Juventus Season 2012-2013

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

-

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Juventus-Siena Preview: Round 7 — Tuscany Tango

Juventus travel to Tuscany to face a Siena team that have jerseys

with the same kind of colors. Bianconeri on bianconeri crime! Beware!

Oct 6, 2012

It seems like we've been here before, doesn't it?

A mid-week meh-fest followed up by the chance, on short rest, to put the previous result in the rear view mirror. Pretty sums the past two weeks, doesn't it? Just change a few jersey colors and viola! It's the same. Kinda, I guess.

Juventus travel to Tuscany to face Siena in the final game before the latest and greatest international break. This tie doesn't have as much pizazz as it did a year ago when Antonio Conte returned to the team he lead to a Serie A promotion, but it's still the chance to right the wrongs of Tuesday's showing against Shakhtar and get some momentum going again.

That's what happened against Roma. Now there's the chance to rinse and repeat and do the same thing against Siena.

That would be fun. I mean, who doesn't like when Juventus scores more goals than the other team and play incredibly awesome in the process?

(If you raised your hand while answering that, lol u.)

LE CHIAVI

Siena enters the pre-international break clash with total bag of mixed results. Example: Beat Inter 2-0. Then, one week later, lose to Lazio 2-1.See? Totally unpredictable. But then again, can't we say that for just about anything in the calcio world these days?

Siena's biggest strength this season has been keeping the opposition from finding the back of the net — there's only three teams (Napoli, Juventus, and Torino) who have allowed fewer goals (6) in the first six games of the Serie A season. Then there's the whole starting the season at minus-6 because of the match-fixing nonsense that continues to occupy or minds, but we won't get into that.

Although, if it wasn't for starting the season with the big penalty, Siena would be sitting comfortably in sixth instead of hanging out in the relegation zone.

GOOD NEWS

We're at 45 games unbeaten and counting. That's pretty awesome.

BAD NEWS

The fellas may be a wee bit tired, as a lot of you guys probably already know by now. When the Juventus squad takes the field tomorrow, it will be their fifth game in the span of 17 days. That's something we knew going in that would happen, but when you reach the end and look back on it, it's still pretty darn impressive.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

1. Squad rotation. It's been rumored for a couple days now, and I understand why. Conte has made it no secret that with all the extra fixtures this season, he's going to take advantage of his squad's depth. You can likely count on hand where Juventus' strongest XI has been fielded. There's usually at least one player getting rest every game, and that's fine with me. Hopefully Juventus are busy for a lot of the season, that means they've advanced a long way in the Champions League and Coppa Italia.

2. Strikers. I know I say it pretty much every game, but you're just gonna have to deal with it. The non-Vucinic rotation plan seems like it's a go once again. If it were my guess, Sebastian Giovinco would be the next one to get a ride of the Magical Mystery Striker Tour. I'm done with the expectation that anybody but Vucinic will hold down a regular starting spot while they all struggle to find some good form. That's kinda expected, though, so I won't get too upset about it.

3. Luca Marrone. Why do I mention Mr. Brown? Well, because he's the name being thrown about in the media as the guy to replace the suspended Leo Bonucci. And let me just say this: I'm in full support of it. Marrone was fantastic in the preseason as a makeshift center back. To be honest, it looked he had been playing there for years. While Bonucci is a good passer out of the back, Marrone is a step up, which should add something to a starting lineup that looks like it will be Pirlo-less on Sunday.

4. How Juventus do against a three-man defense. We saw it against Fiorentina last week. We've seen it a few times last season as well. For whatever the reason is, when Juventus face a team that also sports a 3-5-2 — or some kind of variation of it — they seem to struggle. Who knows whether Siena will pack the midfield like Fiorentina did in the scoreless draw in Florence. If they do, however, things might not be as much of a piece of cake as it could possibly be.

My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, Pogba, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Vucinic, Giovinco

Siena probable (3-4-2-1): Pegolo; Neto, Paci, Felipe; Sestu, Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso; Rosina, Ze Eduardo; Calaió

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

-

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Siena: 'Dear Conte...'

Oct 7, 2012

Siena Vice-President Valentina Mezzaroma hope she can “play a trick on my old friend” Antonio Conte’s Juventus.

Conte was in charge of Siena when he earned promotion from Serie B in 2010-11, but was released from his contract so he could make a dream come true and lead Juve.

“What result do I predict? I would love to play a trick on my old friend Conte. I believe we can do it – I even have the symbol of victory tattooed on my arm,” she told Tuttosport.

“Conte will receive a very warm welcome from the Siena fans. He is loved here, as he brought us back into Serie A and made all the right choices. His time at Siena was like a smaller version of what he has implemented at Juventus.

“We have respect, affection and friendship with Conte. He sent me a text message of congratulations when we beat Inter at San Siro. He celebrates when we win and of course will do everything to beat us too. That is normal in sport.”

Conte is in the stands due to a touchline ban for failing to report a potential fix to the authorities while he was at Siena in 2010-11. That same investigation saw Robur begin the campaign from -6.

“I know Conte and he is a winner in all things,” continued Mezzaroma.

“To think he was working with betting syndicates or any kind of match-fixing is just completely illogical. You just had to see how angry his face was when Juve ran into a series of draws.

“I believe the investigation needed a big name to draw attention from the public.”

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

-

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Line-ups: Siena-Juventus

Oct 7, 2012

Despite expectations, Nicklas Bendtner does not get his first Juventus start against Antonio Conte’s old club Siena.

The Stadio Artemio Franchi fixture kicks off at 14.00 BST and you can watch this and other Serie A games LIVE on your computer.

Conte saw his 10-month ban reduced to four on appeal this week, but as part of the same investigation Siena have a six-point penalty.

Leonardo Bonucci sits out a ban, so Luca Marrone takes over at centre-back rather than Lucio.

Juve were expected to rest some of their stars and give Bendtner his first start, but it’s the usual line-up with Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Mirko Vucinic and Sebastian Giovinco.

Siena have to do without the injured Gaetano D’Agostino and Matteo Contini, forcing changes in midfield. Alessandro Rosina and Ze Eduardo support Emanuele Calaio'.

