Juventus Season 2011-2012

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Line-ups: Juventus-Chievo

Mar 3, 2012

Juventus welcome Chievo to Turin and adopt a 4-3-3 system with Alessandro Matri, Mirko Vucinic and Emanuele Giaccherini.

The Bianconeri still have a game in hand and need a victory to keep up with Serie A leaders Milan.

Simone Pepe and Arturo Vidal both sit out bans, while Milos Krasic is again dropped.

There were rumours Alessandro Del Piero would be granted a rare start, but he is on the bench instead.

Antonio Conte moves to a 4-3-3 approach with Giaccherini completing the attacking trident alongside Matri and Vucinic.

Chievo are missing their all-time top scorer Sergio Pellissier due to suspension, so Alberto Paloschi takes the reins in attack with Cyril Thereau.

Defenders Santiago Morero and Nikola Gulan miss out.

Juventus:Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Padoin, Pirlo, Marchisio; Giaccherini, Matri, Vucinic

Juventus bench: Storari, Bonucci, Caceres, Elia, Marrone, Del Piero, Quagliarella

Chievo:Sorrentino; Sardo, Andreolli, Acerbi, Drame; Bradley, Rigoni, Sammarco, Luciano; Thereau; Paloschi

Chievo bench: Puggioni, Frey, Cesar, Dainelli, Hetemaj, Cruzado, Moscardelli

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

HT: De Ceglie gives Juve the lead

Mar 3, 2012

Paolo De Ceglie has given Juventus the half-time lead over Chievo, but Mirko Vucinic wasted several more chances.

The Bianconeri tried to put the controversy of the last week behind them and focus on Chievo, who had never conquered Turin before. All-time top scorer Sergio Pellissier was suspended, so Alberto Paloschi and Cyril Thereau led the line. Gennaro Sardo pulled out during the warm-up, replaced by Nicolas Frey. Juve had Arturo Vidal and Simone Pepe on bans, but switched to a 4-3-3 system with Simone Padoin and Emanuele Giaccherini stepping in.

The home side almost scored after 70 seconds when Alessandro Matri sprung the offside trap from a Giaccherini pass, but his lob was beaten out for a corner.

Mirko Vucinic pulled back for Giaccherini, who fell under a Luciano challenge, but the referee waved play on as contact was minimal.

Juventus did take the lead when Andrea Pirlo’s free kick was knocked on to the far post by Giorgio Chiellini, but back into the path of Paolo De Ceglie for a header from close range. There were some suspicions of offside for the full-back.

Chievo immediately had a chance to equalise, but Cyril Thereau was caught with his back to goal on Chiellini’s error and Gigi Buffon sprinted out to charge down from nine yards.

An Acerbi glancing header was off target, as was the Vucinic angled drive. Giaccherini set up another chance that Vucinic had charged down. The Montenegrin is struggling for form and wasn’t quick enough to make the most of a promising opportunity. Giaccherini lobbed a ball over the defence, but again Vucinic didn’t get much power on the header. Andrea Barzagli picked up an injury and made way for Leonardo Bonucci before half-time.

A fierce Padoin angled drive found Stefano Sorrentino at full stretch to palm off the line. Chiellini got back in time to stop Michael Bradley completing a counter-attack from Juve’s corner.

Paloschi pulled across from the right for Paolo Sammarco, who got in front of his defender only to fire just past the far top corner.

Giaccherini’s run split the Chievo defence, but his scuffed volley was wide from a long ball.

Juventus 1-0 Chievo (Half-Time)

Scorers: De Ceglie 18 (J)

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli (Bonucci 40), Chiellini, De Ceglie; Padoin, Pirlo, Marchisio; Giaccherini, Matri, Vucinic

Chievo: Sorrentino; Frey, Andreolli, Acerbi, Dramè; Bradley, Rigoni, Sammarco, Luciano; Thereau; Paloschi

Ref: Gervasoni

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Dramé strike cancels out De Ceglie opener

as Conte's men fall three points behind AC Milan

A second half goal by the Senegalese saw the hosts draw yet again

and leaves the Rossoneri with a wider lead at the top of the table.

