Juventus Season 2013-2014

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA - JUVENTUS

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Barzagli: 'Very difficult game'

Mar 16, 2014

Andrea Barzagli warns Juventus have a “very difficult game” away to Genoa this evening.

AMAZONIAN

“This is the first of three away games in a row and it won’t be easy, as Genoa are a dangerous side on home turf and are pushed on by a fiery atmosphere,” the defender told Sky Sport Italia.

There is some squad rotation ahead of Thursday's Europa League trip to Fiorentina, having drawn the first leg 1-1.

“This is going to be a very difficult game. Alberto Gilardino is a real penalty box striker and we will have to be wary of his presence, cutting out crosses before they can reach him.”

AMAZONIAN

Juve are 14 points clear of Roma, although the Giallorossi have a game in hand, but Barzagli isn’t celebrating the title yet.

“We know that the Scudetto race is not over at all, so we must continue fighting.”

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA - JUVENTUS

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Line-ups: Genoa-Juventus

Mar 16, 2014

Juventus rotate the squad and face a difficult trip to Gian Piero Gasperini’s Genoa, losing two players at the last minute.

AMAZONIAN

The Bianconeri will need absolute concentration this evening, as they are 14 points clear at the top of the Serie A table and in-between Europa League Round of 16 games with Fiorentina.

They drew 1-1 in Turin in the first leg, so the attention of the players is already on next Thursday night in Florence.

Carlos Tevez, Claudio Marchisio, Sebastian Giovinco, Mirko Vucinic and Simone Pepe are injured.

AMAZONIAN

It means Daniel Osvaldo starts with Fernando Llorente, while Paul Pogba returns in midfield.

Andrea Barzagli was named in the starting XI, but pulled out in the warm-up with a calf problem, so Giorgio Chiellini will play instead.

Federico Peluso was also sent back to Turin after coming down with flu symptoms.

AMAZONIAN

Genoa have already caused quite a few upsets this season, taking point off Inter and Napoli in recent weeks.

Gasperini is a former Juventus youth team Coach who trained many of their current stars when they were in the academy.

AMAZONIAN

Isaac Cofie sits out a ban, while Alessandro Gamberini, Luca Antonini, Sime Vrsaljko and Juraj Kucka are injured.

Gilardino leads the attack with Andrea Bertolacci and Giuseppe Sculli.

AMAZONIAN

GENOA: Perin; Burdisso, De Maio, Marchese; Motta, Sturaro, Matuzalem, Bertolacci; Antonelli, Gilardino, Sculli

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Llorente, Osvaldo

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA - JUVENTUS

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

HT 0-0: Controversial Genoa-Juventus

Mar 16, 2014

It has been a fiery first half at Marassi, as Daniel Osvaldo had two goals disallowed – one incorrectly – and Genoa wanted a penalty.

AMAZONIAN

The Bianconeri were 14 points clear at the top of the table, but missed Carlos Tevez, Claudio Marchisio, Sebastian Giovinco, Mirko Vucinic and Simone Pepe. Federico Peluso also missed out with flu symptoms and Andrea Barzagli suffered a calf injury in the warm-up, so Giorgio Chiellini had to play. There were few options to rest players ahead of Thursday’s Europa League trip to Fiorentina. Alessandro Gamberini, Luca Antonini, Sime Vrsaljko, Juraj Kucka and the suspended Isaac Cofie were unavailable for Genoa, but Marco Motta played against the side he left in January.

Tonight Gigi Buffon matched legend Dino Zoff on 476 appearances in a Bianconeri jersey in all competition. He did it at Marassi against Genoa, the club he has always admitted to supporting.

Giuseppe Sculli blasted over from a promising position and Mattia Perin punched a dangerous Andrea Pirlo free kick off the head of Paul Pogba.

AMAZONIAN

Daniel Osvaldo had the ball in the back of the net on 20 minutes, but was ruled offside when Fernando Llorente got the touch to send him clear.

The crowd vented its frustration when Stefano Sturaro was booked for simulation, though he certainly made contact with Chiellini, even if it wasn’t a foul.

Llorente’s header from a Pirlo free kick was deflected past the near post, but Andrea Bertolacci wasted a promising counter-attack by blasting over the bar.

AMAZONIAN

The atmosphere was increasingly fiery, as there were four Genoa bookings in the first 28 minutes. Osvaldo horribly ballooned the volley over from a Pirlo ball over the top.

Bertolacci had penalty appeals for a coming together with Stephan Lichtsteiner, who might’ve shoved him as he was going for the diving header on Motta’s cross.

AMAZONIAN

Moments later Juventus had reason to complain, as Osvaldo had the ball in the net and it was again ruled offside. This time replays showed he was level when Paul Pogba slipped the slide-rule pass through.

Pogba’s angled drive skimmed the base of the far post, then Nicolas Burdisso made his bulk count to stop Llorente reaching a Pirlo assist.

AMAZONIAN

Genoa 0-0 Juventus (Half-Time)

Genoa: Perin; Burdisso, De Maio, Marchese; Motta, Sturaro, Matuzalem, Bertolacci, Antonelli; Gilardino, Sculli

Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Llorente, Osvaldo

Ref: Mazzoleni

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Pirlo stunner gives champions the win

Antonio Conte's men took the three points despite a valiant performance
from Gian Piero Gasperini's side who missed a penalty in the second-half.

Mar 16, 2014

Andrea Pirlo curled in a stunning 89th-minute free-kick as Juventus claimed a scrappy 1-0 Serie A win at Genoa on Sunday.

AMAZONIAN

It was far from a classic Juventus performance, with the absence of Serie A top scorer Carlos Tevez to injury clearly felt by the visitors, who had goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon save a second-half penalty.

Tevez's replacement, Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, had two goals ruled out for offside during a tame first half, and Juve looked on the verge of just their second league loss this season when Arturo Vidal was adjudged to have handled in the penalty area with 19 minutes left.

Buffon was Juventus' hero though, as he has been so many times throughout his illustrious career, comfortably saving a weak effort from Napoli loanee Emanuele Calaio.

AMAZONIAN

Pirlo, who was returning from suspension, then stepped up to score a trademark free-kick that left Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin with no chance.

Juventus' latest victory sees them move 17 points clear of the second-placed Roma, who host Udinese on Monday.

Juventus – who brought in Giorgio Chiellini after Andrea Barzagli was injured in the warm-up – were not at their fluent best in a first half dominated by Osvaldo's bad luck.