Siena: Pegolo; Neto, Paci, Felipe; Angelo, Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso; Rosina, Ze Eduardo; Calaio'

Siena bench: Farelli, Campagnolo, Dellafiore, Rubin, Reginaldo, Mannini, Verre, Sestu, Bolzoni, Paolucci, Bogdani, Valiani

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Vucinic, Giovinco

Juventus bench: Storari, Rubinho, Lucio, Caceres, Isla, Padoin, Pogba, Giaccherini, Asamoah, Bendtner, Quagliarella, Matri

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373‎

Marchisio fires late winner as champions march on

The Italy midfielder drove home with just over five minutes remaining

to secure three points and ensure that the Bianconeri remain top of Serie A.

Oct 7, 2012

Juventus made their second-half dominance pay with a late Claudio Marchisio strike securing a 2-1 win over a stubborn Siena side at the Artemio Franchi on Sunday afternoon.

The Bianconeri took the lead 14 minutes in courtesy of a free kick from Andrea Pirlo, who struck the bar with another sublime set-piece later in the half. However, the two sides went in level at the interval, with Emanuel Calaió heading home just before the half-time whistle.

Juventus bossed the second period but it seemed that their efforts would prove in vain. However, with just five minutes remaining, Marchisio came to their rescue to steal a win that keeps Antonio Conte's men top of the table.

Juve had gone into the game on the back of a fortuitous draw at home to Champions League rivals Shakhtar Donetsk and the defensive frailty that was on show in Turin on Tuesday night was in evidence again at the Artemio Franchi.

Indeed, Siena should have been ahead inside two minutes, but Alessandro Rosina, who was a constant thorn in Juve’s side during the first-half, miscued his first-time strike, after being picked out by Angelo’s pull-back, and the ball ended up bouncing harmlessly into the arms of Gianluigi Buffon.

While the visitors looked vulnerable at the back, Sebastian Giovinco and Mirko Vucinic were causing problems every time they picked up possession at the other end of the field and it was no surprise that the pair played a key role in the Bianconeri’s opener.

Vucinic left two Siena defenders trailing in his wake with a wonderful turn in midfield before slipping the ball wide to Giovinco, who ended up on the deck after bamboozling Felipe with his quick feet. Pirlo took the subsequent free kick and found the bottom corner by ingeniously firing the ball low underneath the feet of the players in the defensive wall, who had collectively jumped in an attempt to make the playmaker’s task more difficult.

The goal unsurprisingly settled Juve and they could count themselves unfortunate not to have doubled their lead before the break, with Pirlo crashing another set-piece against the cross bar on 40 minutes before Claudio Marchisio drew a flying save out of Gianluca Pegolo moments later.

However, Catania continued to threaten at the other end and Calaio squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to level matters midway through the opening period when he fired wide with the goal at his mercy, after being the recipient of a deft lay-off from Ze Eduardo. The veteran striker made amends, though, right on half-time, powering home a header at the far post after Angelo had beaten Paolo De Ceglie to the byline before whipping over the most inviting of crosses.

Juve responded to that setback by replacing De Ceglie during the interval and they looked more defensively sound for the majority of the second-half. In saying that, Rosina had a tremendous chance to edge Siena in front with just over 10 minutes remaining, but he inexplicably failed to get his head on the end of Cristiano Del Grosso's cross.

In the end it was Juve who struck late, and deservedly so, with Pegolo having produced a succession of terrific saves to keep out Juventus, and Giovinco and Arturo Vidal in particular, while Vucinic had seen a measured strike from the edge of the area drift just wide of the post.

Again Giovinco was key, the former Parma man jinking past a couple of players before crossing into the area. The ball was nodded back across the box by Giorgio Chiellini and Marchisio arrived right on cue to drive the ball through a crowd of players and past Pegolo, thus securing Juve their sixth win from seven outings this season.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373‎

Marchisio rescues Juve

Claudio Marchisio left it late to snatch a 2-1 Juventus victory at Siena after a few scares.

Oct 7, 2012

Antonio Conte was in the stands and given a warm welcome by his former club, who he took to promotion from Serie B before quitting to follow his Juventus dream. This week the Coach saw his 10-month ban reduced to four on appeal, a suspension awarded due to the same betting investigation that cost Siena a six-point penalty.

Leonardo Bonucci was suspended and Simone Pepe still injured, while the home side missed Gaetano D’Agostino and Matteo Contini. Luca Marrone stepped into the Juve defence, but despite expectations there was no first start for Nicklas Bendtner.

Alessandro Rosina had a great start after two minutes, but scuffed his finish straight at Gigi Buffon.

Juventus took the lead on 14 minutes with an Andrea Pirlo free kick. Sebastian Giovinco was brought down on the edge of the box and Pirlo kept his free kick daisy-cutter low to go under the jumping wall, surprising Gianluca Pegolo at the near post.

Siena should’ve equalised on 22 minutes when Emanuele Calaio exchanged passes with Ze Eduardo, but the Italian pulled his angled drive wide from a very promising position.

Giorgio Chiellini risked a second yellow card on the half-hour, but was given a warning. Mirko Vucinic toe-poked into the arms of Pegolo and Giovinco blasted over.

Pirlo nearly got a second from one of his trademark free kicks, this time curling over the wall to smack against the crossbar.

Pegolo flew to push a Claudio Marchisio screamer out of the far top corner with his trailing hand. Serse Cosmi was sent off from the touchline for dissent, but refused to leave and it took some time to convince the fiery Siena Coach. The red card meant both Cosmi and Conte watched the second half in the stands.

In first half stoppages Siena got their equaliser to drive the Stadio Franchi crowd wild. Angelo surged forward down the right and crossed for Calaio’s cushioned header at the back post to beat Buffon.

Kwadwo Asamoah replaced ex-Siena winger Paolo De Ceglie for the second half and Neto needed a goalline clearance to keep out Giovinco’s shot, which Pegolo had got his hand to. Buffon had to fingertip a wayward Chiellini header out from under the bar to prevent an own goal.

A Mirko Vucinic angled drive skimmed the far post, then Giovinco sprung the offside trap and dribbled round the goalkeeper, but went too wide and his assist to Arturo Vidal was cleared by Cristian Del Grosso.

Pegolo needed a great save to deny Vidal’s angled drive on the half-volley at the near post, practically from the by-line.

Siena wasted a double opportunity to take the lead on 78 minutes, as first Calaio and then Rosina only glanced headers wide when undisturbed in the six-yard box.

