Juventus Season 2012-2013

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Fiorentina v Juventus Report

Sep 25, 2012

Fiorentina gave Juventus a stern test of their unbeaten record, which stretches over a season, but the Bianconeri held on to a 0-0 draw at the Stadio Artemio Franchi which keeps them at the top of Serie A.

The Viola had two penalty appeals turned down in the first half and Stevan Jovetic rattled the crossbar with a header as Juve were put to the test.

Fiorentina had the best chances in the second half too, but were unable to find a way past the defending champions, who defend their place at the top of the table.

Adam Ljajic was involved in most of the Viola's attacks in the first half, and he wanted a penalty on two occasions when he went to ground inside the penalty area - but he was given a dressing down by the referee each time.

Ljajic only had himself to blame for not giving the home team the lead in the 41st minute when he dragged his shot wide of the post with only Gianluigi Buffon to beat.

Only seconds earlier, Jovetic beat Buffon with a header, but the crossbar kept the ball out.

Fiorentina held the upper hand in the second half too with Juan Cuadrado going the closest to breaking the deadlock in the 73rd minute with a low shot which was just inches wide of the left-hand upright.

Full-back Manuel Pasqual headed wide in the 81st minute before Buffon touched a speculative shot behind for a corner.

Luca Toni was sent on as a late gamble by Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella, but the former Juve man did not have the key to the Juve defence either as the Tuscan side had to settle for a point.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

The Champions Remain Unbeaten

Sep 25, 2012

The champions Juventus dropped their first points of the season with a 0 – 0 draw away to Fiorentina, in a game in which they were lucky to avoid defeat to their fierce rivals.

Fiorentina had the better chances in the game and went close in the first half through Adem Ljajic who put the ball just wide after going clean through on goal.

Stevan Jovetic also went close for the home side in the first half but his header agonisingly rattled of the crossbar to deny him his fifth goal of the season.

Vincenzo Montella’s men continued to push for a goal in the second half but didn’t manage to breach the Bianconeri defence.

Juventus created no great chances throughout the game but they held on for a undeserved draw, and are now unbeaten in 44 games in the league.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Home side dominate in a clash of similar systems

Sep 25, 2012

3-5-2 versus 3-5-2, and one point apiece.

Vincenzo Montella made three changes. The most significant involved him selecting the industry of Romulo over the creativity of Mati Fernandez. Adem Ljajic came in for Haris Seferovic, and Manuel Pasqual for Mattia Cassani.

Antonio Conte and Massimo Carrera decided to rest Claudio Marchisio, with Emanuele Giaccherini starting instead. Fabio Quagliarella replaced Mirko Vucinic after his impressive impact in the last couple of games.

Fiorentina were the better side but struggled in front of goal, with Juventus seemingly happy with a point.

Formations

This was a very ‘obvious’ tactical battle. The two sides set out very similarly – three centre-backs, energetic wing-backs expected to cover a lot of ground, a clearly-defined regista spreading the play, two central midfielders ahead doing battle, then a nippy support forward dropping off the main striker.

When four-man midfields play ahead of three centre-backs, they’re necessarily more conservative than when playing ahead of a back four, because the wide players have to defend the flanks more keenly. When two of these midfields face each other, the result is generally a cagey battle. To use a chess analogy, it’s as if all sixteen pawns have been moved two spaces forward, and there’s a mass block either side of the halfway line. There’s space in defensive positions, but little forward movement for the likes of David Pizarro and Andrea Pirlo (the queens?) to look for.

Creativity?

In such an identical clash of systems, there was concern about where the attacking drive and creativity in the final third would come from. In Pizarro and Pirlo the game had two of the finest deep-lying playmakers around, but the absence of both Marchisio and Fernandez meant the central midfield zone was otherwise functional. Borja Valero is a fine passer and showed good ability to play one-twos and move into dangerous positions, but Arturo Vidal’s role was mainly defensive, with Fiorentina dominating possession. Romulo and Giaccherini were runners.

The home side were better on the ball, moving it quicker across the midfield – but the primary cause for their dominance was simply their ambition, urged on by a packed Artemio Franchi. Juventus were cautious – the midfielders stayed in position, the wing-backs spent more time in their own half.

Fiorentina also started off more compact, with Ljajic and Stevan Jovetic dropping deep and helping defend – Juve’s forwards started in a more relaxed manner, although eventually did the same.

