Juventus Season 2012-2013

[Socrates 8386]

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.)

1 - 3

Arturo Vidal (1′)

Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty)

Diego Alberto Milito (76′)

Rodrigo Palacio (89′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 38000

Buffon slams Juve attitude

Nov 4, 2012

Gianluigi Buffon concedes “Inter deserved” their surprise Turin triumph and criticised the Juventus attitude.

The goalkeeper spoke after the Bianconeri’s 49-match unbeaten Serie A run was concluded by a 3-1 defeat.

“It is not a pleasant defeat,” acknowledged Buffon. “We weren’t used to losing anymore, even if we played well.

“Inter played in an intelligent way and with so much hunger to win, so they deserved the victory. They interpreted the game well with great conviction, so much that they reminded me of Juventus last season.

“They set aside the problems of the past and are now trying to begin again with their Coach to become the title opponents to us and Napoli.

“I did not like our attitude after we went 1-0 up. I don’t understand why we sat there waiting for them outside our own box, we were far too carefree.

“In my view we could’ve dealt with the game differently, but after 15 minutes we just left the initiative to them.

“I think that overall Inter showed they have very clear ideas, knowing what they had to do to win and emerging from our stadium with three points.”

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

[Socrates 8386]

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.)

1 - 3

Arturo Vidal (1′)

Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty)

Diego Alberto Milito (76′)

Rodrigo Palacio (89′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 38000

Marotta rues Juventus' lack of 'clinical striker' against Inter

The general manager was disappointed with the Bianconeri's unbeaten run coming to an end

at 49 games, and said that with an extra forward things may have been different.

Nov 4, 2012

Giuseppe Marotta has hinted that Juventus are currently lacking a clinical finisher in attack after they succumbed to their first Serie A defeat in 18 months against Inter on Saturday.

The Bianconeri scored inside 19 seconds thanks to Arturo Vidal's controversial opener, but Andrea Stramaccioni's men hit back in the second half thanks to a double from Diego Milito and Rodrigo Palacio's late strike to end the match in the visitors' favour.

The general manager entertained the possibility that the result might have been different had the hosts possessed a better goal threat in their ranks, but insisted that the side were not at their best.

"Was our attack light? Yes, maybe with a more clinical striker we might've had a different result." the 57-year-old told Tuttosport.

"We knew that [inter] are among the contenders for the Scudetto, but we were not at our best. We were not able to maintain our intensity and we missed out on too many counterattacks.

Marotta then reflected on the decision to sanction the Chilean midfielder's first goal, before admitting that Juve's participation in the Champions League is proving to be an added burden on the club's fortunes this season.

"Maybe we're paying - more than others - a price for the high number of matches played this season," he added.

"Was our goal affected by an offside? The phase of play was quick and the linesman was probably not positioned perfectly."

Juventus resume their European campaign against Nordsjaelland midweek, as they strive to pick up a first win on the continent in 2012-13.

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

[Socrates 8386]

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.)

1 - 3

Arturo Vidal (1′)

Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty)

Diego Alberto Milito (76′)

Rodrigo Palacio (89′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 38000

Juventus Fails To Make It 50 Unbeaten Games;

Inter Milan Come Back Strong Under Cambiasso

Nov 4, 2012

The headline for the Derby D’Italia was made within the first few minutes when Juventus took the lead, 18 seconds after the kick off, through a controversial goal, adding fuel to the fixing allegations by the conspiracy theorists in Serie A.

Inter’s defence opened up when Mirko Vucinic rolled the ball towards an onrushing Asamoah. Although Asamoah looked offside in the replays, the linesman wasn’t convinced. Asamoah’s cross was met by Vidal as Juventus raced to a lead even before spectators in Juventus stadium had settled down. Juventus having started the match at a frenetic pace, carving out clear-cut chances in the first ten minutes. Vucinic failed to capitalize on one occasion while the Pirlo-Claudio-Marchisio combination created two scoring opportunities in the space of few seconds.

Marchisio’s first chance came after he perfectly sprung Inter’s offside trap to meet a chipped pass from Pirlo, but saw his volley saved by Handanovic. Inter struggled to cope with Juve’s pressing high up the pitch in the beginning, but gradually clawed their way back under Cambiasso. The Argentine peppered the Juventus goal with shots before seeing his assist to Palacio being chalked off for offside. After a scintillating start to the game, both teams found it difficult to create any real penetration and created few half chances throughout the first half. Stefan Lichtsteiner was lucky to have escaped a red card after a wild challenge on Palacio.

Inter were the stronger side in second half. Juventus chose to introduce Nicklas Bendtner taking Vucinic off. The Nerazzuri pulled level when Diego Milito scored from spot. Yuta Nagatomo, possibly Inter’s best player on the night raked up a well deserved assist as Palacio killed off any chance of a late comeback. Inter’s second goal marked the difference in the end as Juventus was caught on the counter attack.

