Parma Swipes 2nd Place; Juve Tumbles
Copyright � 1998 Nando.net
Copyright � 1998 Reuters
ROME (Nov 29, 1998 - 14:57 EST) - Argentine Hernan Crespo scored twice as Parma got its title chase back on track with a 4-0 home victory over AC Milan Sunday.
With champion Juventus crashing to a surprise 3-0 defeat at surging Bologna, Parma leapfrogged over Milan and the Turin side into the second spot.
It was Parma's highest position since a disappointing start to the season saw Alberto Malesani's expensive side plunge to mid-table.
League leader Fiorentina remains three points clear despite needing some inspired goalkeeping from Francesco Toldo to earn a 0-0 scoreline at Bari -- its first draw of the season.
AS Roma could narrow the gap at the top to a single point if it defeats Lazio in the Rome derby later Sunday.
It clearly takes a top-of-the-table clash to bring out the best in Parma.
Despite two defeats to Serie A also-rans, both Juventus and Fiorentina have fallen at the Tardini stadium this season -- and on Sunday, it was Milan's turn.
Enrico Chiesa made amends for an early miss to put Parma ahead in the 25th minute, turning home the loose ball after Sebastiano Rossi failed to hold Dino Baggio's thunderbolt shot from outside the area.
Within 11 minutes, Milan was down 2-0 as Crespo gently touched the ball over the advancing Rossi and Crespo struck again 14 minutes after the break, a downward header punishing some slack defending.
Alain Boghossian completed Milan's humiliation in stoppage time with his first goal since joining Parma from Sampmdoria in the summer.
Juventus struggled from the start at Bologna's Dall'Ara stadium.
Michele Paramatti was left unmarked in the third minute to head home Giuseppe Signori's free kick. Five minutes later, Croat Igor Tudor failed to clear Kennet Andersson's header and the rejuvenated Signori pounced to claim his fifth goal of the season.
Juve's nightmare start was completed in the 28th minute by Davide Fontolan, who first robbed Ciro Ferrara on the halfway before exchanging passes with Andersson, dribbling round Mark Iuliano and beating the goalkeeper with a neatly placed shot.
After the break, Francesco Antonioli saved brilliantly from Filippo Inzaghi on two occasions as Bologna celebrated their first home win over Juve in 24 years.
The Intertoto winners are now unbeaten in 16 league and cup matches and are just a point behind Juventus who are without a win in any competition since losing Alessandro Del Piero with ligament damage.
Inter Milan climbed to seventh, level on points with Bologna and just five adrift of Fiorentina, after scoring twice in the last 15 minutes to defeat Salernitana 2-1.
David Di Michele had given the second-from-bottom visitors a deserved halftime lead before Argentine duo Diego Simeone and Javier Zanetti saved Inter with goals in the 76th and 90th minutes.