Juve laid siege to the Siena box and eventually broke through five minutes from time. Rodriguez cleared a corner to the edge of the box, where Marchisio thumped a scorching volley that left Pegolo rooted to the spot.

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

Siena: Pegolo; Neto, Paci, Felipe; Angelo (Bolzoni 68), Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso; Rosina (Reginaldo 81), Ze Eduardo (Sestu 54); Calaio

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone (Quagliarella 80), Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Giaccherini 67), Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie (Asamoah 46); Vucinic, Giovinco

Ref: Mazzoleni

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373‎

Marchisio spares Juve blushes at Siena

Serie A champions Juventus needed a late winner from Claudio Marchisio

to see off bottom team Siena at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday afternoon.

Oct 7, 2012

Andrea Pirlo gave the Bianconeri the lead with an early free-kick, but the league leaders were pegged back in first-half stoppage time by Emanuele Calaio's equaliser.

However, the visitors refused to settle for the draw and secured all three points five minutes from time when Marchisio volleyed home the winner.

Juve, under the interim guidance of technical director Massimo Carrera while coach Antonio Conte serves his suspension for failing to report match-fixing, headed into the game on a 45-match unbeaten run and did not take long to settle.

They took the lead in the 14th minute when Italy playmaker Pirlo stepped up to despatch a low free-kick into the bottom-right corner. Siena goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out.

Sebastian Giovinco passed up a fine chance to extend Juventus' advantage seven minutes later when he lashed over from close range.

It was not all one-way traffic, though, as Calaio's left-footed shot midway through the first half skimmed the left post.

The woodwork again played its part six minutes before the break when Pirlo was denied a second goal with another stunning free-kick, this time seeing his curling effort hit the bar.

Pegolo came to Siena's rescue in the 44th minute, saving well from Marchisio's curling free-kick to keep the hosts only one down - and moments later they were level.

Angelo provided the cross from the right wing and Calaio directed a neat header past Gianluigi Buffon to send the teams in at half-time all square.

Juve started the second half strongly, Arturo Vidal's blast brilliantly kept out by Pegolo and Mirko Vucinic curling inches wide before Giovinco's effort was cleared off the line by Alessandro Rosina and Pegolo got down well to frustrate Vidal.

Siena too had their chances, though. Rosina's right-wing cross was diverted wide from close range by Ribair Rodriguez while Calaio and Rosina also both nodded wide when well placed.

Juve showed the hosts how it should be done in the 85th minute by ruthlessly snatching the victory, Giovinco's left-wing cross headed by Giorgio Chiellini to Marchisio, whose sweet right-footed volley gave Pegolo little chance.

To their credit, Siena, who have picked up only two points all season, did not give up and could have grabbed a second equaliser in stoppage time, but Buffon was in the right place to keep out Massimo Paci's header from Alessio Sestu's right-wing cross.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373‎

Late Marchisio volley secures victory for the Bianconeri

Oct 7, 2012

A late Claudio Marchisio volley earned all three points for Antonio Conte’s men at a spirited Siena on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.

Juventus took the lead through an Andrea Pirlo free kick which was won by Sebastian Giovinco after he was brought down by Siena defender Felipe.

The talismanic midfielder out-smarted the five man Siena wall driving his effort low, underneath the jumping wall, catching goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo off guard.

Pegolo scrambled across his line but only managed to get a hand to Pirlo’s driven shot and the visitors had taken the lead.

Obviously frustrated by his team’s performance and a number of refereeing decisions Siena coach Serse Cosmi was banished to the stands for venting his frustrations towards the officials.

By the time the whistle blew for half time however Cosmi would be in a far better frame of mind as some fine work from Angelo down the flank set up Emanuele Calaio who headed home to put the sides on terms heading into the break.

Siena on numerous occasions went close to taking the lead and had Alessandro Rosina managed to steer a Cristiano Del Grosso cross on target perhaps the match outcome may have differed.

As it was the champions continued to press and found the winner in the eighty fourth minute through an emphatic Claudio Marchisio volley from inside the area that left Pegolo rooted to the spot.

Juventus were not at their best in this encounter but held out to secure the victory.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373

Player Ratings: Siena 1-2 Juventus

Goal.com runs the rule over everyone involved at the Artemio Franchi, after an absorbing

encounter settled by a late strike from Bianconeri midfielder Claudio Marchisio.

Oct 7, 2012

Siena

Gianluca Pegolo - Was deceived by the ingenuity of Pirlo's free kick. In saying that, he got a hand on the ball and will be disappointed at having failed to keep it out. More than made amends by denying Marchisio with a stunning save just before half-time, and also did well to get something on Giovinco's attempted dink just after the restart. Was unlucky to be beaten for a second time at the death.

Cristiano Del Grosso - His defending was neat and tidy throughout, and he used the ball smartly and effectively, always looking to work Rosina into decent attacking positions during the second-half. Also produced a sublime cross that the midfielder really should have buried.

Neto - Was a little heavy handed in his defending at times, but was an influential figure at the back for Siena. Indeed, it was he who was on hand to clear after Giovinco had lifted the ball over Pegolo just after the break.

Felipe - Struggled to contain Giovinco right from the off and was booked just 14 minutes in for bringing the diminutive forward down on the edge of the area, an indiscretion which was then further punished by Pirlo's subsequent conversion of the resultant free kick.

Massimo Paci - Cannot fault his effort but was repeatedly made to look a little flat-footed and cumbersome by Giovinco and Vucinic.

Mariano de Almeida Angelo - Signalled his attacking intent two minutes in by getting in behind De Ceglie down the left-hand side and then picking out Sestu, only to see the midfielder scuff his shot. Calaio made no mistake, though, after Angelo had used his pace and power to storm past De Ceglie for the umpteenth time just before the interval, before sending over a terrific cross to the back stick. His influence waned in the second-half, though, and he was hauled off on 68 minutes.

Simone Vergassola - A spirited showing from the captain, best summed up by the way in which he won one duel - thus relieving the pressure on his side - by dispossessing Asamoah despite being on the floor. However, he was left chasing shadows during the second-half.

R. Rodríguez - An energetic and aggressive presence in the middle of the park, the Uruguayan really put himself about and put in a number of crunching tackles, most notably on Pirlo, who was less than impressed by being on the receiving end of a couple of late challenges. Also went close to scoring with a header.

