BREAKING NEWS: Juve Fan Attacked In Bologna

A 44-year-old man from Modena was assaulted near the Dall'Ara stadium in Bologna, at the completion of the Bologna-Juventus match, and has now been taken to hospital where he remains in a serious condition.

Violence in Italian football seems to have taken another turn for the worse, as a Juventus fan has been attacked outside the Dall’Ara stadium in Bologna.

According to the initial reports, the 44-year-old Juventus supporter was walking along the Via della Certosa, heading towards his car, when a group of Bologna supporters tried to tear his Juve scarf from his neck.

The man, who was with his child at the time, was forced to defend himself, however could not prevent the Bologna supporters from throwing rocks at his head, which has consequently resulted in the man being taken to hospital.

The man was assisted by the town Police, and quickly rushed to hospital, where he remains in a serious condition.

Goal.com will keep you updated with the latest reports to come from this incident.

Adrian Del Monte

Player Ratings: Bologna 1-2 Juventus

Pavel Nedved was the hero for Juventus as he dragged his side to victory with a great brace. Salvatore Landolina rates the players on show at the Renato Dall'Ara...

Bologna

Antonioli -5.5: He could have done better with Nedved's goal. Not a great game and he looked a little shaky when catching corners and crosses. Didn't have much to do in the first half to be fair and made a real hash of things on Nedved's second goal in the second half.

Moras -4.5: The stopper kept on giving away needless fouls and he had difficulty trying to stop the Juventus front men. Not one of his best performances by any means and he didn't look comfortable when the heat was turned on.

Castellini -5.0: One of Bologna's better defenders on the night. He led by example at the back and he was always looking to help out in midfield. Made some good challenges too and was always up for a tussle with Amauri.

Terzi -4.0: Terzi was hardly involved in anything all game as he struggled to make an impact on the pitch. He was late on the ball and he just didn't follow his men when marking. Not a good performance unfortunately.

Zenoni -5.0: The defender played well and made a few good challenges on Nedved but he was replaced in the second half by Marchini.

Mingazzini -5.5: A good showing by the midfielder and he made himself useful down the right wing on a number of occasions for his side. He battled hard and made the team tick over but at times he let himself down with his passing.

Mudingayi -5.0: The former Lazio man drifted in and out of the game and at times he looked all at sea. Not one of his best displays as he struggled to make an impact.

Lavecchia -6.0: Lavecchia was everywhere for his side. Up and down the pitch constantly as he fought hard. Always involved in the action and he broke up Juve's play plenty of times to give his side some respite when under pressure.

Bombardini -6.5: One of Bologna's better players on the night. He worked hard for his side and never stopped running. A real fighting performance from the middle man.

Marazzina -6.0: Proved to be a handful for Juventus. His constant runs around the backline wer well time on some ocassions, not too well on others as he was flagged for offside when he put the ball into the net, had he been onside the result would have been very different.

Di Vaio -6.5: The former Juventus man scored against his former employers as he did against Lazio a few weeks ago but it was not enough as his side failed to take advantage when it mattered. A good showing by the hit-man and he never gave up the fight.

Subs: Marchini 5.0, Carrus 5.5, Bernacci N/A.

Juventus

Manninger -7.0: Was a spectator in the first half but it was a different story in the second. He couldn't help prevent Di Vaio's goal but he made a number of fine saves from Marazzina as well as the former Juventus man throughout the second half. His last minute stop on Di Vaio was superb.

Mellberg -6.5: Excellent on the night and mopped up well. Did all the dirty work and his challenges were timed to perfection A solid display by the former Aston Villa man.

Knezevic -6.5: Another player who was classy at the back. His last minute challenge on Di Vaio was outstanding as he blocked a shot which looked like it would have gone in. Did will all game and he was always comfortable.

Chiellini -6.0: The Italian international put on another good showing for his side as he keeps his consistency levels up there. Made some good tackles throughout the game and he was always first to the ball when called into action.

Molinaro -5.5: The left-back was shaky all game and he could have cost his side maximum points on a number of occasions. Not one of his best games as he continues to struggle. It's little wonder all of Bologna's attacks came through the area Molinaro was meant to be in charge of.

Marchionni -6.5: The winger enjoyed a good game. He kept on being influential down the right wing for his side and he hardly made a mistake. He could and should have scored too and was unlucky not to.

Sissoko -6.5: The big Mali international keeps on getting better with every match he plays. He was really good up until he was replaced for picking up a minor knock.

Tiago -6.0: The Portuguese midfielder got his chance to shine as a result of a number of injuries affecting the team but he didn't do anything to prove to his coach he warrants a place in the starting team. He looked without confidence and he lacked a bright spark. He should have done more to make an impact.

Nedved -8.5: The Czech midfielder fired his side to maximum points with a typical Nedved performance as he rolled back the years and grabbed a brace for his efforts. Led the team by example with the absence of Del Piero and he did a great job. The perfect game from the veteran.

Amauri -6.0: The Brazilian hit the post in the second half and that was about it. He looked slow on the night and he found it difficult playing alongside Iaquinta. He missed some great chances too. Not his best performance at all.

Iaquinta -6.5: Credit to the former Udinese man for working his socks off and always putting the pressure on the Rossoblu. He hustled and fought hard for his side and came within whiskers of scoring. A good showing overall.

Subs: Ekdal 5.5, Giovinco 6.0, Camoranesi N/A

Youth Team get fourth win in a row

The Youth Team aren't missing a beat in this early part of the season. After three consecutive wins in the League (the last on Sunday, in the derby), Massimiliano Maddaloni's lads have started off great in the Italian Cup too.  

In Bologna, where just 10 days ago they'd won large by 4-0, the Bianconeri got another win. This time it was a less impressive 2-1 result, but no less important. First of all because it came in a game where Juve were missing several players and then for the spirit the lads showed in coming back from being one goal down (a penalty) and going on to win with goals by Immobile and Daud. 

This win will probably ensure Juventus a place in the quarter finals. The return game, scheduled in two weeks' time in Vinovo, will be decisive in order to clinch the deal and go through.


*juventus.com

Nedved the star again in Bologna

There's a special connection between Nedved and the Dall’Ara Stadium in Bologna. Indeed it was here that the Czech superstar made his Serie A debut back in 1996. He played for Lazio at the time and was 24 years old. Now, at 36, Pavel is still a star and achieved another remarkable feat in Emilia tonight. Two great goals, after the one he scored at Fiorentina, and this time they were decisive for the three points. 

This win allows Juve to continue their positive run after the wins against Real Madrid and Torino and to put their bad spell behind them for good, just when Ranieri's team had reached a record number of injuries: «There was never any crisis – Nedved remarked after the game -, it's normal to lose sometimes. The important thing is to never give up. Tonight we won a match that we all knew was going to be tough and that's why we're very happy». 


*juventus.com

Cobolli: «We suffered but we're happy»

At the end of the game at the Dall’Ara, this is how Chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli commented the team's win: «We're getting some very complicated results lately. There was suffering tonight but we're happy now. Nedved was the man of the match; I thought Mellberg and Ekdal played particularly well too». 

Concerning the way the match went: «We could've closed the deal 3-0 because Bologna didn't do anything extraordinary. Tiago? He played well, he's one more classy player in our team, he's always useful and particularly so in periods such as these». 

A message for the future: «We keep going humbly. I would like to point out that, as we're chasing Inter Milan too, we've recovered 4 points on them in the last two games»

*juventus.com

Ranieri: «We played a good match and showed our will to win»

Claudio Ranieri is pleased with the win and with the performance of his team and this is how he praised them after the game: «We played well and showed our will to win, we were tight and suffered only in the last 10 minutes of the match. We conceded Bologna's goal on a one-off chance, we would've deserved to win 2-0». 

Ranieri has good reason to be pleased: «The thing I appreciated the most is that all the players, despite me having to change line-ups a lot, have understood the movements they must make and that they need to remain tight». 

Praise for all the team, then, but a special mention for the man of the match, Pavel Nedved, and for Tiago, back from injury: «Nedved is stunning, the best thing is that he's having a great time, he knows he's important in our project. I liked Tiago tonight. He played after only one proper training session with the squad and he did so very well»
*juventus.com

Cobolli and Blanc: «A good week»

This is really an intense period for everybody at Juventus. In sporting terms, with games coming one after the other. But also at Club level. Between the two games against Real Madrid and Torino and the two against Bologna and Roma, Juventus' management have been busy with one of their institutional events: the annual Share Holders’ Assembly, which took place today at the FIAT Historical Centre in Turin.

After the meeting, Giovanni Cobolli Gigli and Jean-Claude Blanc took part in the traditional press conference where they spoke about the current situation of the team and the Club, also touching on one of the hot topics on everybody's lips, i.e. the new stadium.

The two wins against Real Madrid and Torino have brought relief to the squad and Claudio Ranieri and allowed the Bianconeri to get back in contention, also taking advantage of the other rivals' results: «This is no time to make any programme – Cobolli Gigli declared -, but simply to get back in a position where it's possible to aim for the title. Nothing is lost, we come from a good week and the League is balanced, thanks to many surprise teams». 

The good week everyone at the Club has just lived was remarked upon by Jean-Claude Blanc too: «Everything changes quickly, eight days ago we were all gloomy, even if everybody was eager to turn the situation around: exactly the opposite of what we lived two days ago. In any case we had really wanted to win at Napoli as well». 

The Managing Director has a clear schedule in mind in view of the rest of the season. «At the moment, the plan is to get back almost all of our injured players within the next 15 days. Our priority is to have a large squad again. Only after we've recovered everyone, we'll be able to evaluate fully how strong this squad really is and then decide if we need to get anyone else in January's transfer market». 

But the squad isn't the only “hot” topic of late: there is also the new Stadium. The new facility's project is going well and the last approval by the Turin Council is another step forward before work begins. Blanc concluded: «Destruction of the old Stadium will begin in three weeks' time, and then another phase of the works will begin in January when we'll get our authorizations to build. The costs of this new facility will rest upon three foundations: the agreement with SportFive, the commercial business part and debts, for which we're in talks with Sport Credit too». 

