First round goes to Chelsea

The first leg of the two sees Chelsea handing Juventus their first defeat in this edition. The first 15 minutes of the match condition the match but Juventus react well and had more then one occasion to score.

The first few minutes of the match saw Chelsea showing much more confidence then the bianconeri, resulting in a series of dangerous initiatives for the blues with the Juventus defence in some difficulty. On the 8th minute Drogba created some problems with the ball going high at the end. Three minutes later, however the striker received the ball in the center of the area to open the score from a dubious position.

Juventus seem startled by the goal which came mostly due to the fact that the bianconeri was leaving the initiative too much to Chelsea. On the 15th minute a corner for Chelsea, sees Drogba heading and the ball going inches wide. One minute later Juventus try putting in a cross by Molinaro to Amauri but Alex clears. The bianconeri are coming alive and on the 21st minute Tiago puts in a great through ball for Del Piero who shoots but Cech manages to deviate into corner. From the corner Amauri heads slightly towards Chiellini who misses by inches.

On the 23rd minute Molinaro with a great run passes a ball to Camoranesi who sees his shot deviated into corner. Two minutes later the Juve defence manages to clear after a dangerous Drogba initiative. On the 26th minute there is a corner for Juventus but the defence clears the cross into the area by Camoranesi.

Juventus get into the match after a first few minutes in which they left the initiative to the blues. On the 30th minute Cheslea insists on the attack and a rather dangerous back pass by Chiellini puts Buffon under excessive pressure. Two minutes later there is a corner for Chelsea: ball reaches the area with the Juve defence partially clearing but the ball reaches Terry who heads with the flag up. On the 34th minute Nedved enters the area after receiving from Molinaro but the Czech slips at the crucial moment.

On the 41st minute a good attempt to cross by Molinaro sees Alex clearing. Two minutes later Juventus are awarded a free-kick: Del Piero takes it but the shot hits the wall. The first half ends with Juventus on the attack when a corner for the bianconeri but Cech manages to save.

The second half sees the two teams fight at par with Juventus perhaps even more dangerous. The first attack however comes from the blues on the 1st minute: Lampard shoots from outside the area with the ball going wide. Seconds later Del Piero runs into the area and shoots but the ball is deviated into a corner. Two minutes later Nedved shoots from outside the area but the shot is weak and Cech has no difficulty in saving.

On the 4th minute Drogba with a powerful header sees the ball go wide. One minute later Camoranesi is forced to leave the pitch due to injury. Marchionni takes his place. On the 8th minute is in fact Marchionni with a good run who is closed by the defenders. One minute later Drogba enters the area but falls to the ground after a contact with Chiellini.

On the 14th minute Del Piero from a free-kick puts the ball into the area, Amauri tries to head, Cech clears partially and obstructs the Juve attacker after a second attempt. Two minutes later Marchionni with a great shot sees the ball go inches high. Marchisio on for Tiago.

On the 22nd minute Marchionni puts a good ball into the area but the defence clears and seconds later Del Piero heads wide after a good Marchionni cross. Three minutes later Marchionni crosses beautifully to Amauri who heads perfectly but Cech manages to save. Two minutes later Amauri manages to enter the area brilliantly and tries to pass to the center where there is Del Piero but Alex manages to clear.

Juventus seem to be taking control of the match now with the blues apparently tired. The half hour of the second half sees Marchisio with a good shot from outside the area and the ball going wide. One minute later there is a free-kick for Juventus: Del Piero puts a dangerous ball in with the defence resorting to a corner. On the 32nd minute Marchisio enters the area in an attempt to reach the ball but doesn't manage not withstanding the good try.

The 33rd minute sees there is a free-kick for Juventus: Del Piero puts the ball into the area off the wall but Chiellini is stopped for off-side. Five minutes before the end Trezeguet comes on for Sissoko. On the 41st minute Anelka with a powerful shot from outside the area sees the ball go wide. One minute later the ball reaches Trezguet who receives from Del Piero with the Frenchman shooting wide.

The 46th minute sees Juventus being awarded a free-kick: Del Piero puts the ball in, Mellberg tries to head but the defence clears. Perhaps the best chance for Juventus comes in the last minute of stoppage time (48th) when Nedved shoots from outside the area with the powerful shot being slightly deviated by Alex and the ball going millimeters wide.

The match ends with a 1-0 Chelsea victory but apart from the first 15 minutes in which they seemed to suffer the pressure of the match, Juventus paled on an equal level creating a good number of chances and dominating during the second half. The return match will hopefully have a different outcome of which the bianconeri are definitely capable.


Champions League, Final 16 – 1st leg
London, Stamford Bridge Stadium
Wednesday 25th February 2009

CHELSEA - JUVENTUS:

Goals: Drogba (12th),

CHELSEA: Cech; Cole, Alex, Bosingwa , Terry; Mikel, Lampard, Ballack (Mancienne 80th); Kalou (Malouda 71st); Drogba, Anelka. Reserves: Hilario, Ivanovic, Ferreira, Mancienne, Malouda, Stoch, Di Santo. Coach: Hiddink.

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Mellberg, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi (Marchionni 51st), Sissoko (Trezeguet 85th), Tiago (Marchisio 61st), Nedved; Del Piero, Amauri. Reserves: Manninger, Grygera, Marchisio, Marchionni, Poulsen, Iaquinta, Trezeguet. Coach: Ranieri.


Referee: Olegário Benquerença (Portugal)

Yellow Cards: Molinaro (51st), Ballack (57th), Sissoko (81st), Marchisio (89th),
*juventus.com

Ranieri: «We will have to be perfect in the return match»

The match at Stamford Bridge ended a few minutes ago and yet many bianconeri are already thinking of the match at the Olimpico on the 10th of March. In front of their supporters Del Piero and company will try to turn round the 1-0 result conceded.

A great performance will definitely be necessary seeing the way the blues are charged up and also seeing the result, the strangest in 180 minute matches. Ranieri agrees : «We are hopeful with regards to the return match even though we know we will have to play a perfect match and run more then them. I am not happy with the fact that we didn’t manage to score. I would have preferred to play worse but score at least one goal. In Turin we will have to attack and at the same time be careful not to suffer. While entering the dressing rooms the boys seemed convinced that they can make it and this makes me hoepful».