Inter Tactics

Inter started the match with a 3-4-3 formation and tried to negate the additional width wing-backs give Juventus in their 3-5-2 . Stramacionni’s tactics paid off partially as Nagatomo, time and again, stretched Juventus on the right-wing. Cambiasso brought on his big-match experience, holding up against Vidal and Pirlo in admirable fashion.

Vidal’s early goal (and his goal last weekend) gave him greater impetus to push forward leaving gaps in the central midfield which was exploited by Cambiasso. With Marchisio pushing up as well, Pirlo was isolated in the middle having been pressed by the Inter midfield, resulting in a number of miss passes among Juventus midfielders as the match progressed. In final third Cassano was given a free role as he drifted in and out of the wings and tried to find gaps in a Juventus defence strongly led by Chiellini. Milito acted as the fulcrum upfront with Palacio and Cassano both dropping deeper as Inter often switched to a 3-4-2-1 in attack.

In the second half, an important substitution came when a rapidly tiring Cassano was replaced by Guarin. The Colombian’s movement caused further problems to the Juventus defence which had to stretched, leaving gaps at the back, while pushing up for a second goal. It was Guarin’s shot that led to Inter’s second goal as Diego Milito scored a perfect poacher’s goal.

Juventus Tactics

Juventus’ 3-5-2 formation failed to impress against Inter because of numerous reasons. Mirko Vucinic had a complete off day – he didn’t get involved enough in the inter-play and was often the most static player when Juventus broke with some deadly one-touch attacking moves in the first few minutes. He was replaced by Bendtner in second half and Juve’s attack looked even more static.

With the introduction of Bendtner, Juventus were more focused on lunching aerial balls in the opposition’s box. The lack of a good crosser in the team meant that most of the crosses were easily cleared by Walter Samuel while Bendtner’s lack of movement made the Bianconeri attack even less convincing than before. Also, with Lichtsteiner having a complete off-day, it helped Nagatomo grow stronger as the match progressed. The Japanese was a constant threat to the opposition defenders and even the introduction of Caceres couldn’t stop his forays into Juventus defence.

Invariably, Juventus wing-play was extremely lopsided. Asamoah, who is not a natural wing-back, was the only source to provide width. Asamoah did cause some problems in first half but was gradually nullified by the immense experience of ever-green Zanetti. Paul Pogba could have acted as a positive catalyst but Inter’s second goal, before his introduction, meant Alessio had to modify his tactics. Despite scoring the goal, Vidal didn’t have the best of the games being unable to create any impending pressure on the Inter midfield, with pressing down on the players. As the match progressed Cambiasso and co. took control of the central midfield, a rarity in Juventus games since last season.

Aftermath

Inter’s win might have thrown Serie A wide open. The aura of invincibility that surrounded Juventus has now diminished. For the first time a team has come to the new Juventus stadium, scored three goals and taken away three points. For the Old Lady this match will give rise to a number of questions and Antonio Conte might need some introspection. Their biggest head-ache will be to find a solution for their regularly misfiring forward line. Sebastien Giovinco, Fabio Quagliarella and Mirko Vucinic have performed well in patches but none of them look good enough for a club looking to challenge for multiple titles. The squad rotation is also a matter of concern as the Marchisio-Vidal-Pirlo trident has often looked fatigued this season.

This match can very well signal the beginning of a new era for Inter. Andrea Stramaccioni has shown tactical maturity beyond his years and Massimo Moratti should be wise to rely on him in long-term. Just like Juventus last season, Inter have established themselves as a title contender, out of the blue and can also afford to focus entirely on Serie A this season. With Sneijder coming back from injury, this Inter side can only become stronger and they can challenge the hegemony of Juventus in Conte era. Juventus Juventus

In 1974 World Cup final, The Netherlands famously scored the opening goal before a West German player had touched the ball. The German fight back has now become a stuff of legends. Inter trailed similarly yesterday before clawing their way back. It remains to be seen if they can repeat the title success of that German team.

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

[Socrates 8386]

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.)

1 - 3

Arturo Vidal (1′)

Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty)

Diego Alberto Milito (76′)

Rodrigo Palacio (89′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 38000

Buffon blasts poor Juventus attitude

The Old Lady lost their 49-match unbeaten streak in Turin and the goalkeeper was quick

to question the performance of his colleagues, while complimenting Inter's conviction.

Nov 4, 2012

Gianluigi Buffon says he was left puzzled by the attitude of his Juventus team-mates after they were beaten 3-1 on Saturday.

The Bianconeri went ahead in the first minute through Arturo Vidal's strike, but three second-half goals saw the reigning champions beaten 3-1 in Turin, as Inter moved to within a point of the league leaders.

"I did not like our attitude after we went 1-0 up," Buffon told reporters. "I don't understand why we dropped so deep, we invited Inter onto us.

"Inter had more hunger to win the game, and they deserved the victory. We had forgotten what it felt like to lose, and it is not pleasant."

The 34-year-old then admitted Andrea Stramaccioni's men are genuine title contenders and compared their display to that of his own side last season.

"They have improved since last season, and with their coach they are becoming title opponents to us and Napoli," he praised.