Alessandro Rosina - A real livewire performance from Rosina, who was always keen to take the game to Juve. Squandered a great chance to open the scoring inside two minutes but he was involved in all of Siena's best attacking moves and De Ceglie's withdrawal at half-time was testament to that. However, his finishing let him down again in the second-half when he failed to connect with Del Grosso's cross.

Emanuele Calaiò - Sparked the move which led to the early opening for Rosina but wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to make it 1-1 when he shot wide after being given a clear sight of goal by a sublime lay-off from Ze Eduardo. However, he made amends right on half-time by burying Angelo's cross from the right. Did not get another good chance thereafter, though.

Zé Eduardo - Worked tirelessly and linked reasonably well with Calaio and had a number of nice touches, one of which really should have resulted in his centre forward drawing Siena level on 23-minutes. Stupidly talked himself into a booking after believing himself to have been fouled by Vidal and was ultimately brought off just after the break.

Substitutions

Francesco Bolzoni - Took over from Angelo midway through the second-half but was more solid than spectacular.

Alessio Sestu - Thrown on in place of Ze Eduardo and while he was full of endeavour, put over some good crosses and got stuck in, he failed to make a significant impact on the proceedings.

Reginaldo - Replaced Rosina in the closing stages, but did not make an impact.

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon - Saved easily from Rosina early doors and did not actually have too many saves to make before Calaio left him with no chance with a close-range header. Did wonderfully well to tip Chiellini's attempted clearing header over the bar.

Giorgio Chiellini - Looked unusually shaky early on and saw yellow for barging Rosina off the ball. Then ran the risk of being dismissed for a second bookable offence after crashing into Felipe. Very nearly put through his own goal during the second-half, but then played a key role in Marchisio's winner by nodding the ball back across the box.

Paolo De Ceglie - Got forward on occasions and put over a couple of dangerous crosses from the left-hand side but, for the most part, he spent his time trying to contain Angelo and Rosina - with little success. Indeed, it was absolutely no surprise that Siena's equaliser came down De Ceglie's side as he had allowed Angelo to get in behind him as early as the second minute. Wisely replaced at the break.

Andrea Barzagli - Caused some discomfort by Siena's neat link-up play every now and then, but, overall this was another composed performance from the centre-half.

Stephan Lichtsteiner - Threatened sporadically during the first-half, with his strong running and accurate deliveries into the box. Indeed, Giovinco should have converted one such ball into the box after being picked out by the Swiss just six yards out. However, he was not as menacing after the break and made way for Giaccherini midway through the second period.

Claudio Marchisio - The most dynamic player on the pitch. Had his first sight of goal 11 minutes in but his 25-yard drive was always going over. However, he looked set to make it 2-0 to Juve just before the break but after killing a pass from Pirlo and then nimbly stepping inside Neto, his curling effort from the edge of the area was wonderfully kept out by Pegolo. Eventually - and deservedly - got on the scoresheet with five minutes to go by firing home after a trademark late arrival in the area.

Andrea Pirlo - Influential as ever, the playmaker settled Juventus by netting the opener 14 minutes in, finding the bottom corner of the Siena goal with a low strike that took advantage of the players in the wall jumping to make themselves big. Created a fine opening for Giovinco with a terrific ball before going so close to doubling Juve's lead with a stunning set-piece on 39 minutes only to see his curling 25-yard effort crash off the bar.

Arturo Vidal - By no means his best performance, the Chilean was sloppy in possession in the first-half and also mistimed a couple of tackles. Improved after the break, though, and called Pegolo into action at one point.

Luca Marrone - Deployed at the back, Marrone's distribution was unsurprisingly accurate and Pirlo struck the bar with a free-kick that the midfield had earned with a strong surge out from the back. However, he looked uncomfortable at times, most notably when he flattened Rosina with a mistimed challenge.

Mirko Vučinić - Linked well with Giovinco in the first-half, most memorably when he dropped deep to great effect, spinning his way past two players before releasing his strike partner. Very nearly found the bottom corner with a measured effort in the second period but was ultimately unable to get on the scoresheet.

Sebastian Giovinco - Did not manage to get among the goals but he did play an integral role in both, winning the free kick that Pirlo fired home before producing the cross that led to Marchisio's late winner.

Substitutions

Kwadwo Asamoah - Replaced De Ceglie for the start of the second-half and was a far more reliable and assured presence on the left-hand side.

Emanuele Giaccherini - Came on for Lichtsteiner but while he was full of running, the Bianconeri's utility man did not make a great difference down the right-hand side.

Fabio Quagliarella - Saw a few minutes of game time at the end but there was to be no instant impact from the forward.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373

Juventus lacked ruthlessness - Carrera

The Old Lady's caretaker boss was not happy with the teams lack of a clinical edge

and believed the side could have secured the win a lot earlier if they took their chances.

Oct 7, 2012

Massimo Carrera spoke of how his Juventus side made life difficult for themselves during their 2-1 win over Siena at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday.

The 48-year-old felt like the Bianconeri could have wrapped up the points early on but they had to wait until the 85th minute for Claudio Marchisio to score the winner for them.

The win means Juve stretch their unbeaten run to 46 league games whilst continuing to set the pace at the top of Serie A but Carrera insists the result could have been a lot more comfortable had the Old Lady taken their chances.

"Surely this game could have been won much earlier. We lacked a little ruthlessness, and for this we had to suffer until the end," Carrera told reporters after the match.

"It is obvious that in some matches we may lack a clinical edge, but you cannot always win by four or five goals."

The Juventus boss also denied claims that Giorgio Chiellini should have been sent off after the defender lunged in on Felipe when he had already been booked.

He added: "The first did not seem like a foul worthy of a yellow card. The second, he was looking to win the ball and even that wasn't so bad."

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373

Carrera: 'Juve lacked determination'

Oct 7, 2012

Massimo Carrera concedes Juventus were fortunate to win in Siena. “We lacked determination today.”

The Bianconeri needed a late Claudio Marchisio screamer to secure the 2-1 result in Tuscany.

“We should’ve won this game much earlier, but lacked determination today and this is why we had to suffer until the end,” said Antonio Conte’s stand-in.

“Sebastian Giovinco did very well and Mirko Vucinic performed the tasks we requested. We do not have a classic centre-forward, so the midfielders have to push forward in order to score. Anyone who has seen Juve play this season knows that.