AMAZONIAN

Ex-Juventus forward Giuseppe Sculli fired over in the sixth minute before Osvaldo was denied with his side's first real chance.

Sebastian De Maio's attempted clearance hit Fernando Llorente and fell to the Southampton loanee, who dinked over goalkeeper Perin and then tapped in, only to see the offside flag raised.

That decision appeared to be correct, but Osvaldo could feel harshly done by after his second effort was chalked off, just after Andrea Bertolacci wasted a free header for the hosts.

AMAZONIAN

Paul Pogba created the chance with an excellent back-heel and again Osvaldo chipped Perin, only to have his celebrations cut short by another offside decision, though replays suggested he had been level.

Pogba showed his skill when he robbed Stefano Sturaro in possession and fired wide from 20 yards but it was a frustrating start for the champions, who saw their run of being in front at the break in nine successive matches come to an end.

After the interval, Bertolacci showed great skill to beat Chiellini before thrashing an effort at Buffon, who was relieved to see Marco Motta's rebound go wide.

AMAZONIAN

Juventus then had a half-hearted penalty appeal turned down, after Llorente fired into the arm of Luca Antonelli from close range, just two minutes before Genoa were awarded a spot-kick.

But Buffon was up to the task as substitute Calaio's tame effort to the right was comfortably saved.

And as a dour draw looked likely, Pirlo stepped up to curl a superb 25-yard winner home as Juventus sealed a fifth consecutive league win.

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Pirlo and Buffon deliver victory

Juventus thanked their veterans for a 1-0 win in Genoa,
as Gigi Buffon saved a penalty and Andrea Pirlo scored a late free kick.

Mar 16, 2014

The Bianconeri were 14 points clear at the top of the table, but missed Carlos Tevez, Claudio Marchisio, Sebastian Giovinco, Mirko Vucinic and Simone Pepe. Federico Peluso also missed out with flu symptoms and Andrea Barzagli suffered a calf injury in the warm-up, so Giorgio Chiellini had to play. There were few options to rest players ahead of Thursday’s Europa League trip to Fiorentina. Alessandro Gamberini, Luca Antonini, Sime Vrsaljko, Juraj Kucka and the suspended Isaac Cofie were unavailable for Genoa, but Marco Motta played against the side he left in January.

AMAZONIAN

Tonight Gigi Buffon matched legend Dino Zoff on 476 appearances in a Bianconeri jersey in all competition. He did it at Marassi against Genoa, the club he has always admitted to supporting.

Giuseppe Sculli blasted over from a promising position and Mattia Perin punched a dangerous Andrea Pirlo free kick off the head of Paul Pogba.

Daniel Osvaldo had the ball in the back of the net on 20 minutes, but was ruled offside when Fernando Llorente got the touch to send him clear.

AMAZONIAN

The crowd vented its frustration when Stefano Sturaro was booked for simulation, though he certainly made contact with Chiellini, even if it wasn’t a foul.

Llorente’s header from a Pirlo free kick was deflected past the near post, but Andrea Bertolacci wasted a promising counter-attack by blasting over the bar.

The atmosphere was increasingly fiery, as there were four Genoa bookings in the first 28 minutes. Osvaldo horribly ballooned the volley over from a Pirlo ball over the top.

AMAZONIAN

Bertolacci had penalty appeals for a coming together with Stephan Lichtsteiner, who might’ve shoved him as he was going for the diving header on Motta’s cross.

Moments later Juventus had reason to complain, as Osvaldo had the ball in the net and it was again ruled offside. This time replays showed he was level when Paul Pogba slipped the slide-rule pass through.

Pogba’s angled drive skimmed the base of the far post, then Nicolas Burdisso made his bulk count to stop Llorente reaching a Pirlo assist.

AMAZONIAN

Genoa had a great double chance after the restart, as Bertolacci skipped past Chiellini through the middle and blasted straight at Buffon, then Motta drilled the follow-up wide.

Llorente had penalty appeals, but he hit the ball on to Antonelli’s hand from point-blank range. Moments later the referee did point to the spot, but it was at the other end of the field for a Vidal handling offence. The Chilean had his arm out wide and jumped towards the ball, so the official considered it to be voluntary.

AMAZONIAN

Emanuele Calaiò stepped up, but his penalty was fairly central and Buffon got the right side to parry. That was the third spot-kick Genoa have failed to convert this season.

Pogba nodded over from a Pirlo free kick, but it was when the midfield maestro went for goal himself that the breakthrough arrived. Pirlo curled one of his trademark set pieces over the wall and into the near top corner, where Mattia Perin simply could not reach.

AMAZONIAN

GENOA: Perin; Burdisso, De Maio, Marchese; Motta, Sturaro, Matuzalem, Bertolacci, Antonelli; Gilardino (Calaiò 64), Sculli

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Isla 84), Vidal (Padoin 84), Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Llorente, Osvaldo (Quagliarella 79)

Ref: Mazzoleni

Saved penalty: Calaiò 72 (G)

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Pirlo the late hero as Bianconeri
overcome determined Grifone

Mar 16, 2014

Juventus beat Genoa 1-0 at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium on Sunday night in Serie A.

AMAZONIAN

The Bianconeri continue their march to a third consecutive Scudetto as a late free-kick by Andrea Pirlo saw them overcome a determined Grifone who had themselves seen Emanuele Calaio miss a second half penalty.

Despite little in the way of attacking threat the home side started the match extremely positively with Gian Piero Gasperini’s men not afraid to apply pressure on the champions elect, however, their determined approach also saw four Grifone players booked inside the opening 30 minutes.

Despite that it was actually after Alberto Gilardino was harshly penalised for a tackle on Arturo Vidal on 20 minutes that the visitors thought they had taken the lead.

AMAZONIAN

From the halfway line Pirlo sent the resulting free kick towards Pablo Osvaldo only for it to be cleared straight into strike partner Fernando Llorente and rebounding into his path, but although the Italian international beat Mattia Perin with a delicate chip the goal was correctly ruled out for offside.

With the intensity continuing few chances were created until the closing stages of the half, firstly when Marco Motta sent a wonderful cross from the right into the box, but Andrea Bertolacci headed woefully off target as he collided somewhat accidently with Stephan Lichsteiner.

Seconds later the Rossoblu were finally benefiting from the poor officiating after Paul Pogba surged towards goal and played a clever back-heeled pass to Osvaldo who finished with another perfectly weighted dink over Perin only to have it disallowed again for offside, this time incorrectly.