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Del Piero, from Chelsea to U2: «We can do it»

After having left his mark at the Santiago Bernabeu, Alessandro Del Piero was about to do the same at Stamford Bridge.

It was a miracle by Cech that denied the captain the joy of a beautiful and important goal. The initial 1-0 stayed on till the end and the bianconeri will be forced to make up for it in Turin.

With the result put aside for a while, it is still a night to remember for Del Piero due to the welcome shown by the people and a special meeting at the end of the match: a complete U2 including Bono and The Edge visited the dressing rooms to say hello to the bianconeri. «We played a good match – commented Alex – even better then Chelsea but this is just a slim consolation. In Turin we will have to do something more to turn round this result. They are a good team and showed this tonight too but we have all the chances to make it and go through to the next round».




*juventus.ocm

Buffon: «A good performance but not a good result»

The first Juventus player to re count his sensations is Gigi Buffon. His comments summarize well the match at Stamford Bridge: «A good performance but not a good result»

It was a good Juventus especially after conceding the goal, capable of putting Chelsea under pressure and would have deserved a draw which was not obtained by mere chance.
«We played well for 75 minutes – said the goalkeeper -, unfortunately we paid for the start. It was like in Palermo but we lost this time, punished by a champions like Drogba even though he was lucky with the shot. We cannot rejoice with this result which with a bit of luck could have been different. However, we can make it and the goals which we didn’t manage to score tonight might just come during the return match. In Turin, if we play well physically and add some quality we can make it».
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Molinaro: «It wasn’t easy to impose our rythm»

Christian Molinaro seemed rather tired after the match at Stamford Bridge and this is justifiable seeing how much he ran: « The rythm is totally different from that in the championship. I am perhaps more tired then I would be after a Serie A match».

Juventus played well and yet did not manage to score: «It wasn’t easy to impose our rythm. We conceded the goal on their only real attempt which is a pity. We wanted to score but we didn’t manage. Now we must do our best at home to try and turn round the result».


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Nonbar Chelsea vs Juventus 1st Leg

Player Rating Palermo Vs Juventus

Buffon: 7.0- 'Gigi' was as razor sharp as he was lucky in the first nine minutes but saved the day time and time again after that with his only mistake coming when he spilled Miccoli’s shot in the 66th minute

Molinaro: 6.5- The left-back who most Juve fans love to hate put in an admirable shift tonight.

Chiellini: 7.0- The next great Italian centre back was stellar, assured and used his positional awareness to keep the Palermo strikers off-balance.

Legrottaglie: 7.0- The back four as a whole have been shaky lately but 'Legro' did well tonight making a couple of vital blocks especially in the second half.

Grygera: 6.0- Had a tough time dealing with Balzaretti’s forward runs and was lucky not to have conceded a penalty for his handball in the area in the second half although it would have been a harsh decision.

Sissoko: 7.5- Capped off a great performance with a magnificent sole effort that gave Juve a lead they would never relinquish.

Tiago: 6.5- Is starting to come around after a disappointing first season with the Old Lady and put together another good performance tonight

Nedved: 7.0- Rolled back the years with a fine display in a hostile environment and forced Amelia into making a handful of saves in the process.

Camoranesi: 6.0- He was not his usual playmaking self this evening and was the first player taken off tonight.

Trezeguet: 7.0- Made his first start upfront after a long injury layoff and found a goal to put the match to bed and will no doubt give Ranieri some selection headaches going forward.

Iaquinta: 6.0- He got the starting nod after returning from a one game suspension but failed to add his name to the score-sheet.

SUBS: Marchionni (67”) 6.0, Amauri (71”) 7.0, Poulsen (89”) NA
*goal.com

Sissoko and Trezeguet hand Juve the victory!

Ranieri said it would be a fundamental match and so it was. A match against a hard nut to crack: Palermo. Trezeguel is back and shows he still knows how to score.

The match immediately shows that both teams are after the victory and determined to do so at all costs. On the first minute former Juventus player Miccoli immediately in a dangerous attempt with Buffon in a good save. Two minutes later it is once again Miccoli who first hits the horizontal post with a powerful shot and then Buffon saves on a second attempt from the re-bound.

Juventus are not ready to sit and stare though and on the 4th minute on the counter-attack Camoranesi passes into the area but the defence manages to clear. Seconds later Nedved crosses into the area, Trezeguet stops and shoots with Amelia in a super-save. On the 6th minute there is another Juventus initiative with Grygera who puts the ball into the area but the defence clears. Two minutes later it is once again Palermo on the attack: Buffon grabs the ball after a powerful Miccoli shot from outside the area and on the 10th minute a there is a dangerous ball into the Juventus area with the defence in a good clearance but the flag was up.

On the 11th minute there is a corner for Palermo: Tiago controls and launches the counter-attack which ends with a foul on Nedved. Seconds later there is a good Juventus attack with the defence resorting to a corner. One minute later a free-kick for Juventus sees Tiago putting the ball into the area for Chielini but Amelia saves.

On the 16th minute a dangerous cross into the Juventus area sees Chiellini forced to clear and four minutes later Nedved with a good initiative is stopped by the Palermo defence.
On the 21st minute the Czech midfielder dishes out a powerful shot from well outside the area with Amelia forced to save. In the action that follows there is a good Juventus attack with Iaquinta receiving from Sissoko but the forward slips before managing to shoot.

The 23rd minute sees Bresciano with a dangerous ball in the area but Legrottaglie clears. One minute later Nedved puts a good ball into the area for Trezeguet who is anticipated by Balzaretti. Juventus however do not have to wait much more to rejoice: On the 26th minute there is a beautiful run by Sissoko who enters the area, produces an amazing shot and scores an amazing goal for 1-0. Three minutes later great work by Molinaro who puts a low ball into the area with the Juve forwards missing it by inches.

On the 32nd minute the referee orders a free-kick for Juventus from 27 meters. Camoranesi takes it putting the ball into the area for Iaquinta who heads it surely but Amelia saves. Four minutes later Buffon waves the ball away following a Palermo corner.
On the 41st minute a great shot by Nedved is saved my Amelia and then put into corner by the defence. Two minutes later Iaquinta shoots after a good move to enter the area but Amelia saves. On the 44th minute Cavani sends shivers down the spines of Juventus with a shot which goes inches wide. The half ends following a Juventus corner with the ball cleared by the defence.

