Serie A Player Ratings: Reggina 2-2 Juventus

An exciting 2-2 draw was played out at the Stadio Granillo. Goal.com rates the participants...

26 Apr 2009 16:20:40

JUVENTUS

Buffon- 6.5: Dealt with most things that came his way well. Perhaps he could have done a little better on the first goal, but the defence are to blame for not marking Barilla. Had absolutely no chance with the second.

Grygera- 7.0: The pick of the Juventus defence. He was able to get down the right very well and play in crosses and also kept Vigiani relatively quiet.

Mellberg- 6.5: On the ground, he was a bit susceptible, but in the air he was fantastic. Overall, a decent outing for the Swede.

Ariaudo- 6.0: The youngster had big shoes to fill, covering for Chiellini. At times, he was muscled out of the play by Reggina's attackers. However, he made a few key tackles in the first half.

Molinaro- 5.5: He simply should not be starting at a prestigious club like Juventus.

Camoranesi- 6.0: The Italian international added some creativity and was involved in the second goal. However, he disappeared from the match for long spells.

Zanetti- 6.5: Scored a goal on his return to the line-up. At first, he did not seem up to dealing with Reggina's speed, but he adapted and was one of the best players of the match.

Marchisio- 5.0: Given a chance to shine, the central midfielder did not impress and was subbed off due to injury after 37 minutes.

Nedved- 7.0: Rolled back the years with an excellent performance. He was full of running and constantly involved in the attacking play, carving out some promising opportunities.

Del Piero- 5.5: Despite rolling in a penalty, the captain confirmed his poor form with a disappointing outing.

Iaquinta- 7.0: His finishing was wayward. However, he earned a penalty for his side and assisted Zanetti's goal. He was always an outlet in the offensive end.

Substitutes

Poulsen 6.0, Amauri 6.0

REGGINA

Puggioni- 6.5: Perhaps lucky not to receive a red after plling down Del Piero. The shot stopper made an excellent finger tip save from Iaquinta in the second half to help his side to a draw.

Cirillo- 7.5: He marshalled the defence extremely well and made some decisive clearances. A very accomplished performance from the captain.

Valdez- 6.0: The centre-back was a bit slow dealing with through balls, but otherwise was solid at the back.

Santos- 6.0: He made few mistakes during the match, but at times struggled to contain Camoranesi and Nedved in one-on-one situations.

Adejo- 6.5: He bombed upa nd down the right side all afternoon. His assist for the opening goal was excellent, even if he did needlessly give away a penalty.

Carmona- 5.5: Playing in front of the defence, he perhaps allowed a bit too much room for Zanetti and Poulsen in the second half.

Hallfredsson- 7.5: A wonder goal from the Icelandic player that made the crowd go wild. His strike gave Buffon absolutely no chance!

Barilla- 6.5: He took his header well and hassled the Juventus players to regain possession on a number of occasions.

Vigiani- 5.5: He started out well, but was completely anonymous after the first 15 minutes at the Granillo.

Ceravolo- 6.0: He had a great solo run for half the length of the pitch in the closing stages of the first-half, but other than that his lack of experience was evident.

Brienza- 7.0: The skilful player shined and caused plenty of problems with his dribbling, including when he set up the Amaranto's second goal.

Substitutes

Cozza 6.5, Cascione 6.0, Corradi N/A

Zanetti: «It was an important goal»

Cristiano Zanetti had been out of the field for a long time and his return against Reggina was perhaps one of the most positive points of the match, especially when one considers the goal scored.

«At first I found it a bit difficult because I did not have the right rhythm in my legs then the match rhythm fell and I managed to get into the match. It was an important goal because I scored on my return and won us a point».

Want went wrong?: «Having failed to reach our three main objectives affected us but we must realize that the second place can be a good result. It is however, not easy for players who had higher objectives in mind. Clearly a team built to win which finds itself out of the race for the titles finds it hard to find the stimuli necessary».
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Iaquinta: «There is a bit of disappointment but we must now to play well in the last five matches»

Vincenzo Iauinta, one of the best players in the match at the Granillo, commented the draw against Reggina: : «We lost precious points and we are disappointed because of this even because we had the right winning mentality». Amongst the reasons for this negative moment Iaquinta blames luck: «It is a period in which our opponents score with their first attempt and this even happened with that deviation in the Coppa Italia. Now we have to give anything in the last five matches».

The striker concluded with the words spoken by Ranieri during the last press conference with regards to the exhaustion of the players: «The group is united. We are a group of men who want to show much».
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Player Ratings: Juventus 1–1 Inter

Inter were in cruise control before Grygera’s late header gave ten-man Juventus a share of the spoils. Goal.com rates the players on show.

Apr 18, 2009 4:49:11 PM

JUVENTUS

Buffon: 7.5- Gigi had conceded six goals in the previous two matches but bounced back to keep his team in the game by making great saves from Stankovic and Cruz before Grygera’s equaliser.