Ljajic and Giovinco

The key to the game was getting the two support forwards involved. Ljajic and Sebastian Giovinco are not dissimilar players – part-winger, part-playmaker. Because of that ability to play wide, they both offer good lateral movement, and both drifted into good positions towards the flanks, with the main strikers contained by the back threes. In one minute shortly before half-time, long balls towards first Giovinco and then Ljajic got both into promising positions – Giovinco miscontrolled, Ljajic dragged his shot wide of the far post from the game’s most promising opportunity.

In Facundo Roncaglia, Fiorentina had the centre-back most willing to step forward and join the midfield battle, and another thing Montella’s side did better was getting their main striker involved. Quagliarella’s movement was poor and he was the first player to be withdrawn, while Jovetic dropped deeper and had a bigger impact, providing another passing option and getting into the box.

Second half

Frustratingly, for a game between two well-matched sides, there was no real tactical progression. At the start of the second half Ljajic seemed to play deeper, occupying Pirlo more than in the first half. This made him less of a direct attacking threat, although he sped past Pirlo when Fiorentina got the ball, and Carrera was concerned enough to remove Pirlo and introduce Paul Pogba, who tracked Ljajic’s runs much more effectively. Vucinic replaced Quagliarella, Marchisio replaced Giaccherini – both attacking moves, but this changed little because Juve weren’t getting the ball forward.

Ljajic was nullified by Pogba, so Montella brought on Fernandez in his place, trying to provide more creativity. He waited until 77 minutes to make the first change, though, and his final two substitutions were in the last five minutes – indicating he was happy with his side – with the exception of their inability to find a finish.

Conclusion

A goalless draw was never assured as Fiorentina went close on an number of occasions, but the 0-0 was always a possibility simply because of the lack of attacking players in the final third. Giovinco and Ljajic were given huge creative responsibility – Ljajic was brighter yet typically frustrating, offering good movement and clever dribbling, but being booked for diving and missing the game’s best chance.

Fiorentina were more positive and better in almost every area. Pizarro outshone Pirlo, the wing-backs played higher up the pitch, the two forwards were more involved, there was more attacking urgency from the centre-backs.

Juve were underwhelming, but illustrated why they’re on such a long unbeaten run with a battling, committed display.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Player Ratings: Fiorentina 0-0 Juventus

The Bianconeri escaped from Florence with a point and a 44th unbeaten game

as the home side were unable to take their chances. Goal.com takes a closer look.

Sep 25, 2012

Fiorentina

Emiliano Viviano - Not called into action much, but made no mistake with the routine.

Gonzalo Rodríguez - Marked Quagliarella well, though Juve’s lack of impetus in the attacking third meant that he wasn’t put under as much pressure as one might have expected.

Facundo Roncaglia - Good show at the back as he refused to be rattled, and got forward to good effect as well, smashing a shot just wide after a mazy run from deep.

Manuel Pasqual - Not given much to do in his own half of the field, so spent his time bombing forward dangerously to support the attack. A threat out wide, and almost scored a late winner with a header from point blank range that was sent wide.

Nenad Tomovic - Like the rest of his defensive colleagues, he was not put under a lot of duress by the visitors. Still though, he kept his concentration well to deal with whatever came his way.

Rômulo - Injected some energy into the hosts’ attack. He picked his moments to surge forward very well and was difficult to halt once in full flight. However, his shooting left a lot to be desired.

David Pizarro - An accomplished and composed display on the ball, as he never looked fussed when in possession. A great focal point for his team to channel their attacks through, and did well at keeping the ball under pressure. Outdid Pirlo at his own game.

Juan Guillermo Cuadrado - Probably the coolest player on the ball tonight, as his trickery on the flanks was a nightmare for Juve to deal with. He played an instrumental role in setting up a few great chances for his team. Also, in his own half of the field, he popped up in the right place at the right time to snuff out a few Juve chances.

Borja Valero Iglesias - Distributed the ball simply and effectively, and his decision making was key in keeping the Fiorentina attack ticking. Disciplined in tracking back and covering when not on the ball.

Stevan Jovetic - For the first half hour he was isolated an anonymous in attack, but he grew into the game as time progressed. Crashed a strong header off the bar and nodded another effort just wide in the second half, as his runs from deep often went unnoticed by the Juve defence.

