Napoli squander chance to go second
Reuters - Saturday 30 January 2010, 22:00
MILAN - Napoli missed the chance to move
up to joint-second in Serie A after hitting the woodwork twice
in a 0-0 home draw with Genoa on Saturday.
The hosts, level on points with third-placed AS Roma,
extended their unbeaten league run to 15 matches but could
easily have secured victory having wasted other good chances.
Genoa defender Dario Dainelli, a recent arrival from
Fiorentina, deflected a cross onto his own post early on and
Napoli centre back Paolo Cannavaro soon unleashed a powerful
shot which cannoned off the bar.
Driving rain in Naples and the continued absence of injured
forward Ezequiel Lavezzi also made life difficult for Walter
Mazzarri's Champions League-chasing side.
Eighth-placed Genoa had problems of their own with Napoli
fans again shining lasers at the visiting players and prompting
the officials to warn the home bench that the match risked being
stopped.
In Saturday's other match, Bari inflicted Palermo's first
Serie A defeat in eight games with a classy 4-2 home win.
Promoted Bari, whose attacking play has lit up the Italian
top-flight this term, raced into a 2-0 lead inside seven minutes
with Leonardo Bonucci expertly hooking in and Edgar Alvarez
slotting home after the visitors gave the ball away in midfield.
Palermo, in fifth, have been in good form since Delio Rossi
took over in November and they dragged themselves level thanks
to Edinson Cavani's close range finish and a superb strike from
Javier Pastore.
However, the Sicilians then had Fabio Liverani sent off for
two bookings and seventh-placed Bari retook the lead through
Paulo Barreto's penalty before Vladimir Koman sealed the win
with another fine goal five minutes from time.