"They interpreted the game well, and with great conviction. So much so, that they reminded me of Juventus last season.

"After the first 15 minutes we gave them the initiative, and they knew what they had to do to take three points."

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

[Socrates 8386]

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.)

1 - 3

Arturo Vidal (1′)

Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty)

Diego Alberto Milito (76′)

Rodrigo Palacio (89′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 38000

Juventus 1-3 Inter: unbeaten run ends at 49

Nov 4, 2012

Juventus lost a Serie A game for the first time under Antonio Conte, and for the first time in their new stadium.

Conte selected a partnership of Mirko Vucinic as the primary striker and Sebastian Giovinco just behind – the rest of the side was as expected.

Antonio Stramaccioni slightly surprisingly selected his tridente rather than a more cautious 3-5-1-1 system, so Fredy Guarin was only on the bench.

Juventus took the lead within twenty seconds, but Inter were the better side for the majority of the game.

Formations / pressing

It was anticipated that Stramaccioni would play a mirror image of Juventus’ formation, but in using a front three it prompted questions about how Inter would play high up the pitch. Would Stramaccioni instruct anyone to track Pirlo? Would the front three press?

The answer to both questions was, well, sort of. In terms of dealing with Pirlo, Inter’s front three took it in turns to mark him. It was rarely Antonio Cassano, who stayed wide on the left and stretched the play, but Diego Milito and Rodrigo Palacio alternated between the central and right-sided positions and ensured one was goalside of Pirlo when Juventus had the ball.

This only half-worked. Stopping Pirlo is the priority when facing Juventus, but it would be inaccurate to simply point to Inter’s victory and declare that their strategy for dealing with him was successful. Twice in the first half, Pirlo got space in midfield and dinked the all over the top of the defence for Claudio Marchisio to run onto – had either of those strikes found the net, we would be criticising Stramaccioni for the foolish decision to ignore Pirlo’s threat.

As for pressing, Inter generally stood off in open play, but pressed at goal-kicks. Because they had a numerical disadvantage in midfield, 3 v 2, it meant being very brave with the positioning of the defenders – at one point, Juan Jesus advanced crazily high up the pitch to shut down Arturo Vidal – but this made sense, with Esteban Cambiasso pushing up on Pirlo.

Juventus were already ahead by the time this situation had become clear, of course. Juve were fielding their most mobile front two, players who would drag around the ponderous Inter defence, and although the offside decision for the opener was questionable, it was Inter’s defence being drawn up the pitch that resulted in the space for midfield runners to burst through.

Possession and wing-backs

Inter recovered admirably from the initial setback, passing the ball nicely across the defence and quickly into the front three. This dominance was helped by Juve playing a reactive game with a one-nil lead, and it was surprising to see Conte’s side invite so much pressure. They had forward runners to play on the counter-attack, of course, but it helped Inter get the upper hand in the wing-back battles on the flanks.

This was particularly obvious down the left, and while Cassano wasn’t hugely involved in a game that was arguably too quick for him, his tendency to stay wide on the left forced Stephane Lichtsteiner back towards his own goal, as Juve were nervous about leaving 3 v 3 at the back. With Lichtsteiner close to the defence, Yuto Nagatomo could move higher up and got space to himself. On the other side, the battle was more even – Kwadwo Asamoah made a couple of decent runs, but Javier Zanetti played higher up and increased the pressure upon Juve, who failed to break from defence quickly.

Lichtsteiner was removed having committed a foul when on a yellow card, while at half-time, Nicklas Bendtner had to replace Vucinic through injury. Therefore, Juve were two subs down by the start of the second half, and considering how effectively they’d used the bench so far this season (for both tactical and fitness reasons) it was a great constraint, especially in such a high-tempo game.

The formations after Guarin replaced Cassano

Inter equalised through Milito, from a penalty following a set-piece, and then Juventus had to up the tempo and get back in the game. They did so rather clumsily – the wing-backs naturally positioned themselves higher, but the centre-backs often moved forward and were then caught out on the counter-attack.

Guarin

The first tactical substitution of the game came after 69 minutes, and was the game’s crucial change. Cassano was removed, with Guarin replacing him. Inter moved to more of a 3-4-1-2 system, with Guarin pressing Pirlo. This changed the shape of the game, and Inter’s crucial second goal came directly as a result of Guarin’s presence. He won the ball from Pirlo, then stormed past him in a quick attack, and the ball was eventually tucked away by Milito. Guarin’s contribution was decisive, minutes after his introduction.

Juventus chucked on Fabio Quagliarella for Caceres, with Vidal going to right-wing-back, Giovinco becoming the number ten, and Juve more like 3-4-1-2.

Stramaccioni responded by taking off Milito and introducing Gaby Mudingayi to sit in front of the defence close to Giovinco, with Inter now 3-5-1-1. Juve chucked men forward, but were exposed on the counter-attack by Nagatomo and Palacio, and Inter grabbed a third.

