Serie B: Catania v. Bologna
View attachment 305696Welcome to Sicily and to Angelo Massimo - Cibali alongside Ignacio Bortomacci I'm Ugo Zanzi where RAI Radio One is bringing you Catania hosting Bologna in Serie B. For many of you in Bologna who cannot make the trip to Sicily, I must rub it in your eye that the temperature is marvelous, a comfortable 14 degrees and sunny. And Bologna will hope the pleasant temperatures will wake up their hibernating offense. What's your analysis, Ignacio?
Ignacio: Yes, the Rossoblu need to get back to being able to outscore everyone. Their defense has always been suspect, but their offense led by Casarini needs to find that edge and punish. Now Catania hope the addition of Borriello from Roma will continue to galvanize their attack as they hope to climb up the table and make the promotion play-offs. To do that they are going to need to beat some good teams and today is an excellent test for them.
View attachment 305695Ugo: Well, Ignacio, Catania will line up with Alberto Frison in goal, the defense is four across the back with Gino Peruzzi, Norbert Gyomer, Gaston Sauro and Fabian Monzon.
Ignacio: Yes, Ugo, I think they're going to miss Ciro Capuano. Rossazzurri fans will hope Peruzzi can cope with Lepiller.
Ugo: Three midfielders and three attackers up front. Fabian Rinaudo and Sergio Almiron sit in the middle with Polish player Michal Chaprek ahead of them. Wingers are Brazilian Marcelinho left with Pasquale Foggia on the right. Sebastian Leto up top. Your thoughts?
Ignacio: Marcelinho and Foggia will have to drop back a lot when the Bologna fullbacks join the attack.
Ugo: Bologna line up with the starting eleven that Enrico Pucci has relied on with only one change. Dejan Stojanovic in goal, the preferred back four of Archimede Morleo, Federico Barba, Dominico Maietta and Gyorgy Garics.
Ignacio: Their manager Pucci will need them to step up their play today.
Ugo: Michele Pazienza, Franco Zuculini and Federico Casarini are the midfield trio.
Ignacio: with Pazienza guarding the back four and Casarini will have free will to express himself.
Ugo: Wingers are Matthias Lepiller and the Spaniard Sergio is preferred to Gennaro Troianiello. Daniele Cacia is the surprise start is he not, Ignacio? He's gone eight games without scoring.
Ignacio: Yes, quite the shock to see his name on the team sheet after Robert Aquafresca scored twice last week. Troianiello is slumping and Pucci has indicated that Sergio is playing better right now.
Ugo: And here we go. Rosario Abisso is about to blow his whistle.
TWEEEEEEEET!
...
Ugo: Foggia is running at Morleo. Leto has taken up a position between the central defenders. Foggia beats Morleo. Shoots. Hits the bar. Garics clears.
Ignacio: Unlucky for Foggia. Morleo will have to do better. Pucci is out of the dugout yelling at his players and it's only the third minute. He must want them to tighten up their defending.
...
Ugo: Lepiller beat Marcelinho on the dribble and crosses midfield. He passes forward to Zuculini fifteen metrs upfield. The Argentine chips the ball out to the right flank. Garics runs onto it. Cacia is making a run from deep, he's unmarked. Cross from Garics. Cacia scores! Five minutes in and Cacia's thundering header gives the Rossoblu an early lead.
Ignacio: Perfectly timed run by Cacia, great delivery and fantastic build-up by the Rossoblu. Catania are in trouble if Bologna keep passing like this.
...
12th minute
Ignacio: This is a great chance for Bologna. Lepiller will think he has a great opportunity from around 21 or so meters.
Ugo: Abisso shows yellow to Monzon for the shirt grab. Now he moves the wall back. There's a lot of jostling in the wall. Lepiller lines up the shot and waits for the whistle ... and his shot is several meters above the bar.
Ignacio: he just couldn't keep that one down. Never curled or dipped like he wanted.
Ugo: Frison to take the goal kick. Up and over the half line. Maietta wins the header and Pazienza claims the ball.
Ignacio: Bologna are really dominating right now. Passing well. Can Catania withstand this pressure?
Ugo: Bologan have moved the ball across the field. Zuculini to Casarini. Now Sergio. He sees Morleo charging forward on the overlap. Pass into space for the Bologna Captain. First time cross. Cacia volleys! Frison tips over the bar!
Ignacio: What a save, Ugo. Cacia really caught that volley perfectly just too close to the keeper.
...
19th
Ignacio: That was truly a waste of chances, Ugo. Sergio was well positioned to shoot, but it wasn't perfect enough. So he passes to Cacia who you'd think would want to shoot, but he opts to pass to Lepiller at the right corner of the box. Now that was a tremendously heavy shot by the Frenchman and great save, but I think the Rossoblu are toying with the Catania defense when they should be taking their opporunities.
Ugo: Lepiller to take corner. The tall men have come forward from the back. And Lepiller raises an arm. He's shot the ball hard toward Casarini at the top of the box. Unorthodox. Casarini won't shoot. Pass to Zuculini. And he hesitated too long. Rinaudo tackles it away ...
