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Serie A: A Preview of this Week’s two Titanic Clashes

  By O-Posts Team | April 14, 2013 - 18:02 | , , , , ,
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Juventus have set the pace in Serie A yet again. The Old Lady of Turin currently hold a 9 point lead over second placed Napoli and could see this increase if results go their way tonight. The Juventini will be looking to get back to winning ways after suffering elimination from the Champions League in the hands of Bayern Munich.

The German club destroyed their Italian counterparts, 4-0 on aggregate (2-0 H&A) to set up a mouth watering, eagerly anticipated, block buster clash with almighty Barcelona in the semis. Lazio on other hand, know that tomorrow’s game is the one of the last few opportunities to secure qualification to the next season’s Champions League.

Anything less than 3 points tonight and things will become very, very delicate. A.C Milan are one of the most in-form teams in the Italian League and it is no surprise that they have maintained third place for a long time now.

Victory over 2nd placed Napoli will take the Berlusconi owned outfit to within one point of tonight’s opponents and a chance to claim 2nd place in the next couple of weeks.

 

A.C MILAN-NAPOLI

The Milanese have won 4 and drawn of their last 5 Serie games and lie third in the League standings, four points behind 2nd placed Napoli. This would have been inconceivable at the beginning of the season with poor result after poor result coming for the 2011 Italian Champions. Allegri was on brink of a sack and things were going from bad to worse.

However, the ship has steadied ever since and it is a different Rossoneri now. The purchase of Mario Balotelli coupled with the rise to prominence of ‘Faraone’ Shaarawy has been very crucial to the Milan resurgence. El Shaarawy has carried the team all on his way at various times this season. The Egyptian-Italian’s phenomenal form has seen him earn caps with the Azzurri.

Today’s opponents, Napoli, also possess some of the deadliest footballers in Serie A. It is no accident that they sit a place ahead of Milan and still harbour the ambition of winning the Scudetto despite the 9-point lead Juventus have.

The Neapolitans, who have won three of their last 5 games, know that a win over the red and black will all but ensure 2nd place is theirs to lose. Edinson Cavani leads the scorers chart with 22 goals already this season. This means that two Uruguayans comfortably sit atop the marksmen list of two of Europe’s best leagues (England and Italy). He went scoreless for some time, but has come back strong to bang in the goals as he so regularly does.

Marek Hamsik provides the needed creativity from attacking midfield and chips in with some vital goals. Milan know all about these two guys. Stopping them tonight will not be a piece of cake.

Allegri must come to terms with the fact that ‘bad boy’ Mario will not be available for the next 3 games after he was suspended for collecting his 5th yellow card and insulting match officials in Florence. He is also set to face the disciplinary committee of his club for allegations of smoking on the train to the Artenio Franchi.

Consequently, ‘II Pazzo’ will lead the line with El Shaarawy and teenager, M’baye Niang. The EL-BA-NI partnership will have to wait until Mario returns from suspension.

Ricco Montolivo has been exceptional in the last month or so. The midfield pearl’s displays have caught the eye. A superb one again today and Milan could be singing the glory song.

 

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Milan:

Abbiati, Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant, Montolivo, Boateng, Flamini, Niang, Pazzini, El Shaarawy

The absence of Balotelli is a huge loss for Milan. Stephan El Shaarawy has not scored since the end of January. Well, Pazzini has goals in him.

 

Napoli:

De Sanctis, Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Britos, Maggio, Behrami, Dzemaili, Zuniga, Hamisk, Pandev, Cavani

Walter Mazzarri’s men use the wing-back system like Juventus. With Maggio and Zuniga marauding down the wings. Swiss duo, Behrami and Dzemaili will take the midfield roles with Hamsik ahead of them. Blerim Dzemaili has scored 4 goals in his last 2 Serie A games. He is a man in form.

The meeting at San Paolo ended all square (2-2).

 

 

LAZIO-JUVENTUS

Prior to midweek, the Laziali and the Bianconeri were Italy’s last two representatives in European Competitions. However, both of them have been thrown out with the Biaconceleste at least earning a creditable 1-1 draw at home to Fenerbahce. The extra motivation will be with the Rome based club.

The 5th placed team have lost three of their last five games. A draw in last weekend’s Rome derby was seen as two points lost. Hernanes has been tremendous for Petkovic’s side this season, but he let himself and Lazio down in that game by missing a penalty and conceding one at the other end that Er Pupone duly dispatched.