The Press Release
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Ranieri: «We must repeat ourselves»

«We must continue earning points and recovering our injured players». According to Claudio Ranieri, this is what Juve need to come out of a delicate situation related to the injuries that have decimated the squad. Many players will be missing in Bologna too. In view of this, a question about Camoranesi was a given: «Yesterday he trained with us for the first time since the injury and he's recovering, but obviously he won't be able to play the whole 90 minutes. In periods where you play a lot, if players are missing it hits you harder. I'd like to give some rest to those who are playing constantly, but I'll be able to do so only if I realize that those who are recovering from their injuries are fit enough to play». 

One of the possible names for midfield in the line-up to face Bologna is the youngster Ekdal: «That's one option – Ranieri confirmed – The lad has excellent qualities, he buckles down and has a good future in front of him. By playing more often he'd improve a lot more still, but this is the same thing I say about Giovinco: when things are going well it's easier to put the younger players in than when there are problems»

This is how the Bianconeri's Manager introduced Juve's opponents in tomorrow's clash: «Bologna are a team that get all fired up when they face the big clubs, as demonstrated by their wins over AC Milan and Lazio. The latter match for example was significant, as the Rossoblu attacked the other team relentlessly. Bologna have doubts about their strength and they want to raise their confidence. It'll be tough, but we need to go there and play like we know, authoritatively and with a strong desire to do our best to get through this delicate situation caused by all the injuries»


*juventus.com

Squad named for Bologna game

Here is the list of players called up for the League midweek away game at Bologna. Among the injured players, Camoranesi has recovered and is back in the squad. 

3 CHIELLINI Giorgio 
4 MELLBERG Olof 
8 CARVALHO DE OLIVEIRA Amauri 
9 IAQUINTA Vincenzo 
11 NEDVED Pavel 
12 CHIMENTI Antonio 
13 MANNINGER Alexander 
15 KNEZEVIC Dario 
16 CAMORANESI Mauro German 
20 GIOVINCO Sebastian 
22 SISSOKO Mohamed Lamine 
27 EKDAL Albin
28 MOLINARO Cristian 
30 CARDOSO MENDES Tiago 
32 MARCHIONNI Marco 
31 NOCCHI Timothy 
36 CASTGLIA Luca 
40 ROSSI Fausto 
41 ARIAUDO Lorenzo
43 DE PAOLA Andrea 

*juventus.com

Chiellini hits one hundred

One hundred appearances with Juventus: Giorgio Chiellini couldn't have chosen a better time to enter the Bianconeri's “centenary” club; indeed he did so on Saturday night, in the game against Torino. «It's always nice to reach an achievement like that – Giorgio commented - especially if it goes hand in hand with winning a derby game. One hundred games are rather a lot, but this is only a starting point, I'm not done quite yet». The defender wants to achieve much more than this, both in terms of appearances and silverware: «Apart from my personal satisfaction, what really counts is that we were able to get the three points. But we're already thinking about the match against Bologna now. Our wins against Real Madrid and Toro were important also to shut the critics up, but now we need to continue accumulating points and climbing positions in the League».

*juventus.com

JI at Indonesian Consumunity Expo 2008

Untuk Juventini semuanya, mari kita ramaikan ICE 2008 karena Juventini Indonesia ikut Berpartisipasi

For all of you who like Juventus please visit our Juventini Indonesia Stand
8-9 November 2008
Plaza Utara Gelora Bung Karno, Jakarta

Player Ratings: Juventus 1-0 Torino

Amauri’s second half strike broke the scoreless deadlock to give the Bianconeri a slim one goal victory in the Derby della Mole. Goal.com rates the participants...

JUVENTUS

Manninger: 6.0- Was merely a pedestrian between the sticks tonight and did not see much action. 

Molinaro: 6.0- No glaring mistakes and managed to push forward on a couple of occasions but the final product was poor. 

Chiellini: 7.0- Took Bianchi completely out of the match and put him in his back pocket. 

Legrottaglie: 7.0- Was solid at the back, made some vital blocks and was never caught out of position. 

Grygera: 6.0- Put in a workmanlike effort before he had to be substituted because of a pulled muscle. 

De Ceglie: 6.5- Did well in his makeshift role in the midfield with out any fuss.

Sissoko: 7.0- The tough tackling midfielder had two good chances in the first ten minutes and won the midfield battle. 

Nedved: 7.0- Will be battered and bruised after being abused all evening long but showed his mettle with a gritty performance. 

Marchionni: 6.0- Was foiled twice by Calderoni in the 20th minute but slowly disappeared as the match wore on.

Del Piero: 6.0- It was a fairly tame performance from the captain who failed to put his stamp on the match. 

Amauri: 7.0- After a quiet first half, Amauri sprung to life with a good solo effort that won the derby for Juventus. 

SUBS: Mellberg (46”) 6.0, Giovinco (62”) 6.5, Iaquinta (81”) NA

TORINO

Calderoni: 6.0- Made a world class double save on Marchionni in the first half but should have kept Amauri’s shot from finding the back of the net in the 47th minute

Di Loreto: 6.0- Amauri left him wallowing in the dust on his way to scoring the only goal of the match. 

Natali: 6.0- He made two poor clearances in first ten minutes and never really settled into the match. 

Pisano: 6.0- Defended the left flank fairly well and put together a decent performance. 

Diana: 6.0- Fought hard in the midfield trenches tonight and dished out as much punishment as he received.

Barone: 6.0- Did a poor job keeping his emotions in check and felt it was necessary to harangue the referee after the match. 

Zanetti: 5.5- Lost possession on numerous occasions tonight and will be disappointed with his performance. 

Rubin: 5.0- Failed to make any sort of impression on the match and was substituted early in the second half. 

Abate: 6.0- The speedy midfielder managed to make a nuisance of himself in the second half with some decent crosses. 

Bianchi: 5.5- Missed a good chance when he failed to chip Manninger who was in no man’s land in the 34th minute but was invisible after that and was substituted in the second half.

Rosina: 6.0- Looked lively on the ball but the midfield maestro was kept in check by the Juventus back-four. 

SUBS: Abbruscato (56”) 6.5, Amoruso (70”) 6.0, Ventola (82”) NA
*goal.com

Merely hours after derby…back on the field

Merely 12 hours since the victory in the derby, the team immediately pursued its training. The heavy schedule does not leave room for rest and Wednesday is already time to get back on the field. The second mid-week round of the season sees the bianconeri up to face Bologna.

Therefore it’s a Sunday morning spent at Vinovo for the team. The session was attended by general manager Jean-Claude Blanc and sports director Alessio Secco joined by a welcome guest : Slaven Bilic, Croatia’s national coach, whom after having watched the match at the Olimpico, followed the training session at the orders of his colleague Claudio Ranieri.

Back to work, the protagonists of the success against Torino underwent the classic distressing routine with some players working on the field and others at the gym. Normal routine for the rest including Mauro German Camoranesi who is close to returning to the field. Iaquinta was allowed a day of rest due to back ache.

The derby had its aftermath and Paolo De Ceglie, Zdenek Grygera and Hasan Salihamidzic shall not be part of the team to play against the emiliani. The fullback from Val d’Aosta suffered a distortion of the ankle, the Czech defender a contracture in the muscle of his left thigh and the Bosnian midfielder complained of an acute pain to the left Achilles tendon.
*juventus.com

Amauri gets winner as Olimpico celebrates

Maybe it was worth going through such a rough patch, just to live four intense days like these. After the win over Real Madrid, Juventus won again in the derby game against Torino, giving a great joy to their fans. Just like one year ago, the first seasonal derby game ended 1-0, with the goal scored under the Scirea sector. Amauri clinched the winner with a great effort at the start of the second half, earning three good points for morale and for the League standings, before Wednesday's mid-week game in Bologna. 

Even if only four days had passed since the win against Real Madrid, Claudio Ranieri practically had to play the same line-up again. Marchisio's absence forced Nedved in the middle, leaving the left wing to De Ceglie. Torino started with only one forward (Bianchi) and Rosina just behind him. 

Right from the off, the Bianconeri wanted to impose their game and piled forward immediately. Sissoko had the first chance with a shot from outside. The Mali native was lively and tried three times in the space of a few minutes, with Calderoni saving the most dangerous effort for a corner kick.

Down the line, the Granata's keeper, who had to play due to first team regular Sereni's injury, quickly became the star of the first half; he was especially good on two Marchionni shots from close range that would've deserved more luck. Before the break, another save, on a Del Piero free kick. Toro only had a chance with a Bianchi lob.

Off with the she second half and it began with a substitution, Mellberg in place of Grygera, but most importantly with the goal of the match: Amauri made a run on the left, resisted a charge from a defender and beat the approaching Calderoni: 1-0 and a celebratory run under a jubilant Scirea sector. 

Strengthening the attack, De Biasi put on Abbruscato in place of Rubin; Toro had a more offensive line-up now and tried to go forward more. Ranieri replied putting on Giovinco and his speed in place of De Ceglie and his solidity. A few minutes later another substitution among the Granata: Amoruso replaced Bianchi. With Torino only trying from set-pieces, the only incidents were the changes made by the two Managers: Iaquinta came on for Amauri among the Bianconeri, while the Granata replaced Rosina with Ventola. 

In truth, even with all those strikers, Torino were never dangerous. Manninger only had to come out of goal a few times to gather the ball. The result stayed the same and when Rocchi signalled the end another celebration started at the Olimpico, just like the one four days ago.

JUVENTUS-TORINO 1-0 (0-0) 
GOALS: Amauri 48. 
JUVENTUS: Manninger; Grygera (Mellberg 46), Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Marchionni, Sissoko, Nedved, De Ceglie (Giovinco 64); Amauri (Iaquinta 80), Del Piero. Subs not used: Chimenti, Manninger, Knezevic, Salihamidzic, Ekdal. Manager: Ranieri. 
TORINO: Calderoni; Diana, Natali, Di Loreto, Pisano; Abate, Zanetti, Barone, Rubin (Abbruscato 57); Rosina (Ventola 83); Bianchi (Amoruso 71). Subs not used: Fontana, Colombo, Ogbonna, Saumel, Ventola. Manager: De Biasi. 
REFEREE: Rocchi from Florence. 
YELLOW CARDS: Sissoko 19, Barone 34, Giovinco 69, Di Loreto 74, Zanetti 86. 
NOTES: attendance 22,114, € 676,660.00 takings. 