Grygera: 7.0- He had a great chance in the 30th minute but more that made up for that miss with a bullet header to salvage the draw

Chiellini: 7.0- Seems to relish his personal battles with Ibrahimovic and tonight it was no different as he banged and bruised the lanky Swede.

Legrottaglie: 6.0- He was rendered ineffective after picking up a yellow card in the 35th minute and is lucky not to have conceded a penalty for a challenge on Ibrahimovic just before Grygera’s goal.

Molinaro: 6.0- Fought hard with Balotelli down the left flank and gave a pretty good account of himself before he was substituted in the second half.

Marchionni: 6.0- The occasion seemed to have got the better of him as he had two glorious chances to chip the ball over Julio Cesar but failed.

Tiago: 5.0- Saved a sure goal with a great goal-line clearance in the 10th minute but foolishly lashed out at Balotelli in the 75th minute and was sent off.

Poulsen: 6.0- He held his own against Muntari and Cambiasso in the midfield and provided the steel necessary in the middle of the park that Juve needed against the Nerazzurri.

Nedved: 5.0- The Czech legend showed his age tonight and failed to make an impact in what was his last Derby d’Italia.

Iaquinta: 5.0- The red-hot Italian striker was virtually non-existent for long stretches of the match and could not handle Samuel’s physical nature.

Del Piero: 5.5- The captain was a bit disappointing tonight by his own lofty standards, and was substituted with the match still hanging in the balance.
SUBS: De Ceglie (62”) 6.0, Trezeguet (74”) 6.0, Giovinco (80”) 6.5

INTER

Julio Cesar: 7.0- Back between the sticks after a one-game absence and made two brave saves grom Marchionni.

Zanetti: 6.0- The influential captain assumed a right-back role and uncharacteristically gave possession away a few too many times

Samuel: 7.0- The ‘Wall’ patrolled the back line with a General’s expertise and made a countless number of vital blocks.

Cordoba: 7.0- Is sometimes guilty of conceding free-kicks in dangerous positions against Juve but did not put a foot wrong all evening long.

Chivu: 6.5- The versatile Romanian can play any position in defence and midfield and was solid for most of the match but will be disappointed with the marking for Grygera’s equaliser.

Figo: 7.0- The old Portuguese warhorse made his 100th appearance in Serie A tonight and showed he still has some gas left in the tank. Showed his class with a marvellous through ball to Muntari in the 71st minute.

Cambiasso: 6.5- Was given the job of protecting the back-four tonight and did it well without any fuss or bother. His positioning is always first rate and tonight was no exception.

Muntari: 7.5- The Ghanaian international sent a picture-perfect cross that found Balotelli to give Inter the lead and had a wonderful second half overall.

Stankovic: 6.0- The Serbian star was absolutely robbed by Buffon in the 79th minute in what looked to be a sure goal and then failed to pick up Grygera’s run for Juve’s equaliser.

Balotelli: 7.0- ‘Super Mario’ had a glorious chance to open the scoring in the 10th minute but atoned for that miss with a cool finish in the 63rd. Has an extremely bright future ahead of him.

Ibrahimovic: 7.0- The former Juve man was given the rough-house treatment by Chiellini and Legrottaglie but dealt the pair a blow as he started the attack that set up Balotelli’s goal. Had a late penalty shout turned down moments before Grygera’s equaliser.

SUBS: Vieira (76”) 6.0, Burdisso (77”) 6.0, Cruz ( 80”) 6.5

Buffon: «Now down with the Coppa Italia»

The championship seems to be decided. The ten point margin from Inter remained the same even after the direct encounter with just 6 matches to go. The season, however, is far from over. Especially for those who still have objectives to reach which in the case of the bianconeri are more then one. If the second place means qualification to the Champions League without the need of preliminaries and an improvement on last year, the Coppa Italia would be an important trophy to add to the cupboard.

The Coppa Italia has regained the people’s interest thanks to the new formula after years in which it was considered as being of secondary importance. This is not only due to the fact that 2 of the semi-finalists are Juventus and Inter. On Wednesday and Thursday the names of the two teams in the final to meet in Rome in May will be known: Bianconeri and Lazio on one side and nerazzurri and Samp on the other.

Ranieri’s team on Wednesday must turn around the 2-1 defeat suffered away at the Rome Olimpico. The idea of adding the 10th Coppa Italia to the trophy cupboard is a stimulus for all, including Gigi Buffon: «There was a time when teams tried to avoid playing in this competition at all costs but now it has been given a new lustre and more attention is being given in order to win it. We want to win it even because we do not want to ruin months of work in 20 odd days. For this reason, we also want to finish the championship in the best of manners».

Juventus are approaching the match against Lazio after a draw against Inter which did not affect the table but which was definitely useful for the morale and even for self-esteem: «A draw could be ok when you consider the opponent – continued Buffon -. Surely we’re not jumping with joy because we know that we could only keep the title race open by winning, but the two matches against Inter showed that we are not inferior. Pity we paid for slight slips. With more attention especially in the last matches, we might have been speaking differently now».