Adem Ljajic - Isolated for long spells, and did not fare well when on the ball either. Dragged a finish wide from a position where he really should have scored, and was booked for a dive after going down too easily in a tussle with Chiellini. Looked more dangerous in the second half though, as he adopted better attacking positions.

Substitutions

Matías Fernández - Some crisp passing, and looked fresh in the latter stages of the game.

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon - Not often tested despite the home side's dominance. Looked to have his posts covered on a few long range efforts that went off target.

Giorgio Chiellini - Looked a little shaky in the first half, but improved as things went on the make a relatively strong finish to the game, despite Fiorentina’s late surge.

Andrea Barzagli - Generally able to keep a handle on things, and stepped forward to good effect to curtail the effectiveness of Ljajic whenever he looked to drop deep. Good show in the air as well, winning his fair share of headers.

Leonardo Bonucci - A solid first half was almost undone when he allowed Ljajic to beat him for pace and strength at the end of the first half, with only the Serbian’s profligacy sparing his blushes.

Stephan Lichtsteiner - Not the sturdiest of performers in defence as he was beaten a few times by opposing fullback Manuel Pasqual, who was able to get past him with sheer pace.

Andrea Pirlo - Not able to stamp his authority on the match in his usual manner, as there was not a lot of movement in front for him to facilitate. Indeed, he was outshone by Pizarro in the central area.

Kwadwo Asamoah - Did not get forward as much as he would have liked, but he was sound and energetic in defending his flank, and tracked into the box to cover to good effect when danger lurked in a more central position.

Arturo Vidal - Defensively he was sound in the first half, tracking back well and winning the ball, particularly one last-ditch challenge to take the ball off Ljajic’s toes deep inside the area. But he faded after the break, and was terrible offensively throughout, as many of his passes forward were intercepted.

Emanuele Giaccherini - Offered nothing noticeable to his team’s cause. Appeared rather lightweight as Fiorentina were able to bypass him often, and rather useless when going forward. Mediocre at best today.

Sebastian Giovinco - The lone offensive spark for Juve in the first half. He was afforded space to drop deep and receive the ball, and his dribbling from such a position caused Fiorentina problems. Faded as the second half wore on.

Fabio Quagliarella - Did not contribute anything for his team in attack, as he failed to make any meaningful runs or touches on the ball whenever his team was in possession. Hauled off for Vucinic in the second half after an ineffective display.

Substitutions

Paul Pogba - Rather ineffective after coming off the bench.

Mirko Vučinić - Provided a little more thrust than Quagliarella in the moments following his introduction but gradually fell into the same lull as his team.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

There's no shame in drawing, says Buffon

after Juventus' draw with Fiorentina

The Bianconeri No.1 admits his side looked tired after playing at the weekend,

but spoke positively about picking up a hard-earned point against a strong Viola outfit.

Sep 25, 2012

Gianluigi Buffon remains upbeat despite Juventus playing out a goalless draw with Fiorentina on Tuesday and their failure to create any real chances in the process.

The 34-year-old was also quick to praise the Viola, who had the best chance of the game when the goalkeeper saw a Stevan Jovetic effort cannon off his crossbar.

"We were tired tonight, just as our opponents may well have been, considering they also played on Saturday. They did well," conceded Buffon after the match.

"You can tell Fiorentina have a great coach and a tactical system they believe in. There's no shame in drawing a game like this.

"We suffered, but they only had three or four dangerous scoring opportunities. The fact we kept a clean sheet means this is a point well earned."

In the build-up to the fixture, it was speculated that suspended coach Antonio Conte would be exposed to Tuscan supporters in the stands of the Artemio Franchi, but Buffon praised the atmosphere in the stadium.

"The public in Florence responded well to the situation, as did ours. There were no incidents and the rivalry was maintained on an acceptable level."

Meanwhile, Juventus interim boss Massimo Carrera admitted Fiorentina deserved all the plaudits following their attempts in stifling the attacking potential of his side.

“It isn’t always necessary to crush your opponents, as at times you also have to be good at containing them," the former defender argued.

"Fiorentina deserve a lot of credit, as they ran hard for 90 minutes and played very well. We were unable to do what we wanted to.

