Juventus Season 2014-2015

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

.-

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Di Carlo: 'Cesena to battle Juve'

Feb 14, 2015
 
Mimmo Di Carlo promises Cesena “are prepared to battle” against Juventus on Sunday night with Gaby Mudingayi.

“In order to have any hope of bringing home points from this game, we must ensure Juventus have no time or space on the ball. That is our only hope,” said Di Carlo in a Press conference.

“It requires a tight game, because the Bianconeri are a complete squad. They have great technique and that is matched by their physical strength.

“We want to put in a good performance and we are prepared to battle. We must give ourselves the freedom to believe.”

Cesena had won two on the bounce against Parma and Lazio, but fell back to earth 2-0 at Empoli last week.

The Sea Horses are boosted by the arrival of ex-Bologna and Inter midfielder Mudingayi, who arrived as a free agent.

His international transfer has gone through, so he is available to start tomorrow evening.

“Mudingayi is very experienced and can give us a big hand in midfield. Aside from this result, we know there is a long road ahead towards safety. A slip-up against Juve wouldn’t ruin our chances of survival.”

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

.-

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Juventus squad for Cesena

Feb 14, 2015
 
Juventus named their squad for the trip to Cesena on Sunday evening, missing Carlos Tevez.

Tevez is the Serie A top scorer with 14 goals, but he sits out a ban at the Stadio Manuzzi.

Alessandro Matri is still injured along with Kwadwo Asamoah, Martin Caceres, Luca Marrone and Romulo.

It remains to be seen whether Kingsley Coman or Fernando Llorente will partner Alvaro Morata in attack.


Juventus squad for Cesena: Buffon, Chiellini, Ogbonna, Pogba, Pepe, Marchisio, Morata, Coman, Llorente, Barzagli, De Ceglie, Bonucci, Padoin, Pirlo, Vidal, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Storari, Evra, Rubinho, Pereyra

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

.-

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Juventus vs. Cesena Preview: Round 23 —
The start of the calm before the storm

Feb 14, 2015
 
All of 11 days separates Juventus from the first of two Champions League dates with Borussia Dortmund. That's not a lot of time no matter how you look at it — and maybe even faster when you consider how quickly the 2014-15 season is flying by these days. Time is ticking down, Dortmund has actually won a game in domestic play, and the prospect of facing a Jürgen Klopp-coached team that is all-in on the Champions League is starting to seriously strike fear in the eyes of Juventus tifo.

But before we reach that big European test, there's an away test to one of Serie A's relegation battlers. More specifically, a voyage to Cesena to try and extend the Cavallucci Marini's run of seven losses in their last 10 games.

Translation: It's Serie A's first-place team against the team currently sitting in 19th. There's a point differential of 38 points between the two clubs who don black and white as their primary colors.

I mean, this is a Cesena side that barely — BARELY! — lost to Parma a couple of weeks ago. Yes, that same Parma side that is seemingly being sold to a new ownership group every month and continues to show us new ways to lose points. Yes, that same Parma side that has lost all but four of its league games and is still stuck in single digits when it comes to points this season.

And here's another Cesena-Parma twist: Who has the worst defensive record in Serie of clubs not named Parma? If you guessed Cesena, then you would be correct. Parma's allowed a league-worst 47 goals, Cesena has given up 43 through 22 games this season.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "We're after a vital three points to keep our advantage intact."

I guess at this point in the season, with the middle of February already upon us, all three points available at any given moment are important. Maybe even more so when you throw into the fact when the team you're the No. 1 team in the league and you're playing a team that is likely to be scratching and clawing not to get relegated at the season's end.

So if Juventus want to replicate what they did in the first game against Cesena this season, they should go right ahead and do it. That'd make me feel a little better with a rather large European game sitting there on the not-so-distant horizon.

 

GOOD NEWS

To keep things in a Champions League state of mind, I'll give you this: Juventus next two opponents, Cesena and Atalanta, have combined to pick up 38 points this season. If they were one combined club, they would be sitting in fourth place and 15 points behind Juve in the table.

I guess what I'm trying to say is if there was ever a really nice and convenient chance for Juventus to get some serious momentum going against a couple of teams in the bottom third of the table, this is it. The schedule entering the first leg of the Dortmund tie is relatively friendly. Can Juventus take full advantage of it? (Please do so, guys.)

 

BAD NEWS

Here's the easiest one of them all: Carlos Tévez is suspended after picking up a yellow just seconds before he was subbed off against Milan last weekend.

 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

1. The expected Álvaro Morata-Fernando Llorente partnership.

The aforementioned suspension to Serie A's No. 1 striker means we're getting an all-handsome Spanish striker partnership this weekend. One striker is in fine form, the other one not so much — and I'm pretty sure we don't need to break things down to figure out which one is which. Morata's recent form has him being linked with a return to Real Madrid in the future, something that is probably just stupid paper talk at this point. Regardless, Morata is thriving in recent weeks and coming off a Man of the Match-worthy performance in the win over Milan last weekend. Like I wrote earlier in the week, Morata's taken full advantage of Max Allegri giving him regular playing time the last couple of weeks.

So, Mr. Allegri, what do you think about Morata-Llorente playing alongside one another?

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "Llorente and Morata as a strike partnership? I still haven't decided on my pairing, Coman's also in with a shout."

He never makes this easy, does he? I guess, no matter what the Italian press is telling us about tomorrow's starting strikers, we'll have to truly wait and see when the lineups are released.

