Football Dispatch

Monday Football
24 December2007
by Jerrad Peters

Most compelling viewing

Inter Milan 2-1 AC Milan
For over an hour, it appeared as though this was the night that AC Milan turned their season around. From their status as “visitors” in their own digs to the honor guard that welcomed them onto the pitch, the Rossoneri could have been excused for assuming that the stars had aligned for them.

Winless at the San Siro and falling further and further into mid-table mediocrity, Milan had hoped to use the pseudo-away match against local rivals Inter as a ploy to coax a good result at the grounds. And having defeated Boca Juniors to win the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan the previous week, they took to the pitch amid applauding rows of Inter players. It should have been the perfect script. Indeed, it very nearly was. But in orchestrating their own undoing, Milan will now approach the Christmas break with no small amount of worry and concern.

After a tentative quarter-hour to open the proceedings, Milan maestro Andrea Pirlo curled a trademark free-kick past Julio Cesar to put his side ahead. The goal only seemed to prod Inter into action, however, as Luis Jiminez missed a clear opportunity in the 21st minute after a splendid Julio Cruz cross. Cruz, playing in tandem with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, equalized 15-minutes later – making good on a nice piece of provision from Esteban Cambiasso.

With lone striker Filippo Inzaghi failing to have made an impression through the first half, he was replaced by Alberto Gilardino at the interval. The exchange made little difference; although Gilardino managed to botch Paolo Maldini’s well-placed cross in the 50th minute.

It was Maldini, himself, who comprised one-half of the blunder which put Inter ahead in the 63rd minute. After failing to clear a corner-kick, the veteran Milan left-back watched the ball land at the feet of Cambiasso. The Argentine midfielder proceeded to direct the ball goalwards – fooling the out-of-position Dida and earning the hosts a lead which would prove unassailable.

With the three points, Inter maintain their seven-point lead over second place Roma and remain eight ahead of surging Juventus. Milan, meanwhile, drop to 12th. With just 18-points, they trail the likes of Genoa, Sampdoria, Catania, and Atalanta and are seven points adrift of sixth place Palermo and a berth in the UEFA Cup.

Notable results

Barcelona 0-1 Real Madrid
Impressively, if not somewhat unexpectedly, Real Madrid are enjoying a seven-point lead in their domestic table as well. By virtue of their 1-0 win at arch-rivals Barcelona, Sunday, the Meringues pace La Liga with 41-points. The Catalans are second with 34.

With 42 combined fouls, this Classico had every bit the derby atmosphere. Still, the hosts, despite enjoying a territorial advantage, were unable to seriously test Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas until shortly after the half-hour when Ronaldinho tested the Spain number-one. Just moments later, the visitors countered through Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Julio Baptista. The two played an impressive exchange before Baptista half-volleyed past Victor Valdes for the game’s opening goal and eventual match-winner.

The loss will, no doubt, pile the pressure on Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard. The Dutchman was already on the back pages in the run-up to the contest after yet another quarrel with Ronaldinho. If nothing else, this turned out to be a very good weekend for Jose Mourinho. The ex-Chelsea boss seemingly has his options open as both Rijkaard and Milan’s Carlo Ancelotti appear on their last lives.

Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Several translations are likely to emerge from this hotly-contested north London derby. The most obvious is that Spurs were fully deserving of at least a point at Emirates Stadium. That said, Tottenham manager Juande Ramos’ team-sheet left more than a few pundits scratching their heads at kick-off. Jamie O’Hara, Teemu Tainio, Kevin-Prince Boateng – that the visitors were competitive should, perhaps, come as something of a surprise more than anything else. The Spaniard, however, was vindicated as O’Hara, Boateng, and Aaron Lennon buzzed dangerously about the midfield for the balance of the 90-minutes.

Lennon’s battles with Gael Clichy were particularly appealing – as the England international looked to regain his place among an impressive group of English right-wingers, including David Bentley, Shaun Wright-Philips, and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Adebayor’s opener just after the break was, doubtless, the most eye-catching moment of the match. After Cesc Fabregas had received the ball from Tomas Rosicky, the Spaniard deftly back-heeled to the Togolese whose shot curled beyond Paul Robinson.

The win keeps Arsenal atop the English Premier League with 43-points – a single point ahead of Manchester United and six in front of Chelsea. Spurs, meanwhile, are in 13th place with 18-points – three adrift of Reading, seven back of West Ham, and just a single point ahead of both Bolton Wanderers and Middlesbrough.

Nancy 1-1 Lyon
AS Nancy Loraine acquitted themselves nicely in this top-of-the-table duel in Ligue 1. The hosts earned a split of the territorial play and blasted 24-shots at goal to Lyon’s seven. Nevertheless, it was the visitors who should have been 2-0 up inside 22-minutes after misses from Karim Benema. That captain and set-piece specialist Juninho missed the match to suspension seemed to hamper the Lyon attack as well.