The number one analyzed the point margin between the two rivals: «Our team is capable of competing with anyone on a do or die basis when the nervous level is at 120% but in a whole season certain negative periods can occur. Inter has a superior squad compared to ours and their technical baggage allowed them to come out even of those moments».

Yesterday’s match against the nerazzurri left also two topics which Buffon was asked to express his opinion about: Balotelli and the duel with Julio Cesar. «Balotelli is a youngster who has great capabilities and is also a nice person but I hope there is room for improvement character-wise. Having said this racist chants are bad no matter what. The comparisons to Julio Cesar I find ridiculous. He has been better then all the rest of us in the past few months and therefore I congratulate him but I don’t think that the accusations against me are correct because I do not think that to praise one you must criticize the other. If Julio Cesar is playing at this level it does not mean that I’m not playing well».


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Rainy Sunday, with thoughts on the Coppa Italia

A few hours after the match against Inter, the team immediately got back to work. The next fundamental appointment is already behind the corner and the preparation started immediately.

Wednesday will see the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final at the Olimpico against Lazio. The bianconeri must turn round the 2-1 of the first leg in Rome to qualify for the last stage which will be held in the capital itself and therefore Ranieri’s team must win.

The match against the nerazzurri did not leave any damages with regards to health. The group which is therefore nearly complete except for Sissoko and Salihamidzic, worked during the morning in Vinovo under a heavy rain which last lasted throughout the whole session. Those players who played yesterday took part in an unwinding session divided between work on the field and on the gym. The others underwent normal training.

In view of the match against Lazio, the schedule foresees two more morning sessions on Monday and Tuesday.
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Juve and Inter share the spoils

The most awaited match of the year ended in a 1-1 draw with the two teams sharing the spoils. The margin therefore remains unchanged.

The match starts off with Juventus on fire in the person of Pavel Nedved who merely seconds from the initial whistle with a shot from outside the area sees the ball go wide. One minute later Inter try to attack on the flank with Balotelli but the Juve defence clears. On the 3rd minute there was a free-kick for Juve after a foul on the right wing and one minute later a good try by Marchionni from outside the area sees the ball go wide.

On the 5th minute a good run by Nedved on the left sees the ball cross the touchline. The 7th minute sees a ball into the Inter area by Grygera with the defence clearing and Nedved on the re-bound failing to strike well.

The 10th minute sees the stadium stand still for a few seconds as Balotelli enters the area and shoots, the ball is rolling in with Buffon beaten but Tiago manages to clear it before it crosses the line. One minute later, a good ball won by Molinaro in the midfield launches Iaquinta but the striker does not control well.

On the 13th minute there is a foul on Tiago just above the midfield circle and free-kick for Juve. The ball finally gets to Poulsen who puts into the area and a deviation for a corner. The ball enters the area and the Inter defenders are forced to clear with difficulty. Two minutes later Grygera crosses into the area but Cesar manages to grab hold. The 21st minute sees beautiful footwork by Del Piero who enters the area and shoots at goal but Cesar manages to save. Two minutes later there is a good long ball for Iaquinta who heads to goal but Cesar saves.

The 24th minute sees Molinaro who enters the area after dribbling past a player but he is finally stopped. Three minutes later there is a great through ball into the area by Nedved with the ball deviated into corner. The 29th minute sees a bad foul from behind on Marchionni who was just about to enter the area. Free-kick for Juve from the right: ball into the area but Grygera shoots high. Two minutes later there is a great Juventus initiative with Marchionni who enters the area but shoots wide from an inviting position.

On the 33rd minute Inter try to attack a first time with the ball being cleared with some difficulty towards Balotelli, Stankovic shoots high. Three minutes later there is a great save by Buffon on a really dangerous Inter attack and the ball is finally cleared by the defence. On the 39th minute Del Piero shoots from outside the area but the ball is deviated into corner. From the flag the ball reached the area with the Inter defence clearing with difficulty.

The 40th minute sees a corner for Inter after a good Buffon save and a deviation by a Juve defender. From the corner the ball is put into the area but the ddfence manages to clear. Finally an Inter shot goes very wide. Two minutes later there is a free-kick for Juve from just poutside the area on the left: Del Piero aims directly at goal with Cesar forced to punch away.

On the 44th minute a beautiful exchange of the sphere between Del Piero and Nedved with Czech player entering the area but colliding with a defender. The last minute of the first half sees a ball dangerously into the Inter area is headed twice with a final difficult clearance by the defence.

The second half starts off with a good Juve initiative with the ball being cleared with some difficulty. On the second minute Nedved shoots from outside the area but the ball does not go through. The 3rd minute a great move by Legrottaglie sits Balotelli down. One minute later Buffon in a good save following a powerful Stankovic shot from outside the area.