"We knew Fiorentina would put in the performance of a lifetime, so it was a show of strength for us to keep them quiet and maintain the clean sheet.

"We had to block David Pizarro, although we didn’t manage it that often."

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Buffon clings to 'good point'

Sep 25, 2012

Gianluigi Buffon praised Fiorentina and said Juventus “suffered” for their point at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

The Bianconeri didn’t really have a shot on goal during tonight’s 0-0 draw, whereas the Viola rattled the crossbar with Stevan Jovetic.

“We were tired tonight, just as our opponents may well have been considering they also played on Saturday. They did well,” the goalkeeper told Sky Sport Italia.

“You can tell Fiorentina have a great Coach and a tactical system they believe in. It can happen to draw a game like this, there’s no shame in that.

“We suffered, but they only had three or four dangerous scoring opportunities. The fact we kept a clean sheet means this is a point well earned.”

Coach Antonio Conte was in the Plexiglas booth along with Juventus Channel commentators, as there were fears he’d be too exposed to supporters in the stands.

“The public in Florence responded well to the situation, as did ours. There were no incidents and the rivalry was maintained on an acceptable level,” concluded Buffon.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Carrera: 'Credit to Fiorentina'

Sep 25, 2012

Massimo Carrera credited Fiorentina for forcing a bad performance out of Juventus. “We were unable to do what we wanted to.”

The Bianconeri ended their 100 per cent record in Serie A this season, but the 0-0 draw at the Stadio Franchi stretched their unbeaten League run to 44 games.

“It isn’t always necessary to crush your opponents, as at times you also have to be good at containing them,” argued stand-in Coach Carrera.

“Fiorentina deserve a lot of credit, as they ran hard for 90 minutes and played very well. We were unable to do what we wanted to.

“We knew Fiorentina would put in the performance of a lifetime, so it was a show of strength for us to keep them quiet and maintain the clean sheet.

“We had to block David Pizarro, although we didn’t manage it that often.”

Surprisingly, Andrea Pirlo was substituted in the second half to make way for Paul Pogba just days after he was rested against Chievo.

“We need to find a way he can work more than rest. Playing every three days means Pirlo doesn’t have much time to train, but he is always very important to our team.

“Leonardo Bonucci had a muscular problem in the warm-up, but his performance was excellent.”

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Montella: 'We deserved to win'

Sep 25, 2012

Vincenzo Montella is proud of Fiorentina’s performance against Juventus and “we probably deserved to win.”

The Tuscans had by far the better chances in tonight’s 0-0 draw at the Stadio Franchi, including a crossbar hit by Stevan Jovetic.

“I am definitely satisfied with my lads,” said the Coach. “We probably deserved to win if we had been a little more incisive or perhaps fortunate.

“I must compliment the team and the fans, as it was a wonderful evening of sport. We faced an excellent team with open and attacking football. It’s a shame we didn’t win, but we hold on to the performance and the character of this Fiorentina.

“It would have been wonderful to win and these players deserved a satisfaction like that.”

Montella was asked whether this step up in quality showed Fiorentina could challenge for the top places in Serie A this season.

“We must continue along this path. It’s a long road ahead of us and there could be obstacles. We need balance when considering our campaign.

“Right now we will enjoy this evening, but we haven’t done anything yet. There’s potential, though.”

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

‘Pirlo should quit Italy and JoJo...’

Sep 25, 2012

Zvonimir Boban wasn’t short of an opinion before and after the Fiorentina-Juventus tie. “Andrea Pirlo should retire from the national team and Stevan Jovetic is not world class.”

The former Milan creator, now a TV pundit for Sky Italia, feels that the Italian international may need periods of rest this term.

“Pirlo should think about leaving some duties behind,” Boban said after the 0-0 draw in which Pirlo was substituted by Paul Pogba. “I’m thinking about the national team.

“He hasn’t stopped and he’s lacking some brilliance right now because he has so many commitments…”

The playmaker moved to the Old Lady in the summer of 2011 and inspired them to the Scudetto last season. He then helped Italy reach the Final of Euro 2012.

Pirlo, who now also has the Champions League to take into account this term, was rested for the 2-0 win over Chievo on Saturday.

Before last night’s Tuscan encounter, the ex-Croatia player was also asked for an opinion on Jovetic – the Fiorentina sensation who Juve targeted in the summer.