Miroslav Klose is back and that is a bonus for the Biancoceleste. His 10 goals before the long layoff helped the Sky Blues to Champions League places. They have since capitulated afterwards. The much travelled Sergio Floccari has deputised at times for the German Legend. It hasn’t been enough nonetheless.

Hernanes has been the shining light all season and bar the 2nd half performance v the Giallorossi last time out, he has rarely put a foot wrong. Federico Marchetti in goal has been one of the Aquile’s most consistent performers. The Italian goalie’s exploits haven’t gone unnoticed by Cesare Prandelli. Only that Gigi Buffon will be very difficult to displace. PSG’s Salvatore Sirigu has found that a futile mission too.

If the Coppa Italia finalists still want to qualify for the UCL, today’s game is a must win.

Juventus are no easy ride for anyone. Well, except you are Bayern Munich. Apart from the German destroyers, no side has been so dominant against the Old Lady since Antonio Conte took over and came back from a 4 month suspension in December.

Tomorrow night against the Biancoceleste, the league leaders have it all to do in order to restore the confidence that was nowhere to be found on Wednesday. Andrea Pirlo will not want to see Bastian Schweinsteiger anytime soon. The German midfielder gained revenge over the Italian master in both legs of the European tie. It was a performance that drew comparisons with some of the very best ever. A virtuoso display of excellence.

Marchisio cut a forlorn figure in both legs and his ineffectiveness when playing against Europe’s finest footballers showed to a great extent. The absence of Giorgio Chiellini is another minus for the Juventini. The defence without him have coped….with him, they are water tight.

Mirko Vucinic and his strike partners were no match for Dante and Danny Van Buyten who effortlessly kept them very quiet. A Cana-Ciani partnership might be weaker on paper, but can put on a similar show. Tonio Candreva is that stunning winger these days. He knows the Old Lady very well, having spent a season there on loan some seasons ago. His form this campaign has been great.

Ogenyi Onazi has shown flashes of what he is capable of, especially in the European stage. A vital squad member who can come in handy at any time.

 

PROBABLE LINEUPS

LAZIO:

Marchetti, Gonzalez, Cana, Ciani, Stankevicius, Candreva, Ledesma, Onazi, Hernanes, Mauri, Klose

The prominent Senad Lulic is suspended for this tie, so Alvaro Gonzalez comes in for him. The return of the imposing Klose is a massive boost for Vladimir Petkovic’s team.

 

JUVENTUS:

Buffon, Peluso, Bonucci, Barzagli, Asamoah, Marchisio, Vidal, Pirlo, Lichtsteiner, Vucinic, Matri

The return of Arturo Vidal and Stephan Lichtsteiner will be music to the ears of Conte. Although Chiellini is out through suspension, the old lady have enough in their arsenal to wreck havoc at the Stadio Olimpico.

Alessandro Matri is set to replace the Quag in attack, while Kwadwo Asamoah at left wing back is an automatic choice when fit.

 

Written by Ohireime Eboreime

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AC Milan and the Balotelli Effect

  By O-Posts Team | March 20, 2013 - 17:05 | , ,
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Just 46 days into his career with the Rossoneri and the effect that Mario Balotelli has had on the club is clear.

Following his arrival in Italy, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said that the move for Balotelli was “a dream that has been realized [and] a transfer that everyone wanted; the club, the president and the fans.”

That dream got off to a fairytale start with Balotelli producing a match winning brace against Udinese, a win which lifted Milan above rivals Inter in the table at the time.

Balotelli scored in the next two games for AC Milan, including a stunning 30-yard free kick against Parma to maintain the Rossoneri’s resurgent push up the league. That strike at the San Siro proved enough to match Oliver Bierhoff’s record of four goals in three matches, but the Italy international has since kicked on.

Balotelli came off the bench to add to his tally with another goal against Genoa in only his fifth appearance for the club, whilst last weekend’s brace against Palermo took the controversial striker’s tally to seven goals in six games in Serie A.

Balotelli’s arrival has coincided with AC Milan’s unbeaten run in the league, which has seen five wins in just seven games, but the effect of ‘Super Mario’ has not been universally positive.

After hitting 15 goals prior to Balotelli’s arrival in January, Italian striker Stephan El Shaarawy has managed just one goal in the league since the controversial striker’s move from Manchester City.