Ignacio: Bologan shouldn't be wasting opportunities like this.
24th
Ugo: And that's a booking. Chrapek rugby tackled Zuculini.
Ignacio: He's got a future in rugby if the calcio doesn't work out.
30th
Ignacio: The match has really bogged down, Ugo. Both sides have been working harder to stop the other. And Zuculini is fouled again. He's been taking a real beating for his side today.
Ugo: And Almiron goes in the book for Catania for that mugging. Catania drop off and regroup. Pazienza to restart. Pazienza to Lepiller. This looks promising up the right flank. Back to Garics. Back to Pazienza. Ball up to Casarini. He shoots. Too high...
Ignacio: Better from Bologna. Casarini can hit them from distance. Catania need to shut him down.
Ugo: Catania bring the ball forward. Over the half line with Monzon. In to Almiron now to Rinaudo. Pass up to Leto. Foul by Barba. I don't think Abisso will card Barba. No, he will not. He's just moving the wall back.
Ignacio: I think Monzon should like this distance. 24 or out.
Ugo: Monzon shoots! Hits the post and goes out! Stojanovic had concrete boots and just watched it from the far side of the goal.
Ugo: Bologna bring the ball out of the back. Now Sergio, Zuculini, Casarini, back to Zuculini now to Pazienza. Back to Maietta, Barba Morleo. Morleo with a pass upfield to Casarini. To Cacia. This looks promising. Out to Sergio. He shoots! Off the outside of the near post.
Ignacio: What a chance. Centimeters wide.
39th
Ugo: Monzon has another chance about a meter left of his previous attempt.
Ignacio: Yes, you can still see the divot that Barba dug out a meter over.
Ugo: The wall is back. Monzon stares at the ball. He shoots. Into the wall. It's right back to him. He shoots again. It's in! We're all level!
Ignacio: Yes, he hit is second shot where Stojanovic had been standing. But the keeper had dived to his left leaving the gap. A bit lucky and against the run of play, I must say.
...
Ugo: There's the halftime whistle. We're all level here in sunny Sicily.
Ignacio: Pucci will have to be the happier of the managers, though Sannino is the lucky one. Bologna have dominated this half but a lucky bounce, or unlucky bounce if you're a Rossoblu, and all that domination is meaningless. Pucci will be happy that his team are defending well and passing well. They just need to capitalize on their dominance or Catania may get lucky and ****** all three poinst away from them.
...
Ugo: It appears that both managers are making changes. Sannino is pulling off both his wingers. Edgar Cani and Alexis Rolin come on.
Ignacio: That's interesting. Cani gives Catania a second striker. I think they'll switch to a four four two formation now. That's interesting, Lepiller isn't out and is that Troianiello waiting to come on?
Ugo: Yes.
Ignacio: Lepiller was looking tired towards the end of the half. Or hurt. It looks like Sergio will stay out left and Troianiello will play the right flank. Normally, Troianiello likes to come inside off the left sideline and get the ball on his right foot. This is a change of how Pucci uses his veteran winger.
...
47th
Ugo: Barba has given another free kick away in a dangerous position. Abisso is leaving his cards in his pockets for now.
Ignacio: This has got to be Empoli loanee's last free ride. Sannino has some subs getting ready for the home side. I think Chrapek comes off. He's not done much.
Ugo: And Leto blazes high. Chance wasted.
56th
Ugo: Bologna break, Cacia crosses the half line...
Ignacio: This looks promising...
Ugo: Runs into the Catania half. It's four against three. Passes to Zuculini. Troianiello's all alone, Zuculini sees him, passes, he's onside, Gyomber kept him on and he scores! Troianiello gives Bologna the lead.
Ignacio: Catania have to be careful of the Rossoblu's counter attack. That was efficient and deadly. This is the Bologna we got used to prior to December.
Ugo: Catania are protesting that the goal was offside...
Ignacio: That's nonsense. Gyomber kept dropping back so far he very nearly kept the visiting fans behind the goal onside. They've got nobody to blame but their naivety. Peruzzi is leading the protests, he'd better be careful. He's getting quite animated.
Ugo: Too late. Now Abisso is carding him for dissent.
59th
Ignacio: Catania are in trouble. Bologna are dominating and they can't play with them. Now Rolin's in trouble.
Ugo: Yes, a professional wrestling throw on who else?
Ignacio: Zuculini. He's really on his game today and is driving the offense and stifling anything the Rossazzurri try to get going. He's my Man of the Match so far.
Ugo: And Abisso is writing down Rolin's name. It's a yellow. Lepiller lines up the free kick. Abisso gets the wall moved back. It's out for a corner. Lepiller hit someone in the wall. The Frenchman, former Fiorentina and Novara player who came up through Le Havre's youth system jogs over to take the corner. He raises his hand. And curls in the corner. It's cleared by Gyomber but only to Pazienza who gives it to GOAL! GOLASSO! Zuculini has volleyed in. Bologna are two up!
Ignacio: That's a match capper. How the young man has played today. Exceptional. Gritty. Snarling and snapping. He's driven Catania mad today. Catania heads drop, I can't see them coming back from this.
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