AMAZONIAN

With Pogba becoming an influential figure for the Bianconeri he received the ball in a similar position with five minutes remaining chose not to play in the striker, instead drive a low left footed strike just past Perin’s left post.

The Grifone the second half as confidently as the first and nearly took the lead 10 minutes in when Stefano Sturaro’s impressive stepover sent Giorgio Chiellini the wrong way, but he drilled his shot straight at Gianluigi Buffon and Motta could only drive the loose ball well wide.

With 20 minutes remaining, and Juventus desperately lacking any real attacking intent, the Bianconeri had a soft penalty call waved away by Paolo Mazzoleni after Llorente’s pass had struck the trailing arm of Luca Antonelli from close range before the Rossoblu had a chance to take the lead from 12 yards.

AMAZONIAN

As the ball was played into the Juventus box from the right it skipped up off the turf striking the arm of Vidal, which Mazzoleni deemed intentional, however, substitute Calaio stepped up in the absence of Gilardino, who he had replaced minutes earlier, and struck a weak shot to the left of Buffon who barely had to extend himself to keep out.

With it looking as though the Grifone would be ending the match with a point but a feeling of ‘what could have been’ their fans were set for even greater disappointment as, with just two minutes of normal time remaining, Pirlo stepped up to curl a brilliant free kick over the wall from 20 yards past the helpless Perin and continue their record breaking run of scoring in what is now 41 consecutive matches.

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Juventus 1 - Genoa 0:
Initial reaction and random observations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd9-Fl-lT98

Mar 16, 2014

Whether we believe it or not, there will be talk of players in their mid-30s not being able to be the difference makers they once were in the younger days of their careers. We've heard it about Gianluigi Buffon, we've heard it about Andrea Pirlo. And we'll continue to hear it for however long they walk out of the tunnel

Well, guess what?

AMAZONIAN

The old boys won it for Juventus on Sunday night.

Buffon's saved penalty against Emanuele Calaiò kept the game scoreless with less than 20 minutes left, and then Pirlo's absolute beauty of a free kick just outside the penalty area were the difference between Juventus leaving the Luigi Ferraris with no, one or three points. Two crucial moments from two world-class players in a game that otherwise was one that Juve probably doesn't want to replicate very often the rest of the season.

In a game where Juve were rather poor in the overall picture, they needed a bit of magic to come home with all three points. Genoa were clearly the better side, and just like on Thursday against Fiorentina, it wasn't Juventus who created the majority of the chances. But Juventus got the one moment of brilliance they needed to get the victory when Pirlo stepped up to the ball with the clock just moments away from going into extra time.

AMAZONIAN

The upper-right corner of the Genoa goal was almost like an open invitation for one of the best free kick takers in the world today. "Come on, Andrea. Bring it." Pirlo didn't shy away and went upper-V. Bang bang. Mattia Perin had no chance.

Not the prettiest three-pointer you'll ever see from Juve, but three points closer to a third straight title.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@gianluigibuffon: We should all be proud with tonight's win. Even when we have to dig deep, we're able to do so. It's a good sign.

AMAZONIAN

Random thoughts and observations

• No Tevez, (almost) no party.

• San Gigi has a thing when it comes to saving penalties against Genoa at the Ferraris. We take you back to 2006...

Just add tonight's stop to the highlight reel. Not a bad way to ring in his Dino Zoff-tying 476th appearance in a Juventus jersey.

AMAZONIAN

• Good to see Paul Pogba have one of his better games of the last few months tonight. It had been a rough go of it for the recently-turned 21-year-old Frenchman, but Sunday was anything but a struggle like in previous weeks. Maybe the rest midweek against Fiorentina did some good, I dunno. But to see Pogba get pretty involved — the should-have-been assist to Dani Osvaldo was an absolute thing of beauty — was a pleasant change from how its been for Pogba in the second half of the season.

• Dani Osvaldo likes chips with his (disallowed) goals.

• And that brings us to the officiating, which might have effected Osvaldo more than any one single player on the field. The first Osvaldo no-goal was correctly called offside, but the second one — not so much. It's one thing to get one or two calls incorrect, but when it becomes a consistent thing over the whole 90-plus minutes of a match, then that's something to be annoyed with. Luckily God is between the sticks for Juventus and more than capable to make up for stupid referees doing stupid things.

AMAZONIAN

Don't worry, though, guys. That "Juventus get all the calls!" narrative is still going strong.

• Plus-17. Sorry 'bout that, Roma.

• Please play better on Thursday, guys. That's not too much to ask of them, right?

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Pirlo saves Juve

Mar 16, 2014

Andrea Pirlo fired Juventus 17 points clear at the top of the Serie A table with the latest of free-kicks to down Genoa.

AMAZONIAN

The reigning champions were off-colour at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris and an under-strength team struggled to dominate an enterprising Genoa side.

Dani Osvaldo had two goals ruled out for narrow offside calls in the first half while Genoa's Emanuele Calaio saw his penalty saved by veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon with 20 minutes remaining.

Juve looked poised to settle for a single point but Pirlo stepped up to boost the Turin outfit well clear of second-placed Roma's reach with a trademark free-kick at the death.

AMAZONIAN

It would be a bad-tempered encounter at the Marassi - four Genoa players were booked before half-time - but Osvaldo somehow managed to keep his cool despite suffering two personal setbacks.

The on-loan Southampton striker, exiled from England following a fiery training-ground bust-up, put the ball in the back of the net twice only for the offside flag to overrule both efforts.

The first false start occurred in the 21st minute when Osvaldo raced through the Genoa backline to collect Fernando Llorente's deflected pass and beat Mattia Perin.

AMAZONIAN

But as he looked over to the touchline, he saw the flag shoot up.

Juve went close again when Pirlo sent Llorente through on goal but Giuseppe Sculli made the clearance at the last minute.

In the 38th minute it was Genoa's turn to threaten.

AMAZONIAN

Andrea Bertolacci headed towards the far corner, watched his effort veer just wide, then remonstrated angrily with Stephan Lichtsteiner for manhandling him in the build-up.

A sublime piece of individual skill from Paul Pogba then saw Osvaldo clip home for the second time.

A deft backheel sent the former Roma man through on the left and he beat Perin, only for the flag to deny him again.

AMAZONIAN

Just before the break, Bertolacci's attempt to find the top corner with his left boot took a fateful deflection and skipped over the bar.

The second half saw Buffon - making his 476th appearance for Juve - come to the rescue on numerous occasions.

The dangerous Bertolacci soon came knocking and Buffon did brilliantly to deny him before closing the angle to Marco Motta, whose daisy-cutter screamed wide.