*juventus.com

Amauri: «Scoring in the derby is fantastic»

Two goals in four days: Amauri put his mark on Juventus' wins again and after getting the second against Real Madrid, the Brazilian repeated himself in the most eagerly awaited of matches. In his first-ever Turin derby, he imitated Trezeguet's achievement one year ago, with a great goal and a celebratory run under the Scirea sector. 

Amauri is more and more one of the stars of the team and after the game he dedicated his goal to a special person in his life. «Scoring the winner in my first-ever derby is something fantastic, I dedicate it to my wife. This is a wonderful week for us and we've managed to get through the bad patch. We mustn't let go now, with this mentality and willpower we can still reach our goal, i.e. the Scudetto».
*juventus.com

Legrottaglie: «These kinds of wins give you confidence»

One of the problems Claudio Ranieri has had to face recently is definitely the one concerning injuries. Match after match, someone gets injured and tonight against Torino too, there were problems for Salihamidzic and De Ceglie. But as some players go out, others come back on the team: like Legrottaglie, for instance. The central defender's return has been vital in the two wins Juve got in four days. 

The defender pointed out precisely this aspect after the game: «When you lose all those players, it's tough; you can't do without important ones like Buffon and Camoranesi for a long time. These two wins boost our morale and give us great confidence in our strength. The fact we suffered tonight? Last year we won many games like this, fighting up to the last second».


*juventus.com

The Primavera completes the job : 3-0 against Torino

A weekend in black and white. Two derbies within a few hours and two Juventus victories. After the 1-0 victory obtained by the first team, Massimiliano Maddaloni’s primavera repeated the feat during the Sunday match at the Chisola of Vinovo beating the granata coached by Beppe Scienza 3-0.

A clean-cut victory, built around a key incident during the first half. A foul in the penalty area by Cagnasso at the expense of Daud : penalty and send-off for the granata player who received his second yellow card. Esposito scored from the 11 meter mark. In the second half, with the guests a man short, the bianconeri added to the score sheet thanks to the goal by Immobile and an own-goal by Benedetti following a personal manoeuvre by Yago on his debut.

The victory obtained in the derby is the third consecutive win by Juventus who remain at the top of the table while waiting to make their debut in the Coppa Italia at Bologna on Wednesday.

At the end of the match Maddaloni commented clearly satisfied: «We couldn’t have had a better start with three consecutive victories and with 8 goals in favour and none against. We are obviously happy with this success in an important and greatly anticipated match».
*juventus.com

Ranieri: «We dedicate this derby to the fans»

«Camoranesi is recovering, but we can't rush things, seeing as he's still not 100% fit. I hope I can have him back against Bologna or the match after that». All hopes of having Camoranesi on the team for the derby game have vanished and Ranieri will now need to invent something in midfield for the game against Torino. There are different options: «I need to think everything through. Tomorrow I'll try to understand what could be the best solution. De Ceglie playing wide in midfield? Any option can work; it depends on where I play Nedved. I'll have to consider if I can play a 19-year old like Ekdal, who would be almost making his debut in such an important game or whether to play Pavel in the middle, or someone else still». 

The Bianconeri reach this game after the intense one against Real Madrid. A match where the Bianconeri spent lots of energy, but that also boosted their morale: «Toro's players have had more time than us to prepare this game, they've been able to train, rest, and mentally recharge. We've only been focusing on the derby game from after the end of the clash against Real. We expended a lot of physical and nervous energy, but that match gave us crucial drive. And besides, the derby is a one-off match, different from all the others. It's a game where you give 110%, it doesn't matter what the current League standings are, who's doing well and who isn't. What counts is what you have to offer and your willingness to sacrifice. We have to play a great match and dedicate it to our wonderful fans».

The win against Real Madrid allowed Juve to leave the difficult period behind them: «Things aren't going as well this year, but maybe this is changing now. We can make this change happen, but only if we hold on when there are problems». The Club, through statements made by Chairman Cobolli Gigli and Managing Director Jean-Claude Blanc, confirmed their faith in the Manager up to the end of his contract: «I've always felt both the Club and the players were on my side. The Club officials have done the right thing saying these things publicly and now maybe for a few weeks the press won't be writing anything. On the other hand, all Managers in Italy go through some rough patches. Lippi and Capello have gone through some here at Juve too. In truth, we've gotten nine points with the same teams as last year. The only difference is that last year we'd beat Palermo and lost to Udinese and this year it was the other way round. In any case I want to do better and go as far as possible in the Champions League».

 *juventus.com

Camoranesi can’t make it. Twenty-man squad named for derby game

He tried up to the last moment but, no matter how important the derby game is, it's not worth risking a relapse and so Mauro German Camoranesi won't be taking part in the match against the city rivals. Indeed the midfielder's name doesn't appear in the squad list for Saturday evening's game. The list is made up of twenty names, including two Youth Team players, Fausto Rossi and Lorenzo Ariaudo.
This is the full list of players called up by Ranieri for the derby game: 

3 Chiellini
4 Mellberg
7 Salihamidzic
8 Amauri
9 Iaquinta
10 Del Piero  
11 Nedved
12 Chimenti
13 Manninger
15 Knezevic
20 Giovinco
21 Grygera
22 Sissoko
27 Ekdal
28 Molinaro
29 De Ceglie
32 Marchionni
33 Legrottaglie
40 Rossi
41 Ariaudo
*juventus.com

Legrottaglie: «The derby counts as much as the Real Madrid game»

«I felt a slight pain in my buttock against Real Madrid, but I stayed on the pitch for the whole of the first half, because in a game like that you can endure anything a lot more easily. But from previous experience I thought it wiser to come off eventually and I did the right thing, because I avoided an injury that would've made me miss the derby game». Nicola Legrottaglie will be on the team on Saturday and already feels the atmosphere of the game between the two city rivals: «The derby holds a special fascination, the same that a match like the one against Real Madrid can have. I think Tuesday's game will prove to be the turning point in our season and it'll give us the drive we need to win the next few games, starting from the one against Toro».

*juventus.com

Giovinco: «The derby is special»

«It was a delicate moment for us; we were able to overcome it with the win against Real Madrid. It was nice to taste the atmosphere of the Champions League. Something clicked inside ourselves that made us go on the pitch with a different attitude. It was a good way to pick ourselves up in view of an important match like the derby». Sebastian Giovinco, interviewed by Juventus Channel, spoke of the game against Real Madrid that he watched from the sidelines, but also about the derby, which he could be playing in. Obviously the choice is Ranieri's, but "Seba" claimed he's ready, seeing as he has some experience of local derbies: «I've lived many a derby with the junior teams and it's a match that’s different from all the others: there's a buzz around town, people talk about it, the players talk about it, it's a special game for the fans. Sure, I'd love to play, if I get a chance I'll be ready».

*juventus.com

Team straight back to work preparing derby game

Juventus gathered in Vinovo for a morning training session the day after their Champions League win over Real Madrid. Those who played last night had a lighter session, with Del Piero, Legrottaglie and Chiellini only working in the gym. Claudio Marchisio, who was forced to go out after 37 minutes in the first half against the Merengues, was found to have a first-to-second degree sprain to his left knee; he will need around twenty-five days to recover.

But Camoranesi's condition is improving: today Mauro trained with the players who took part in the Cup game, without pushing too hard, and then worked further in the gym. It's possible he may be able to recover in time for the derby game. Cristiano Zanetti took the pitch too, training on his own, and he also tried kicking the ball. He should be back on the team in early November.
*juventus.com

Juve enjoy high life at Madrid's expense

Goals early in either half from Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri sent Juventus to the top of UEFA Champions League Group H as they rolled back the years with an impressive win against Real Madrid CF.

Spectacular opener
Del Piero was the architect of Juventus's 1-0 win here against FC Zenit St. Petersburg last month and repeated the feat tonight, opening the scoring after five minutes with a spectacular strike. Amauri's header deservedly stretched Juve's lead just after the restart before Madrid woke up, gaining a foothold through Ruud van Nistelrooy's 66th-minute header, though the hosts held fast at the back.

Tragedy
'You're in our soul, immense and unique' read the banner in the Curva Filadelfia Sud as the Bianconeri fans lent their support to a side struggling on the domestic front. The message was particularly resonant as the stadium observed a one-minute silence in remembrance of two people who lost their lives following a coach accident in northern Italy en route to the match, where 26 persons from the Neuchatel Juventus supporters' club and other Switzerland-based Juve fans were also injured. "I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the families who have unfortunately lost loved ones in this tragic accident in Etroubles," said UEFA President Michel Platini, who happened to be at the match in Turin.

Unstoppable effort
Spurred by the rousing welcome, the hosts were quickly into their stride as Pavel Nedvěd sent over two dangerous crosses from the left, while from the other side Zdeněk Grygera picked out Amauri, whose header was held by Iker Casillas. The Spain captain could do nothing about the next attempt on goal, though. Picking the ball up from deep, Del Piero fed it to Amauri who somehow squeezed it back for the No10 to surprise Casillas with an unstoppable effort from 25 metres. Madrid were stunned, but slowly began to find their feet with Rafael van der Vaart his waspish best, thrice giving Alex Manninger cause for concern before the half-hour.

Marchisio injury
At the other end Grygera found Amauri with another fine right-wing cross which the striker headed wide. Juventus were forced to replace the injured Claudio Marchisio and Nicola Legrottaglie with Hasan Salihamidžić and Olof Mellberg, but the hosts did not appear weakened by the changes. Quite the opposite, in fact, as they quickly extended their advantage. Not for the first time Nedvěd escaped the attentions of Sergio Ramos on the Juve left and dispatched a cross for Amauri to head in at the far post.


