Week 14: Saturday Quick Hits

Atalanta 0-1 Genoa

Stuttering bottom feeders Genoa travelled to Bergamo to take on Stefano Colantuono's men with the hosts looking to continue their improbable quest for Europe. The Grifone were dangerous early on, however Atalanta appeared to take the lead when Maxi Moralez fired home after some neat interplay with German Denis; yet, the offside flag was incorrectly raised and the scores remained level. Thomas Manfredini misplayed an interception on 39 minutes, inadvertently setting up Andrea Bertolacci for a volleyed finish to give Genoa the lead on the road. A late onslaught from the Orobici nearly recovered a result, but Sebastien Frey and the defense stood strong despite Emiliano Moretti's dismissal 5 minutes from time.

Man of the Match: Sebastien Frey, Genoa (6 saves)

Chievo Verona 0-0 Siena

Siena took on Chievo at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi in a relegation tussle crucial for the survival hopes of both sides. Emanuele Calaio had a host of chances throughout the entire match including a free-kick, a one-on-one with Stefano Sorrentino, and multiple headed attempts, but wastefully was unable to find the back of the net every time. The hosts were a man down for the final 5 minutes, as Mamadou Samassa was harshly shown a second yellow for simulation on the edge of the box, but Siena could not press home their numerical advantage as the two teams shared the spoils.

Man of the Match: Felipe, Siena (84% passing; 2 tackles)

Pescara 0-1 Roma

Former Pescara coach Zdenek Zeman returned to the Stadio Adriatico with his Giallorossi side as the capital club looked to claim a second straight victory. After just 5 minutes, Mattia Destro put Roma in the lead, smashing home the rebound from a fierce Francesco Totti free-kick. The visitors could've increased their lead throughout the day, but were profligate in front of goal as the Delfini threatened to erase the deficit with a few moments of danger as time expired. Ultimately, Pescara were unable to equalize as Roma defense turned in a second straight clean sheet to claim the three points on the road.

Man of the Match: Marquinhos, Roma (91% passing; 3 tackles)

Sampdoria 1-0 Bologna

Strugglers Sampdoria and Bologna met at the Marassi after each had claimed a much needed win on match day 13. Disaster struck early on for the Rossoblu as Archimede Morleo was dismissed only 5 minutes into the match for bringing down Mauro Icardi on the counter attack. Despite the numerical disparity, the game remained wide open as either side created a multitude of opportunities to go out in front. Andrea Poli seized his chance when it came, exchanging passes with substitute Eder on the left side of the area before beating the charging Federico Agliardi with an angled drive. Sampdoria threatened a second, whilst Bologna nearly snatched the equalizer through Panagiotis Kone, but the scoreline remained 1-0 as Ciro Ferrara's men claimed a second victory on the bounce.

Man of the Match: Andrea Poli, Sampdoria (84% passing; 1 goal; 3 shots)

Fiorentina 2-2 Torino

Fiorentina took a trip up north in hopes of earning a sixth straight win as they took on plucky Torino at the Stadio Olimpico. A scary moment saw Luca Toni and Kamil Glik clash heads on a corner, with the Polish centre-back appearing to lose consciousness at least briefly before being stretchered off. Alberto Aquilani was forced into an early exit with a muscular injury, and matter soon got worse for the Viola as Alessio Cerci volleyed in a Danilo D'Ambrosio cross at the far post to give the Granata the lead. Fiorentina poured forward in the second half, finally equalizing on a Gonzalo Rodriguez penalty after Juan Cuadrado was tripped up in the area by D'Ambrosio. Moments later, Torino restored their advantage when a Valter Birsa cross eluded everybody including Emiliano Viviano to find the back of the net. A mental finish saw yet another goal scored, as Mounir El Hamdaoui spared Fiorentina blushes with a leveler in the 84th minute.

Man of the Match: Juan Cuadrado, Fiorentina (1 assist; 85% passing; 7 tackles)