News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

Rediff.com  » Sports » Juventus held, Milan hit five

Juventus held, Milan hit five

October 08, 2007 11:04 IST
Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

An 89th-minute Adrian Mutu penalty gave Fiorentina a 1-1 home draw with Juventus in Serie A on Sunday.

Elsewhere Francesco Totti struck twice for AS Roma to claim a share of second place with Juventus with a 3-0 win at Parma, who had Bernardo Corradi sent off in the 26th minute for a second yellow card. But the real beneficiaries of Juve's dropped points were champions Inter Milan, who are now three points clear at the top of Serie A with 17 points from seven games courtesy of Saturday's 2-1 win over Napoli.

Fiorentina are fourth with 13 points and remain unbeaten. Juve's Italy striker Vincenzo Iaquinta opened the score in the 23rd minute when he latched onto a loose header and coolly slotted the ball into the far corner from the edge of the penalty area.

Gianluigi Buffon saved a deflected Riccardo Montolivo shot superbly with his feet, while Fiorentina keeper Sebastien Frey pushed out a thunderous Pavel Nedved effort before half time.

Fiorentina were unlucky not to win a penalty six minutes after the break when Franco Semioli was sandwiched by two Juventus defenders in the area.

The visitors looked to be heading to their third consecutive win, but Nicola Legrottaglie handled the ball at the death and former Juventus forward Mutu made no mistake from the penalty spot.

WITHIN REACH

"We should have taken advantage of the counter-attacks we had in the second half," Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri, a former manager of Fiorentina, told Sky television.

"I'm sorry Fiorentina managed to get a draw with a penalty because we had the win within reach. Never mind."

Roma took the lead at Parma after just two minutes, with a low diagonal Totti drive although the television replays suggested the ball might have been out of play when Mirko Vucinic made the final pass. The Roma captain set up the second, threading the ball through to Brazilian midfielder Mancini, who fired in another angled shot in the 21st, and completed the rout himself eight minutes from time.

AC Milan thumped Lazio 5-1 in Rome later on Sunday to end a winless streak in Serie A that stretched back to the opening day of the season.

Kaka scored two goals in either half, the first from the penalty spot, after Lazio midfielder Stefano Mauri had cancelled out Massimo Ambrosini's opener. Alberto Gilardino finished off the Roman outfit with a brace in the last 20 minutes.

"They were my first goals of the season. I'm hoping to score lots more," Gilardino told Sky television.

After seven games the European champions are eighth with 10 points.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2024

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2024