Mar 3, 2012

Juventus missed a chance to make up ground on table-toppers AC Milan as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Chievo in their Serie A clash at Juventus Stadium.

In an open and entertaining game, Paolo De Ceglie opened the scoring in the first half, but Boukary Drame struck with a quarter of an hour to go to peg the hosts back and deny them a crucial three points in their chase for the title.

Despite a strong start by Juve it was the visitors who threatened first, Paolo Sammarco forcing Gianluigi Buffon into an early save with a strong header.

However, it was soon all one-way traffic for the hosts, and their pressure was rewarded with the opener after 18 minutes. Andrea Pirlo's free kick took a flick off Giorgio Chiellini and bounced off the post into the path of De Ceglie, who made no mistake from a few yards out.

The match was flowing from end to end, with Chievo showing some encouraging signs on the counter attack. Juventus always looked the stronger though, with Emanuele Giaccherini at the centre of things in the attacking third.

The midfielder first teed up Simone Padoin for a long range drive that was tipped away at full stetch by Stefano Sorrentino, before scuffing a volley of his own just wide after a delightful long ball by Leonardo Bonucci.

At the other end of the pitch, Sammarco sent a volley just over the bar as Chievo fired a warning shot heading into the interval.

Nine minutes after the restart, Buffon was called into action once more to parry Francesco Acerbi's long range free kick.

The hosts fired back soon after, with Alessandro Matri teeing up Padoin on the edge of the box for a shot that was just touched wide by the outstretched leg of Sorrentino.

The game was by no means won, and Chievo went close again when a header by substitute Davide Moscardelli was planted just wide of Buffon's far post.

Moscardelli would make a far more decisive contribution in the 76th minute, cutting the ball back towards Drame, whose low drive beat Buffon and was diverted by Bonucci en route to the back of the net.

Juventus turned up the pressure as the game neared its end, and they nearly snatched a winner with a long range strike by Pirlo in injury time, but Sorrentino did excellently to tip it away and send his side home with a well-earned point.

The result sees Juventus remain three points behind Milan at the Serie A summit, though they still hold a game in hand. Chievo, meanwhile, move to ninth place with 34 points.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Chievo pin back Juve

Paolo De Ceglie saw his goal wiped out by Boukary Dramè

as Chievo pegged Juventus back to a 1-1 draw in Turin.

Mar 3, 2012

These results could start to tell in the Scudetto race, as Juve have now drawn 12 games – precisely double those of Milan. It is also their fourth stalemate in the last five Serie A rounds.

The Bianconeri tried to put the controversy of the last week behind them and focus on Chievo, who had never conquered Turin before. All-time top scorer Sergio Pellissier was suspended, so Alberto Paloschi and Cyril Thereau led the line. Gennaro Sardo pulled out during the warm-up, replaced by Nicolas Frey. Juve had Arturo Vidal and Simone Pepe on bans, but switched to a 4-3-3 system with Simone Padoin and Emanuele Giaccherini stepping in.

The home side almost scored after 70 seconds when Alessandro Matri sprung the offside trap from a Giaccherini pass, but his lob was beaten out for a corner. Mirko Vucinic pulled back for Giaccherini, who fell under a Luciano challenge, but the referee waved play on as contact was minimal.

Juventus did take the lead when Andrea Pirlo’s free kick was knocked on to the far post by Giorgio Chiellini, but back into the path of Paolo De Ceglie for a header from close range. There were some suspicions of offside for the full-back.

Chievo immediately had a chance to equalise, but Cyril Thereau was caught with his back to goal on Chiellini’s error and Gigi Buffon sprinted out to charge down from nine yards.

