Just One Scudetto: Matchday 6 - It's in the stars

Leo (23 July - 23 Aug) The full moon in Aries signifies more disappointment as work colleagues fail to pull their weight and burden you with the blame. Bad news comes from a media tycoon with a glint in his eye.

More pressure has fallen on Milan coach Leonardo after he watched his team lose to Zurich at home in the Champions League. Following the embarrassing 4-0 home defeat by Inter, Milan have failed to win their last three games in all competitions and more worryingly have only scored three Serie A goals.

The trouble is Milan look like a team at the end of a long fruitless campaign not at the start of one. This time last year I saw them tear apart the current table toppers, Sampdoria, at the San Siro... has so much changed since then? Of course the retirement of Maldini and the departures of Kaka and Ancelotti would affect any team, but - on paper at least - Milan still have a very strong squad, a squad Leonardo will need to get the best from if he is to keep his job.

Also under a little pressure is Jose Mourinho (or Mou as they like to call him out there) who watched his side come from a goal down to draw against Russian champions Rubin Kazan. By the time they play Kiev in the next round of fixtures, it will be 12 months since their last Champions League victory. Worrying times ahead all round as the Bundesliga breathes down Serie A's neck for third spot on the UEFA coefficients - the last position to give four Champions League qualifiers.

Of course, doing the business for Italy were Fiorentina who beat Liverpool 2-0 with first half goals from the Montenegrin Messi Stevan Jovetic, while Juventus slugged out a 0-0 in Munich in Group A.

As mentioned, Sampdoria lead the way in Serie A - on merit too after beating the Champions Inter 1-0 in the Saturday evening kick off, retaining top position as second placed Juve failed to beat Bologna the following day. The defeat leaves Inter two points off the top with Fiorentina, and two clear of the improving Udinese. After a shaky start, Udinese are now stringing results together - though they're still over-reliant on Di Natale's goals - their latest win a 2-0 victory over early pace-setters Genoa.

Genoa have slipped down to sixth, though were unfortunate not to take all three points in their midweek fixture against Juve. A late (and offside) goal from sub David Trezeguet equalising goals from Mesto and Crespo for the home team after Iaquinta's early opener. Level on points are Parma who after back to back wins against Palermo and Lazio, lost at home to Cagliari.

There are four teams on 8 points - all won two, drawn two, lost two - however, that's good news for two of the teams and bad news for the others. Chievo are unbeaten in four, as are Roma under new boss Claudio Ranieri. Lazio on the other hand have failed to win in four, and we've already touched on Milan's woes.

Next is Bari, who added to Leonardo's problems by clinching their second San Siro point of the season. They were unlucky not to get more from the game as they ran Milan ragged for the opening 45. Cagliari are also on seven points ahead of Napoli on goal difference who managed to register just their second win of the season at the weekend at home to 17th placed Siena.

Above Siena, Palermo have added three draws to their opening day win. Bologna will hope they've turned a corner after celebrating their first win of the campaign in the mid-week card against bottom-placed Livorno and following it up with previously mentioned draw away to Juve. Livorno along with Catania and Atalanta are all awaiting their first win, though with Atalanta hosting Milan this weekend they might be forgiven for feeling confident enough to take three points.

That's it. Full results and table here.

Just One Scudetto: Matchday 3 - Return of the Tinkerman

Lots to catch up on with two rounds of fixtures in Serie A, the start of the Champions League and of course the Azzuri in World Cup qualification action. So no messing around - let's get straight to it. Avanti!

Since my last update, Luciano Spalletti has parted company with Roma to be replaced by Claudio Ranieri, following a home defeat to the Tinkerman's former club Juventus. Juve have got off to a fantastic start with three wins from three, adding another win in the eternal city against Lazio (locals will be hoping the visitors didn't throw some spare euros in the Trevi). Diego seems to be proving himself the signing of the summer for Juve, already looking set to more than justify the €24.5 million they paid Bremen for his services. As for Ranieri, he's made an immediate impact, overseeing Roma's first win of the season away to Siena thanks to a last-minute goal from John Arne Riise.

Juve are joined at the top of the table by the two teams from Genoa. Adding to first day wins, both teams won by the single goal in games at Atalanta (three defeats from three for them), Sampdoria also beating a decidedly shaky looking Udinese, and Genoa coming out 4-1 winners over Napoli in an interestingly officiated tie that saw three red cards and two penalties. Stats fans will be interested to know that table toppers and leading scorers Genoa have got their eight goals from eight different players.

Spreading the goals around is something Udinese haven't achieved, with six of their seven coming from just one man, Antonio Di Natale. He pulled them back from behind for the second time this season scoring a hat-trick in the 4-2 home win against Catania. Napoli's goals have been shared between Marek Hamsik, who's scored in every game, and new signing Fabio Quagliarella - who scored twice in the 3-1 home win over Livorno. One win from three however hasn't gone much way to convince anyone about Donadoni's managerial capabilities.