“He’s an excellent player and he certainly would have done well had he joined Juventus,” Boban noted. “However, I don’t think he is good enough to be defined as world class.”

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Pizarro: We should have won

Sep 26, 2012

David Pizarro admits that Fiorentina are disappointed with the 0-0 draw against Juventus, but believes they made a clear statement to the rest of Serie A.

The Viola had the better of the chances at the Stadio Franchi on Tuesday evening, but the Old Lady held on for a point.

“There is disappointment,” the Chilean playmaker noted. “We wanted the three points, but we just couldn’t find a goal.

“Nevertheless, we are on the right road. Today was an important test to see at what point we are at in our development.

“This is a new side and to have put Juventus in such difficulty is certainly something important for the future of Fiorentina.

“Over the summer, slowly but surely, important players arrived and the enthusiasm increased. There is a great environment here and an excellent squad.”

Fiorentina are currently fifth in the table after collecting eight points from five games.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

How to beat the unbeatable:

Fiorentina show Serie A that Juventus are fallible

Vincenzo Montella's side gave the champions a real run for their money at the Artemio Franchi,

giving the rest of the league a blueprint for success against the Old Lady.

Sep 26, 2012

COMMENT

By Kris Voakes | Italian Football Writer

Their unbeaten run may have survived the trip to Florence on Tuesday night, but Juventus had to overcome the toughest test yet during their 16-month streak of Serie A invincibility. And Fiorentina’s gameplan has set a blueprint for the rest of the league to follow as the Bianconeri’s rivals are given fresh hope of getting something from their forthcoming clashes with Antonio Conte’s side.

After overcoming a rocky first hour against Genoa nine days earlier, when they struggled to contain the threat of Ciro Immobile and Marco Borriello from direct balls in behind, the Italian champions were given another scare by Vincenzo Montella’s men, but this time there was no second-half rally and no warm feeling inside come full-time. Yes, Juve remain unbeaten, and will very likely remain top of the league after the remainder of the matchday five fixtures. But after a four-game spell of convincing victories, the Bianconeri looked fallible.

And it was not in defence where they were second best, not even in attack, where their profligate strikers has often left them with one point when it should have been three. Instead, it was – for once – in midfield that they fell short. Alongside Emanuele Giaccherini – playing in the central three in place of the rested Claudio Marchisio – Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal had nowhere near the success to which they have become so accustomed to in recent times, in turn giving Fabio Quagliarella and Sebastian Giovinco nothing but scraps to feed off up top.

For the Viola, Romulo, David Pizarro and Borja Valero provided the right mix of breathless pressing off the ball and composure on it to ask the kind of questions Juve have hardly had to answer of late. Between the three of them, they gave the Scudetto holders a proper run for their money, and would perhaps have seen their efforts turn into a victory had Fiorentina had a true marksman to call upon.

Juventus’ own Achilles heel under Antonio Conte has been their lack of a true No.9, so it was perhaps ironic that they were let off the hook by a team bearing the same flaw. While Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic both showed great ability, neither is a poacher, and the Serbian even missed his side’s best chance when running free in the right channel, pulling his shot wide of the far post.

But while Conte will be relieved to have left the Artemio Franchi with a point, it will have been of serious concern to him that his midfield, the bedrock on which they have built some success, was outplayed in what was probably Juve’s worst game under the former Siena boss’ guidance.

The subdued performance of Pirlo resulted in the regista being hooked for the final quarter, with Paul Pogba replacing him, but even Vidal was below par for long spells, despite one incredible challenge in the penalty area.

The Chilean has been carrying an ankle injury since the first half of the Champions League fixture against Chelsea last week, playing over 200 minutes of football in the six days following the twist which would have seen most people replaced at Stamford Bridge. But if subdued performances are to become the norm from Pirlo in particular during the busy calendar to come, then it will need a quick transition from back-up to true first-teamer from Pogba to fill the gap.

On the left of the three, Marchisio should return against Roma on Saturday, but will doubtless need time off again soon, and Juve can ill-afford another midfield display like Tuesday’s. Kwadwo Asamoah may have been a better option in the centre than Giaccherini once it became obvious that Fiorentina would be such a danger on the ball, with the Ghanaian’s better defensive make-up being more equipped for the task, but bench coach Massimo Carrera decided to stick with the former Udinese man on the left.

