Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 20, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Allegri: 'El Shaarawy starts with Juve' Apr 20, 2013 Massimiliano Allegri confirmed Stephan El Shaarawy will start against Juventus tomorrow night and insists he was right to let Andrea Pirlo leave Milan. The two giants go head-to-head at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday evening, click here for a match preview. While Mario Balotelli is banned, Massimo Ambrosini, Ignazio Abate and Kevin-Prince Boateng return from injury and El Shaarawy is restored after being sensationally dropped against Napoli. “Ambrosini is a player of great experience and it is important to have him on the field in games like this,” said the Coach in his Press conference. “I was not courageous in leaving El Shaarawy on the bench. It was a technical choice and I would do it again. I think he had a great season with real intensity and important moments, so being on the bench for one game doesn’t change anything in terms of how I see the lad. “There was no El Shaarawy ‘problem,’ and by stirring up this controversy the media is making it seem as if Robinho didn’t deserve to play. In any case, I can confirm El Shaarawy will start tomorrow. “We didn’t play badly in Florence, but now have to pick up as many points as possible to reach the Champions League, either via the play-offs in third place or directly in second. Now we need to stay in Napoli’s slipstream and keep Fiorentina behind us. “Juventus are well organised and want to reach the Scudetto as quickly as possible, so it is going to be an important match for both teams. It will take a great performance from either side to get the better of the other. “Juve are the strongest team in Serie A, as they are top of the table and have a big advantage over second, so that shows the difference between the Old Lady and the others.” Antonio Conte has been reshuffling his pack recently, using Claudio Marchisio as a support striker so he can use Paul Pogba in midfield. “I don’t know if they’ll play with one or two strikers. The Bianconeri want to win in order to take revenge on us for when we beat them earlier this season. “My future? I will only say the club has given me a great deal and I have a good rapport with Adriano Galliani. The growth of the squad has been phenomenal in recent months and the club also takes credit for that.” Balotelli is suspended, but surprised many by opting against going to New York for the Time 100 gala after he was named one of the most influential people in the world, as it would interfere with his training schedule. “I want to underline the wonderful and very professional choice Balotelli made,” added Allegri. “Since he has been at Milan, he has behaved very well, it’s just that anything he does hits the headlines.” Juventus star Pirlo is set to release his autobiography and essentially blames Allegri for pushing him out of Milan after 10 years. “At times when you put together a team, you have to evaluate many different situations,” responded the Coach. “Nobody can put Andrea’s qualities in doubt and it seems to me that he proved as much at Juventus as he did at Milan.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 20, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti AC Milan are as good as Juventus, claims Galliani JUVE 74 - MILAN 59 The Rossoneri supremo has insisted that his side can compete with the Turin giants and is already looking forward to a title challenge next season. Apr 20, 2013 AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani believes that the Rossoneri are on the same level as Juventus and is confident that they can challenge the Bianconeri for the Scudetto next term. The San Siro outfit are currently trailing the reigning champions by 15 points ahead of Sunday's clash, but Galliani has stressed that things would have been different had they not had such a difficult start following the departure of several key players. "Juventus have been back among the elite for two years now. Last season we pushed them right to the end," Galliani told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "We’ve been getting the same results as them now for the last 24 rounds and I don’t think that we’re inferior to Antonio Conte’s team. "If both teams have the same squad next season, they won’t be 15 points ahead after eight matches. We paid the price of so many players leaving in the summer." http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 20, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Conte: 'Milan as strong as Juve, but...' Apr 20, 2013 Antonio Conte knows Milan “want to prove they are as strong” as Juventus, shakes off ‘provincial’ thinking and explains it’s hard work being a great motivator. The leaders welcome the Rossoneri in a prestigious clash on Sunday evening. Today Milan Vice-President Adriano Galliani said his team is “not inferior to Juve,” and Conte does not entirely disagree. “He is right, but the strongest squad on paper doesn’t always win. The statistics and history books tell us in the last two years the Rossoneri didn’t happen to win,” said the Coach. It has been said that Juventus are eager to beat Milan in order to force them into a Champions League preliminary round or potentially even kick them down to the Europa League. “Our only motivation is to earn the three points so we can get even closer to the Scudetto. We have no pleasure in making Milan finish third, as it is provincial to think about your opponents that way. We must look only at our own situation. “It won’t be easy to win, as Milan are as strong as we are and want to prove it. They are working well, because it wasn’t easy to rebuild and replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva.” Milan won the last Serie A meeting 1-0 earlier this season with an incorrectly-awarded penalty. “It was a very strange game, as Milan weren’t coming from a great period of form and it was decided by a dubious incident. They attacked us from the start and we reacted too late, so deserved to lose. That match sparked Milan’s rebirth. “Against Lazio I felt it important to use all four midfielders and the 3-5-1-1 system is the only one that allows that. A good Coach adapts his ideas to the players at his disposal. If I wanted to return to my old 4-2-4 system, then I’d have to revamp the squad and get players suited to that shape. “It is not important how many strikers you have on the field, but how many players you get into the opposition penalty area. I changed the 4-2-4 originally because Arturo Vidal was so good he couldn’t be dropped. I am in a similar situation now with Paul Pogba. “Giorgio Chiellini trained with the side yesterday and seems to be in decent shape. We’ll see, but if he is fit then obviously Chiellini will play. He is an exceptional defender and if he’s fit then I very rarely leave him out.” Andrea Pirlo is releasing his autobiography in which he reveals Conte often throws plastic water bottles at the locker room wall at half-time, even when they are winning. “It is true, I sometimes get angry even during a victory. If there are constructive and convincing victories, then I’m happy. At times a win arrives with luck or other people’s mistakes, so those results leave you with three points, but also regret and anger. “If a Coach were to be happy in these situations, then it would be bad for the team, because it’d prepare them for other defeats. “A Coach in the 21st Century cannot be wrapped up only in tactical discussions, but must also be a motivator. He has to press the right buttons and find the best way to confront every individual. Some players might need a nice compliment, while others have to be challenged with toughness. “It is not easy to get inside the mind of every player, considering a squad has at least 25. A good Coach spends his time studying and keeping up to date with every aspect, because he wants to become the best. “Every Coach has his own mentality. I hope that mine is a winning mentality. The statistics and our consistency suggest that is the case.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 20, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Milan squad for Juventus Apr 20, 2013 Massimo Ambrosini is back in the Milan squad travelling to Turin, while Kevin-Prince Boateng and Ignazio Abate have shaken off injuries. Massimiliano Allegri named his players for tomorrow night’s match with Juventus. Click here for a preview. Boateng and Abate are able to feature after they limped off during last week’s 1-1 draw with Napoli. Ambrosini and Bojan Krkic had missed that game due to physical problems, but are both back in the side. There is no Mario Balotelli, as his three-match ban was reduced to two on appeal, but that still rules him out of this game. Mathieu Flamini is suspended after his red card against Napoli. Milan squad for Juventus: Abbiati, Amelia, Narduzzo, Abate, Antonini, Bonera, De Sciglio, Mexes, Yepes, Zaccardo, Zapata, Ambrosini, Boateng, Constant, Montolivo, Muntari, Nocerino, Traoré, Bojan, El Shaarawy, Niang, Pazzini, Robinho http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 20, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Chiellini and Bendtner face Milan Apr 20, 2013 Giorgio Chiellini and Nicklas Bendtner are back in the Juventus squad for tomorrow night’s encounter with Milan. The defender has recovered from ankle problems that ruled him out of the 2-0 win at Lazio. It is a big comeback for Danish striker Bendtner, who had been unavailable since tearing a thigh tendon in December. There is still no sign of Nicolas Anelka, while Simone Pepe and Sebastian Giovinco are also sidelined. Juventus squad for Milan: 1 Buffon, 3 Chiellini, 4 Caceres, 6 Pogba, 8 Marchisio, 9 Vucinic, 11 De Ceglie, 13 Peluso, 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 