Serie A Week 5 - 3/10/04 (20.30)
Roma - Inter
http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/romastrip.gif http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/imgs/interstrip.gif

Stadio Olimpico

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All eyes will be on the Stadio Olimpico in Week 5 as Gigi Del Neri makes his debut on the Roma bench against an Inter side desperate to keep their Scudetto dreams intact. The Giallorossi have had a disastrous start to the season but Inter’s results haven’t been that clever after just one win and three draws.

Del Neri becomes the club’s third boss in the space of a month and all in Rome will be hoping he is the right man to revive the giants. There were some high expectations during the summer after Cesare Prandelli replaced Juventus-bound Fabio Capello. However, he was forced to quit due to family problems and his replacement Rudi Voller lasted just 26 days!

The former Chievo miracle worker inherits a decent squad but one which is low on confidence. They lost 3-1 to nine-man Bologna last Saturday and then gave away a two goal lead at Real Madrid to finally lose 4-2 on the night. Del Neri will employ 4-4-2 tactics but it remains to be seen who will be fielded where.

Inter come into the game after surviving a real scare from bottom of the table Parma last week. The Emilia side twice took the lead only for super-sub Oba Martins to net a brace after he came on for an ineffective Christian Vieri. The latter may not start in Rome though due to a small knee injury and calls from owner Massimo Moratti that he should be dropped.

However, Coach Roberto Mancini’s real problems are not in attack but in defence. The Nerazzurri, who sold Fabio Cannavaro to Juventus in the summer, have really struggled at the back having conceded seven goals in four games. But can Roma, who themselves have real defensive issues to resolve, take full advantage?



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Roma (probable): Pelizzoli; Panucci, Ferrari, Mexes, Candela; Mancini, Perrotta, De Rossi, Dacourt; Totti, Cassano

Inter (probable): Toldo; J Zanetti, Cordoba, Burdisso, Favalli; Van der Meyde, Davids, Veron, Stankovic; Recoba, Adriano

This will be the biggest test that both teams have had to face since the start of the season. Roma seem to have their coach problem in check by signing Del Neri while Inter are doing well after beating Anderlecht 3-1 in the CL. Hopefully the squad can bring its A game vs. Roma and really be aggressive and go after the victory full force.

Here's the lineup that I'd love for Mancini to field on Sunday.

-------------Adriano------------------Martins

---Stankovic---Cambiasso---Veron---Van der Meyde

-----J. Zanetti----Burdisso-----Cordoba--Ze Maria

-----------------------------Toldo

Roma to take an early 2-0 lead.....and then get raped by an Adriano hattrick :(

(H)

and you forgot a martins double ;)

Adriano & co demolishes Roma. 4-1

Adriano 2x, Martins 2x

Cassano

amazing how scudettos hopes are already in the balance as these two teams need the win badly

last match was 4-1 to roma, but that was a different roma side

this match i see roma coming out like they did against real and taking an early advantage. but squandering the lead in the second half only for francesco totti to unleash brilliance and give roma the win

roma 3 - 2 inter

cassano adriano
de rossi adriano
totti

when i make predictions roma always loses, so my mouth is shut and i hope roma get their confidence back


and wtf is with montella, now he's developing an attitude, he refused to be subbed on against madrid....man, roma needs to grow up and get a good swift kick in the ass from del neri

i say both team lose :D

.....hey, its possible.

guys this is from a neutral perspective,

guys dont under-estimate roma,

they had real madrid worried up until real came home in a barnstorming 2nd half infront of their fans at the santiago bernabeu stadium.

this will be a close one, however i feel mancio is starting to figure out his sides strengths and weaknesses. it will take del neri a couple weeks maybe 3-4 to asses romas playing abilities.

with these two facotrs in mind it will either be a drawn game at the stadio olimpico, or it may be inter by one goal!!

my prediction will probably be:

Roma 1-2 Inter

How is Veron doing now that he is back in Italy, hope he can get back to his best.

I think Veron played well against Inter. He seemed to have a lot of energy and was all over the picth winning tackles and passing well.

I'd say 3-1 Inter for this with Veron, Martins and who else but Adriano scoring for Inter. Totti free kick for Roma.

Originally posted by mufc_daddy
I think Veron played well against Inter. He seemed to have a lot of energy and was all over the picth winning tackles and passing well.

I'd say 3-1 Inter for this with Veron, Martins and who else but Adriano scoring for Inter. Totti free kick for Roma.

mate veron does play for inter, how can he play well against inter? unless ur thinkin of the times he was with lazio??

he just made a mistake

Yeh i made a mistake thanks for the correction. I meant to say Parma.

Its too late for me sleepy eyez.

:sleep:

I want Inter to win this match after last season lost from Roma.
Come on Inter !

I wish Del Neri had been appointed after this match. New coaches, especially of his calibre, always get a result in their first home game.