The first part of the second half sees Palermo in an attempt to equalize. On the 3rd minute Molinaro crosses into the area but Trezeguet is anticipated. Two minutes later Simplicio puts a through ball in for Cavani but Buffon anticipates the striker.

On the 8th minute there is a good ball won by Tiago who launches the Juventus attack but the defence anticipates the forwards. Six minutes later bit is Palermo who puts a ball into the Juventus area with Molinaro who clears partially and Legrottaglie who finally shoots away. On the 17th minute Buffon performs an amazing save after a great shot by Nocerino. Two minutes later Camoranesi is shown the yellow card and will miss the next match. From the free-kick dangerous ball in the area with the defence clearing with some difficulty.

The 21st minute sees Buffon saving on a Miccoli missile with Grygera clearing into corner. Seconds later Iaquinta on the run passes to Trezeguet but Cassani manages to clear. One minute later Marchionni comes on for Camoranesi. On the 24th minute Buffon saves a dangerous ball from a Miccoli corner and a moment later Iaquinta shoots with Amelia saving after a good run by Nedved. The 25th minute sees Amauri coming on for Iaquinta.

On the 27th minute there is a dangerous ball into the Juventus area with the Palermo forward heading badly. Good work by Tiago who passes to Nedved who in turn crosses into the area with Amauri shooting but Amelia saves a first time with the ball reaching Trezeguet who is stopped by the defence. Two minutes later there is a free-kick for Palermo: powerful shot by Miccoli but Buffon cradles the ball.

On the 33rd minute Amauri with great work puts a ball into the area for Trezeguet who shoots home with a slight deviation to make the score 0-2. On the 40th minute Miccoli shoots from a great distance but the ball goes wide. On the 45th minute Poulsen comes on for Sissoko and 1 minute from the final whistle (4 minutes of stoppage time) there is a good move by Amauri in the area but he is stopped by a Palermo defnder.

Serie A 2008/09 - 25th match day
Palermo, Stadio Renzo Barbera
Saturday 21st February 2009

PALERMO - JUVENTUS: 0-2

Goals: Sissoko (27th), Trezeguet (78th),

PALERMO: Amelia; Cassani, Kjaer, Bovo (Tedesco 88th), Balzaretti; Nocerino (Succi 81st), Liverani, Bresciano; Simplicio; Miccoli, Cavani. Reserves: Ujkani, Tedesco, Migliaccio, Guana, Succi, Cossentino, Savini. Coach: Ballardini.

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi (Marchionni 67th), Sissoko (Poulsen 90th), Tiago, Nedved; Trezeguet, Iaquinta. Reserves: Manninger, Mellberg, Amauri (Iaquinta 70th), Del Piero, Poulsen, Giovinco, Marchionni. Coach: Ranieri.

Referee: Tagliavento from Terni.

Yellow Cards: Grygera (25th), Bovo (32nd), Camoranesi (64th), Molinaro (75th)
*juventus.com

Trezeguet: «A goal dedicated to all my team-mates»

Two matches and two goals: Trezeguet is back. If against Napoli in the Coppa Italia it was a flag that stopped the striker from rejoicing, in Palermo nobody managed to stop the Frenchman. A good touch and a fundamental victory at the Barbera.

Trezeguet with the captain’s band had more responsibility on his shoulders: «I must thank all my team-mates. Letting me wear the captain’s band they made me feel important and for this reason I must thank all. I am very happy. After 4 delicate months I am back in the starting line-up and managed to score. I managed to play for all the 90 minutes and the Palermo players made me run a lot. I feel well and am ready to contribute even against Chelsea in a match which we have been awaiting for some time».
*juventus.com

Sissoko: «We can beat Chelsea like we beat Real Madrid»

Yet another great match by the Mali midfielder who even scored a beautiful goal: «I am very happy tonight. It is true I scored a nice goal but I am happy because we won. The first ten minutes were tough and Gigi made some good saves but at the end we deserved to win.It gives us good hope for the match in England. We are in a good condition. We can beat Chelsea like we beat Real Madrird and we hope we can repeat this a gainst Chelsea. With the right mentality and the right concentration we can beat anybody. Now we will go to Stamford Bridge and hope to do well. With regards to the championship race we must only concentrate on one match at a time and then see what happens at the end.»

All about Palermo-Juventus

Saturday night will see the match away to Palermo. The match could be hard for the bianconeri seeing the quality of the rosanero side. Juventus.com is providing you with some essential information in order to follow the match from the Barbera.

PALERMO AT HOME

There are no middle ways at the Renzo Barbera for the rosanero in the championship. The team coached by Ballardini has not yet drawn a single match, winning 9 and losing 2. The number of goals scored is 23, an important average which adds up to 2 goals per match. The attack failed to score only during the match against Inter which was lost by 0-2.

Amongst the most brilliant of victories this season there are two in particular, both by 3-1: the first was obtained against Roma in the first home match while the second against Milan in the 14th match day. The Sicilian team has just registered 5 consecutive home wins against Milan, Siena, Atalanta, Udinese and Napoli.

HOW THINGS HAVE BEEN GOING

After the defeat against Udinese during the first match day, Palermo collected 3 victories in 4 games during the month of September: 9 points, all at home and useful to climb up the table and establish themselves in the UEFA zone in sixth place. After the success against Juventus in Turin, the rosanero suffered a stop in the Sicilian derby against Catania and lost at home against Fiorentina.

The following months saw Palermo in a see-saw pattern of results: away Miccoli and friends did not manage to repeat their performances in their own stadium. 2008 came to a close with the team in mid-table. The start of the new year showed a turning point and out of 7 matches Palermo managed to obtain 4 victories, a draw and two defeats, climbing back to the 8th position four points from the UEFA zone.

THE GOALS

Whilst Juventus score mostly in the first half, especially during the last 15 minutes (between the 31st and the 45th), Palermo scored 44% of its goals in the first 45 minutes with the best moment for the rosanero attack being the first 15 minutes of the second half. The modes of scoring are also different for the two teams: the rosanero do not score much from set pieces (direct or indirect free-kicks and corners) and most of the goals come from passes in the central area.