http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 20, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus - AC Milan Betting Preview: Expect goals at both ends in a high-profile encounter Fans all over the world will be tuning in when two giants of Italian football go head-to-head at the Juventus Stadium, and Al Hain-Cole expects them to be rewarded with goals. Apr 20, 2013 A heavyweight clash takes place in Serie A on Sunday, as league leaders Juventus welcome AC Milan to Turin. With the Bianconeri sitting pretty at the top of the table, the onus is on Massimiliano Allegri’s side to push for a win that would keep the pressure on Napoli in the race for second place and automatic Champions League qualification. The Rossoneri came out on top in the reverse league fixture back in November, but are outsiders at 7/2 (4.50) with Paddy Power to secure an impressive double over the champions. Antonio Conte’s men have won 27 and lost just two of their last 40 Serie A home games, and are clear 3/4 (1.75) favourites to collect all three points on Sunday. Extra-time was needed when these sides met at Juventus Stadium in January’s Coppa Italia tie, and you can get odds of 11/4 (3.75) on them cancelling each other out once again. This glamorous showdown between two of Europe’s most famous teams is sure to attract a global audience, and neutrals are likely to be rewarded with an entertaining match. The hosts have only failed to score once in their last 24 league games in front of their own fans, while their guests boast that exact same record away from home. Goals at both ends look more than likely then, and odds of 4/6 (1.67) are not to be missed on that market paying out on Sunday, in a bet that would have been successful in 13 of Milan’s 16 Serie A away games this season. La Vecchia Signora have scored exactly two goals in each of their last four league games, while Allegri’s men conceded that same number in their previous trip away to Fiorentina. Conte’s men have been a model of consistency this season, and it should surprise nobody if they hit another double in this game, at odds of 21/10 (3.10). http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 20, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Allegri: El Shaarawy will start against Juventus The 20-year-old striker was surprisingly dropped for last weekend's meeting with Napoli at San Siro but he will be recalled for the trip to Turin to face the Bianconeri. Apr 20, 2013 AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed that Stephan El Shaarawy will start in their crucial Serie A clash with Juventus on Sunday evening. The 20-year-old was surprisingly dropped for last weekend's equally important meeting with second-placed Napoli, with Allegri explaining after the game that the Rossoneri's top scorer was emotionally and physically drained. However, the former Cagliari boss has now revealed that the 20-year-old striker will be restored to the starting line-up for the trip to Turin. "He will play tomorrow," Allegri told reporters during his pre-game press conference. "I repeat that it was a tactical decision [to leave him on the bench against Napoli]. Stephan is having a year of great intensity and big numbers and a benching doesn't change my assessment of the player. "If Balotelli had been there, maybe his exclusion would have caused less controversy, but he was replaced by a player of the quality of Robinho. "It was a decision made by the coach, but Stephan remains an integral part of Milan, and indeed Italian football." El Shaarawy's omission sparked speculation over not only the player's future at San Siro but also that of the coach. However, Allegri insists that he wants to remain with the Rossoneri. "At this moment, there is no news," he insisted. "I am at Milan, and I hope to stay here. "I am attached to the president [silvio Berlusconi] and [CEO Adriano] Galliani. I hope to stay here for a long time but now we should be thinking only of Juve, then Catania and, from week the week, our Champions League objective. "When you think of the difficulty we experienced at the start of the season, and the great reconstruction undertaken with great credit to Berlusconi and Galliani, this group has a great future ahead of them." For the moment, though, Allegri is solely focused on upsetting Juve in their own backyard. "I have all the guys available," he revealed. "I have got [ignazio] Abate and [Kevin-Prince] Boateng back. "But it will not be an easy game against Juve. "They always play the game with great aggression and great organisation. "They are looking to secure the points that would seal first place in the championship, while we need to points to hold onto third place and remain on the heels of Napoli. "There are only six games remaining in the battle for the top three places." Milan currently set third in the Serie A standings, four points behind Napoli and a further 11 adrift of leaders Juve. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 20, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Conte: Juventus will take no pleasure in making Milan finish third The Bianconeri boss believes that his side's upcoming clash with Milan will be a difficult game, but said that should his side triumph, they won't revel in petty bragging rights. Apr 20, 2013 Juventus head coach Antonio Conte has insisted that his side will take no enjoyment by beating AC Milan and potentially helping to condemn them to third place in Serie A this season. The Bianconeri are 11 points clear of second-placed Napoli with six games to play but the Rossoneri are just four points behind the Partenopei. A win at the Juventus Stadium could help dent the gap if Walter Mazzarri's side drop points but Conte hopes the points will all go his team's way, despite anticipating a tough clash on Sunday. "Our only motivation is to earn the three points so we can get even closer to the Scudetto," he told reporters. "We have no pleasure in making Milan finish third, as it is provincial to think about your opponents that way. "We must look only at our own situation. It won’t be easy to win, as Milan are as strong as we are and want to prove it. They are working well, because it wasn’t easy to rebuild and replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva." Conte also revealed that Giorgio Chiellini could return to the first team if he proves himself to be fit this weekend. "Chiellini trained with the side yesterday and seems to be in decent shape," the 43-year-old continued. "We’ll see, but if he is fit then obviously Chiellini will play. He is an exceptional defender and if he’s fit then I very rarely leave him out." If Juve can beat Massimiliano Allegri's men on Sunday and Napoli drop points to Cagliari then a win in their local derby the following weekend against Torino would see them crowned as Scudetto winners. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Bayern taught us how to play against Juventus, claims Zapata The Colombian is raring to go ahead of Sunday's crunch encounter and believes his side know the way to defeating the Bianconeri. Apr 20, 2013 AC Milan defender Cristian Zapata claims evidence that Juventus are not invincible ahead of their clash on Sunday can be found in the defeat inflicted by Bayern Munich. Antonio Conte's men are on course for successive Scudetto victories after another dominant domestic campaign, but were sent packing from the Champions League with a 4-0 loss to die Roten. And Zapata believes the key to defeating the Italian champions lies in the Bavarians' approach. "When Juventus play with high intensity, they become a terrifying opponent," the 26-year-old acknowledged to Tuttosport. "But Bayern have taught us to play with personality. "They have taught us that taking and keeping the ball is the way to beat them in Turin. Juve play the ball like no other in Italy, but we also know how to keep possession and play the ball on the ground. "The key on our part will be personality; we want to play and not just suffer. I expect a tough challenge in every sense, a very technical and physical one." Zapata has become a permanent fixture for the San Siro giants after joining on loan from relegated Villarreal, and the stopper has asked the club to recognise his rejuvenated form by purchasing him outright this summer. "The relegation with Villarreal took a little confidence out of me, but since joining this great team I have regained it and now see the real Zapata," he concluded. "I think I've passed the test. If I were Galliani, I would have no doubts [about paying the attached €6 million transfer clause]. P.S. Barcelona taught us how to beat AC Milan! http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus-Milan Preview: Balotelli missing for visitors The Bianconeri know a win on Sunday would edge them closer to grabbing their second consecutive title but the visitors are also desperate to close the gap on second-placed Napoli. Apr 20, 2013 PROBABLE LINE-UPS JUVENTUS Buffon Barzagli, Bonucci, Peluso Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah Marchisio Vucinic MILANAbbiati De Sciglio, Zapata, Mexes, Constant Ambrosini, Montolivo, Muntari Niang, Pazzini, El Shaarawy Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini is set to miss out on Sunday's clash after the stopper's failure to recover in time from a knock he picked up in training last Friday. It is the second consecutive game the 28-year-old will be out of contention for having missed the Bianconeri's 2-0 victory over Lazio on Monday. Nicolas Anelka's Juventus nightmare continues with the striker having only featured in 35 minutes of action for the Serie A league leaders since joining in January and the 34-year-old will be sidelined for this clash with a calf muscle injury. Bianconeri striker Sebastian Giovinco is also ruled out while Simone Pepe is the other absentee for