Balotelli and El Shaarawy.... contrasting fortunes since the widely publicized move.

Balotelli and El Shaarawy…. contrasting fortunes since the widely publicized move.

The ‘Pharaoh’ has lost his place at the pinnacle of the Rossoneri attack, with both Balotelli and Gianpaolo Pazzini now favoured ahead of El Shaarawy in the centre of the AC Milan attack.

The competition for places up front is something which Massimiliano Allegri will have to manage carefully, but Il Faraone will likely find himself more frequently positioned either side of a central striker, with the striker’s work rate and energy considerably higher than that of the enigmatic Balotelli.

With Mario Balotelli in the side, the Rossoneri have yet to look back and AC Milan’s hopes of a second place finish seem possible based on their form in 2013. Fixtures against Fiorentina, Napoli and Juventus next month make April a huge time of the year for the Rossoneri.

How Milan manage Balotelli over the next four years could prove crucial, especially given the striker’s unmanageability in the past, but should Balotelli mature in his ways and add a higher level of work rate and determination to his game, then the effect of Mario may be long felt at the San Siro.

 

Jonathan Day is a leading football analyst who specialises in European and Premier League football. Jonathan currently writes for Sportingly Better, a football betting blog that offers free football tips and betting predictions. Follow Sportingly Better on Twitter or add them on Facebook for all the latest betting tips.

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Stephan El Shaarawy: Milan’s Savior?

  By O-Posts Team | October 28, 2012 - 14:59 | , , ,
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Stephan-El-Shaarawy

In a so far frustrating season both on and off the pitch, the emergence of Stephan El Shaarawy has been one of the few things Milan fans have had to get excited about. Now with the versatile 20 year old, who can play in central midfield as well as in attack, improving seemingly game by game, one wonders just how far this exciting young talent can go.

The journey of Stephan El Shaarawy began in the town of Savona, where he was born to an Egyptian father (hence the name despite El Shaarawy playing for Italy) and an Italian mother. He had only just turned 16 when he made his debut for Genoa in the 2008/09 season, but he didn’t truly arrive on the scene until he joined Serie B side Padova on loan for the 2010/11 season. The youngster’s exciting performances helped the normally mid-table side finish in 5th place and only a few play-off wins off a place in Serie A.

Such excellent performances didn’t go unnoticed as the mighty AC Milan sprung a surprise and took El Shaarawy off Genoa. His first season with the Rossoneri went better than many expected, with El Shaarawy, who had also been playing with Italy’s U-21 side at points in the season, making 28 appearances in all competitions throughout the season.

But this season has undisputedly been El Shaarawy’s breakout year. His international debut for Italy’s senior squad came in August and he has had a superb start to the season, looking immensely sharp and lightning quick.

Having played in 11 of Milan’s 12 competitive games so far, El Shaarawy has consolidated his place in Milan’s starting eleven, while his impressive scoring record of 6 goals, including one against Zenit St. Petersburg in the Champions League have helped to increase the level of excitement around the young maestro.

His dribbling ability and pace means he is rapidly becoming one of Europe’s most feared attacking players and he has added a much needed dose of vibrancy to the Milan squad, with Nigel De Jong , Robinho and Kevin Prince Boateng not really offering any energy to the Milan midfield.

I am certainly predicting great things for Stephan El Shaarawy as at times this season he has looked absolutely unstoppable at times, and he has only just turned 20. One would think his levels of strength would improve and if it does he could be the complete package. Additionally, with both AC Milan and the Italian national team in a period of transition, I believe El Shaarawy with his lightning pace and top drawer technical ability can inspire and lead both his national and his club sides into further glory down the road. Then again, although Milan are still a major club around the world, their books still need balancing.

The summer sales of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva to PSG were out of a desperate need to, not simply to get a few million to add to their transfer fund. There are worries in Milan that if El Shaarawy continues to improve, eventually a super-rich club such as Manchester City or PSG could make Milan an offer they won’t be able to refuse.

However, for now the striker remains property of AC Milan and with his help he could be the man who leads the Rossoneri into a glorious future.

 

Written by Joshua Sodergren

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Champions League: Matchday 3 Preview – Part 2

  By O-Posts Team | October 24, 2012 - 15:53 | ,
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champions-league-trophy11

 

Group A

Porto v Dynamo Kiev

After a huge win at home to PSG in their most recent Champions League encounter, Porto will host the Ukrainian side Dynamo Kiev hoping to make it nine points from nine. However, Dynamo Kiev will be looking to take all three points after they lost to PSG in match day one 4-1.

