Juventus Season 2011-2012

[Socrates 8326]

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Preview: Bianconeri look to continue Serie A

title march against desperate visitors

The Bianconeri will look to stay at least three points ahead of AC Milan

in the Scudetto race as they welcome the relegation-threatened southern side to Turin.

May 1, 2012

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

JUVENTUS

Buffon

Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini

Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie

Quagliarella, Vucinic

LECCE

Benassi

Oddo, Miglionico, Tomovic

Blasi, Delvecchio

Cuadrado, Giacomazzi, Brivio

Muriel, Di Michele

In-form Juventus will attempt to continue their impressive run of victories against Lecce as they close in on the Serie A title.

Coach Antonio Conte looks set to continue with a 3-5-2 formation, but Simone Pepe's persistent ankle problem could see Paolo De Ceglie come back into the starting XI on the left side of the midfield quintet with Stephan Lichtsteiner lining up on the opposite flank ahead of Emanuele Giaccherini and Martin Caceres.

Striker Alessandro Matri returns from suspension, but Fabio Quagliarella, who signed a new contract until 2015 on Monday, is set to join Mirko Vucinic in attack.

Turning to the relegation-threatened visitors, defender Andrea Esposito is suspended alongside coach Serse Cosmi, who will not be on the bench after verbal abuse to the referee during the 2-1 loss to Parma.

Influential winger Juan Cuadrado is expected to be back in the starting XI after serving a ban, with the speedy Luis Muriel partnering veteran David Di Michele in attack.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Juventus have won their last eight Serie A games, only conceding one goal during that entire span of matches.

• After not scoring in his first nine appearances for the Bianconeri, Marco Borriello has two goals in his last two games, striking versus Cesena and Novara.

• Conte's side earned a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture on January 8th with Alessandro Matri bagging the winner at the Stadio Via del Mare.

• Lecce are currently just inside the relegation zone sitting in 18th place, one point behind Genoa.

• Cosmi's men have five away victories this season, the most of any team in the bottom half of the Serie A table.

• Lecce have only managed one win, one draw, and eight losses in the previous 10 times they have played the Bianconeri in all competitions.

Head to Head

Serie A ‎- Jan 8, 2012 - Lecce 0 - Juventus 1

Serie A ‎- Feb 20, 2011 - Lecce 2 - Juventus 0

Serie A ‎- Oct 17, 2010 - Juventus 4 - Lecce 0

Serie A ‎- May 3, 2009 - Juventus 2 - Lecce 2

Serie A ‎- Dec 7, 2008 - Lecce 1 - Juventus 2

Last Five Matches

Juventus

Apr 29, 2012 - Novara 0 - Juventus 4 - Serie A

Apr 25, 2012 - Cesena 0 - Juventus 1 - Serie A

Apr 22, 2012 - Juventus 4 - Roma 0 - Serie A

Apr 11, 2012 - Juventus 2 - Lazio 1 - Serie A

Apr 7, 2012 - Palermo 0 - Juventus 2 - Serie A

Lecce

Apr 29, 2012 - Lecce 1 - Parma 2 - Serie A

Apr 25, 2012 - Lecce 0 - SSC Napoli 2 - Serie A

Apr 22, 2012 - Lazio 1 - Lecce 1 - Serie A

Apr 11, 2012 - Catania 1 - Lecce 2 - Serie A

Apr 7, 2012 - Lecce 4 - Roma 2 - Serie A

Players to Watch

Claudio Marchisio

The willingness to get forward of Cuadrado could cause some problems, so the Italy international midfielder will not only have to get forward to help out the attack, but also stay attentive regarding his defensive duties and track back diligently to help out Paolo De Ceglie.

Luis Fernando Muriel

Whenever Lecce have come up with a moment of brilliance this season, Muriel has typically been at the heart of it. The 21-year-old's performances have caught the eye and the hosts should be wary of threat he poses when he is allowed the run into space as he can punish any lapses in concentration in an instant due to his electric pace and sense for the unexpected.

Prediction

Juventus seem to be at their very best in the closing stages of the season and anything other than a win against Lecce, despite the visitors' desperation to pick up points in their fight against relegation, would be a shock.

Editor's Prediction

Juventus 2 - 0

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

MATCH PREVIEW

May 1, 2012

Juventus can almost smell the Scudetto but having fought all season to preserve their Serie A status Lecce aren't going to lie down now.

Juve will seal their first post-Calciopoli League title if a win over Lecce is coupled with a Milan loss to Atalanta on Wednesday night. “We know how to add up,” commented Coach Antonio Conte. “We are ahead and are masters of our own destiny. Wednesday will be the game of our lives.”

The Bianconeri have won their last eight games, scoring 21 goals and conceding only one in the process. “An unbreachable defence is one of the secrets of this Juve side,” according to centre back Leonardo Bonucci, who turns 25 today.

Lecce wasted a golden opportunity to climb out of the relegation zone for the first time since Week 4 when they lost 2-1 at home to Parma on Sunday, just hours after Genoa's loss to Bologna had opened the window of opportunity for them.

However one point remains the gap between them and 17th placed Genoa, and with the Rossoblu having to play their two remaining home games on neutral turf all is not yet lost for Serse Cosmi's side. The Salentini have collected 20 of their 35 points away from home. Their one and only victory over Juve in Turin was a spectacular one, 4-3 at the Stadio delle Alpi in April 2004.

The fixture is one that holds great personal significance for Conte, who hails from Lecce and spent six years with the Giallorossi as a player, though he later risked his home town’s wrath by taking the job of Coach at fierce local rivals Bari.

Juventus are hale and hearty other than injured winger Simone Pepe. Lecce are without injured former Roma duo Julio Sergio and Daniele Corvia, whilst Andrea Esposito is suspended.

Keep an eye on: Mirko Vucinic (Juventus) – Conte isn't the only one with Lecce connections. Mirko Vucinic spent six years with the Salentini after being discovered by Pantaleo Corvino in his youth, scoring 19 goals for them in the 2004/05 campaign. The Montenegrin is much less prolific these days but has still played a key part in Juve's Scudetto charge with his pace, creativity and work rate.

Form Guide: Juventus (W W W W W) Lecce (W W D L L)

Last season: Juventus 4-0 Lecce

Stat fact: Juventus have scored 23 goals more than Lecce but none of their players have scored more than David Di Michele. The flamboyant veteran has hit 11 Serie A strikes, one more than Bianconeri top gun Alessandro Matri.

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Quagliarella, Vucinic

Lecce: Benassi; Oddo, Miglionico, Tomovic; Cuadrado, Giacomazzi, Blasi, Delvecchio, Brivio; Di Michele, Muriel

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Juventus v Lecce: Preview

May 1, 2012

Juventus coach Antonio Conte has labelled tomorrow's game against relegation-threatened Lecce as the "game of our lives".

The Turin giants will be crowned Serie A champions if they can beat Lecce and second-place AC Milan lose against Atalanta.