Conclusion

Stramaccioni had two possible strategies – using Guarin with two forwards, or using only two central midfielders with a trio up top. He’ll be praised for his bravery, but the reality is that Pirlo did have opportunities to create from deep, and Inter went ahead when Guarin was introduced to press him. Was that an inspired substitution, or was he simply reverting to the strategy he should have used from the start?

Maybe a combination of the approaches was ideal – the front three forced Juventus to be conservative with the positioning of their wing-backs, and then Guarin brought renewed energy and counter-attacking ability and occupied Pirlo when the front three had tired.

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

[Socrates 8386]

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.)

1 - 3

Arturo Vidal (1′)

Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty)

Diego Alberto Milito (76′)

Rodrigo Palacio (89′)

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Attendance: 38000

Juventus Club Focus: Bianconeri blues

Nov 4, 2012

It had to happen sometime. Even Fabio Capello’s great Milan side lost a match, eventually.

After 49 matches of grinta, goals, Vidal tackles, Matri misses, Conte/Carrera/Alessio shouting, and some of the best defending that’s been seen in Europe over that time frame, Juventus have finally lost a Serie A match. To compound the bad news, the loss was to hated rivals Inter, and at Juventus Stadium. It was the first time the senior Juventus side has ever lost in their new home.

Juventus were certainly the better team at first. Arturo Vidal’s goal, though offside, put the Italian champions on top with the whistle having been blown only seconds prior. We now know that Kwadwo Asamoah (who assisted the goal) was offside, but the goal was nonetheless counted.

Juve continued to be the better side for a while, but the tides would eventually shift. Inter began to take advantage of Juve’s slip ups in possession, crafting attacking movements out of any time Juve lost the ball. Inter’s front three also succeeded at overpowering Juve’s backline, with the goals eventually flowing for Inter.

Inter’s first goal was almost as controversial as Juve’s first goal. The “foul” that was called was not only rather harsh, but it was outside of the box. Nonetheless the referees continued with their error filled day, and Diego Milito converted the penalty to equalize 1-1.

Had Juve scored on any of the many opportunities they created in the first twenty minutes this article may be reading much differently. Alas, Inter were the better side and recorded a 3-1 victory.

It was a performance which featured some of Juve’s bad habits that the side sometimes falls into. The tendency to believe their lead would persist, an inability to finish scoring chances, and a consistent amount of small errors by individuals would all come together to ruin Juve’s day and their undefeated streak.

Juve could very well have been up 4-0 before halftime, but they were not finishing their chances. Part of this is due to the lack of a “top striker” but at the same time this lack of clinical finishing has afflicted all of the team’s players at times. Even against Roma, a match where Juve won by a large margin, the Bianconeri left a number of chances on the table.

It’s something which Conte will need to focus on in training, in addition to making sure his squad knows how to react to a loss, somethign that Juve have not really had to deal with under Conte. Sure they lost in the Coppa Italia final, but there wasn’t a crucial Champions League fixture three days after.

This is a big test for Juventus, and for Conte. They are heading into a Champions League match which was already a must win, and now they need to recover from a loss as well. They failed to beat FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark, coming back from 1-0 down to tie 1-1. It was supposed to be an easy three points, and Shakhtar and Chelsea both easily dispatched the Danes. Juve need to win on Wednesday, and they need Shahktar to beat Chelsea again as well. Even then they will still be in the midst of a qualification fight.

The silver lining for Juventini is that we are still in first, although Inter are only one point behind. We also now have a legitimate Scudetto rival, again in Inter. This promises to give us many stressful, scary, and anger inducing moments, but in the long run it will make the season more interesting. That’s a silver lining, right?

Ok if that doesn’t work for you, then look forward to when Juve beats Inter at the San Siro in the Spring. And always remember the 49 games of invincibility.

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

[Socrates 8386]

What next for Juventus? How Capello's Milan, Arsenal's Invincibles

& other legendary sides fared after losing their unbeaten runs

After the Bianconeri's first league defeat since May 2011, they must bounce back and win

a second straight Scudetto, but others have had mixed results after long sequences ended.

Nov 5, 2012

ANALYSIS

By Kris Voakes | Italian Football Writer

The run is over. Finished. Thanks to Inter's 3-1 win in Turin on Saturday, Juventus will head for Pescara on Saturday knowing that a positive result will leave them with a one-game unbeaten run, rather than 51. Their 49-match streak is now a thing of the past and Antonio Conte's side need to get back on the horse in order to kick their Scudetto charge back into action.

But is that easier said than done? The psychological effect that the loss of that sheen of invincibility can have should not be underestimated, and it is up to the Bianconeri to prove that they are a true champion outfit by casting aside the weekend's result and marching on regardless.

They are far from the first side to be charged with the task of rebuilding their unbeatable reputation though. Goal.com takes a look at other teams who have seen long streaks without a loss ended, and studies how each club reacted to the disappointment.

AJAX 1994-96 (52 games unbeaten)

For the best part of two years, Ajax didn't just beat teams, they battered them. In their 52-game run from the beginning of the 1994-95 season to the opening game of 1996, Louis van Gaal's superstars scored 168 goals and conceded only 34. After scoring 33 times without reply over the first nine games of 1995-96, they reacted to falling 2-0 behind in the early stages of their trip to Feyenoord by taking the lead before half-time and eventually winning 4-2. No matter what the scenario, they looked untouchable.