On the 6th minute Zanetti in a run is not stopped before his shot turns out to be too weak and easy for Buffon to gather. Five minutes later there is a good save by Buffon following a dangerous Inter initiative. On the 12th minute there is a free kiick for Juve after foul on Iaquinta: Del Piero takes it but the ball is saved by Cesar.

The 17th minute sees free-kick for Juve just short of the corner flag. Ball finally enters the area and is cleared into corner. The action which follows leads to the Inter goal: Inter score on the counter-attack thanks to Balotelli who enters the area with the defence caught behind.

Juve react with an attack on the 21st minute with Del Piero sees Cesar clearing into corner. On the 26th minute Nedved saves the day on an Inter counterattack as he wins time for the defenders to come back in place. Two minutes later there are two good chances for JUve in oine action. Tiago at the end sees his shot blocked by a defender.

A provocative Balotelli sees Tiago being sent-off on the 31st minute after committing a foul on him. With Giovinco on for Del Piero and Trezeguet for Marchionni Juventus stepped hard on the accelerator and on the 39th minute a good Giovinco run lands Juve a corner but the ball from the flag goes directly into the hands of the keeper. Four minutes

The last few minutes see Grygera as protagonist: first on the 43rd minute he is seen in a decisive tackle helping Buffon to save a dangerous ball and 3 minutes later in the 1st minute of five allotted as stoppage time from a corner for Juve with the ball into the area he heads home for the equalizer making the score 1-1.

Serie A 2008/09 - 32nd match day
Turin, Olympic Stadium
Saturday 18th April, 2009

JUVENTUS – INTER: 1-1

Scorers : Balotelli (64th), Grygera (91st),

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro (De Ceglie 62nd); Marchionni (Trezeguet 74th), Poulsen, Tiago, Nedved; Del Piero (Giovinco 80th), Iaquinta. Reserves: Chimenti, De Ceglie, Zebina, Knezevic, Mellberg, Giovinco; Trezeguet; Coach : Ranieri.

INTER: Cesar, Zanetti, Samwel, Cordoba, Chivu, Figo (Cruz 86th), Cambiasso, Stankovic, Muntari (Burdisso 78th), Balotelli (Vieira 76th), Ibrahimovic. Reserves: Toldo, Maxwell, Santon, Materazzi, Burdisso, Vieira, Cruz; Coach: Mourinho

REFEREE : Farina

Yellow cards: Figo (4th), Legrottaglie (36th), Poulsen (53rd), Balotelli (67th)

Red card: Tiago (76th)

Legrottaglie: «We must keep this spirit till the end»

The prestigious victory against Inter, awaited by the team and by the people did not happen, Grygera’s goal in injury time managed to avoid a defeat which would have hurt especially on morale level. A draw was obtained which showed t character of the team once again.

At the end of the match, Nicola Legrottaglie underlined this aspect apart from underling another aspect of the match which he didn’t like: Balotelli’s behaviour. «This is a draw which helps the morale. The spirit seen tonight should be fielded in all the remaining matches of the season. We still have the objective of scoring more points then last year and we therefore must continue and hope to achieve this. Balotelli? I didn’t like his behaviour on the field. He kicked twice with the game halted. I think he can become a great champion even if he refrains from such behaviour».


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Iaquinta: «We are satisfied with this draw»

After 4 consecutive goals – two against Roma, one against Chievo and another against Genoa-, Vincenzo Iaquinta did not manage to score the most expected goal: the one against Inter. Vincenzo tried hard but it was not easy held between two defenders of the calibre of Samuel and Cordoba.

No goals therefore, but the usual service to the team: «During the week we tried this type of play a lot, that is holding the defence high and trying to move upwards through me. We are however satisfied with this draw. We must now continue on this road until the end of the season starting from the match against Lazio on Wednesday».


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Sony Ericsson new Official Partner

The group of Juventus partners has grown further thanks to a new important agreement with Sony Ericsson, presented today at the Media Center in Vinovo. The company, a leader in the telecommunications market, thus became “Official Partner” of the club. The press conference saw the presence of the Juventus general manager Jean-Claude Blanc, and communications director, Marco Fassone as well as the Sony Ericsson Italia head of marketing Maurizio De Palma and the head of marketing communication Francesca Guerra.

Amongst the very first initiatives that act as testimonial to the value of the agreement reached are the Sony Ericsson Juventus Edition mobile, the Juventus panel for Xperia X1 and Playnow Arena with special Juventus content.

In the future there will also be the presentation of the Juventus version of the Sony Ericsson mobile in limited edition, a mobile conceived with all those who have Juventus at heart in mind. It includes 61 default games and as from today also the FIFA 09 Motion Football Gaming game.

The partnership which will last up to the end of June 2010, includes Sony Ericsson in the group of sponsors of the first level and will be presented officially on Saturday night at the Olympic Stadium during the match against Inter.