Juve are three points clear of Milan with three games remaining and hold a better head-to-head record against the Rossoneri.

"Our thoughts are on tomorrow's encounter,'' Conte said. "The game against Lecce is the game of our lives.

"We gave a further display of strength and development in our (4-0) triumph at Novara (on Sunday).

"We made a difficult game easy. We need to keep going.

"The fact that we are handing solid displays and playing good football should fill us with pride and satisfaction.''

Conte's Juve are just three games away from joining Perugia and Milan as the only sides in the history of Serie A to go an entire season undefeated.

The Bianconeri go into their midweek encounter riding an eight-match winning run.

Rivals Lecce are battling just to stay in Italy's top flight.

The Salentini go into the game knowing that a win could see them climb out of the relegation zone for the first time this year.

Lecce are in the bottom three but they still have time to ensure they can stay in the division.

Sunday's 2-1 loss to Parma left them in 18th place, one point behind Genoa, who are in the last position of safety.

"I believe it is still possible for us to avoid the drop," Lecce coach Serse Cosmi said.

"Our current position in the standings forces us to take maximum points from our remaining games regardless of the results of our rivals.

"We will try against Juve."

The visitors will be without suspended defender Andrea Esposito while Cosmi will have to watch the game from the Juventus stadium stands as he must serve a one-match touchline ban.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Juventus vs. Lecce PREVIEW:

One Small Step For A Man…

May 1, 2012

It is now so close you can almost taste it, and we don’t mean Mike’s latest brilliant edition of TeamEATS! With three games left to go the Bianconeri occupy top spot in Serie A, three points clear of rivals AC Milan and with the benefit of a favorable head-to-head record. This, as you are undoubtedly aware, means Antonio Conte and his squad are just two wins away from securing a title win which would end an agonising six-year wait and see both the Scudetto tricolore and a richly deserved third star stitched onto next season’s Jeep-sponsored shirts.

Back in February, Juventus emerged from their worst spell of the season: a seven-game run in which they managed to obtain one single victory amidst a myriad of frustrating draws. They then traveled to Fiorentina, obtaining an emphatic 5-0 demolition win over their bitter rivals, and followed it up with another seven consecutive wins, an incredible streak during which they’ve outscored their opponents 23-1. With all elements of the team reaching peak form at once, Juve have produced a perfectly-timed burst which looks set to carry them across the finish line and into football history.

Make no mistake: that is exactly what we are about witness to right now. Yes, it is wonderful to see la vecchia Signora back at the summit of Italian football after the purgatory of Serie B and the sheer hell of the Alessio Secco era error. Yet more than just overcoming current champions AC Milan, Conte’s miraculous reversal of fortunes has seen a string of records broken in his relentless pursuit of perfection. This past weekend’s triumph in Novara set a new benchmark of 35 unbeaten games from the start of a season, a total which increases to 39 if we include Juve’s Coppa Italia campaign: across all competitions, Juve have thus surpassed Internazionale’s 2004-05 record!

It is also apt that Leonardo Bonucci chose this week to single out his fellow defenders for praise, calling the backline an “impenetrable defence” as they collected their fourth consecutive away clean sheet. That is a feat no Juventus side has managed since 1979 (when they managed six in a row) and shows just how good the defence has been. Should further proof be required, we need look no further than the recent record of Gigi Buffon, recipient of yet another ‘senza voto’ in Aaron’s post-game pagelle last weekend. Since the start of April – which began with that 3-0 bashing of Napoli – the World’s Greatest-Ever Goalkeeper has been reduced to little more than a spectator, accumulating just six saves in the six matches he played since.

The best thing about all of this however, is the knowledge that Conte waits menacingly – nailed baseball bat in hand – for one of his players to show even the slightest sign of complacency. So driven is the coach that he refuses to allow the squad to give anything less than their very best, to the point he was captured on television screaming “Non voglio prendere gol” (“I don’t want to concede any goals”) at Andrea Barzagli during the Novara game. The scoreline at the time was 4-0!

Lecce

As we discussed at length in our preview of the January encounter between these two teams, Lecce are Conte’s hometown and former club which, shortly before that fixture, replaced Eusebio Di Francesco with Serse Cosmi. Through a combination of grit, effort and his determined character (not to mention an inspirational penchant for showing his players pornographic material), the new man has driven the Giallorossi from dead-last to having a slim chance of avoiding relegation.

Having won just twice prior to the new manager’s arrival, Lecce have lost just four times under Cosmi but come into this match in poor form and not having won since early April. Yet they still trail Genoa by a single point in the standings, and hold out hope of seeing the Rossoblu make the relegation drop in their place (something which would give this writer great joy… did I say that out loud? O dear).

From a Bianconeri point of view, the one negative to Cosmi’s appointment is his switch from his predecessor’s 4-2-3-1 formation which marginalized Cristian Pasquato and made less room for Manuel Giandonato. While the former has since left for Torino – where he is excelling under the guidance of Conte’s mentor Giampiero Ventura – the latter has struggled since recovering from the knee surgery he underwent in November.

Cosmi himself will be suspended for this game after being handed a touchline ban for verbally abusing the fourth official during his team’s loss to Parma (he will be replaced by second-in-command Mario Palazzi) regularly be in the dugout, after having won the appeal against his 1-match touchline ban, but will not be joined by defender Andrea Esposito who was sent off during Lecce’s match against the Gialloblu. Key man Juan Cuadrado should return from a suspension of his own but it is the absence of the coach that will be most keenly felt. This is Cosmi’s second ban since taking charge of Lecce, and the side looked lost without his constant input from the sidelines during those previous games. LECCE (3-5-2)

Benassi

Tomovic, Carrozzieri, Miglionico

Cuadrado, Blasi, Obodo, G.Delvecchio, Brivio

Di Michele, Seferovic BENCH: Petrachi, Di Matteo, Giandonato, Giacomazzi, Bertolacci, Muriel, Bojinov Starting %: Seferovic 60-40% Muriel , Brivio 55-45% Di Matteo Injured: Julio Sergio (season), Corvia (season), Oddo (TBA) Suspended: A.Esposito (1) Other: Gabrieli, Ingrosso, Falcone, Grossmüller, Piatti, Ofere At YC risk: Brivio, Muriel, Miglionico, Bertolacci, Carrozzieri, Giacomazzi

Juventus

The last time Juventus faced Lecce, they flew directly to the Southern city from their Dubai Winter training camp. That trip was nothing like some of the money-spinning tours seen at many of Europe’s elite clubs (including Juve) in recent years, and instead saw the players driven hard by fitness coach Paolo Bertelli. The benefits of that are now undoubtedly being seen as Juventus look sharper and fitter than any opponent they have faced, even now able to employ the relentless pressing demanded by Conte with the same vigour as they did in the opening day demolition of Parma.