The Miccoli-Cavani duo has scored 16 goals up to now, with the goals shared exactly between them. This is already better then last year when the ex-bianconero scored 8 goals in all and the Uruguay player in his first season in Italy scored 5 goals. There are also two midfielders with a tendency to shoot who have improved their number of nettings when compared to last season: Fabio Simplicio scored 6 (5 in 2007/08) and Bresciano 4 (1 in 2007/08).

FORMER PLAYERS

Palermo-Juventus is a match which is generating quite a bit of interest due to the return of Amauri to the city that made him great. In the memory of both teams the two goals scored against Buffon last season are still very vivid. The first goal was scored with a curling right shot and the second with a powerful header. Other former players, who are now Palermo players are Fabrizio Miccoli (who scored in the first round), Federico Balzaretti, Antonio Nocerino and Mattia Cassani who was brought up in the Juventus nursery and who collected only one appearance for Juventus, a few minutes of stoppage time as a substitute for Salas in the 2002/03 Champions League match against Dinamo Kiev which ended in a 2-1 victory. His incredible shot was decisive in last season’s match which ended 3-2. A former player’s “vendetta” which had never happened before in all the matches between Palermo and Juventus since 1993.

*juventus.com

20 called up for Palermo. Trezeguet is back

After the fine-tuning session held at Vinovo, Claudio Ranieri announced the names of the 20 players called up for the away match in Palermo.

After having missed the match against Sampdoria, David Trezeguet is once again available, just like Vincenzo Iaquinta who missed the match against the bluecerchiati due to a one match suspension.

De Ceglie will remain in Turin together with Zanetti and the other players who are recovering from injury namely Zebina, Knezevic and Salihamidzic. Ekdal is currently with the Primavera squad which is taking part in the Viareggio Cup.

Below is the list of players called up for the match in the Sicilian capital:

1 Buffon
3 Chiellini
4 Mellberg
8 Amauri
9 Iaquinta
10 Del Piero
11 Nedved
12 Chimenti
13 Manninger
16 Camoranesi
17 Trezeguet
18 Poulsen
19 Marchisio
20 Giovinco
21 Grygera
22 Sissoko
28 Molinaro
30 Tiago
32 Marchionni
33 Legrottaglie


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Player Ratings: Catania 1-2 Juventus

Juventus defeated Catania at the Stadio Massimino in Serie A this afternoon. Goal.com rates the participants…
CATANIA

Bizzarri: 6.0- Apart from picking the ball out of his net twice, had virtually nothing to do. Blameless on both goals.

Potenza: 6.5- Responsible for getting Iaquinta sent off in what should have been a big turning point in the game. Should have scored with a header from close range.

Silvestre: 6.0- Had it easy in defence for most of the afternoon, as he and his three colleagues had just one man to mark all day.

Stovini: 5.0- Not an afternoon to remember for Stovini. Missed a great chance to put his side ahead, and was outjumped by Iaquinta for Juve's first goal.

Capuano: 5.5- His match only lasted half-an-hour before he succumbed to injury. Struggled during that time against the tricky Camoranesi.

Izco: 6.0- Carried out his job in midfield, but never really caught the eye, and was substituted in the second half.

Baiocco: 7.0- The veteran continues to impress in the middle of the park, and it was the same today. Gutsy display against his former club. Hit the post at 1-1.

Biagianti: 6.5- Battled well alongside Baiocco, and unleashed a few long-range efforts on goal.

Tedesco: 6.0- Worked hard for the team, and committed an important tactical foul on Sissoko in the second half.

Morimoto: 7.0- Very lively up front. His pace and movement caused problems, and he scored Catania's equaliser. Missed a one-on-one, though.

Mascara: 7.0- Has had an excellent season, and continued his fine form today. Mascara's free kick created Potenza's first half chance, while his header led to Morimoto's equaliser.

SUBS: Martinez 6.5, Carboni 6.0, Terlizzi 3.0

JUVENTUS

Buffon: 9.0- A goalkeeping clinic from the Italy No.1. World-class saves from Morimoto (twice), Potenza and Martinez. Also made a fine stop from Mascara, but could do nothing on Morimoto's follow-up. Buffon is back!

Grygera: 6.0- At fault for Morimoto's goal, but aside from this Grygera was reasonably steady for most of the game.

Legrottaglie: 6.5- Had a few difficulties against the pacy Morimoto, but played an important role in holding Catania at bay.

Mellberg: 6.5- Strong and resolute, Mellberg made a few key tackles, including one on Mascara.

Molinaro: 6.0- Carried out his job down the left, Molinaro did not push forward as much as normal due to Iaquinta's red card.

Camoranesi: 7.0- Made an excellent return from injury, and was Juventus' most dangerous player offensively, creating Iaquinta's goal. Ranieri then strangely substituted him on 50 minutes, and 30 seconds later Catania equalised.

Sissoko: 8.0- A beastly performance in midfield, Sissoko was everywhere this afternoon. The Malian's energy was quite incredible at times. Deserved this win for his personal efforts.

Tiago: 6.0- Did okay on his comeback, and largely held his own in the middle. Juventus need a real star in centre midfield, though, and Tiago is not that man.

Nedved: 5.5- Once again Juventus play, and Nedved appears to have little impact. Worked hard, but it is difficult to see just what the Czech legend brings to the table now.

Iaquinta: 4.0- Was really fired up, and put Juve ahead with a bullet header, before being sent off 60 seconds later. The red card was a questionable decision by the referee, but Iaquinta should still be criticised for diving in, and thus leaving his side a man down for almost 80 minutes.

Amauri: 7.0- Led the line all by himself for 80 minutes, and deserves huge praise. Few of his team-mates ever supported him, and his injury-time assist for Poulsen's winner was a just reward.

SUBS: Marchionni 6.0, Pouslen 7.0

Carlo Garganese

Poulsen and his golden goal!

A golden shirt, a golden three points and a golden goal by a golden boy named Christian Poulsen. The bianconeri spent most of the match with one man less but held-tight scoring the winner in the last moments of the match. The return of Camoranesi and Tiago definitely left an important mark on the match.

Juventus started off with the great determination that Ranieri spoke of in the press conference on the eve of the match. The team seems concentrated and compact and most of all ready to get back on the winning track. The starting line-up sees the welcome return of Tiago and Camoranesi in midfield while Del Piero leaves his place to Iaquinta who is immediately a protagonist.