Their win at home to Dinamo Zagreb last time out will give the Ukrainian side hope, but to get something from this game will be the desire of their coach Oleh Blokin.

Key clash: João Moutinho v Miguel Veloso

 

Dinamo Zagreb v PSG

Super rich Paris Saint Germain’s second away game in Europe this season will take them to Zagreb as the face Croatian champions, Zagreb.

PSG haven’t won away in the Champions League since 1998, but with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Ezequiel Lavezzi in their ranks, they’ll expect to get all three points and recover from their disappointing 1-0 loss against Porto last time out. Zagreb will have to get a result here, having lost both their opening games.

Key clash: Josip Simunic v Zlatan Ibrahimovic

 

Group B

Arsenal v Schalke 04

When the Champions League group stage draw was conducted, many expected these two teams to comfortably progress to the knockout stages. However after Schalke’s disappointing 2-2 draw against Montpellier, the group is looking quite tight.

After Schalke’s 2-1 win away at Dortmund this past weekend, and Arsenal’s 1-0 loss to Norwich, this game could be an unpredictable one. Expect fireworks.

Key clash: Oliver Giroud v Benedikt Höwedes

 

Montpellier v Olympiakos

With two games gone both these sides have work to do if they want to progress to the round of 16. Montpellier’s 2-2 draw away at

Schalke however has given the French champions hope, especially considering how well they played against Arsenal in a 2-1 loss first time out.

With both teams looking to win, this should be an interesting one.

Key clash: Konstantinos Mitroglou vs. Hilton

 

Malaga v AC Milan

An emphatic 3-0 destruction of Zenit St Petersburg on match day one surprised many at just how good Malaga can be. Away at Anderlecht, Malaga put in another solid performance winning 2-0 leading to many calling them favourites to get through group C.

European giants AC Milan currently have 4 points and are slowly improving after a poor start to their Serie A campaign.

With the exciting Malaga side hosting the experienced and adjusting Milan side this game could well be one of the best of match day three.

Key clash: Martin Demechelis v Robinho

 

Zenit St. Petersburg v Anderlecht

Pre match day one, there was a certain level of expectation surrounding Zenit St. Petersburg, heightened by their signing of powerful Brazilian striker Hulk. But with the Russian champions having lost both their Champions League games this season, this game at home to Anderlecht is essentially a must win.

The Belgian champions got an impressive 0-0 draw at the San Siro first time out but lost at home to Malaga, meaning they’ll need to try and win this.

Key clash: Hulk v Cheikhou Kouyaté

 

Group D

Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

An excellent and fearless away performance away at Manchester City mean Borussia Dortmund will be going into this fixture with plenty of encouragement about their Champions League hopes.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are now back to their best after a slow start to their La Liga campaign. They have won both their Champions League fixtures so far too so they are in a great position to qualify from the “group of death”.

With Dortmund being the German champions and Real Madrid being the Spanish champions, this is a dream match that I’m personally very excited about.

Key clash: Mario Götze v Sami Khedira

 

Ajax v Manchester City

The always united and determined Ajax will represent a tough challenge for the Premier League champions as they travel to Amsterdam needing three points to get their so far disappointing Champions League campaign back on track.

Having lost both of their games so far, the Dutch champions are also needing a win or it could be a swift exit for Ajax.

Key clash: Christian Eriksen v Vincent Kompany

 

Written by Joshua Sodergren

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AC Milan: Allegri suffering following summer exodus

  By O-Posts Team | October 8, 2012 - 16:32 | ,
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Allegri

Massimiliano Allegri’s future as manager of AC Milan is hanging in the balance after a spineless 1-0 defeat to city rivals Inter last weekend.

After a nightmare start to the season they were tipped to lose to their bitter rivals, but the defeat exposed just how little influence Allegri has over this uninspiring side.

Just seven games into the new Serie A campaign, Milan find themselves eleventh in the Italian top flight and the latest football betting prices suggest they have very little chance of recovering from their current slump. Yet while Milan fans call for Allegri’s dismissal, it is clear the side has been severely affected by this summer’s transfer dealings.