AMAZONIAN

Buffon steeled himself in the 71st minute when Arturo Vidal conceded a penalty for handling in the area.

Calaio stepped up but Buffon checked the flight of the ball and punched it clear to elicit a roar from the away fans.

Genoa knew they had wasted an invaluable opportunity and pushed hard to make amends before time ran out.

AMAZONIAN

Luca Antonelli went close when he swung at a loose ball in the Juve box but Buffon gathered.

Two minutes from time, Pirlo won it for Juventus with a sublime free-kick.

As the ball sailed over the wall and into Perin's top corner with perfect precision, the league leaders had somehow managed to put three more points towards their bid for a third straight Scudetto.

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Pirlo maintains Juventus'
scoring streak in narrow win

Mar 16, 2014

What more can one say about a team that has now managed to score a goal in 41 consecutive league matches? Even when performances are not what one would expect from a Scudetto winning side, Juventus still manage a win.

AMAZONIAN

On Sunday, the Old Lady needed her two veterans and World Cup winners to secure a 1-0 victory but the ensuing celebrations revealed an important thing: appetites have not been satisfied and winning is of the utmost importance.

Gian Piero Gasperini sides favour a game played at a high tempo with quick passing and exhaustive tactics. It is an energetic style of play that focuses on wing-play, with men moving on the outside, overlapping diligently to create numerical superiority whenever possible.

When out of possession, Gasperini's players press their opponents relentlessly and effectively. Such was the case vs. Juventus, who were double and even triple marked at times as Geona attempted to win back the ball by piling on the pressure to force quick and poor choices.

AMAZONIAN

Playing a Gasperini-led side only three days after a physically and psychologically demanding Europa League match was hardly ideal for Juventus, whose fatigue was obvious. The result was Genoa being first to every ball, tackling with courage and playing in an aggressive manner that perturbed the Antonio Conte's men.

Juve were simply afforded no time to think on the ball and struggled to carve out clear goalscoring opportunities. Despite being a side that boasts the ability to attack in various manners and a number of ways, they were closed off as they sought to exploit each avenue to goal.

Genoa's effective work on the wings restricted both Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner’s ability to penetrate whilst Francelino Matuzalem played a magnificent game in midfield to neutralise Andrea Pirlo.

AMAZONIAN

Limited in their options going forward, the Bianconeri attack suffered as a consequence and seemed to greatly miss Carlos Tevez. Conte opted to play Fernando Llorente and Pablo Osvaldo for the first time together up front and it was clear they require some time to understand one another.

Whilst the Spaniard struggled to hold up the ball and bring others into the game, sometimes dropping too deep, Osvaldo had difficulty in dealing with the accurate passes delivered to him. He surrendered possession rather too cheaply at times although he was unlucky to see a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside.

In fact, referee Paolo Mazzoleni did not have a great game it could be argued that the Rossoblu should have been given a penalty when Lichtsteiner clashed with Andrea Bertolacci.

AMAZONIAN

In the second half, Genoa attacked viciously and coming close to scoring when Arturo Vidal's handball conceded a penalty. However, Gianluigi Buffon, on the day he equalled Dino Zoff’s record of 476 appearances in a Bianconeri shirt, made an excellent save to deny Emanuele Calaio. Always capable of rescuing points, Buffon never misses a chance to remind of his abilities.

Fabio Quagliarella was introduced late on in the game and made an important contribution when he won Juventus a free-kick in a dangerous area. Pirlo hovered over the ball before unleashing one of his trademark free-kicks to secure the points for his side.

AMAZONIAN

Juve’s wild ensuing celebrations indicated one thing; that nothing is being taken for granted and winning is still chased with great desire. The Old Lady’s appetite is to yet satisfied and the players don’t simply want to win the Scudetto, they want to make history.

After a disheartening Europa League display against Fiorentina that provoked the poorest of reviews and a few days in which the performances of certain players were severely criticised, this win reminded the critics that in Italy that there is no team worthier of the title than Juve.

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Player Ratings

Goal was on hand to see Juventus edge past a plucky Genoa outfit, with veteran midfielder
Pirlo curling in a late free-kick for the win, following a key penalty save from Buffon.

Mar 16, 2014

GENOA

Mattia Perin - The goalkeeper acquitted himself well with a couple of smart saves, with his long range kicking picking out Gilardino with regularity.

Nicolas Burdisso - Worked hard for the duration of the game, driving forward whenever he could, as well as ensuring that Juventus' striking partners couldn't link up.

Sebastian De Maio - Won plenty of aerial duels and marked Llorente almost out of the game, with the central defender showing strength and physicality.

Giovanni Marchese - Made some important interventions in the early stages in a solid outing. Threw his head at everything, covered well at the back post and nullified Lichtsteiner.

Marco Motta - Wasn't afraid to drive at his man and peg back Asamoah, as the Italian look to be positive throughout.

Stefano Sturaro - Drove at his man constantly, forcing Juve players to make rash decisions, and was a thorn in the Old Lady's side.

Matuzalem - Picked out a few good crosses from the left hand side and popped up all over the field, often leading the charge as Genoa looked to break.

Andrea Bertolacci - Unfortunate not to find the net, as the midfielder spurned several chances. Beat Chiellini with excellent skill, but smashed his effort into Buffon from ten yards.

Luca Antonelli - Was a constant threat down the left hand side, especially in the first half, driving at Caceres and delivering some dangerous crosses.

Alberto Gilardino - Worked hard and made intelligent runs, but was dominated in the air by Bonucci and Chiellini. Tried to make the ball stick, but didn't have any real chances.

Giuseppe Sculli - Popped up at the back post in the late stages, but wasn't particularly effective, as both Asamoah and Chiellini put in excellent defensive shifts.

AMAZONIAN

Substitutions

Emanuele Calaiò - Missed the hosts' vital penalty, as Buffon guessed the right way to parry the former Napoli striker's tame effort clear of the danger zone.

AMAZONIAN

JUVENTUS

GIANLUIGI BUFFON - The veteran goalkeeper equalled Dino Zoff's appearance record in some style, keeping a clean sheet and saving Calaio's second half penalty.

Martín Cáceres - Was occasionally a weak point, as Antonelli enjoyed a lot of joy in the first half. As the game progressed, the Uruguayan looked solid.

Leonardo Bonucci - A man mountain in defence, winning everything in the air over Gilardino and throwing himself into some ferocious challenges.

