The pressure was heaped on coach Massimiliano Allegri on Saturday after AC Milan continued their dreadful run of Serie A form with a 1-1 home draw against 10-man Genoa.
Elsewhere, a late goal from Antonio Cassano snatched a surprise 1-0 win for Parma at SSC Napoli.
Milan were showered with boos and whistles after dropping to 11th place on 14 points.
Photo: AFP
“We had loads of chances, missed a penalty and they scored with their only shot,” Allegri said. “We have to be more clinical in front of goal. Even when it was 11 versus 11 we were always on the front foot, but the lads weren’t rewarded.”
Kaka put Milan in front with an elegant fourth-minute goal, the Brazilian beautifully bringing down Nigel de Jong’s long pass as he burst into the penalty area and without breaking his stride swept home an ice-cool finish.
Alberto Gilardino equalized from the penalty spot for Genoa after Urby Emanuelson clumsily brought down Sime Vrsaljko four minutes later.
Milan striker Mario Balotelli compounded Allegri’s misery by missing a 36th-minute penalty, only the second time in his career he has missed from the spot.
Not even Thomas Manfredini being sent off for fouling Balotelli for the penalty could help toothless Milan, as their misfiring attackers wasted a series of chances.
Supporters were so angry at the display that the police had to block the players exit after the match as a group of enraged fans looked to continue their protests face to face.
Milan’s trip to Celtic in the UEFA Champions League tomorrow could turn out to be Allegri’s last throw of the dice.
Napoli were sunk by Cassano as Rafael Benitez’s side were punished for a sloppy display that could have become a rout.
Cassano was in superb form and set up a number of chances for his less clinical teammates.
Even worse for Benitez, given Napoli’s crunch Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund tomorrow, was the sight of Marek Hamsik limping off only minutes after replacing the disappointing Goran Pandev.
“We have to wait and see whether he can play against Dortmund,” Benitez said.
Parma moved up to 10th after Cassano’s classy strike from outside the penalty area nine minutes from time sparked talk of a World Cup call-up.
“Of course, I think about the World Cup and I’d like to take part,” Cassano said. “If I don’t go to Brazil with the national team, I’ll go there with my wife and children.”
“If he carries on playing like this he can go to Brazil,” Parma coach Roberto Donadoni said.
Napoli stayed third on 28 points, four behind unbeaten league leaders AS Roma, who take on Cagliari today.
AC Chievo Verona remained rooted to the bottom despite a stoppage-time Dejan Lazarevic strike earning a dramatic 1-0 derby victory against Hellas Verona.
SS Lazio on Monday fired the far-right sympathizer who handles their eagle mascot after he posted online a series of videos and pictures of his erect penis. Falconer Juan Bernabe, who has been present at Lazio home matches with Olimpia the eagle since the 2010-2011 season, posted the footage on social media after having surgery on Saturday to implant a penile prosthesis to improve his sexual performance. Lazio said that they had “terminated, with immediate effect” their relationship with Bernabe “due to the seriousness of his conduct,” adding that they were “shocked” by the images. The Serie A club added that Bernabe’s dismissal
‘TOUGH TO BREATHE’: Tunisian three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur suffered an asthma attack in her 7-5, 6-3 victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei yesterday cruised into the second round of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open, while Iga Swiatek romped into a third-round women’s singles showdown with Emma Raducanu and Taylor Fritz was just as emphatic in his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, the third seeds, defeated Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls of Britain 7-5, 6-2 in 90 minutes in Melbourne. Ostapenko and Hsieh — who won the women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Australian Open last year — hit 25 winners and converted five of nine break points to set
Hong Kong-based cricket team Hung See this weekend found success in their matches in Taiwan, even if none of the results went their way. Hung See played the Chairman’s XI on Saturday morning, the Daredevils that afternoon and PCCT yesterday, with all three home teams winning. The team for Chinese players at the Happy Valley-based Craigengower Cricket Club sends teams on tour to “spread the game of cricket.” This weekend was Hung See’s second trip to Taiwan after visiting Tainan in 2016. “The club has been traveling to all parts of the world since 1982 and the annual tradition continues [with the Taiwan
Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists” where avid amateurs can chase Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square kilometer in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in the past few years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the stretch of coast between Valencia and Alicante now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January, the region experiences an invasion of cyclists. Star names such as three-time Tour de France winner Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe
RSS