 29-12-06, 12:25 PM | #45 (permalink) |
| Used In Squad Rotation Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 366 Thanks: 74 Thanked 3 Times in 1 Post Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 0 | 
 Palermo - Torino 8th of November 2006 Renzo Barbera, La Favorita, Palermo Coppa Italia 2006/2007 - Round 2 - Leg 1     18'  Eugenio Corini, 62' Amauri, 78' Amauri - 73' Gabriele Cioffi
Torino is virtually out of the Italian Cup after a 1:3 away loss to Palermo thanks to two Amauri goals.
Torino had injury problems with Stefano Fiore, Andre Zuba and Alessandro Rosina still out while Gianluca Comotto was banned and Marco Di Loreto sat on bench for the Italian Cup tie first leg. Tursk was forced to play a 4-1-3-2 formation rather than his prefered 4-3-1-2.
It started off with a predicted pressure from Palermo who holds the 2nd place in Serie A currently, but Cristiano Lupatelli saved Amauri shot without no big problems.
Then Christian Brocchi curled his effort over the goal and Cesare Bovo soft long range shot also flew over.
Amauri's header dangerously flew wide of the goal, but two minutes later Eugenio Corini opened the scoring with his trademark curling free-kick from 25 meters.
 Corini with a trade-mark free-kick
The game calmed down then as only one save was made by Lupatelli in the following twenty minutes on Amauri header.
At the end of the half though Torino got into the game thanks to some work from Elvis Abbruscato, but first Nikola Lazetic sent his header wide of the back post and then Abbruscato had his shot saved by young Federico Agliardi.
At half-time Claudio Ferrarese made his first game of the season and Marco Di Loreto returned from injury-break.
Though it was Palermo who got the first chance again as David Di Michele didn't stop the play despite Giuseppe Pancaro injury, but he shot over. Gabriele Cioffi had to come in as there were no full-backs left on the bench.
Torino was very close to grabing the equalizer three minutes later, but Federico Agliardi made a fantastic double save on Roberto Stellone's header and Nikola Lazetic low follow-up shot.
Palermo soon after doubled the lead thanks to an Amauri header after a Franco Brienza free-kick as out of form Iacopo Balestri was marking him.
 Amauri scores his first of the night
Torino got their goal finally though as Lazetic showed his crossing skills by sending the ball in for unmarked Gabriele Cioffi at the back-post to head a soft ball over Agliardi into the net.
Though the party didn't last long as Palermo regained the two goal lead five minues later thanks to Amauri scoring from a Bovo's pass as he was again unmarked in the box.
The closing minutes were nerve-wrecking for both sides though, Torino was very close to grabing another vital away goal, but Abbruscato's effort got blocked off the line and Ferrarese's free-kick was headed into woodwork by Stellone.
The second leg will be played in Turin at the start of December, but Torino's chances are slim. But if they do win, they may meet Juventus in the next round.
Torino: 28-Cristiano Lupatelli; 16-Giuseppe Pancaro (50' 6-Gabriele Cioffi ), 2-Raffaele Schiavi, 14-Ivan Franceschini (45' 25-Marco Di Loreto), 22-Iacopo Balestri; 15-Diego De Ascentis; 24-Cedric Konan (45' 20-Claudio Ferrarese), 8-Simone Barone, 17-Nikola Lazetic; 19-Elvis Abbruscato, 11-Roberto Stellone
Cautioned  : 17' Ivan Franceschini |
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