That edge, allied to the coach’s confidence to constantly switch shape and rotate his starting eleven (a fact borne out when noting the Bianconeri have seen an incredible 18 different men find the back of the net), fills the Juventus camp – particularly its strikers – with aplomb. While Marco Borriello and Mirko Vucinic are both in great form, leading scorer Alessandro Matri returns from a one-match yellow-card accumulation ban and may slide straight back into the line-up, also given the injury doubts surrounding Fabio Quagliarella. The former Cagliari striker grabbed the only goal in January’s 1-0 win over Wednesday’s opponent and he will look to add to his total of 10 for the season, while also trying to break a personal scoring drought that has been continuing since February 25th in that vital head-to-head clash with AC Milan.

Further back, it is impossible to predict whether Conte will mirror the 3-5-2 of Lecce or continue with the same formation which so comprehensively dispatched Novara at the weekend. Some rotation is likely, perhaps with Paolo De Ceglie coming back in on the left whilst the coach must also consider getting Andrea Pirlo some rest once the result is secured.

Whatever happens three points are absolutely vital to keep Milan at bay and ensure that the kit designers at Nike will have a couple of extra badges to incorporate into their designs for next season. JUVENTUS (3-5-2)

Buffon

Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini

Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie

Matri, Vucinic BENCH: Storari, Cáceres, Giaccherini, Padoin, Quagliarella, Del Piero, Borriello Starting %: Matri 45% Quagl. 35% Borriello 30%, De Ceglie 65-35% Giaccherini Injured: Pepe (TBA) Suspended: / Other: Manninger, Grosso, Marrone, Elia, Krasic, Estigarribia At YC risk: Barzagli, De Ceglie, Marchisio, Vidal, Giaccherini

In Conte we trust!

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

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Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Conte: Winning the Scudetto would be comparable

to Hellas Verona's success in 1985

The 42-year-old has stated that if his side win the league this term, it would be

a similar feat to when the unfashionable Italian outfit won the title 27 years ago.

May 1, 2012

Antonio Conte believes that if Juventus win the Scudetto this season, it will be comparable to Hellas Verona's title success in the 1984-85 campaign.

The unfashionable Verona outfit defied the odds to be crowned champions of Italy ahead of Torino and Inter 27 years ago.

With Juve on the verge of their first league title since 2003, Conte has spoken out about what he feels could be an incredible achievement.

"Look, we are thinking in the present, their help has given us the opportunity to do something incredible this year, something that was unthinkable earlier this season," he said at his press conference ahead of the game against Lecce on Wednesday.

"And if we win, I think this is comparable to the league championship of Hellas Verona, lest we forget where we have come from. So we are thinking about this, let’s concentrate on doing something extraordinary in the league.

"We are building on what we’ve already built that is important, but let’s not lose sight of the goal, because it has not yet been achieved."

Victory against Lecce combined with a home defeat for AC Milan versus Atalanta midweek would see the Old Lady win the league bet Conte is refusing to underestimate his hometown club.

"We can’t say Lecce are the final hurdle, because as the previous two games have taught us, we have found teams with the greatest motivation to get a result, as it should be," he added.

"So we will encounter Lecce who like us have an important goal. We strive for something beautiful, magical, while they are after survival. It will be a nice challenge between two teams that still have the greatest motivation.

“We absolutely have to think about us only, though, as I always say, partly because we have nothing in our hands at the moment, except for Champions League qualification and the Coppa Italia final.

"We are looking before we speak, I was taught that you must win before you talk."

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Cosmi: Lecce will give Juventus a game

The flamboyant coach has nothing but praise for the Serie A leaders,

but has stressed that his side will do their utmost to cause an upset in Turin.

May 1, 2012

Lecce coach Serse Cosmi is confident that his team have what it takes to trouble Juventus in Wednesday's Serie A match in Turin. Cosmi is full of respect for the Bianconeri following their impressive performances in the 2011-12 campaign, but believes Lecce can 'give them a game' with the right attitude.

"We know we face a team that has conceded just one goal in the last eight games. Juventus are enjoying a superb championship with great results and football of the highest level," Cosmi said at a press conference.

"I don’t know how much chance we have of getting a result in Turin, but with the right attitude we could give them a game. “We’ll need players who don’t surrender and are able to find the strength to give even more than they have done up until now."

Wednesday's match kicks off at 20.45CET.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Conte: Juve like Verona

May 1, 2012

Antonio Conte believes that should Juventus win the Scudetto this season, then it is a comparable achievement to Hellas Verona’s 1985 title.

The Gialloblu famously won the Italian League that season against all the odds, something that Bianconero Coach Conte says holds similar truth in reflection in 2012 to his Juve side.

The comparison, though, was made after he was pushed for an answer to another subject, the future of strikers Alessandro Del Piero and Marco Borriello at the club beyond the summer.

“Look, we are thinking in the present, their help has given us the opportunity to something incredible this year, something incredible and unthinkable earlier this season, ” deflected the 42-year-old tactician to the assembled media on Tuesday.

“And if we win, I think this is comparable to the League championship of Hellas Verona’s, lest we forget where we have come from.

“So we are thinking about this, let’s concentrate on doing something extraordinary in the League.

“We are building on what we’ve already built that is important, but let’s not lose sight of the goal, because it has not yet been achieved.

“Other things are secondary, they are things we will face when the time comes.”

The Coach went further on this final point, by insisting that Wednesday opponents Lecce, Conte’s home-town club that he also once played for, would need Juve’s full concentration.

“We can’t say Lecce are the final hurdle, because as the previous two games have taught us, we have found teams with the greatest motivation to get a result, as it should be.

“So we will encounter a Lecce who like us have an important goal . We strive for something beautiful, magical, whilst they are after survival. It will be a nice challenge between two teams that still have the greatest motivation.

“We absolutely have to think about us only, though, as I always say, partly because we have nothing in our hands at the moment, except for Champions League qualification and the Coppa Italia final.

“We are looking before we speak, I was taught that you must win before you talk.”

Conte was also asked about the Bianconeri’s possession statistics through the season, where they have averaged the third highest possession in League football across all of Europe.

“The focus on possession was a well-defined concept from day one, that we want to take the game to the opponents and to do so we needed the ball at our feet.

“We have facilitated this task through the players…[Andrea] Pirlo who is great for playing this style of play and allows the team to have peace of mind from this point of view.

“We’ve worked hard on an idea for how to play, how to make the game, to want to keep the ball and all this has been possible thanks to the players.”

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Cosmi anticipates tough Juve

May 1, 2012

Serse Cosmi still believes Lecce have what it takes to avoid relegation from Serie A, even if he admits that Wednesday’s trip to Juventus will be difficult.

The Salentini arrive in Turin hoping for a result against a Bianconeri side that have won their last League games and who remain undefeated for the season.

Sat in 18th place and arriving off the back of two defeats suffered, Lecce are in for a test to take anything from the game, admits Cosmi.

“We know we’ll face a team that has conceded just one goal in the last eight games,” he told his Press conference on Tuesday.

“Juventus are having a superb championship, for the results they’re achieving and the quality of their play.

“I don’t know how much chance we have of getting a result in Turin, but with the right attitude we could give them a game.