Giorgio Chiellini - A solid performance as is customary from the physically imposing defender. Took no prisoners, winning plenty of headers and making countless clearances.

Stephan Lichtsteiner - Didn't push forward as regularly as he may be used to, but the Swiss was useful in trying to double up on the potent Genoa left flank.

Paul Pogba - Showed glimpses of his form of last year, as the young Frenchman clipped through a number of glorious through balls.

Andrea Pirlo - Was fairly anonymous, but stepped up when it counted to curl a 20-yard free-kick beyond Perin and into the top corner to give Juve the three points.

Arturo Vidal - A quiet outing from the Chilean, who didn't get much joy in the midfield battle, and didn't have any chances of note.

Kwadwo Asamoah - The Ghana international worked very hard defensively, allowing for Chiellini to drop regularly into the centre of defence to win headers.

Fernando Llorente - Struggled against the attentions of De Maio, holding the ball up when he could. A fairly poor showing, though the Spaniard was without his normal strike partner.

Pablo Daniel Osvaldo - Unfortunate to see two goals disallowed for offside, as the Italy international dinked two lovely chips over Perin, the second of which was an exceptionally tight decision.

AMAZONIAN

Substitutions

Fabio Quagliarella - Won the free-kick for Pirlo to curl in during the late stages, as the substitute made the best possible impact for Conte's men.

* Andrea Barzagli - Pulled up with a calf injury in the pre-match warm-up and wasn't involved.

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Buffon: Pirlo lets you dream

The Italian goalkeeper, has now made the same number of appearances as legendary
goalkeeper Dino Zoff, says the midfielder can change a game from anywhere on the pitch.

Mar 16, 2014

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes “there is always hope” that Andrea Pirlo will make the difference for his team when he is on the ball.

AMAZONIAN

The midfielder scored a stunning free kick in the dying minutes to secure a 1-0 win over Genoa and restore the reigning champions’ lead at the top of Serie A to 17 points.

And the Italian shot stopper says his Azzurri team-mate can influence any game no matter where he is on the field.

“Did I have hope when I saw Pirlo on the free kick? Of course," he told reporters after the game.

AMAZONIAN

"There’s always hope when Pirlo’s on the ball, even if he’s in my penalty area. He’s one of those players who allows you to dream at any given moment when he has the ball at his feet."

The Juve talisman has now made 476 appearances for the club in all competitions, drawing level with legendary stopper Dino Zoff, a record he hasn't quite embraced as of yet.

“It feels strange to be placed alongside Zoff. He is a legend of the sport all over the world and especially for players in my position.

AMAZONIAN

“This makes me realise how far I’ve come, but it also leaves me uneasy, because I don’t feel worthy of being compared with Zoff."

Sunday's victory puts the Bianconeri 17 points ahead of second-placed Roma, who play Udinese on Monday and Buffon believes they have an incredible advantage as they move ever closer to a third successive league title.

“It makes us very proud to have won this game and we hope the fans and club can be proud too, as we proved this team knows how to suffer under pressure and roll their sleeves up.

AMAZONIAN

“Is it another brick in the wall of the Scudetto? More than a brick I’d call it a landslide!”

The Italy international saved an Emanuele Calaio penalty and he admitted he was happy to see the Napoli loanee step up instead of Alberto Gilardino, who had been substituted earlier in the game.

AMAZONIAN

“I thought Gilardino was going to take it and you never know how he takes penalties, so I would’ve been in trouble! Fortunately he went off and I had to face a different player.

“I think it’s a wonderful day for me and for the team. Whoever wrote this script did a great job."

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Gasperini: 'Painful defeat'

Mar 16, 2014

Gian Piero Gasperini found Genoa’s last-gasp defeat “incredibly painful” and felt they deserved to beat Juventus.

AMAZONIAN

Emanuele Calaiò had a penalty saved and Andrea Pirlo curled a free kick in at the last minute for the 1-0 result at Marassi.

“Losing a game like this is incredibly painful. We played well for 90 minutes and we thought that we’d be able to win it and make history, so to lose is hard to swallow,” Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.

“Considering the quality of our opponents, it was undoubtedly our best performance of the season. It’s a real shame, as we had the game in hand during the second half and had that penalty.

AMAZONIAN

“I can only compliment my players. It’ll be tough to raise their spirits, but they must remember the performance.

“We worked hard, with determination, strong fitness levels and also quality, as it wasn’t just grit. We created some good scoring opportunities and then this Pirlo gem at the end threw away the game.

“I know it won’t remain in the history books, but it remains a memorable game for us and I hope also our fans.”

AMAZONIAN

Gasperini put Francelino Matuzalem permanently on Pirlo in midfield and it did make Juve’s job more difficult.

“That was the way we prepared it and that tactic proved effective. Andrea Bertolacci would go forward a lot and the defenders did well against quality strikers. We accepted this challenge and had done so well for 89 minutes.

“As time went on we gained confidence and were getting stronger and stronger.”

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Conte: 'Only a great team...'

Mar 16, 2014

Antonio Conte pointed out “only a great team” like Juventus could’ve won in Genoa tonight and blasted their critics.

AMAZONIAN

Gigi Buffon parried an Emanuele Calaio penalty before Andrea Pirlo curled in a last-minute free kick for the 1-0 result at Marassi.

“Inevitably coming here and winning in Genoa against a team that played the game of their lives, after our run of matches with tired players I couldn’t rotate, it means only a great team could’ve done it,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia.

“There were also some controversial incidents, but we know referees are humans and can make mistakes, so I compliment the officials.”

AMAZONIAN

Andrea Barzagli pulled out in the warm-up, so Giorgio Chiellini had to be introduced.

“Barzagli’s problem is to be taken as an example, because when some moan about the squad rotation, I was resting Barzagli against Fiorentina because he played three games in a row. Despite that, he still had to stop. There are other players who need a rest, but Marchisio and Giovinco’s injuries mean I had few options.

“Genoa were very aggressive, but the forwards did very well to hold on to the ball and we had scored other goals, so I am satisfied. We could’ve been more precise in the final ball, but they did well both attacking and defending.

AMAZONIAN

“This team is having a super-fantastic campaign and at the end of the day people have to admit it, even if they do so with a heavy heart. I hope to win the Scudetto, then it will be in the record books and the chatter will be gone with the wind.

“Going at this extraordinary pace, we are pushing those behind us over the edge into depression. They will hopefully be disconcerted by this and fall behind.

“I always said the Scudetto was our main priority, to give the third consecutive title to the President. Of course we also want to progress in the Europa League, but the primary objective has always been the Scudetto.”