“It’s true that playing every three days does weigh on the squad, but at the end of the day this Juve is showing itself to be a great team.

“We are unbeaten in 46 rounds and this season won six out of seven. Obviously we can be lacking some sharpness at times, but you cannot win 4-0 every time.

“We knew Siena were strong on the counter-attack, so we had to play in their midfield and make sure not to give away the ball.”

Siena Coach Serse Cosmi claimed Giorgio Chiellini should’ve had a second yellow card after half an hour.

“The first booking seemed very harsh to me, while he was looking for the ball on the second foul, so that didn’t seem nasty either,” insisted Carrera.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373

Marchisio picks points over goal

Oct 8, 2012

Claudio Marchisio netted his first goal of the campaign at Siena on Sunday, but he insists the victory was all that mattered.

“Obtaining the three points is more important than scoring as far as I’m concerned,” the midfielder noted.

“It’s important to win games like this encounter at Siena. Smaller sides are always very organised and they stuck to their game plan.

“It’s good we’ve managed to end this heavy run of fixtures with a victory. If we had to provide an assessment of this recent spell, it would be very positive.”

Juventus started the afternoon as favourites for the three points, but the home team did cause them problems and Marchisio’s goal came with five minutes left.

“It certainly wasn’t an easy afternoon,” added the 26-year-old. “Siena gave us great difficulty, they pressed and were organised in defence from the very off.

“We managed to break the deadlock, only for them to find an equaliser. Then, we upped the ante in the second half and came away with all three points.”

The Italian international scored nine goals in 36 League games for the Old Lady last term.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Hamsik looks forward to Juve tie

Oct 8, 2012

Marek Hamsik says his Napoli side will be ready to take on Juventus when Serie A returns after the international break.

The two sides, joint top of Serie A with 19 points from the 21 on offer, will face up to each other in Turin on Saturday 20 October.

“Lately, we like picking up victories when we suffer,” he stated following the 2-1 win over Udinese on Sunday night.

“It was important that we won seeing as Juventus got the three points earlier in the day with a win at Siena.

“We are a united squad and that is why we are in first place.

“It’s too early to say that we are like Juventus, but we will be fired up to face the Bianconeri when the League returns.”

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373

Marchisio: Winning more important than scoring

The Juventus midfielder has stressed that victory is all that matters for him,

and is quite pleased with his side's recent run of good results.

Oct 8, 2012

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has insisted that he is not too concerned with individual highlights as his primary focus is collective success.

The Italy international found the net on Sunday to help the Old Lady to a hard-fought 2-1 away win over Siena, but he was more delighted with the victory than with his match-winning goal.

"Obtaining the three points is more important than scoring as far as I’m concerned," Marchisio was quoted as saying on the club's official website.

"It certainly was not an easy game against Siena. They gave us great difficulty. We managed to break the deadlock, only for them to find an equaliser.

"Then, we upped the ante in the second half and came away with all three points. It is important to win games like this. Smaller sides are always very organised and Siena stuck to their game plan.

"It’s good that we have managed to end this heavy run of fixtures with a victory. If we had to provide an assessment of this recent spell, it would be very positive."

Juventus resume Serie A action after the international break at home against Napoli.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373

Juventus were fortunate to beat Siena, claims Carrera

Oct 8, 2012

Juventus caretaker coach Massimo Carrera feels his side were somewhat lucky to escape Siena with a victory.

The Old Lady had to rely on an 85th minute Claudio Marchisio goal to earn themselves a 2-1 win in Tuscany.

“We should’ve won this game much earlier, but lacked determination today and this is why we had to suffer until the end,” Carrera told reporters.

“Sebastian Giovinco did very well and Mirko Vucinic performed the tasks we requested. We do not have a classic centre-forward, so the midfielders have to push forward in order to score. Anyone who has seen Juve play this season knows that.

“It’s true that playing every three days does weigh on the squad, but at the end of the day this Juve is showing itself to be a great team.

“We are unbeaten in 46 rounds and this season won six out of seven. Obviously we can be lacking some sharpness at times, but you cannot win 4-0 every time.

“We knew Siena were strong on the counter-attack, so we had to play in their midfield and make sure not to give away the ball.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calai

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.)

1 - 2

Andrea Pirlo (14′)

Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′)

Claudio Marchisio (85′)

Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena

Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni

Attendance: 15373

Marchisio Gets His First & Dons Savior Cape Again…

Oct 8, 2012

While the eyes of Europe were focused on the ‘Derby della Madonnina’ and Spain’s ‘El Clásico’ this past weekend, Juventus travelled to Siena Sunday afternoon looking to consolidate their position atop of Serie A and preserve their 45-match unbeaten run, an ongoing record which makes facing Conte’s men one of the most daunting prospects on any team’s fixture list. Though dominating most of the proceedings, it would be a lie to say the Bianconeri did not struggle during this match, taking an early lead thanks to a clever Pirlo free-kick but then conceding right before the stroke of half-time. It took a goal from Claudio Marchisio to pull Juve’s chestnuts out of the fire, ‘Principino’ choosing an ideal time to score his first tally of the season for the Old Lady. Adam, Marco, and Aaron bring you the week-end’s after-action report.

MATCH ANALYSIS

Returning to the club where he is alleged to have been aware of the match-fixing incident which led to his recently reduced ban, the Antonio Conte was the subject of much of the pre-match build-up. Siena vice-president Valentina Mezzaroma spoke of him in glowing terms as she told Tuttosport:

Conte will receive a very warm welcome from the Siena fans. He is loved here, as he brought us back into Serie A and made all the right choices. His time here at the club was like a smaller version of what he has implemented at Juventus. I know Conte and he is a winner in all things. To think he was working with betting syndicates or any kind of match-fixing is just completely illogical. You just had to see how angry his face was when Juve ran into a series of draws. I believe the investigation needed a big name to draw attention from the public.”

However for much of this encounter it seemed that winning mentality and unbeaten streak were going to be broken by a resolute Robur team, who became the latest club to adopt the pseudo-Catenaccio that has so often frustrated the Bianconeri. Indeed, after Andrea Pirlo gave Juve the lead by hitting a free kick under the Siena wall, the home side looked the better team for much of the opening 45 minutes.