Inter 3-2
Adriano x2
Martins
Cassano
Mido

With Moratti and Facchetti both wanting Vieri to rot on the bench for the next little while, King Recoba and Martins will surely see some action........this will be sweet.

Inter will probably get the win. Adriano to score and get me some fantasy points too.:p

Roma win.:(

I can see this one being very tight indeed, and maybe even low scoring. Seems strange that I have the feeling that it will be low scoring, because inter's and roma's defences have been awful.
I think that roma will win because del neri will have added a bit of belief in the squad.

I may have started the thread but I forgot to add my heavily biased prediction.

Inter 4 ---------------------- 1 Roma
Adriano 2x --------------------Cassano
Martins 1
Stankovic 1

I will grow two luscious tits on my chin if we lose this game....anything less than a drubbing on our part will be considered disappointing in my view.

i agree with Yoss...

Inter 2-1 Roma

Adriano x 2

Mido :o

Inter wont win this, duds.

Its at the Olimpico and Roma's desire to win will be higher considering their disastrous start to the season.

I also took Adriano off my Yahoo team. So that means he wont score. :rockman:

I just realized that in this same fixture last season it was the debut for new inter coach Zaccheroni, and this year its Roma with Del Neri. :D

Anyways, Two teams with poor defences = entertaining game for fans (Y)

Roma being at home and probably 'wanting' the win more could be decisive.

The only prediction ill make is that this wont be a scoreless draw.

Roma 3 - 2 Inter

Roma can't lose...

btw, awesome new sig shevchenko

4-1 Inter

Adriano 2x
Martins
Veron
Cassahomosexual

Originally posted by mika
btw, awesome new sig shevchenko

thanks (Y)

MILAN - Roberto has called up 19 players for tomorrow night's Serie A Week 5 match against Roma at the Olympic Stadium.

Goalkeepers: 1 Toldo Francesco, 12 Fontana Alberto;

Defenders: 2 Ivan Cordoba, 3 Nicolas Burdisso, 4 Javier Zanetti, 13 Zé Maria , 23 Marco Materazzi, 26 Giovanni Pasquale;

Midfielders: 6 Cristiano Zanetti, 7 Andy van der Meyde, 8 Edgar Davids, 14 Juan Sebastian Veron, 19 Esteban Cambiasso, 21 Giorgios Karagounis, 25 Dejan Stankovic;

Strikers: 9 Julio Ricardo Cruz, 10 Adriano, 20 Alvaro Recoba, 30 Obafemi Martins.

Originally posted by Shevchenko-[7]
thanks (Y)
I love your new sig, awesome . . .

Bringing this back to the first page, since i found out i can watch it live on the TV. I hope Inter wins :). And is Vieri injured? I didnt read the rest of the thread, im in a hurry.

Vieri is injured but even if he wasn't I doubt he would start. He's in horrible form.

At this kind of form, Vieri wouldnt earn a place on the bench.

MONTELLA

Roma 1-0 Inter

9th minute, Mancini with the cross and montella with the goal, great start, now lets keep it up

1-0 Roma

Montella goal

now one more goal from roma, then inter to crush them in the second half :crazyboy:

can any of these two defenses get any worse?? :o

inter shouldn't have any excuses for conceding, there's no mihajlovic and materazzi's on the bench.

Originally posted by claupastore
now one more goal from roma, then inter to crush them in the second half :crazyboy:

can any of these two defenses get any worse?? :o

hey were a a young defence, with time we will improve

not everyone can go out and buy defences like juve can ;) well atleast cannavaro, zebina was free

goal Cambiasso, 1-1 HT

Cambiasso :o

what was it like ?

header straight at Pelizzoli, but it was low so Pelizzoli couldn't handle it and it bounced in

Originally posted by modena_10
hey were a a young defence, with time we will improve

not everyone can go out and buy defences like juve can ;) well atleast cannavaro, zebina was free

you said it. we didnt buy any defenders ;)

goal Inter, 2-1... Veron's strike takes a wicked deflection off Mexes' boot and drops into the net :p

k, no more scoring, I predicted 1-2 in the PL :(

edit: ****! I said no more scoring :mad: Recoba makes it 3-1 :f***:

edit2: 3-2! :| great free kick goal by Totti, #100 in Serie A I think :confused:

recoba scores :rofl:

Totti scores

3-2 now

:gavin: :wootman: :funny: :rofl: :evil: :sb9: :fluffy:

nice free kick

Mido on for Cassano, Cassano bitches as usual :rolleyes:

uh ohhhhh, another free kick for Romaa in a dangerous spot :o

Totti time... oh no, his finger's bleeding and the ref forces him to go off for treatment :| and he's back :|

off the wall this time... all that for nothing :p corner Roma though.. punched away by Toldo.. haha, funny game (H)

DE ROSSI! 3-3! what a game :o

he ripped his shirt celebrating :(

Originally posted by rony31
DE ROSSI! 3-3! what a game :o

he ripped his shirt celebrating :(

hell yeah :rockman: go romaaa !!!

