Juventus Season 2011-2012

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

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Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Serie A Preview

Jan 7, 2012

Boss Antonio Conte returns to the city of his birth as Lecce entertain a Juventus side who are looking to maintain their leadership.

The Old Lady ended 2011 joint top of the Serie A table with Milan, thanks in part to their new Coach who spent six years as a midfielder with Lecce before his 1991 switch to the Bianconeri.

Conte, though, won’t let any affection for the Salentini interfere with his preparations for the Stadio Via Del Mare clash. He’ll want a win and his players, fresh from their training camp in Dubai, will be aware of that.

La Signora are still unbeaten in Serie A – the only team in Europe’s big Leagues with such a record. However, they’ve only won one of their last four away games in the Division and that came in the 1-0 at Lazio on November 27.

In their last game they ended Udinese’s 100 per cent home record, but the Friuli side managed to stop Juve scoring in that 0-0 draw. Juve had netted at least once in their previous nine games. Saying that, Lecce have the worst home record in the top flight with just one point collected and it is no surprise that they are bottom of the table.

In team news, Conte is expected to revert back to a 4-3-3 system after fielding a 3-5-2 at Udine. Giorgio Chiellini will move back to the left-back role, while Mirko Vucinic – also formerly of Lecce – returns to the line-up after injury. Loan signing Marco Borriello is not available.

New Lecce boss Serse Cosmi has hardly turned things around since his arrival. The Giallorossi, just two wins all season, have lost five of their last six and they were thumped 4-1 by Inter just before Christmas. He has few selection problems though and no suspensions.

Juve will start the game as favourites, but it’s worth noting that the last meeting in Serie A here ended in a 2-0 win for the home side last February. That was aided by Gigi Buffon’s 12th minute dismissal.

Keep an eye on: Mirko Vucinic (Juventus) – Back in the fold after injury, Vucinic will be keen to improve his strike rate in Turin against the club where he outlined his potential. In 12 Serie A games this term he’s netted just twice. In six years at Lecce, he scored 29 goals in the Italian top flight.

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

Last season: Lecce 2-0 Juventus

Stat fact: In 14 Serie A games at the Del Mare, Lecce have won three, there have been three draws and eight Juve wins.

Lecce (probable): Benassi; Oddo, Carrozzieri, Tomovic, Cuadrado; Giacomazzi, Obodo, Bertolacci, Brivio; Muriel, Di Michele

Juventus (probable): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pepe, Matri, Vucinic

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

-

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Cosmi fired up for Juve

Jan 8, 2012

Serse Cosmi trusts Lecce will gain extra motivation from welcoming leaders Juventus and “get ourselves out of a difficult situation.”

The Salentini are propping up the table and have picked up just one draw and six defeats at the Stadio Via del Mare this season.

“Juventus are still unbeaten and Lecce have never won at home, but I don’t think we should look at the statistics,” commented the Coach.

“We are a side who want to get ourselves out of a difficult situation with an important result against a very strong opponent.

“We have got to believe in our potential and qualities. I saw several Juventus games and they represent a team ethic better than anyone else in Serie A this term.”

The Salentini are without Manuel Giandonato and Moris Carrozzieri for this match. Reports suggest Andrea Bertolacci and former Juve midfielder Ruben Olivera are battling for a place in the starting XI.

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

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Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Lecce's Serse Cosmi confident that his side can upset Juventus

Ahead of the two sides' Serie A clash at the Via del Mare, the basement boys'

new coach claims that his team have the firepower to record what would be a massive upset.

Jan 8, 2012

Lecce coach Serse Cosmi insists that his struggling side are capable of upsetting high-flying Juventus on Sunday afternoon.

The Bianconeri are currently unbeaten and sit alongside AC Milan at the summit of Serie A, separated from top spot solely by goal difference.

Lecce, by complete contrast, are rock bottom and have yet to win a game at the Via del Mare all season.

In spite of all of this, Cosmi is feeling confident ahead of the visit of Antonio Conte’s undefeated outfit.

“We are a team that wants to get out of this difficult period with an important result against a very strong opponent,” he is quoted as saying by Tuttosport.

“For this we could think that it would be a challenge that we are not equal to. However, we must believe in our chances and our quality.”

Cosmi only took over as Lecce boss last month but he has been encouraged by his side’s performances in the defeats by Lazio and Inter and the draw with Parma, their goalscoring threat in particular standing out.