Fiorentina are still unbeaten following up their opening day draw with two 1-0 home wins against Palermo and Cagliari. Cagliari have yet to add to their solitary point having lost 3-1 at home to Siena. Chievo have chalked up their first win with a 2-0 win at struggling Bologna, a very good result following their previous match - being beaten 2-1 at home to Lazio, from a goal up and the visitors playing the last half hour with ten men.

Of course the biggest match so far this season has been the Milan derby in which Inter (as the away side) ran out 4-0 winners. The result, though, said more about how much Leonardo has to learn rather than how good Inter are. The key moment of the game was Gatusso's dismissal and the events surrounding it. Severely exposed in midfield, Gatusso was clearly carrying an injury, however in the time it took Clarence Seedorf to get it together to put his boots on to replace him, Gatusso commited a second bookable offence and was off - already two goals down there was no way back for the Rossaneri.

Inter followed this result with a 2-0 home win against Parma. It wasn't straightforward for Mourinho's men as Parma held their nerve for 70 minutes looking to emulate Bari's opening day draw at the San Siro. In the end, tiredness got the better of them and they were fortunate not to be on the end of a bigger (if undeserving) scoreline. Inter's goals came from Eto'o and Milito (I may be using this line a lot this season). Milan, however, could only battle out a goalless draw against the other promoted side Livorno.

Parma became the first of the new boys to register a win with their 2-1 win over bottom placed club Catania who remain pointless. Bari are still unbeaten haven't picked up draws against Bologna and at Palermo to add to their opening day heroics.

A ray of brightness has come Milan's way though in the shape of the Champions League; in a replay of the 1993 final, Pippo Inzaghi (who else) scored twice to beat Marseille 2-1. This tie was just one part of an Italy v France extravaganza in the Champions League - Fiorentina going down by the single goal at Lyon and Juventus drawing 1-1 at home to in-form Bordeaux. Match of the day should have been Inter v Barcelona - but in the end, though, it turned into what it always was: an early stage league fixture with either side so eager to show that they got the better end of the Eto'o/Ibrahimovic deal they forgot to go about winning the thing. A tame 0-0 resulted. Lazio, Roma and Genoa are in Europa League action tonight.

On the international stage, the World Cup holders were eased towards qualification by two goals from a Milan defender. However the defender in question was Kakha Kaladze playing for Georgia and putting it past his own goalkeeper twice in the space of 12 minutes to hand the tie 2-0 to the visitors. Italy relied on their own players for the same scoreline at home to Bulgaria four days later - Juve's Grosso and Iaquinta on the scoresheet there. Just a point from their next game away to the Republic of Ireland on October 9 will be enough to see them through as winners of Group 8.

Well I'm off to Italy myself for a week so by the time I write my next update there will have been three rounds of fixtures including a rare midweek card. The nearest match to me will be Bari v Cagliari next Wednesday - given that neither side have won yet and only managed three goals in their six so far it hasn't really filled me with enthusiasm to drag Mrs. S the 80-odd km to watch a game from behind a running track. I'm sure a local bar will be carrying something more entertaining.

A più tardi!

Just One Scudetto Week 1: Breaking away

Within days of the season's kick-off, the powers behind Italian football rubber stamped the establishment of their version of the Premier League, effectively separating the top two divisions from next season. The separation is hoped to stem the dwindling power of the League, an atrophy highlighted this summer with the departure of two of its biggest stars, Kaka and Ibrahimovic, to Spain. Serie A is in serious danger of slipping to fourth in the UEFA coefficients behind the Bundesliga, so they need a good season at home and abroad.

This season kicked off with six one-goal wins and four draws. All three newly promoted clubs stayed unbeaten... one wonders how often that will happen in the new regime.

Play-off winners Livorno held on for a goalless home draw against Cagliari, while it took a spectacular Di Natale turn and volley from the edge of the box to spare Udinese's blushes against Serie B runners-up Parma. It was the second time he equalised in the match following strikes from Paloschi and Lucarelli either side of the break.

But the performance of the week must go to Bari who had to face probably the toughest match in their whole season - away to Inter. For the home team, new signings Milito and Eto'o look pretty tasty already but squandered the opportunities presented to them, combining in a less a than satisfactory dive from the former and penalty conversion from the latter to provide their only goal. Kutuzov did well to control the ball for Bari's breakaway equaliser and in the end few would begrudge the Serie B champions their point.

In an opening day derby of sorts, Bologna took the lead mid-way through the first half against Fiorentina, Osvaldo left in hectares of space in the six yard box from a corner. Mutu (who else) got the equaliser with a wonderfully neat chip. He didn't celebrate too greatly - maybe because his goal bonus is hardly going to make much of a dent into that £15 million he owes Chelsea.