Madrid lifeline
Madrid reacted by bringing on Arjen Robben for the ineffectual Gonzalo Higuaín and the Dutchman almost made an immediate impact, heading Wesley Sneijder's cross just wide moments after Van der Vaart had done likewise. The Spanish champions were rejuvenated and Manninger denied Van Nistelrooy and Sneijder again, before the midfielder's swerving shot come back off the post. The pressure soon paid off as Van Nistelrooy rose highest to head in Gabriel Heinze's left-wing cross. The visitors were now rampant, their Dutch midfielders first to every ball and seeking out their compatriot leading the line up front. Yet Juve defended in numbers and held on to make it seven points in three outings, one more than their opponents.

uefa.com

Player Ratings: Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid

Two early goals in each half set Juventus on their way to victory over their continental arch nemesis. Madrid tried to claw their way back into the contest but the Bianconeri never really looked in any real danger of losing the lead. Goal.com rates the performers on the pitch.

JUVENTUS

Manniger – 6: Didn’t have too many saves to make and that is testament to how solid his defenders infront of him were.

Grygera – 7: Charged forward with enthusiasm early in the game, but stayed back in his own half once the match was sewn up. Did allow Heinze to sneak in behind him to deliver the cross for Madrid’s goal.

Chiellini – 8.5: Ever present at the back. Shadowed Higuaín closely and was still available to cut out any potentially harmful balls into the box.

Legrottaglie – 6: So good was Chiellini that Legro didn’t need to do much but make up the numbers at the back. Had to be taken off at the break with an injury.

Molinaro – 7: Never did step out of his own half. Very conservative and kept it very tight at the back. Had to stay sharp in the closing stages to keep a tight leash on Robben.

Marchionni – 6: Did not see much of him. Quietly pulled the strings from midfield to launch whatever counter-attacking opportunity Juve had.

Sissoko – 8.5: Covered more territory than any other player on the pitch. Won every tackle, recovered every ball, got stuck in to every challenge. Without doubt a Man of the Match performance.

Marchisio – 5.5: A subdued performance but that was his duty… the supporting act to Sissoko. Had to leave the pitch in the first half after colliding with the Malian.

Nedvěd – 7: Hung quietly down the left flank and happily waited for the ball to come to him. Provided the pin-point cross for Amauri to head in the second goal.

Del Piero – 7: Cannavaro warned that a player like Alex could score from anywhere, anytime and he did just that with a superb strike to open scoring. Faded away towards the end of the game but no one would really care about that, considering the goal he scored.

Amauri – 7.5: Made the assist for the first goal and got one of his own and a crucial one, too, it proved to be at the end. A constant menace to the Madrid backline, although he didn’t test Casillas too much.

Substitutes:

Salihamidžić – 6: Played a more advanced, attacking role than the man he replaced, Marchisio. Tried to conjure a few tricks with his fancy footwork put failed miserably.

Mellberg – 5.5: Very casual in his defending. Constantly left players unmarked.

Iaquinta – 5: Barely had a meaningful touch of the ball in the ten minutes he was on.

REAL MADRID

Casillas – 5.5: Had a clear, unblocked view of Del Piero’s shot and even though it was coming at speed with a lot of swerve, he should have attempted a diving save.

Sergio Ramos – 6: Looked very nervous in the opening exchanges. Gradually grew into the game with a few threatening runs into the opposition box but still not his usual bullish self.

Cannavaro – 5: His slack marking allowed Del Piero to slip away from his sight to score the pivotal opener. Wasn’t easy for him to play in this sort of environment but he did not make any further glaring mistakes after the first goal.

Pepe – 5: Carelessly gave away the ball deep in his own half that led to the second goal. Other than that, he looked solid in the air and he wasn’t afraid to roam forward to help out in attack.

Heinze – 6: Caught hideously out of position several times and left holes down his flank. Left Amauri completely unmarked at the back post. He did atone for that by supplying the cross for Van Nistelrooy’s goal.

Sneijder – 7: Ran a lot in the first half but saw little of the ball. Made a massive improvement in the second and bombarded the Juve goal with shots and crosses.

Gago – 6.5: Like Sissoko, he ran tireless to clean up in midfield. But he couldn’t provide that extra spark in attack like he normally would during those times of desperation.

Van der Vaart – 5.5: Had a number of long range efforts come close… but his deliveries were a huge let-down. His inability to run past and draw out defenders was his biggest weakness. Ran out of steam in the second half.

Higuaín – 5: Just could not get into the game. Shackled tightly by Chiellini and never allowed an inch of space to run.

Van Nistelrooy – 6.5: Completely out of tune. Did almost nothing for an entire hour but still managed to pop up with the consolation goal with a typical bullet of a header.

Raúl – 5.5: The most active of the three forwards but even then, he was merely running like a headless chicken. Never got the service and had to drop down to find the ball on his own.

Substitutes:

Robben – 6.5: Made an immediate impact upon coming on. Gave the team more width and speed. Would have been a certain starter had it not been for his lack of fitness.

Drenthe – 5: Was supposed to bring the same energy and spark on the other side of the flank, but he never had the confidence to run with the ball.

KS Leong

Del Piero: «Juve vs. Real: a unique clash»

«Saturday we didn't get what we hoped, unfortunately, but not for wont of trying. We worked hard in the last few weeks; we still need to get over several problems. It would've been nice to see a result straight away, but these things take time, we have to commit ourselves and keep working». This was how Alessandro Del Piero began his press conference, describing the period the team is living. But now there's the match against Real Madrid, an unparalleled fixture: «This is THE match, with a capital M; people choose to become footballers to play games like this one. It doesn't matter that we're having problems now, it's everybody's dream to play this game. And we want it to be a one-off game, in terms of the result and our performance, in the context of the bad patch we're going through”.

The journalists asked him to elaborate further on the period the team is living: «It's definitely a delicate period – the Captain explained – we have some very tough hurdles ahead of us. A win against Real Madrid would certainly give us impetus and boost our self-confidence, but you have to take into account our opponents, who are doing better than us at present, also in terms of injuries». Someone asked him if this match can mark someone's future at the Club. Alex has no doubts: «This match is useful for the future of all of us. Club, Manager, team and fans, we're all on the same boat. I repeat: a win would give us all a boost». Speaking of the fans, Del Piero had no doubts: «We're convinced the people will support this team as we try to do all we can to get through this delicate moment»

And finally, a confession: «You know how much I've missed games like this in the last two years? A great deal. Even when I was saying in public that I wasn't watching the Champions League. I missed it and so did Juventus»
*juventus.com

Iaquinta, Legrottaglie and Mellberg back in team

As Claudio Ranieri hoped, today's training gave a positive response regarding the physical condition of three players who've recently been out due to injury. Indeed Iaquinta, Legrottaglie and Mellberg are all back in the squad for tomorrow’s game against Real Madrid. Here is the full list of players called up by Claudio Ranieri:

3 Giorgio CHIELLINI
4 Olof MELLBERG
7 Hasan SALIHAMIDZIC
8 Amauri CARVALHO DE OLIVEIRA
9 Vincenzo IAQUINTA
10 Alessandro DEL PIERO
11 Pavel NEDVED
12 Antonio CHIMENTI
13 Alexander MANNINGER
15 Dario KNEZEVIC
19 Claudio MARCHISIO
20 Sebastian GIOVINCO
21 Zdenek GRYGERA
22 Mohamed Lamine SISSOKO
28 Cristian MOLINARO
29 Paolo DE CEGLIE
32 Marco MARCHIONNI
33 Nicola LEGROTTAGLIE
40 Fausto ROSSI

*juventus.com

Iaquinta, Legrottaglie and Mellberg back in team

As Claudio Ranieri hoped, today's training gave a positive response regarding the physical condition of three players who've recently been out due to injury. Indeed Iaquinta, Legrottaglie and Mellberg are all back in the squad for tomorrow’s game against Real Madrid. Here is the full list of players called up by Claudio Ranieri:

3 Giorgio CHIELLINI
4 Olof MELLBERG
7 Hasan SALIHAMIDZIC
8 Amauri CARVALHO DE OLIVEIRA
9 Vincenzo IAQUINTA
10 Alessandro DEL PIERO
11 Pavel NEDVED
12 Antonio CHIMENTI
13 Alexander MANNINGER
15 Dario KNEZEVIC
19 Claudio MARCHISIO
20 Sebastian GIOVINCO
21 Zdenek GRYGERA
22 Mohamed Lamine SISSOKO
28 Cristian MOLINARO
29 Paolo DE CEGLIE
32 Marco MARCHIONNI
33 Nicola LEGROTTAGLIE
40 Fausto ROSSI

*juventus.com

Schuster: "We're expecting the best Juve"

During the press conference held on the eve of the game, Real Madrid Manager Bernd Schuster explained how important this match against Juventus is: «We won two games and winning the third would mean practically ensuring going through to the next round because the distance from Juventus would become significant».

Schuster claimed he doesn't believe Juventus are going though a crisis: «I don't believe that at all. In my long career there have been many times when situations like this have been proved wrong, teams that were playing without many of their first team regulars and then the reserves played even better than them. One win is enough to get your enthusiasm back»
*juventus.com

Buffon in running for Golden Football

Even when he's not playing, forced out of action by injury, Gigi Buffon still manages to make the news. Indeed our first keeper is in the running again for the 2008 edition of the Golden Football, the award given by French newspaper France Football to the best player in Europe that will be assigned on December 2nd.

Buffon is the only Juventus player in the running and one of the only two Italians alongside Luca Toni. The Italian League itself doesn't have many representatives: only Kakà (who won it last year) and Ibrahimovic are in the running with Gigi.

*juve.com

Blanc : «We must work together»

Leaving everyone to sleep over the match, Jean-Claude Blanc expressed his thoughts following the match against Napoli during an interview with SkySport24. The interview silenced those who said that the club had hidden itself following the match at the “San Paolo”. «After the Palermo match there was a long break because of the international matches, so it was right to speak just after the match. This time we had the opportunity to speak both today and tomorrow and therefore it was also right to leave the hot comments to the players. Chiellini spoke well, as did the coach. Today we have the opportunity to clarify, to express our point of view and so it was right to do so this morning».