“In the three games under my management I have seen us make important advances in every department against strong opponents,” he argued.

“This means that Lecce have qualities which may create difficulties for even stronger defences, and specifically that of Juve."

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

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Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Line-ups

Jan 8, 2012

Juventus welcome back Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella to the starting XI as they take on Serse Cosmi’s Lecce.

The Bianconeri have a full squad to choose from, aside from new signing Marco Borriello, ad have left Alessandro Matri on the bench.

Instead, Vucinic returns from his injury lay-off to partner Quagliarella and Simone Pepe.

Lecce are desperate for a result and are currently propping up the table, but hope strikers Luis Muriel and David Di Michele can inspire something.

Lecce: Benassi; Oddo, Tomovic, Esposito, Cuadrado; Giacomazzi, Obodo, Strasser, Mesbah; Muriel, Di Michele

Lecce bench: Julio Sergio, Ferrario, Brivio, Bertolacci, Olivera, Pasquato, Corvia

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

Juventus bench: Storari, De Ceglie, Marrone, Krasic, Giaccherini, Del Piero, Matri

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

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Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Fabio Quagliarella leads the line for Juventus against Lecce

Antonio Conte has opted to stick with the former Napoli hitman following his goal

during the Old Lady's friendly mauling of Al Hilal, as a total of five changes are made.

Jan 8, 2012

Juventus have named Fabio Quagliarella as the man to start as their main striker for the trip to Lecce on Sunday.

His inclusion, at the expense of first-choice forward Alessandro Matri, will come as a welcome boost to the ex-Udinese star, who has been heavily linked with a move away from Juventus Stadium in recent weeks.

In addition, a total of five changes for the Bianconeri from the 7-1 thrashing of Al Hilal see Matri, Frederik Sorensen, Luca Marrone, Eljero Elia and Alessandro Del Piero replaced by Andrea Barzagli, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio and Mirko Vucinic.

Meanwhile for Lecce, Stefano Ferrario, Ruben Olivera and Davide Brivio are dropped in favour of Andrea Esposito, Rodney Strasser and Djamel Mesbah.

The teams are as follows:

Lecce (3-5-2): Benassi; Oddo, Tomovic, Esposito; Cuadrado, Giacomazzi, Obodo, Strasser, Mesbah; Muriel, Di Michele

Subs: Julio Sergio, Ferrario, Brivio, Bertolacci, Olivera, Pasquato, Corvia

Juventus (4-3-3): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Barzagli, Chiellini; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pepe, Quagliarella, Vucinic

Subs: Storari, De Ceglie, Marrone, Krasic, Giaccherini, Del Piero, Matri

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

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Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Round 17: Caffe Con Lecce

Jan 8, 2012

It seems as if it’s been forever, huh? Actually, I’m going to be honest, it doesn’t. Not for me at least. The makeup against Udinese a mere four days before Christmas meant that we had Serie A action up until the dying days before the Holidays, and, of course, the Holidays are plenty of a distraction on their own. I thought I would be dying to get my fix by this point, but between Christmas, New Years, and the NFL keeping me preoccupied (oh, and a little something I call work), I haven’t even looked at the ledge yet. Still, even though it didn’t seem that long considering all the stuff going on, looking back it does seem like it’s been months. It’s nice to get back to things.

And now, off to the heel of the boot for a daytime fixture which means it’s a 9:00 a.m. match for my timezone. Get your caffe ready.

Lecce is currently in dead last place, with nine (!) — yes, *9* points from 16 games, and little light at the end of the tunnel. One draw and two losses — the last of which a very unfortunate 4-1 drubbing versus Sfinter — were the best they could do in their last three games.

Meanwhile, I had almost forgotten that we finished up a fairly difficult two weeks, which saw us pick up two points while traveling to hot spots in Roma and Udine, with a relatively easy 2-0 win at home against Novara.

Le chiavi: Mirko’s back. Lecce has the exact reverse goal differential as we do, so offensive potency should be at a premium. A Matri without Vucinic next to him has made him look very ordinary; particularly in a 2 man front-line while next to Pepe. So help me God, Conte, if you ever try and pull that shit again…

My starting XI (4-3-3): Gigi; Kelso, Dottore Giorgio, Dre, Forrest; Principino, Bon Pirlo, King Arthur; Dutchie Bench Man, Matatatatatri, Sgt. Pepe.

