Author: Crazy

Giampiero Pinzi stressed the importance of Udinese’s 1-0 victory over Walter Mazzarri’s men, especially considering they lost their opening game of 2014

Giampiero Pinzi dedicated Udinese’s 1-0 Coppa Italia win over Inter to Antonio Di Natale after the veteran striker announced his intention to retire at the end of the season a couple of days ago.

Maicosuel’s tap-in in the first half was enough to see the Bianconeri into the last eight, to face either AC Milan or Spezia Calcio, and consign the Nerazzurri to back-to-back losses.

As well as insisting the cup victory was for iconic skipper Di Natale, the tough-tackling midfielder praised the way Udinese fought for the win against the Serie A giants having been beaten 3-1 by Hellas Verona at the weekend.

“It’s a great victory,” the 32-year-old told Rai Sport after the Stadio Friuli game. “We came into it after a stinging defeat at home and we had to show what we could do against a great team like Inter.

“In the second half, we focused on our defence for our benefit and it helped produce a very important result. We prepared very well for the game and did well to shut down attacks and prevent Inter from breaking us down.

“Di Natale is a champion who has made us rejoice, taken us to Europe. We’re dedicating this victory to him, he’s our symbol and our captain and we want him to stay for many more years here.”

Francesco Guidolin’s men’s triumph in the last-16 stage of the Coppa Italia sees them join Fiorentina, Juventus and Roma in the next round.

Maicosuel’s first-half tap-in allowed Udinese to edge their last-16 Coppa Italia clash with Inter 1-0 on Thursday.

The Nerazzurri were made to pay for losing possession in the final third and Nico Lopez pounced to set up the Brazilian, who edged ahead of opposition skipper Javier Zanetti to score at the back post.

The hosts’ victory sets up a clash in the quarter-finals of the Italian cup with either AC Milan or Spezia Calcio, as they joined Fiorentina, Juventus and Roma in the last eight of the competition.

Walter Mazzarri’s men, whose side on paper certainly looked more dangerous, were flat in attack for the opening third of the game at the Stadio Friuli and invited the Zebrette to attack while looking toothless when in possession.

Young attacker Lopez caused problems for the deep-lying Inter backline with his pacey runs and was inches away from nodding home the opener.

The Uruguayan was key in creating the eventual first goal, however, as he sped into the box and skidded the ball across for Maicosuel to tap in, with Inter too slow to realise the danger.

Zdravko Kuzmanovic struck the bar five minutes later with a lovely, looped shot from distance as the Nerazzurri finally found some attacking drive, but not enough to prevent going in a goal behind at the break to the hosts.

Inter threw on Rodrigo Palacio at the break in the hope he could spark a revival and his arrival certainly allowed the visitors to continue their pressing intensity.

Mazzarri’s men looked weak when throwing players forward though and, following a turned down a Nerazzurri penalty appeal for handball, the hosts attacked, goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo completely failed to tackle Maicosuel and the visitors were saved by an appalling volleyed shot from Giampiero Pinzi.

The yellow cards were streamed out to Francesco Guidolin’s defensive players as they deployed hacking tactics to break up Inter’s attempted forays forward while Udinese’s attackers peppered shots at the other end, but they were mostly skewed pot shots with Badu a particularly guilty culprit from distance.

The game stretched significantly in the final 15 minutes as legs tired but Inter struggled to fashion genuine, goalscoring chances.

Fredy Guarin could – and should – have taken the game into stoppage-time with just over two minutes left on the clock but he smashed wide from seven yards after Milito’s fine, floated cross.

Inter’s inability to score condemned them to their second defeat of 2014 after opening the new year with a loss at Lazio and gave Udinese – who haven’t had the greatest of Serie A campaigns so far – a much-needed boost.

Francesco Guidolin’s men have struggled in front of their own fans, and Al Hain-Cole expects the Nerazzurri to come out on top for the second time this season at the Stadio Friuli

Udinese will be hoping to avenge November’s 3-0 home defeat when they welcome Inter to the Stadio Friuli for Thursday’s Coppa Italia clash.