2. The continued brilliance of Claudio Marchisio.

Marchisio has been good for months now, but lately he's been really good. Like, really, really good. I think the thing that has been so pleasant about Marchisio's performances in recent weeks is the fact of how many scoring chances he's actually had. When Marchisio had his monster 2011-12 season under Antonio Conte, so much of his success came from all of his runs from midfield into the attacking third of the field. As we saw against Milan last weekend, those kinds of runs are becoming a regular thing once again. Marchisio probably should have scored at least one goal in the win over Milan, with one of his burst forward resulting in a shot clanging off the post. An on-form Marchisio makes Juventus' midfield so much more dynamic and dangerous. That's why Marchisio is as good as he is.

 

3. Nicola Leali Watch, 2015 edition.

I admit that I haven't watched a lot of Cesena games this season, but I am going to go along the line of thinking that not all of those 43 goals his team has surrendered this season is because of Leali screwing up. Based on the fact that Leali is amongst the top save-makers in Serie A this season, this is much more about who's in front of him not being very good rather than Leali absolutely struggling in his first extended stint as a starter in Serie A. Regardless of the strength of the defense in front of him, Cesena playing Juventus is a chance to watch Leali first-hand while going up against the team that owns his contract. And it's the chance to see what he can do against the best team in the country. The defenders in front of him aren't giving him much help, but if all this playing time means Leali could be deemed ready to return next season, then isn't that the point of his current loan spell at Cesena?

 

4. Building off the Milan win.

It wasn't the kind of scrappy or pull-your-hair-out kind of win last weekend. Juventus actually did play well against Milan at Juventus Stadium, with the 3-1 scoreline pretty reflective of how the game actually was. But as we've seen with Juventus over recent weeks, the overall quality of their play has been rather inconsistent to say the least. Over that time period, it's not like Juve were playing some of the top teams in Italy, either. They grinded out a 2-0 win over Chievo, struggled in a 1-0 win over Parma in the Coppa Italia and then drew away to Udinese. Not exactly something that makes you get up out of your favorite chair and start dancing around the living room. But what the win over Milan did, at least to some extent, was remind us that this Juventus side can play some pretty good football. And I would like them to keep playing said good football. So should you. Unless you love Cesena, of course.


My starting XI (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio; Vidal; Morata, Llorente

OFFICIAL KICKOFF TIME: 8:45 P.M. IN ITALY; 2:45 P.M. ON THE EAST COAST; 11:45 A.M. ON THE WEST COAST

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

.-

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Line-ups: Cesena-Juventus

Feb 15, 2015
 
Juventus have the chance to go nine points clear at the top, but are without Carlos Tevez against plucky Cesena.

It kicks off at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi at 20.45 CET.

Roma were held to a shock 0-0 draw by bottom of the table Parma today, so Juve can extend their lead to nine points, but also want to avoid another upset in a round full of them.

Top scorer Tevez is suspended, joining injured Alessandro Matri, Kwadwo Asamoah, Martin Caceres and Romulo.

Alvaro Morata therefore partners Fernando Llorente in an all-Spanish strike force.

Cesena beat Lazio here in their last home match, which is played on artificial turf at the Stadio Manuzzi.

It’s a special game for goalkeeper Nicola Leali, who is on loan from Juventus and destined for a future in Turin.

Out of action for the Sea Horses are Guido Marilungo, Luca Valzania, Andrea Tabanelli, Emmanuel Cascione, Riccardo Cazzola and Nico Pulzetti.

Gregoire Defrel is the one to watch in attack, although he is suffering from flu symptoms.

The Sea Horses only won this fixture once in Serie A, back in 1975-76, along with six draws and five defeats.


Cesena: Leali; Perico, Lucchini, Krajnc, Renzetti; Ze Eduardo, De Feudis, Giorgi; Brienza; Defrel, Djuric

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Ogbonna, Evra; Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio; Vidal; Llorente, Morata

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

.-

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Alvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente start for Juventus

Feb 15, 2015
 
Alvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente start up top for Juventus as they travel to Cesena without the suspended Carlos Tevez.

Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal are named in midfield alongside Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio.

Franco Brienza is selected for the home side just behind strikers Gregoire Defrel and Milan Djuric.


Cesena: Leali; Lucchini, Kranjic, Perico, Renzetti; De Feudis, Ze Eduardo, Giorgi, Brienza; Defrel, Djuric

Juventus: Buffon; Bonucci, Ogbonna, Lichsteiner, Evra; Pirlo, Marchisio, Pogba, Vidal; Morata, Lllorente.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Cesena 2-2 Juventus: Vidal misses
penalty as champions are held

Alvaro Morata and Claudio Marchisio had put the Serie A leaders
ahead at the break but the home side deservedly earned a point.

Feb 15, 2015
 
Juventus failed to capitalise on Roma's draw with Parma as they were held 2-2 by Cesena on Sunday, with Arturo Vidal missing a late penalty.

The reigning champions looked set to take all three points when Vidal stepped up to take an 82nd-minute spot-kick, but the Chile star missed the target, leaving Juve to rue not capitalising on Roma's 0-0 draw earlier in the day.

Cesena's battling display gave little indication of their precarious position in the relegation zone, with Milan Djuric giving the hosts a deserved lead 17 minutes in.

Juve, shocked into action, were level just before the half-hour mark, Alvaro Morata finding the net.

Claudio Marchisio then put the visitors ahead six minutes later, but Cesena rallied after the break and enjoyed significant periods of control before Brienza struck the leveller with 20 minutes left.

Vidal's failure to net from the spot late on, though, summed up an opportunity missed for Massimiliano Allegri's side.

