La Vecchia Signora compra un vecchio gioiello: Calcio Italiano 2018-19

[Kevin S]

The £50 offer for an annual pass is tempting, but haven't taken the plunge.

[Kevin S]

And they seem to have only just discovered the UK broadcasting laws, so probably won't sink £50 just yet...

https://twitter.com/ElevenSports_UK/...960580096?s=19

https://twitter.com/ElevenSports_UK/status/1030725511960580096?s=19

[Diable Rouge]

I'm OTF's canary in the coalmine then - once I adjusted the bitrate for Lazio-Napoli, there were no picture, sound or buffering issues. Entertaining 1-1 game so far, with Immobile tearing the Napoli defence to shreds for his goal, the away side having an equaliser chalked off for a foul in the box, before Milik deservedly levelled swiftly afterwards. That said, squinting at a tablet is a distinctly unedifying means of watching a match, so once a week, if even that, would be the limit for most.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

I've got to say, I tuned in to see Inter and how they're getting on and it's amazing how Inter keep doing the same thing every season, and keep getting much the same outcome. It's like watching the last 10 years of wenger. They've just lost 1-0 to sassuolo.

[Kevin S]

Forza Sasol! Forza neroverdi!

That is all.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

I don't know what you are getting so excited about. This is Sassuolo's fourth straight win over inter.

[Kevin S]

That doesn't guarantee anything - a win over the big teams is always something to enjoy but especially when Sassuolo have a new manager and a fair bit of player turnover from last season. And it shows how important it was to hold onto Berardi; teaming him up with KPB could be inspired.

Kluivert junior is apparently the first foreign player born after 1/1/99 to provide a Serie A assist, fact fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KyQYds6Xpw&t=3m15s

Suspect danielmak enjoyed that one.

[Kevin S]

And - blimey! - the official Serie A videos are now in English...

edit - but annoyingly it's dubbed out the stadium noise. Gah!

[statto99]

Right, here we go - a prediction.

20 Parma

Your not very high on the chances of my beloved Gialloblu, then?

[statto99]

Very interested in the Eleven coverage if it means I can watch significant amounts of Parma. Already used to watching Leeds and the Prem on a Google Nexus in the kitchen.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

why has berardi gone from a one in two player, for his first two seasons in serie A, to a one in 7? Ooooh and Hi statto!!! Are you enjoying the Bielsa Era so far?

[ursus arctos]

Berardi has had injuries in each of the last two seasons that appear to have robbed him of some of his quickness, but the general scuttlebutt on him is that he got too much praise too early in his career and lacks discipline and commitment.

He just turned 24, so there's still time for him to become a genuine star, but that isn't going to happen at Sassuolo and his chance at Juventus is now a thing of the past.

[statto99]

Ooooh and Hi statto!!! Are you enjoying the Bielsa Era so far?

Hi AB!

I. Certainly. Am.

[Kevin S]

This is fine.

Serie B remains in chaos, as Perugia and Brescia say they’ll play on Friday, but the players’ union “reserves the right” to call a strike.

After Avellino, Bari and Cesena went bankrupt, the Lega Serie B decided to simply proceed with an odd number of teams, with one side getting a rest week in each round.

Siena, who lost the Serie C play-off final, believe they should be promoted to replace one of the teams, while relegated sides Novara, Pro Vercelli and Ternana are making similar claims.

The first match sees Perugia visit Brescia on Friday night, and both clubs have released statements confirming that they’ll play.

However the AIC, the Italian players’ union, could call a strike and delay the start of the season.

[Kevin S]

Agree with ursus on Berardi. This feels like a big season for him - new manager, some interesting signings, and other clubs have started eyeing up Politano instead. You'd hope he realises he has to seize the bull by the horns if he wants to get into a "CL team".

[Kevin S]

Your not very high on the chances of my beloved Gialloblu, then?

The words 'chaotic' (Calaio) and 'desperate' (Gervinho) spring to mind, but you never know, do you?

[Kevin S]

Giornata 1

So, it's back, then. CR7 and Juventus had a quiet start, but a winning one nonetheless and that's been the story for them for the past few seasons anyway, which have all ended up with the scudetto. Napoli came from behind to win a tough fixture at Lazio, showing impressive resilience and, as we've mentioned, Roma left it late to win with a Dzeko thunderblaster while Inter went down to Sassuolo again and newly-promoted Parma threw away a two-goal lead against Udinese.

Risultati
Atalanta 4 - 0 Frosinone
Bologna 0 - 1 Spal
Chievo 2 - 3 Juventus
Empoli 2 - 0 Cagliari
Lazio 1 - 2 Napoli
Milan P - P Genoa
Parma 2 - 2 Udinese
Sampdoria P - P Fiorentina
Sassuolo 1 - 0 Inter
Torino 0 - 1 Roma

Highlights reel
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...Enu4YpN3xKlSfh

[ursus arctos]

Justin Kluivert's entry very late in the match completely re-energised Roma and he provided the cross for Dzeko's winner.

I was surprised by how many seats at the Tardini were empty for Parma's return from the wilderness. Yes, it's August, but this club came very close to disappearing completely.

[CY_Boaby]

Are Parma held in as much regard in Italy as they are amongst some Brits who were brought up on Channel 4's Football Italia in the 90s?

[Kevin S]

So, this has happened.
https://it.eurosport.com/calcio/juve...87/story.shtml

Perhaps it's just nothing like as big a bit of news as it would be in England* but Juventus have got an U23 team in Serie C now. They've just won a Serie C cup match.


* edit - but as we've discussed before, English men's league football is quite uniquely stuffed with well-supported and long-standing teams, where you get crowds like this at a team placed something like 160 in the pyramid. Which is why the B-team idea is (rightly) such anathema here.

[statto99]

Justin Kluivert's entry very late in the match completely re-energised Roma and he provided the cross for Dzeko's winner.

I was surprised by how many seats at the Tardini were empty for Parma's return from the wilderness. Yes, it's August, but this club came very close to disappearing completely.

I was a bit shocked, too.

[Sporting]

I was a bit shocked, too.

Ticket prices, perhaps?

[Diable Rouge]

Somewhat of a crisis for Ronaldo - 180 minutes played, and still no goal! Pjanic scored a spectacular opener for Juve, before the No. 7 made an inadvertent backheel assist for Mandzukic.

[Diable Rouge]

A collapse by Milan, or supreme Neapolitan indefatigability? Probably a bit of both, as they complete a comeback for the second successive week.

[Kevin S]

https://youtu.be/3tB1NtypJSQ

Bonaventura's opener was tasty.