Udinese up to fourth, Sampdoria relegated
Sunday, May 15, 2011
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Udinese Calcio's UEFA Champions League hopes remain vibrant following a 2-0 win against AC Chievo Verona, yet there was misery for UC Sampdoria as they slipped into the second tier.
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Udinese Calcio maintained their push for UEFA Champions League football with a 2-0 win away at AC Chievo Verona, while FC Internazionale Milano tied up the runners-up spot in Serie A.
Goals in either half by Mauricio Isla (28) and Kwadwo Asamoah (75) ensured fourth-placed Udinese restored their two-point advantage over S.S. Lazio with just one game remaining. Four points higher, SSC Napoli are now certain of competing in Europe's premier club competition next term after they drew 1-1 with Inter, Juan Camilo Zúñiga's added-time strike cancelling out Samuel Eto'o's opener (15), although it proved insufficient to keep the hosts in the race for second.
In sixth, AS Roma remain three points behind their city rivals after a 2-1 loss at Calcio Catania. But for Alejandro Gómez's last-gasp winner, the Giallorossi's UEFA Europa League status next season would have been rubber-stamped at the expense of Juventus. As it stands, Juve's European prospects nonetheless look dim after they succumbed 1-0 at resurgent Parma FC. Bianconeri loanee Sebastian Giovinco (64) scored the only goal to leave Luigi Delneri's charges needing a final day victory against Napoli combined with a defeat for Roma against relegated UC Sampdoria.
Bologna FC avoided relegation with a game to spare thanks to a 1-1 draw at ACF Fiorentina, in which both sides were reduced to ten men, while US Lecce and AC Cesena also survived demotion after respective wins against AS Bari and Brescia Calcio. Sampdoria are down following their 2-1 reverse against US Città di Palermo, for whom Mauricio Pinilla applied the killer blow (86).