Juve showed few signs of their imperious form during the early exchanges, relying on goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to keep them on level terms.

The Italy shot-stopper first palmed Gregoire Defrel's effort around the post, before then denying the Frenchman again in the 10th minute after he had seized on an error by Leonardo Bonucci.

Cesena's bright start eventually paid off in the 17th minute and Defrel was at the centre of things again, this time robbing Andrea Pirlo of possession before playing a pass into Djuric in the area, with the Bosnian firing a shot under Buffon.

That goal seemed to jolt Juve into life and Allegri's side were level 10 minutes later, Morata heading in Paul Pogba's excellent left-wing cross.

Uncertainty in the Cesena defence then allowed Juve to complete the turnaround in the 33rd minute.

Stefano Lucchini and Giuseppe De Feudis failed to deal with Morata's flick-on from a Patrice Evra throw-in and Marchisio was on hand to prod the ball beyond Nicola Leali.

Pirlo almost opened up a two-goal lead for Juve just before the break, but his powerful 25-yard drive flew just wide of the left-hand post.

Cesena began to cause problems again early in the second half, with Defrel's low drive across the face of goal in the 54th minute giving Buffon something to worry about.

Juve continued to invite pressure and the home side went close again with 64 minutes on the clock, Brienza this time lashing a half-volley just over from just inside the area.

Brienza was not so wasteful a few moments later, though, as the attacker pounced on Djuric's lay-off and drilled a low shot beyond Buffon.

Cesena's efforts looked as though they would count for nothing when Lucchini handled the ball in the area with eight minutes left.

But Vidal sent the resulting spot-kick wide of the left-hand post and Cesena ultimately held on to secure a deserved draw.

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Cesena shock Juventus

Cesena held leaders Juventus to a shock 2-2 draw after Arturo Vidal
missed a late penalty in this wide open encounter.

Feb 15, 2015
 
The Old Lady had the chance to go nine points clear at the top after Roma’s shock 0-0 draw with bottom of the table Parma. Carlos Tevez was suspended and Giorgio Chiellini rested, while the Sea Horses missed Luca Vanzania, Andrea Tabanelli, Nico Pulzetti, Emmanuel Cascione and Riccardo Cazzola.

The Stadio Dino Manuzzi has an artificial playing surface, which added a different dimension to the game and Lazio lost here 2-1 two weeks ago.

The hosts had an impressively aggressive start, earning a series of early corners and Gregoire Defrel forcing a save out of Gigi Buffon at the near post.

Paul Pogba’s shot was spilled, but Cesena really should’ve scored when Leonardo Bonucci’s first touch let him down and Defrel was allowed to go clear on goal, but Buffon came to the rescue one-on-one.

Soon after, Ze Eduardo didn’t get enough power to his shot at Buffon, as the goalkeeper faced three saves in the opening 11 minutes.

Fernando Llorente turned a free header over, but Cesena finally made the most of their strong start and took the lead. Andrea Pirlo misplaced a pass in midfield, sparking a counter that Defrel rolled across for Milan Djuric. The side-foot finish squirmed under Buffon’s body.

Djuric’s first touch let him down on a Franco Brienza counter and Juventus equalised, as Alvaro Morata got a glancing header to Pogba’s cross. Max Allegri’s men were behind for 10 minutes in Cesena – three minutes longer than the rest of the season combined.

The Bianconeri turned things around completely when Claudio Marchisio was the most alert to pounce as Llorente’s dummy surprised Giuseppe De Feudis, firing home from six yards at the near post.

Pirlo blasted not far wide from distance and Defrel fired over after the restart, but Cesena had a great opportunity when Defrel flashed a ball across the face of goal and Djuric was just unable to get the final touch.

Brienza’s splendid half-volley flew over the bar and that was only a warning, as he got the equaliser. Djuric knocked down a cross on the edge of the area for Brienza to smack it first time off the outside of his left boot, right into the bottom corner past Buffon.

Djuric threatened to turn it around, but the ball didn’t sit well for him after an awkward bounce and he could only scuff the finish.

Juventus were awarded a penalty when Stefano Lucchini had his hand raised, blocking a Llorente overhead kick. Mimmo Di Carlo was furious and was sent off for dissent, but Cesena stayed in the game anyway because Arturo Vidal stepped up and promptly dragged his spot-kick wide.

Cesena also had penalty appeals, but Stephan Lichtsteiner kicked it on to his own hand while on the ground, so it would’ve been incredibly harsh. The Swiss full-back also risked a second booking for a different incident.


Cesena: Leali; Perico (Nica 60), Lucchini, Krajnc, Renzetti; Ze Eduardo, De Feudis, Giorgi (Carbonero 83); Brienza; Defrel, Djuric (Rodriguez 83)

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Ogbonna, Evra; Pogba (Pereyra 74), Pirlo, Marchisio; Vidal (Coman 88); Llorente (Pepe 88), Morata

Ref: Russo

Missed penalty: Vidal 82 (J)

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Juventus held by Cesena

Feb 15, 2015
 
Juventus missed out on the chance to extend their lead at the top of Serie A to nine points as they were held to a 2-2 draw away to Cesena on Sunday.

The home side took a surprise lead through Milan Djuric when he profited from Gregoire Defrel's good work to rob Andrea Pirlo in possession on 17 minutes.

However, Alvaro Morata netted shortly before the half-hour mark when he found space in between the two centre-backs to nod home.

The visitors gained the lead six minutes later when Claudio Marchisio met Morata's flick-on to poke home.