Elia scored a nice goal against Al Hilal, and according to his agent, Now we’ll see what he’s made of! Meh, I give up, he won’t start. I know that Mirko is back, but he was hurt, what’s the rush? He could be useful from the bench, as we try to press the shit out of the home side who is still winless at home. But alas, it won’t be meant to be.

Lecce probable XI (3-5-2) Benassi; Oddo, Carrozzieri, Tomovic; Cuardrado, Giacomazzi, Obodo, Bertolacci, Brivio; Muriel, DiMichele

Juve probable XI (4-3-3) Buffon; Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli, Lichtsteiner; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Vucinic, Matri, Pepe

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

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Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

HT: Matri puts Juve in front

Jan 8, 2012

Alessandro Matri came off the bench to give Juventus a hard-fought 1-0 half-time lead in Lecce, but must thank Gigi Buffon.

Antonio Conte returned to face his hometown club and did so as joint Serie A leaders with Milan and still unbeaten this season. Lecce were propping up the table and in dire straits, though Serse Cosmi’s arrival did boost their performances at the end of 2011. Manuel Giandonato and Moris Carrozzieri were unavailable for this difficult test.

Marco Borriello completed his transfer from Roma, but was not yet in the squad. The new fans had a message for him, though, with a large banner that read: ‘Borriello, mercenary without honour or dignity.’

Benassi was at full stretch to palm a Simone Pepe angled drive past the upright, then bad news for Lecce, who lost Rodney Strasser to injury almost immediately.

Lecce still had the first chance, though, as a free kick found Guillermo Giacomazzi from close range to force Gigi Buffon into a reaction save.

Conte also had to make an early substitution, as Fabio Quagliarella got a knock to the cheekbone and made way for Alessandro Matri. The newcomer had a great chance to open the scoring straight away, but aimed a weak angled drive straight into the arms of Benassi.

Matri made up for it moments later, as he was in the right place at the right time to nod in the rebound as Benassi only beat away a Mirko Vucinic screamer.

Lecce were unlucky, as Muriel was stopped for an incorrect offside flag when going clear on goal because Leonardo Bonucci was keeping him in play.

Buffon was again tested, as he got down quickly to palm a dangerously dipping David Di Michele snapshot off the line.

Lecce 0-1 Juventus (Half-Time)

Scorers: Matri 27 (J)

Lecce: Benassi; Oddo, Tomovic, Esposito, Cuadrado; Giacomazzi, Obodo, Strasser (Olivera 5), Mesbah; Muriel, Di Michele

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pepe, Quagliarella (Matri 23), Vucinic

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

First-half Matri strike clinches three points

for visitors to keep share of the top spot

In a match devoid of much goalmouth action, a scrappy goal from the first-half substitute

was enough to secure all three points for the Turin outfit and keep the pressure on Milan.

Jan 8, 2012

Juventus produced a controlled display to overcome Lecce 1-0 at the Via Del Mare Stadium and keep up with Milan at the top of the Serie A.

Substitute Alessandro Matri's close range header in the 27th minute proved to be enough for the visitors, who never looked in any real danger despite the efforts of their beleaguered hosts, who remain rooted to the foot of the table.

The first opportunity of the contest fell to the home side, as Guillermo Giacomazzi found himself unmarked from Christian Obodo’s free kick, but his attempt on goal was struck within the grasp of Gianluigi Buffon.

However, despite some encouraging play from Serie A’s last place side, it was Juventus who would strike first in the 27th minute. Mirko Vucinic’s low shot forced Massimiliano Benassi to parry and Matri, on only four minutes earlier after an injury to Fabio Quagliarella, reacted quickest to the rebound to nod the Turin outfit into the lead.

Juventus began to dictate proceedings, holding nearly two-thirds of possession in the opening period. However, Buffon still had to be alert to tip away a rasping drive from David Di Michele from outside the area deep in first-half stoppage time.

Antonio Conte’s men almost doubled their advantage seconds after the restart when Andrea Pirlo released Claudio Marchisio into the area, but Benassi was on hand to thwart the midfielder’s finish.

Lecce were having a tough time creating anything meaningful after the break, but nearly managed an equaliser shortly before the hour mark. A three on three counter attack saw Di Michele completely miscue a shot from an unmarked position 10 yards from goal, before Leonardo Bonucci blocked Luis Muriel’s goal-bound effort at full stretch.

