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PFDC- Perugia managed to avoid yet another away loss today by drawing 2-2 in Parma's Tardini stadium. Perugia coupled a lackluster first half performance which saw Serse Cosmi's side concede twice with a brilliant second half comeback.
Perugia's defense was hounded by Parma's aggressive attacking force, with Adrian Mutu doing most of the damage, causing Cosmi to replace Rahman Rezaei after a mere 25 minutes due to his inability in keeping the Roumanian international at bay. Rezaei's substitute, Nigerian international Obodo, was somewhat more successful than the former Zob Ahan defender in blocking Parma's offensive forays.
Parma's first goal came courtesy of a Mutu waltz through the Perugia defense, dribbling a hapless Di Loreto and shooting a powerful left-footed shot past veteran goalkeeper Sebastiano Rossi, whose line of sight was ineptly covered by Rezaei and Milanese. Parma kept the pressure on Perugia and scored early in the second half, seemingly sealing the game in Parma's favor. Only then did Perugia start to counterattack, finally using Miccoli's notable skills to their maximum extent up front. Perugia scored through a great run by Miccoli on the left flank, that yielded a golden ball for skipper Giacomo Tedesco in the middle of the small area, and then capitalized both on their pressure and Parma's tiredness after a pulsating UEFA Cup tie with CSKA Moscow on Thursday with Tedesco again, that thrust an Obodo shot into an empty Parma goal.
Overall, Perugia deserved the draw, having impressively come back from a seemingly unbridgeable gap of both goals and play with Parma, thus satisying coach Serse Cosmi, who protested after the game at Perugia President Luciano Gaucci's decision of keeping the team in confinement.

Parma: Frey; Benarrivo, Bonera, Ferrari, Gresko; Filippini, Brighi, Donati (Bresciano 77); Nakata, Mutu (Marchionni 61); Bonazzoli (Gilardino 78)

Perugia: Rossi; Di Loreto, Rezaei (Obodo 25), Viali, Milanese; Ze Maria, Tedesco, Blasi, Grosso (Pagliuca 59); Vryzas (Amoruso 71), Miccoli

Ref: Saccani

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