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Blanc: «We have our feet on the ground»

Juventus general manager Jean-Claude Blanc was positive when speaking of the Juventus season so far even though the last two results left quite a bit to be desired just like the ten point margin from Inter in the championship table: «Sure we expected a smaller margin. We began playing the last matches with the intention of cutting down on the margin. We, however, have our feet firmly planted on the ground and therefore we will play till the end and see where that lands us. I am not disappointed. The season is long and it is acceptable to have a bad moment. The championship is long and we will play all the matches giving the maximum and doing our best till the very end. There are still seven matches left and we will give everything till the very end».

Asked whether the elimination from the Champions League left its aftermath on the league, the Juventus general manager answered: «Surely, the elimination from the Champions League was a disappointment and seeing Chelsea going ahead gives us more to cry about but we still have the Coppa Italia and we will play all the matches from the first till the last minute. All remaining matches are important and therefore we will try to show that we can do well».

Recently much of the media has been speculating on Ranieri’s future as Juventus coach: «Claudio Ranieri will be our coach next year notwithstanding any results. I confirm Ranieri as coach at least till next season. We have a project based on technical stability. The dinner with Lippi? We have many international players and it is only right to speak to the international coach».

The team has received much criticism recently but Mr. Blanc had this to say: «The team is second in the Serie A and we beat Real Madrid twice. It is the same team. The players are champions and we will continue to show that our team is great. The players are concentrated and are conscious of the fact that there are another 6 matches apart from the one against Inter. We look ahead and won’t look back. It is the only way to work well. There will be time for decisions at the end of the season. We are a club that moves. Sometimes you may even make mistakes but we look ahead».

Mr Blanc refused to speak of the transfer market at this point in time, but added: «I think every transfer market is an occasion to shuffle the cards. We must not look at other teams but see what we want. We are currently proceeding according to our objectives. We will keep our feet on the ground. We have a plan which we decided on 24 months ago to make the team progress year after year. We will go on according to the programme established. Nedved? Juve is always open to its champions and we will offer Nedved the opportunity to work within the club after his retirement. It is not an easy job and if he is interested will show him the spirit shown on the field can be applied elsewhere».

Returning to the controversial match against Genoa: «It is a normal rule that when the referee whistles the play stops but Genoa played better then us and it is useless to go back on the refereeing».

The Abruzzo tragedy struck everybody hard: «Juve already showed Lega Calcio that it will be part of the contribution as part of the holistic framework of the football world. We will bring forward an aid project to help the current situation immediately but also in the time to come».


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Sissoko: «I will be the usual Momo»

To see him back on the field we will have to wait till the beginning of the next season. In the meantime Momo Sissoko was at Vinovo to say hello to his team-mates.

35 days after the operation to the left foot and after some time spent in France – in Capbreton under the eyes of Professor Puig – the Franco-Mali player returned to Turin for a few days. He spoke of his conditions to Juventus Channel: «My foot is better and I am well. I can walk without crutches and hope to be on the field by the end of the season for the World Cup qualifiers with my national team».

Momo, therefore, continues with his recovery which is going well. However, it is not easy for him to see his mates on the field: «I have been out for more then a month. Life is like that but now what interests me is healing as best I can and be the usual Sissoko. Being out is never easy and I followed the progress of my team-mates. They are going through a particular moment but I am sure they will be back and have a great end to the season confirming the second place».


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Complete squad for Ranieri

Juventus continue their preparation for the match against Inter on schedule for Saturday night at the Turin Olimpico. The bianconero had a morning training session under the keen eyes of Sports Director Alessio Secco and Momo Sissoko who returned to Vinovo after the treatment period spent in Capbreton in France.

The player from Mali and Hasan Salihamidzic, who was operated on last week, were the only two players who did not take part in today’s session. Ranieri could thus count on a practically entire squad. The bianconeri took part in individual technical exercises with control exercises combined with running and therefore concentrated on ball possession.

Amauri stayed with the group up to the 11-a-side mini-match. The Brazilian then worked alone on the field till the end of the session.
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Player Ratings: Genoa 3-2 Juventus

Genoa picked up three precious points with a wild and wacky victory over Juventus at the Marassi this evening. Goal.com rates the player on show..


GENOA

Rubinho: 6.0- He had no chance on either goal as Del Piero beat him from the penalty spot while Iaquinta expertly chipped the ball over him.

Biava: 6.0- His wayward pass directly led to Del Piero’s penalty but he atoned for his mistake by clearing Nedved's shot off the line in the 57th minute.

Ferrari: 6.0- He was extremely unlucky to concede a penalty as it looked as he got the whole ball on his sliding tackle.

Bocchetti: 6.0- His solid performances have earned him a call-up to La Nazionale but will be disappointed he let Iaquinta sneak behind him for Juve's second goal of the game.

Mesto: 7.0- It was his powerful run that set up his team’s first goal of the match and he was enjoying a great game before Nedved’s elbow prematurely ended his evening.

Juric: 6.5- The tough-tackling Croatian midfielder battled Poulsen and Marchiso all night long and came out on top more often than not.