Juventus had further chances for a second as the match reached its closing stages. Arturo Vidal disappointingly looped a shot over Benassi’s goal in the 76th minute after a great feed by Marchisio, before Vucinic flashed a low drive inches wide of the far post two minutes later.

However, they were given a scare with six minutes to go, as Christian Pasquato’s shot flew just wide after a great cross by Djamel Mesbah. It proved to be the closest that the hosts would get to levelling the scores, and Matri fired wide on a late counter-attack as Conte’s men came away with the win.

The result sees Juventus into first place, level with Milan on 37 points. Lecce meanwhile stay bottom of the standings with nine points, three points behind their nearest rivals Cesena.

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

Matri conquers Lecce

Jan 8, 2012

Alessandro Matri came off the bench to give Juventus a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Serse Cosmi’s Lecce.

Antonio Conte returned to face his hometown club and did so as joint Serie A leaders with Milan and still unbeaten this season. Lecce were propping up the table and in dire straits, though Serse Cosmi’s arrival did boost their performances at the end of 2011. Manuel Giandonato and Moris Carrozzieri were unavailable for this difficult test.

Marco Borriello completed his transfer from Roma, but was not yet in the squad. The new fans had a message for him, though, with a large banner that read: ‘Borriello, mercenary without honour or dignity.’

Benassi was at full stretch to palm a Simone Pepe angled drive past the upright, then bad news for Lecce, who lost Rodney Strasser to injury almost immediately.

Lecce still had the first chance, though, as a free kick found Guillermo Giacomazzi from close range to force Gigi Buffon into a reaction save.

Conte also had to make an early substitution, as Fabio Quagliarella got a knock to the cheekbone and made way for Alessandro Matri. The newcomer had a great chance to open the scoring straight away, but aimed a weak angled drive straight into the arms of Benassi.

Matri made up for it moments later, as he was in the right place at the right time to nod in the rebound as Benassi only beat away a Mirko Vucinic screamer.

Lecce were unlucky, as Muriel was stopped for an incorrect offside flag when going clear on goal because Leonardo Bonucci was keeping him in play.

Buffon was again tested, as he got down quickly to palm a dangerously dipping David Di Michele snapshot off the line.

Straight after the restart Claudio Marchisio’s finish was just wide from a tight angle, while Ruben Olivera horribly nodded Massimo Oddo’s free kick off target with only Buffon to beat.

Olivera risked a red card for his shoving match with Arturo Vidal, but was fortunate they were both only booked. Vucinic wanted a penalty for the Oddo tackle, though the referee waved play on.

There was chaos during a Lecce move with at least four shots all charged down by various defensive bodies. Oddo’s free kick skimmed the crossbar to land on the roof of the net, while at the other end Matri wasted a counter with his poor pass for Vucinic.

Benassi was at full stretch to palm a Vucinic daisy-cutter off the line, but at the other end Juve-owned Cristian Pasquato flashed across the face of goal from six yards to scare the Bianconeri faithful.

Lecce goalkeeper Benassi flew to push Matri’s powerful strike round the post from point-blank range with one strong hand.

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

Lecce: Benassi; Oddo, Tomovic, Esposito, Cuadrado; Giacomazzi, Obodo, Strasser (Olivera 5), Mesbah; Muriel, Di Michele (Pasquato 73)

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pepe, Quagliarella (Matri 23), Vucinic

Ref:Bergonzi

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

Lecce 0-1 Juventus

Jan 8, 2012

Alessandro Matri scored the only goal of the game to see off bottom side Lecce and keep Juventus neck and neck with AC Milan at the top of the Serie A table.

Matri headed home from close range after 27 minutes to settle a game in which neither side made the most of plenty of chances.

The win moved Juve, looking for their first Scudetto since 2003 and still unbeaten in the league this season, level on 37 points with Milan, who beat Atalanta 2-0, and two points ahead of Udinese.

Lecce, in contrast, and losing touch at the foot of the standings, this defeat leaving them nine points from safety.

But the hosts had the first chance of the match when Luis Murial headed Massimo Oddo's cross wide of the left post.

Simone Pepe's shot from outside the area was saved low down by Massimiliano Benassi at the other end before opposite number Gianluigi Buffon kept out Guillermo Giacomazzi's effort from another Oddo cross.