Emanuele Calaiò wasted a gilt-edged chance to equalise just minutes after the bearded genius stroked the dead-ball home, while Giorgio Chiellini was fortunate not to be sent off after half an hour, receiving a verbal warning when a second yellow card seemed most appropriate. Juventus did make two good chances as Pirlo rattled the crossbar with another free kic, and Gianluca Pegolo did well to deny Claudio Marchisio from mid-range.

Principino‘s shot seemed to spark a reaction from Siena with Serse Cosmi getting himself sent off for excessive dissent, just moments before Calaiò atoned for his earlier miss with a well-taken header past Gigi Buffon to draw the sides level just before the half-time break.

Conte looked on frustrated in the stands, but whatever Massimo Carrera said during the interval appeared to make all the difference as Juventus looked transformed in the second half, starting with Kwadawo Asamoah coming on for a disappointing Paolo De Ceglie. Separate chances from Giovinco, Vucinic, and Vidal almost put the Bianconeri back in front.

It would take one more bold move from Carrera to change the game however, with the stand-in coach’s decision to take Marrone off and replace him with Quagliarella, thus switching Giaccherini & Asamoah to act as wing-backs in a far more potent 4-3-3 formation. With redoubled impetus, Claudio Marchisio rescued the Old Lady yet again with another superbly-taken and crucial strike with just five minutes remaining.

As the saying goes “a Scudetto is won against the minnows”, and by struggling — yet winning — against a determined Siena side this weekend, Juve laid an early but important brick towards retaining their Serie A crown in May.

LE PAGELLE

Buffon 6.5 – Most of Siena’s shots (with the exception of Calaiò’s goal) were directed straight at Gigi today. It’s funny that the only one for which the Juve goalkeeper had to put the full extent of his skills at work, actually came from a teammate! Fortunately for Juve, Buffon rescued Chiellini from some rather embarrassing post-match interviews…

Barzagli 5.5 – Even though most of the blame lies on De Ceglie for the Siena goal, Andrea left Calaiò rather undisturbed to head the ball in. Too undisturbed.

Marrone 6 – Deputized for Bonucci in his typical cool-headed & controlling way, making full use of his midfielder ball-playing skills, though needs to improve on aerial balls perhaps. Was taken out near the end because Juve were pushing for a goal and needed an extra midfielder/winger.

(80′) Quagliarella s.v. – Didn’t have much time to make of an impact, but his presence did add one extra striker for the Siena defenders to mark, which eventually lead to Marchisio hitting the ball home relatively undisturbed.

Chiellini 6 – Up until his “assist” for Marchisio, this had been a rather difficult game for Keyser Giorgio. Picked up a yellow (albeit undeserved) and nearly followed it up with a second one. Then he almost scored into his own net, and looked somewhat shaky on a few aerial balls. Thankfully his physical presence contributed to Claudio’s equalizer.

Lichtsteiner 5.5 – Lots of running, but unfortunately not a lot of quality balls from the Swiss right-back in this game.

(68′) Giaccherini s.v. – Was inserted to provide more offensive options on the right wing, but actually ended up tucking into the middle a lot. Not a coincidence that Juve’s 2-1 goal didn’t come from his wing, but rather the opposite side.

Vidal 6 – Arturo’s last performance wasn’t exactly stellar, but Capitan Uncino improved today. Some better dribbling, tackling, and energy on display, still coupled with the occasional bad pass unfortunately.

Pirlo 7 – Andrea’s free kick is a great example of furbizia & skill combining to produce a goal. Just like against Roma, il Maestro opted for the low option and got fully rewarded. But just to prove a point he can still kick ‘em regular-style, his massive shot onto the crossbar should continue to keep opposing goalkeepers guessing.

Marchisio 7 – Claudio couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first of the season. Even though he’s not as prolific in the goalscoring department as he was this time last year, Principino‘s movements on & off the ball remain capital for Juve’s passing game and offensive options. Came very near to scoring in the first half as well.

De Ceglie 4.5 – Until his brainfart (the footballing equivalent of presenting Angelo with a red carpet and associated free cross/assist), Paolino had been having a pretty good game. He made good runs, displayed lovely ball-control skills (especially on Pirlo’s high balls), and gave Juve some good crossing options on that left wing. And then…

(46′) Asamoah 6.5 – Offensively, offered a little bit more than PDC particularly thanks to his ability to accelerate past opponents. Defensively, a MASSIVE improvement on the young Italian, so evident is Asamoah’s physical superiority on 50/50 challenges. Irreplaceable.

Giovinco 6.5 – Lively, energetic, inspired. A constant thorn in the backside for Siena defenders, and ultimately responsible for starting the play leading to Juve’s match-winning goal.

Vucinic 5.5 – Not Mirko’s day. His biggest contributions of the match were a very good turn in the 1st half (that eventually lead — through Giovinco — to the free kick scored by Pirlo), a shot narrowly wide of the post, and some useful timewasting near the end of the game, keeping the ball close to the corner flag. Aside from that, didn’t really have much of an impact.

Conte/Carrera 7.5 – Playing tactically-disciplined/defensive Siena was always going to be difficult. The coaches cannot be faulted for the starting XI, as some players needed a rest and others a chance on the field, but when it was time to make some changes Conte/Carrera played all their cards right. They inserted Asamoah to fortify the left side, put on Giaccherini when they needed a dribbler, and shifted the 3-5-2 into a 4-3-3 to open up Siena on the wings. The tactical switch was ultimately the determining factor: it allowed Juve maintain momentum, and continue to pummel their opponents until the ball finally went in!

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A Round 7 Results: Roma and Lazio emerge

victorious, Napoli keep up pace at summit

In other matters on the peninsula, Fiorentina ended their recent winless run with a

single-goal win over Bologna, but the same could not be said for Sampdoria, who lost at Chievo.

Oct 8, 2012

Serie A

Round 7 Results

League Table

CHIEVO 2 - 1 SAMPDORIA

Chievo got off the mark under new coach and former captain Eugenio Corini thanks to a late 2-1 victory over Sampdoria on Saturday.

The Flying Donkeys, who sacked Domenico Di Carlo earlier in the week, took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Cyril Thereau. The Frenchman broke through the middle of the visitors' defence and side-footed the finish home.