AMAZONIAN

On Thursday Juventus face Fiorentina in the Europa League and were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg, but Conte again aimed a sideswipe at critics.

“Fiorentina have a clear advantage with the first leg result. Reading the papers and listening to what people say, it felt as if on Friday they had already celebrated Juve’s elimination from the Europa League.”

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Preziosi: We did not deserve to lose

Mar 17, 2014

Enrico Preziosi has reflected on frustration at seeing Genoa lose to Juventus.

AMAZONIAN

Preziosi commented on Genoa’s defeat last night, which came courtesy of Andrea Pirlo’s late free-kick and only after Emanuele Calaio had missed a penalty for the home side.

“This is football, we did not deserve to lose, but we missed a penalty and we were punished for the only shot on goal Juventus had, some magic from Pirlo. We would also be moral winners, but we leave with nothing. It is not always the case that those who play best win, but Juventus have been able to field players at another level to ours.

“Calaio’s missed penalty? Perhaps he was not calm, perhaps too full of emotion. In Naples he was able to give us victory with a great free-kick. Here he was unable to affect things, but let’s not blame anyone.

AMAZONIAN

“The future? Now we will finish the season. A win against Juventus would have given us hope to do something more for this season.

“Let us finish the year well and we will think about the programme for next season.”

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Bonucci: Most important win

Mar 17, 2014

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci says his side’s late win over Genoa was the most important of their season.

AMAZONIAN

Goalkeeper Gigi Buffon saved a penalty before Andrea Pirlo stepped up to fire home an 89th minute free-kick to win it for the Old Lady.

“The Genoa win for me was the most important win of our season up until now,” Bonucci wrote on his official website.

“We played against a great Genoa team and my battle with my friend Gilardino was fantastic.

AMAZONIAN

“I highly compliment them and it was a great win for us.

“Now we have 10 finals left to play.

“Until the maths say that it is, the Scudetto will not be ours.

AMAZONIAN

“Now it’s on to Florence on Thursday for a game of a thousand emotions.

“They are playing at home so on paper they have the advantage.

“But we will see what happens out on the pitch. May the best team win.”

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Antonio Conte: We won like a great team

The 44-year-old felt most teams would have failed to beat Gian Piero Gasperini's
side and insists he will make some changes for the Europa League clash with Fiorentina.

Mar 17, 2014

Juventus coach Antonio Conte believes it took a "great team" to grind out a win like his team did against Genoa on Sunday.

AMAZONIAN

The reigning Serie A champions edged out a 1-0 win over Gian Piero Gasperini's side thanks to Andrea Pirlo's free-kick in the dying minutes.

Genoa created chances throughout the game and missed a penalty in the second-half which would have given them the lead, but for Gianluigi Buffon's save.

And Conte believes his side's ability to emerge from the match victorious was a sign of their strength.

AMAZONIAN

“The players begin to get tired and only a great team could have won like we did here today in spite of some debatable moments," Conte told the club's official website.

“Their defenders were very aggressive, they kept hold of possession and looked to play. They maybe could have been more precise with the final ball, but they were very good in both attack and defence."

The coach insisted the league was "50 per cent won" after last weekend's win over Fiorentina but he refused to discuss how far ahead his side are now as they stretched their lead at the top to 17 points.

AMAZONIAN

“I prefer not to state percentages of something that could then turn out not to happen. But of course coming to Genoa and winning against a team who played the game of their lives is very important.

“Moving forward at this extraordinary pace can be discouraging for the chasing pack because we’ve now got an incredible 75 points. Our objective is delivering a third consecutive Scudetto for the club president and now we’ll go to Florence looking to reach the next round of the Europa League.”

The Italian coach suggested he could rotate his squad again heading into the second-leg of their Europa League last-16 clash against Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi.

AMAZONIAN

“The problem Barzagli had today should serve as an example. He had a calf injury and we gave him a breather on Thursday to be able to play him today, but instead he’s still had to miss out.

"This should be a clear sign of how important squad rotation is.”

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Pirlo: Vital goal in Scudetto race

The playmaker was over the moon with his goal as he helped
the Old Lady to victory and a 17-point lead over second-placed Roma.

Mar 17, 2014

Andrea Pirlo hopes his match-winning free-kick in Juventus' 1-0 win over Genoa on Sunday evening proves to be pivotal in the Serie A title race.

AMAZONIAN

The experienced midfielder scored the only goal of the game when he fired home a wonderful effort in the dying minutes - after Gianluigi Buffon had earlier saved a penalty to keep the scores level.

"Let’s hope that the goal proves important in the Scudetto race," Pirlo was quoted as saying on the official Juventus website.

"We knew it was a difficult game. It was crucial to claim the three points.

AMAZONIAN

"In spite of all the difficulties we came up against, our spirit was always good."

The midfielder then looked ahead to the return of Juventus' Europa League tie with Fiorentina on Thursday.

AMAZONIAN

"Motivation comes naturally for such a match. It’s a fundamental game for us to continue our European journey."

Juve were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the round of 16 encounter.

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

GENOA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Andrea Pirlo (89′)

March 16, 2014 - 20:45 PM
Luigi Ferraris Stadium — Genoa
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni
Attendance:‬ 20000‎

Genoa 0-1 Juventus:
6 Things We Learned

Mar 17, 2014

Juve continued their march towards the highest-ever point total in a Serie A season with a 1-0 victory at Genoa.

AMAZONIAN

A stunning free-kick from Andrea Pirlo with 90 seconds of normal time remaining stole the points for Antonio Conte's side, who were given a fierce battle at the Marassi.

The Bianconeri were looking for a morale-boosting result to build some momentum ahead of the second leg of their Europa League tie with Fiorentina following a disappointing 1-1 draw in the first leg.

The Grifone can be proud of their display, despite losing in such cruel circumstances.

AMAZONIAN

Conte will feel that the Scudetto is all but assured after extending the gap at the top to 17 points over second-placed Roma.

Here are six things we learned.

AMAZONIAN

Conte's Management of Centre-Backs' Minutes Benefits All Concerned

Antonio Conte has cleverly managed the playing time of his starting trio of centre-backs.

In a move that will not only benefit Juventus in their push to claim the Europa League in addition to their third successive Scudetto, the number of starts for Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci's have been carefully managed over this intense schedule.

The move will help to keep the Italy internationals fresh right through to the Europa League final in May (if, as is the plan, they make it) as well as the World Cup in Brazil the following month, which will delight Azzurri manager Cesare Prandelli.