After the restart, Cesena had a chance to restore parity through Franco Brienza, but he lost his footing at the vital moment before seeing his effort rise over the bar.

However, Brienza made amends with 20 minutes of normal time remaining when he smashed in a left-footed effort from Francesco Renzetti's cross.

Arturo Vidal was handed a great chance to give Juve the lead once more when the visitors were awarded a penalty with eight minutes to play.

However, the Chile international could only fire wide despite sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, and the home side held on to claim a point against the Italian champions.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Cesena 2-2 Juventus: Vidal’s Late Penalty
Miss Proves Costly For Bianconeri

Feb 15, 2015
 
Cesena claimed a valuable point as they drew 2-2 with Juventus on Sunday night in Serie A.

Milan Djuric gave Cesena a shock lead which lasted 10 minutes before Alavaro Morata put the visitors back on level terms and Claudio Marchisio gave them the lead. Cesena remained hopeful, though, and Franco Brienza equalised for the hosts before Juventus were awarded a penalty, which Arturo Vidal put horribly wide.

Cesena began on the front foot and had a strong attacking nature during the first six or seven minutes, a period of play which included plenty of shots on goal and surprising pressure on Juventus which culminated with Gianluigi Buffon strongly stopping a Gregoire Defrel effort.

Recent star man Paul Pogba almost put La Vecchia Signora ahead just before the 10 minute mark but his shot was straight at the keeper.

Defrel was then in again for Cesena after a defensive error from Leonardo Bonucci but the Frenchman wasted a golden opportunity to give the hosts a shock lead.

The league leaders continued to struggle to break the deadlock against the side second from bottom in Serie A, as Cesena’s solid defending prevented any desired outcome from a corner for the Italian champions.

The Seahorses then took the shock lead that they had been looking for after 17 minutes, when Defrel took advantage of an uncharacteristic mistake from Andrea Pirlo, and the 23-year-old played a through ball to Djuric, which was slotted past Buffon.

They almost made it two but Djuric couldn’t bring down a Defrel cross and the ball went out for a goal kick.

Massimiliano Allegri’s team then showed their skill and equalised at the end of a short spell of pressure, thanks to Alvaro Morata heading in a wonderfully whipped cross from Pogba.

Juventus continued to apply pressure on the Seahorses, and Claudio Marchisio, on his 200th Serie A appearance, turned the game around from a few yards out when he knocked in a low cross past keeper Nicola Leali.

Just before half time Pirlo tried to extend his side’s lead, but his shot dragged wide of the post and the sides went into the break with the score 2-1 to the visitors.

Cesena started the second half like they started the first, when a Defrel cross went across the face of goal but no one was there to provide the final touch, and Juventus were let off the hook.

Di Carlo’s men didn’t lose faith in themselves, and the side in the relegation zone in Serie A finally made it 2-2 thanks to a well struck volley from Brienza after 70 minutes.

However, 10 minutes before the end, Stefano Lucchini’s hand made contact with the ball while holding Llorente’s shirt in the penalty area and a spot kick was awarded to La Vecchia Signora, but Vidal missed from 12 yards and the score remained 2-2.

Cesena remain in the relegation zone in Serie A, while Juventus miss out on the chance to extend their lead over Roma at the top by nine points.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Cesena surprise Juventus, hold
Serie A leaders to 2-2 draw

Feb 15, 2015
 
Struggling Cesena showed the sort of spirit they will need if they are to avoid the drop in Serie A as they held league leaders Juventus to a 2-2 draw on Sunday.

Milan Djuric had the lowly hosts ahead but goals from Alvaro Morata and Claudio Marchisio sent the Turin side into the break with the lead.

Franco Brienza's volley drew the teams level with 20 minutes to play but there was still time for Arturo Vidal to miss a penalty as Cesena held firm.

Juventus' lead at the top of the table is now seven points while Cesena are the same distance from safety.

Cesena had the better of the opening stages and Juventus were twice indebted to veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon for keeping the scores level.

First Gregoire Defrel took advantage of some slack defending to snatch the ball and unleash a snap shot which Buffon did well to save before Ze Eduardo found space in the box and brought another stop from the 37-year-old.

Cesena eventually took the lead in the 17th minute and once again one of Juventus' most experienced campaigners was in the thick of the action.

A rare mistake from Andrea Pirlo in midfield allowed Defrel to break forward and when he squared to Djuric the Bosnian slotted home under Buffon's body.

Juve had been disappointing in the early exchanges but the goal seemed to spring them into action and they were level after 27 minutes.

Paul Pogba supplied the cross from the left and Morata was left unmarked to powerfully head home at the near post.

Just six minutes later the visitors were ahead and Morata was involved again as his flicked on header was pounced upon by Marchisio who applied the finish from six yards.

The second half began in tepid fashion but the home fans were out of their seats when Defrel whipped a ball across the six-yard box and Djurcic was inches from getting on the end of it.

Cesena were level with 20 minutes to play thanks to a superb volley from Brienza. Djurcic headed the ball into the path of the midfielder and he struck the ball sweetly from the edge of the area giving Buffon no chance.

Juve were then handed the chance to retake the lead with nine minutes to play as Stefano Lucchini handled Fernando Llorente's overhead kick in the box.

Arturo Vidal sent Nicola Leali the wrong way from the spot but dragged his shot wide of the post.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Allegri: 'Juve were arrogant'

Feb 15, 2015
 
Max Allegri said Juventus will “cancel out signs of arrogance” after being pegged back 2-2 by Cesena.