Before the game, Carrera claimed there was a telepathy between he and Conte which was helping the Old Lady to sail smoothly through the period of the coach’s matchday suspension, but between them they seemed to have got their gameplan wrong on this occasion.

Montella, meanwhile, will have had mixed feelings at full-time. The memories of last season’s 5-0 mauling at the hands of the Turin side have been buried, but he will surely feel that his outfit should have taken the full three points. Their solid start to the season continues though, and they have already demonstrated in their opening five games that they will have a say in the shake-up come May.

They have proven that Juventus can be bettered, now it is up to somebody else to apply the same commitment in midfield as Fiorentina while offering a similar threat to Genoa in attack in order to bring them down before they get any nearer to Milan’s 58-game unbeaten record.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

[Socrates 8329]

Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Juve draw gives hope to rivals

As Juventus stalled at a fiery Fiorentina, most of their title rivals got back

to winning ways. Giancarlo Rinaldi wraps up the midweek round action.

Sep 27, 2012

Good things do happen in Serie A. In the midst of all the skulduggery, mud-slinging and matches awarded without a ball being kicked it can be easy to lose sight of them. A midweek round of matches turned out to be like watching a video of your daughter’s first school show – it put a smile back on the face.

The first uplifting experience was the often festering fixture between Fiorentina and Juventus. In years gone by the match has regularly been a more terrifying experience than being trapped in a lift with Facundo Roncaglia. This time around it proved as refreshing as an ice-cold spritzer on a searing hot summer’s day.

Before the Juventini out there start sharpening their keyboards, it wasn’t just about the result. Being held to a draw – and occasionally outplayed – did throw open the championship once again which will have been welcomed by every neutral and, of course, the Bianconeri’s main rivals. But much more pleasing were some of the side-orders served up with the match.

A packed Stadio Artemio Franchi provided the kind of backdrop to an Italian League match which has become rarer than a week without injury for Alexandre Pato. The choreography before kick-off was spectacular and the atmosphere throughout the clash intense but never nasty. Even after such a test of their resolve, it seemed the Juve players had relished the battle.

“The Florentine public backed their team with their usual passion and our fans turned out too, as they always do,” said Gianluigi Buffon. “There was no trouble. These rivalries have been around for years, but they give extra spice to these matches as long as it doesn’t get out of hand.”

The beneficiaries of Juve’s brief comfort break on a journey they still hope will take them to the Scudetto were Napoli. Yet their resounding triumph at a mercifully sand-free San Paolo might not have happened but for another pleasing moment. The honesty of Miroslav Klose paved the way for their triumph.

In truth, the German striker seemed to take a leaf out of the Buffon guidebook to dealing with such incidents. He looked happy enough to celebrate his handball goal which appeared to have given Lazio the lead early in the match. However, when questioned by the referee he did the decent thing and admitted the strike should not stand. After that the Roman side switched off and Edinson Cavani took centre stage. He grabbed a hat-trick, although the penalty he missed to make it four may well still be spotted in orbit over the Gulf of Naples.

And in Rome, too, there were beaming smiles for the 36 today Francesco Totti. His strike against Sampdoria took him to 216 goals in Serie A alongside a legend like Jose Altafini on the all time list. His only regret will have been that, for a Giallorosso side which still seems to like to self-harm, it was not enough to win the match. The more malign might say Roma’s best result so far has been the one where they never set foot on the pitch.

There was even reason to be happy on the two slow-starting sides of Milan with victories for both the Rossoneri and Nerazzurri. The boys in red and black may no longer have Zlatan Ibrahimovic to resolve matches, but they now have Stephen El Shaarawy. That might not please all their supporters, but his neat double to down Cagliari was good news for Max Allegri and, undoubtedly, Azzurri boss Cesare Prandelli.

“It was difficult for us to play well with such a lot of tension,” admitted Milan assistant Coach Mauro Tassotti. “Stephan is getting more confident and he is playing well. He does a good job for us and works hard. He is helping us out a lot, even though he is very young.”

Inter enjoyed the same scoreline in Verona in another match where the result was more important than the performance. Alvaro Pereira looked marginally offside when he put the visitors in front at the Bentegodi, but it certainly eased the nerves of a side still struggling to find its identity. It also convinced Andrea Stramaccioni that his new 3-5-1-1 formation is the way ahead.