The Juventus general manager visited Vinovo together with sports director Alessio Secco to show, if still necessary, the common intents of a group that wants to swiftly overcome the particular moment: «There’s disappointment, it is a difficult moment”, continued Blanc, “at the beginning of the season we established our objective, that to return to victory immediately and confidence in oneself is fed even through victory. Yesterday wasn’t easy, Napoli played its game, extremely aggressive, we had a good beginning to the match and then we committed a number of defensive errors. However, we do not stop here, we know we have to work hard, we have to get organized especially with all the injuries we have: we are Juventus, we have to win even with the players available, notwithstanding the fact that we are paying a high price for having to play three matches a week».

And so everybody down to work in preparation for Tuesday’s match against Real Madrid, an appointment awaited for two years. A difficult challenge of great charm, a test in the hope to see once again the Juventus of the first matches of the season: «If we are in this situation it means that we have left a few things behind during the last weeks. Since the match against Udinese we have lost something, we have lost players and therefore even certain details that make the difference between winning and not winning. However, we are a team of professionals, we must try to work together in order to find those points to ponder and overthrow this situation and after all we have the true men, true professionals and the capability of working in a group. It is a united team even with the supporters and this is very important as is important that we show the maximum of our professionalism, and give the maximum of our time and of our energy to come out of this situation. I think we have the right men, professionals within our club and our team to lift ourselves out of this situation in the best of ways».
*juventus.com

At work on Sunday...awaiting Real

Just a few hours after the match against Napoli the team is back at work. The upcoming match against Real Madrid, valid for the 3rd day of Champions League Group H, does not leave time for rest. Under the keen eyes of managing director Jean Claude Blanc and those of sports director Alessio Secco, the “bianconeri” held a training session on Sunday morning at Vinovo. The session consisted of the usual programme, that is an unwinding session for those who played against Napoli and normal activities for the others. Iaquinta, Mellberg and Legrottaglie were also present.

Camoranesi had a special programme as he continues to recover but will not make it for the match against Real. Like-wise neither will the other injured players namely Buffon, Trezeguet, Zebina, Zanetti, Tiago and Poulsen take part in Tuesday’s tie. The Danish midfielder joined the list of injured players after having left the field during the second part of the second half of the match against Napoli. On Sunday morning, the midfielder underwent a preliminary check-up that resulted in charley horse in the front muscle of the right thigh. The seriousness of the injury will be examined further on Monday.

With regards to unavailable players, the team were happy to be visited by David Trezeguet. The French striker went to Vinovo to undergo a medical check-up by the Juventus medical staff who noted the progress made following the first period of therapy which the striker underwent in Arezzo. David will remain in Turin for a few more days before the beginning of a second phase in his rihabilitation at another specialized center.
*juventus.com

Player Ratings: Napoli 2 – 1 Juventus

NAPOLI

Iezzo: 7.0- Made a good save on a deflected shot from the foot of Poulsen and tipped Del Piero’s free kick over the bar.

Contini: 6.0- Was invisible for most of the match but that’s not necessarily a bad thing when you are a left back.

Santacroce: 7.0- Made some vital tackles and showed why he is one of Italy’s best young defenders.

Cannavaro: 6.0- He was steady at the back for most of the match but Amauri beat him to the spot for the goal on the 61st minute.

Maggio: 6.5- Looked dangerous when he pushed forward but more often that not the final product was poor .

Blasi: 6.5- Picked up a silly yellow card but battled Poulsen and Marchisio and often emerged victorious

Gargano: 6.0- His set pieces and crosses were off the mark tonight.

Hamsik: 8.0- Looked like he was battling a case of the nerves in the first half but came out strong in the second and was rewarded with a goal.

Vitale: 5.0- He was taken off to start the second half after a poor first half performance.

Zalayeta: 6.0- Did not really have one of his best performances tonight and was eventually substituted off.

Lavezzi: 8.0- He was a real terror setting up Hamsik for the first goal and finding the winner in 79th minute.

SUBS: Mannini (48’) 6.0, Aronica (63’) 6.0, Denis (68”) 6.5

JUVENTUS

Manninger: 6.0- Looked a little shaky between the posts and failed to make any significant saves this evening.

Grygera: 6.0- Did not push forward as much as he would have wanted to and let too many crosses come in from the flank.

Knezevic: 5.5- He was having a fine game until his attempted clearance fell to Lavezzi for the winning goal.

Chiellini: 7.0- Solid at the back and made his presence known with some thunderous tackles.

Molinaro: 6.0- Did not make any glaring errors but still not sure he deserves to be the starting left back.

Poulsen: 7.0- Was right at home in the midfield trenches and did a solid job doing the dirty work and set up Amauri for the first goal of the match

Marchisio: 6.0- Lost possession too many times in the midfield and was overrun by Hamsik in the second half

Salihamidzic: 5.5- Was fairly anonymous for long stretches of the match and failed to make any sort of impression on the match.

Nedved: 6.0- Looked lively in spurts but finally looked his age in the final twenty minutes

Del Piero: 6.0- Great free kick in the 37th minute forced Iezzo to tip the ball over the bar. The captain was later substituted off for De Ceglie. It was a puzzling substitution indeed.

Amauri: 7.0- He was quiet in the first half but came to life in the second capped off with a great volley to open the scoring.

SUBS: De Ceglie (70”) 6.0, Ekdal (74’) 6.0, Giovinco (82”) NA
*Goal.com

Juventus.com reaches out to Asia

There's a strong relationship connecting Juventus with their very many fans living in Asia. Juve have had first-hand experience of the love these people feel for the club colours especially recently, during the Asian Pacific Tour that last May took Ranieri and the team to Hong Kong and Shanghai.

In order to remain even more closely in contact with these friends, who are so far in terms of distance, but so close in terms of affection and attachment, Juventus have decided to reach that part of the world again. But this time, in a virtual fashion, through Juventus.com.

Thanks to an agreement with MP & Silva, the company that had already organized the tour at the end of last season, the official Juventus site will indeed have three new versions, specifically set up for the Chinese, Indonesian and Japanese markets. Moreover, a platform for mobile phone devices will also be launched.

This is a unique chance to stay in even closer contact with an area where Juventus are very famous, an area that can potentially count on approximately 1,700,000,000 football enthusiasts.

*juventus.com

Italy 2 - 1 Montenegro

Aquilani 7, 28 (I), Vucinic 18 (M)
Stadio Via del Mare, Lecce

Alberto Aquilani bagged his first Italy brace to beat Montenegro 2-1, as Marcello Lippi matches the all-time Azzurri record. This is the tactician's 30th consecutive unbeaten match on the bench, equalling the run set by Vittorio Pozzo in the 1930s.

Lippi made only one change from the starting XI that was held to a goalless draw in Bulgaria last Saturday, introducing Alberto Aquilani for Riccardo Montolivo. Daniele De Rossi and Giuseppe Rossi recovered from fitness worries, but Luca Toni was suspended with Gigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, Andrea Pirlo, Fabio Grosso and Nicola Legrottaglie injured. Mirko Vucinic led the way in a stadium where he played for six years and Fiorentina talent Stevan Jovetic also featured for Montenegro.

There was a chance in the opening 30 seconds, as Antonio Di Natale's cross was poorly cleared and Andrea Dossena flashed an angled drive across the face of goal. 60 seconds later, it was Gennaro Gattuso whose strike skimmed the base of the upright.

A long free kick pinballed around the six-yard box until Poleksic managed to smother it right on the line. The goal was in the air and 10 seconds later Italy took the lead. It was an Udinese-created move, as Di Natale's cross-field pass found club teammate Simone Pepe, who rolled across for Aquilani to tap in from six yards. The Montenegrins were unlucky, as both a defender and a goalkeeper got a touch during the build-up, but could not prevent the swarming Azzurri players.

Vucinic was booked for dissent after a collision with Marco Amelia, but Montenegro were pushing to get back into it. A wayward Vucinic shot turned into a perfect assist for Zverotic at the back post, but Gianluca Zambrotta was on hand to clear off the line of an open goal.

It was a warning and soon after Vucinic equalised for the visitors. The Roma striker completed a classic counter-attack and smashed an angled drive that squirmed under Amelia's body. It was a very fast move and Vucinic gathered the ball on the halfway line.

Poleksic captured a deflected Giorgio Chiellini effort, then punched away both a Di Natale attempt and Aquilani half-volley follow-up. Montenegro were piling on the pressure, but it was Italy who restored their advantage with Aquilani's second of the match! A deflected Andrea Dossena cross found the Roma midfielder for a shot on the bounce, which took another touch off Tanasijevic to slot into the net.

Before this match, Aquilani had never scored for the senior Italy side in eight caps.

Di Natale put the ball in the back of the net, but it was correctly flagged offside, then Amelia flew to palm away a powerful Vucinic free kick from 20 metres. Gennaro Gattuso went into the book for a late tackle on Jovetic, his 19th yellow card in an Italy shirt.

A splendid Jovanovic tackle stopped Pepe in the penalty area on the stroke of half-time. Straight after the restart, Poleksic was at full stretch to get his fingertips to a Gianluca Zambrotta effort and Tanasijevic managed to stop Alberto Gilardino meeting the loose ball.

Aquilani surged forward and spread the play for Gilardino, who fired straight at the Montenegrin goalkeeper. Vucinic pounced on a horrible error from his Roma teammate De Rossi to test Amelia.

From the resulting corner Jovetic was left in acres of space and his deflected half-volley off Zambrotta brought a magnificent fingertip save out of Palermo goalkeeper Amelia.

Pepe curled over from Gilardino's assist and the Fiorentina striker also went on a mazy solo run to earn a corner. Lippi made his first substitution, introducing Daniele Bonera for Dossena.