Motta: 8.0- The Brazilian midfielder took the bull by its horns with a first-half brace and cut an inspiring figure on the pitch tonight.

Criscito: 6.5- He looked calm and composed on the left hand side and will be very proud of his performance this evening.

Sculli: 7.0- The Calabrese hitman is enjoying one of his best season in the Serie A but missed a golden opportunity in the 68th minute and then was absolutely robbed by Buffon just moments later.

Jankovic: 7.0- The Serbian striker showed off his vast arsenal of tricks and flicks and was unlucky not to have found the back of the net with a well placed header in the 72nd minute.

Palladino: 7.5- Almost opened the scoring in the 6th minute as he beat Buffon but his shot was cleared off the line by Legrottaglie. He was a real nuisance all evening long and fully deserved a goal.

SUBS: Rossi (42”) 7.5, Papastathopolous (79") 6.0, Olivera (79") 7.0

JUVENTUS

Buffon: 6.0- He has not looked like the same goalkeeper as he did before his injury and, dare one say it, Juve may want to sell him while his stock is still fairly high.

Zebina: 5.0- The temperamental Frenchman was a liability at the back tonight and he was completely to blame for Motta's second goal just before the half-time whistle.

Legrottaglie: 6.0- The Juve defence have been leaking goals in his absence and he saved a sure goal in the 6th minute but could not stop the Genoa onslaught.

Chiellini: 6.0- He is the first name on Ranieri’s lineup card for every match but he was not his usual indestructible self this evening

Molinaro: 5.0- The much-maligned full-back seemed to hurt his back in the first half and then his neck in the second and never really looked comfortable after that.

Camoranesi: 4.0- The usual architect of the Juve attack was out of sorts tonight and did his team no favours when he was sent his marching orders for a nasty tackle on Sculli.

Marchisio: 6.0- The midfield prospect was anonymous for large portions of the match and picked up a yellow card that means he will miss the Derby d'Italia next week.

Poulsen: 6.0- The former Sevilla hardman gave away possession far too often and will give the Bianconeri fans who think he does not deserve to wear the Juve shirt that much more ammunition.

Nedved: 7.5- The Czech legend was fortunate the referee did not spot his elbow which split Mesto’s head open in the first half. He played like a man possessed in the second 45 minutes and was unlucky not to score in the 47th minute

Del Piero: 7.0- Won his side a penalty and then coolly slotted the ball past Rubinho but will be disappointed that Juve did not make up any ground on Inter today.

Iaquinta: 7.0- He continued his red-hot form with a delicate chip over Rubinho that looked like it was enough to salvage the draw.

SUBS: Marchionni (84") 6.0, Grygera (84") 6.0
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Juve surrender to Genoa

The defeat against Genoa leaves much of a sour taste, not only because of another missed chance to reduce the margin from the leaders but most of all because the match was studded with a number of controversial decisions culminating in the sending off of Camoranesi who will miss the match against Inter on Saturday.

The first half is characterized by a number of controversial decisions by the referee. On the 4th minute Zebina puts the ball into corner after a Palladino initiative. One minute later Biava heads high over the post. On the 6th minute Chiellini manages to dampen a dangerous Genoa initiative.

The 7th minute Legrottaglie saves incredibly on a powerful Palladino shot. One minute later Iaquinta sees a goal disallowed for an inexistent off-side after a great run. On the 12th minute Iaquinta is stopped in the midst of a good initiative for a presumed foul on the defender.

On the 13th minute a ball is put into the Juve area with Buffon grabbing high. One minute later, Del Piero enters the area with a series of dribbles but the defence manages to clear into corner. On the 16th minute Buffon saves well after a rather dangerous Genoa shot.
One minute later comes the second controversial decision by the referee: last man foul on Nedved running towards goal is not sanctioned by the referee.

On the 19th minute Del Piero from a free-kick puts the ball into the Genoa area, Camoranesi heads towards Legrottaglie who in turn tries to head home but the defence clears. On the 22nd minute a A Jankovic overhead kick goes high. One minute later there is a free-kick for Juve from 27 meters: Del Piero shoots but the ball hits the wall. On the 24th minute Camoarnesi launches Del Piero who is blocked by the defence with the ball ending in a corner. From the flag Iaquinta tries to head but the defence blocks.

The most controversial of decisions in the first half came on the 29th minute: Genoa score thanks to Thiago Motta after a powerful shot which came after a whistle blown by the referee. The 32nd minute sees a free-kick for Juve for a handsball on a Camoranesi cross. Camoranesi takes the free-kick but Legrottaglie heads high.

On the 40th minute there is a free-kick for Juve: Del Piero from 31 meters puts the ball in the area but the defence clears into corner. The corner is taken short but the defence manages to clear twice.

On the 44th minute the referee awards Juve a penalty after a foul on Del Piero in the area:
Del Piero takes the penalty putting the ball on one side and the goalkeeper on the other for the equalizer 1-1. One minute Camoarnesi is fouled sandwiched by 3 players as he enters the area but the referee says to play on. This could have been the second penalty for Juventus. On the 3rd and last minute of stoppage time, Thiago Motta heads home for the new Genoa advantage. 2-1.

