Juventus, Inter Look to Clear Euro Hangover
Copyright � 1998 Nando.net
Copyright � 1998 Reuters
MILAN, Italy (Sep 17, 1998 - 20:43 EDT) - Juventus and Inter Milan will be looking to recover from a European Cup-sized hangover this weekend as they return to Serie A competition looking for three easy points.
Juventus take on newly-promoted Cagliari, while Inter face perennial strugglers Piacenza after both of Italy's representatives made a poor start to the European Champions League.
Juve's Zinedine Zidane should have fully recovered from a knee injury he picked up last Sunday and which prevented coach Marcello Lippi from fielding the Frenchman at the start of their 2-2 draw with Galatasaray.
Uruguayan defender Paolo Montero will also be back from injury while Alessandro Del Piero, who set up both goals on Wednesday night, and Filippo Inzaghi, who scored one of them, will lead the attack.
Lippi will be hoping his men make better a start against Cagliari than Inter did last Sunday, trailing 2-0 at the break before earning a 2-2 draw.
Ronaldo missed that match through suspension and will be making his league debut against Piacenza this weekend.
The Brazilian is returning from a six-week break and his performance in the 2-0 defeat to Real Madrid in midweek showed he is still short of peak form.
Roberto Baggio, left on the substitutes' bench in Seville, should join him in attack for the night match, most likely alongside Chilean Ivan Zamorano.
AC Milan, who have enjoyed the rare privilege of being top of the table, albeit after only one game, travel to newly-promoted Salernitana.
Skipper Paolo Maldini said: "When you have to re-build a team, it's almost better to be out of European competition ... we've got to create a new way of playing, find a new balance.
"We kept our cool after losing to Torino in the Italian Cup, and we kept working at it. By doing that, we've got our enthusiasm back. Now we all believe in AC Milan. I think we can fight for the league title."
Fiorentina go to Vicenza without this week's two-goal UEFA Cup hero Edmundo.
The Brazilian striker, who coach Giovanni Trapattoni says people should stop calling "O Animal," picked up a two-match after being sent off for kicking an Empoli player in the leg last weekend in an off-the-ball incident.
In other matches, Lazio host Bari at the Olympic stadium, neighbors AS Roma are away to Napoli and Parma spend the weekend in Venice.
Sunday's Serie A fixtures
Bologna v Udinese, Empoli v AS Roma, Juventus v Cagliari, Lazio v Bari, Salernitana v AC Milan, Sampdoria v Perugia, Venezia v Parma, Vicenza v Fiorentina; evening kick-off: Inter Milan v Piacenza