“It was important for us to get back to winning after the dramatic defeat at the weekend,” he said. “This is the best way to use the players I have got just now. It allows us to cover the pitch and gets the best out of my team.”

Some things, of course, will never change. In Genoa, Marco Borriello won and converted the softest of penalties to deny Parma all the points. Maybe one day Serie A won’t see referees point to the spot for the most minimal of contact – we can but dream. However, overall we should enjoy all the bright spots the latest matches provided. After all, Zeman’s Roma face Juventus this weekend – so we know all the good feelings will never last.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

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Serie A - Week 5 - 25-9-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

0 - 0

Artemio Franchi Stadium - Florence

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 21000

Fiorentina against Juve: How different 3-5-2s produced a 0-0

Sep 27, 2012

A fierce rivalry wrote another chapter in it’s history during a clash between two different 3-5-2 systems. Vincenzo Montella lined up his traditional starting XI featuring Romulo alongside Pizarro and Borja Valero in the middle. While Antonio Conte opted to rest Claudio Marchisio, going with Emanuele Giaccherini as interior midfielder with Fabio Quagliarella starting up top paired to Sebastien Giovinco. Fiorentina applied the same tactical principles obeserved in the game vs Napoli. In that game, Fiorentina scouting card was:

- Good negative transition, they tried to press where the ball was lost but if it doesn’t work they collapse behind quickly;

- Defending with 8 men behind the line of the ball;

- Cuadrado and Pasqual give team width;

- Two forwards without much defensive duties until the defenders goes to the middle of the field line; forwards let Napoli’s three defenders play the ball;

- Three-men defense switch often to a four-men defense, specially thanks to Pasqual, a more defensive player then Cuadrado;

- While Romulo connects midfilders to forwards, Pizarro and Borja Valero often change their position as deep-lying playmaker;

- First idea is go for the verticality. If the opposite ware closed Fiorentina went for the flanks.

Against Napoli, Jovetic stayed up on the left during the fast-break situations, in the way to attack Napoli’s three-men defense in their weak point, i.e. the zone behind the wing-back. Against Juventus, tactical game plan was the same. Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic had not defensive duties on the defenders until they were near or over the middle of the pitch’s line; by the way, Ljajic had the task to chase Andrea Pirlo, Juventus’ deep-lying playmaker.

He made a good job, nullifying Juventus’ playmaker. When Juventus started his play with Giorgio Chiellini, on the left side, Romulo was able to press him while Fiorentina’s wing-back, Cuadrado, switched on Giaccherini while the central defenders were ready to slide laterally to cover Kwawdo Asamoah. On the other hand, Claudio Pizarro had more freedom than Pirlo because both Giovinco e Fabio Quagliarella didn’t chase him adequately.

Also, Juventus’ forwards was well marked by Fiorentina’s central trio of Facundo Roncaglia, Gonzalo Rodriguez, and Nenad Tomovic so Conte’s team offense were far from perfect. Borja Valero showed good technical skills to play as box-to-box midfielder moving forward when it was needed with Romulo played as insider midfielder ready to join the attack on the offensive phase. Both midfields played in a tight area with the spaces closed. As said earlier, 3-5-2s was different: while Juventus attacked through the middle, favouring a more direct approach, Fiorentina displayed a short of Tiki-Taka version, as showed by 2 through balls they played against the 7 played by Conte’s side.

In the second half, Conte replaced Quagliarella with Mirko Vucinic, leaving an inconsistent Giovinco into the game. Despite his superiority, Fiorentina lacked in the last third of the pitch. Montella brought on Luca Toni too late, after a second half in which home side clearly showed a lack of a pure forward in the box to receive crosses from the outside. That was clearly showed because Jovetic and Ljiajc both started to play more wide, too far from Juventus’ penalty area. Juventus underplayed, lacking of the classic strenght and aggressive attitude they showed from last season.

Both Arturo Vidal and Giaccherini played to far from the goal, with defensive duties against the technical Fiorentina midfield. On the transition phase, Juventus were slow when they gained the ball, allowing Fiorentina to create a solid defensive wall in front of their keeper. On the flanks, Asamoah and Cuadrado, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Manuel Pascual nullified each other on their side. At the end, Fiorentina was near to score and clinch the victory. They was the better side but failed to create enough scoring chance to do it.

http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

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