“We’ll require players who don’t surrender and are able to find the strength to give even more than they have done up until now.

“It’s clear we squandered a great opportunity against Parma, but I still believe we can stay up.”

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Cosmi wins Juventus appeal

May 1, 2012

Serse Cosmi has won his appeal against a touchline ban, so he will be on the bench for tomorrow evening’s Juventus-Lecce match.

The Salentini Coach was suspended, but the ban has been reduced on appeal to the Federal Court.

Instead it will become a warning with €10,000 fine.

Lecce are in a battle with Genoa to avoid relegation, while Juventus are top of the Serie A table.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Vucinic on Lecce reunion

May 2, 2012

Mirko Vucinic will take on his past this evening when Juventus entertain former club Lecce in Serie A.

The striker spent six years at the Via Del Mare, scoring 34 League goals in the process, before his August 2006 switch to Roma.

“The Lecce tie will be a special one for me,” the Montenegro international centre-forward commented.

“However, we have to remain concentrated until the end because we want to gift ourselves a special dream.”

The Old Lady are three points clear of Milan at the top of the League with three games left to play this season.

The Bianconeri will face Cagliari and Atalanta next.

Milan’s last three games of the campaign are against Atalanta, Inter and Novara.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Pirlo key to Juventus' revival, claims Conte

The Italy international was surprisingly released by AC Milan last summer but has proven

his worth this season by inspiring the Bianconeri to a surprise Scudetto challenge.

May 2, 2012

Juventus boss Antonio Conte has put the club's revival this season down to the players, singling out midfielder Andrea Pirlo for special praise.

After successive seventh-placed finishes in Serie A, not much was expected of the Bianconeri this season and yet, ahead of Wednesday evening's meeting with Lecce, they stand within two victories of the title.

Conte, who only returned to Turin last summer, has been lauded for Juve's remarkable transformation into Scudetto challengers, but he insists that the plaudits should go to the players, and in particular, Pirlo.

"Our style of play comes from the desire to take the game to the opposition and it’s much easier to do this with players like Pirlo," he told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.

"We’ve worked intensely on our game but it’s the players’ commitment which has made it possible to make everything click."

Meanwhile, Conte revealed that with the return of Alessandro Matri from suspension, he has a near full-strength squad to choose from ahead of the visit of Lecce. However, he has yet to decide if Simone Pepe will feature.

“Del Piero has recovered from muscular fatigue and Quagliarella is on his way back," he explained.

"Pepe trained separately yesterday [Monday]. He’s got great desire and enthusiasm to be involved, but the championship doesn’t finish tomorrow [Wednesday] and it’s important to make sensible assessments.

"I’ll speak with my players - it’s an important moment and it’s right to consult them."

Undefeated Juve go into the game with relegation-threatened Lecce three points clear of second-placed Milan.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Quagliarella and Vucinic lead the line for Juventus against Lecce

Antonio Conte makes two changes from the weekend's 4-0 win at Novara as the former

Udinese forward is rewarded for his contract extension with a place in attack.

May 2, 2012

Fabio Quagliarella has been handed a starting berth in the Juventus frontline alongside Mirko Vucinic in tonight's Serie A clash with Lecce, as two changes are made from the 4-0 victory over Novara.

The 29-year-old recently renewed his stay with the Old Lady for a further two years to take him until 2015 and he has been chosen ahead of Marco Borriello in attack for the visit of the Giallorossi, despite the Roma loanee scoring in two consecutive games.

The other alteration is seen in midfield as Paolo De Ceglie returns to the lineup at the expense of Emanuele Giaccherini on the left-hand side of midfield.

Meanwhile for Lecce, five changes have been made by Serse Cosmi from the disappointing 2-1 defeat to Parma.

The suspended Andrea Esposito, Luca Di Matteo, Guillermo Giacomazzi, Andrea Bertolacci and Luis Muriel have all been replaced by Moris Carrozzieri, Christian Obodo, Davide Brivio, Haris Seferovic and the in-form Juan Cuadrado.

The teams are as follows:

Juventus (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Quagliarella, Vucinic

Subs: Storari, Caceres, Giaccherini, Padoin, Del Piero, Borriello, Matri

Lecce (3-5-2): Benassi; Tomovic, Carrozzieri, Miglionico; Cuadrado, Blasi, Obodo, Delvecchio, Brivio; Di Michele, Seferovic

Subs: Petrachi, Di Matteo, Giandonato, Giacomazzi, Bertolacci, Muriel, Bojinov

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Line-ups: Juventus-Lecce

May 2, 2012

Juventus have a tough task and look to Mirko Vucinic against his former club, as Serse Cosmi’s desperate Lecce come to Turin ready to cause an upset.

The Bianconeri are still unbeaten this season, setting an all-time Serie A record, and with a three-point lead at the top of the table are close to the Scudetto celebrations.

Simone Pepe is the only absentee, as Alessandro Matri returns from suspension, but only gets a place on the bench.

Instead Fabio Quagliarella is picked to partner ex-Lecce star Vucinic, who started his Serie A career with the Salentini.

Antonio Conte has opted for a three-man defence with Stephan Lichtsteiner and Paolo De Ceglie in more advanced roles.

Lecce are only one point adrift of the safety zone, but have slowed down their remarkable ascent recently and Cosmi hopes this atmosphere can shake up the squad.

He also welcomes back Juan Cuadrado from suspension, but Andrea Esposito is banned with Massimo Oddo, Daniele Corvia and Julio Sergio injured.

Udinese-owned Luis Muriel is surprisingly dropped after losing form recently, so 20-year-old ex-Fiorentina youngster Haris Seferovic starts with veteran David Di Michele.

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Quagliarella, Vucinic

Juventus bench: Storari, Caceres, Padoin, Giaccherini, Del Piero, Borriello, Matri

Lecce: Benassi; Tomovic, Carrozzieri, Miglionico; Cuadrado, Blasi, Obodo, Delvecchio, Brivio; Di Michele, Seferovic

Lecce bench: Petrachi, Di Matteo, Giandonato, Giacomazzi, Bertolacci, Muriel, Bojinov

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

-

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

HT: Marchisio sends Juve on way

May 2, 2012

Claudio Marchisio has given Juventus a 1-0 half-time lead over Lecce on their route to the Scudetto.

The Bianconeri hoped to move closer to the Scudetto, having already set a new all-time Serie A record by going 35 games unbeaten in the same season. On the hunt for a ninth consecutive victory, only Simone Pepe was absent due to an ankle problem, as Alessandro Matri returned from suspension to sit on the bench. Serse Cosmi won his appeal against a touchline ban, so was on the bench cheering on a Lecce side desperately trying to avoid relegation. Massimo Oddo, Daniele Corvia and Julio Sergio were sidelined with Andrea Esposito suspended, but 20-year-old Haris Seferovic was surprisingly picked ahead of Luis Muriel.

Bad news for Juve straight away, as Paolo De Ceglie pulled up with a muscular problem and had to make way for the versatile Martin Caceres. Gigi Buffon showed his confidence by dribbling to avoid a David Di Michele challenge.