It was Willem II, who would eventually finish 12th in the Eredivisie, who surprised everyone by curtailing the Godenzonen's march through the league with a 1-0 win in Tilburg, and suddenly the whole of Netherlands found Ajax easier to score against. They would still add another Dutch title to their locker that season - a third in succession - despite a total of three defeats, but after losing the Champions League final to Juventus, their superstar team began to break up.

Since their move to the Amsterdam ArenA that summer they have added just five more league championships in 16 years and after always finishing inside the top three for 31 successive years, they have since missed out on the podium in the Eredivisie on four occasions.

ARSENAL 2003-04 (49 games unbeaten)

Known as 'The Invincibles', Arsene Wenger's class of 2003-04 became the first team for over a century to go unbeaten throughout an entire season in the English top flight. And when Thierry Henry, Robert Pires et al continued to fire on all cylinders at the beginning of the following campaign, many had them down as surefire champions once more.

But their hopes of stretching their unbeaten run to 50 were brought crashing down by an uncompromising Manchester United performance at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils coming out 2-0 winners. United would later complete a league double over the Gunners, who fell to five defeats overall and surrendered their title to Chelsea, though they would get revenge on Sir Alex Ferguson's side by beating them in the FA Cup final.

That triumph in Cardiff, though, is Arsenal's most recent major trophy, with their seven-year drought having coincided with the repeated loss of top-name stars, and Wenger's current outfit are a shadow of the team that wowed the Premier League public on a weekly basis during the early part of the last decade.

AC MILAN 1991-93 (58 games unbeaten)

One of the finest football teams of all time, and - thanks to Inter's win at the weekend - still untouched as the holders of the longest unbeaten run in Italian league history, Fabio Capello's AC Milan side swept aside all comers at a time when Serie A was the most formidable competition in the game. Boasting the best defensive unit anyone cares to remember and the masterful Dutch trio of Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, winning became second nature to them between May 1991 and March 1993.

Faustino Asprilla scored the only goal in Parma's visit to San Siro to stop them dead in their tracks, and they would win only one of their next 10 games too, yet still still managed to claim the Scudetto thanks to the massive lead they had built up during their record run. They did fall short in Europe, though, going down 1-0 to Olympique de Marseille in the inaugural Champions League final, but would bounce back the following season, winning both the Scudetto and the European title thanks to an astonishing 4-0 demolition of Barcelona's Dream Team.

Unsurprisingly, the club has been unable to replicate such consistency of brilliance, winning only four of the last 18 league titles after Marcello Lippi's Juventus began to dominate, though they have added two further Champions League successes under the continued guidance of record-breaking president Silvio Berlusconi.

PENAROL 1966-69 (56 games unbeaten)

The Carboneros achieved success like never before in the 1960s - and they have never since matched their phenomenal record of that spell - winning seven titles in a decade. Towards the end of that magnificent run, they became simply unstoppable, with their back-to-back titles of 1967 and 1968 each coming with a zero in the loss column.

It was on September 14, 1969 that they were finally beaten for the first time in three years, with Liverpool inflicting on them a 2-0 defeat which would be repeated a fortnight later by eventual champions Nacional, who would themselves record an unbeaten season.

Penarol have added another 16 Uruguayan championships to their trophy room in the 43 years which have followed, but their continental and world successes of that period - they won three Copa Libertadores, two Intercontinental Cups and a Supercopa Sudamericana during the 1960s - haven't come at the same rate. They added another Intercontinental crown and two more Libertadores titles in 1982 and 1987 (above), but have fallen off the radar outside of Uruguay since then.

STEAUA BUCHAREST 1986-89 (104 games unbeaten)

While they were also making a name for themselves with unprecedented continental success in the late 1980s, Steaua Bucharest were building a dynasty in Romania unparalleled at the top of the game anywhere in the world. The unbeaten streak ran for 104 domestic league fixtures over a period of 39 months between June 1986 and September 1989, and though their mark has since been superseded by ASEC Mimosas' 108-match run of 1989 to 1994, it remains a European record unlikely to ever be broken.

The Ros-Albastrii were eventually knocked off their perch by city rivals Dinamo, and that 3-0 home defeat would be the start of a downturn in form after the exits of several key players to western European clubs following the Romanian Revolution.

They did bounce back in the mid-90s to equal a national record of six straight league titles, but have never been able to recover the form on the continent which saw them win the European Cup in 1986 and reach a further final and semi-final in the three years that followed, plus carry home the 1986 European Supercup. In the 23 years since their dominance ended, they have reached only one European semi-final, in the 2005-06 Uefa Cup.

Beyond those memorable marks, Celtic's 1915-17 vintage, who recorded 62 games without a loss, have been succeeded by another century of glory, with the Hoops collecting a total of 43 Scottish league titles in their history, while world record-holders ASEC Mimosas followed their unequalled 108-match run with a further 12 Ivorian league crowns in the following 16 years.