For in one fell swoop Milan lost arguably their two best players to Paris Saint-Germain as the mega-rich French club continue their strides towards world domination. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – the only man with any sort of goalscoring nous in the side – was sold for just £15.7m and has caused a stir in Ligue 1 with 10 goals in nine games.

Rossoneri fans hoping the departure of Ibrahimovic would lead to a new superstar replacement were somewhat underwhelmed by Giampaolo Pazzini’s arrival – a striker who has netted just three times this season.

Also exiting the San Siro was Thiago Silva, whose £35.7m transfer bolstered Milan’s coffers yet the board have appeared unwilling to spend big on a substitute. Without these two stalwarts in the side Milan looked abject on Sunday evening, conceding a sloppy goal while appearing totally unable to contrive anything up front against 10-men Inter.

If Allegri cannot infuse his players for a Milan derby then some serious squad changes need to be made in January. It would be folly to sack the manager because he has an understrength and non-inspirational side just yet; instead, the boss should be given the funds generated from the summer’s exodus to mould his team into a respectable outfit worthy of wearing the famous red and black.

The biggest worry of all though, is whether that money is still there to spend.

 

Written by Alex Corcoran

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Inter vs AC Milan: Match Preview

  By O-Posts Team | October 6, 2012 - 18:50 | , , ,
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Inter vs AC Milan

Derby Della Madonnina - AC Milan vs Internazionale Milano is one of the most anticipated games of the year both teams and fans would kill to see their team reign superior this coming Sunday.

Inter coming off a 2-1 home win against Fiorentina last Sunday and a 3-1 Europa League win against Neftchi on Thursday will no doubt give Inter a push ahead of this spectacle. AC Milan are going into this game with a tie and a win from their last two games, their tie came last Saturday when they played struggling Parma.

Milan nor Parma were able to find a winner in that game despite the many chances that they both had, Milan should have their heads held high coming into Sunday as on Wednesday they won 3-2 in the Champions League defeating Zenit St. Petersburg on their home ground.

Stephan El Shaarawy is coming into this weekends clash in hot form as he has been scoring most of Milans goals lately, with the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the summer Milan needed somebody to step up in his place and El Shaarawy has hinted that he is the man to do so.

Antonio Cassano will have a rude awakening along with Giampaolo Pazzini as both players recently switched clubs seeing ex-Milan Antonio Cassano moving to Inter, with ex-Inter Giampaolo Pazzini moving to Milan. Pazzini had an amazing game with Milan on his debut scoring a hat trick against Bologna to give Milan the win, while Cassano also scoring in his debut game with Inter, a deflected goal against Roma.

If I had to choose a winner between this game I would have to go with Inter, only because I have seen what they can do with the ball and Milan look too fidgety this season.

Let’s not forget that it is relatively the start of the season and with the departures of many, everybody thought that Milan were in deep water this season but in their defense they look to be proving the critics wrong.

 

Also, please take the time to enter/answer Dafabet’s Milan derby competition/question for a chance to win a free $100 bet at the top of our Facebook page. Join, before it’s too late!

 

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Peanut Butter and Calcio: The Rossoneri’s disappointing start continues

  By O-Posts Team | September 23, 2012 - 21:44 | , , ,
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Allegri vs Udinese

Allegri… on the verge of getting sacked?

This weeks installment of Serie A was a low scoring affair all around however teams made the most of it as Juventus, Udinese, Atalanta, Genoa and Siena were the only teams that secured themselves all 3 points this round.

Round 4 of Serie A started off as Parma hosted Fiorentina in a relatively entertaining match up. Both Fiorentina and Parma were awarded penalties in the second half which we’re both kept out of the net until the dying seconds of injury time when the ref pointed to the spot in Parmas favor giving them the last chance of the game to tie it, and that’s exactly what they did. Midfielder J.Valdés stepped up for Parma and netted their only goal of the game ensuring that both Fiorentina and Parma would have to settle for 1 point each.

Saturdays second game saw current Serie A Champions Juventus play host to Chievo. Juventus started off slowly but finally broke through and made sure that they would come away with all 3 points as Fabio Quagliarella found the back of the net twice in a span of 5 minutes.

Many thought that Juventus would have trouble with Chievo when the manager rested key players like Andrea Pirlo, Andrea Barzagli and Sebastian Giovinco due to their mid week Champions League clash with European champions Chelsea. Juventus played well without these players but at times it was a little slippery. Juventus now unbeaten in 43 Serie A games and are alone at the top of the table with a record of 4-0-0.