After that shaky start the visitors began to establish a foothold in the game with Arturo Vidal and Fabio Quagliarella both firing wide.

Benassi did well to save a Matri shot and then kept out a long-range strike from Mirko Vucinic.

But the pressure paid off in the 27th minute when Matri beat Benassi with a header into the bottom right corner.

Lecce did not fold, though, and Juan Cuadrado sent a shot wide before David Di Michele tested Di Michele from range.

Lecce continued to look for an equaliser after the break, Oddo putting in another cross which former Juve man Ruben Olivera headed over.

But they always looked vulnerable at the back and Vucinic shot just over and Giorgio Chiellini brought another save out of Benassi.

Matri should have created a second for Vucinic in the 78th minute following a counter-attack, but he made a mess of his cross with the Montenegrin unmarked in the centre.

Vucinic forced a save from the busy Benassi before Lecce had a chance to level only for Cristian Pasquato to mis-hit his shot from close range.

Matri might have sewn up the win in the 89th minute, Benassi saving his powerful shot, but one goal proved enough for Juve.

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

Player Ratings

Goal.com evaluates the performers at Via del Mare as a scrappy first-half goal

was enough for Antonio Conte's men to snare all three points.

Jan 8, 2012

Lecce

Massimiliano Benassi 6.0 - One could be a bit critical and point the finger at him for parrying Vucinic’s effort into the path of Matri, allowing the substitute to score. Otherwise, he did nothing wrong, and produced one or two fine stops to keep his side in the game till the very end.

Andrea Esposito 6.5 - The Genoa loanee made his presence felt in the air today, getting his head to almost every ball above chest height that Juventus manufactured, while proving to be a menace at the other end of the pitch as he attacked the ball on set-pieces.

Massimo Oddo 6.0 - Juventus gave away free-kicks seemingly at will, allowing Oddo numerous opportunities to make something happen from the dead ball. One or two deliveries caused problems, but Lecce were ultimately unable to register anything from his set-pieces. Saw yellow for a thumping challenge on Pepe in the first half.

Nenad Tomovic 5.0 - Began the match well, keeping close watch on Quagliarella, but found things more difficult one Matri came on, and struggled to track the striker or communicate effectively with his defensive colleagues.

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado 7.0 - Started the match on form, with his fearlessness and incisive running ensuring that the Juventus backline could not rest easy. The Colombian was involved in most of the good for the hosts in the opening half but did not influence proceedings quite as much after the interval, and was booked for scything down Pepe near the touchline on an attempted break.

Christian Obodo 5.0 - As the match progressed, he found it more and more difficult to deal with Vucinic and keep up with the general flow of Juventus’s offensive movement. Substituted with eight minutes to go.

Djamel Mesbah 5.0 - For the most part, he was marshalled into submission by the diligent Lichtsteiner, but escaped near the end to tee up Pasquato with a great cross for Lecce’s best chance of the match.

Rodney Strasser N/A - Lasted barely five minutes on the pitch before hobbling off the pitch with an injury.

Guillermo Gonzalo Giacomazzi 4.5 - Apart from spurning the first chance of the match with an unmarked shot from a free kick into Bufofn’s arms Giacomazzi was overrun by the superior Juventus midfield, and found himself chasing shadows for the majority of the contest.

David Di Michele 6.0 - Looked lively throughout the game with a willingness to run at the Juventus defence, and was able to skip past his marker with ease on more than one occasion. Tested Buffon with a drive from distance at the end of the first half but apart from that effort, his end product was deplorable, with two promising Lecce attacks halted by his erratic shooting at the end of the move. Taken off in the second half.

Luis Fernando Muriel Fruto 4.5 - Did not find much space to operate for most of the game and when he did, took too long to make up his mind, which led to the opening going up in smoke. Went close with a goal-bound effort that was stopped by the legs of Bonucci.

• Substitutions

Ruben Olivera 5.0 - Early substitute for the injured Strasser, but his most notable moment was a silly altercation with Vidal that saw both players booked. Had one embarrassing moment when he headed out for a throw-in from a great position at the edge of the six-yard area.

Daniele Corvia N/A - Given an eight minute cameo but failed to make anything happen.

Christian Pasquato 5.5 - Came on in the 73rd minute and fired a great chance at an equaliser for Lecce inches wide of the far post late on.

