18 year-old scored in Milan's first home victory this season and the Italian press has gone wild with 'Patomania' for the past week even though the forward looked decidedly nervous before his goal.

All is still not well at Milan, who remain 12th before the halfway point of the season and were dumped out of the much-maligned Italian Cup at the last 16 stage by Catania on Wednesday.

Boss Carlo Ancelotti fielded a weakened side and hinted that elimination was a positive thing for the season, even if general confidence has taken another knock.

'Our priorities are elsewhere. I didn't want to run any sort of risk in this game,' he told reporters.

Kaka, Pato and Ronaldo, the Brazilian front three now known as Ka-Pa-Ro, are all expected to return in Udine, where Italy foward Fabio Quagliarella will be looking to continue his recent good form for the hosts (1400 GMT).

Third-placed Juventus, 10 points behind leaders Inter Milan, have a defensive crisis for Sunday's visit of Sampdoria and their in-form striker Antonio Cassano.

Giorgio Chiellini is out for at least a month after injuring his knee in Tuesday's cup win over Empoli, leaving Claudio Ranieri with a real headache given fellow defenders Jonathan Zebina and Jorge Andrade are also injured.

Error-prone Jean Alain Boumsong may now have to anchor the defence with Juve's problems made worse by the surprise decision to loan promising young centre back Domenico Criscito to Genoa.

Inter, who play Reggina in the Cup on Thursday, host Parma in Sunday's late league game (1930) with new signings Maniche and Cristiano Lucarelli available for the respective teams.

Second-placed Roma, seven behind Inter, welcome Catania on Sunday with Francesco Totti fresh from scoring his 200th career goal in Wednesday's Cup win over Torino.

Atalanta may struggle to concentrate on Saturday's trip to Genoa (1700) with their president Ivan Ruggeri in a coma while under-pressure Delio Rossi takes stuttering Lazio to Napoli for the second time in four days on Sunday following Thursday's Cup encounter.

Saturday, January 19, 2008
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
17:00 UK Genoa v Atalanta Comunale Luigi Ferraris
19:30 UK Fiorentina v Torino Artemio Franchi

Sunday, January 20, 2008
TIME HOME AWAY VENUE
14:00 UK Juventus v Sampdoria Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino
14:00 UK Livorno v Empoli Armando Picchi
14:00 UK Napoli v Lazio Stadio San Paolo
14:00 UK Palermo v Siena Renzo Barbera
14:00 UK Reggina v Cagliari Stadio Oreste Granillo
14:00 UK Roma v Catania Calcio Stadio Olimpico
14:00 UK Udinese v AC Milan Stadio Friuli
19:30 UK Inter Milan v Parma Stadio Giuseppe Meazza

Chong

I bloody wish Italian football was still shown on tv.

Zapp Brannigan

Willstev wrote: »

I bloody wish Italian football was still shown on tv.

Me too. I want to see this Pato kid play.

Bubs101

His touch before the goal was class but I was in Rome last week and heard nowt of this "Patomania"

carlop

Roma and Napoli both 1-0 up, seems to be a cracker unfolding in Palermo-Siena 1-2 after 10 mins. I was meant to go and watch my local team Pavia play today, doesn't sound exciting until you see who they have up front...Benito Carbone! Still terrorising defences in the serie C2! Unfotunately exams tomorrow mean Carbone will have to wait

Xavi6

Juve gettin robbed of penos right, left and centre.

PHB

What a ****ing goal from Milan! Kaka makes a magestic flick to get that goal, unreal!

tdv

1-0 Gilardino

http://www.d1g.com/video/show/?id=1706303

DundalkDuffman

Willstev wrote: »

I bloody wish Italian football was still shown on tv.

Channel 5 have it every Sunday. Well worth it for the delectable Laura even if its a 0-0 snoozefest!
http://www.lauraesposto.it/

Mr. Presentable

Parma getting robbed at Inter. Corradi rugby tackled in the box, play waved on.

Mr. Presentable

Now Julio Cesar takes down a Parma player in the box - play on. Not as clear as the first, but if it was at the other end it would be called.

Mr. Presentable

Maniche playing well. Slotted straight in.

Nunu

tdv wrote: »

1-0 Gilardino

http://www.d1g.com/video/show/?id=1706303

Looked a yard offside, no? ...none of the replays have the proper angle to confirm it though, but definitely looks off in the live action shot.

Mr. Presentable

Holy crap!! Parma in front!

Mr. Presentable

Finishes 3-2 for Inter.

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0708/int-par.html

Key words, as last week and numerous other past weeks:

"An extremely controversial last-minute penalty"

I feel sorry for Parma, and Italian football generally. Inter are, and have been, the biggest whingers in the game and at the same time the greatest benefactors from the recent scandals. There's winning, and then there's winning - Parma were robbed, pure and simple. As were Siena last week

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0708/int-par.html