Majority of sundays games were played to ties when Sampdoria – Torino tied 1-1, Bologna – Pescara tied 2-2 and Catania and Napoli shared points in a goalless game that almost saw Catania steal all three points near the end of the game.

Atalanta defeated Sicilian side Palermo in the dying seconds of their clash when Raimondi scored in the 88th minute stunning Palermo and giving them something to think about on their ride home. Cagliari and Romas game was postponed as Cagliaris stadium was ruled unsafe for spectators – no makeup date has been set as of today.

Lazio vs Genoa finished 1-0 in Genoa’s favor with Marco Borriello scoring the only goal in that game. In my opinion it should have been Lazio who took the win as for the majority of the game it was Lazio who was putting pressure towards the Genoa goal. Genoa goalie Stephan Frey had a very good game and deserved his clean sheet today.

Moving onto Milan vs Udinese where troubled Milan were looking to settle for nothing less than all 3 points because of their horrendous 1-0-2 start to the Season. There was a lot of talk speculating that if Milan were to lose that Massimo Allegri , Milans manager would be sacked and replaced with another manager who many speculate could be Milan and Italian football legend Pippo Inzhagi.

Udinese took the lead in the 40th minute when Ranegie found the back of the net. Hitting back was Stephan El Shaarawy who tied the game in the 50th minute giving Milan fans some hope. Udinese re-took the lead in the 68th minute and who else but skipper Antonio Di Natale through a spot kick. Milan players Zapata and Kevin Price Boateng were both sent off.

Milan were unable to find another goal giving Udinese the win and with Milans troubles continuing they now fall to 15th place in the table and 1-0-3 for the season.

Other Milan club, Inter Milan hosted Siena in the San Siro where fans were expecting Inter to walk all over Siena but in retrospective got totally the opposite of what they were expecting.

Despite Inter playing what seemed to be an amazing game could not find the back of the net as Siena went up 1-0, and never looked back when Vergassola scored in the 73rd minute. Inter fans encouraged their team to push for a equalizer but in the 88th minute Siena put the final nail in Inters coffin as Valiani scored the second and final goal for Siena.

 

September 26,2012, Week 5 Serie A:

Catania – Atalanta
Chievo – Inter
Fiorentina – Juventus
Genoa – Parma
Ac Milan – Cagliari
Napoli – Lazio
Pescara – Palermo
As Roma – Sampdoria
Siena – Bologna
Torino – Udinese

 

Serie A Week 4 Player of The Week:

Fabio Quagliarella (Juve) – 2 Goals ( vs Chievo )

 

Serie A Week 4 Flop Player Of The Week:

Stephan Jovetic (Fio) – 0 Goals ( vs Parma)

 

Predictions Week 5:

Catania – Atalanta 1-1
Chievo – Inter 2-1
Fiorentina – Juventus 0-3
Genoa – Parma 1-0
AC Milan – Cagliari 0-3
Napoli – Lazio 0-0
Pescara – Palermo 0-2
AS Roma – Sampdoria 2-2
Siena – Bologna 1-0
Torino – Udinese 1-3

 

Standings:

Juventus 12, Napoli 10, Lazio 9, Sampdoria 9, Fiorentina 7, Inter 6, Genoa 6, Atalanta 5, Catania 5, Roma 4, Torino 4, Parma 4, Udinese 4, Bologna 4, Milan 3, Chievo 3, Cagliari 2, Pescara 1, Palermo 1, Siena -1

 

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Scouting Report: M’Baye Niang (AC Milan)

  By O-Posts Team | September 3, 2012 - 18:46 | , , ,
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AC Milan's M'Baye Niang

Name - M’Baye Babacar Niang
DOB - 19 December 1994 (age 17)
Height – 6ft 0” (1.84m)
Weight – 11st 11lbs (75kg)
Club – AC Milan
Position - Striker
Career Appearances (Goals) – 31 (5)

 

Prior to the beginning of the 2012/13 season Mbaye Niang was one of the most sought after talents in European football. During a busy off season for the 17 year old, it was widely reported that Arsenal, Everton & Tottenham Hotspur had all taken Niang on a trial (with Arsenal even allegedly offering his former side Caen around £6million to make the move permanent).

Despite this interest however, Niang opted to sign a three-year contract with AC Milan on the 28th August for an undisclosed fee.