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon 6.5 - Did his part in ensuring the victory, with two quality saves on Giacomazzi and Di Michele a particular highlight. The veteran keeper will be pleased with his performance and his clean sheet.

Giorgio Chiellini 5.0 - Not the most convincing of outings from the Italy international, who caused a few hairs to stand on end with his failure to track the elusive Cuadrado in the first-half, added to his seeming willingness to concede cheap free kicks in his own half, one of which led to a booking in the 64th minute.

Andrea Barzagli 6.5 - Was beaten a bit to easily by Di Michele whenever the two squared up on the pitch, but made up for it with a few last-ditch headers on a few of Lecce’s numerous set piece opportunities.

Leonardo Bonucci 6.5 - A relatively quiet game for the centre back this afternoon, but he did have to be alert to make a crucial block on Muriel’s goalbound strike, especially with Buffon struggling to recover.

Stephan Lichtsteiner 7.0 - Solid and dependable down the right flank, the full-back made sure that Mesbah was not given any space to operate, and stuck to his task for the full 90 minutes. Went forward on occasion, including one overlapping run that led to shouts for a penalty after he was felled on the byline.

Simone Pepe 5.5 - Hit or miss would be the kind way to describe his distribution today, though he did force two Lecce players into the book after his bursting runs from midfield left them with no choice but to hack him down.

Claudio Marchisio 7.0 - A terrier on both ends of the ball, the Italian never stopped running and was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet after seeing his shot saved by Benassi after a great overlapping run onto Pirlo’s through ball.

Andrea Pirlo 7.0 - Bossed the midfield today, showing off his impressive range of passing to set numerous Juventus attacks in motion. Was simply a cut above his Lecce counterparts in the centre of the park.

Arturo Vidal Pardo 7.0 - Kept things organized in midfield, and worked well in tandem with Pirlo and Marchisio to subdue Lecce. Chose to get involved in a spot of handbags with Olivera, for which both players were duly booked.

Mirko Vučinić 6.5 - Did not have much joy cutting in from out wide to start, but played with more confidence after the first goal, which came about after his shot was not gathered cleanly by Benassi. Played a few delightful crosses from the flanks and went close again in the second half, with his rasping drive flashing inches wide of the far post.

Fabio Quagliarella 5.5 - His afternoon lasted only 23 minute as he failed to make a case for a place in the plans of Antonio Conte. Ballooned one shot high and wide before picking up what appeared to be a facial injury which he could not play through.

• Substitutions

Paolo De Ceglie N/A - Given a brief run out

Luca Marrone N/A - Late cameo

Alessandro Matri 7.0 - Came on for the injured Quagliarella 23 minutes in, and made an instant impact, first firing straight into Benassi’s arms from a gilt-edged position inside the area, before nodding home the rebound from Benassi’s save on Vucinic to give the visitors first blood in the 27th minute.

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

Conte stands up for Borriello

Jan 8, 2012

Antonio Conte says Juventus expected a battle in Lecce and stands up for new signing Marco Borriello after a message from fans.

The striker arrived on loan from Roma this week, but supporters held up a huge banner ahead of the 1-0 victory at the Stadio Via del Mare that read: ‘Borriello, mercenary without honour or dignity.’

“Borriello is to all intents and purposes a Juventus player and I think he explained that he never actually ‘rejected’ this move last year,” said Conte.

“The Bianconeri simply didn’t have the funds to offer a permanent deal at the time and the player and Milan preferred to send him to Roma, but he did not reject Juve. Only a madman could reject this jersey.”

Borriello may be needed earlier than expected, as Fabio Quagliarella fractured his cheekbone during the Lecce game and will undergo surgery on Monday.

“I had said beforehand that it was always a danger going into the first game after the break, especially for a Juventus side that is still unbeaten.

“The three points are satisfactory, though we could’ve finished off the match earlier and saved ourselves some suffering. I think we could’ve done better in terms of performance. We’re working to be in shape for the entire campaign and not just one game.”

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

Fabio Quagliarella suffers fractured cheekbone against Lecce

The Italy international sustained a facial injury in Sunday's Serie A

encounter and could be out of action for a while.

Jan 8, 2012

Juventus have received some disturbing news from the treatment table in the aftermath of their narrow 1-0 Serie A away win over Lecce on Sunday as attacker Fabio Quagliarella has fractured a cheekbone during the match and faces a spell on the sidelines.