Juventus opened the scoring with Claudio Marchisio’s ninth goal of the season. The midfielder got his cushioned header on to an Andrea Pirlo cross and steered it across the goalkeeper into the far bottom corner.

Massimiliano Benassi flapped at a cross, but Arturo Vidal’s follow-up was charged down. Moris Carrozzieri almost scored an own goal by deflecting Vucinic’s cross inches past the far post.

Fabio Quagliarella was stopped for an incorrect offside flag when running clear into the final third, then Marchisio set up Vidal for an angled drive that shaved a coat of paint off the base of the upright.

Benassi fingertipped a Marchisio blockbuster round the post.

Juventus 1-0 Lecce (Half-Time)

Scorers: Marchisio 8 (J)

Juventus:Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie (Caceres 7); Quagliarella, Vucinic

Lecce: Benassi; Tomovic, Carrozzieri, Miglionico; Cuadrado, Blasi, Obodo, Delvecchio, Brivio; Di Michele, Seferovic

Ref: Valeri

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Claudio Marchisio (9′)

Andrea Bertolacci (85′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Attendance: 32000‎

Bizarre Buffon error surrenders victory and blows Scudetto race wide open

Antonio Conte's champions-elect fail to find killer second goal against ten men

and drop two vital points after horror moment from Italy international .

May 2, 2012

A late error from Gianluigi Buffon handed Lecce a 1-1 draw versus Juventus and ensured that the Serie A title race will continue for another week.

Claudio Marchisio had given Antonio Conte's side an early advantage, but Buffon took a poor touch to allow Bertolacci to slide into an empty net. Coupled with AC Milan's win over Atalanta, the gap at the top is now back to just a single point.

Bianconeri boss Antonio Conte will be furious at his troops, who failed to take advantage of their obvious superiority and have handed rivals Milan some momentum in the title race.

An end-to-end opening suited the hosts who got off to a great start on eight minutes when Marchisio got on the end of a drifting Andrea Pirlo cross to nod past the flat-footed Massimiliano Benassi in the visitors' goal.

The visitors nearly found themselves two down on 26 minutes. A lovely passage of play saw the influential Marchisio dance through the middle and flight a pass to Arturo Vidal, but the Chilean fired wide of the upright from 12 yards out.

Marchisio then went close himself, Benassi turning the Italy international's bouncing 25-yard effort round the post.

The visiting Giallorossi started to knock a few passes around before the break, but entered the dressing room without mustering a shot on target.

Juventus emerged for the second period seemingly content to protect their one-goal cushion and their task was made easier on 54 minutes when Lecce striker Juan Cuadrado earned a second yellow card for a rash tackle on Uruguayan Martin Caceres.

Vidal almost exploited the extra man immediately, the Juve midfielder striding onto a Vucinic header only to hit a tame effort at Benassi.

Nearing the 70 minute mark, a comfortable Bianconeri nearly doubled their lead, Fabio Quagliarella hitting a delightful left foot volley just over from the edge of the area before testing a sprawling Benassi moments later with a low curling strike.

Juventus were struggling to put the visitors to the sword, however, and nearly paid the price when Luis Muriel almost latched onto a partially cleared free kick only to be denied by Buffon.

Muriel's half-chance stung the hosts into action and substitute Alessandro Matri crowned a fine run down the left flank with a firm angled shot - only to see Benassi palm the effort to safety.

Then Buffon's calamitous moment came with five minutes left on the clock. The keeper seemingly had acres of space, but took a shocking touch to allow Bertolacci to nip in and gleefully pass home into an empty net.

Marchisio went close for the hosts in a desperate finale, but the visitors hung on to gain an unlikely draw, which will go some way to soothing their relegation fears.

Juventus, meanwhile, will enter their final game of the season just one point ahead of AC Milan.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Claudio Marchisio (9′)

Andrea Bertolacci (85′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Attendance: 32000

Juventus Scudetto suicide!

Juventus have shot themselves in the foot with a Gianluigi Buffon howler

that allowed 10-man Lecce a draw in Turin!

May 2, 2012

The Bianconeri hoped to move closer to the Scudetto, having already set a new all-time Serie A record by going 35 games unbeaten in the same season. On the hunt for a ninth consecutive victory, only Simone Pepe was absent due to an ankle problem, as Alessandro Matri returned from suspension to sit on the bench. Serse Cosmi won his appeal against a touchline ban, so was on the bench cheering on a Lecce side desperately trying to avoid relegation. Massimo Oddo, Daniele Corvia and Julio Sergio were sidelined with Andrea Esposito suspended, but 20-year-old Haris Seferovic was surprisingly picked ahead of Luis Muriel.

Bad news for Juve straight away, as Paolo De Ceglie pulled up with a muscular problem and had to make way for the versatile Martin Caceres. Gigi Buffon showed his confidence by dribbling to avoid a David Di Michele challenge.

Juventus opened the scoring with Claudio Marchisio’s ninth goal of the season. The midfielder got his cushioned header on to an Andrea Pirlo cross and steered it across the goalkeeper into the far bottom corner.

Massimiliano Benassi flapped at a cross, but Arturo Vidal’s follow-up was charged down. Moris Carrozzieri almost scored an own goal by deflecting Vucinic’s cross inches past the far post.

Fabio Quagliarella was stopped for an incorrect offside flag when running clear into the final third, then Marchisio set up Vidal for an angled drive that shaved a coat of paint off the base of the upright.

Benassi fingertipped a Marchisio blockbuster round the post. After the restart Christian Obodo risked a red card for a crunching tackle on Quagliarella and Lecce introduced Muriel for Seferovic.

However, the dismissal did come soon after, as Cuadrado received a second yellow for a late tackle on Caceres.

Vidal should’ve doubled their lead from a Vucinic assist, but scuffed his finish with only the goalkeeper to beat, as it was on his weaker left foot.

A magnificent Quagliarella volley from a short clearance skimmed the bar. Another Quagliarella curler was deflected inches past the far post and from the corner the ex-Napoli striker just failed to get the final touch.

10-man Lecce threatened to equalise on 74 minutes when a corner was not cleared effectively and Gigi Buffon smothered at the feet of Muriel. Juve immediately went on the counter-attack with Matri’s angled drive palmed away by Benassi. Muriel also had penalty appeals waved away.

However, Lecce equalised thanks to a complete Buffon howler! In the first half he had dribbled past a striker and he tried it again, but this time his first touch was heavy and Andrea Bertolacci pounced on the error to deposit into the empty net!

Alessandro Del Piero ran all the way back to his own box to reassure Buffon, but the goalkeeper was understandably apologetic.

