Lazio Go Two Clear as Juventus Are Held in Florence
Copyright � 1999 Nando Media
Copyright � 1999 Agence France-Presse
ROME, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Lazio opened up a two-point gap at
the top of Serie A on Sunday as second-placed Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina.
Croat Igor Tudor headed Juve into a 17th minute lead only
for Argentine Gabriel Batistuta to level three minutes later.
Earlier Lazio defeated Piacenza 2-0 at the Olympic stadium
with goals from Marcelo Salas and Sinisa Mihajlovic.
Neighbours AS Roma slipped to their second successive defeat
losing 2-0 at Parma, who leapfrog over Roma into third-place.
Going into a two week winter break, Lazio have 31 points,
Juventus 29, Parma 27 and Roma 25.
Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko scored twice but had a last
minute penalty saved as fifth-placed AC Milan were held 2-2 at
the San Siro by lowly Reggina.
The champions, who had midfielder Federico Giunti sent off,
are on 24 points, one ahead of neighbours Inter, beaten 2-1 at
Bari on Saturday.
In Florence, when Tudor headed home Alessandro Del Piero's
corner, Fiorentina looked like joining Roma, Milan and Inter --
other title contenders beaten by Juventus this season.
But they reacted quickly with Enrico Chiesa crossing low
from the left and Batistuta timing his run at the near post to
perfection to turn in his seventh of the season.
Paolo Montero almost restored Juve's lead in the 26th but
Italy goalkeeper Francesco Toldo's reflexes were equal to the
Uruguayan's powerful header.
After the break, Zinedine Zidane hobbled off with an injured
ankle and Fiorentina immediately gained a grip on midfield.
In 60th minute keeper Michelangelo Rampulla missed a corner
but Daniele Adani's header across goal bounced off the bar.
MICHELANGELO DEFIES FLORENCE
But Rampulla made amends with 10 minutes from time by
brilliantly pushing Chiesa's diving header on to the bar to
stretch Juve's unbeaten run in the league to 10 games.
Roma's hopes of getting back on the winning road after last
week's defeat at Bologna -- their first in six matches --
quickly sunk in the mud of the Tardini playing surface.
"It's a disgrace to play a match in conditions like that.
The match should have been suspended," said Roma manager Fabio Capello after watching his side go two down in 33 minutes.
Serie A's leading scorer Hernan Crespo flicked home at the
near post after three minutes and half-an-hour later Stefano
Torrisi found the top corner with a fierce shot.
Genuine title challengers when they beat Lazio 4-1 in
November, Roma are now six points adrift of their neighbours.
Salas' ninth minute goal put the leaders on the way to their
third successive win. Mihajlovic added the second in the 59th
reacting quickly after his freekick was charged down.
Piacenza's Daniele Delli Carri was sent off in the 58th
minute.
Reggina's first ever trip to the San Siro turned out to be a
good one as they took the lead through Andrea Pirlo in the 29th
and held on to it until the 61st when Shevchenko levelled.
The Ukrainian put the home side in front 13 minutes later
but Giunti was sent off in the 78th and from the resultant
freekick Mohamed Kallon levelled for Reggina.
The stage was set for debutant keeper Emanuele Belardi to
shrug off the after-effects of a blow from a firecracker in the
first-half and save Shevchenko's 90th minute penalty.