the hosts. There are no suspension concerns for coach Antonio Conte. Mario Balotelli is suspended for the visitors, despite seeing his three-match ban reduced on appeal. The Italy international picked up an automatic one-match ban against Fiorentina in the 2-2 draw at the Artemio Franchi, though this was initially increased to three games following his verbal abuse of the match officials. Milan midfielder Mathieu Flamini turned from hero to zero after he put his side in front against Napoli only to see himself sent off for a reckless lunge on Juan Zuniga. The 29-year-old is suspended for this match, while Nigel de Jong is the only injury concern for the visitors. DID YOU KNOW? • Juventus have recorded five straight victories in Serie A. • The Bianconeri lost the last league meeting between the sides 1-0 after Robinho converted for Milan from the penalty spot. • Juventus last beat the Rossoneri in Serie A back in October 2011 where two late Claudio Marchisio goals earned the Old Lady the three points. • A resurgent AC Milan have turned their season around. A team that look destined to finish mid-table before Christmas have gone their last 14 games unbeaten. • The club's top goalscorer Stephan El Shaarawy has 16 goals in Italy's top flight but has only found the net twice in his last 14 league games. • Milan's away form in Serie A reads W6, D7, L3 and they are undefeated in their last seven fixtures away from San Siro. Head to Head Coppa Italia - Jan 9, 2013 - Juventus 2 - AC Milan 1 Serie A - Nov 25, 2012 - AC Milan 1 - Juventus 0 Coppa Italia - Mar 20, 2012 - Juventus 2 - AC Milan 2 Serie A - Feb 25, 2012 - AC Milan 1 - Juventus 1 Coppa Italia - Feb 8, 2012 - AC Milan 1 - Juventus 2 Last Five Matches Juventus Apr 15, 2013 Lazio 0 - Juventus 2 - Serie A Apr 10, 2013 Juventus 0 - FC Bayern München 2 - UCL Apr 6, 2013 Juventus 2 - Pescara 1 - Serie A Apr 2, 2013 FC Bayern München 2 - Juventus 0 - UCL Mar 30, 2013 FC Internazionale 1 - Juventus 2 - Serie A AC Milan Apr 14, 2013 - AC Milan 1 - SSC Napoli 1 - Serie A Apr 7, 2013 - Fiorentina 2 - AC Milan 2 - Serie A Mar 30, 2013 - Chievo 0 - AC Milan 1 - Serie A Mar 17, 2013 - AC Milan 2 - Palermo 0 - Serie A Mar 12, 2013 - FC Barcelona 4 - AC Milan 0 - UCL Players to Watch Claudio Marchisio Relished his role in behind Mirko Vucinic against Lazio on Monday as Conte tried a 3-5-1-1 formation. Linked up with great effect with the Montenegrin and made life difficult for the Biancocelesti. Difficult to pin down in the free role he had and Milan will have to pay particularly close attention to his runs into the box. Stephan El Shaarawy The 20-year-old's game has no doubt been affected by the arrival of Mario Balotelli to the squad. His chronic lack of form has coincided with the emergence of the Italy international but he has the opportunity to showcase his burgeoning talent with the former Manchester City man suspended, and it would not be surprising if he took his chance. Prediction There may be a 15-point gap between the teams before kick-off but it would be foolish to think this will be anything other than a tightly-contested encounter between two giants of Italian football. It has the makings of an enthralling clash with two teams in fine form. Milan may suffer from Balotelli's absence, while the midfield battle could be key to the outcome of this match but Juve are a difficult side to break down and may just have the edge in this one. Editor's Prediction Juventus 2 - 1 Milan http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti MATCH PREVIEW Apr 20, 2013 Juventus are within touching distance of the Scudetto, but a win for Milan is paramount to help secure a Champions League place. Antonio Conte’s side overcame the disappointment of Champions League elimination at the hands of Bayern Munich by defeating Lazio 2-0 on Monday. The Stadio Olimpico affair was decided by Arturo Vidal. He netted twice in the opening 30 minutes to seal Juve’s fifth straight domestic win. For Conte, the victory in Rome was another important step towards the Scudetto. Yet with this clash preceding the Turin Derby, he is refusing to let up until the mathematics support the Bianconeri’s cause. “We won’t talk about the Scudetto until it’s in the bag, instead we’ll continue to push on.” Nicklas Bendtner has recovered from injury, but Sebastian Giovinco remains sidelined alongside Nicolas Anelka and Simone Pepe. Giorgio Chiellini is hoping to feature, but may be rested for another week. Milan were aiming to close the gap to Napoli and the last automatic Champions League position, but were held to a 1-1 draw last Sunday. Mathieu Flamini swept home the opening goal from outside the penalty area, but Goran Pandev equalised almost instantly. The Rossoneri remain four points adrift. While Milan still believe in reaching second place with six matches remaining, they must also look over their shoulder. Fourth-placed Fiorentina closed the gap to four points and Coach Massimiliano Allegri has stressed to his side to at least consolidate third place. Mario Balotelli has two games left to run on his suspension, while he is joined for one by Flamini after his Napoli red card. Ignazio Abate, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Massimo Ambrosini and Bojan Krkic have shaken off injury concerns. Nigel De Jong misses out. Two late Claudio Marchisio goals last term sealed a 2-0 win for Juventus. That was their 36th Turin victory, while Milan have returned home with maximum points on 21 occasions. That is the same as the number of draws between the pair. Keep an eye on: Stephan El Shaarawy (Milan) – Relegated to the bench last weekend, El Shaarawy has the opportunity to prove the recent slump is behind him. He scored on Milan’s visit to the Juventus Stadium in January’s Coppa Italia Quarter-Final. Form guide: Juventus (W W W W W) - Milan (W W W D D) Last season: Juventus 2-0 Milan Stat fact: Milan’s claimed a 5-4 thriller in 1958-59, the highest number of goals in a match between the two clubs. PROBABLE LINE-UPS Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Peluso; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Marchisio; Vucinic Milan: Abbiati; De Sciglio, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Ambrosini, Montolivo, Muntari; Niang, Pazzini, El Shaarawy http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus v AC Milan: Preview Apr 20, 2013 Revenge is a secondary factor for coach Antonio Conte as Juventus attempt to close in on the Serie A title with victory over AC Milan. The Rossoneri claimed a 1-0 victory at the San Siro in November to briefly knock the reigning champions off their stride, but Conte's men have rallied to lead second-placed Napoli by 11 points ahead of the six-game run-in. There is no love lost between Milan and Turin but Conte concedes tomorrow's opponents deserved to win the last encounter - one decided by a Robinho penalty - while remarking on the visitors' impressive revival under Massimiliano Allegri. He told juventus.com: ``The first meeting was a strange game. They weren't in good form but produced a gritty display. ``We woke up too late to repair the damage and deserved to lose. I believe that game represented the turning point of Milan's season. ``They are a strong side and will want to demonstrate their quality. ``I've read that we'd like to consign Milan to a third-placed finish. That's complete nonsense, you must not look at what others are doing. ``There's just one motivation here - winning three points to bring us closer to the Scudetto.'' Arsenal loanee Nicklas Bendtner has an outside chance of being involved after recovering from a leg injury but fellow forwards Nicolas Anelka and Sebastian Giovinco join midfielder Simone Pepe on the sidelines. In the Milan camp, midfielder Nigel De Jong has returned to light training but Mario Balotelli remains unavailable after his three-match ban was reduced by just one game. The Italy striker will return against Catania and cancelled his scheduled trip to New York to attend a Time Magazine gala in order to keep training at Milanello. Rossoneri boss Allegri told acmilan.com: ``It was Mario's choice and I think it shows his professionalism. ``He thought it was important to stay here and train. He's a target for the media and whatever he does creates news. But so far, you can't say anything about him.'' Referring to tomorrow's game, he added: ``Over the last 24 matches we've earned the same number of points but what counts is the entire season and we started badly. ``Juve are now the best team in the league but next season we start from zero. As things stand, though, Juventus have something extra compared to us. ``They play aggressive football with fantastic technique and organisation. ``They need the points to get to the title as quickly as possible while we need the points to keep distance between ourselves and Fiorentina and to stay in touch with Napoli. ``But whatever happens tomorrow, there are still another 15 points up for grabs.'' http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus vs. Milan PREVIEW – Devils Meet Zebras In Fight for Third Apr 20, 2013 Juventus welcomes Milan to the Juventus Stadium this weekend in a clash between 1st and 3rd place in Serie A. At the beginning of the season, this was seen as a potential Scudetto showdown, but with only 6 games left in the season and a massive 15 points separating the two, it’s hardly the epic encounter it might have been. Last year, Juventus traveled to the San Siro in late February with a big set of matches in line. It was a top of the table clash, with plenty of controversy, of course the “Gol di Muntari” which Milan VP Adriano Galliani famously cited about 300 times, as well as a perfectly valid goal scored by Matri disallowed for offside. Milan started to crack up whereas Juventus would go on an incredible winning streak to seal the