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

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie (Caceres 7); Quagliarella (Matri 73), Vucinic (Del Piero 78)

Lecce: Benassi; Tomovic, Carrozzieri, Miglionico; Cuadrado, Blasi, Obodo (Bertolacci 71), Delvecchio, Brivio; Di Michele (Giacomazzi 61), Seferovic (Muriel 52)

Ref: Valeri

Sent off: Cuadrado 54 (L)

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Claudio Marchisio (9′)

Andrea Bertolacci (85′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Attendance: 32000

Juve slip up

May 2, 2012

Juventus saw their Serie A lead over AC Milan cut to a single point with two games to go after substitute Andrea Bertolacci struck a dramatic late equaliser for 10-man Lecce at the Juventus Arena.

Claudio Marchisio's early header looked to have set Antonio Conte's men on their way to retaining their three-point advantage and the points looked secure when Juan Cuadrado was sent off in the 54th minute.

But the relegation-threatened visitors drew level when Bertolacci fired home five minutes from time to maintain his side's slim hope of avoiding relegation.

The home side had pressed from the start and grabbed the lead in the eighth minute when Marchisio headed home from an Andrea Pirlo cross.

Juventus pressed for a second goal, with Lecce keeper Massimiliano Benassi saving an Arturo Vidal effort in the 11th minute and also holding a long-range effort from Fabio Quagliarella.

Vidal and Giorgio Chiellini both came close and Marchisio brought another long-range save out of Benassi, before Cuadrado had a rare chance for Lecce when he fired a long-range free-kick over the bar.

Cuadrado was dismissed for a professional foul early in the second half but after Benassi saved from Vidal on the hour, the Colombian's dismissal appeared to spark the visitors into life.

Davide Brivio shot just wide and Manuel Blasi fired a left-foot effort just over the bar before Juventus substitute Alessandro Matri almost sealed victory with a shot from a tight angle which was saved by Benassi.

The nervous hosts were finally made to pay five minutes from time when veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon blundered with the ball at his feet and allowed Bertolacci to roll the ball into an empty net.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Claudio Marchisio (9′)

Andrea Bertolacci (85′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Attendance: 32000

Juventus 1-1 Lecce: A Moment of Madness

Narrows Serie A Gap to +1

May 2, 2012

Shock and disbelief. Such was the feeling at Juventus Stadium Wednesday night, after Juventus welcomed 3rd-from-bottom Lecce in a match many described as pure formality for the Bianconeri. Juve could truly not have asked for more favorable circumstances: an early goal, an opponent a man down for nearly an entire half, another dominating performance from its team. Then out of nowhere came the kick-in-the-nuts, the sledgehammer to the Juve fan’s gonads wielded by the person we least expected. Aaron and Marco bring you the after-action report of a frustrating night and two seconds of folly.

MATCH ANALYSIS (by Aaron Giambattista)

Juventus has had a fairly tough run-in to the end of the league. Starting back in March, fans eyed a string of games against the likes of Napoli, Fiorentina, Roma, Inter, Milan, Lazio and Palermo with trepidation. A home match against Lecce was probably the last thing on fans’ minds when considering possible obstacles, yet at the Juventus Stadium on Wednesday evening, the plucky Salentini pulled an upsetting 1-1 draw.

The match certainly seemed to start on the right foot. Despite De Ceglie having to leave the field very early on (thigh strain), Claudio Marchisio headed in a delightful Andrea Pirlo cross to open the scoring in the 8th minute: a very quick 1-0, and Juventus with the opportunity to put on ‘cruise control’ radically early into the match.

Things turned far from easy however. The game became very similar to the Parma and Bologna-type fixtures the team played earlier this season: a sub-par midfield performance with attempts to outrun our opponents and strikers not cynical enough in converting chances. Yet in most of these matches where the Bianconeri sweat against Provinciali teams, the defense remained secure.

Lecce made Juventus earn every minute of possession today: the Old Lady only chalked up 58% despite being at home with an extra man for almost an entire half, following Juan Cuadrado’s second yellow card in the 54th. Despite the numerical advantage (and despite the gulf in technical ability between the two teams), Juventus were unable to double the precious lead delivered by Marchisio: decent efforts by Quagliarella, Matri, and a golden chance for Vidal went unused.

Unfortunately, as has often been the case against opponents this season, Lecce converted on their one single opportunity. Buffon has had very little to do the past month, and today Lecce had barely forced out a single save out of him, but a moment of madness from Juve’s #1 cost the team the victory. Already in the first half, Buffon had dribbled a rushing opponent inside his box with a move that caused both shock & admiration, but also perhaps foreshadowed the uncertainty (or excessive confidence, depending on the points-of-view) from the iconic goalkeeper.

In the 85th minute, Gigi received a backpass from Andrea Barzagli and instead of booting it up the field, decided (as Juve have done pretty much all season) to control the ball and pass it short to a nearby teammate. Unfortunately he was let down by a very heavy first touch, allowing Lecce forward Andrea Bertolacci to rush forward, steal the ball, and convert a very much unexpected 1-1 tally for Lecce.

It’s certainly true that Antonio Conte’s playing style contributed in Buffon’s error: the coach has encouraged his team to never let the ball go to waste, and minimize the panicky clearances that usually result in gifting the ball straight back to the opponent. Given that Lecce was already down to 10 men however and the overriding more important task of clinching a capital victory for Juve, Gigi’s decision-making must be put under a heavy lens here, particularly also because Lecce’s forwards were pressing hard at that exact moment…

At the end of 90 minutes, Juventus registered 17 total shots (7 on target), yet only managed to convert one. The Giallorossi, had only 3 shots: one wide, one blocked by Barzagli, one finding the back of the net after a senseless blunder by a club legend. Even heroes make mistakes. They are only human.

LE PAGELLE (by Aaron Giambattista)

Buffon 4 – Forever a Juventus colossus and with an excellent season under his belt, Gigi nevertheless made a behemothic mistake today perhaps due to nonchalance or excessive confidence (recall the dribble on Di Michele early in the first half). Let’s pray the Lord that this moment of madness hasn’t hurt the team’s morale & momentum too much.

Barzagli 6.5 – Calm and assured. Muriel gave him a bit of difficulty when he came on, but Lecce had trouble creating concrete chances. Great reading of the game as usual.

Bonucci 6.5 – A pretty “typical” Bonucci performance: a tidy match with a mistake or two. Excellent in possession otherwise.

Chiellini 6.5 – Seemed less “at ease” than he should have. Keyser Giorgio would know best of all the problems that Lecce’s caused us in the past. That said, he won plenty of tackles and helped Cáceres control Juve’s left side in defense.

Lichtsteiner 5.5 – Another match that seemed to confirm his relative ineffectiveness in a 3-5-2. Never struggled defensively, but also had a limited impact up front.

Vidal 6 – A bit of a quiet game compared to the sensational form the Chilean has displayed recently. Won plenty of tackles left & right, but had a diminished offensive output. With that said, he did get those two great chances that would’ve put Juve’s victory on ice. Wastefulness or bad luck? You be the judge.

Pirlo 6.5 – A great assist to Marchisio for the opening goal, and a myriad of killer through balls throughout the game. His passing dropped a bit as the match wore on, but L’Architetto was once again the infallible metronome of Juve’s game..

