ROME, 15 December 2003 — Reigning champions Juventus showed they will not give up their Serie A title without a fight after thrashing Parma 4-0 at the Delle Alpi Stadium yesterday.
Juve came into the match on the back of successive league defeats to Inter Milan and Lazio, but a home win rarely looked in any doubt as the ‘Old Lady’ tore the opposition apart with a classy display.
Fabrizio Miccoli, enjoying a rare start in place of the injured David Trezeguet, scored twice in the first-half before Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved, architecht of Juve’s first two goals, completed the rout in Turin.
Victory for Juve bumped up their weekly goal tally to 11 following their 7-0 thrashing of Olympiakos in the Champions League on Wednesday and enabled them to close the gap on joint leaders Roma and AC Milan to one point.
Roma however can restore their four point advantage over the title-holders when they play their game in hand at home to Modena later. Milan were excused from league duty due to their Intercontinental Cup match against Boca Juniors in Japan.
Juventus settled quickly into their stride and their positive approach paid dividends in the 10th minute.
Czech midfielder Nedved went on a robust run down the right wing and cut the ball back cleverly for Miccoli, who took one touch to set himself up before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner beyond an unsighted Sebastien Frey. The same duo combined to produce Juventus’ second goal in the 32nd minute. Nedved flicked the ball over the Parma defense for Miccoli to run on to and the recently-capped Italy international fired a low drive across Frey for his fifth league goal of the season.
Del Piero came off the bench to grab the third in the 71st minute after being put through expertly by Enzo Maresca, and the 29-year-old Italy international turned provider to set up Nedved 60 seconds later.
Inter Milan, dumped out of the Champions League in midweek, also kept up the pressure on the top two after winning 2-0 at Bologna.
Obafemi Martins converted Kily Gonzalez’s cross to give Inter a 30th minute lead and the Nigerian teenager set up Alvaro Recoba for an easy second just before half-time.
In the day’s other action, Brescia won for the first time at home with a 2-0 victory against strugglers Empoli, while Chievo were held to a goalless draw at Reggina.
Bergkamp Puts Arsenal Back on Top
In London, Arsenal knocked Manchester United off the top of the Premier League yesterday after Dennis Bergkamp scored the winner in a 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers at Highbury. The Dutch forward coolly steered home a cutback by defender Kolo Toure in the 11th minute of a game which Arsenal dominated for long periods and should have won by a bigger margin.
But English football’s only unbeaten club secured a win which left them top with 38 points. United, who beat City 3-1 in Saturday’s Manchester derby, are a point further back on 37 with Chelsea third on 36.
Boca Claim Shootout Glory in World Club Cup
In Yokohama, Japan, Boca Juniors edged out AC Milan 3-1 in a penalty shootout following an absorbing 1-1 draw after extra time to win the World Club Cup yesterday.
Midfielder Raul Cascini blasted in the decisive penalty after Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Alessandro Costacurta had missed for Milan in front of a boisterous section of blue and yellow-clad Boca fans among a crowd of 66,000. It was a disappointing end for Milan, who had dominated for long periods in their bid to become the first team to win the World Club Cup four times. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti paid tribute to his players after a valiant attempt to even the record between Europe and South America, who now lead the series 22-20. Striker Jon Dahl Tomasson put Milan ahead in the 24th minute, calmly sliding the ball under goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri from eight meters following a superb through ball by Pirlo.