AMAZONIAN

Leonardo Bonucci returned to the starting line-up on Sunday, having taken a rest for the two matches against Fiorentina.

Andrea Barzagli also sat on the bench at the Juventus Stadium in Thursday's Europa League tie and was kept fresh for the second leg by sitting out the clash at the Marassi too.

All three are massively important to the success of club and country, and in such an elongated season, Conte's decision to use them sparingly at this point is a wise one.

AMAZONIAN

Gasperini Has Taken Genoa to a New Level

Gian Piero Gasperini should be commended for taking Genoa to a new level.

Despite losing on Sunday to the champions, their performance against Juve suggests that the Grifone are in a new place and ready to push on to greater things.

Gone will be the days when just avoiding relegation would be satisfactory. The Genovese side showed they can compete against the very best, and their stability over the past couple of months has been key.

AMAZONIAN

Consistent team selection and the right balance in all departments has been imperative in delivering good results to make up a fine season for the Rossoblu.

Genoa, Italy's oldest club and fourth-most successful in terms of scudetti, have the stature and history to push towards European football.

Finally, president Enrico Preziosi has shown some faith in one manager, and his trust has been rewarded with excellent performances and results.

Now Genoa must finish the season strong and kick on to bigger and better things, away from relegation scraps.

AMAZONIAN

Sturaro Gives the Grifone the Passion of the City's Fans

Stefano Sturaro is enjoying a breakthrough season for Genoa, and the Liguria-born player's graduation to the first team has delighted the fans.

It has been some time since one of their own has broken into the first team, and it is another key to developing the club under the guidance of Gian Piero Gasperini.

Preziosi has wasted plenty of cash on numerous signings over the years, with Genoa famed for regularly selling and buying players into double figures each season.

AMAZONIAN

If Gasperini can use the owner's budget more wisely and provide encouragement for other stars from the Primavera set-up, Genoa can prosper.

Sturaro's versatility in the middle of the park has become highly useful in recent weeks and has given the team a breath of fresh air.

You can tell that Sturaro is genuinely delighted to be involved and relishing his opportunity to wear the badge of the club he supported as a boy.

That passion is infectious, and the team are buoyant from his rise in recent weeks.

AMAZONIAN

Pirlo Still Worth His Weight in Gold

Andrea Pirlo demonstrated his ability on Sunday, proving that he is still worth his weight in gold despite reaching age 34.

Pirlo scored an 89th-minute winner from a trademark free-kick, showing that he can still be a difference-maker at this level.

His contract is up at the end of the season, but on this evidence giving the Azzurri international an extension would be a wise decision for Juve.

AMAZONIAN

Pirlo needed to wait several minutes while the wall was organised by the referee, but when the whistle blew it was inevitable where the ball was going.

Such grace and beauty showcased as he strutted towards the ball before curling it into the top corner past a helpless Mattia Perin was a pleasure to watch, and long may it continue.

AMAZONIAN

Buffon Still Hitting the Heights

Gianluigi Buffon is still maintaining the highest possible standards between the sticks for Juve.

Buffon is immortalised as a Juve and Italy legend, but his performances are so consistently excellent that it is easy to forget his exceptional standards and his longevity in maintaining them.

Stooping low to his left, Gigi was able to push Emanuele Calaio's penalty away to keep Juve in the game, but there were numerous other smart stops that kept the Grifone at bay.

AMAZONIAN

In particular, Andrea Bertolacci's thumping shot from close range was beaten away, with the former Italy U21 international just 12 yards from goal and given a clear sight when the Juve defence suffered a momentary lapse in concentration.

Conte will be thrilled to know that Buffon has long since put a sticky patch of form earlier in the season behind him and that he is back to his very best.

Terrence Clarke @terrenceKC
Not only did Buffon equal Dino Zoff on 476 appearances, but he just equaled him for penalties saved [8] Only Gianpiero Combi has more [10]

AMAZONIAN

Victory Emblematic of Conte Era

Antonio Conte's Juve were summed up on Sunday night with the 1-0 victory over Genoa.

Not always at their best, Juve find a way to grind out wins when they have no right to do so.

AMAZONIAN

The Bianconeri are in a formidable run of form that has seen them lose just once this season and enjoying a run of five consecutive wins.

Perhaps it is an indictment of the poor quality of Serie A in recent years, certainly in comparison to years gone by, but Juve's character and resilience are characteristics that have defined this team over the past three seasons since Conte took the reins.

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8430]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Montella wary of enthusiasm

Mar 17, 2014

Vincenzo Montella was impressed by Chievo’s approach, but fears excessive enthusiasm around Fiorentina.

AMAZONIAN

The Viola suffered more than expected, but got past the Flying Donkeys 3-1 in Florence.

“Subconsciously there was a risk we could underestimate this test, so I rotated the squad and played those who were perhaps more motivated at this opportunity to shine,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“It was a very good performance against an excellent Chievo that caused us all sorts of problems throughout, but overall I think my team did enough to win it.

AMAZONIAN

“Chievo got back into the game, but we finished it off in mature fashion. It was a shame we went a little too deep at one point.

“It was a ‘real’ game and Chievo are tactically sound, so this is the kind of battle you face in Serie A, as teams know how to defend and how to attack you. They interrupted our flow in a certain way, but when we picked up the pace we did get past them.”

Juan Cuadrado was surprisingly dropped against Juventus in the Europa League on Thursday, but scored a spectacular volley tonight.

AMAZONIAN

“I have no doubts on Cuadrado. It was a purely tactical decision on Thursday. We’ll see over the next few days what choices I’ll make and the strategy I take against Juventus.

“I agree to a certain point that Cuadrado is ‘irrational’ and that unpredictability is his strength, but it can also become a weakness because he takes his teammates by surprise too. He is a hard worker and is learning to become the top player in his role.

“It was the perfect performance from him tonight and I hope he can play like this 40 times a year.”

AMAZONIAN

The first leg of the Europa League Round of 16 ended 1-1, so the second leg is on Thursday, but Montella fears excessive enthusiasm.

“It’s a difficult match, considering the enthusiasm in the city and that went through us after the first leg draw, people acted as if we had already qualified! Unfortunately we have to play the second leg still and it is going to be incredibly tough.”

[Socrates 8430]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Cuadrado has Juve hope

Mar 17, 2014

Juan Cuadrado hopes that his performance against Chievo will earn him a place in the Fiorentina side to face Juventus in midweek.