On the 1st minute Iaquinta heads the ball after receiving from Sissoko with Bizzarri in an easy save. Two minutes later there is a free-kick for Catania. The ball reaches Stovini who sees the ball go inches wide. On the 5th Silvestri anticipates Iaquinta after a good series of passes and a Molinaro through ball: good Juve initiative.

If anyone had any doubt that Buffon was under the effect of kryptonite he was surely proven wrong during this match. The first piece of evidence came on the 7th minute when he performs nothing less then a miracle on Morimoto after the latter entered the area following a great run. One minute later a good Grygera cross into the area finds the Catania defence well prepared.

On the 9th minute Juventus are awarded a free-kick after a foul on Iaquinta whilst running into the area. Camoranesi takes the free-kick, puts the ball into the area and Iaquinta with a perfect header puts the ball at the back of the net opening the score. Two minutes later the referee seems to be over-strict as he sends off Iaquinta for a foul which could have seen a much more lenient punishment. The striker is a protagonist in 12 minutes managing to score and receive a record time within three turns of the second hand.

On the 13th minute Tedesco heads over the bar after a dangerous Tedesco incursion and 2 minutes later the ball is once again into the Juventus area but the defence clears. The 17th minute sees the second miracle by Buffon: a free-kick for Catania sees SuperGigi performing another miracle on a header by Potenza with Tiago finally putting the ball into corner.

On the 26th minute Mascara takes a run for it but the Juventus defence is timely and manages to take the ball elegantly. Amauri is doing a great sacrifice for the team as he is often seen fighting for balls in the midfield.

On the 38th minute Morimoto turns and shoots but the ball goes straight into the arms of Buffon. One minute later yellow card for Silvestre after a persistent foul on Amauri. Free-kick for Juventus : Nedved takes the free-kick. A powerful shot sees Amauri's deviation putting the ball wide. One minute later Morimoto shoots wide from a dangerous even though lateral position.

The last action of the first-half sees Super-Gigi once again proving his super powers as he performs a great save on Martinez.

The second-half starts with Catania on the attack. On the 4th minute a short clearance by Grygera sees the ball reaching Baiocco who luckily puts the ball high. Two minutes later Marchionni comes on for Camoranesi who proved to be getting back to his usual form with a great performance. There’s hardly time for Marco to settle in when Buffon performs a great save on Mascara but from the re-bound Morimoto puts the ball at the back of the net for the equaliser.

Juventus try to react and one minute later Tiago shoots slightly high after a good Juve initiative. On the 8th minute there is a corner for Catania, Baiocco shoots and the ball goes inches wide. Two minutes later Amauri enters the Catania area with a good run and puts the ball across the area with the Catania defence anticipating.

On the 11th minute Nedved tries with a powerful left-foot shot but sees the ball go high over the bar. One minute later Legrottaglie clears after a cross in the area addressed to Martinez. The defence clears after the corner. On the 15th minute Legrottaglie clears into a corner on a Morimoto shot.

Four minutes later Tiago tries a shot from 25 meters with the ball going slightly wide. On the 24th minute the Juventus defence saves in some manner after a good Catania initiative.
One minute later Amauri in a beautiful counter-attack run enters the area but is stopped by three Catania defenders. Tiago also tries to win the ball but to no avail. On the 28th minute a good counter-attack by Juventus sees the defence clearing for a touch. One minute later Marchionni shoots a beautiful ball from outside the area which goes inches wide.

The half-hour of the second half sees Buffon in another great save on Morimoto but the flag was up for off-side. One minute later a dangerous ball sees Buffon and Morimoto both in desperate search of the ball with the sphere going out for a corner. On the 37th minute Poulsen comes on for Tiago who had a good match after his injury. Two minutes later Amauri receives from Nedved and shoots with Bizarri resolving in a corner. From the flag the ball reaches Mellberg who heads ball but Bizarri cradles it.

On the 41st minute Amauri on a great counter-attack sees his ball deviated into a corner. Three minutes later there is a free-kick for Juventus. Nedved takes it putting the ball into the area, Poulsen heads but the ball is in the hands of the keeper. On the 45th minute Amauri heads the ball from a good cross but Stovini clears.

One minute later Juventus benefit of a corner with the ball reaching Amauri who heads towards Poulsen who puts the ball in the back of the net for the match-winner.

Serie A 2008/09 - 23rd match day
Catania, Stadio Massimino
Sunday 8th February 2009

CATANIA - JUVENTUS: 1-2

Goals: Iaquinta (8th), Morimoto (51st), Poulsen (91st)

CATANIA: Bizzarri, Potenza (Terlizzi 79th), Silvestre, Stovini, Capuano (Martinez 32nd), Baiocco, Izco (Carboni 69th), Tedesco, Biagianti, Mascara, Morimoto. Reserves: Kosicky, Carboni, Paolucci, Silvestri, Terlizzi, Martinez, Spinesi.
Coach: Zenga.

JUVENTUS: Buffon, Grygera, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, Molinaro, Camoranesi (Marchionni 50th), Sissoko, Tiago (Poulsen 82nd), Nedved, Amauri, Iaquinta. Reserves: Manninger, Ariaudo, Poulsen, Marchionni, Giovinco, Trezeguet, Del Piero.
Coach: Ranieri.

REFEREE: Morganti

Yellow Cards: Stovini (8th), Iaquinta (9th, 12th ), Amauri (16th), Legrottaglie (28th), Silvestre (41st ), Sissoko (58th), Tedesco (62nd),

Red Card: Iaquinta (12th)
*juventus.com

Ranieri: «We had become too generous»

A visibly satisfied Ranieri spoke during the usual interview at the end of the match. The team’s response was great and got back to being what it was before «because – declared Ranieri – we were becoming too generous, like for example against Cagliari and we had lost our balance. In Catania I found the team I wanted, playing a great match even though we were one player short for 80 minutes against a team that never gave up»

Therefore that is not tired as it has been described. «Let us say we are not at the level we had in November and December – confirmed Ranieri – but after all you cannot always be at 100%. Analyzing the two previous defeats, against Udinese we didn’t play, against Cagliari we were too generous but the team is physically well, otherwise we would not have managed to play for 120 minutes on Wednesday and 80 minutes with one man less today»

Let us speak of the protagonists, Ranieri has appraisals to make: «To Poulsen, who already played well against Napoli and who proved to be important for us. For Tiago, who played a great match. Today, not withstanding the injuries I had proof that I have 4 midfielders which I can count on. For Amauri, who deserves to have a monument erected for the way in which he played keeping the match alive. He isn’t scoring? He will, he is one with a double number at the end of the season» Finally a comment on Iaquinta: «I preferred him because Trezeguet has just come back just like Amauri because the captain had played 2 great matches. We are entering a difficult cycle and we need everybody. The send-off? It was right but he could have avoided receiving the first yellow card for having removed the shirt»

*juventus.com

Poulsen: «A goal worth gold»

Hardly ten minutes pass from his entrance onto the field before Poulsen proves decisive. A winning deviation which gives Juventus the three points. The midfielder does not attempt to hide his joy: «I am happy for me, but most of all for the team. It is a very important victory».