Marchisio 6.5 – Great forward run and header to open the scoring in the 8th minute. An efficient performance in midfield, replete with penetrations, runs, and shots on target. The heart of the Juve midfield today.

De Ceglie s.v – Unfortunately left the pitch early on with a muscular injury. Juve certainly could have used his natural left-footedness.

(6′) Cáceres 6 – Energetically got up & down his flank (more than Lichtsteiner on the opposite side), but as a clearly right-footed player that he is, his multitude of crosses left something to be desired.

Quagliarella 6 – Less involved than he should have been. Two decent efforts on goal (a volley and a curling shot), a lot of heart & energy, but not a lot of efficiency to go with it.

(72′) Matri 6 – Only on for 20 minutes, but still managed to nearly score after a well-executed counterattack and dribble on Carrozzieri.

Vucinic 5.5 – A drop in performance. Good runs, a few nice passes here & there (the most notable of which the reverse header to put Vidal clean on goal), but not a single shot on target.

(78′) Del Piero s.v. – Came on to save his Old Lady again, but was unable to.

Conte 5 – It’s hard to blame Conte for the draw- a freak mistake from Gigi Buffon late in the match could not be planned for. That said, at home against 10-men Lecce, the team should really have taken advantage of their superior numbers. Also, given the Uruguayan’s performance to replace the injured De Ceglie, it is difficult to justify Cáceres’s utilization as left-mid instead of, for example, Emanuele Giaccherini in the same role.

ANALYSIS WRAP-UP (by Marco Pantanella)

First things first: let’s avoid throwing Gigi under the bus here. Like millions of fans, I too am angry and shocked at the incredible mistake that has cost us two points Wednesday evening. But Buffon has saved Juve’s hide so many times before, kept balls out of the net where other shot-stoppers would have easily capitulated, that we can let a mistake, as important as it may be, slide.

Secondly, let’s not forget that all things considered, Juventus are still very much masters of their own destiny. Conquering the S… crown just might take them an extra victory and the Serie A race might not be over till the very last matchday, but this team has worked too damn hard and come too damn far to let its confidence be shattered by a home draw against Lecce.

Granted, the fashion in which we conceded this draw is the elephant in the room at the moment, but I am pretty effing certain the thoughts going through our players’ minds at the moment, are rage and desire for instant redemption rather than sorrow & despair. ‘Get straight back to work’ in other words, with the team still undefeated and still having to face two very moderate opponents, all the while AC Milan have got the Derby della Madonnina to contend with.

Ah right. I know what’s making you uncomfortable. It’s the very uneasy feeling of having to cheer for Inter this week-end, albeit for a very short moment of time. Worse yet, the possibility that the Nerazzurri might contribute to Juve clinching the 30th Scudetto of their history.

Don’t worry my friends, that feeling of vomit and disgust will pass. And for the naysayers among you (who might say Inter may want to lose on purpose just to spite us), remember than if there’s anything an Interista will hate more than a Juventus Scudetto is an AC Milan Scudetto. That, and Inter still have an infinitesimal chance of qualifying for the Champions League, so not all is lost for them. So let’s swallow our pride, and for 90 minutes Sunday cry FORZA STRAMACCIONI!! (* cough * cough * bleah*)

Allegri declared he was thoroughly entertained by today’s events, but in Italy we have a saying: “ride bene chi ride ultimo”. At the end of the season, there will be those who cry their sorrows into a bottle of whiskey and talk about phantom goals over the line, and there will be those celebrating in the streets, magnificent and proud of their club’s historic achievement. Let the Allegris laugh now and cry to their mama later. That is lo Stile Juve.

In Conte We Trust!

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Claudio Marchisio (9′)

Andrea Bertolacci (85′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Attendance: 32000

Buffon’s mistake gifts Lecce late equaliser against Juventus

May 2, 2012

Juventus coach Antonio Conte refused to blame keeper Gianluigi Buffon despite his error costing the Bianconeri two points at Lecce.

Lecce, reduced to 10 men, threw a spanner in the Serie A title works as they held Juventus to a 1-1 draw, allowing AC Milan to close the gap at the top to just one point.

Juve seemed to be cruising to victory after an early goal while their relegation-threatened opponents were reduced to 10 men early in the second period.

But Andrea Bertolacci’s goal five minutes from time snatched a draw and allowed Milan, 2-0 winners over Atalanta, to reduce the arrears.

It was a horror mistake from Buffon that gifted Lecce the equaliser, the veteran Italian international miscontrolling a back pass to lose possession.

“There was a moment of slackness, we missed a bonus and now we have to win the last two games,” he said.

“But if you’d have offered me this at the beginning of the year, I’d have signed on a thousand times.

“That’s football, it was incredible what happened. A mistake can happen, Gigi’s having an amazing year.”

Juve were off to a dream start and it came from their fabled midfield.

The incomparable Andrea Pirlo was given too much time on the edge of the box and he put in a delightful chip over the defence for Claudio Marchisio to run onto and although his header looked tame, goalkeeper Massimiliano Benassi seemed to slip and the ball crept in.

Any chance Lecce had of dragging themselves back into the contest seemed to die when Juan Cuadrado was harshly sent off for a second booking.

Juve missed a hatful of chances but then Buffon’s first touch from Andrea Barzagli’s back-pass was horribly heavy and Bertolucci nipped in to rob him and score.

Milan coach Massimiliano All-egri admitted that he thought the title was over until the late drama in Turin.

“With five minutes to go the title seemed over but then Lecce scored and at the end I felt like I was at the theatre waiting for the end of an opera,” he said.

Milan started brightly and efforts from Kevin-Prince Boateng and one from Zlatan Ibrahimovic tested goalkeeper Andrea Consigli.

On nine minutes, Boateng found Muntari in the box, although the Ghana midfielder was perhaps offside, to poke in from close range.

Milan enjoyed the lion’s share of chances but they had to wait until injury time to wrap up the points through Robinho.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Claudio Marchisio (9′)

Andrea Bertolacci (85′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Attendance: 32000

Player Ratings

Gianluigi Buffon's late error stole the headlines as the Salentini grabbed

a vital point which gives AC Milan new hope in the Scudetto race.

May 2, 2012

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon 4.5 - Amazed everybody watching when he failed to deal with Barzagli’s straight-forward backpass to hand Muriel a simple equaliser.

Giorgio Chiellini 6.5 - Very nearly struck when making an excellent run to meet Pirlo’s cut-back, and was a strong presence at the back to boot.

Paolo De Ceglie 5.0 - Substituted almost before the game had even begun so early did he pick up a knock.

Andrea Barzagli 6.0 - His biggest impact on the game came through little fault of his own as Buffon failed to deal with his simple backpass. Other than that, he’d given Lecce no look-in.

Leonardo Bonucci 6.0 - Looked a little more stretched than in recent weeks, but was still reasonably comfortable but for when earning a booking for a mistimed tackle. Had a long-running row with Delvecchio throughout.