A Francesco Acerbi glancing header was off target, as was the Vucinic angled drive. Giaccherini set up another chance that Vucinic had charged down. The Montenegrin is struggling for form and wasn’t quick enough to make the most of a promising opportunity. Giaccherini lobbed a ball over the defence, but again Vucinic didn’t get much power on the header. Andrea Barzagli picked up an injury and made way for Leonardo Bonucci before half-time.

A fierce Padoin angled drive found Stefano Sorrentino at full stretch to palm off the line. Chiellini got back in time to stop Michael Bradley completing a counter-attack from Juve’s corner.

Paloschi pulled across from the right for Paolo Sammarco, who got in front of his defender only to fire just past the far top corner.

Giaccherini’s run split the Chievo defence, but his scuffed volley was wide from a long ball. Vucinic turned a corner over at the near post at the start of the second half.

Boukary Dramè risked a second yellow card for his challenge on Stephan Lichtsteiner, but the visitors went close to an equaliser. A free kick was touched on for the powerful Acerbi low strike that Buffon beat away, while the follow-up was a little too long to take advantage.

At the other end, Padoin did well to earn some space in the box, but Sorrentino stuck out a foot to parry his angled drive and some desperate Frey defending managed to clear from both Matri and Vucinic at the back post.

A crucial Bradley sliding tackle stopped Vucinic on a dangerous counter-attack. Davide Moscardelli rose at the back stick and his header only hit the side-netting from six yards.

Chievo were turning up the pressure and it paid off 15 minutes from time. Moscardelli pulled back from the by-line for Dramè who beat Buffon with an angled drive, but in his attempts to clear off the line, Bonucci only prodded it into his own net.

The momentum was with the Flying Donkeys and Moscardelli blasted over from distance. Alessandro Del Piero was Conte’s last throw of the dice and he had penalty appeals for a tug on the arm, but the contact from Perparim Hetemaj was again fairly minimal.

Del Piero exchanged smart flicked passes with Vucinic to burst into the box and he was just about closed down for a corner by Frey. From that set piece, Sorrentino was caught in no man’s land and Dramè desperately hoofed it clear.

It had turned into a siege on the Chievo box and Pirlo hit a swerving screamer from the D that Sorrentino did brilliantly to beat away in stoppages.

Chievo also tried from midfield with an audacious Thereau lob that landed on the roof of the net.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner (Del Piero 78), Barzagli (Bonucci 40), Chiellini, De Ceglie; Padoin, Pirlo, Marchisio (Caceres 71); Giaccherini, Matri, Vucinic

Chievo: Sorrentino; Frey, Andreolli, Acerbi, Dramè; Bradley, Rigoni, Sammarco (Hetemaj 64), Luciano (Moscardelli 64); Thereau; Paloschi (Vacek 83)

Ref: Gervasoni

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Dramé pegs Juve back

Mar 3, 2012

Juventus stumbled in response to AC Milan's 4-0 win over Palermo earlier on Saturday by being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Chievo.

Paolo De Ceglie put the Bianconeri in front in the 18th minute, but they failed to build on their lead and were punished when Boukary Drame levelled for Chievo in the 76th minute.

The draw leaves Juve three points behind Milan with a game in hand, one which must now be won if Antonio Conte's side want to return to the Serie A summit next Wednesday.

De Ceglie missed a glorious chance to put Juve in front in the second minute when he tried to be a little too elaborate with just Stefano Sorrentino to beat from close range.

De Ceglie only had to wait a further 15 minutes to open his goal account in Serie A.

Andrea Pirlo's free-kick was headed against the post by Giorgio Chiellini and the ball rebounded back - against the arm of Sorrentino - to the Juve full-back, who headed it into the back of the net from close range.

The finish was from an offside position. However, the linesman's flag was not raised and the goal was allowed to stand.

Simone Padoin almost followed De Ceglie's example by opening his account for the club, but his 40th-minute shot was pushed wide by Sorrentino.

Juve tried to add a second goal which would have given them a bit of breathing space, but as the minutes passed, their lead began to look increasingly slender.

