 07-01-07, 09:20 PM | #75 (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 | 
 Livorno - Torino 21st of January 2007 Armando Picchi, Livorno Italian Serie A 2006/2007 - Week 20     45'  Pedro Rias - 18' Alessandro Rosina (Pen), 35' Roberto Stellone, 88' Luis Figo
Torino got an important win that puts them four points clear from the 3rd place, but Elvis Abbruscato lost his top scorer position with another dry Serie A game.
Torino was fresh from a Juventus 1-3 trashing while making the trip to Armando Picchi to face Livorno. and manager Tanel Tursk put goalkeeper Cristiano Lupatelli on bench in favour of Brazilian Andre Zuba. Stefano Fiore and Iacopo Balestri were still out with long term injuries.
There was some good news for Torino though as in the warm-up Marco Amelia had gotten injuried for Livorno and second goalkeeper Paolo Orlandoni had to come in.
The away side had luck with Gervinho header bouncing off the crossbar back into the game in the 6th minute already, but game didn't start off quickly.
Next chance had to be waited more than 10 minutes for as Elvis Abbruscato was pushed in area by Marc Pfertzel and Alessandro Rosina steped up to conver the spot kick.
 Rosina sends in the penalty
Abbruscato tried to double the lead minutes later with a spectacular bicycle kick, but it went into sidenet.
It wasn't much of a football show, but still Torino got a great chance to double the lead in 35th minute as Roberto Stellone succesfully headed in a Gianluca Comotto cross to make it 2-0.
Though just before half-time Livorno got a lifeline with Andre Zuba's bad positioning allowing Pedro Rias to tap in a low Silvio Meibner cross in near post.
At half-time this mistake costed lot for Zuba and Cristiano Lupatelli was introduced by manager Tanel Tursk while Konan also came in for Stellone.
Lupatelli started off with a great save on Weissenberger low effort from 10 meters, but just after that Simone Barone got a yellow card which means with already many midfielders missing, he'll be out of the next match.
Nikola Lazetic had the chance to bring the victory much closer to Torino, but he incredibly shot two meters wide while being left alone with Paolo Orlandoni in Livorno goal.
Torino got more bad news in 72nd minute with Comotto's yellow card which puts him out of the next match aswell.
Lupatelli then pushed over a Weissenberger header and Vidigal shot his free-kick miles wide.
Livorno was trying to get the equalizer, but Dario Passoni couldn't beat Lupatelli either, while Meibner header went wide.
And the misses proved costly, Luis Figo thumping in a powerful effort from 10 meters after he was set up by Comotto.
Torino rised the gap with 3rd place to four points with the win as chasing package all lost, but as Roma's Francesco Totti got a brace, invisible Elvis Abbruscato falls second with David Villa.
Torino: 1-Andre Zuba (45' 28-Cristiano Lupatelli); 3-Gianluca Comotto, 2-Raffaele Schiavi, 25-Marco Di Loreto, 16-Giuseppe Pancaro; 5-Luis Figo , 8-Simone Barone, 17-Nikola Lazetic; 10-Alessandro Rosina ; 19-Elvis Abbruscato, 11-Roberto Stellone (45' 24-Cedric Konan)
Cautioned  : 54' Simone Barone, 72' Gianluca Comotto
Other Results
Palermo 2-0 Fiorentina
Messina 0-0 Cagliari
Chievo 0-3 Roma
Empoli 2-2 Catania
Inter 3-2 Udinese
Parma 2-1 Reggina
Sampdoria 1-0 Ascoli
Siena 1-0 Atalanta
Lazio 2-1 Milan
Torino Position: 2nd |
| |
 |  |
