Week 8: Is It Crisis Time Yet?

By: Martha | October 22nd, 2007

REALLY! I’M NOT OLD! Milan lost to Empoli yesterday, blowing chances, making defensive errors, and generally looking punchless and grim, as they tend to do these days. Now, I know The Media love to overreact and portray every loss as the end of the world and everything, but this is getting bad. Even the most loyal Milan fans (the ones who are freaking out because their team are being booed at the San Siro) are officially worried now, not only at the losses but at the toothless of the Milan attack. Not counting the explosion against Lazio, they’ve scored eight goals in seven games, and they’re never going to rise above the middle of the table with that sort of attack. Of course, things were awful for the Rossoneri at the start of last season too, and they ended up in a Champions League spot, so there’s no reason to give up hope. Right? Plus, The Savior (AKA Pato) will be available come January — why, with him on the pitch they’ll never lose! Oh, and Paolo Maldini’s back. That’s something.

In other news, the teams that are actually good this season all picked up points, with Inter securing a comfortable 1-0 win away and Reggina, Juve beating Genoa by the same scoreline (on a goal by the newly signed — and shorn — Alex Del Piero, who seems to be hoping the haircut of a much younger man will make his legs work better), and Fiorentina dominating Siena 3-0 at home. Roma scored four goals against Napoli but only got one point from the explosion, giving up their lead three times in the second half and dropping behind the Viola in the table as a result. Inter remain top with 20 points (Double the total Milan have secured so far this season — yikes!), three clear of Juve who, in turn, are one above Fiorentina and two above Roma. The four at the top are starting to put a bit of space between themselves and the rest of the table, with Genoa, Palermo and Udinese joint fifth on 12 points.

Far from the top, meanwhile, Livorno are still chained to the table thanks to a loss to Lazio which left them stuck on two points. TWO. The nearest neighbors, Reggina, also failed to pick up points this week and stay on four, just behind Parma and Siena, who have six. Empoli, whose three points from Milan are the first good things that have happened to them in weeks, escaped the bottom huddle and are now looking down at Livorno from the lofty height of eight points, alongside two other clubs.

Full results, top of the table after the jump.

Atalanta-Torino 2-2
Cagliari-Catania 1-1
Fiorentina-Siena 3-0
Juventus-Genoa 1-0: Pardon me while I laugh as Pavel Nedved gets himself red-carded against Genoa again. Oh, his righteous indignation once the suspension comes down is going to be so fantastic!
Livorno-Lazio 0-1: Wow, look at what firing their coach did for Livorno! Oh, wait.
Milan-Empoli 0-1
Reggina-Inter 0-1
Roma-Napoli 4-4
Sampdoria-Parma 3-0: Finally, Samp scored some goals — and it would have been much worse, had Luca Bucci not been completely on fire in the Parma goal.
Udinese-Palermo 1-1

TEAM PTS GP W D L
Inter 20 8 6 2 0
Juventus 17 8 5 2 1
Fiorentina 16 8 4 4 0
Roma 15 8 4 3 1
Genoa 12 8 3 3 2
Palermo 12 8 3 3
Udinese 12 8 3 3