Osvaldo scores and sent off in Roma win
Reuters - Sunday 02 September 2012, 22:29
AS Roma forward Pablo Osvaldo
netted a stunning goal but was later sent off in his side's 3-1
win at Inter Milan on Sunday as Antonio Cassano scored for the
first time since joining the hosts.
Champions Juventus thumped down-hearted Udinese 4-1 away
after the hosts, still coming to terms with their failure to
qualify for the Champions League, had goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic
controversially sent off after 13 minutes.
Napoli beat Fiorentina 2-1 on a pitch which resembled a
ploughed field and Cagliari drew 1-1 with Atalanta behind closed
doors because their new venue for this season was not considered
ready by local authorities.
The Is Arenas stadium outside Cagliari was only confirmed as
the venue on Friday night after the home players protested at
plans to stage the match in Trieste, around 1,000 kilometres
away on the mainland.
Cagliari, who hosted several matches in Trieste last season,
were not allowed any spectators with one half of the arena still
clearly under reconstruction.
Roma went ahead at the San Siro when Alessandro Florenzi,
unmarked in the penalty area, met Francesco Totti's cross with a
looping header in the 15th minute.
Cassano, left out of the Italy squad on Sunday, levelled
with a deflected shot in first-half stoppage time for Inter, who
won their opening match 3-0 at Pescara.
It was the volatile striker's first goal since his move from
AC Milan in a swap with Giampaolo Pazzini, who scored a
hat-trick for his new side in their 3-1 win at Bologna on
Saturday.
Roma, who have four points, regained the lead with a
stunning goal as Osvaldo was sent clear of the defence in the
67th minute and deftly flicked the ball over goalkeeper Luca
Castellazzi. Marquinho added a third with nine minutes left.
Osvaldo, however, blotted his copybook with a second yellow
card for a needless handball at the end.
Udinese goalkeeper Brkic was dismissed after clattering into
Sebastian Giovinco as the former Parma striker rang on to a long
Andrea Pirlo pass.
Arturo Vidal fired the penalty past new goalkeeper Daniele
Padelli to set Juventus on the way to an easy win and Mirko
Vucinic curled in the second before halftime.
Giovinco scored two in the second half to bury Udinese, who
were beaten in their Champions League play-off by Braga to fall
at the same stage for the second season running.
"Juventus can win in Udine but deciding the match after 15
minutes does nobody any favours, including Juve," said Udinese
owner Giampaolo Pozzo, whose team have lost their first two
games.
"The red card was completely unnecessary. A decision like
that requires a little common sense and balance."
LAST SEASON
Juventus, unbeaten last season, have six points from two
games along with Napoli and Lazio.
Second-half goals from Marek Hamsik and Blerim Dzemaili gave
Napoli a 2-1 win over Fiorentina on a San Paulo pitch which was
heavily sanded, full of ruts and divots and appeared to be
nearly unplayable.
Stevan Jovetic replied for the visitors.
Germany striker Miroslav Klose scored twice to guide Lazio
to a 3-0 win over Palermo.
Cagliari's supporters missed out on a dramatic finale as
Albin Ekdal's stoppage-time goal gave them a 1-1 draw with
Atalanta, who had taken an 81st-minute lead through German
Denis.
Cagliari had played at the Stade Sant'Elia from 1970 until
around halfway through last season but abandoned the arena due
to disagreements with the local authorities and over growing
safety worries.