There was a wonderful opportunity to extend the Azzurri's lead, but an Aquilani cross found De Rossi's diving header to thump the back post from six yards. It was goal hero Aquilani's final contribution, as he made way for Roma teammate Simone Perrotta.

Another Vucinic free kick shook the side-netting with Amelia well beaten. A minute later Fiorentina starlet Jovetic skimmed the other post from the D.

Lippi had pledged to field Giuseppe Rossi in this match, but instead opted for Fabio Quagliarella as his final substitution. The entire Udinese front line was not given a chance to shine at international level, as it was Di Natale who made way for Quagliarella. He had been called as an emergency replacement when Toni picked up a ban.

De Rossi unleashed a screamer from 30 metres that stung Poleksic's palms, then another splendid free kick from the Roma man was punched out from beneath the bar.

Italy: Amelia; Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Dossena (Bonera 59); Gattuso, De Rossi, Aquilani (Perrotta 65); Pepe, Gilardino, Di Natale (Quagliarella 76)

Montenegro: Poleksic; Pavicevic, Tanasijevic, Batak, Jovanovic; Drincic, Zverotic (Novakovic 89), Vukcevic, Jovetic, Boskovic (V Bozovic 81); Vucinic (Damianovic 91)

Ref: Proenca (Por)

*channel4

U-21: Super Mario secures Euro spot

Mario Balotelli's brace and Ignazio Abate sent Italy through to the European Under-21 Championships with a 3-1 win away to Israel.

Pierluigi Casiraghi knew he would be sacked if the Azzurrini failed to qualify for the European Under-21 Championships and everything hung in the balance following the 0-0 first leg draw with Israel.

Sebastian Giovinco, Claudio Marchisio and Daniele Dessena were suspended, Marco Andreolli injured and Giuseppe Rossi and Fabiano Santacroce poached by the senior squad. Casiraghi made wholesale changes, the most important being the return to Balotelli, who missed Saturday's game with a flu virus.

It didn't take long for the Inter starlet to make a difference, as four minutes in he gave Italy an away goal with one of his trademark bullet free kicks that screamed its way under the crossbar.

The Azzurrini had a blazing start and could easily have had more goals, but Palermo striker Davide Lanzafame incredibly missed the target with his header from point-blank range on Ignazio Abate's cross from the right. Torino winger Abate had a great chance when he won two tackles to spark a counter, but his cross was too far for Lanzafame.

Balotelli came to the rescue again with a second goal in the opening 25 minutes. He trapped a long ball, turned and unleashed a powerful right-foot snapshot into the near bottom corner from just outside the box.

Israel tried to fight back, as Consigli palmed a deflected Rafaelov cross out from under the bar and Tamuz turned a header wide.

Lanzafame continued to miss incredible opportunities in the second half. Mere moments after the restart he managed to nod on to the upright of an open goal from Balotelli's inspired cross. Morosini flashed a long-range effort just over, but Israel got back into it from the spot. Consigli was unlucky, as he parried the Toto Tamuz penalty, but could do nothing on the follow-up.

The momentum was now with Israel, especially after Balotelli made way for Daniel Pablo Osvaldo, and there were shivers as a dangerous free kick flashed across the face of goal.

However, that all-out approach from the home side inevitably left space at the other end and Italy struck with a classic counter-attack. An Israeli corner was turned into a pass for Abate in the centre-circle and he kept his cool to run straight at the goalkeeper and place his finish in off the inside of the upright.

This result means Italy qualify for the European Under-21 Championship, which will be held in Sweden in June 2009.

Israel 1-3 Italy (1-3 on agg)
Scorers: Balotelli 4, 25 (It), Tamuz 55 (Is), Abate 75
Missed penalty: Tamuz 55 (Is)
Israel U-21: Levita; Kende, Gan, Roash, Chekol; Rafaelov (Ben Chaim 46), Cohen, Assulin, Yeini (Natcho 58), Abihazira (Avidor 46); Tamuz
Italy U-21: Consigli; Motta, Marzoratti, Criscito, De Ceglie; Morosini, Cigarini, Candreva (Bolzoni 60); Abate, Lanzafame (Pisano 89); Balotelli (Osvaldo 66)
Ref: Chapron (Fra)
*channel4

Happy birthday David

Today, Wednesday October 15th, isn't only a day dedicated to the National teams. There's another important event marked on the Bianconeri's calendar.

David Trezeguet turns 31 years old; a quite peculiar birthday for him, as he'll be celebrating away from Turin and his team mates. Indeed the French striker is currently in the city of Arezzo, where every day he undergoes therapy at the San Giuseppe Clinic, closely supervised by Giuliano Cerulli, one of the doctors that operated on him on September 23rd.

The recovery programme continues and early next week David should be making his return to Turin, to be visited by Juventus' medical staff and to agree the setting of his new physiotherapy schedule, and how long it will last.

In the meantime, everybody involved with Juventus sends him the best wishes for a quick recovery and, most of all, a happy birthday.
*juventus.com

happy birthday treze....get well soon

Camoranesi: «We've been affected by injuries»

«We'll be facing the next few games with a serene attitude, because we're in good shape as a group and as a team. Unfortunately the fact we had a lot of injured players affected us a great deal in the last few games ». Mauro German Camoranesi, interviewed by Juventus Channel, talked about the team's current situation. Injuries are taking their toll and the midfielder is out of action too at the moment due to muscle problems, but everybody is eager to redeem themselves as soon as possible: « Napoli don't scare us now, like they didn't before. We respect them as we respect every team, also considering that the League is very competitive this year. But we've never feared anyone. This includes Real Madrid, also because I think they fear us, as we've always qualified against them in recent years; I think they consider the game against us a difficult one».

Countdown to the game against the Merengues has begun by now and tension is increasing: «Undoubtedly we have a different attitude towards the Champions League, because we've been out of all European competitions for two years. This doesn't mean we think less of the League, but the Champions League always represents the highest point, in footballing terms, because you face the best teams in all of Europe».

Before Real Madrid, though, there's a keyed up Napoli side to face: «The team mates who played in the National teams will be coming back now and after a few days we'll have an important match such as the one at the San Paolo to face. This is a difficult period because many of our players are not 100% fit. There's a lot of talk at the moment, but at the end of the day the squad is always the same. We know what our aims are, we haven't forgotten them for sure, and we'll continue working, hoping that this difficult period ends, especially in terms of all the injuries».

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Sissoko to miss Napoli game through suspension

As predicted, Momo Sissoko will not be able to take the pitch in Naples because of suspension. The midfielder had indeed been sent off after getting two yellow cards against Palermo and has now been suspended for one round. Momo is the only suspended player for the game at the San Paolo. There aren't even any other Juve players at risk of suspension in the next match, because Grygera and Amauri, both booked against Palermo, were on their second and first yellow card of the season respectively. However, Napoli coach Eddy Reja was booked «for questioning the referee's work – as can be read in the official statement – using disrespectful language» and could be suspended.
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Iaquinta jersey auction kicks off

The fund-raising for the Growing Together at the Sant’Anna charity project continues with another of our best players' jerseys being auctioned off. After Chiellini’s shirt, won by a fan with a bid of almost 7,000 Euros, now it's Iaquinta's jersey's turn; it's the very same one he wore during the recent Champions League fixture against Bate Borisov.

The auction begins today on www.juvestore.com at 1 pm and will be open until Monday October 20th. Bidding starts at € 100.
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Bulgaria 0 - 0 Italy

Simone Pepe and Giuseppe Rossi made good debuts as Italy grabbed a point in their goalless draw away to Bulgaria.

Marcello Lippi made wholesale changes, as he was without the injured Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo and Mauro Camoranesi, leaving Alex Del Piero, Andrea Barzagli and Antonio Cassano behind. Simone Pepe got his international debut to start alongside Udinese teammate Antonio Di Natale and Fiorentina's Alberto Gilardino. Riccardo Montolivo got his first competitive cap at senior level, preferred to Simone Perrotta.

The average age of the Azzurri line-up was 27, though Italy had never won in Sofia.

Gilardino had a great chance after three minutes when a scuffed defensive clearance turned into an assist for Gilardino, but the goalkeeper managed to get a foot to it from six yards, avoiding a penalty and a goal. From the resulting corner Giorgio Chiellini just failed to make contact from two yards.

Gilardino and Pepe got in each others' way to meet an Andrea Dossena cross, but Fabio Cannavaro charged down a Dimitar Berbatov overhead kick. Gila was flagged offside as he tried to get on the end of a scuffed Di Natale effort and Gennaro Gattuso's strike was deflected out for a corner.

Chiellini went into the book for halting a Berbatov counter and Martin Petrov blasted the resulting free kick over the bar. Bulgaria lost Wagner to a muscular problem, making way for Ivan Ivanov.

A poor Dossena backpass almost let Martin Petrov through with nobody between him and the goal, but Marco Amelia rushed out to clear midway up his own half.

After the restart Georgiev scuffed a shot wide and curled a free kick well over, but Montolivo's chipped pass was cleared between Gilardino and Pepe. Dimitar Ivankov plucked a corner kick off the head of Chiellini, but moments later Gilardino's hair skimmed a fierce Pepe set-piece and any contact may well have beaten the Bulgarian goalkeeper from six yards.

Lippi further lowered the average age of the squad by giving Giuseppe Rossi his senior debut for Di Natale and Simone Perrotta replacing the ineffective Montolivo.

Rossi made an immediate impact and threaded through for Gilardino, who got in front of his marker, but was put under pressure and drilled just past the near post. It was to be Gila's final contribution, as he made way for Luca Toni.

A screamer of a half-volley from Daniele De Rossi dipped on to the roof of the net, missing the crossbar by a matter of inches.

Pepe was furious when he burst into the box only to be called back for a handling offence, as replays showed the ball struck his chest.

Amelia had to make his first save after 87 minutes, at full stretch to fingertip a Yankov snapshot off target from 25 metres. The Palermo goalkeeper also got back up to snatch the loose ball away from Berbatov.