 

So what is it about this 17 year old that had the fat cats of Europe purring?

Niang joined French club Caen at the age of 13 and quickly climbed the youth team ladder. By the time he was 15 he was regularly featuring for the club’s U-19 side. In advance of the 2010/11 season Niang was promoted to Caen’s reserve side where he went on to become top scorer after 6 games; leading to the singing of a professional contract and a call up to the senior squad within 2 months.

On the 23rd of April 2011, at the age 16 years and 114 days, Niang appeared in a Ligue 1 fixture against Toulouse and in doing so became the youngest player ever to appear for Caen.

On 7 May, Niang scored his first professional goal in a 1–1 draw with Lens, becoming the second youngest player to score a goal in Ligue 1. Niang finished his first season in professional football with a total of seven appearances (four starts) and three goals.

Despite contractual disputes in the following off season, Niang completed an entire campaign for Caen’s first team in the 2011/12 season, however only managed to find the back of the net on 2 of his 23 appearances.

Caen scouts initially had their doubts over Niang, admitting that they were informed that he was possibly a présu (a player claiming to be younger than his actual date of birth) due to the stature he possessed for a boy at such a tender age, however these claims have never been proven.

Despite already standing at 6ft tall at the age of 17 it would be foolish and inaccurate to label Niang as a target man. In fact the young forward often drifts into wide positions where he can isolate defenders one on one or cut in to create space for a shot at goal. This style has seen Niang compared to the likes of Thierry Henry.

However there is also a physical side to his game, which will only improve as Niang matures fully and makes the transition from boy to man. This process will surely be accelerated by a footballing baptism like no other at the San Siro, where Niang is being trusted to eventually fill the void left by the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to PSG.

Niang is French born with Senegalese parents however has often re-affirmed his desire to represent France at international level. He has advanced through the French youth set up and currently has 2 under-21 caps and a solitary goal scored against Latvia.

At such a young age and having shown such advancement in such a short space of time Niang is certainly a player to keep an eye on. Under the guidance of Massimiliano Allegri and having already made his full debut for Milan Niang could well develop into a striker that defenders world-wide will dread facing.

Watch this space.

 

Report written by Tom Pacey

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Nigel De Jong and City’s transfer dealings- What is going on?

  By O-Posts Team | August 30, 2012 - 21:53 | , , , , , ,
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The sale of Nigel De Jong is an extremely strange one. Widely regarded as one of the world’s best defensive midfielders, Manchester City are letting the Dutchman leave City for a measly £3.5m to AC Milan. Hardly a good return on for a player in his prime, especially compared to the price he was bought for – £18m.

Nevertheless, Manchester City’s loss is AC Milan’s gain. A domineering defensive midfielder, De Jong is known for a hard tackle and his ability to throttle and dominate the midfield. In fact, despite his “dirty player” reputation, Nigel De Jong has only been sent off once in his career, in the Europa League for Hamburg – for dissent.

This shows a sensible player, one who can be relied on and for £3.5m AC Milan have the bargain of the summer. De Jong is improving Milan’s midfield and is someone who can more than live up to the legacy of Gennaro Gattuso before him.

So who will City replace him with? Victor Wanyama of Celtic; Javi Garcia of Benfica and Daniele De Rossi of Roma have all been touted as De Jong’s successor and time will tell (1 day in fact) whom City will sign to replace him.

What we can know for sure, is that City, if they do not replace De Jong – they will have weakened, and given their Champions League group, that isn’t something that they should be doing right now.

What has happened to City this transfer window? The departure of Adam Johnson has signalled the signing of an arguably weaker winger in Scott Sinclair. They have sold one of the Premier League’s best strikers – Emmanuel Adebayor – for a measly £5m, put into perspective, Blackburn Rovers are paying £8m for League 1 top scorer Jordan Rhodes.

The same can be said for De Jong being sold for £3.5m to AC Milan and Adam Johnson being sold for just £10m to Sunderland, less than what West Ham paid for Matt Jarvis.

Why are City selling for so little? Why are City letting players of such quality go for such measly amounts?

Brian Marwood, Manchester City’s Football Administration Officer, is the man who can be blamed with the calamity of City’s transfer window.

Roberto Mancini came into the summer with Thiago Silva, Eden Hazard, Robin Van Persie and Daniele De Rossi as his main targets, while De Rossi has a slim chance of coming to City before the deadline tomorrow night, City have lost out on every account while Marwood has taken FIFA’s new FFP rules extremely seriously unlike teams such as Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United this summer.

