Inter flops at Udinese, Milan survives
Source: Agencies |
January 25, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
INTER Milan coach Leonardo suffered his first defeat in six games when the Serie A champion lost 1-3 at Udinese on Sunday, giving his former side AC Milan a boost as it beat Cesena to stay four points clear.
A 2-0 win for second-placed Napoli at bottom side Bari made the day worse for Inter, which has a game in hand in fifth but now trails Milan by nine points and the Neapolitans by five just over halfway through the campaign.
On the plus side for Inter, title-chasing Lazio lost 1-3 at Bologna and injury-hit Juventus drew 0-0 at coach Luigi Del Neri's former club Sampdoria in a scrappy encounter with Alessandro Del Piero missing a great chance in stoppage time.
Inter's Dejan Stankovic slammed in a 16th-minute opener from Thiago Motta's pass but defender Cristian Zapata soon equalized for eighth-placed Udinese with a powerful left-foot shot which Luca Castellazzi failed to stop.
Serie A top scorer Antonio Di Natale curled a superb 25th-minute freekick into the bottom corner and Maurizio Domizzi exposed more questionable goalkeeping from stand-in Castellazzi.
The European champion had won five straight games in all competitions since Leonardo replaced Rafa Benitez on December 24, sparking hopes of an incredible scudetto-winning comeback, but the Brazilian was undone in a niggly game.
"We started well but then an Udinese in great form came to the party," former Milan boss Leonardo, who had Julio Cesar, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Milito out injured, told Sky. "When they play like that, it's difficult for everyone."
Milan, beaten at Cesena at the start of the season and coming off two league draws, nervously beat the promoted side 2-0 on a relaid San Siro pitch thanks in part to Maximiliano Pellegrino's second own goal in two games just before halftime.
A 2-0 win for second-placed Napoli at bottom side Bari made the day worse for Inter, which has a game in hand in fifth but now trails Milan by nine points and the Neapolitans by five just over halfway through the campaign.
On the plus side for Inter, title-chasing Lazio lost 1-3 at Bologna and injury-hit Juventus drew 0-0 at coach Luigi Del Neri's former club Sampdoria in a scrappy encounter with Alessandro Del Piero missing a great chance in stoppage time.
Inter's Dejan Stankovic slammed in a 16th-minute opener from Thiago Motta's pass but defender Cristian Zapata soon equalized for eighth-placed Udinese with a powerful left-foot shot which Luca Castellazzi failed to stop.
Serie A top scorer Antonio Di Natale curled a superb 25th-minute freekick into the bottom corner and Maurizio Domizzi exposed more questionable goalkeeping from stand-in Castellazzi.
The European champion had won five straight games in all competitions since Leonardo replaced Rafa Benitez on December 24, sparking hopes of an incredible scudetto-winning comeback, but the Brazilian was undone in a niggly game.
"We started well but then an Udinese in great form came to the party," former Milan boss Leonardo, who had Julio Cesar, Wesley Sneijder and Diego Milito out injured, told Sky. "When they play like that, it's difficult for everyone."
Milan, beaten at Cesena at the start of the season and coming off two league draws, nervously beat the promoted side 2-0 on a relaid San Siro pitch thanks in part to Maximiliano Pellegrino's second own goal in two games just before halftime.
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