AMAZONIAN

La Viola face off against the Bianconeri on Thursday in the second leg of their Europa League Last 16 tie and head into it off the back of a 3-1 win over Chievo.

On the scoresheet last night, Cuadrado admitted afterwards he was looking to convince Vincenzo Montella to select him in midweek, having omitted him from the starting line-up for the first leg last week.

“One always wants to play, it was a technical choice for me to not go,” the Colombian winger has reflected to reporters this week.

AMAZONIAN

“And I took it with respect. Here was an opportunity and I provided my contribution. I have to train to play and I will give my all to be there on Thursday against Juve.

“It was very important to win here [on Sunday evening], the teams are all in there for the fight for Europa League qualification.

“Certainly we felt tired, in front of us we had a great team in Chievo who put us in difficulty.”

[Socrates 8430]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Marotta: To Florence to win!

Mar 17, 2014

Beppe Marotta has assured that Juventus’ goal this week is to ‘go to Fiorentina and win’ to maintain their Europa League journey.

AMAZONIAN

The Bianconeri head out to Florence in midweek for the second leg of their Last 16 tie with the disadvantage of a 1-1 result and an away goal conceded to try and rectify.

For their director general though, the assertion that they are one foot out of the competition already and focusing on a third consecutive Scudetto only is inaccurate.

“Trips away are very nerve-wracking, stressful, plus we play against Fiorentina,” Marotta has begun on Mediaset, reflecting on the coming week’s test.

AMAZONIAN

“We do so in not the best of conditions. But Thursday we will go there to play. I do not believe that we are eliminated as some are saying, we will play our game.

“When we participate in a competition we try to win it. The Scudetto has immense value, it would be something that only Capello’s Milan has achieved in the post-war game. But, the Europa League is prestigious, we want to get to the final.

“We have, starting from the Coach and the players, a very high profile, with people who always want to win and we all have the desire to go to Florence and win, I say win because this is our goal.

AMAZONIAN

“The desire is great. The credit also goes to Fiorentina because they played a nice game. Last week, even though they created very little, they took advantage of one of those few chances.

“They are a team that plays good football and who in the Europa League has always done well this year.”

AMAZONIAN

Andrea Pirlo’s winning free-kick for Juve last night inevitably has seen his contract situation once more discussed.

“With Pirlo we have always said there is an agreement and it is already done, we are happy with him and he has found a second burst of life, we are confident that he will continue with this relationship.”

[Socrates 8430]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Viola ‘have no fear’

Mar 17, 2014

Fiorentina goalkeeper Norberto Neto says his side are not scared by the prospect of their Europa League match with Juventus.

AMAZONIAN

The Viola have a slender advantage heading into the decisive second leg at the Artemio Franchi and the Brazilian expects a hostile atmosphere to greet the Old Lady.

“The result against Chievo was important,” Neto told Sky Sport 24. “Now we need to concentrate on Juventus and we can play in a calmer fashion.

“When there are games of this type in Florence the atmosphere is incredible, it’s always like that.

AMAZONIAN

“We have no fear, there are two teams of a high level going up against each other.

“They have a lot of champions, but so do we.

“Buffon is of the highest calibre, it is an honour to play against him.”

[Socrates 8430]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Barzagli and Peluso injured

Mar 17, 2014

Bad news for Juventus, as Andrea Barzagli’s calf problem is continuing and Federico Peluso has a thigh strain.

AMAZONIAN

Barzagli pulled out in the warm-up of last night’s 1-0 victory against Genoa, complaining of a recurring left calf problem.

Tests “revealed increased inflammation in the region. His condition will continue to be monitored over the coming days.”

It has been a recurring issue with Barzagli, so the medical staff don’t want to risk pushing his recovery too quickly, especially with the World Cup looming on the horizon.

AMAZONIAN

There are some reports the centre-back could be out of action for 3-4 weeks.

Meanwhile, Peluso had left Genoa last night because of flu symptoms, but those masked the pain from a muscular complaint he had in training on Saturday.

AMAZONIAN

Tests today showed a first-grade tear of the adductor longus thigh muscle and he’ll be sidelined for several weeks.

However, Carlos Tevez is back in training and should be fit to start Thursday’s Europa League match with Fiorentina.

[Socrates 8430]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Rossi flies in for Fiorentina-Juve

Mar 17, 2014

Giuseppe Rossi will be at the Stadio Franchi on Thursday for Fiorentina-Juventus in the Europa League.

AMAZONIAN

The forward has been out of action since damaging knee ligaments at the start of January, but recently got the all-clear to move on to the next stage of recovery.

“Today I spoke to the club about Beppe’s return,” revealed agent Andrea Pastorello on TGR Toscana.

“Pepito will be in Florence on Thursday to watch the game against Juventus. He wants to be at the stadium at all costs.

AMAZONIAN

“In America he followed the games on TV, but now it is the time to come back.”

Fiorentina drew the first leg 1-1 in Turin, so even a goalless draw would be enough for them to qualify for the quarter-final.

Rossi hopes to recover full fitness in time for the World Cup, but it’s a race against time.

AMAZONIAN

“We are working to get back as soon as possible and in theory he could play at the end of April, but it is still early to make predictions.

“The World Cup? Right now the objective is to come back on to the field with Fiorentina.”

[Socrates 8430]

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

March 20, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Artemio Franchi Stadium — Florence
Referee: Howard Webb (England)

Mario Gomez ready for second leg
Europa League tie with Juventus

Mar 17, 2014

Fiorentina striker Mario Gomez has revealed that he’s ready to play in the Viola’s second leg Europa League round of 16 tie against Juventus on Thursday, though he admits the decision is ultimately up to Vincenzo Montella.

AMAZONIAN

The 28-year-old, who recently returned to the Viola line up after being benched with a knee injury for several months, scored an equalising goal for his club in their first leg meeting with the Bianconeri at Juventus Stadium, which resulted in a 1-1 draw, and he now insists that he’s ready to give his all in Florence on Thursday.

Gomez spoke to Mediaset about the importance of winning the upcoming Europa League match against Juve and commented on the possibility of him making an appearance in the game.

“The match will start off with us on par,” said the German international. “We earned a good draw last Thursday and now a very important match awaits us at the Stadio Franchi.

AMAZONIAN

“Juventus have been proving to be the strongest team in the league. The contest with the Bianconeri is for this whole city, I noticed this in the league match where Giuseppe Rossi scored a hat trick.

“Will I play on Thursday? I always hope to play, but it depends on the coach. The important thing is that I’m back on the pitch, I’m ready.”