The Sea Horses had taken the early lead, then fought back from 2-1 down for a 2-2 result until eventually Arturo Vidal missed a penalty.

“We didn’t get into the right mood for this game. Cesena are in good shape, attack opponents and on a synthetic turf the ball moves quickly. If you are not reactive, it becomes difficult,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“We weren’t quick enough to react and get the ball. Cesena won many challenges and that says a lot about the game.

“After a while we tried to control rather than seek the third goal, then when we had the chance we missed the penalty.”

Roma were held 0-0 by Parma this afternoon, so Juve had the opportunity to go nine points clear at the top.

“It was a bad performance, it’s a pity because this would’ve been an important step towards the Scudetto. Our advantage remains unchanged.

“On the one hand these are painful results, but on the other they get our feet back on the ground to cancel out any signs of arrogance.”

Vidal pulled a late spot-kick off target and it’s not the first big penalty the Chilean has missed this season.

“The penalty didn’t have anything to do with Vidal’s performance, as in the first half he was perhaps the best man on the pitch and ran so hard, chasing everyone down.

“Of course scoring a goal would be a psychological boost, but he’s improving physically anyway and played well. Unfortunately, penalties can be missed. This stadium doesn’t bring me luck,” smiled Allegri referring to a spot-kick missed here by Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Milan.

“Llorente and Morata did pretty well, it was their first whole game together and we needed strikers like this because there were a lot of crosses into the box.

“Above all we need to reflect on our attitude in this game. It’s a pity, as we could’ve extended our advantage, but today proved for us and Roma that everyone must respect Serie A opponents, as games are won on the pitch, not on paper.”

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Di Carlo: 'Cesena courage rewarded'

Feb 15, 2015
 
Domenico Di Carlo praised Cesena for their “courage” in holding Juventus 2-2 and explained his penalty protest.

The Sea Horses had taken an early lead, then came back from 2-1 down for the 2-2 draw, earned despite a late missed Arturo Vidal penalty.

“We began this journey when I arrived, trying to speed up the tempo of this team and give them courage,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“We’ve been putting in some good performances recently, apart from the deserved 2-0 defeat to Empoli. It was tough for us to put Juventus under pressure, but I asked my players for courage and everything we tested out in training worked tonight.

“Actually, I thought Cesena deserved something more than a draw tonight.”

Di Carlo was sent off for dissent when Juve were awarded a penalty for handball on Fernando Llorente’s overhead kick.

“I wasn’t protesting at the penalty. I was complaining about what I thought was a ball that had gone out of play just before that, I think with Evra on the touchline.

“I was wrong to protest in such an obvious way, although I didn’t say anything offensive. I apologise.”

Stephan Lichtsteiner also risked a second yellow card in the final stages, but Di Carlo has a refreshingly un-Italian approach.

“Last week we had some penalty decisions that didn’t go our way, but we didn’t say anything and will continue that approach now. We go into every weekend aware that mistakes can happen and we keep our mouths shut, but the important thing is that everyone else keeps quiet when decisions go against them. That way everyone would be happier.”

Milan Djuric opened the scoring and provided the assist, knocking down a cross for Franco Brienza.

“We do practice these moves in training. When we struggle to find room down the flanks, we try to find Djuric so he can hold up the ball and invite Brienza to come forward.

“I have to compliment my players, because we all know that when you’re 2-1 down to Juventus you have to open up and they can punish you with half a chance. We remained concentrated and were playing too well not to equalise.”

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Buffon: 'It's all our fault'

Feb 15, 2015
 
Gigi Buffon blasted himself and his Juventus teammates for their “unacceptable attitude” at Cesena, but also slammed critics.

The Bianconeri could’ve gone nine points clear at the top of the table after Roma were held 0-0 by Parma, but instead they too played out a 2-2 draw.

“The distance at the top remains unchanged and frankly that’s what we were hoping for yesterday,” the captain told Sky Sport Italia.

“However, it’s obvious to admit that after seeing Roma’s result we had hoped for more. It was a very unsatisfactory performance, especially the opening 20 minutes in which we allowed chances that a team like ours should not permit.

“With all due respect for Cesena, who played a great game tonight, it is our fault if we failed to get all three points.

“The attitude was wrong and in these situations the blame is above all down to the captain. It is my job to keep the players fired up and focused both in the locker room and on the pitch. Evidently I failed in that duty tonight.

“Some of our less experienced players need to understand that nobody will give us the Scudetto. We have to earn it each and every weekend. In fact, because we are Juventus, we have to win with a 15-point margin before people will give us credit for our success.

“We cannot go around throwing away opportunities like this. The Roma result probably made us think this was going to be easy, but a team like ours cannot allow itself to be influenced by other scorelines.”

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Courageous Cesena create
blueprint for Juventus' opponents

The champions were pushed all the way by a braver outfit
than they are used to facing in Serie A.

Feb 15, 2015
 
By Kris Voakes | International Football Correspondent

There has been plenty of talk about Serie A’s demise in recent times, with the mammoth nature of Juventus’ lead at the top cited as proof that the Italian league has nothing about it anymore.

The Bianconeri have regularly been given an easy ride by opponents who regard taking something from them as a bonus rather than a necessity.

But Cesena’s 2-2 draw with the champions, only hours after Parma had taken a point off Roma, showed that Juve are not nearly as infallible as many teams have made them appear this season, and hint that Italian football boasts a healthier competitiveness than the Serie A table would suggest.

Domenico Di Carlo’s side were only the second team to score twice against the Bianconeri this term and would have been more than worthy winners had they gone on to become the first side in 77 games to net three past Gianluigi Buffon.

