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Mar.6,2005 -Mar.13,2005 |
Milan hurdles Juventus for top spot
Playoff picture heats up as Italian soccer mourns the death Omar Sivori
By Mehrdad Masoudi
Originally Published: 2005-02-27
The Italian Serie A title race heated up with Milan overtaking Juventus in the standings last weekend. A month earlier Juventus seemed to have had an unassailable nine-point lead and was sitting comfortably atop Serie A.
Juve's goalless draw in the south combined with Milan's costly narrow win over Cagliari placed AC Milan ahead of Juventus by virtue of a goal difference.
Messina had only lost twice this season at its San Filippo stadium. Juventus was let down by a combination of imprecise passing and aggressive marking by the home side. Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasted the best chance of the game nine minutes from time, when he broke the offside trap only to blast his shot straight at keeper Marco Storari.
Reigning Italian champion Milan replaced Juventus at the top thanks to its last-gasp win over Cagliari. Even without star striker Andriy Shevchenko, who exited with a fractured cheekbone after just 11 minutes, Milan dominated the proceedings but had to wait until second-half stoppage time before Brazilian winger Serginho lashed the winner into the roof of the net.
Shevchenko needed surgery on his fractured cheekbone, which ruled him out of Milan's first-leg encounter against Manchester United in the first knockout stage of the UEFA Champions League. He is doubtful for the return match.
More accustomed to coming from behind, Inter found itself on the receiving end of a last-minute goal by Udinese's Henok Goitom, which cancelled out Juan Sebastian Veron's earlier strike and left the Italian giants a distant third, 11 points off the lead.
A hat trick by striker Francesco Flachi gave Sampdoria a 3-2 win over Reggina as the battle for Serie A's Champions League berths heated up last weekend.
The result gave Sampdoria 41 points from 25 matches, equal on points but with an inferior goal difference to Udinese, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League berth after a 1-1 draw with Inter Milan.
The competition for a place in Europe's top club promises to be more than a two-horse race, however, as Palermo consolidated sixth place on 39 points by beating Lecce 3-2.
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