Rampant Milan pummel Parma
Reuters - Saturday 12 February 2011, 21:54
MILAN - Antonio Cassano scored his first
AC Milan goal and Robinho struck twice to help the Serie A
leaders end a run of two straight draws in a 4-0 home thrashing
of Parma on Saturday.
Second-placed Napoli made sure the gap stayed at three
points, however, with the league's top scorer Edinson Cavani
netting a penalty early in the second half and bagging a second
seven minutes from time to secure a 2-0 win at AS Roma.
The unplayable Uruguayan, who managed his first after
error-prone Brazil defender Juan had brought down Marek Hamsik,
took his league tally to 20 having been accused of not being an
out-and-out goal scorer when he arrived in July from Palermo.
Stunned Napoli fans, whose only title success came with
Diego Maradona in 1987 and 1990, are in dreamland given no one
expected a scudetto challenge this term while seventh-placed
Roma are now all but out of the race.
Milan's victory was the perfect warm-up for Tuesday's
Champions League last 16 first leg against Tottenham Hotspur
even if Cassano and midfielder Mark Van Bommel are ineligible.
Clarence Seedorf, starting in place of the half-rested
Robinho, opened the scoring on eight minutes when he rounded the
goalkeeper after being picked out by Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Italy striker Cassano then netted his first goal since
arriving from Sampdoria in early January when he exchanged
passes with Gennaro Gattuso. After the break he set up
substitute Robinho for two more.
"Cassano has been great and he also worked hard when we
didn't have the ball," Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri told
reporters.
"Up to 2-0 we played well then we slowed a bit. But in the
second half Robinho and the like were the difference."
The Rossoneri are seeking their first scudetto since 2004
and laboured in recent draws with Lazio and Genoa but were back
on song and could have scored more against a Parma side who are
sliding down the table.
Cassano, Ibrahimovic and young German midfielder Alexander
Merkel, preferred to Mathieu Flamini, all came close to a fifth.
Substitute Alexandre Pato is set to replace Cassano against
Spurs with Flamini maybe coming in for Van Bommel given Andrea
Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini are out injured for six weeks.