They may sit in 19th spot, but Cesena showed the rest of Serie A how to get at Juve. Long before opening the scoring they had scythed through the Bianconeri time and again. Their pace and energy in the channels regularly found holes and will have given Massimiliano Allegri plenty to think about ahead of their Champions League-littered schedule to come.

Despite his influence in Cesena gaining something out of the game, Gregoire Defrel will continue to have nightmares about not slotting home after Leonardo Bonucci’s error, while the Frenchman had also missed an earlier chance. It could have been so much better for the relegation strugglers.

But Milan Djuric soon netted as the Juve back-line was again exposed by Andrea Pirlo’s concession of the ball to Defrel, and while Allegri’s men hit back with two goals of their own Franco Brienza hit a stunning equaliser in the second half.

Juve should have won it late on when Fernando Llorente’s overhead effort was blocked by Stefano Lucchini’s hand, but a 3-2 loss would have been very harsh on the home side and Arturo Vidal’s horrendous miss from the spot earned them a more than worthy point.

Sunday’s two headline-grabbing results will make the rest of Serie A sit up and ponder what can happen if they put their minds to it. Cesena achieved a result that many Italian clubs would dream of picking up and they did so by backing themselves.

This should be the blueprint for all top-flight sides gearing up for a clash with the Old Lady. The Seahorses hit them in the channels, they got balls into the box, they had Djuric roughing it regularly with the two centre-backs - and they caused countless problems as a result. If more teams followed that pattern, Juve wouldn’t have glided through nearly as many games this season.

So now that Cesena have set the standard, the gauntlet has been thrown down. More challenges like this, and it may take Juventus much longer than anticipated to wrap up a fourth straight title. Meanwhile, further displays like this will help Di Carlo’s side in their battle to beat the drop.

Serie A has the potential for more days like this. It just needs more of its teams to fulfil their side of the bargain.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Player Ratings: Cesena 2-2 Juventus

Feb 15, 2015
 
Bottom club Cesena were able to hold Juventus to a 2-2 draw on Sunday evening at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi.

Milan Djuric opened the scoring with a clinical finish before close range shots from Alvaro Morata and Claudio Marchisio put Juventus in front. However, Franco Brienza made it 2-2 with a fine strike, before Arturo Vidal was unable to convert a penalty for the away side.

Cesena managed to grab a point in the end, boosting their chances of survival, while Juventus lost the opportunity to go nine points clear at the top of the league.

 

Cesena

Nicola Leali – 6 – Helpless - Kept out Pogba’s cannon well, but couldn’t do anything to stop the other goals. Confidently dove to punch a corner out of danger in the second half. Went the wrong way during the penalty, but it missed anyways.

Gabriele Perico – 6 – Crosser - Looked to get forward as often as possible and whipped in some delightful crosses. Supported the attack well.

Stefano Lucchini – 5.5 – Handball - Generally effective in the heart of the back four, but clumsily attempted to block Llorente’s overhead kick with his arm, resulting in a penalty.

Luka Krajnc – 4 – Ghost - Rarely seen throughout the game.

Francesco Renzetti – 6 – Overlap - Defended his ground and made overlapping runs with Ze Eduardo to devastating effect. Whipped in the cross for Franco Brienza to score.

Ze Eduardo – 5.5 – Shooter - Combined well with Renzetti on the wing, but couldn’t make the best out of his chances, notably hitting a tame effort straight at Buffon early in the game. Kept shooting to no avail.

Giuseppe De Feudis – 5.5 – Hesitated - The captain was involved in some good build up play, but was at fault for Marchisio’s goal, shying away from clearing the ball.

Luigi Giorgi – 5 – Present - Played a small role in the game but kept things going in midfield.

Franco Brienza – 6 – Passer - Passed the ball well and with purpose, and took his chance in the 70th minute, smashing a low effort leaving Buffon with no chance. Some of his free kick deliveries were poor.

Gregoire Defrel – 6.5 – Powerful - Drove forward often and had the strength to push past his man. Used his pace to get behind the defense and cut back the ball well for supporting midfielders to attack.

Milan Djuric – 6.5 – Bully - Scored the first goal of the game and looked to bully Juventus’s back four throughout. Faded a bit in the second half, and scuffed a volley he should have scored. A great show of strength but was noticeably technically lacking.


Substitutes

Constantin Nica – 5 – Stand In - Substituted for Perico who was on a yellow card. Drew a couple fouls from the opposition and but got stuck in too hastily, earning him a yellow.

Alejandro Rodriguez – N/A

Carlos Carbonero – N/A - Thrown on in the last couple minutes and looked eager to shoot.


 

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon – 6.5 – World Class - Made a couple of fantastic saves and kept Cesena from notching two or three more goals. Couldn’t get down fast enough to keep out the opener and couldn’t do anything about Cesena’s second either.

Stephan Lichtsteiner – 6.5 – Workhorse - Ran up and down the field regularly, aiding the attack while defending to his defensive duties as well. Efficient performance from the wing back.

Leonardo Bonnucci – 4 – Clumsy - Caught in possession of the ball leading to a one-on-one for the hosts which Buffon luckily saved. Failed to perform up to his usual standards.

Angelo Ogbonna – 5 – Solid - Didn’t do too much of note during the ninety minutes. Defended solidly but didn’t provide the wall that the Bianconeri needed.

Patrice Evra – 5 – Wasteful - Made some powerful runs down the left flank but misplaced a number of critical passes, often leading to pressure on the centre backs.