Stephan Lichtsteiner 6.0 - Patrolled the wing with great force, but Lecce were occasionally allowed to get forward down his flank a little too easily.

Claudio Marchisio 7.5 - Headed home a shot through Benassi’s dive from Pirlo’s exquisite chip over the top, then almost became provider when lofting forward for Vidal but the Chilean shot just wide. Couldn't reproduce an excellent first-half display after the break.

Andrea Pirlo 6.5 - His assist for Marchisio’s early goal was sheer class, and he fed through a couple more real testers for the Lecce back line, but he wasn’t at the very top of his game.

Arturo Vidal Pardo 7.0 -Made a magnificent run to meet Marchisio’s chipped pass, but after good chest control his left-foot shot went just wide. One magnificent tackle foiled Brivio in full flight, but another chance to kill the game was squandered before Lecce equalised.

Mirko Vučinić 7.0 - His movement and touch was too good for the Lecce defence for long spells of the game, and on another night he may have racked up a number of assists.

Fabio Quagliarella 6.5 - Got into some nice positions as Juve stretched the opposition, and very nearly made it 2-0 when just clearing the bar after an excellent team move.

• Substitutions

Martín Cáceres 6.5 - Replaced De Ceglie in the early throes, and was a regular threat down the wing. He was the man who forced one tackle too many from Cuadrado to reduce the visitors to 10 men.

Alessandro Del Piero 6.0 - Given 15 minutes of play in his penultimate home game as a Juventus player.

Alessandro Matri 6.0 - Came on for Quagliarella 20 minutes from time but couldn't grab that vital second goal.

Lecce

Massimiliano Benassi 6.5 - Gifted one goal to Marchisio, then almost did the same again as Vucinic followed in shortly before half-time. Looked more stable after the break despite Juve's regular pressure.

Leonardo Martin Miglionico 6.0 - Stood firm under Juve’s regular pressure, but could have been punished a couple of times when Vidal was allowed to ghost in behind in his defensive channel.

Davide Brivio 7.0 - Ran with some willing as Lecce looked to cause Juve some rare problems with a concerted period of possession. Provided shape and intelligence for the Salentini, but one free kick was incredibly badly delivered.

Nenad Tomovic 6.5 - Stayed strong at the back and looked to make runs in whatever fashion he could in order to help the Salentini back into the game.

Moris Carrozzieri 6.5 - Matched Vucinic for height but not for pace in their running battle. Still, his determination helped to ensure that the game never ran away from the away side.

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado 5.0 - Booked for a foul on Vidal, then shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Caceres for which he might well feel himself a touch unfortunate.

Christian Obodo 6.0 - The ex-Torino man’s tough nature was always likely to see him have running battles all over the pitch, and he was booked for getting into one dust-up too many.

Manuele Blasi 6.0 - Stuck to his task well, providing a real presence in the midfield as Lecce eventually reined some spells of possession off their hosts.

Gennaro Delvecchio 6.5 - His early face-off with Chiellini had tempers rising, but that was no surprise. The uncompromising midfielder added some real toughness to the centre of Lecce’s side.

Haris Seferovic 5.5 - Chased down a number of hopeful passes, but he was no real threat to the Juve goal before being replaced by Muriel early in the second period.

David Di Michele 5.5 - Didn’t make much of an impact as Juve stayed tight at the back, and was eventually substituted after the Salentini had been reduced to 10 men.

• Substitutions

Guillermo Gonzalo Giacomazzi 6.5 - Replaced Di Michele for the final quarter as Serse Cosmi looked for his side to cause a late shock.

Andrea Bertolacci 6.5 - After replacing Obodo, the midfielder very nearly teed up Muriel for an equaliser, but the striker went down in the box. Handed a simple equaliser at the end after Buffon's error.

Luis Fernando Muriel Fruto 6.0 - Brought into the action for Seferovic soon after the break and when he got into his best position of the game, he ended up going to ground and being shown a yellow card for diving.

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

[Borderline Keroro 0]

Hi Socrates.

I'm really grabbing my nuts today.

We have to win twice, this is not impossible.

On the countrary: Cagliari and Atalanta will be encouraged to play openly , and not only defensively, by our possible psychological breakdown.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Modificato May 3, 2012 da Borderline Keroro

[Socrates 8326]

Hello Borderline,

I think Milan are not going to win against Inter.

I am not scared we can lose the scudetto.

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Claudio Marchisio (9′)

Andrea Bertolacci (85′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Attendance: 32000

Conte: Juventus must win remaining two games now to clinch the title

The Bianconeri coach has stressed that his side cannot afford to spill

any more points in the remainder of the season following Wednesday's draw.

May 2, 2012

Antonio Conte has made it clear that Juventus must win their remaining two Serie A games if they are to clinch their 28th Serie A title in history.

The Old Lady were somewhat surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw by Lecce on Wednesday after a Gianluigi Buffon howler, and consequently saw their lead over second-placed AC Milan shrink to a single point.

Conte believes that Juventus can still win the Scudetto, despite the setback against Lecce, but insisted that they cannot afford to spill any more points.

"It's clear that this is a setback for us. We must win our remaining two games now. However, I'd have happily signed for this situation if you'd told me we'd be here earlier this year," Conte stated to Sky Sport Italia.

"It was an unfortunate incident with Gigi, but these things happen. He's still had a great season. This is football, and it's something in the past now."

Juventus resume Serie A action on Sunday when they travel to Cagliari.

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

[Socrates 8326]

Serie A Week 36 - 2-5-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

1 - 1

Claudio Marchisio (9′)

Andrea Bertolacci (85′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Valeri

Attendance: 32000

Conte: 'Juve wasted a bonus'

May 2, 2012

Antonio Conte admits Juventus “wasted a bonus,” but defended Gigi Buffon for his howler and continued to target the Scudetto.

The Bianconeri’s three-point lead at the top of the table has been reduced to just one after tonight’s shock 1-1 draw with Lecce, as Buffon tried to dribble Andrea Bertolacci and was caught out.

“This is football,” said Conte. “It was a chaotic draw, but it’s not the first time this has happened. Today it was our turn to concede a strange goal.

“It is another reason we need to grow, but obviously there are regrets, as we could’ve put a real marker on the Scudetto.

“If in the last two games we do well, then we will win the title, otherwise the other team will be better.

“We wasted a bonus and now are forced to win the next two matches. At the start of the season we’d all have been super-excited to be one point clear at the top of the table with two rounds to go.

“We are achieving extraordinary things and don’t forget we were coming off two seventh-place finishes in recent years.

“Buffon had an accident, as can happen when strikers miss goals. He is strong and experienced enough to react positively, seeing as so many times this season he has been decisive for us.

“We had several chances to double our lead, but were not precise. Drawing a game like this was totally unexpected. Probably the importance of the match took away some of our sharpness and put extra pressure on our shoulders.

“We’re unbeaten in 36 Serie A games and must do well to control our advantage in the next two weeks to make a dream come true.”

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