The second half continues were the first left off that is a very dynamic Genoa, Juventus trying to react and the referee making a number of controversial decisions. On the 4th minute Poulsen puts a long ball towards Iaquinta who shoots well but the keeper manages to save. Two minutes later Molinaro enters the area well but is stopped in time by the defence.
On the 12th minute Del Piero passes to Iaquinta in the area who puts the ball back for Nedved who sees Biava saving on a great shot. From the re-bound the ball once again reaches Nedved whose shot goes slightly high over the bar. On the 15th minute Rubinho anticipates Del Piero on a long-ball and one minute later Zebina puts the ball into corner after a Genoa cross into the area.

The 17th minute sees Del Piero winning a corner after an attempt to enter the area with a series of dribblings. The ball from the corner enters the area and is sent once again towards the flag with the defence clearing for a second time. One minute later Juventus have another two consecutive corners. The second sees the ball entering the area but is cleared by the defence.

The referee continues to take incomprehensible decisions and on the 19th minute Camoranesi is shown a direct card for a foul which seemed to be more then over-rated by Mr. Rocchi. Two minutes later Iaquinta is stopped for off-side after a good initiative. On the 23rd minute Sculli shoots wide after what seemed to be a very dangerous bit of action.

On the 25th minute there is a corner for Juve: Del Piero puts the ball into the area but the defence clears. Seconds later, Del Piero enters the area but tries a shot from a rather impossible position with the ball cleared. On the 26th minute Buffon performs a miiracle on a Sculli header. From the corner, Jankovic heads and sees the ball hitting the post.

The 28th minute sees Ranieri making a double-substitution: Grygera on for Zebina and Marchionni on for Legrottaglie. Five minutes later Thiago Motta shoots from a distance with the ball going wide. On the 34th minute Grygera puts a good ball for Marchionni but the latter is stopped by the defence.

The 38th minute sees Grygera who passes to Nedved in the area who passes to Iaquinta who deposits the ball in the net with a lob for the equaliser. The joy is however short-lived as 4 minutes later, Palladino finds the Juventus defence unaware and deposits the ball easily at the back of the net for the 3-2.

The last chance of the match for Juventus comes on the 44th minute when the bianconeri are awarded a free-kick: Del Piero puts the ball into the area but the Genoa defence clear.
The match ends after four minutes of stoppage time with a defeat which leaves much of a sour taste.

Serie A 2008/09 - 31st match day
Genova, Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Saturday 11th April, 2009

GENOA - JUVENTUS: 3-2

Scorers: Thiago Motta (29th), Del Piero (pen. 45th), Thiago Motta (45th +3), Iaquinta (84th), Palladino (88th),

GENOA: Rubinho; Biava, Ferrari, Bocchetti; Rossi, Thiago Motta, Juric, Criscito; Sculli (Papastathopoulos 78th), Jankovic (Olivera 78th),Palladino. Reserves: Lamanna, Papastathopoulos, Modesto, Vanden Borre, Mesto (Rossi 43rd), Milanetto, Olivera. Coach: Gasperini.

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Zebina (Grygera 73rd), Legrottaglie (Marchionni 73rd), Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Marchisio, Poulsen, Nedved. Reserves: Chimenti, Mellberg, De Ceglie, Marchionni, Tiago, Giovinco, Trezeguet. Coach: Ranieri.

REFEREE: Rocchi from Florence

Yellow Cards: Zebina (54th), Grygera (76th), Bocchetti (79th), Marchisio (85th),

Red Card: Camoranesi (65th)

Ranieri: «We tried hard but Genoa played better»

The break for international matches never left a greater mark. After the 5 consecutive victories before the break, came a draw and a defeat against Chievo and Genoa respectively. Only one point won in the last two matches and therefore a break on the title race.

The two matches were characterised by episodes, however after the match at the Ferraris, Claudio Ranieri gives merit to the opponents: «Genoa played better then us and we must recognize this. We tried hard and were punished by a series of particular incidents. We should have avoided conceding the 2-1 at the end of the first half and after the draw we should have been calmer and not play the off-side game. Tonight’s defeat is a heavy one. We wanted to regain the two points lost last week and reduce the margin from Inter. Now there is the direct encounter. We will be playing at home and we will be even more determined. We will have to play a great match».



*juventus.com

Iaquinta: «Against Inter we will definitely field our pride»

A player who is definitely in top form is striker Vincenzo Iaquinta who once again scored and had another goal disallowed for an inexistent off-side: «We knew we were playing against one of the best teams in Italy at the moment. We managed to equalise and weren’t capable of maintaining the result. They played well and use the wings very much. With regards to my first goal, I was sure that I was on-side. There were many strange episodes tonight but we mustn’t stop at that».