A Pato brace was enough for Milan in Siena. The Rossaneri made things far more complicated than they needed to be when Marco Storai tamely palmed a shot into the path of the onrushing Algeria forward Abdelkader Ghezzal to equalise. Milan's Brazilian class showed through in the end to provide Leonardo with a debut win.

Cassano pulled the strings in providing Sampdoria with an opening day victory, jinking through to lay up Pazzini's opener and creating a number of opportunites for himself. Catania equalised just before the break with Marimoto bursting through a static defence to poke home but Gastadello's last minute header (or more accurately noser) stole the points in the last minute.

A tough opener for Roma ended in defeat. A goalless first half in Genoa gave way to a feast in the second, Criscito tastily finishing a neat move to open the scoring against the visitors. The lead changed in 15 minutes, Totti instrumental in both goals, setting up the first and scoring the second. Their lead lasted just five minutes when Zapater delightfully curled one into the top near corner. The points stayed in Genoa after Roma failed to clear their lines from a wide free kick seven minutes before the end, Biava on hand to tuck in the rebound.

The fixtures were completed by three 1-0 home wins: Summer signing Diego had an instant impact for Juventus - his curling free-kick powerfully headed home by Iaquinta to beat Chievo; Tommaso Rocchi's first half goal was enough for Lazio to take full points against Atalanta; and Walter Zenga got a win in his first match in charge of Palermo against Napoli, but it certainly wasn't pretty - a rather unconvincing penalty giving the three points to the home side.

Well that's it for week one - a cagey start I'm sure you'll agree, but with the champions Inter already playing catch-up, it looks like we're in for an intriguing season. They could slip even further behind if they fail to beat their hometown rivals in the Derby della Madonnina this coming Saturday evening (Live on ESPN).

Results, fixtures and tables here...

Just One Scudetto: Serie A Season Preview 2009/10

Something new for you now on SPAOTP. Here's Sp3ktor with the first in a regular series of round-ups on Italian football - and what better way to start than a look at each of the twenty participating clubs.

Atalanta
Very much a yo-yo club, these close neighbours to the Milanese giants finished a creditable 11th last season. Such is the way in Italian football, only seven of the teams in Serie A are starting with the same head coach as they started the previous season. Atalanta's coach - former Gazza team-mate Angelo Gregucci - is one of the new appointments. His only previous Serie A coaching experience is as assistant to Roberto Mancini at Fiorentina, and a disasterous five-week spell as manager of Lecce. Bodes well, then.

Bari
The club that took David Platt to Italy in 1991 returns to the top flight as champions of Serie B. They could struggle, though, as the mastermind of their promotion, coach Antonio Conte, has left the club. In just over a year he turned a team facing relegation into champions. Of course being a stalwart of Juventus in the Nineties and the manager's position there going spare, all the attention he got inevitably led to him being linked with the job - attention Bari didn't like, obviously. Giampiero Ventura, a journeyman coach who's seen his last two Serie A teams relegated has taken the helm. Bari's badge reminds me of cornflakes.

Bologna
It took a last day victory to keep Bologna in Serie A in their first season back in the top flight. New man in charge, Giuseppe Papadopulo, is their sixth head coach in just over three years. He has a good record of getting promotions so perhaps they're thinking a bit more long term with this appointment.

Cagliari
The Sardinian club finished comfortably mid-table last campaign, winning as many as they lost and having a goal difference of -1. Not bad considering they started by losing their first five games under new head coach Massimiliano Allegri (left) - a young coach with a solid reputation in the lower leagues.

Catania
With manager Walter Zenga crossing Sicily to coach their bitter rivals Palermo, Catania have picked a very inexperienced coach in Gianluca Atzori to try and keep them in Serie A for a third season. They finished 15th last time out but that was more down to them taking their foot of the gas after they achieved safety - losing six of their last eight. They have an elephant on their badge; the only other club I can think of with that is Coventry City. Their kit seems to be modelled on Crystal Palace, even down to the white-with-red-and-blue-sash away kit.

Chievo Verona
Chievo seriously struggled at the start of their first season back in the top flight picking up just 9 points in their first 17 games. The appointment of Mimmo Di Carlo as head coach turned their fortunes around, seeing them lose just four games in the second half of the season. Most of these were draws, however, so they only just escaped a quick return to Serie B.

Fiorentina
Mired in recent controversy, Fiorentina were given more than a slight helping hand in getting back to Serie A after reforming in 2002. They're back to winning ways too having secured a second consecutive Champions League qualification. Manager Cesare Prandelli is the current Serie A Coach of the Year.