Paul Pogba – 6 – Decent - Assisted Alvaro Morata with a pinpoint cross in the first half, and continued to assert his presence in midfield. Lucky not to concede a penalty after a foul just outside the box, and was substituted shortly after.

Andrea Pirlo – 6 – Average - Passed the ball fluidly in midfield and nearly scored with a long range effort. Could have kept the ball better while in possession.

Claudio Marchisio – 6.5 – Intelligent - Reacted quickest in the 32nd minute to make it 2-1 to the Bianconeri. Passed the ball smartly and always looked to venture forward to aid the attack.

Arturo Vidal – 6 – Penalty Miss - Industrious in midfield and dropped deep to spray some good balls throughout the game. Much to the delight of home fans, he missed a penalty late in the game. Substituted for Kingsley Coman.

Fernando Llorente – 4.5 – Poor - Didn’t have many chances on the ball, but screwed up the ones he got. Earned a penalty in the second half by overhead kicking the ball off Stefano Lucchini’s arm. A dissappnting night from the French forward.

Alvaro Morata – 6 – Clinical - Scored in the 26th minute to restore parity, and assisted Marchisio with a throw in. A nuisance to Cesena’s defense.


Substitutes

Roberto Pereyra – 4 – Missing - Put on for Pogba in the 75th minute, but was nowhere to be seen.

Kingsley Coman – N/A - The youngster was introduced late on for Vidal.

Simone Pepe – N/A - Had time to hit a poor cross out of play on the 90th minute

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Juventus 2 - Cesena 2: Initial reaction
and random observations

Feb 15, 2015
 
As Arturo Vidal stepped up to the spot with the game on the line, I was confident about how things would turn out. For as much as he's struggled this season, his penalty-taking ability has still been pretty much on point. And it's not like history would tell us otherwise since Vidal put on a Juventus jersey. He has been as money from the penalty spot as money gets.

Then ... poof! Nicola Leali went flying the wrong way, opening up over half of a goal for Vidal to easily slide in the go-ahead goal with less than 10 minutes of regular time remaining. That goal never happened, with Vidal's shot never being on target and whizzing past the left goal post.

If there was ever one single moment that was a microcosm of Vidal's 2014-15 season, one that has been filled with struggles and inconsistency, this was it. And because Juventus played with fire, they got burned, failing to take advantage of Roma's scoreless draw against last-place Parma with a 2-2 decision on the road at Cesena.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "It was a poor night for us. We sat on our lead in the second half instead of going in search of a third."

Of course, Vidal wasn't the only one to play a key role in the loss. It's actually ironic because Vidal was actually pretty playing pretty well in the opening 45 minutes. But as good as Gianluigi Buffon was in the game, so many others were just ... not very good at all. Some folks would probably say Max Allegri's assessment of it being "a poor night" might be an understatement based on how things went. Leonardo Bonucci struggled to do anything right, Angelo Ogbonna was far from his best, and Andrea Pirlo was completely off his best.

Cesena, much to their credit, didn't pull the old park-the-bus tactic with Italy's No. 1 team in town. They attacked Juventus, and for a large portion of the game, they were the much more dangerous side. Sure, Juventus played poorly, but it's not like Cesena was just sitting back and doing nothing.

Their attacking ways were the reason way Juventus' often-shaky defense Sunday night truly struggled to ever find its footing. That allowed Cesena to grab an equalizer on Franco Breinza's fifth goal of the season.

If only Vidal had made that penalty, though. Man, if only.


Random thoughts and observations

Dammit. Just dammit.

Juventus could have easily dropped all three points against Cesena if it wasn't for the three huge saves Buffon made in the first half. All of them came in the first 15 minutes, too, which is a pretty good indication of just how fast Cesena jumped on Juventus.

I know he played well in the first half, but I'm starting to grow tired of seeing Vidal play behind the two strikers. I can understand Allegri's reluctance to change things up because there's not a natural trequartista on the roster, but where have Vidal's best games come this season? In his natural position in the midfield. So ...

... if that means sending Andrea Pirlo to the bench for a couple of games, I wouldn't be opposed to it. Pirlo hasn't been very good this season, and his sloppy turnover led to Cesena's opening goal in the first half. It's not like Pirlo's form right now is telling us he has to play, regardless of how Allegri feels about the maestro's role in the team these days.

Another goal and assist from Álvaro Morata. Throw out how Juventus played as a team, it's fun to see a young player really come into his own and find a great run of form. That's exactly what Morata is doing these days. He's got six goals and four assists in just 782 Serie A minutes this season. I'd say that's being pretty productive.

Regardless of how Juventus played, Claudio Marchisio scoring the game-winning goal on his 200th Serie A appearance would have been a wonderful thing to write about. Unfortunately, Juve's defense had to cough up a lead and kill a post-game thread full of Marchisio praise. I would have liked that.

Coming off a game like this, I'm wondering just how many players Allegri will rest against Atalanta with Borussia Dortmund waiting in the wings a few days later. Paul Pogba could probably use a rest, same with Vidal and a couple other players. We'll see. Allegri has shown he isn't afraid to rotate the squad, that's for sure.

Still plus-7. After a game like that, it definitely could be worse. Although, it also could have been better. Oh well.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

CESENA 2-2 JUVENTUS MATCH REPORT

Feb 15, 2015
 
Sometimes we complain about Juve’s dominance in Serie A. It’s a valid complaint, as seen by last week’s demolition of a once proud Milan side. Every now and then though, a result comes along that pokes a tiny hole in this complaint. Today, Cesena brought it to Juventus and, for at least 90 minutes, made us compete in a Serie A match again. As upsetting as a 2-2 draw is for Juventini, one has to give credit to a Cesena side that never gave up against the league leaders.