The next match is the direct encounter against Inter at the Olimpico on Saturday: «Against Inter we will definitely field our pride but we must also keep an eye on the teams coming up from behind us».
*juventus.com

Marchionni: «We must remember we are Juventus»

Marco Marchionni was visibly disappointed by the result but his gentleman character was reflected in his words: «We cannot not speak of the referee’s mistakes but Genoa played a good match even due to our demerit. We must remember we are Juventus and should dictate the game but unfortunately this has not been the case. The most worrying thing is that when a team like Juve manages to equalise the team should be able to at least maintain the draw but this did not happen».

The result however was very much characterised by the referee’s controversial decisions: «The referee just like the players should admit a mistake and tonight when he whistled he should have admitted the mistake».



*juventus.com

Player Ratings: Juventus 3-3 Chievo

Juventus and Chievo drew 3-3 at the Stadio Olimpico in Serie A this afternoon. Goal.com rates the players on show...

5 Apr 2009 16:35:11
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Serie B, Bari-Chievo: Pellissier (Foto Grazia Neri)
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JUVENTUS

Buffon -5.5: Not to blame on any of Chievo's goals, but was perhaps a little slow getting down for Pellissier's second.

Grygera -5.0: A little off the pace this afternoon. Did not seem to have the energy to get up and down the pitch, and was substituted at half time.

Mellberg -3.0: A horror show. Caught sleeping for Pellissier's second goal, while an act of stupidity in injury time gifted Chievo the ball, and resulted in Pellissier's hat-trick. That goal has ended any hope of the Scudetto.

Chiellini -5.5: Indecisive on Pellissier's opener, and also caught off-guard for the second. However, he did score a fantastic volley, and headed just wide in the second half.

Molinaro -6.0: The best of a bad Juventus backline. Caused a few problems by Luciano and caught out of position. Did provide the cross prior to Juve's second equaliser.

Salihamidzic -6.0: Started the game well, and provided a great pass for Del Piero's early chance. Then picked up an injury and was forced off on 23 minutes.

Marchisio -7.0: Was doing two men's work in the first half. Completely took charge in the middle-of-the-park after the break, and continued his development.

Tiago -6.0: Awful in the first 45 minutes, Tiago did improve after the break with some sweet passes. Created a headed chance for Chiellini.

Giovinco -7.0: Juve's only bright spark in the first half, Giovinco was prominent down the left and forced Sardo's substitution. Went close with a free kick.

Del Piero -5.5: Missed two fine chances in the first half, and failed to really get a grip on the game. Juventus improved markedly when he was substituted at half time.

Iaquinta -7.5: Anonymous before the break, Iaquinta was like a man possessed after it. Scored the goal that everyone thought had saved Juve, and went close on a couple of other occasions.

Subs

Camoranesi 9.0: Despite being no more than 50 per cent fit, Camoranesi again proved his worth by setting up all three of Juve's goals. His backheel for Chiellini's strike was pure genius.

Trezeguet -7.0: Gave Juve a penalty-box presence, firing just wide and forcing a brilliant save out of Sorrentino.

Zebina -7.0: Excelled down the right flank. Good energy and link-up play with Camoranesi.

CHIEVO

Sorrentino -8.0: May have conceded three goals, but two top-class saves from Trezeguet and Iaquinta proved decisive in earning Chievo a priceless point.

Sardo -5.5: Did well in the first half, and stuck to his task. However, he had real problems after the break against Giovinco and Molinaro, and was substituted midway through the half.

Morero -6.0: Comfortably marked Del Piero in the first half, but struggled against the movement of Trezeguet when the Frenchman replaced the Italian.

Yepes -5.0: Has had a fine season, but Iaquinta's pace caused him all kinds of problems as the game wore on.

Mantovani -4.5: Unlucky to turn the ball into his own net, Mantovani was led a merrydance by Juve substitute Camoranesi. So much of the damage was done down his side.

Luciano -7.0: One of the best players on the pitch in the first half, Luciano created Pellissier's second goal. The Brazilian tired though.

Rigoni -6.0: An honest performance by Rigoni, who could have scored just moments before Pellissier silenced the Olimpico in injury time.

Marcolini -6.0: Was involved in some good moments for his side in the first half, but disappeared and was over-run in the second period.

Pinzi -6.0: Full of running, the quality did not match Pinzi's quantity. Was once rated as one of Italy's most promising youngsters, it has never really happened for the ex-Udinese midfielder.

Pellissier -9.5: What can you say? A stunning performance by Pellissier, who completed a clinical hat-trick to dash Juventus' Scudetto hopes. A thorn all afternoon with his pace.

Bogdani -6.5: Held the ball up well, and linked up with Pellissier. Was unsurprisingly overshadowed by his strike-partner though.

Subs

Esposito 5.5: Made little impact after coming on.

Mandelli -6.0: Helped shore things up in defence.

Langella -7.0: Provided the assist for Pellissier's last-gasp third.

Anthony Sormani, Goal.com