Scudetto. This year’s match won’t be as epic. Juventus-Parma-MarchisioBut there will be passion. Juventus-Milan is never a dull affair, as it matches the two most successful Italian clubs. And there is still much to play for, at least for the Rossoneri. While a draw at Napoli maintained the gap between 2nd and 3rd at 4 points, Milan have to keep an eye out on Fiorentina who sits only 4 points behind them. If Fiorentina were to leapfrog Milan, they’d be back out of a Champion’s League spot. Milan will be eager to pick up a win in what’s become an increasingly bitter rivalry. Juventus Juventus are cruising to the Scudetto. Sunday’s 1-1 draw between Milan and Napoli increased the gap between the leaders and the 2nd-placed Azzurri to 11 points, an insurmountable lead with 6 games left in the season. Monday’s win means Juventus now need only 4 wins out of the remaining 6 to seal the Scudetto crown, assuming Napoli wins every remaining match. The team could win the Scudetto mathematically even on May 5th, a special date for all Juventus fans. The Bianconeri had a fairly comfortable 0-2 win over Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico. As I mentioned in our preview, Lazio’s focus now is on the Coppa Italia final in May, and two early goals meant a largely counter-attacking side was unable to find a way back in the game against a possession-based team. Conte fielded a very strong XI against Lazio, the only reserve player who featured was Federico Peluso, in for the injured Giorgio Chiellini. There was experimentation, however, as he chose to try a 3-5-1-1 to accommodate the MvP trio and Paul Pogba. Marchisio excelled in the second striker position, and Lazio was overwhelmed in the center midfield. We very may well see this formation used again, this time against the Rossoneri. Giorgio Chiellini aside, Conte will likely have almost everyone at his disposal. Martin Caceres and Paolo De Ceglie were called up for the Lazio game, with only Chiellini, Anelka, Pepe and Bendtner left in Torino. It’d be nice to see a bit of rotation for the Milan match, but it seems unlikely. Expect a strong XI. Probable Formation: (3-5-2) Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Peluso; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Marchisio; Vucinic Milan The Rossoneri were a bit disappointed with Sunday’s 1-1 draw at the San Siro. Milan struck through Flamini’s goal in the 30th minute, but only maintained their lead for 3 minutes when Pandev equalized for Napoli. Milan poured forward, eager to leapfrog Napoli in 2nd place (and thus avoid Champion’s League qualifiers in the summer) but Napoli held on for the draw, maintaining a 4 point gap between the two of them. Milan now have to look behind them, as Fiorentina’s 2nd-half performance against Atalanta closed the gap between 3rd and 4th by two points. It’s been a bizarre season for Milan. 9 months ago, Milan fans would be irritated if they were told their squad would be sitting in 3rd place. 6 months ago, they’d be delighted. Allegri’s squad started out the season abysmally, sitting above the relegation zone for much of the fall. There were heavy rumors that Allegri would be sacked, but whether due to faith from Galliani and Berlusconi, or simply that a better coach wasn’t available, the Rossoneri stuck with the ex-Cagliari tactician. It wasn’t until a 5-1 thrashing of Chievo on November 3rd that Milan moved into the top half of the table. They’ve seen a significant revival since then, progressing to the last 16 of the Champion’s League before falling to Barcelona, and steadily climbing up the Serie A table, albeit with some generous refereeing. Mario Balotelli has added a new weapon to Milan since his arrival in January, whereas Stephan El-Shaaraway has exploded into a world class striker this season. Milan has stalled a bit in recent weeks, however, drawing Fiorentina 2-2 and Napoli 1-1 in consecutive games. Both games were rather fiery with all three sides emotionally invested in the game. Milan directors brawled with Fiorentina directors in the VIP box following a spectacular Fiorentina comeback from 2-0 down with a man disadvantage, and Flamini was sent off in the 2nd half of Milan-Napoli for an ugly challenge. The Rossoneri need 3 points out of this match. Fiorentina and Napoli are at home facing mediocre sides that are out of the relegation dogfight, Torino and Cagliari respectively, and a win for both sides combined with a Juventus victory would see 2nd-placed Napoli move 7 points clear, while the 3rd Champion’s League spot would be Milan’s with a slender 1 point advantage. A draw doesn’t particularly help things either. Milan’s biggest conundrum will be their attack. They have a good group of youthful attackers, but in their current state, facing the league’s best defense will be very difficult. Mario Balotelli received a 3-match ban following the Fiorentina draw for insulting the linesman, so Milan’s best striker of the spring will miss the Juventus match. Stephan El-Shaaraway has not been the same since Balotelli’s arrival, scoring only one league goal since December. Not surprisingly, the draws against Fiorentina and Napoli relied on goals coming from the midfield. Probable Formation: (4-3-3) Abbiati; De Sciglio, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Ambrosini, Montolivo, Muntari; Niang, Pazzini, El Shaarawy Milan needs a win, and they need it in Torino. There are only two teams to ever win a game at the Juventus Stadium, and they’ve come during a period of poor form for Juventus. Inter snapped Juve’s unbeaten streak in the Fall, while the Bianconeri were distracted by European commitments, wheras Sampdoria picked up an impressive 2-1 win in the first match back from the winter break, a period that Juventus has played horrendously for the last few years. There are no distractions for Juventus. The team is out of the two cup competitions, dumped from the Coppa Italia by Lazio and the Champion’s League by Bayern Munich. Juventus now only has the league to focus on, and despite Milan’s desperation to pick up a win, Conte’s men will surely not slack up against the only real rival of the last 2 years. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus-Milan Preview: Round 33 — Runnin' with il Diavolo Do you know the way to Scudetto No, 31? Apr 20, 2013 If the countdown to Scudetto No. 31 wasn't on before Monday's win over Lazio, then it certainly is now. The lead in Serie A has ballooned to double digits for the first time this season. And because of that, Juventus only need seven points in the last six games to win a second straight title. The earliest Juve can clinch the Scudetto? May 5th. I think that date might ring a bell. But there's still two games to be played before the first possible date to bring No. 31 back home, the first being Sunday night against Milan at Juventus Stadium. The first game Juve played against their Red and Black rivals? Well, we won't discuss it all that much. Actually, not at all. The thing that is different from the last time these two teams played in Milan: Well, it's Milan. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Yeah, it does. But the fact still remains: This Milan side is a completely changed squad from the one we saw when they played at the San Siro earlier this season. They've shot up the Serie A table and haven't lost a league game since January, which is obviously impressive when you consider how inconsistent they were in the first half of the season. The objectives are clear for both teams — Juventus want the Scudetto, Milan want the Champions League. Come Sunday in Turin, one team will be closer to what they set out to achieve as the finishing line becomes that much more in sight. Or at least that's the line of thinking. GOOD NEWS I will let this picture do all of the talking. The defense rests. Plus-11 sounds good to me. BAD NEWS Multiple reports out of Italy over the course of the week said that Giorgio Chiellini will again be out of the lineup, the second straight game he has missed with his newest injury problems. I wouldn't say I'm surprised the way his health has been this season. At what point does Conte just tell Chiellini to lay low and get completely healthy? It has to be soon, right? RIGHT? WHAT TO WATCH FOR 1. The Marchisio-Vucinic connection...if Conte goes with a 3-5-1-1, which everybody is predicting as of right now. As I said on Thursday, the 3-5-1-1's debut went as well as it could have against Lazio. And one of the best things to come out of it was how well Marchisio played in a more advanced role behind Vucinic. It will be interesting to see how the new Juve formation will do against a different set of tactics than those of Lazio, and that means there could be more — or less — room for Marchisio and Vucinic to operate. Either way, they are both two key figures in Juventus creating goal scoring opportunities. ("Thanks, genius.") 2. The El Shaarawy Effect. Nope, it's not reserved just for Vucinic, folks. While he's been in a slump as of late, the 20-year-old is still dangerous as hell when he's firing on all cylinders. At this point, we have no idea which SES will show up at Juventus Stadium Sunday night, but it's definitely possible he'll be raring to go after being benched last weekend by Max Allegri. And with no Super Mario in the lineup due to suspension, there's definitely going to be a spotlight on El Shaarawy to not only score goals, but to create scoring chances. 3. The Pogba Factor. Everybody loves them Paul Pogba. Well, unless you're the opposing team or a defending trying to stop one of his right-footed rockets from 10 feet away. But one of the reasons why a lot of people like the 3-5-1-1 is because it gets the young Frenchman into the lineup from the opening whistle. At least that's my educated assumption on the matter. He had another strong showing against Lazio, which isn't getting surprising at this point in the season considering what we've witnessed already. 