The victory came at the end of a very difficult match : «It was really hard and difficult – confirmed Poulsen -. Now we can enjoy this victory that thanks to Saturday’s results allows us to return to the second place and remain on the leader’s track.»

*juventus.com

The comments of Camoranesi, Legrottaglie, Mellberg and Sissoko

«The one against Catania is a great victory». Words of Nicola Legrottaglie. «We were coming – continued the defender – from two defeats, we didn’t play well and today we played with 10 against 11. It was a great show of strength ». «Even because – added Mellberg – to complicate things for us was the wind and the strong support on the stands for the home team».Everybody is happy but Camoranesi is not yet full satisfied with his performance: «I could have done better on a personal level – he stated – but the important thing is that the team is there and did well even with one man less ».

Sissoko concluded: «It was a great victory. Compliments to Tiago and Camoranesi who on their return gave a great contribution. The title-race? We have to live one match at a time and see what happens».
*juventus.com

Player Ratings: Juventus 0–0 Napoli (4-3 after Penalties)

After 120 goalless minutes, Juventus knocked Napoli out of the Italian Cup and progressed to the semi-finals courtesy of a dramatic penalty shoot out. This is how Goal.com rated the players on show…
JUVENTUS

Manninger 6.5 – Deputised well for Buffon once again, pulling off a few stunning saves, including a great save in the penalty shoot out.

Grygera 6 – Not his usual attacking self, but was strong in defence and kept Napoli’s attacking wingers in check.

Mellberg 6.5 – Did very well in defence throughout the encounter and provided a game winning block near the end of extra time.

De Ceglie 6 – Was unfortunate to have to leave the pitch after 20 minutes following an impressive tackle on Gargano that ended badly for him.

Legrottaglie 7 – A calm rock at the back for the Bianconeri, his influence in defence made a huge difference for Juventus.

Marchioni 6 – Wasted a good chance to score early on, but generally useful as part of the attacking setup.

Poulsen 5 – Was invisible for great parts of the match, and contributed very little to the midfield battle, where Sissoko was picking up most of the slack.

Sissoko 6.5 – The midfielder was his usual battling self, stealing the ball and breaking down Napoli attacks in the centre, but he was lucky not to pay for a horrible penalty kick.

Del Piero 7 – The captain led admirably from the front, doing well to create opportunities, but his free kicks lacked their usual threat.

Iaquinta 6 – Caught offside a few times and looked visibly frustrated as his control let him down on a number of occasions.

Giovinco 6 – Kept out of the game for the most part, he had a few moments of inspiration, but on the whole he was disappointing.

SUBS: Mollinaro 6, Trezeguet 6, Nedved 6.5

NAPOLI

Navarro 6 – Called into action on a few occasions, and made one or two memorable saves to deny the home side.

Santacroce 7 – Solid at the back for Napoli, he kept Iaquinta at bay on the left for Juventus, while also frustrating the talented Giovinco.

Cannavaro 6.5 – Quietly got to work and kept the Juventus attack away from his goal, leading the defence and making sure that they were organised.

Pazienza 6 – Relatively good performance from the Italian, but he should have been more active in the midfield when the opportunity presented itself.

Contini 6 – An unfortunate miss in the penalty shoot out sums up his day in a nutshell, but at least he had the courage to step up for the kick.

Hamsik 6.5 – Was involved with much of the wing play down the right for Napoli, but failed to make his mark on the game as he has in many other past encounters.

Gargano 6.5 – Pushed around a great deal in midfield by the bigger Juve central players, but despite his size disadvantage he held his own admirably and caused problems for the Bianconeri.

Montervino 6 – Not impressive for the Partenopei, his clearances were poor and generally he left a great deal to be desired.

Aronica 6 – A bland ninety minutes is what Aronica offered the Partenopei, doing his job without over-extending himself.

Lavezzi 6.5 – Quiet in the first half, his second half display gave wrinkles and grey hairs to the Juve defence as he dribbled and swayed his way into dangerous positions and almost scored on a few occasions.

Zalayeta 5.5 – Failed to create much up front, and lacked the confidence of his strike partner Lavezzi in attempting to ruffle some Juve feathers.

SUBS: Vitale 5.5, Denis 6.5, Bogliacino 6

Goal.com

Juve through on penalties!!!

Juventus are through to the semi-final of the Coppa Italia after a well-fought match thanks to the shots from the eleven metres. A match with alternations in rythm but nevertheless very exciting.

The first-half of the match is very intense but with very few real goal opportunities. Juventus, however showed good play creating quite a few good actions. On the first minute however, it is Lavezzi who enters the area and shoots but Manninger saves without difficulty.

The first few minutes see the two teams playing a midfield match but on the 8th minute there is good work in the midfield by Marchionni who crosses to Giovinco on the left flank but the Atomic Ant does not reach the ball. One minute later it is Grygera who puts a good cross into the area but Navarro saves. On the 10th minute Juventus are awarded a corner after a good initiative: the ball reaches Legrottaglie who heads wide.

The 13th minute sees a great run by Legrottaglie on the left flank with Zalayeta putting the ball beyond the line but the referee orders a goal kick. One minute later Sissoko clears after a fee-kick for Napoli from a dangerous position. On the 16th minute there is a long-ball by Contini in search of Hamsik but Manninger saves easily. One minute later Iaquinta and Del Piero exchange the ball but the final shot is saved by Navarro.