Boca Juniors' 40-game run of 1998-99 was actually only the start of the club's greatest ever era, winning three Copa Libertadores and two world crowns in the following four years, but Porto's 55-match streak of 2010-12 was notable for coming under the guidance of three different coaches as Jesualdo Ferreira, Andre Villas-Boas and Vitor Pereira combined to record a Portuguese record. Since that run was ended by Gil Vicente in January of this year, the Dragoes have claimed another domestic crown and are yet to be beaten again in 21 fixtures.

So Juventus would not be the first side to suffer a flop following the end of a long unbeaten stretch, but likewise there are plenty of examples of sides recovering quickly to continue domestic dominance. Which category will Antonio Conte's men fall under? Only time will tell.

[Socrates 8386]

Serie A Team of the Week: Marvellous Milito

& terrific Totti selected after historic weekend

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

of Italian league action at the weekend.

Nov 5, 2012

It was a monumental Round 11 in Serie A, with Juventus' attempt to break national record for an unbeaten run brought to a halt by Inter, and both sides are among those represented in Goal.com's latest Team of the Week.

While the Nerazzurri may well have had a stand-out hero at one end of the pitch scoring them a couple of goals, Samir Handanovic was busy providing just as big a problem for Juve at the other. His excellent performance between the sticks - particularly in keeping out a first-half effort by Claudio Marchisio - set the platform for Inter's win.

Fiorentina's 4-1 victory over Cagliari was started by a goal for Gonzalo Rodriguez, who was also fantastic defensively, while Catania's shock demolition of Lazio came thanks in part to Nicola Legrottaglie's commanding display at the back. Meanwhile, Massimo Paci led the way for Siena, scoring the goal that did for Genoa at the Franchi Montepaschi Arena

Across the middle, there were some very notable performances. Pablo Barrientos again provided the width when it mattered in Catania's 4-0 triumph, while Arturo Vidal may have been on the losing side in Serie A for the first time but his early goal had looked set to tee up another Juve win. Riccardo Montolivo gets a second straight call after another goal and another solid midfield performance as AC Milan put five past Chievo, and Giacomo Bonaventura's contribution to Atalanta's deserved 2-1 win at Sampdoria, including a second-minute opener, sees him make the team for the first time this season.

In the forward line we have a trio of five-star performances. Francesco Totti picked Palermo apart at will in Roma's 4-1 win, grabbing a 208th Serie A goal in the process, and Alejandro Gomez was also instrumental in Catania's magnificent performance against Lazio, with two strikes to show for his efforts. But the last word lies with Diego Milito after his double against Juventus closed the gap in the title race to a single point.

HANDANOVIC (Inter)

RODRIGUEZ (Fiorentina) - LEGROTTAGLIE (Catania) - PACI (Siena)

BARRIENTOS (Catania) - VIDAL (JUVENTUS) - MONTOLIVO (Milan) - BONAVENTURA (Atalanta)

TOTTI (Roma) - MILITO (Inter) - GOMEZ (Catania)

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (4th leg) - 7-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

................

JUVENTUS - NORDSJAELLAND

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)

Juventus ponder Pogba selection

Nov 6, 2012

Juventus boss Antonio Conte is reportedly considering the use of Paul Pogba in Wednesday’s must-win Champions League game against Nordsjaelland.

The Frenchman impressed in last week’s 2-1 over Bologna where he netted the injury time winner, but he didn’t feature in the 3-1 loss to Inter.

The giornalaccio rosa dello Sport is suggesting that Pogba could start instead of Claudio Marchisio or Arturo Vidal against the Danes.

Juventus, who have drawn all three of their European games so far this term, will be without Mirko Vucinic after he picked up an injury against the Nerazzurri.

Conte may thus opt to play a front-two of Nicklas Bendtner and Fabio Quagliarella at the Juventus Stadium on Wednesday.

Juventus possible: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Bendtner, Quagliarella.

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (4th leg) - 7-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

................

JUVENTUS - NORDSJAELLAND

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)

Alessio: Win is a must

Nov 6, 2012

Juventus assistant Angelo Alessio has confirmed that tomorrow's match with Nordsjaelland is a must win if they are to progress in Europe.

The Bianconeri host the Danish champions on Wednesday, and the 47-year-old former midfielder has admitted that the club have to gain three points if they are to qualify from Champions League Group E.

“We have to win if we are to move forward in Europe,” he told a Press conference. “If we play well we will win, if we don't, well....we'll have to pray.

“We have to keep attacking and moving forward as a team, but it is clear that it takes time to build something impressive in this competition. Just look at Roberto Mancini or Carlo Ancelotti – there are a lot of newcomers not doing so well.”

He also commented on the attacking options ahead of tomorrow's match.

“Alessandro Matri will start on Wednesday, alongside either Fabio Quagliarella or Sebastian Giovinco. We are happy with all our strikers and believe in their quality.

