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Slumping Parma will play defensive Trailing 3-1, Atletico Madrid must force action in semifinal
Posted: Monday April 19, 1999 11:11 AM
ROME (Reuters) -- Parma looks set to leave the attacking to Atletico Madrid when the two clash in the second leg of their UEFA Cup semifinal on Tuesday. Parma, with key players off form, has fallen into a slump since winning the first leg 3-1 in Madrid and is bitterly disappointed at not taking advantage of leader Lazio's recent slip to climb back into the Serie A title race. "I cannot hide it. We are not the same team we were a month ago," said coach Alberto Malesani, whose side is also in the Italian Cup final. "Unfortunately, I'm lacking replacements to make some needed changes but we will grit our teeth and hope to win these two cups, which would not be so bad." Parma's latest league setback came on Saturday, when it was held to a 1-1 home draw by struggling Sampdoria. Malesani's side also drew 1-1 with Fiorentina in the first leg of the domestic cup final and in both games it squandered 1-0 leads. An attacking side whose strike tandem of Enrico Chiesa and Hernan Crespo has scored more goals than any other pair in Italy this season, Parma will likely adopt a more defensive approach to the match with Atletico. Parma, which won the UEFA Cup in 1995, is likely to be without both Italy defender Fabio Cannavaro, who has a muscle strain, and France midfielder Alain Boghossian, who is nursing a nagging knee injury. Luigi Sartor should step in for Cannavaro in a three-pronged defense with France's Lilian Thuram and Argentina's Nestor Sensini, while young midfielder Stefano Fiore should replace Boghossian alongside Stefano Vanoli and veteran internationals Dino Baggio and Diego Fuser. Juan Veron, the playmaker who Parma relies on for inspiration, is set to start although Malesani admitted that the Argentinian is suffering from fatigue. But if Parma is looking ragged as a long, hard season reaches its climax, so are Atletico. The broken nose suffered by Jose Mari Romero in a league game against Villarreal last week means the Madrid side has its three leading strikers on the injured list and it has had to draft in reserve team forward Luis Tevenet to partner with Jordi Lardin up front. Coach Radomir Antic will also have to cope without Yugoslav playmaker Vladomir Jugovic, who is suspended. Atletico has been in terrible league form in the second half of the season as it has slipped down to 14th place, just four points above the relegation zone. Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Valladolid, which saw the club create just two goalscoring chances over the 90 minutes, did not bode well for Tuesday. Atletico has now managed just three draws from its last 11 league games and has no realistic chance of qualifying for Europe next season -- unless it manages to turn the tables on Parma in dramatic style. And having won 2-1 home and away against AS Roma in the quarterfinals it has already shown that it can find its best form when it really matters and Parma is certainly not in the final yet. Probable teams: Parma: Gianluigi Buffon; Luigi Sartor, Nestor Sensini, Lilian Thuram; Diego Fuser, Stefano Fiore, Dino Baggio, Stefano Vanoli; Juan Veron; Enrico Chiesa, Hernan Crespo. Atletico Madrid: Francisco Molina; Carlos Aguilera, Santi Denia, Stefano Torrisi, Jose Antonio Chamot; Juan Carlos Valeron, Roberto Fresnedoso, Oscar Mena, Juninho; Luis Tevenet, Jordi Lardin.
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