4. The Asamoah Factor. The winter wasn't very kind to Kwadwo, as he saw his form dip from Awesomemoah to simply Meh-samoah. But over the last few weeks, there have been signs that the center midfielder-turned-wingback is getting back into some quality form. No matter who Milan's right back is on Sunday — and at this point things seem to be pointing in the direction of Mattia De Sciglio — Asamoah will be busy on both ends of the field. And that's especially true if Federico Peluso is the one starting on the left of Juventus' three-man defense. Thank goodness Kwadwo has lungs of steel... My starting XI (3-5-1-1): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Peluso; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Marchisio; Vucinic http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juve fans: 'No racist chanting' Apr 20, 2013 Juventus fans have released a statement urging everyone to avoid racist chants against Milan. “Let’s not give them anything to criticise us for.” The famous Drughi ultras group made the appeal via their official website ahead of Sunday night’s match, particularly as the Juventus Stadium is already on a warning for previous racist insults. “Tomorrow night against Milan we must avoid offensive or racist chants. Let’s not play their game. The ‘moaners’ at Milan are waiting for us to slip up. “All it will take is one offensive or racist chant, or a couple of monkey noises, to get the stadium banned and steal our Scudetto party away from us. “This is why we are asking everyone to take responsibility. We must cheer on our club colours and not give them anything to criticise us for.” Inter’s ultras groups had released a similar statement and handed out flyers before the Milan Derby, but there were still incidents of racist chanting towards Mario Balotelli and Sulley Muntari. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Muntari plotting Milan revenge against Juventus The Rossoneri midfielder intends to banish the disappointment of last season's 'ghost goal' with victory in Turin on Sunday as his side continue to chase Napoli. Apr 21, 2013 Sulley Muntari has targeted a win over Juventus as the perfect boost for AC Milan's pursuit of second place as he seeks to avenge the injustice of last season's encounter. The Ghanaian midfielder looked to have given the Rossoneri a 2-0 lead against the Old Lady when he seized on a rebound in the clash last February but, despite the ball being some way over the line, the officials neglected to give a goal before the Bianconeri ultimately secured a 1-1 draw. Although Muntari has played down the importance of the incident, he admits he he would relish a legitimate strike and a win against the champions. "I'd certainly like to score against Juventus," the 28-year-old said. "I haven't scored in the league this year, but against Juventus it would also be fine if one of my teammates hit the net. Most of all, it is important to win." "That memory [of the 'ghost goal'] does not bother me. "Some things are part of football. If something bothers you, it means you don't want to go forward. Though that goal was legitimate, it was not essential. It's true, we were ahead on the scoreboard, but Juventus was stronger and deserved the Scudetto last year too." Meanwhile, striker Giampaolo Pazzini believes securing at least second spot this season should be a target for a side with the history and reputation of Milan. "No one organization is so pervasive and no one has a coat of arms comparable to Milan," the 28-year-old Italian told Forza Milan ahead of the game against the Bianconeri. "This is the most successful club in the world and those lucky enough to play with it does not take long to realise it." http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Line-ups: Juventus-Milan Apr 21, 2013 Juventus-Milan is always a spectacle, as Stephan El Shaarawy, Robinho and Giampaolo Pazzini take on Mirko Vucinic and Paul Pogba in Turin tonight. Although the Rossoneri are not in the Scudetto race this season, there is still plenty at stake in this clash. Massimiliano Allegri’s men need points to push Napoli for second and stave off Fiorentina in the hunt for a Champions League spot, as today the Viola closed to within a point. Mario Balotelli and Mathieu Flamini sit out bans, but Massimo Ambrosini, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Ignazio Abate and Bojan Krkic have shaken off injuries. El Shaarawy is back in the starting XI after he was surprisingly dropped for the 1-1 draw with Napoli, partnering Pazzini and Robinho, while Boateng is moved to midfield. Juventus have Giorgio Chiellini in defence after his ankle problems and Nicklas Bendtner on the bench for the first time since December. Sebastian Giovinco, Nicolas Anelka and Simone Pepe are on the treatment table. Antonio Conte has again opted for a 3-5-1-1 system so he can field the impressive Pogba and use Claudio Marchisio in a support striker role behind Vucinic. JUVENTUS: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Pogba, Pirlo, Vidal, Asamoah; Marchisio; Vucinic Juventus bench: Storari, Rubinho, Caceres, De Ceglie, Peluso, Bendtner, Padoin, Giaccherini, Quagliarella, Matri, Isla, Marrone ************************************************************************************** MILAN: Abbiati; Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Montolivo, Ambrosini, Boateng; Pazzini, El Shaarawy, Robinho Milan bench: Amelia, Narduzzo, Yepes, Antonini, De Sciglio, Bonera, Zaccardo, Traoré, Nocerino, Muntari, Bojan, Niang http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Tassotti: 'A balanced encounter' Apr 21, 2013 Milan assistant manager Mauro Tassotti expects “a balanced encounter” at the Juventus Stadium this evening. “We need to play well tonight. It is going to be an important match for both teams, as they are close to the Scudetto, while it is also crucial for us to keep hold of third place,” said Tassotti. “We met recently in the Coppa Italia, but the games have always been very balanced and I expected another balanced encounter this evening.” Earlier this season Milan beat Juventus 1-0 in Serie A with a dubious penalty, then the Bianconeri won 2-1 in extra time for the Coppa Italia quarter-final in January. Mario Balotelli and Mathieu Flamini are suspended, but Robinho, Giampaolo Pazzini, Robinho and Kevin-Prince Boateng start together. “El Shaarawy has been a very important player for this team for three quarters of the campaign, but it can happen that every now and then someone can sit on the bench. Things need to be understood,” added Tassotti. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Marotta: 'Pirlo ultimate professional' Apr 21, 2013 Juventus director general Beppe Marotta praised Andrea Pirlo and commented on those Zlatan Ibrahimovic rumours ahead of tonight’s game with Milan. “Pirlo personifies the profile of a great player, both in terms of quality and his professionalism. More than fortune, it was a favourable coincidence and we made the most of it,” he said of the free transfer from Milan. “We know that sides like Juventus are obligated to win always. We have to get the most from every game until we have mathematically won the Scudetto.” Agent Mino Raiola told the media this weekend that Ibrahimovic would be ideal for a return to Juventus. “Raiola does his job, which is to sell a champion like Ibrahimovic. Juventus, just like every other Italian club, are not prepared to support such a big contract, especially as the wages include taxes. “If he were to reduce his wages, then I imagine many teams would come in for him. I’m fairly sceptical about that, to be honest, especially as it would have to be a radical cut. “Juventus have certainly won back their international appeal. When we arrived it was difficult to work on the transfer market, as every player we contacted expressed reservations due to the tough seasons we went through. “We have rediscovered our appeal in Italy and abroad, so agents are daily coming to us in order to offer important players. “The Coach and club are in sync, so we’ll discuss the strategy together after the end of the season. We’ll try to make him as happy as possible, but we are still administrators of a business and in financial terms Italian clubs are having trouble competing with the European giants.