Genoa
Genoa have been in storming form under coach Gian Piero Gasperini since rising from Italy's third tier in 2006. Both seasons in the top flight have seen them qualify for Europe despite having a very thin squad and regularly losing their best players to bigger clubs. 34-year-old Hernan Crespo from Inter will be leading the line for them this campaign, having to fill the boots of 24-goal-scoring Milito who goes in the other direction. Genoa are one of the few clubs to retain the word 'Cricket' in their full title (Napoli and Milan dropped it years ago). If that's not a good enough reason to like them, I don't know what is.

Inter
The dominant team since the Calciopoli scandal in 2006, Inter have won the last four Scudetti and with the Special One in charge there's not much to suggest any different this season. They've lost the league's top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic but seeing as they've got Samual Eto'o and a wad of cash in return, there shouldn't be too many grumbles on the blue side of Milan.

Juventus
Being runners up last season wasn't good enough for the board at Juve and Claudio Ranieri was out on his ear. His replacement is Ciro Ferrara, a former team captain and latterly youth team coach in his first manageial position - an interesting choice for such a high profile job. The Old Lady welcomes back one of her favourite sons in the shape of 35-year-old Fabio Cannavaro after three seasons at Real Madrid. Regular readers of the Bundesbag on these pages will be intrigued to see how Diego, their €24.5m summer signing from Werder Bremen, performs in Serie A.

Lazio
Although winners of last season's Coppa Italia, Lazio fans have had to settle for mid-table mediocrity since finishing third in 2007. Davide Ballardini, who was in charge of Palermo last campaign, is new in post following Delio Rossi's decision to step down.

Livorno
Winners of the Serie B play-off, the Tuscan club enjoyed a brief period of modest success a few years back under Roberto Donadoni. After he left to take up the role of national team coach things all went a bit pear-shaped (for both parties). Currently managerless with the Italian Football Federation blocking the permanent appointment of stand-in coach Gennaro Ruotolo because of insufficient coaching badges.

Milan
The headlines may be all about the departure of Kaka but this season is the one where Milan have to get used to life without Maldini. Ancelotti, of course has gone to Chelsea and is replaced by local hero Leonardo, in his first managerial role; he should certainly provide his opposite number at Inter with a run for his money, if only at the press conferences. Honestly, this guy makes Mourinho look like the bloke who collects the sun lounger money.

Napoli
Roberto Donadoni makes his return to management after a disasterous tenure as national team coach. Napoli had a decent enough start last season but trailed off to finish mid-table. Nowhere near the team they were in the Eighties, they're doing ok considering they've died and been reborn since. Napoli are owned by film producer Aurelio De Laurentiis - nephew of Dino.

Palermo
Palermo have been a surprise package since returning to Serie A after a thirty-year absence in 2004 and have been buzzing around the UEFA spots since then. The biggest news for them is the installation of Walter Zenga as head coach from fierce local rivals Catania. They play in pink - live with it.

Parma
Parma make a return to Serie A after a season down in the second tier. While the heady days of the milk-carton funded mid-nineties are far behind, it was only a handful of seasons ago this club was getting regular UEFA Cup football - even reaching the semis in 2005. Their head coach Francesco Guidolin has made a habit in his professional career of returning to clubs, playing for Verona in four separate stints and having as many periods as coach of Palermo.

Roma
Last season was the worst for Roma under coach Luciano Spalletti, having to settle for a Europa League spot after getting used to Champions League football. They've finished runners-up four times since their last title in 2001. They'll be doing very well to get that high this season, especially if they lose Daniele de Rossi to Arsenal, as has been strongly rumoured (but then every decent centre half in the world is being linked with The Gunners). Supporters will be pleased though to see that Mr Roma, Francesco Totti, has signed a new five-year deal (he'll be 37 by the end). The club was formed in a merger at the behest of Mussolini. Don't hold that against them, though.

Sampdoria
Samp arrived back in the top flight strongly in 2003 but since only just missing out on a Champions League spot in 2005 they've been pretty ordinary, finishing 13th last season. Luigi Del Neri takes over as head coach, joining from Atalanta. He took over as manager of Porto after Jose Mourinho left, only to be sacked before the season even started. It was the second time that had happened to him so don't be surprised if someone else is in charge come the opening day. Sampdoria have Cassano: that makes them worth watching.

Siena
More famous for its bi-annual horse race Il Palio, Siena have been enjoying themselves in Serie A. A lower league side for much of their history, Siena are beginning their seventh consecutive season in the top flight. They're hardly setting the division on fire but they do well enough. Their head coach is Marco Giampaolo: he's one of the very few managers not new in post.

Udinese
If Udinese could keep together a run of the form they are capable of, they could be a major force in Italian football. As it is, they tend to fall away at the end or struggle if they're distracted by European qualification. They qualified for the Champions League in 2005 and a repeat certainly isn't beyond them. This will be head coach Pasquale Marino's third season in charge - a veritable eon in Serie A terms.