On the 18th minute Marchionni runs on the right and crosses into the area with the Napoli defence resorting to a corner. Two minutes later comes bad news for Juventus: De Ceglie is injured after a sliding tackle on Lavezzi and is substituted by Molinaro.

On the 25th minute there is a free-kick for Juventus. Del Piero takes it but the ball hits the wall. One minute later Del Piero in a good initiative, the ball reaches Iaquinta who shoots but the ball is weak and Navarro saves without problems. On the 29th minute there is a good ball put in the Napoli area by Poulsen but the defence clears.

Two minutes later Hamsik puts a dangerous cross into the Juventus area but Molinaro clears well. On the 34th minute there is a free-kick for Napoli, with the ball into the area. The Juve defence clears a first time but sees the ball go out after a Napoli over-head kick.
Two minutes later Legrottaglie with a beautiful clearance launches the Juve counter-attack but the ball is put into touch.

On the 38th minute Giovinco passes to Del Piero after winning a good ball but the captain doesn't manage to stop it. Three minutes later Hamsik puts a poisonous ball into the area but the Juve defence clears.

On the 43rd minute there is a free-kick for Juventus after a foul on Del Piero. Giovinco takes it putting the ball into the area but Navarro punches clear. Two minutes later Giovinco launches Del Piero who exchanges with Iaquinta but the ball is put into corner. The last action of the first half comes on the 47th minute and sees Sissoko and Del Piero in a series of passes but the Napoli defence somehow manages to clear.

The second half is more eventful and the teams seem to have charged-up during the break.
On the 2nd minute Molinaro lauches Iaquinta but the ball is slightly long. One minute later Lavezzi dribbles his way into the area but his shot is partially cleared by the defence. From the rebound Hamsik sees the ball being saved by Manninger in a corner. From the corner the goalkeeper saves easily.

On the 4th minute Lavezzi on the run shoots from outside the area but Manninger saves. On the 5th minute there is a good ball into the Napoli area but the defence clears with some difficulty. Seconds later, Marchionni puts a good ball into the area but the ball addressed to Del Piero finds the captain on the ground. On the 7th minute Poulsen crosses to Iaquinta but the attacker is blocked by the defence before managing to cross.

The match has gained in rhythm and on the 14th minute it is Trezeguet who comes on for Iaquinta. Three minutes later great ball into the area by Giovinco, Del Piero slips but manages to head the ball while going down. Navarro saves. On the 21st minute Nedved comes on for Giovinco. One minute later Juventus are awarded a free-kick. Del Piero on the ball, putting it into the area, Poulsen takes it but the ball hits Cannavaro and ends in a corner.

On the 27th minute Marchionni crosses into the area but Navarro saves easily. Four minutes later Trezeguet shoots after receiving from Nedved but the ball is deviated into corner.

The 36th minute sees Mellberg in an excellent save on what would have been a clear chance of goal. One minute later it is Manninger in a brilliant save. Napoli seem to be taking the initiative at the end of the match and seconds later Zalayeta shoots after a good run putting the ball wide for a sigh of relief. On the 40th minute another valid reason for a heart attack: a dangerous ball crosses the whole of the Juve area but nobody manages to hit home.

The next few minutes see Napoli trying to attack and the Juventus defence holding-on tight but on the 3rd minute out of 4 minutes of stoppage time given by Ayroldi Trezeguet scores after receiving from Del Piero with the referee disallowing for off-side. The match goes to extra-time.

The extra-time is played by two teams who are visibly tired and yet want to get the most out of the match. On the 3rd minute Molinaro puts the ball towards Marchionni who passes to Trezeguet alone in the area but the Frenchman fails to hit home from a golden position.

On the 4th minute Hamsik shoots but Manninger is prepared and saves well. Two minutes later Del Piero concludes sending the ball to the back of the net but the referee disallows for a handsball.

The first minute of the second half in extra time sees a good Juventus attack with the Napoli defence finding it hard to clear. Two minutes later sees a great save by Manninger after the ball gets through dangerously.

What comes next is a siege by Juventus on the Napoli area. On the 19th minute Molinaro puts a good ball into the area but the Napoli defence clears. One minute later 3 occasions in less then a minute for Juventus with Navarro first saving on Nedved and then on Del Piero from the rebound. The ball is once again played into the area with the defence clearing.

The last action of the match comes on the 28th minute in extra-time : Free-kick taken by Del Piero with the ball going just slightly high. The match goes to penalties.

Below is the penalty sequence:

Del Piero : goal
Hamsik: goal
Trezeguet : goal
Bogliacino : goal
Nedved: saved
Denis : goal
Marchionni: goal
Lavezzi : saved
Sissoko: post and high
Contini: high
Legrottaglie : goal
Gargano: high


Coppa Italia 2008/09 - quarter-final
Turin, Olympic Stadium
Wednesday 4th February 2009

JUVENTUS – NAPOLI: 0-0 (4-3 after penalties)

Scorers:
JUVENTUS: Manninger; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Mellberg, De Ceglie (Molinaro 20th); Marchionni, Sissoko, Poulsen, Giovinco (Nedved 67th); Iaquinta (Trezeguet 59th), Del Piero. Reserves: Chimenti, Ariaudo, Molinaro, Camoranesi, Nedved, Amauri, Trezeguet. Coach: Ranieri.
NAPOLI: Navarro; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Contini; Montervino (Bogliacino 74th), Pazienza, Gargano, Hamsik, Aronica (Vitale 1st ET); Lavezzi, Zalayeta. Reserves: Sepe, Vitale, Maggio, Bogliacino, Russotto, Pià, Denis. Coach: Reja.
REFEREE: Ayroldi from Molfetta.
Yellow Cards: Contini (24th), Lavezzi (45th), Montervino (54th), Mellberg (63rd), Santacroce (64th), Boglaicino (81st), Sissoko (89th), Pazienza (8th ET), Legrottaglie (25th ET), Nedved (29th ET).

*juventus.com

Legrottaglie: «I am sure we will get back»

The central defender who had ana excellent match looks visibly exhausted at the end of over 2 hours of game play but he is definitely satisfied and positive.

«It was a difficult match especially in the second half. We gave them a few occasions in the second half which we wouldn’t normally do but then we managed to make-up. I think it is a negative moment that we’re going through but we will get back as we did last year. The problem is that sometimes you don’t know where these negative moments come from and so it is difficuklt to remedy.Now we hope to get back and re-gain the lost terrain. Just like we did against Real Madrid.»