However, just 15 minutes later, Enzo Maresca bent home a free kick over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Stefano Sorrentino helpless. It may have come against the run of play, but it provided a welcome respite for Sampdoria.

Yet justice would eventually prevail, albeit with a touch of fortune, as, with stoppage time nearing, Chievo new boy David Di Michele saw his speculative long-range drive mishandled by Sergio Romeo.

The home side move 16th in the Serie A table after ending a run of five consecutive defeats, but Sampdoria fall to eighth following a fourth disappointing result on the bounce.

GENOA 1 - 1 PALERMO

Marco Borriello saved Genoa's skin once more after the former Roma striker netted for a point in a 1-1 draw with Palermo on Saturday to ruin Gian Piero Gasperini's return to the Marassi.

The Rosanero opened the scoring 14 minutes in. Josip Ilicic's cross was met by Luigi Giorgi, who peeled off his marker Andreas Granqvist and glanced a header past Sebastian Frey.

However, early in the second half, the Ligurian side drew level from a corner. Cristobal Jorquera hooked the ball back into the box, giving Borriello the chance to nod home for a share of the spoils.

Genoa are now ninth, while Palermo hover dangerously near the relegation zone in 17th place.

ROMA 2 - 0 ATALANTA

Zdenek Zeman was vindicated in his decision to drop key players such as Daniele De Rossi for the visit of Atalanta on Sunday, as they ploughed to a 2-0 success.

Both sides went into the match on the back of considerable thumpings, as the Giallorossi went down 4-1 at Juventus, while the Bergamese outfit were thrashed 5-1 by newly-promoted Torino.

However, they had to ride their luck as Atalanta missed a string of chances in the first half. Yet, that did not stop Erik Lamela from linking up with Francesco Totti and dinking the ball home on 17 minutes.

The points were then secured on the hour mark as Andrea Consigli's attempt to stop Mattia Destro's strike fell straight to Michael Bradley on the rebound, capping off an impressive return from injury.

Roma now move fifth in the table, but Atalanta drop to 19th as their two-point deduction continues to hinder them.

CATANIA 2 - 0 PARMA

Catania are slowly improving under the leadership of Rolando Maran following an inconsistent start to the campaign, highlighted by their 2-0 win over Parma on Sunday.

And just 80 seconds into play at the Angelo Massimino, the Elefanti took the initiative. Pablo Barrientos conjured up an inch-perfect through ball for Alejandro Gomez, who finished off with aplomb.

The points were in the bag on the 80-minute mark, as Mariano Izco's cut-back was tapped home by Gonzalo Bergessio. The Argentine connection in Sicily made all the difference it seemed, although Yohan Benalouane's silly red card certainly made life easier.

They now join Roma and Fiorentina in seventh position, tied on 11 points. Parma, however, fall down to 15th in the top-flight table.

FIORENTINA 1 - 0 BOLOGNA

Fiorentina will have been relieved to have come out of their match against Bologna with a 1-0 victory to their name, after wasting numerous chances in Tuscany.

Nonetheless, they found the deciding goal just seven minutes into the action at the Artemio Franchi, as a corner was nodded onto the flailing boot of Stevan Jovetic, thus continuing his hot start to the season.

Luca Toni was handed his first start and thought he had scored from a set-piece, but his header was adjuged to be offside. The Viola move level on points with Roma in sixth, while Bologna drop to 12th place.

PESCARA 0 - 3 LAZIO

Lazio made it three wins on the bounce on Sunday, after they trounced Pescara 3-0 to end the hosts' recent good run of form.

Hernanes proved the catalyst once more, bending home a fabulous free kick from 25 yards out with only five minutes on the clock. The Biancocelesti soon doubled their lead through Miroslav Klose, who latched onto Antonio Candreva's slide-rule pass.

The German striker then rounded Mattia Perin and made it 2-0, and Klose was then at it again soon after via a free header. The result keeps Lazio flying high in third place. Pescara, meanwhile, are now 13th.

SIENA 1 - 2 JUVENTUS

Match Report - Player Ratings

TORINO 0 - 1 CAGLIARI

Like Chievo, Cagliari also enjoyed the benefits of the managerial honeymoon period as they earned their first win of the season - a 1-0 success over Torino.

Ivo Pulga was installed as the Sardinians' coach following the dismissal of Massimo Ficcadenti earlier in the week, and his appointment was complemented with that of former fans' favourite Diego Lopez as his assistant.

The winning goal was debatable, however, as Kamil Glik was penalised for a handball offence in the box, despite his protests that he was guarding his face. Still, Nene scored the resulting penalty to seal all three points.

Cagliari go up to 18th in the Serie A table but Torino are now 10th after they failed to carry over last week's heroics.

AC MILAN 0 - 1 INTER

Match Report - Player Ratings

NAPOLI 2 - 1 UDINESE

Napoli successfully kept the pressure on leaders Juventus in the last of the weekend's matches thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Udinese.

On the half-hour mark, a splendid move from the Partenopei saw Edinson Cavani's flick allow Christian Maggio the opportunity to send in a ball for Marek Hamsik to guide past Zeljko Brkic.

However, Udinese hit back with a counterattack of their own on the cusp of half-time, as Maicosuel found Giampiero Pinzi, who left fly a stinging drive past Morgan De Sanctis.

Yet for Walter Mazzarri's charges, they did not throw in the towel and were soon rewarded for their efforts as Goran Pandev turned and rifled in the winner in stoppage time of the first period.

The result leaves Napoli level at the top of Serie A. Udinese, on the other hand, languish in 14th place with only six points out of a possible 21.

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

[Socrates 8422]

Serie A Team of the Week:

Samuel's 10 out of 10 performance stands out from the crowd

Goal.com looks at the star performers from the latest round

of Italian league action at the weekend.

Oct 8, 2012

Another week of Serie A football, and inevitably came another cocktail of drama, quality and controversy. The Milan derby took centre stage on Sunday night, but Goal.com had already had its eye across a whole host of excellent performances worthy of recognition in our Team of the Week.

Maarten Stekelenburg may have displayed some moments of uncertainty this season, but he was key to Roma's win over Atalanta, as the visitors' early onslaught was made to count for nothing.

Federico Fernandez staked a claim for a regular starting spot at Napoli with a commanding performance in the victory over Udinese, while Davide Astori was one of the major reasons behind Cagliari's first win of the season, away to Torino. And then there was Mr. 10 out of 10, Walter Samuel, whose winner in the Milan derby continued his perfect streak in an Inter shirt against the old enemy.