Davide Moscardelli fired the first warning in the 72nd minute when he headed just wide of Gianluigi Buffon's post.

Four minutes later, Drame's first Serie A goal brought the Flying Donkeys level with Leonardo Bonucci making a poor attempt to clear the ball off the line, slicing the goalbound effort into his own goal.

Alessandro Del Piero was sent on by Conte as a final throw of the dice and his claims for a penalty shortly after coming on were waved away.

The home side increased the pressure and Sorrentino did well to push Pirlo's speculative effort wide in stoppage time to preserve his side's point.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Bradley leads Chievo to surprise draw vs. Juventus

Mar 3, 2012

American Michael Bradley was all smiles in Turin on Saturday after helping his team secure a surprising result against vaunted Italian opposition for the second time in four days.

Last Wednesday, the 24-year-old midfielder played a critical role in the U.S. national team’s 1-0 upset of Italy in Genoa. On Saturday, he was immense again as Chievo Verona earned a 1-1 draw at powerful Juventus in Serie A play.

Bradley played a slightly more conservative role Saturday than he did for the U.S., staying just in front of Chievo’s back four and working hard to disrupt the Juventus attack. He broke up numerous forays and was especially strong in the latter minutes as the Bianconeri looked for the go-ahead goal.

Juventus took the lead in the 18th minute but couldn’t add to it, and Chievo nabbed an unlikely equalizer during a brief period of dominance midway through the second half. Senegalese defender Boukary Dramé scored the goal in the 76th, hitting a low shot that caromed off a Juve back and past goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Bradley and Chievo celebrated at the final whistle, which came after five minutes of stoppage time, exchanging the sort of handshakes and hugs reserved for big occasions. Second-place Juventus is Serie A’s only undefeated team at home and for Chievo to come from behind and secure a point in Turin is significant. Among the players who played for Juve on Saturday were six who turned out for the Azzurri in Genoa.

Bradley said last week that he’s relishing the opportunity to play against such talented players in a country that worships the sport and understands the impact a more defensive midfielder can have on a game despite not often appearing on the score sheet. “To be in a country where they respect this position and how it fits in with the rest of the team is something that I appreciate,” he said via U.S. Soccer’s website. “This is by far the most soccer crazy country that I have been in. There are three papers every day that just cover soccer, and it’s all about the game -- players, tactics, performances, even the referee assignments.”

Bradley left the New York Red Bulls in 2006 to join Dutch club Heerenveen. He moved on to Germany’s Borussia Mönchengladbach in ‘08, spent last spring at England’s Aston Villa then signed with Chievo in August.

Chievo now is unbeaten in three games and has climbed to ninth in Serie A at 9-10-7. The Flying Donkeys next host struggling Inter Milan on Friday.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Juve stutter at home to minnows Chievo

Mar 3, 2012

Juventus were held to a 1-1 home draw with Chievo Saturday, while AC Milan stretched their lead in the Italian Serie A.

As Juve stuttered before their home crowd, the Milanese title holders were fully convincing in an earlier 4-0 demolition of Palermo, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring a hat-trick as he returned from a three-game ban.

Juve trail three points adrift and have a chance to draw level at the top when they play at Bologna on Wednesday in a game that was rescheduled for bad weather in mid-February.

The Bianconeri opened briskly and missed an early chance when Alessandro Matri aimed a lob past Stefano Sorrentino, but saw it cleared by a defender.

Their pressure was rewarded on 18 minutes, with defender Paolo De Ceglie nodding home after a header from Giorgio Chiellini bounced off the post.

Juve failed to provide telling chances upfront for Matri and a lacklustre Mirko Vucinic, while midfielder Simone Padoin forced a great diving save from Sorrentino.

The guests from Verona, meanwhile, threatened with counter-attacks led by forwards Cyril Thereau and Alberto Paloschi, who crossed for Paolo Sammarco's dangerous deflection just before the break.

International Gianluigi Buffon made his first crucial save when Francesco Acerbi fired a nasty free kick before Padoin saw his break stopped by Sorrentino's boot.