The atmosphere at the Olimpico seemed to be that at a Champions League match: « It is always a nice competition and we’re in the semi-final. I can only imagine how much greater it would be if we played a Champions League semi-final. We need the supporters. If we want to obtain our goals we must do that together. Tonight the supporters showed us this and helped us greatly.»

*juventus.com

Ranieri: «We must now return to winning in the Serie A»

Claudio Ranieri is definitely more satisfied then he was after the last matches of Juventus, especially since the team fought till the end and won themselves a place in the semi-final.

The first though however goes to De Ceglie: « All tests have had negative utcome but he will stay in hospital till tomorrow under observation.»

The coach then spoke of the match and the positive outcome: « It was a very strange match because at timesI saw a compact team and in others the same mistakes as against Cagliari. I think Napoli played well too but in the extra-time we put a bit more pressure. I tried to field the team that is more reliable. Poulsen played well and he played for the whole match. Trezeguet? The more time passed the more he looked settled and as though he was getting back. He even scored even though it was disallowed. We didn’t play a great match but when they attacked we were compact and that is a good sign. We might not have the brilliance of November but we’re well. We must now return to winning points in the championship.»
*juventus.com

De Ceglie in hospital

The only negative note after the match against Napoli is the injury to Paolo De Ceglie in the middle of the first half.

The young player from Valle D’Aosta was taken to the Fornaca Clinic in Turin and will remain under observation for 24 hours out of precaution following a strong blow to the thorax.

* juventus.com
get well soon DC

UEFA list: nothing new for Juventus

As per programme on Sunday Juventus concluded the list of players to be registered for the rest of the Champions League.

There are no differences compared to the one presented in September. The 25 names of list A and the 9 names in list B were confirmed.

The lists may not be changed. The only list that can be modified is list B which includes youths born after January 1987 and that have been with the club for at least two years. UEFA must be notified of the modification by not later then midnight of the day preceding the match.

Lista A

1 BUFFON Gianluigi
3 CHIELLINI Giorgio
4 MELLBERG Olof
5 ZEBINA Jonathan
6 ZANETTI Cristiano
7 SALIHAMIDZIC Hasan
8 CARVALHO DE OLIVEIRA Amauri
9 IAQUINTA Vincenzo
10 DEL PIERO Alessandro
11 NEDVED Pavel
12 CHIMENTI Antonio
13 MANNINGER Alexander
15 KNEZEVIC Dario
16 CAMORANESI Mauro German
17 TREZEGUET David
18 POULSEN Christian Bager
19 MARCHISIO Claudio
20 GIOVINCO Sebastian
21 GRYGERA Zdenek
22 SISSOKO Mohamed Lamine
28 MOLINARO Cristian
29 DE CEGLIE Paolo
30 CARDOSO MENDES Tiago
32 MARCHIONNI Marco
33 LEGROTTAGLIE Nicola

Coach RANIERI Claudio

Lista B

31 NOCCHI Timothy
35 ESPOSITO Simone
36 CASTGLIA Luca
37 DURAVIA Marco
38 D'ELIA Salvatore
39 MARRONE Luca
40 ROSSI Fausto
41 ARIAUDO Lorenzo
42 PINSOGLIO Carlo
*juventus.com

Player Ratings: Juventus 2-3 Cagliari

Cagliari pulled off a historic victory over a stunned Juventus side in Turin this evening. Goal.com rates the players on show...
JUVENTUS

Buffon: 5.0- Was beaten three times and was left hanging by his defence corps.

Molinaro: 5.5- Could not handle Fini on the right flank and was fortunate that the linesman did not rule the ball went out of bounds in the play leading up to Nedved’s goal.

Chiellini- 6.0- Back in the side after a brief injury layoff but was forced to leave the field after re-aggravating it. .

Legrottaglie: 5.0- Had a great chance to open the scoring in the 12th minute but neglected his defensive duties and was a liability at the back tonight.

Mellberg: 6.0- Slid into a right back role for tonight’s match and looked uncomfortable at times playing the offside trap.

Marchionni: 5.0- He was guilty of some shoddy defending on Biondini’s goal and had a match to forget

Sissoko: 6.0- Scored Juve’s first goal of the match but was guilty of a horrific giveaway that directly led to Cagliari’s winning goal.

Zanetti: 6.0- Was forced off with an injury after just 21 minutes.

Nedved: 7.0- The old Czech warhorse rolled back the years with a good performance and a well taken goal.

Del Piero: 7.0- Set up Sissoko’s first goal with a great set piece delivery but will be devastated with the loss.

Amauri: 7.0- Carved open the Cagliari defence on more than one occasion and gave them fits in the first 45 minutes.

SUBS: Marchisio (21”) 6.0, Iaquinta (69”) 5.5, Grygera (71”) 6.0

CAGLIARI

Marchetti: 5.5- Returned from suspension tonight and was beaten twice although he made a couple of key stops.

Pisano: 6.0- Picked up a silly yellow card but made two vitals blocks in the second half.

Bianco: 6.0- Could not handle the Juventus forwards in the first half and will be happy that his team picked up a victory despite conceding two goals.

Canini: 6.0- Bounced back from a poor first half with a solid performance to keep Juve off the score-sheet in the second half.

Agostini: 6.0- He had a tough time with Amauri who threw his weight around and kept the defender off balance tonight.

Cossu: 7.0- The speedy midfielder caused the Juventus defence some problems and set up Jeda’s goal with a beautiful pass.

Conti: 6.0- The captain made a huge mistake as his attempted clearance failed to make it past Nedved who powered a shot past Marchetti for Juve’s second goal of the match.

Biondini: 7.5- Took his goal well as he powered a header past Buffon that opened the scoring.

Fini: 8.0- Provided the cross that set up Biondini’s goal and was a danger every time he touched the ball.

Jeda: 8.0- He was as cool as a cucumber when he slotted the ball past Buffon and was a real thorn in Juve’s side tonight

Acquafresca: 5.5- Did not make a big impression at all tonight and was substituted in the second half.

SUBS: Matri (60”) 7.5, Lazzari (70”) 7.5, Parola (85”) NA
Goal.com