:o What a game !

INTER, YOU SUCK!

:funny: :funny: :funny: :funny:

so, whos defense is worse??? :crazyboy:

wow. seems like a great game. these 2 sides make a mockery out of the italian style of football for having such awful defenses! and inter are without materazzi and mihajlovic! unbelievable. at least roma will have chivu back soon.

FT 3-3

:fluffy:

our defence is young......inter's is laughable


one thing letting 3 goals in, another allowing a team to come back from 2 goals down:D


even when roma's in crisis inter still can't beat us(H)

Cassano's comments during his sub:

"You could of waited to sub me"


Del Neri replies: "I've been waiting for an hour".


haha, :Bow: Del Neri



Great game, Serie A is the best (Y)

hahaha :D bout time someone puts that fag in his place

what a thriller, i was on the edge on my seat in the 2nd half

brilliant free kick from totti, unreal, what a great goal to score for your 100th

del neri's bringing a whole new brand of football to rome and im excited, and with enough time to work with the defence, with chivu coming back we will be fine

the one thing i was angry about was on the corner were de rossi had his shirt almost ripped off his back.....again.....he couldnt even make a play for the ball, blatant penalty and the ref blows it the other way, that was bull

now the only problem is 5 points in 5 games, bye bye scudetto

Come on now mate, you didnt expect Roma to challenge for the scudetto, did you?

What a good, open game

Like a Premiership game haha!

I loved it!

Totti's goal was a beaut, and Recobas, lovely goals.

Was good to see Mexes!

Loved it!

Yeah, De Rossi got his shirt riped twice at the same place. Those jerseys are cheap. :crazyboy:

grtae game AS Roma are starting to play
like last seson.

when Chivu return the defens of Roma will be perfect

They're so tight that he was probably trying to get some space inside it. So he ripped it.:crazyboy:

well those jerseys stretch, and when he scored the first time i think he was trying to kiss the 4 on the back of his jersey and well he did but it ripped

the second time he was just raped

where's Pazzo ? 'cause he was talking sh!t in the Milan thread but now that Inter Blew the game... he's not here. I wonder (H)

knock knock

who's there?

pazzo

pazzo who?

pazzo, the interista running away with his tail between his legs:funny:

Inter are in for a silverware-less season again. Oh well.(6)

anyone got any the highlights? i was gonna watch the match on eurosport but i ended up goin out instead :D

Serie A is the best

now, is THIS (http://www.raisport.rai.it/raiSportSezioneIndex/0,5785,_78_4_8342,00.html) so hard to get? :crazyboy:

Originally posted by mika
Serie A is the best

Im gonna have to disagree. Did you see the Chelsea-Liverpool game? What an exciting game, much better than Inter-Roma, Serie A is boring and nobody ever scores. Or how bout Arsenals game on Saturday, Charlton, and all non title contenders for that matter consistently give Arsenal a great challenge, not like Serie A where teams like Lecce and Messina can beat Roma and Milan.

sarcasm off

Ya, im obviously biased, but can any unbiased ppl agree with me that Serie A this season has been MUCH better than 'more open and exciting' EPL? It cant just be me that feels this way.

With those comments, ALL english ppl here now hate me. But you gotta understand that my league has always been branded as boring and defensive while yours as being the fastest and most exciting in the world. I make fun, but i watch a lot of EPL and ive been very disappointed with the play this season. (Maybe its cause Arsenal, who always blows teams out and boring Chelsea are always shown)

About game, ya, what more can i say, that was amazing. Im dissapointed in Mancini/Inter for only playing ONE italian player though, hey, are we trying to act like a Arsenal here? Well, there name IS 'Internazionale' so i guess that explains it.:D

Mikey Out.

2 words sum up my feelings towards this thriller of a game:

DAMN IT :f***:

Roma goes ahead, we pull back. We score 2, then Totti almost burns a hole in the net and then the the mid and the wingbacks leave Cordoba and Burdisso totally isolated and Roma pull another back.

It was a good game but in my eyes the squad played poorly as a whole. The midfield didn't provide enough cover to the defence leaving Cordoba and Burdisso alone in trying to defend a 3 or 4 man assualt by Roma.

Toldo was also poor at times coming off his line.

Anywayz I guess the defence and the defensive portion of the midfield can only improve. I really thought that Mancini had picked the right players and formation for this match but it just wasn't to be.

i'll be taking bets on how long Mancini will stay!!!lol

Originally posted by Paulo Da Silva
i'll be taking bets on how long Mancini will stay!!!lol

He's here to stay. Don't get the wrong idea, he'll start getting the results sooner or later. I predict him to fulfill at least his whole contract.