Things gradually worsened for the Turin hosts, whose defence repeatedly stuttered despite being the least beaten in the league. They were stunned with 15 minutes left as Leonardo Bonucci deflected into his own goal a drive by Senegal's Boukary Drame.

There was no precision in Juve's final efforts and the Bianconeri had to settle for their 12th draw from 25 unbeaten games.

Earlier in Palermo, after last weekend's 1-1 home draw with Juve, Milan applauded a devastating Ibrahimovic as he drew level on 18 goals with Udinese's Antonio Di Natale.

'Ibrahimovic really wanted to be back and the team played a great game. I am happy,' Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri said.

'Now we wait for Juve's game on Wednesday. Until the end it will be a close race, we must play game by game with tranquillity.'

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Player Ratings

The Bianconeri missed another chance to put the frighteners on Milan, with De Ceglie's goal

ruled out by Boukary Drame amidst a magnificent performance by Michael Bradley.

Mar 3, 2012

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon 7.0 - Showed lightning reactions to race out and close down Thereau as the attacker looked to turn and get a shot in after winning a bit of space, having already kept out Sammarco early in the proceedings. Covered Moscardelli’s header well, but then was outdone by Drame (and Bonucci) as Chievo equalised.

Giorgio Chiellini 6.5 - Got a little flick onto Pirlo’s free kick as he caused the original concern which led to Chievo giving space to De Ceglie as Juve took the lead. Largely dominant in the air at the back until the introduction of Moscardelli, but when asked to show mobility up against Sammarco and Paloschi he wasn’t always at the top of his game.

Paolo De Ceglie 7.0 - Reacted quickest when Chiellini’s flick came back into the pack as he put Juve ahead. But while his endeavour was notable, he didn’t always appear to have the killer quality when it came to getting the perfect ball in for Matri and Vucinic.

Andrea Barzagli 6.5 - Juve looked somewhat exposed in the early stages of the game, with Thereau and Sammarco both managing to force some space in the final third, but the centre-back appeared to be getting on top before his hasty exit before the break.

Stephan Lichtsteiner 7.0 - Covered a lot of space down both flanks, justifying his continued presence in the starting XI ahead of Martin Caceres. Put in a couple of crucial tackles too, although he produced one of the more comical moments when somehow running the ball into touch with nobody anywhere near him.

Claudio Marchisio 5.0 - Added very little in the middle as Juve failed to have their say in midfield as they have on other games this season. Unable to add the pressing and workrate of Arturo Vidal and was substituted 20 minutes from time.

Simone Padoin 6.0 - Wasn’t a huge influence on the game playing out of position on the right-hand side, but he did have one long range drive which Sorrentino had to deal with. Appeared more at ease once he was tucked inside after Caceres replaced Marchisio.

Andrea Pirlo 7.5 - His swinging free kick caused havoc in the Chievo box as De Ceglie gave Juve the lead, and he delivered a number of other extremely dangerous passes despite not being at the top of his game at times. His late fizzer looked set to give his side the win until Sorrentino produced an excellent save.

Emanuele Giaccherini 7.0 - Got himself involved in a controversial moment when going down under pressure from Luciano, then could have dealt better with Bonucci’s long pass than to fire his first-time effort into the side-netting. Continually got in behind Frey, but wasn’t helped out greatly by the movement of his strikers.

Mirko Vučinić 6.0 - Continues to be remarkably goal-shy when starting as part of a two-man strikeforce. He couldn’t seem to get the timing of his runs right for most of the evening, and when he did have a chance to get into space with Juve looking for a killer second, his dwelling on the ball allowed Bradley to race back and dispossess him.

Alessandro Matri 6.0 - Might have been better served to shoot first time when he tried to cleverly nip the ball around Sorrentino after beating the offside trap, then failed to make the most of a couple of half chances. Not as profligate as he has been on occasions this season, but then neither did he look like creating something out of nothing to give Juve the win.