Marwood’s reluctance to part with cash until the sales of particular players like Emmanuel Adebayor and Adam Johnson had left the club left City in an awkward position. City couldn’t sell the players, therefore sold them cheaply to get them off the wage bill, freeing up funds for new signings.

Hence the reason why City are going into tomorrow’s transfer deadline day to sign 5 players. Maicon – the Inter Milan right back perfect for Roberto Mancini’s new 3-5-2; Richard Wright – the ex Arsenal goalkeeper to replace third choice City keeper Stuart Taylor who’s joined Reading; Javi Garcia – the Benfica defensive midfielder to replace Milan bound Nigel De Jong; Matija Nastasic – a ball playing centre half who is also a perfect fit for Mancini’s 3-5-2.

The last signing, Scott Sinclair, is to replace Adam Johnson. Clearly bought to be a squad player, Scott Sinclair offers City pace, something they lack up front especially. It can be seen as a panic buy, but City are mainly buying him for the English quota and compared to many other English wingers (Downing £20m), Sinclair is pretty cheap.

Why did City sell AJ to replace him with Sinclair though? Mainly Marwood and FFP. His insistence to bring down the wage bill means City sold £90,000 a week Johnson to replace him with £40,000 a week Sinclair, saving £50,000 a week and £2.6m a year.

Some may say Sinclair is ruining his career but Adam Johnson even said he’s happy he had his time with City as he now has something to show for his career. Hopefully Sinclair can do the same.

 

Written by Henry Francis

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The Cassano-Pazzini Swap: Good deal for both Milan sides?

  By O-Posts Team | August 21, 2012 - 10:03 | , , , , , ,
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Cassano and Pazzini- To swap Milan jerseys next season?

Yet another great player is leaving Milan this summer and this time its Antonio Cassano, “the jewel of Old Bari” as his fans like to call him is leaving to Ac Milan’s biggest rivals Inter Milan in a swap deal with Giampaolo Pazzini.

After the departure of few legends followed by the famous 62 million deal that sent Silva and Ibrahimovic to PSG, Cassano was quite upset and it was certain by the way he was acting in the pre-season that he doesn’t want to stay in Milan anymore. Cassano was known for his short temper with Roma, Real Madrid and Sampdoria whom he joined on a one year loan from Real Madrid before moving to i Blucerchiati on a permanent move the following year. After forming an entertaining duo with Pazzini, the other player involved in the deal, Cassano got into a heated argument with Sampdoria’s chairman Riccardo Garrone after refusing to attend an award ceremony that led to him being excluded of the team.

In the winter transfers of 2010-2011, Ac Milan managed to sign Cassano and re-launched his career as he was called back to the Azzurri team by Cesare Prandelli after a two-year absence. A perfect pre-season followed by a goal in the opening match against Lazio only meant one thing, Cassano is back! Ten assists in 16 matches had him leading the assists table in Europe before he collapsed in the plane back to Milan after defeating Roma 3-2 in the Stadio Olimpico, the club announced that Cassano suffered ischemic-based cerebral damage and underwent a heart surgery. Even tho he returned to action 6 weeks before the Euro, head coach Cesare Prandelli still picked him to lead the team upfront alongside Super Mario Balotelli.

As a Milan fan I will miss Cassano and his magical touches on the pitch but you can’t keep a demotivated player that asked for a transfer against his will. The thing that hurts the most is that he will join Inter who celebrated his heart attack at the last derby with a personalized banner.

On the other hand “ll Pazzo” Pazzini is a great finisher especially in the air and Milan do need that more than ever after Ibrahimvoic left to PSG but with Cassano leaving who will provide Pazzini the chances? Some would say he has been on the bench for quite some time with Inter and he won’t be of any use in Milan but so was Forlan… Just like Cassano, Pazzini would love to re-launch his career after missing on the Euro and become a sub in Inter.

Congratulations to all the Inter fans for pulling off such a deal.
And for all the worried Milan fans out there, here is a little something to cheer you up. Pazzini’s scoring record in his last 2 seasons before joining Inter; 19 goals in 2009/10, 17 goals in 2010/11 with Sampdoria.

Grazie Fantantonio, Benvenuto ll Pazzo Pazzini!

 

Written by Fouad Al Bastaki

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