“Mirko Vucinic has a bruised calf, so we want to rest him. Nicklas Bendtner has started well, but we expect him to improve and get on the scoresheet soon.”

The 47-year-old concluded by remarking on Saturday's loss to Inter, that saw the club's 49-match unbeaten run come to an end.

“After the first 20 minutes we could have been 3-0 up, but we made a lot of mistakes and that cost us dearly.

“Inter are a good team and I think they can compete for the title. You only have to look at their attack to see they're a great team.”

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (4th leg) - 7-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

................

JUVENTUS - NORDSJAELLAND

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)

Bonucci: No win, no Champions League

Nov 6, 2012

Leonardo Bonucci has admitted that Juventus deserve to be knocked out of the Champions League if they fail to beat Nordsjaelland.

The Bianconeri host the Danish champions on Tuesday, and the 25-year-old has conceded that his team won't be worthy of the tournament if they lose to Kasper Hjulmand's men.

“It is a game we have to win,” he told a Press conference. “Our goal is to qualify, so if we do not get three points we deserve to play in the Europa League or be excluded all together.”

He then commented on Saturday's loss to Inter that saw their 49-match unbeaten run come to an end.

“We dominated the first 20 minutes,” he said. “But then, after that, we were not the same Juventus. We were punished by a lot of mistakes – we have to improve in attack and in possession genereall.

“When you've got the ball, the opponents can't you hurt – that's obvious.”

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (4th leg) - 7-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

................

JUVENTUS - NORDSJAELLAND

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)

Juve name Nordsjaelland squad

Nov 6, 2012

Juventus have named their squad for tomorrow’s Champions League match with Nordsjaelland.

The only absentee is Simone Pepe, who has been given permission to miss the game due to a family matter.

There are no real injuries for Coach Antonio Conte and assistant manager Angelo Alessio to contend with in Turin.

The Danish side surprised Juventus in the last round with a 1-1 draw and now visit the Juventus Stadium.

Juventus squad for Nordsjaelland: 1 Buffon, 2 Lucio, 3 Chiellini, 4 Caceres, 6 Pogba, 8 Marchisio, 9 Vucinic, 11 De Ceglie, 12 Giovinco, 15 Barzagli, 17 Bendtner, 19 Bonucci, 20 Padoin, 21 Pirlo, 22 Asamoah, 23 Vidal, 24 Giaccherini, 26 Lichtsteiner, 27 Quagliarella, 30 Storari, 32 Matri, 33 Isla, 34 Rubinho, 39 Marrone

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (4th leg) - 7-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

................

JUVENTUS - NORDSJAELLAND

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)

Nordsjaelland: 'Pressure on Juve'

Nov 6, 2012

Nordsjaelland can take advantage of the “pressure” Juventus are under, insists Coach Kasper Hjulmand ahead of tomorrow night’s Champions League match.

The Danes already caused a huge upset when they held the Serie A winners to a 1-1 draw in the home fixture and visit Turin on Wednesday evening.

“We know that this is going to be a difficult game, but we do believe,” said Hjulmand.

“Juventus will be playing under pressure and if they struggle to score, or we get the goal first, they could suffer a psychological blow.

“It’s true that this is a team of champions who are therefore accustomed to stress, but we remain confident in our chances of doing well.

“Juve are playing at home and will press the ball, as we saw against Inter, but if we win back possession in midfield and go on the counter then we can cause them problems.”

Nicklas Bendtner could feature as a substitute, but the Danish international has not impressed so far in his Bianconeri career.

“He has played in recent games, so it is only to be expected the squad will be rotated and he might not play against us.

“I hope he can soon score and break through this drought.”

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (4th leg) - 7-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

................

JUVENTUS - NORDSJAELLAND

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)

Nordsjaelland outcome could shape Juventus' season, says Bonucci

The 25-year-old looks to put Sunday's defeat to Inter in the Derby d'Italia behind him,

and now focuses on the midweek European clash against the Danish champions.

Nov 6, 2012

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has expressed the need for a good performance from himself and his team-mates in Wednesday's Champions League Group E tussle with Nordsjaelland.

The Old Lady face a great deal of pressure in this match, as they find themselves third in their pool after three matches, with the Danish side biting ankles just two points behind.

“It’s a game that needs to be won, just like all the others," Bonucci told reporters in Vinovo, "Failure to win would place us in the Europa League or even see us go out of Europe altogether.

“Not qualifying could also have an impact on the rest of our season. We're approaching the clash on the back of three draws, meaning [a victory] is the only objective we’re aiming for."

And to get that victory, the ex-Bari man made clear what will need to happen, adding; "We’ll take to the field tomorrow night with the desire to get back to being the team that beat everyone and always imposed its own style of play.”

After Juve's 3-1 loss Saturday to Inter, the club that he began his footballing career at, Bonucci said that the mistakes need to be eradicated from their game before Wednesday.

"After putting in a true Juventus performance during the first twenty minutes, we then retreated and no longer ran like we did at the start."

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (4th leg) - 7-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.)

................

