Chievo Beat Ten Man Udinese With Late Own Goal

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Chievo's Michele Marcolini & Vincenzo Italiano against Reggina

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Udinese welcomed Chievo hoping to bounce back after three successive defeats against a side that had won just once going into this game. Udinese Coach Pasquale Marino played with the usual 4-3-3 formation with Alexis Sanchez, Antonio Floro Flores, and Antonio Di Natale up front, while Chievo responded with a 4-3-2-1 line-up with Mauro Esposito and Luciano behind lone striker Sergio Pellissier.

At the start of the game, Udinese struggled to find space to attack as Chievo closed themselves down very well. In fact, the first chance fell to the bottom side of Serie A in the 4th minute, as Esposito crossed the ball in from the left and Pellissier put the ball wide with a touch on the outside of his foot.

The first chance for the home side came in the 19th minute, when goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino failed to intercept a cross by Giovanni Pasquale and Floro Flores somehow failed to get the ball into an empty goal.

Di Natale had the ball in the net for Udinese in the 31st minute, when he found himself one on one with Sorrentino and coolly slid the ball past him, but the goal was correctly canceled for offside.

Two minutes later, the visitors responded as Pellissier played the ball to Esposito inside the area, but he couldn’t quite control it well and the chance was lost.

In the 38th minute, Di Natale found Floro Flores alone in front of the goalkeeper, but once again the linesman stopped the action for an offside position, which was in fact very doubtful.

The home side’s last chance of the half came in injury time, as Felipe tried to volley the ball in off the bounce on a corner kick, but couldn’t get it on target.

The second half started without any changes to either team.

After a rather dull first ten minutes, the home side were handed a blow in the 57th minute as Di Natale was sent off for losing his temper against Fabio Moro, who was handed a slap in the face by the Italian international.

Surprisingly, Udinese started playing better after being reduced to ten men. In the 64th minute, there was a good run from Aleksandar Lukovic, but the full back couldn’t quite keep the ball in play before crossing it in.

In the 68th minute, Marco Motta played in a good cross for Floro Flores, who was anticipated just in time by Mario Yepes. The Friulani threatened again a minute later on a free kick by Gaetano D’Agostino, which was grabbed in two attempts by Sorrentino.

In the last part of the game, Chievo seemed satisfied to hold on to the draw against Udinese’s ten men, who looked increasingly tired and powerless. The visitors ended up having the biggest chance of the match five minutes before full time, when on a counterattack former Udinese man Giampiero Pinzi saw his close range shot saved on the goal line by Lukovic.

It proved to be a prelude to Chievo’s incredible winner, with Felipe poking the ball into his own net as he tried to anticipate defender Davide Mandelli on a corner kick (87’).

In injury time, the visitors even had a chance to double their lead, but goalkeeper Samir Handanovic did well to stop Langella in a one-on-one situation.

Chievo's second victory of the season, their first since the opening day win against Reggina, was not enough to move away from the bottom of the table, though they now have nine points and are three points below the safety zone. Udinese, meanwhile, lost their fourth consecutive game, and drop to 9th place with 21 points.

UDINESE-CHIEVO 0-1

GOALS: 87’ own goal Felipe

Udinese (4-3-3): Handanovic; Motta, Coda, Felipe, Lukovic; Inler, D’Agostino, Pasquale (67’ Obodo); Sanchez (61’ Quagliarella), Floro Flores, Di Natale. Coach: Marino.

Chievo (4-3-2-1): Sorrentino; Moro (69’ Frey), Mandelli, Yepes, Mantovani; Pinzi, Bentivoglio, Marcolini (72’ Langella); Esposito, Luciano; Pellissier. Coach: Di Carlo.

REFEREE: Trefoloni

BOOKED: Felipe, Lukovic (U); Mantovani, Marcolini, Esposito, Moro (C)

SENT OFF: Di Natale 57’ (U)