• Substitutions

Martín Cáceres 6.5 - Added an extra dimension down the right flank as he got in a couple of testing crosses after replacing Marchisio.

Leonardo Bonucci 6.0 - Immediately got into the action with an excellent tackle on the advancing Drame before his long-range pass was allowed to get through to Giaccherini. However, he always looked like he may have a rick in him, and so he did, as his miscued clearance from Drame’s shot saw Chievo equalise.

Alessandro Del Piero 6.0 - A late replacement for Lichtsteiner, he wasn’t able to regain the lead for his side.

Chievo

Stefano Sorrentino 7.5 - Showed great anticipation and superb reflexes in equal measure over the course of the game, with his injury-time stop from Andrea Pirlo crucial to Chievo’s quest for a result.

Marco Andreolli 6.0 - Never looked entirely comfortable in the aerial battle with Juve’s strikers, and looked even less happy when faced with the prospect of the advancing Chiellini. But he did a good harrying job which proved crucial to Chievo’s cause.

Francesco Acerbi 7.0 - Scrapped and hustled and really refused to give the Juve forwards an inch as he typified the tough approach that Chievo arrived in Turin with. A real show from the young centre-back, who waited a long time to become a trusted defender for the Flying Donkeys.

Boukary Dramé 7.0 - Got into a good crossing position early on only to hit the first man, and later made a great tackle and storming run only to be dispossessed by Bonucci. He got his own back eventually, sliding a shot past Buffon that Bonucci could only divert into the near corner.

Nicolas Sebastien Frey 5.0 - Replaced the injured Sardo at the last minute and seemed a little fazed by his late addition to the starting XI, with Giaccherini regularly being allowed to get in behind, as well as Matri getting early success when dropping wide onto the full-back’s territory.

Michael Bradley 8.0 - Patrolled the midfield superbly, starting many of Chievo’s most promising bursts forward, and delivered undoubtedly the tackle of the match when he sprinted back to dispossess Vucinic with a magnificent intervention. His sharp passing both long and short were a real feature of the Flying Donkeys staking a claim for a result.

Paolo Sammarco 6.5 - Would have hoped to have done better when presented with a free header in the opening minutes, but his general level of play was high as he and Paloschi pinned the Juve back line deep. Had another chance midway through the first half and kept running hard at the home defence before being replaced.

Luciano 6.5 - Put in a really good shift as he led the side with great endeavour as captain for the night due to the suspension of Sergio Pellissier. With slightly stronger contact, he may have conceded an early penalty on Giaccherini, but it was on the ball that he made more headlines, helping to keep De Ceglie honest down his flank.

Luca Rigoni 7.0 - Covered a lot of bases in midfield, stealing the ball from Pirlo and then seeing off two would-be tacklers in one particularly nice moment late in the first half. He continued to be the ying to Bradley’s yang as Chievo dealt as well with Juve’s midfield as perhaps any side have all season.

Alberto Paloschi 7.0 - Led the line well, bringing in Sammarco in particular at regular intervals while doing what was basically a thankless task for the majority of the game. Still ensured that Chievo enjoyed a fair amount of territory due to his great hold-up play.

Cyril Thereau 6.0 - Couldn’t quite keep his feet as he turned on a tight axis with Buffon approaching as Chievo looked for a quick equaliser. Drifted out of the game at times, but he was always ready to provide a vital outlet as his side looked to win something on the counter.

• Substitutions

Perparim Hetemaj 6.5 - Replaced Thereau for the final half hour and delivered a couple of key passes from the left side of attack.

Kamil Vacek N/A - Late sub for Paloschi.

Davide Moscardelli 7.0 - Took the place of Sammarco as Chievo looked to grab an equaliser, and he very nearly delivered with a far post header which just finished wide. Then had a hand in the build-up to Drame’s equaliser as Chievo’s effort paid off.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Conte: Juventus' progress has been a 'miracle' despite Chievo draw

The Bianconeri boss blamed fatigue for the disappointing result, but dismissed murmurs

of discontent after their 12th draw of the season, stating his team still need to develop.