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 21, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti HT 0-0: Juve-Milan stalemate Apr 21, 2013 Andrea Pirlo forced a tough save out of Christian Abbiati, who then went off injured, as Juventus and Milan are still goalless at the break. Last season this was a Scudetto showdown, but this time round the Rossoneri were pushing to challenge Napoli for second place and aiming to stay clear of Fiorentina in fourth. Mario Balotelli and Mathieu Flamini sat out bans, but Massimo Ambrosini returned from injury. Stephan El Shaarawy was back in the starting XI after he was surprisingly dropped against Napoli, but Kevin-Prince Boateng moved into midfield to make way for Giampaolo Pazzini and Robinho. Juve had Giorgio Chiellini after an ankle injury, though Sebastian Giovinco, Nicolas Anelka and Simone Pepe were sidelined. Once again, Claudio Marchisio acted as support striker so there was room for Paul Pogba. Andrea Pirlo almost opened the scoring against his former club, as a free kick took a deflection off the wall and Christian Abbiati changed direction to palm it off the line. The goalkeeper hurt his knee during that move and after a while limped off to make way for Marco Amelia. This was the fifth time in three seasons Abbiati had to be substituted due to injury. An acrobatic Pogba overhead kick from Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross whistled wide, then Ambrosini pounced on a Pirlo error only to drill off target. Robinho also hit the side-netting after Mirko Vucinic gave possession away. Another Pirlo free kick went over the wall, but into Amelia’s arms, while Vucinic was just unable to get a touch to Lichtsteiner’s assist as he came sliding in. Ambrosini also needed treatment with a strong bandage applied to his ankle before the break, as injuries were beginning to take their toll on the Milan squad. Juventus 0-0 Milan (Half-Time) Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Pogba, Pirlo, Vidal, Asamoah; Marchisio; Vucinic Milan: Abbiati (Amelia 15); Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Montolivo, Ambrosini, Boateng; Pazzini, El Shaarawy, Robinho Ref: Banti http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 23, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57′-PG) Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Attendance: 38000 Vidal edges Bianconeri ever closer to title The Chile international scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot, after Marco Amelia had clattered into Kwadwo Asamoah in the area. Apr 21, 2013 Juventus took a significant step towards a second successive Serie A title with a 1-0 win over AC Milan that simultaneously upset their opponents' hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Arturo Vidal scored the only goal of a desperately underwhelming encounter, the Chile international converting from the penalty spot after Kwadwo Asamoah had been felled in the area by Marco Amelia shortly after half-time. With Juventus in possession of an eight-point cushion at the summit of Serie A, the game was arguably of great importance to Milan, particularly with fourth-placed Fiorentina having defeated Torino earlier in the day to draw to within a point of the Rossoneri. Unsurprising, then, that the visitors began the brighter of the two, with Robinho and Stephan El Shaarawy both getting shots away inside the opening five minutes. However, it was Juve who went closest to an early breakthrough, with Christian Abbiati doing wonderfully well to change direction in time to scramble a deflected Andrea Pirlo free kick away for a corner. Unfortunately for Abbiati, that was to be his last contribution of note before being forced off through injury with less than 15 minutes on the clock. He was replaced by Amelia, whose first task was to deal with another Pirlo free kick, which he did with the minimum of fuss. The Rossoneri reserve goalkeeper had little to do for the remainder of the half, though, with Mirko Vucinic failing dismally to hit the target with a free header from yet another Pirlo set-piece. In truth, Milan looked the slightly more likely scorers during a cagey opening half. Massimiliano Allegri’s men were certainly the more composed side in possession, while Robinho and the recalled Stephan El Shaarawy buzzed about Giampaolo Pazzini with real intent. Their hopes of retaining control of the middle of the park were hit by the injury-enforced withdrawal of Massimo Ambrosini during the interval. Their hopes of winning the game, meanwhile, were hit by the concession of a penalty just 10 minutes later. Ignazio Abate and Amelia were both caught out by a seemingly innocuous diagonal in behind the Milan defence. Abate left it for his goalkeeper, who never had any chance of getting there in time and was powerless to prevent himself from clattering into the alert Asamoah, who had stolen in behind a hesitant Abate before cleverly nicking the ball past Amelia. Vidal buried the resulting spot-kick, firing high to Amelia's left to change the entire complexion of the game. Indeed, Milan suddenly looked completely devoid of any belief and the toothless visitors did not even go close to forcing an equaliser in the remaining 35 minutes, thus allowing Juve to coast to a victory that leaves them requiring just four more points to clinch the title. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 23, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57′-PG) Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Attendance: 38000 Vidal sees off toothless Milan Arturo Vidal’s perfect penalty gave Juventus victory over an uninspired Milan, putting them closer to the title and leaving the Rossoneri only one point clear of Fiorentina in third. Apr 21, 2013 Last season this was a Scudetto showdown, but this time round the Rossoneri were pushing to challenge Napoli for second place and aiming to stay clear of Fiorentina in fourth. Mario Balotelli and Mathieu Flamini sat out bans, but Massimo Ambrosini returned from injury. Stephan El Shaarawy was back in the starting XI after he was surprisingly dropped against Napoli, but Kevin-Prince Boateng moved into midfield to make way for Giampaolo Pazzini and Robinho. Juve had Giorgio Chiellini after an ankle injury, though Sebastian Giovinco, Nicolas Anelka and Simone Pepe were sidelined. Once again, Claudio Marchisio acted as support striker so there was room for Paul Pogba. Andrea Pirlo almost opened the scoring against his former club, as a free kick took a deflection off the wall and Christian Abbiati changed direction to palm it off the line. The goalkeeper hurt his knee during that move and after a while limped off to make way for Marco Amelia. This was the fifth time in three seasons Abbiati had to be substituted due to injury. An acrobatic Pogba overhead kick from Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross whistled wide, then Ambrosini pounced on a Pirlo error only to drill off target. Robinho also hit the side-netting after Mirko Vucinic gave possession away. Another Pirlo free kick went over the wall, but into Amelia’s arms, while Vucinic was just unable to get a touch to Lichtsteiner’s assist as he came sliding in. Ambrosini also needed treatment with a strong bandage applied to his ankle before the break, as injuries were beginning to take their toll on the Milan squad. Sulley Muntari replaced the captain for the second half, as the armband want to Riccardo Montolivo. Chiellini nodded over from a corner and a deflected Marchisio strike was smothered by Amelia, while Philippe Mexes pushed forward and fired straight at Buffon. Cristian Zapata used his strength to prevent Vucinic pulling the trigger from a defence-splitting pass. Just shy of the hour mark, Ignazio Abate let a pass go through so Kwadwo Asamoah burst into the box and Amelia rushed off his line, clattering into the Ghanaian for a clear penalty. Arturo Vidal stepped up and placed a perfect spot-kick into the top corner. Pogba nodded a corner over the bar and then set up Vucinic for a shot that Mexes crucially charged down. A dangerous Pirlo cross was not cleared effectively, but Chiellini couldn’t quite get it out from under his feet. From that corner, Leonardo Bonucci shinned a volley into Amelia’s arms. A fine Boateng run down the right saw him roll the ball across for Pazzini, but Bonucci got there first to prevent the tap-in. Muntari’s snapshot and a swerving Montolivo long-range effort were smothered by Buffon. Mexes fired wide from a free kick, but Pazzini had been flagged offside anyway, while Montolivo’s angled drive was again easy pickings for Buffon. These attempts summed up Milan’s performance, as they had 58% of possession in Turin, but barely troubled the goalkeeper. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Padoin 81), Pogba, Pirlo, Vidal, Asamoah (Peluso 92); Marchisio; Vucinic (Quagliarella 90) Milan: Abbiati (Amelia 15); Abate, Zapata, Mexes, Constant; Montolivo, Ambrosini (Muntari 46), Boateng; Pazzini, El Shaarawy, Robinho (Bojan 70) Ref: Banti http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 23, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57′-PG) Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Attendance: 38000 Juve four points from title defence Apr 21, 2013 Juventus need four points to successfully defend the Serie A title after Arturo Vidal's penalty decided a crucial victory over AC Milan. While the Rossoneri sweat over their chances of competing in next season's Champions League, Juve can seal a second straight Scudetto by winning next Sunday's derby meeting with Torino, should second-placed Napoli fail to beat Pescara. A Vidal penalty in the second half was the difference between the two sides, who are now separated by 18 points with five games remaining. The result means the Bianconeri are assured of their place in the Champions League next season while, with an 11-point cushion over Napoli, they could wrap up the title with four games to spare. Milan, however, are looking over their shoulders with fourth-placed Fiorentina now just a point behind in the race for Champions League football. Rossoneri head coach Massimiliano Allegri picked an attacking line-up in response to Napoli's earlier 3-2 win over Cagliari which opened a seven-point gap between second and third place. Robinho, one of three forwards in his starting XI, tried his luck in the early exchanges but just missed the target. Andrea Pirlo went closer to breaking the deadlock in the eighth minute with a free-kick that took a deflection off Massimo Ambrosini in the wall, making life difficult for Christian Abbiati who somehow managed to change direction and turn the ball behind for a corner. Milan's top goalscorer Stephan El Shaarawy responded by giving Gianluigi Buffon his first test of the evening in the 24th minute. Marco Amelia soon came on for the injured Abbiati and he had to deal with another deflected Pirlo free-kick as the two sides reached the break on even terms. The substitute keeper negatively affected his team, however, as his foul on Kwadwo Asamoah in the 57th minute earned Juve a penalty. Chile international Vidal made no mistake when placing his spot-kick high into the net to give the hosts the lead. Milan responded brightly with Sulley Muntari and Riccardo Montolivo both testing Buffon. But the visitors just could not find an equaliser, despite introducing a fourth striker in the shape of Bojan Krkic, and Juve rode out the final throes to edge closer to their 31st domestic title. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 23, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57′-PG) Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Attendance: 38000 Impotent Devils Fall at Juventus Stadium Apr 21, 2013 Milan needed to win this match. While unbeaten in calendar year 2013, the Rossoneri only sat 1 point ahead of 4th-placed Fiorentina going into this match. Milan were no longer trying to meet Napoli in 2nd to avoid the Champion’s League preliminaries, but now attempting to preserve their status in the elite competition for the coming football year. Juventus had already more or less sealed the title, but this was a battle against old rivals. While it wasn’t too shocking that the Bianconeri played this match without much urgency, Milan’s apathy was quite surprising, as they fell to Juventus 1-0 in a dull and uneventful affair. MATCH ANALYSIS by John Cascarano Napoli began the day with a 3-2 win over Cagliari, leaving Juventus with seven points left to clinch their second consecutive and 31st overall Scudetto. Antonio Conte decided to line up with the 3-5-1-1 which was teased during Champions League training, and served the team so well last week in Rome against Lazio. Milan meanwhile had to do without Mario Balotelli who is rather surprisingly serving a ban for misconduct, and thus started a trident of Pazzini, El Sharaawy, and Robinho. Milan looked to control possession from the outset, serving up a couple of runs coordinated by their trident resulting in two outside shots from Robinho and El Sharaawy within the first five minutes. Both, however, were fired straight at Buffon, who had little trouble stifling them. At the 7th minute, Juventus had a dangerous opportunity in the zona di Pirlo, after a handball by Robinho just outside the penalty box gave a free kick in the Maestro’s comfort zone. Pirlo’s direct shot ricocheted off the box nearly resulting in an Alaba-on-Buffon type goal, but Abbiati was somehow able to turn his body back despite moving in the opposite direction, and pushed the ball aside. Not much occurred for the next few minutes, with both teams looked to at a stalemmate early on, until the 15th minute when Marco Amelia was subbed on for Abbiati. The Milan keeper walked gingerly off the pitch, while fans whistled for Amelia to begin play again. He did and shortly thereafter Paul Pogba almost scored a Quagliarella type bicycle kick wonder goal off a perfectly placed cross by Lichtsteiner. In the 27th minute, Milan again looked to build a fruitful play when Montolivo cheekily deflected a pass onwards to Abate running down the right side, who crossed low to Robinho, but the Brazilian just couldn’t put it away at the near post. Shortly thereafter, Pirlo had another chance on a free kick in almost the same spot as earlier, which appeared to again be deflected but this time right into the hands of Amelia. Things continued rather slowly for the rest of the half. A buildup of play from the right side by Juventus lead to another near-perfect cross by Lichtsteiner to Vucinic who surprisingly could not finish. At around the 40 minute mark, Marchisio — playing as a more advanced trequartista/second striker — looked to break through on goal and was one-on-one with Amelia, but Amelia got a foot on principe’s low shot. Although it didn’t matter as Marchisio was flagged offsides anyway. Moments later Pazzini did well to muscle Bonucci off the ball deep into the box near the touchline, and nearly created a dangerous opportunity for Milan, but luckily Chiellini was there to sweep away the danger with a well-timed tackle. And that was pretty much it for the rest of the half. The second half kicked off with each side seemingly eager to grab an advantage. A quick corner from found Chiellini in the center of the box, but the nose/header was too high for goal. Second later, Marchisio was able to find space at the edge of the box, but his shot was right at Amelia. Milan would not sit still however. Mexes did his best Maradona impersonation to dribble a distance with the ball, but his shot was placed right at Buffon. A little while later, Vucinic would get one-on-one with Zapata on the other end, but the ball was scuppered neatly by the Colombian defender while Vucinic seemed to trip over his own shoe laces. And then, there it was, during the 56th minute. A beautiful long ball by Pirlo found Asamoah at the left side of the box, and all Amelia could do was take the Ghanian wingback out at his knees, earning a yellow card and surrendering a penalty kick. Arturo Vidal unsurprisingly stepped up to the spot, and sent a rocket into the right upper 90, with the precision of a heat-seeking missile. Amelia guessed correctly, but there was nothing any goalkeeper could have done. 1-0 Juventus. Juventus kept the pressure on, and Lichtsteiner found his way down the right edge of the box at around 62’, trying to split two defenders but couldn’t find room. He went down in the face of minor contact, but in classy fashion, pointed to the corner flag rather than looking for the free kick. The ensuing corner saw some messy shoving in the box between Chiellini and Mexes and, believe it or not, Mexes actually appeared to strike Chiellini in the face. That is not the Mexes that I know. The referee and even Paul Pogba needed to intervene. Eventually, the corner found the young Frenchman’s head, but he could not put it on target. In the 66’, Zapata surrendered a free kick on the right edge of the box which Pirlo lofted towards the far corner for Pogba, who could not do anything with it. Juventus would look to continue the pressure from there. In the 67th minute, Pirlo initiated a long ball from the center circle to Pogba on the left side of the box, who then found Vucinic, but his shot was deflected by Mexes for a corner. Three consecutive corner kicks ensued, with second one showing some dangerous moments with the ball trickling around the edge of the goal mouth. Neither Chiellini nor anyone else could get a foot on it, however. The third one saw Pirlo loft the ball to the far corner right to Bonucci’s feet, who could only one-time it straight at Amelia at the near post. By 71’, Mexes finally got that ever elusive yellow card despite his always gentlemanly conduct, on a hard foul on Vucinic on the top right edge of the box. Again, Pirlo’s swinging cross could find nobody, and was cleared out safely by the Milan defense. This time, a nearly dangerous counter-attack ensued beginning with an El Sharaawy run on the left side, but the Juventus defense was able to quickly smother out any danger. Milan would keep the pressure on minutes later, but Boateng could not find anyone at the other end of his low cross after beating Chiellini on the right side. Seconds later, Muntari would find space at the top of the box, but another “ghost goal” would not ensue as his ambitious effort was sent straight into Buffon’s welcoming arms. By 81’ Milan had burned through all three of their substitutions, having had to replace Abbiati, then swapping in Muntari for Ambrosini and the enemy-of-the-consonant Krkic with Robinho. By that time Conte decide to add Simone “the Game Changer” Padoin in for Lichtsteiner, who had a typical Lichtsteineresque game controlling the right side. At 89’ Milan had a dangerous chance to make things level, as Montolivo’s free kick from distance met Pazzini in the box (who on replay appeared to be at an offside position), before Mexes mistimed the second chance effort. Two additional late substitutions (Quagliarella on for Vucinic and Peluso for Asamoah) by Antonio Conte would ensure that enough time was spent to seal the precious 1-0 victory. LE PAGELLE by Aaron Giambattista Buffon 6.5 - Almost all of the shots were square in Buffon’s chest, but he did well to never spill an effort and claim it 1st-time. No nerves from Superman, despite Iron Man crowding his turf. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Barzagli 7 - Made a brilliant tackle or two, and otherwise kept either Robinho or SES locked in his pocket. A very ordinary Barzagli game, a testament to his incredible form over the last few years. That was his 100th game in a Juventus shirt. The two games he’s really struggled in recent years were the Euro 2012 final and the Bayern match- does a huge occasion rattle him? Bonucci 6 - Ordinary administration at the back, in general, with only one big mistake when he let Pazzini beat him at the byline. Made sure that he was heavily marking anyone in the box. Chiellini 7 - Giorgio wanted to play in this match, despite recently recovering from injury, and did so, with the approval of the Juve doctors. Looked like the Keyser Giorgio of all, mopping up everything at the back, playing with grit and steel, always at the heart of the big moments. Only demerit is some silly diving (following a great tackle) that Montolivo rightly called Chiellini out on. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lichtsteiner 6.5 - Marked Stephan El-Shaaraway well on the flank and moved up the field well. Was always ready to take on Milan offensively, but didn’t really receive a lot of support from the midfield. ’81 Padoin s.v. -Sent on to give Lichtsteiner a bit of a break. Nothing of note. Vidal 6.5 - Ran with two lungs in midfield, supporting the team defensively but also pushing up the right side of the field with Stephan Lichtsteiner. Scored the most accurate penalty I’ve ever seen. Juventus are not a selling club, and Arturo Vidal is a champion, thus, we cannot sell Vidal. Pirlo 6.0 - Had a few illuminating passes in the first half, then a few poor long passes. An average game for Andrea, but a good enough performance. Didn’t pass often (“only” 69 passes) but did so with relatively high accuracy. Pogba 6.0 - This was the game that really shows where Paul Pogba is right now. Occasional moments of brilliance, holding off Milan players, dribbling through opponents, but often disappears for stretches of time. That’ll fade with more playing time and mental maturity. Asamoah 6 - Kept with his man defensively but rarely did anything offensive of note. It was a pretty positive game for how well he played defensively, but winning the penalty came from one of the very few offensive actions from Asamoah. Better than we’ve seen, but still, not really a natural wingback and it shows. ’92 Peluso s.v. - Managed a stunning 36 seconds of play. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marchisio 4.5 - The Prince’s performance against Lazio earned rave reviews, his pressing and movement caused the Rome-based squad a lot of issues. Today was very much a game that grounded those reviews, as il Principino was virtually missing all match, only popping up once to threaten Amelia when he was already offside. Very much out of his natural position and didn’t know what to do or where to play. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vucinic 4.5 - Mirko was sensational a year ago when Juventus won 8-games in a row in the Spring to win the title, destroying Fiorentina, Milan, and Roma singlehandedly, but “Big Game Mirko” hasn’t showed up in a single big game this year. His passing was poor, he only managed 2 shots (none on target) and was dispossessed or turned over the ball more than double anyone else on the pitch. A very, very poor game that likewise calls into question if a 3-5-1-1 suits Mirko at all. ’90 Quagliarella s.v. - Once scored the winner vs Milan as a starter alongside Del Piero, now comes on in stoppage time to waste time. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Antonio Conte 7 - Juventus won a very ordinary game over a big rival, and Milan never genuinely threatened Buffon. Looking back, it’s really amazing how muzzled Milan were and how nonplussed Juve looked. That said, his substitutions and lack of rotation drive me nuts. There was only one sub in a game that was very subdued, and it was Padoin. Conte speaks highly of players like Giaccherini, Marrone, etc, but if he won’t ever play them, why would they want to stay? ANALYSIS WRAP-UP by John Cascarano It wasn’t the most exciting of games and certainly not the prettiest victory, but Juventus did what they needed to do. When they visited the San Siro back in November, they fell to a Diavoli side which had very much bottomed-out. Since then, Milan has only played better, and the addition of Balotelli during the winter mercato means they’ve only gotten stronger as a squad. It’s crazy to think about, but this loss to Juventus was their first one in Serie A in 2013. With this victory Juventus’ magic number drops to 4. Any combination of Napoli dropping and Juventus earning four points within the five remaining games would give Antonio Conte his second Scudetto in as many seasons at the helm of Juventus. And speaking of Conte, he seemed to have gotten it perfectly right. The 3-5-1-1 answered Milan’s tactics well, and I’ve long been of the opinion that Marchisio has the skillset to play in a more advanced role. While the new formation is by no means a silver bullet or a necessary permanent switch, at the very least freshening things up from time to time means that opponents have less film to study and compare their pending opponents to during training. And perhaps appropriately, the winning goal against Milan was scored on a penalty. Bravi ragazzi! http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8331 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 133134 messaggi Inviato April 23, 2013 Serie A Week 33 - 21-4-12 (8:45 p.m.) 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57′-PG) Juventus Stadium — Turin Referee: Luca Banti Attendance: 38000 Player Ratings Goal.com evaluates the performances of everyone involved in Turin, as Arturo Vidal slots home a penalty to move the Bianconeri to within four points of the title. Apr 21, 2013 JUVENTUS Gianluigi Buffon - Made a couple of routine stops from El Shaarawy in the first half and, overall, had very little to deal with other than speculative shots from distance. Andrea Barzagli - Initially seemed like he might be given the runaround by El Shaarawy but he quickly imposed his authority on the talented 20-year-old. Another fine showing from one of Juve's players of the season. Leonardo Bonucci - Had his pocket picked by Pazzini as he tried to usher the ball out of play at the tail end of the first half but that was the one error of judgement in an otherwise impeccable performance. Giorgio Chiellini - Bailed out Bonucci by making a splendidly timed challenge on Pazzini, after the forward had dispossessed his central defensive colleague. Beaten all ends up by Robinho at one point, but had the Brazilian in his pocket for the most part. Stephan Lichtsteiner - A fantastic outlet for Juve in the opening half. Indeed, it was no surprise that all of the hosts' best attacks came down the right-hand side. However, Lichsteiner's final ball was not up to scratch and he did not carry the same attacking threat after the break. Paul Pogba - Always looking to get forward, the French youngster went close with a spectacular overhead kick on 16 minutes. Continued to threaten thereafter, while at the same time sweeping up well in midfield. Andrea Pirlo - Very nearly opened the scoring against his old club with a deflected free kick but was terribly lucky that a subsequent stray pass on the edge of his own area went to Ambrosini, rather than another Milan player more likely to punish such sloppiness. Ran the game after the break, though. Arturo Vidal - Not his usual dynamic self, with Juve surprisingly subdued during the first half, but picked up dramatically after the break and netted the game's decisive goal with a clinically executed penalty. Kwadwo Asamoah - Very quiet from an attacking perspective during the first half, solely because he had his hands full with Abate. However, was slightly more menacing in the second period, the Ghanaian winning the penalty from which Vidal opened the scoring. Claudio Marchisio - Once again selected to play in behind Vucinic but he struggled dreadfully to get into the game. Marchisio is a fine player but he is not a No.10. Mirko Vučinić - Did not shy away from mixing it with Mexes and Zapata, but he just did not manage to bring his midfielders into the game. Also fluffed a free header from a Pirlo free. Substitutions Federico Peluso - Saw literally 30 seconds of game time. Simone Padoin - Came on for Lichsteiner for the final 10 minutes, but was unable to make an impact. Fabio Quagliarella - Only introduced in the dying seconds, so did not have sufficient time to influence the game. AC MILAN Christian Abbiati - Changed direction wonderfully well to keep out a deflected free kick from Pirlo some eight minutes in but was forced off just moments later through injury. Ignazio Abate - Typified Milan's attacking intent by pinning the attack-minded Asamoah back inside his own half for the majority of the opening 45 minutes. however, his final ball repeatedly let him down before he gifted Juve the three points by misjudging the ball that led to the penalty. Philippe Mexes - Made three crucial blocks inside the opening six minutes alone of a solid performance. However, his propensity for picking up yellow cards remains a worry. Cristian Zapata - Worryingly out-muscled by Vucinic at one point, while his distribution was erratic. However, he dug in and eventually got to grips with Juve's lone striker. Kevin Constant - Given all sorts of problems by the rampaging Lichtsteiner but stuck to his task well and got the better of the Swiss in the second period. Kevin-Prince Boateng - A powerful burst from midfield led to El Shaarawy testing Buffon early on, while he also threatened an equaliser towards the end after a great run down the right. However, he played on the periphery of the game for far too long. Riccardo Montolivo - Covered plenty of ground and used the ball sensibly and intelligently, playing a key role in Milan's dominance of possession in the first half; all that was missing was a killer ball. Massimo Ambrosini - Instigated a couple of attacks by breaking up play well in the middle of the park, while at the same time showing a desire to try his luck from distance. However, did not come back out for the second half after picking up a knock just before the break. Robinho - Retained his place in the starting line-up despite an anonymous display against Napoli last weekend and was lively enough in the first half, getting a couple of shots away as well as hitting the side netting with snap volley. Faded badly in the second half, though. Giampaolo Pazzini - Held the ball up well and was more than happy to try to mix it with Bonucci, whom he robbed of possession at one point. However, never got a clear sight of goal. Stephan El Shaarawy - Looked a threat every time he built up a head of steam and repeatedly backed himself from distance, testing Buffon twice in the opening quarter. Also showed an admirable willingness to track back but did not get a look-in in the second half. Substitutions Marco Amelia - Introduced into the action with less than 15 minutes on the clock, following the injury-enforced withdrawal of Abbiati, and while he made a couple of decent stops, it was he who gave away the penalty that decide the game. Sulley Ali Muntari - Took over in midfield from the injured Ambrosini during the interval. Bojan Krkic - Thrown on for the final 20 minutes. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/ Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