The former Udinese striker featured from the start in the Bianconeri's victory, but was forced to leave the pitch after 23 minutes of play due to the facial injury.

Quagliarella immediately visited the Vito Fazzi hospital in Lecce to undergo further examination and Juventus have now announced on their official website that the attacker has fractured the cheekbone on the right side of his face.

The Italy international travelled back to Turin with the rest of the team, and is expected to undergo surgery later this week.

Juventus returned to the top of the table following Sunday's win and have now collected 37 points from 17 games.

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

Comments

Jan 8, 2012

Serse Cosmi: “There are regrets, because Juve were not their usual selves today and we had the chances to equalise. Rodney Strasser’s injury so early changed the balance of the team and I had to readjust.”

Antonio Conte: “My players really wanted to win and we could’ve finished it off earlier without running so many risks. The team can certainly do better.”

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300‎

Barzagli on the defensive

Jan 9, 2012

Andrea Barzagli insists that Juventus’ defensive strength this term is the result of teamwork and not just the back four.

The Old Lady have been tough to break down in recent times. They kept their third clean sheet in a row yesterday at Lecce which was also their sixth in their last eight League matches.

“The defence is doing well, but the credit also has to go to our teammates who help us,” the January 2011 signing from Wolfsburg noted.

There were question marks over the Juve rearguard at the start of the season, but they have let in only 11 goals – just one more than Udinese who have the best defensive record in the League.

Juve, who will be without the suspended Giorgio Chiellini against Cagliari, maintained top spot with Milan at the weekend thanks to a goal from Alessandro Matri at the Stadio Via Del Mare.

“We prepared well for the Lecce game, knowing the risks that could arise with their quick strikers and strong counter-attacks,” Barzagli added.

“We knew that this would be a difficult game, also because it came after the break. We gritted our teeth and emerged victorious.”

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

Lichtsteiner happy with bad win

Jan 9, 2012

Stephan Lichtsteiner has hailed Juventus’ flat performance in their 1-0 victory at Lecce. “It’s important to win like this.”

The Old Lady maintained their joint-leadership of Serie A with Milan after Sunday’s success at the Via Del Mare.

Although the full-back concedes that the Bianconeri didn’t shine, he feels the three points send an important signal.

“It is important to win games even when you don’t play that well,” the summer signing from Lazio told Juventus Channel.

Juve returned to Turin with another triumph thanks to a goal from Alessandro Matri – who is now their top scorer in Serie A this term with seven.

“We knew that we would have had some difficulties to contend with against Lecce due to their aggressiveness,” the defender added.

“We scored with our first real effort on goal and then the defence held up well which is also a good sign.

“We just did what we needed to do in a game which Lecce had nothing to lose from.”

Juventus have now kept a clean sheet in their last three Serie A games after shut-outs against Novara, Udinese and Lecce.

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

[Socrates 8453]

Serie A Week 17 - 8-1-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

0 - 1

Alessandro Matri (27')

Via del Mare Stadium - Lecce

Referee: Mauro Bergonzi

Attendance: 23300

Antonio Conte: We can do better than

what we showed against Lecce

The Bianconeri coach stressed that his team must improve in closing out matches

after their slender win over Lecce, but praised his players for their work ethic.

Jan 9, 2012

Juventus coach Antonio Conte believes that his side did not perform at their best in Sunday's Serie A win over Lecce, but was pleased to see his side bag the full three points nonetheless.

The Turin giants failed to impress in their first league game after the winter break, but a single Alessandro Matri strike in the 27th minute was enough to secure a 1-0 win for Juve.

"We’re happy about the points, even if we could have wrapped the game up earlier. In terms of performance, we can do better," Conte said to the club's official website.

"However, I liked how the lads wanted to seal the victory, working really hard right until the end. I already said on the eve of the game that the championship restart is always an unknown territory."

The Juventus boss then went on to explain Marco Borriello's decision not to join the Bianconeri two seasons ago, and hinted that players such as Amauri and Luca Toni are likely to leave the club this winter.

"Marco explained why he didn’t come here two years ago. He didn’t turn the club down; also because only someone crazy would reject Juventus. He, alongside Quagliarella, Matri, Del Piero and Vucinic, is one of the five strikers I have available.

"We’ll see what happens in the rest of the transfer window - I speak with the club every day."

Juventus sit joint first in the Serie A table with AC Milan on 37 points from 17 games.

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

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