Mar 3, 2012

Juventus coach Antonio Conte insists that the progress his team have made this season has been nothing short of miraculous despite their 1-1 draw with Chievo in Serie A on Saturday.

The Old Lady earned their 12th draw of the 2011-12 campaign at Juventus Stadium against the Flying Donkeys, but the 42-year-old dismissed their tepid display, claiming that his side are still a work in progress and called on their supporters to share his vision for the future.

"I consider my players the strongest they've been all season, but it's a team that has to grow a lot still because there are many teams more organised than us," Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

"In the summer there was talk of a sixth-placed finish from my staff, so I think that what this team is doing is a miracle.

"Our rebuilding requires a lot of patience. Fans should be proud of what we are doing. Other than that I do not know what to say."

Conte then explained why he felt Juve struggled against Chievo, putting the result down to a poor gameplan, before criticising the booing of defender Leonardo Bonucci, whose error paved the way for Davide Moscardelli to equalise late on in the fixture.

"It seemed that we wanted to go gung-ho, but we wasted too much energy early on and were exposed to many counterattacks by Chievo," he continued. "This I did not like.

"I do not know why Bonucci got these whistles. We must not forget where we came from because in only seven months we got in the car pulling up to 200 kilometres per hour."

Juventus remain second in Serie A and are now three points behind AC Milan with a game in hand.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Di Carlo explains Chievo plan

Mar 3, 2012

Domenico Di Carlo reveals Chievo’s plan to snatch a point from Juventus in Turin. “We came here to play our game.”

The Flying Donkeys fought back from a goal down to earn their 1-1 draw at the Juventus Stadium this evening.

“We came here to play our game, because lately we have been more compact and effective. It wasn’t easy, but we were able to bring home a deserved point,” said the Coach.

“We tried to fight it out in one-to-one battles all over the field, especially towards the end, but without losing the necessary balance to avoid conceding against the big clubs.

“Our defeats in the Coppa Italia and against Lazio could’ve sent this team into crisis, but they reacted well to those difficulties. This squad can still grow, because the newcomers who arrived in the summer are just starting to settle in.

“We want to have a campaign that can give us something more than just achieving safety from relegation.”

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

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Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Conte: 'We're performing miracles'

Mar 3, 2012

Antonio Conte thought Juventus deserved to win this evening, but warned fans they are “performing miracles” to be in the title race at all.

The Bianconeri are now three points behind leaders Milan, albeit with a game in hand, after their 1-1 draw with Chievo.

“I don’t know why the fans jeered. We must not forget where we’ve come from, as in just seven months we have reached this stage by going at full pelt and taking some short-cuts,” said the Coach.

“It takes patience and the fans must be proud of what we are achieving. Otherwise I really don’t know what to say.

“The team has to grow, because there are much more organised sides than us right now. In the summer there was talk of this squad being good enough only for sixth place, so what we’re doing now is performing miracles.”

Juve had taken the lead against Chievo this evening, but struggled to convert chances and allowed the Flying Donkeys to catch up.

“Tonight we played with the 4-3-3 system that was also used in the final stages against Milan. We could and should have won today, so this draw leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.

“We always play very aggressively, so every now and then it’s natural to have a bit of a physical setback. It seemed as if we wanted to smash our way into the game, but that used up a lot of energy and we left ourselves open to too many Chievo counter-attacks. I didn’t like that at all.”

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

De Ceglie dismayed at draw with Chievo

The Bianconeri defender gave his side an early lead in Turin but the hosts

struggled thereafter and were ultimately punished for their sluggishness by Boukary Dramé.

Mar 4, 2012

Juventus defender Paolo De Ceglie has admitted that dropping points at home to Chievo on Saturday night had taken the shine off scoring his first goal in Serie A.