With just ten minutes of normal time remaining, Lyon striker and former Liverpool and Aston Villa forward Milan Baros opened the scoring. His goal was, however, negated by an impressive Chris Malonga strike just three minutes from time. After Francois Clerc failed to head a Nancy corner to safety, Malonga volleyed past Vercoutre from just outside the 18-yard box.

The sharing of the points leaves Lyon atop the ledger with 39-points – four ahead of Nancy and six in front of third-place Bordeaux.

Fiorentina 5-1 Cagliari
Adrien Mutu scored twice in a three-minute spell at the death of the first-half to put Fiorentina 3-1 ahead of visiting Cagliari. Santana’s brace in the second period rounded-out the scoring for the red-hot Florence side. Now fifth in Serie-A with 28-points, Fiorentina are just a single point adrift of Udinese and a Champions’ League place for next season. And with seven goals from Mutu, they are putting to rest the memories of Luca Toni in a massive hurry.

Sevilla 4-1 Racing Santander
After a dreadfully slow start in La Liga, due in no small part to the death of Antonio Puerta and untimely departure of manager Juande Ramos, Sevilla are finally turning the corner. Already into the last-16 of the Champions’ League, they comfortably dispatched sixth-place Racing Santander and pulled to within three points of a European place. It was a vital result, as a win for Racing would have stretched the gap to an intimidating nine points. Freddie Kanoute hit the target for Sevilla again, as did Chevanton, Jesus Navas, and Adriano Correira.

St. Etienne 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Road victories are few and far between for PSG these days. But Sunday’s victory at Stade Geoffrey-Guichard pulled them out of the relegation quagmire and to within touching distance of the top half of the table. Pegguy Luyindula’s tally on 51-minutes proved the match-winner for the visitors – now two points ahead of 18th-place Lens and just nine adrift of ninth-place Monaco.

Caen 2-0 Strasbourg
In a rematch of the 2005 Coupe de la Ligue Final, Stade Malherbe de Caen entrenched themselves as the feel-good story of 2007 in world football. Named after Francois de Malherbe, a regional poet from the 16th Century, the Lower Normandy side improved their already astonishing point total to 31 – good for fourth place in Ligue 1 and just two points adrift of third-place Bordeaux and four adrift of second-place Nancy. In a community with a metropolitan population of just under 200,000, it is no small feat. This is Caen’s tenth season in top-flight French football since their founding in 1934. And if 40-points is considered the safety-zone in 20-team leagues, they should be back for an eleventh in 2008-2009.

Key contributors

Nicolas Anelka
The 28-year-old Bolton Wanderers striker is all but single-handedly pulling his side to safety. After a woeful start to the campaign which saw Trotters firmly implanted at the bottom of the Premier League standings, the Frenchman has gone on a tear. He has already bagged ten goals this season – two of which came in his side’s 3-0 drubbing of relegation rival Birmingham City. With Bolton nursing a 1-0 lead in the dying moments, Anelka scored twice in a span of 12-minutes – vaulting the club into 14th place.

Adrian Mutu
It is safe to say that Chelsea fans never saw the actual Mutu. Already this season, the 28-year-old Romanian has scored seven times for Fiorentina and has the Florence club en route to European football in 2008-2009 – perhaps in the Champions’ League. His two goals in three minutes against Cagliari broke a 1-1 deadlock and set the table for what resulted in a 5-1 humiliation of the Sardinian side.

Cristiano Ronaldo
He is probably Europe’s in-form player at the moment. Two more goals against Everton, Sunday, boosted his haul to 12 on the season and kept Manchester United within striking distance of Premier League leaders Arsenal. Ronaldo’s sense of timing has been invaluable to his club this term. Time and again, the 22-year-old’s impeccable sense of timing sees United to last-gasp victories. His 88th minute match-winner over the Toffees was point-in-case.

Mark Viduka
In all likelihood, Newcastle will be the only Premier League club not to defeat Derby County this season. Still, if not for the efforts of the veteran Australia international, the Rams may very well have done the double over their northern rivals. Viduka scored both Newcastle goals in a disappointing 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park. The single point keeps the Tynesiders in the top half of the table in 9th place with 26-points.

Man of the weekend

Esteban Cambiasso
The Argentina international was the single greatest factor in Inter Milan’s triumph over local rivals AC Milan on Saturday. His provision to countryman Julio Cruz produced the equalizer just after the half-hour and settled an Inter side which was on the verge of becoming frustrated after a bevy of failed opportunities. He also took full advantage of Maldini’s disastrous clearing attempt in the 63rd minute – cradling the ball and sending Dida off to the left before notching the eventual match-winner.