AS Roma Up Top as Lazio, Juventus Draw
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
ROME (November 28, 1999 5:20 p.m. EST http://www.sportserver.com) - Lazio and Juventus drew 0-0 at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday to leave three teams level on points at the top of the Italian first division - and AS Roma ahead on goal difference.
AS Roma won 2-0 at Udinese courtesy of a double strike in
the second half from Marco Delvecchio.
Lazio ended its match with 10 men after striker Simone
Inzaghi was sent off in the 86th minute shortly after coming on
as a substitute, and it slips to second while 1998 champion
Juventus is third.
All three teams have 22 points from 11 matches.
Lazio's clash with Juventus in Rome was an evenly balanced
contest that never quite lived up to its promise.
Chilean Marcelo Salas squandered the home side's best chance
of the match when he fired a low shot at Juve goalkeeper
Michelangelo Rampulla in the 16th minute after a fine through
ball from Juan Veron.
Juve's best opportunity fell to midfielder Gianluca Zambrotta soon after the interval but he fired a harmless shot across goal to the dismay of team mate Filippo Inzaghi, lurking on the edge of the six-metre box.
Inzaghi's younger brother Simone was dismissed, apparently
for dissent, after what appeared to be a harmless clash with
Ciro Ferrara.
The draw suited Fabio Capello's Roma, who earlier recorded
their first win in Udine for seven years. With playmaker
Francesco Totti far from his best, the visitors only created
three chances in 90 minutes.
Delvecchio missed the first in the 44th minute, shooting
straight at Luigi Turci with only the 'keeper to beat, but made
no mistake with the other two.
In the 73rd, defender Andrea Sottil fatally lost control of
Vincent Candela's corner in his own six-metre box and Delvecchio pounced for the opener.
Fourteen minutes later, a long Aldair ball set Delvecchio
off on a 30-meter run which finished with a low shot into the
far corner.
"There are key moments in a match and you have to be ready
to take them," Capello said, "but let's not talk about the
championship. It's a long road yet."
Sebastiano Rossi saved a last minute Hernan Crespo penalty
to ensure AC Milan beat Parma 2-1 at the San Siro and climbed to fifth place, level on points with neighbor Inter, 1-0 winners
at Reggina with an 88th minute goal from Alvaro Recoba.
Milan took eight minutes to shrug off last week's defeat at
Juventus, Croat Zvonimir Boban slotting home a free kick.
Parma dominated possession for the rest of the first half
but had to wait until the 46th minute to equalise through a fine
individual effort from Argentine Crespo.
Poor defending meant Parma's joy was short-lived - in the
51st minute Boban swung in a free kick and Paolo Maldini
appeared to get a touch at the near post before the ball entered
the net.
Deep into injury time Maldini needlessly tripped Croat Mario
Stanic in the area But Rossi, playing his first league game in
12 months, saved the day for Milan by parrying Crespo's penalty.