JUVENTUS - NORDSJAELLAND

Juventus Stadium - Turin

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Macedonia)

Juventus - Nordsjaelland Preview:

Danes prepare for Bianconeri backlash

Having capitulated at the hands of one of their fiercest rivals at the weekend,

the Old Lady will be hoping to win in style against the Superliga champions.

Nov 6, 2012

PROBABLE LINE-UPS

JUVENTUS

Buffon

Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini

Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah

Matri, Giovinco

FC NORDSJAELLAND

Hansen

Parkhurst, Okore, Runje, Mtiliga

Christensen, Adu

Lorentzen, Beckmann, John

Nordstrand

Juventus will be hoping to bounce back from their 3-1 defeat to Inter on Saturday with a victory over Danish side Nordsjaelland on Wednesday.

Antonio Conte's men went 49 league games undefeated before the weekend's blip, however, their form in Europe has left much to be desired, not taken three points from any of their Champions League clashes this season while they have also drawn their last nine games in the competition - a record few would envy.

And perhaps a reason behind the lack of victories for the Bianconeri has been there lack of an out-and-out goalscorer upfront with Conte yet to get the most out of his strikers at his disposal.

Mirko Vucinic, who scored when the two sides met on matchday three, is a doubt for the hosts after coming off against Inter at the weekend, which could give Nicklas Bendtner the opportunity to stake his claim.

Giorgio Chiellini is a booking away from suspension which could mean he would miss Juve's next match in Europe against Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Nordsjaelland come into this encounter off a 2-1 victory in the Superliga against SonderjyskE. The visitors lie second in their domestic league but results in Europe so far have suggested Kasper Hjulmand's side have struggled with the step up in class.

However, the performance last time out against Wednesday's opponents would certainly give cause for optimism. The Danish side more than matched their illustrious counterparts with Mikkel Beckmann giving his team the lead with a wonderful free-kick only to be pegged back by Vucinic's equaliser.

The Danes could be without skipper Nicolai Stokholm, who travelled to Turin with the squad, but missed the weekend's match with a calf injury while Lasse Petry is also unavailable.

Defenders Patrick Mtiliga and Ivan Runje are one booking away from a suspension.

DID YOU KNOW?

• In the last 11 games at home in Europe, Juventus' record reads W2 D8 L1, though, they have only been defeated once in their last 23 games in Turin.

• The Bianconeri have conceded three of their four goals in the Champions League this season from outside the penalty area.

• The Serie A champions have played Danish opponents once back in 1982 where they played Hvidovre. Juventus won 4-1 away from home but in the second leg, the Danes came back from 3-0 in the last 15 minutes to draw 3-3.

• Nordsjaelland, along with Dinamo Kiev, Spartak Moscow and Manchester City have conceded the most goals (7) this campaign. Mikkel Beckmann has netted the club's only strike in the Champions League.

• The Danes have struggled away from home having lost three of their last five matches on the road.

• The Farum based side were only formed 21 years ago and are making their first appearance in the Champions League along with Malaga and Montpellier.

Head to Head

UEFA Champions League ‎- Oct 23, 2012 - FC Nordsjælland 1 - Juventus 1

Last Five Matches

JUVENTUS

Nov 3, 2012 - Juventus 1 - FC Internazionale 3 - Serie A

Oct 31, 2012 - Juventus 2 - Bologna 1 - Serie A

Oct 28, 2012 - Catania 0 - Juventus 1 - Serie A

Oct 23, 2012 - FC Nordsjælland 1 - Juventus 1 - UCL

Oct 20, 2012 - Juventus 2 - SSC Napoli 0 - Serie A

FC Nordsjælland

Oct 23, 2012 - FC Nordsjælland 1 - Juventus 1 - UCL

Oct 2, 2012 - FC Nordsjælland 0 - Chelsea FC 4 - UCL

Sep 19, 2012 - Shakhtar Donetsk 2 - FC Nordsjælland 0 - UCL

Jul 8, 2012 - Twente 2 - FC Nordsjælland 1 - FR

Aug 25, 2011 - Sporting Lisbon 2 - FC Nordsjælland 1 - EL

Players to Watch

Arturo Vidal

Vidal has come to his side's rescue many times this season and it may well come down to him to give the Bianconeri the edge here. The Chilean is the club's top goalscorer this season with six goals and scored against Chelsea earlier on in the group stages. Has been struggling with form of late, though, did find the net at Catania. Could be the difference here in midfield for the hosts.

Mikkel Beckmann

Beckmann scored an excellent curling effort which beat Gianluigi Buffon in goals when they two sides faced each other on matchday three and found the net at the weekend, grabbing his 10th goal in the Superliga this term. He has a real eye for goal, and the Juve defenders will have to pay close attention to his running and accurate finishing.

Prediction

The hosts have been stuttering of late but should have enough to see off their Danish visitors, it is a must-win game for the Italians if they want to avoid early elimination from the tournament but with no obvious goalscorer it may rest on the shoulders of the midfield to find the back of the net.

Editor's Prediction

Juventus 2 - 0 FC Nordsjaelland