The left-back netted the game's opener just 18 minutes into the match in Turin but the Bianconeri failed to build on their early advantage and were ultimately held to a 1-1 draw on account of Boukary Drame's 76th-minute strike for the visitors.

De Ceglie was enthused by his close-range finish but admitted that failing to reduce Milan's lead at the top of the table to a solitary point had been desperately disappointing.

“Scoring is always delightful, in particular if that goal allows you to go in front," he is quoted as saying by his club's official website. "Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to get the three points.

“We’ve given Chievo too many counterattacking opportunities - in both the first and second half, and we haven’t been able to seal the win."

De Cegli was reluctant to admit that Juventus had turned in a surprisingly subdued performance but he did concede that they had not been at their best.

"We were flat tonight? Well, I don’t know, sometimes it also depends on how the games develop," the former Siena man reasoned.

"Perhaps we are a bit below par and difficulties are arising. But we’ll need to analyse the game in order to understand where our mistakes lie.”

Juventus' next outing in the league is a rearranged clash with Bologna on Wednesday evening.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Massimo Mauro blasts Juventus after Chievo draw:

They have lost humility

The 49-year-old, who played for Juve in the 80s, believes that the Bianconeri have lost

much of their fighting spirit and says Conte is also to blame for the team's dip in form .

Mar 5, 2012

Former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro has launched a scathing attack at the Bianconeri's current state after Saturday's 1-1 draw against Chievo.

The Turin-based club have looked off the pace in recent weeks and are currently three points behind leaders AC Milan, albeit with a match in hand, after four draws in their last five Serie A matches.

"Juventus have lost that which had been their biggest strength: humility," Mauro told Sky Sport Italia.

"There is no longer the desire to run for the team-mate, to help each other, to play with a high tempo."

The 49-year-old, who played at Juventus between 1985 and 1989, then turned his attention to coach Antonio Conte, who had blamed fatigue for Saturday's stalemate.

"I am not convinced by the management of the team against Chievo, some of Conte's choices in the team selection were probably wrong," Mauro continued.

"I was at the stadium and the draw is worrying. Mirko Vucinic is now a case to solve.

"He received whistles after he lost the ball, he did not try to recover it and that was in the build up to Chievo's goal.

"It is also embarrassing that Alessandro Matri is not being given any sort of service. I had never seen a Juventus team in such difficulty.

"It is not a physical problem, because the players run, but they run badly."

Juventus have a chance to draw level on 54 points with Milan on Wednesday when they visit Bologna. Kick off is scheduled for 18.30CET.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

[Socrates 8227]

Serie A Week 26 - 3-3-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Paolo De Ceglie (18′)

Boukary Dramé (76′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Attendance: 39027‎

Juve blasted by ex-player Mauro

Mar 5, 2012

Former Juventus midfielder Massimo Mauro has criticised the club following their 1-1 draw with Chievo on Saturday.

The Old Lady have struggled in recent weeks to maintain their Scudetto charge and their failure to beat Chievo has allowed Milan to move three points clear at the top of the table.

“Juventus have lost what had been their strength this season – humility,” the now pundit told Sky Sport Italia.

“There is no longer that desire to run for teammates, to help themselves, to play with that high rhythm that we had previously seen.

“I’m not convinced by the management of the team either and I think boss Antonio Conte has probably made some mistakes in his team selection.”

Juve took the lead against the Verona minnows at the weekend, but allowed the Flying Donkeys back into the game.

“I was at the stadium and the draw is worrying,” continued the ex-Napoli man.

“Mirko Vucinic is now a case to solve. He was jeered after he lost a ball, he didn’t try to win it back and that was in the build up to Chievo’s equaliser.

“It’s also embarrassing that Alessandro Matri isn’t being given any sort of service, I had never seen a Juventus side in such difficulty.

“It’s not a physical issue as the squad has running in their legs, they are just running badly, really badly.”

Juve do have a game in hand over the Rossoneri and will join the Diavolo at the top of the table with a win at Bologna on Wednesday.

http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

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