Francesco Guidolin has come under fire after seeing his side win just five and lose nine of their last 15 games and he is available at 8/5 (2.60) with Betway to ease the pressure by coming out on top in this one.

Having slipped eight points off the Champions League places following Monday’s 1-0 defeat against Lazio, the Nerazzurri are slender 6/4 (2.50) favourites to keep their hopes of silverware alive with victory this evening.

There hasn’t been a draw in any of the last 11 meetings between the sides, but you can get odds of 23/10 (3.30) on them cancelling each other out here.

Having finished in the top five for each of the last three Serie A seasons, the Zebrette are struggling in mid-table this campaign, just six points above the relegation zone.

This downturn in fortunes is primarily down to a collapse in their traditionally strong home record, having fallen to four defeats in their last five games in front of their own fans.

The most recent of these came against a Verona side that had lost six and won just one of their previous nine away fixtures, suggesting the Stadio Friuli is far from the fortress it once was.

With this in mind, those 6/4 (2.50) odds seem extremely inviting on Walter Mazzarri’s men coming out on top for the second time this season at this ground, and for the third time in four visits.

However, with Mazzarri’s men having kept just one clean sheet in their last seven away fixtures, goals at both ends seem likely, and odds of 4/1 (5.00) are not to be missed on Inter emerging victorious and both teams finding the net.

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Al Hain-Cole is a Liverpool fan, experienced tipster and avid follower of European football. He specialises in accumulators and if you would like to read more from Al you can follow him on Twitter here.

The winger has been linked with Inter & Juventus and is desperate for first-team football to boost his World Cup ambitions after a disappointing start at Spurs since his €36m move

EXCLUSIVE
By Greg Stobart

Tottenham have ruled out a loan move for record signing Erik Lamela this January despite the winger’s desire for first-team football to boost his World Cup dream.

The Argentina international has started just three Premier League matches since his €36 million arrival from Roma in the summer and has largely been restricted to a substitute role.

Speculation in Italy is rife than Inter are looking to secure a loan deal for Lamela, while he has also been linked with a permanet move to Juventus in a swap for striker Mirko Vucinic.

Spurs, however, are determined to keep Lamela in January unless there is a drastic change in circumstances, especially as manager Tim Sherwood deals with an injury crisis.

Lamela was given few opportunities under former boss Andre Villas-Boas and Sherwood is yet to make a judgement on the attacker, who missed the north London derby defeat to Arsenal with a thigh injury, but is expected to be fit to face Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The veracity of quotes attributed to the 21-year-old’s father this week has been questioned but Lamela is undoubtedly frustrated with his lack of form and opportunity at White Hart Lane.

The Argentine’s agent is believed to be courting interest in his client, who has scored just one goal this season, in a Europa League match against Sheriff, and has settled slowly in London having arrived unable to speak any English.

A return to Serie A – where he scored 15 league goals last season – would be the most logical step for Lamela in order to stake his claim for a place in Argentina’s squad for the World Cup.

But Spurs want to give the €36m man time to settle and believe that a return to Italy would be counterproductive to their long-term plans for the former River Plate star.

The Argentine has at last completed his long-awaited move to the Nerazzurri after spending the past six months at Livorno

Inter have completed the signing of Argentine forward Ruben Botta from Livorno on a permanent basis.

The versatile attacker had already joined the Nerazzurri from Tigre on a free transfer ahead of the 2013-14 campaign but was immediately parked at Livorno as Inter did not have a free non-EU slot in their squad.

“Ruben Botta is an Inter player after the paperwork relating to his transfer was completed on Wednesday,” a statement on the club’s official website reads.

“The 23-year-old Argentine has signed from Livorno on a permanent deal that runs until 2018.”

Botta came through the ranks of the Boca Juniors youth academy before joining Tigre in 2009, where he made 77 appearances and scored 10 goals.

Botta failed to make an appearance for Livorno during his short spell there due to injury.