Juventus continued their unbeaten run in Serie A, and clinched top spot ahead of the break thanks to Claudio Marchisio's late winner, and Antonio Candreva was also on the winning side as Lazio took three points from Pescara after a barnstorming first half in which the wide man was prevalent. Andrea Pirlo scored another wonderful free-kick in the win at Siena, while Marek Hamsik chalked up yet another Team of the Week appearance thanks to his goal and general contribution in Napoli's sixth win in seven against Udinese.

Francesco Totti's return to form continued to be the bright spot of Roma's season as he helped drag the Giallorossi through a tough start to beat Atalanta, but city rivals Lazio again had the goals of Miroslav Klose to thank as they saw off plucky Pescara thanks to the German's brace. Finally, Pablo Barrientos gets further recognition for his displays after his contribution against Parma helped to propel Catania back up to seventh.

STEKELENBURG (Roma)

FERNANDEZ (Napoli) - ASTORI (Cagliari) - SAMUEL (Inter)

MARCHISIO (JUVENTUS) - CANDREVA (Lazio) - PIRLO (JUVENTUS) - HAMSIK (Napoli)

TOTTI (Roma) - KLOSE (Lazio) - BARRIENTOS (Catania)

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

[Socrates 8422]

How to Beat Antonio Conte’s Bianconeri?

Oct 9, 2012

Even on a bad day they can’t be beat.

Juventus disappointed what few fans were in Juventus Stadium on Tuesday, largely failing to show up for the match against Shahktar Donestk. The match ended 1-1, but Shahktar were by far the superior team. Even though their opponents out-classed them, Juventus still ended the match without losing.

They haven’t lost a match at all since the Coppa Italia final in May, but that was without their best defender Giorgio Chiellini and it’s still their only loss in any competition dating back to May 2011.

Even Chelsea, the reigning champions of Europe, couldn’t beat Juve in their own stadium after going up 2-0. Arturo Vidal and Fabio Quagliarella saw to it that Juventus didn’t lose, with their goals leading to a 2-2 draw.

So how can this Juventus side be beaten? Well, there are a few weaknesses that other sides can look to exploit.

First, Andrea Pirlo is the focus point of Juve’s attacking motion, and if left unmarked he will direct the game entirely as he wants to. While focusing on him opens up opportunities for Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio to create plays, the alternative of an unmarked Pirlo spells certain death for a side. Chelsea stumped Juventus (for 45 minutes) mostly due to Oscar successfully outmarking Juve of the match. A.C. Milan have had some mixed success against Juventus, and that’s only come via Max Allegri using one of his players (once, Urby Emanuelson) to cover Pirlo.

There have also been times where Pirlo himself was not man-marked, but had a bad game for whatever reason, to the opposition’s favor.

Of course as I said a moment ago, focusing on Pirlo opens up chances for Vidal and Marchisio. It’s fine to let them take up Pirlo’s play-making responsibilities, but you must not let them take shots on goal, especially if they have even a small breakaway. Marchisio scored in space in Siena’s 18 yard box this weekend, and there are few things the midfielder enjoys more. Vidal is the same, and his magnificent goals against Roma and Napoli last spring show this. Both players love to take longer efforts on goal, but those aren’t all that successful.

The best way to try to somewhat off-set Vidal and Marchisio is to have one of your defenders push up in the midfield, this of course carries risks within itself. For a side looking to grit out a 0-0 draw or perhaps a 1-0 victory due to clinical finishing, it’s best to not worry about this and focus on shutting them down once they get into the final third. However, if you’re a big club trying to out play Juve, you need to get that extra man in the midfield.

The second part of the beating Juve plan is almost as important as the first. Drop back, close up shop in your own half. Juventus are going to control possession, and unless you’re Vincenzo Montella’s Fiorentina, I don’t advise trying to out-possess Juve. So, sit back, wait for them to pass to the strikers (they’re not too good), and then regain possession. If you’re lucky Mirko Vucinic will be off his game and he will more or less give you the ball on several opportunities throughout the match.

A quick note on formations – this is a tricky decision to make while playing against Juve. Obviously most teams cannot just pick a formation based totally on nullifying the opposition, as they need to use the tactics they know and that fit their team. However, it’s best to get a five man midfield, and ideally two strikers to mess with the backline three.

Sounds like I’m telling you to mirror the 3-5-2, right? It’s because I am. Especially if you have one physical striker and one quick, clinical one. The big man can occupy the center backs, while the quick one plays off of him and tries to get a breakaway on Buffon, but more on that in a minute. This isn’t a deal breaker, as Chelsea weren’t using a 3-5-2, they had three attacking midfielders though, something that gave them some liberty to adjust their shape according to Juve’s.

Then there’s the backline trio of Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli. Barzagli is a bit old and a bit slow, and Bonucci is sometimes prone to momentary lapses of concentration. Taking advantage of those can give the side it’s only true opportunities to score in a match. Genoa sort of scored like this, with Ciro Immobile catching the Juve defense out of their preferred shape.

Siena sort of did this too, with Emanuele Calaio scoring off an unmarked header at point blank range from Buffon. There were defenders in the box, but they hadn’t had the chance to organize themselves properly and Calaio accelerated into space to meet the ball. There’s also countless example of breakaways that would have been successful had it not been for poor finishing by strikers throughout this season and last season.

Finally, there’s one last refuge for teams trying to beat Juventus – individual brilliance. It’s how Chelsea scored twice against Juve, with both goals coming from Oscar’s ridiculous display of technique, vision, and finishing. It’s how Cavani scored in the SuperCoppa after his original one on one with Buffon ended in Gigi’s favor. Cavani retrieved the ball that Buffon had punched away (it only went a few yards) and finished the ball excellently. Of course, most teams can’t rely on that one phenomenal players, as most teams don’t have that type of player.

It’s not easy, and no one team has put all the necessary steps together, but Antonio Conte’s Juventus can be beaten. Will Napoli do so after the international break? We won’t know until the match happens, but they’re certainly the team best suited to do so.

[Socrates 8422]

[Socrates 8422]

[Socrates 8422]

[Socrates 8422]

[Socrates 8422]

[Socrates 8422]