De Rossi's free kick whipped inches wide of the near post with Ivankov beaten. There was bad news, as Toni was booked for a late tackle in stoppages and will therefore be suspended for Wednesday's match with Montenegro.

Ivankov came tearing out for a shaky clearance as Pepe ran on to a smart cross-field Rossi pass on the counter-attack.

Bulgaria: Ivankov; Milanov, Iliev, Tunchev, Wagner (Ivanov 36); Dimitrov, S Petrov, Yankov, M Petrov (Popov 89); Georgiev; Berbatov

Italy: Amelia; Zambrotta, Cannavaro, Chiellini, Dossena; Gattuso, De Rossi, Montolivo (Perrotta 68); Pepe, Gilardino (Toni 72), Di Natale (Rossi 68)

Ref: Lannoy (Fra)

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Team work and have fun in Vinovo

A relaxed, fun atmosphere reigned today in Vinovo during the last training session of the week. The squad, comprising only eight men, took the pitch at around 10.30 this morning, just in time to cross Nicola Legrottaglie who had ran a little before going back inside to undergo treatments. Amauri, Chimenti, Del Piero, Marchionni, Molinaro, Nedved, Salihamidzic and Tiago warmed up first, and then played a series of very intense football-tennis matches: on one side, Molinaro, Nedved, Salihamidzic and Tiago, on the other Amauri, Chimenti, Del Piero and Marchionni. The matches were hard-fought and spectacular, with Alex showing some fine overhead kicks and Chimenti surprising everyone with his back-heels. In the end though it was Nedved's team's solidity that prevailed and it all ended with the players hugging, watched by an amused Ranieri and his staff; the Manager, seeing how involved the players were, had let them continue their football-tennis and scrapped the final training football match. It was a nice way to end the week. The team will gather again on Tuesday afternoon, when Poulsen and Sissoko will also join the others after their international engagements.
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International weekend kicks off

After almost a week of training, it's time for the National teams to go on the pitch too. Between this weekend and next Wednesday, the calendar offers many important games, qualifiers for the 2010 South Africa World Cup and for the European Under 21 Championship finals, to be held next summer.

Apart from Ekdal, who has already played his game with the Swedish Under 21 team, as many as 9 Bianconeri should be taking the pitch.

Poulsen and Sissoko will only be playing a single game. Denmark face Malta today, while Mali host Chad on Sunday, so the two midfielders will be back at Ranieri's disposal already on Tuesday, but the Mali player won't be available for the Napoli game in any case due to his sending off against Palermo.

For the other players, today's games will only be the first of two. Cheillini's Italy play Bulgaria, Grygera's Czech Republic face Poland, Manninger's Austria travel to the Far Oer islands and Knezevic's Croatia travel to the Ukraine, looking for points to qualify for the next World Cup, scheduled to be played in two years' time.

The Italian Under 21s' objective is closer. De Ceglie, Marchisio, Giovinco and their team mates will play against Israel over two matches to access the final stages. The first game is played at home in Ancona this afternoon.

Here is the full schedule.

Italy (Chiellini)
Bulgaria vs. Italy, in Sofia, 11/10/08
Italy vs. Montenegro, Lecce, 15/10/08

Italy Under 21s (De Ceglie, Marchisio, Giovinco)
European Play-offs
Italy vs. Israel, Ancona, 11/10/08
Israel vs. Italy, Tel Aviv, 15/10/08

Czech Republic (Grygera)
Poland vs. Czech Republic, Krakow, 11/10/08
Czech Republic vs. Slovenia, Teplice, 15/10/08

Austria (Manninger)
Far Oer vs. Austria, Torshavn, 11/10/08
Austria vs. Serbia, Vienna, 15/10/08

Croatia (Knezevic)
Ukraine vs. Croatia, Kharkiv, 11/10/08
Croatia vs. Andorra, Zagreb, 15/10/08

Denmark (Poulsen)
Denmark vs. Malta, Copenhagen, 11/10/08

Mali (Sissoko)
Mali vs. Chad, Bamako, 12/10/08

Sweden Under 21s (Ekdal)
Friendly
Sweden vs. Georgia, Falkenberg, 10/10/08
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Buffon diagnosis confirmed

This morning, at the Juventus Center in Vinovo, Dr. Riccardo Agricola, the man in charge of the Bianconeri's medical staff, visited the players with his colleagues Bartolomeo Goitre and Luca Stefanini and then gave an overview of the situation:

Nicola Legrottaglie went back on the pitch for the first time, and will be intensifying his workload in the next few days.

Vincenzo Iaquinta will also get back training on the pitch, on Monday, whereas Olof Mellberg only did some straight-line running in the gym today.

Zanetti continues his personal training schedule on the pitch and will be intensifying his workload in the next seven days.

Mauro German Camoranesi and Gigi Buffon, back from the National team, were also visited.

Camoranesi isn't feeling any pain in the area where he suffered the muscle problem against Palermo. He could be able to start training again early next week.

As for Buffon's muscle problem, an ultrasound scan confirmed the diagnosis of a second-degree lesion and also the prognosis made by Italy's doctors: it will take four weeks to heal. As soon as possible during these four weeks the player will begin physiotherapy coupled with a personal training regime, and will be able to gradually get back training with the team once he has fully recovered. He will be able to play official matches a few weeks after this.

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Juventus-Real Madrid: great opportunity for Members

The Juventus vs. Real Madrid clash is one of the most eagerly awaited events among the Bianconeri fans. And naturally a great number of them are subscribing to the Juventus Membership project.

And for the match scheduled on Tuesday October 21st in Turin, the Members will get an incredible opportunity: the chance to get a ticket before anybody else.

Yes, on Tuesday 14th, one day before the tickets officially go on sale, Members will have the chance to buy one, by contacting our call centre: they can dial 199-109783 if calling from Italy, +39063700106 from abroad, in the following hours: from 10 am to 1 pm and from 2 to 4 pm (local CET times).

For more details, visit the JuventusMember website

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Juventus to play several more matches at night

The Football League have released details concerning matches to be played on the Saturday and Sunday night for all the remaining rounds in the first half of the 2008/09 Serie A season.

From now until January, Juventus will have to get even more used to playing at night. Out of the 13 games left in the first half of the season, the Bianconeri will play as many as nine at 8.30 in the evening.

Starting from the next game in the calendar, the one at the San Paolo in Naples, scheduled for Saturday the 18th at 8.30 pm, all the big ones will be played at night, against Torino, Roma, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Lazio. But also the home game against Reggina and a midweek game against Bologna.

The match against Genoa will be a special case. Due to the Italian rugby team playing Argentina at Turin's Olimpico Stadium on November 15th, the game against the Rossoblu will be played on Thursday 13th. At 8.30 pm, naturally.

To see the Bianconeri's full game schedule, please go to the Calendar section.
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No internationals for Buffon and Camoranesi

Italy's team doctor, Prof. Enrico Castellacci, and Juventus’ own Dr. Riccardo Agricola agreed the tests to be carried out this morning on Mauro German Camoranesi and Gigi Buffon; both arrived last night at the National team's training camp suffering from injuries they picked up in the League game against Palermo.

Tests on the midfielder confirmed the results of the visit he underwent yesterday morning in Turin: a first-degree lesion to his right thigh's bicep muscle. He should be recovering in 15 to 20 days.

The keeper was unable to be visited yesterday for personal reasons (he had his son Louis Thomas' christening to attend near Carrara), and today he was found to have a first-second lesion to his right abductor muscle. He should be back on the pitch in about 30 days' time.

The players, after speaking with the Club and the Bianconeri's medical staff, have been allowed to stay with the National team at least until Friday, the day when the squad will leave for Bulgaria, where Saturday they play the first of the two World Cup qualifying games.


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Team to resume training on Wednesday without internationals

Juventus will resume training tomorrow morning in Vinovo after the two days off granted after the Palermo game. Obviously it’ll be far from a full squad taking part, considering the absence of the 12 internationals.

The week will be a short one, with only four training sessions. After the session on Wednesday, there’ll be one on Thursday afternoon and then another two morning ones on Friday and Saturday; after that, the team will get two more days off. From Tuesday the 14th, the squad will start focusing on the game at Napoli on Saturday the 18th as the three internationals who only have one game to play with their National teams will be back: Poulsen, Sissoko (who in any case will be missing the game at the San Paolo through suspension) and Ekdal. The other internationals will be returning on Thursday the 16th, just one day before the team leaves for Naples.

Talking of the internationals, considering Buffon and Camoranesi won’t be available, there are still 10 Juve players who should be playing for their National teams this week.

This is the updated overview of all the players called up:

Italy (Chiellini)
Bulgaria vs. Italy, in Sofia, 11/10/08
Italy vs. Montenegro, Lecce, 15/10/08

Italy Under 21s (De Ceglie, Marchisio, Giovinco)
European Play-offs Italy vs. Israel, Ancona, 11/10/08
Israel vs. Italy, Tel Aviv, 15/10/08

Czech Republic (Grygera)
Poland vs. Czech Republic, Krakow, 11/10/08
Czech Republic vs. Slovenia, Teplice, 15/10/08

Austria (Manninger)
Far Oer vs. Austria, Torshavn, 11/10/08
Austria vs. Serbia, Vienna, 15/10/08

Croatia (Knezevic)
Ukraine vs. Croatia, Kharkiv, 11/10/08
Croatia vs. Andorra, Zagreb, 15/10/08

Denmark (Poulsen)
Denmark vs. Malta, Copenhagen, 11/10/08

Mali (Sissoko)
Mali vs. Chad, Bamako, 12/10/08

Sweden Under 21s (Ekdal)
Friendly Sweden vs. Georgia, Falkenberg, 10/10/08

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12 to leave for National teams’ games

As everybody tries to forget the game against Palermo as soon as possible, all Juventus are currently resting on the first of the two days' break given to them by Claudio Ranieri after the hectic period that saw them play seven games in less than a month. The team will resume training Wednesday morning in Vinovo, but the squad will not be at full ranks, because as many as 12 Bianconeri will be missing, having been called up by the various National teams for the World Cup qualifiers, the Under 21 European Championship Play-Offs and a friendly (involving the Swedish Under 21 team). 

The 12 players missing will be: Buffon, Chiellini, Camoranesi, De Ceglie, Marchisio, Giovinco, Grygera, Manninger, Knezevic, Poulsen, Sissoko and Ekdal. 

The list doesn't include Olof Mellberg, who underwent an ultrasound scan this morning together with Camoranesi. The Swedish defender was found to have an acute inflammation to his right thigh abductor muscle, but no muscle damage. Therefore the player won't be joining the Swedish team, as he wouldn't be able to recover in time for next Saturday's game against Portugal.

Camoranesi, on the other hand, has contracted his right thigh bicep muscle. Dr. Castellacci, the Italian team's doctor, was promptly informed about the result of the test. The player will still go to Italy’s training camp, alongside Buffon, who came out of the Palermo match with muscle fatigue, and Chiellini. Both Mauro and Gigi will be visited by the Azzurri’s medical staff and only then will the decision be made whether they'll be staying with the squad for the two games Italy is set to play.

Here is the detailed schedule of all the games involving the Bianconeri. 

Italy (Buffon, Chiellini, Camoranesi) 
Bulgaria vs. Italy, in Sofia, 11/10/08 
Italy vs. Montenegro, Lecce, 15/10/08 

Italy Under 21s (De Ceglie, Marchisio, Giovinco) 
European Play-offs 
Italy vs. Israel, Ancona, 11/10/08 
Israel vs. Italy, Tel Aviv, 15/10/08 

Czech Republic (Grygera) 
Poland vs. Czech Republic, Krakow, 11/10/08 
Czech Republic vs. Slovenia, Teplice, 15/10/08 

Austria (Manninger) 
Far Oer vs. Austria, Torshavn, 11/10/08 
Austria vs. Serbia, Vienna, 15/10/08 

Croatia (Knezevic) 
Ukraine vs. Croatia, Kharkiv, 11/10/08 
Croatia vs. Andorra, Zagreb, 15/10/08 

Denmark (Poulsen) 
Denmark vs. Malta, Copenhagen, 11/10/08 

Mali (Sissoko) 
Mali vs. Chad, Bamako, 12/10/08 

Sweden Under 21s (Ekdal) 
Friendly
Sweden vs. Georgia, Falkenberg, 10/10/08
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Player Ratings: Juventus 1-2 Palermo

Palermo piled the misery on Juventus and Claudio Ranieri with a 2-1 win at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin. Carlo Garganese rates the players who topped and those who flopped...

JUVENTUS 

Buffon - 6.5: Made one outstanding save from Cavani, only to then see Miccoli turn home the rebound. Also blameless on Mchedlidze's winner. Looked completely fed up at the end with the performance from those in front of him.

Grygera - 5.5: Caught out of position on occasions defensively, and his passing and crossing coming forward was also poor.

Mellberg - 6.0: Struggled in the opening half-hour, particularly with the pace and movement of Miccoli and Cavani, and his misery was compounded when he was forced off injured.

Knezevic - 5.0: Did not look like a defender of Juventus standard today. Troubled all afternoon, and reacted slow to the rebound for Miccol's goal.

De Ceglie -5.5: Has struggled a little in his last two games, and just like against BATE he left his left hand side open on more than one occasion.

Marchisio - 7.0: The only Juventus player in midfield who stood up to the likes of Bresciano and Simplicio. At the moment Marchisio is Juve's best performing midfielder.

Poulsen - 5.5: It is often said that Poulsen's good work passes unnoticed, but it really is hard at the moment to find where this good work is. Would Juve be better off with Poulsen, or other summer targets like Xabi Alonso, Diego and Rafael van der Vaart?

Sissoko - 3.5: Simply shocking game from Sissoko, who has been quite dreadful recently for Juve. Was sleeping on Miccoli's goal, allowing Cavani to just run straight past him. He then managed to get booked twice in the space of five minutes before half time to leave his side a man down for more than half the game.

Giovinco - 6.5: One of the only players in the Juve team who looked capable of making something happen. Ranieri inexplicably substituted him at 1-1, and 15 seconds later Palermo went back ahead.

Amauri -6.0: Battled valiantly did Amauri and won plenty of free kicks around the edge of the area, but was not given the service he thrives on, particularly from crosses, which were non-existent today.

Del Piero - 6.5: Scored Juve's equaliser with a fine free kick, even if Amelia must certainly take some blame. Tried to make things happen but he clearly needs rest. It's not rocket science that a 34-year-old shouldn't start four games in 10 days.

Subs: Salihamidzic 5.5, Camoranesi 5.5, Nedved N/A 

PALERMO 

Amelia - 5.0: Certainly at blame for Del Piero's free kick as he was covering that side of his goal. Apart from this he had nothing to do all game.

Cassani - 7.0: Excellent on the right hand side, bombing up and down the flank all game. Not threatened defensively either.

Carrozzieri - 6.5: Typical robust display from the monster hardman, who coped well with the physical nature of Amauri.

Bovo - 6.5: A good showing by the defender. Always on hand to cover for his side and offered Del Piero very little space.

Balzaretti - 6.0: Steady at left full back, even if he was bamboozled by Giovinco on the odd occasion. Generally sound.

Liverani - 7.0: Palermo's midfield director. Kept the game ticking, his passes always found their target, and it was his clever free kick that created Miccoli's first goal.

Nocerino - 6.0: Gave his all against his former side without really impressing. His passing was sloppy at times, although he made a number of tackles.

Bresciano - 7.5: The standout player in the first half, covering every blade of grass, winning tackles and driving forward. However, picked up an injury soon after half time and had to be replaced.

Simplicio - 8.0: Superb alongside Bresciano. The Brazilian also offered an all-action performance. It was his slide-rule pass that created Mchedlidze's winner. Should have grabbed a third late on.

Cavani - 7.0: Excellent movement up-front that the Juve defence could not cope with at times. It was his initial shot that led to Miccoli goal, and he also created a fine late chance for Simplicio 

Miccoli - 7.0: Outstanding in the first half hour before he was forced off injured. Took his goal well, threatened a second, and caused Mellberg and Knezevic a lot of headaches.  

Subs: Migliaccio 6.0, Mchedlidze 7.0, Tedesco N/A

Carlo Garganese

Heart not enough against Palermo

Juventus were unable to remain the only unbeaten team in the League today. On their last game before the break, the Bianconeri lost 2-1 at home to a Palermo side that took advantage of all the chances they had and took away the three points. Del Piero equalized after the first goal scored by Miccoli. Sissoko's sending off at the end of the first half proved costly. Despite all attempts in the second half, even while playing with one man less, in the end it was the Georgian Mchealidze who sunk Juventus. The League resumes in thirteen days' time, on Saturday October 18th, with the game at Napoli. 

Ranieri changed the face of the team for the match against Palermo. Buffon was back, a brand new central defence with Mellberg and Knezevic, and Grygera and De Ceglie full-backs; Poulsen in front of the defence, Sissoko and Marchisio in the middle; Giovinco behind strikers Del Piero and Amauri. 

All eyes were on the Brazilian as he played for the Rosanero before joining Juve. As many as four former Bianconeri started on Ballardini's team: Cassani and Balzaretti in defence, Nocerino in midfield and Miccoli up front. The other former Juventus player, Lanzafame, didn't make the team. 

In view of the recent encounters (10 goals scored between the Olimpico and the Barbera), the game promised to be spectacular, but this time it took a while for the match to take off. However, the first exciting incident left its mark, and it wasn't a good one for the Bianconeri: Cavani shot from a few yards, Buffon miraculously saved but Miccoli slotted in from close range. The former Juve player then suffered an injury and was replaced by Migliaccio. 

On the other side, Mellberg had to leave the pitch too, and Salihamidzic came on, with Grygera switching to a central position. One change each then and soon it was one goal each too. Del Piero had a free kick in his favourite position and brilliantly beat Amelia. Before the break there was more bad news for Ranieri. Sissoko was booked twice in the space of a few minutes and was sent off, leaving his team with one man less.

Second half. The Bianconeri were down to ten men, but were not prepared to leave the initiative to the Sicilians. They tried scoring, while also being careful not to leave space to Palermo. Giovinco, Del Piero and Amauri tried all they could, but it wasn't easy against Palermo's defence. Ranieri also tried putting on Camoranesi in place of Poulsen. 

The Bianconeri tried to win. Nedved came on too and, after a penalty appeal by Del Piero, with ref Tagliavento signalling play to continue, Palermo added insult to injury. They went on the counter-attack and there was a through pass for Mchealidze, who'd come on in the second half; he was alone in front of Buffon and beat him with a shot on the first post. Juve's generous efforts near the end didn't yield the hoped-for equalizer. So it ended with the first defeat of the season, coming in the worst possible moment, i.e. before the World Cup qualifiers' break.

2008/09 Serie A – Day 6
Turin, Olimpico Stadium 
Sunday October 5th 2008 

JUVENTUS-PALERMO 1-2 (1-1) 
GOALS: Miccoli 23, Del Piero 39, Mchealidze 81. 
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Grygera, Mellberg (Salihamidzic 33), Knezevic, De Ceglie; Sissoko, Poulsen (Camoranesi 66), Marchisio; Giovinco (Nedved 81); Amauri, Del Piero. Subs not used: Manninger, Chiellini, Molinaro, Tiago. Manager: Ranieri. 
PALERMO: Amelia; Cassani, Bovo, Carrozzieri, Balzaretti; Nocerino (Tedesco 80), Liverani, Bresciano (Mchealidze 60); Simplicio; Miccoli (Migliaccio 29), Cavani. Subs not used: Ujkani, Dallafiore, Raggi, Guana. Manager: Ballardini. 
REFEREE: Tagliavento from Terni. 
RED CARDS: Sissoko 41. 
YELLOW CARDS: Sissoko 36, Grygera 51, Bovo 73, Amauri 76, Liverani 80. 
MATCH NOTES: attendance 22,495, takings € 548,385.30. 


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