In fact, Cesena were the more dangerous team for the first fifteen minutes. Barring a near Pogba wondergoal – and a would be goal had Alvaro Morata not slipped on the artificial turf after Nicola Leali’s failed catch of the ball – Cesena were the only team to come close to scoring in that run of play. Indeed, Gianluigi Buffon had to make three miraculous saves in this fifteen minute period. Three times Cesena started a dangerous counter attack through Juve’s right side, and three times it ended up with shots on goal, saved by Buffon.

Then came the fourth counter attack. This time, Milan Djuric scored. Shockingly the counter attack started from Andrea Pirlo giving the ball away in Juve’s half. From there, Cesena moved clinically. Djuric outpaced Stephan Lichtsteiner – who had a horribly day on the defensive side – and due to the abrupt nature of Pirlo’s intercepted pass most of Juve’s defense were out of position for this counter attack.

Juve’s defense was pretty terrible today. Leonardo Bonucci and Stephan Lichtsteiner were especially bad, but the unit as a whole was just awful. Were it not for Buffon, Cesena could have scored four or five goals. Credit is also due to Cesena’s attacking unit of Djuric, Gregoire Defrel, and Franco Brienza who were constantly harassing Juve’s defense and making very smart passes and moving wisely to further their counter attacks.

Cesena led for about ten minutes, but even as they constantly created scoring chances Juve continued to attack. Indeed, while Juve’s defense was bad, their attacking was relatively functional. In the 27th minute Pogba fed a beautiful cross to Alvaro Morata. Morata headed the ball in and equalized for Juve.

Five minutes later Juventus took the lead. A Morata pass into the box was deflected into the air, and Claudio Marchisio recovered it at the end. Marchisio, in his 200th appearance for Juventus, was right in front of goal and he poked the ball in for Juve’s go ahead goal.

It seemed here that Cesena would break. Juventus have a habit of breaking the will to fight of most Serie A teams, especially once they take the lead. Today this would not be the case. Cesena withdrew for a bit as the first half continued but they were still pretty dangerous. Djuric even caught Lichtsteiner in a bind in the 40th minute, and Lichtsteiner was given a yellow for pulling on Djuric’s shirt.


The 2nd half continued the back and forth of attacking between the sides. In the 47th minute, Morata returned the favor from his goal and found Pogba in the box in space. Unfortunately Pogba slipped on the artificial turf – a common occurrence for the Juve players today -and the opportunity was wasted. Pogba would recover and get the ball, but he was immediately closed down by two defenders.

As aforementioned, Cesena would not give up. Even when they did not get the calls from the ref that they wanted, they continued to fight and mercilessly counterattack Juventus. Their counter attacks continued to build in danger as the 2nd half went on and in the 70th minute they shockingly equalized.

Djuric headed a cross towards Brienza, who was making on run towards the edge of the box. Brienza, completely open, pummeled the chance and the game was tied. Moments later, Cesena scored a moral victory of sorts when Constantin Nica beat Pogba in a one on one outside of Juve’s box. Pogba fouled Nica after he was beaten, which was a good idea given that Nica would have been free into Juve’s box. Pogba was then taken off for Roberto Pereyra.

The last big moment in the match came in the 79th minute when Juve were awarded a penalty. Fernando Llorente was fouled as he attempted a bicycle kick, but Domenico Di Carlo was upset that the ref had missed an earlier Juventus foul, and he ended up being sent off for protesting this penalty kick. It seemed that Juventus would finally put down the stubborn challengers from Cesena. After all, Arturo Vidal was about to take the penalty kick.

Then Vidal took the kick. His effort had the right amount of power, but it sailed wide left and Cesena were given a reprieve. From there, the game was destined to end in a draw. Even after Kingsley Coman and Simone Pepe came on for Juventus, they weren’t able to change anything. Coman barely got in a touch, and when he did he was dispossessed.

It was an unpleasant evening for Juventus. With Roma having drawn earlier in the day though, it’s ultimately a moot point. Juve are still seven points ahead of Roma on the table, and Atalanta come to Juventus Stadium for the next Serie A match. Then comes the big Champions League game versus Borussia Dortmund.


Statistics

Man of the Match: Alvaro Morata

Flop of the Match: Andrea Pirlo

Fouls: 18

Corners: 3

Pass Accuracy: 82%

Shots on Target: 4

Total Shots: 15

Ball Possession: 62%

Formation: 4-3-1-2


Lineups

Cesena: Leali; Perico (Nica 60), Lucchini, Krajnc, Renzetti; Ze Eduardo, De Feudis, Giorgi (Carbonero 83); Brienza; Defrel, Djuric (Rodriguez 83)

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Ogbonna, Evra; Pogba (Pereyra 74), Pirlo, Marchisio; Vidal (Coman 88); Llorente (Pepe 88), Morata

Ref: Russo

Missed penalty: Vidal 82 (J)

 

Video Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_2MrMKgiJI

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Allegri: Juventus won't be arrogant now

The Bianconeri boss says his side failed to approach the game
properly against Cesena and defended Arturo Vidal after his missed penalty.

Feb 15, 2015
 
Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri says his side will learn not to be arrogant after their 2-2 draw with Cesena on Sunday.

Alvaro Morata and Claudio Marchisio put the visitors ahead at the break but Franco Brienza's second-half equaliser and Arturo Vidal's missed penalty ensured the champions failed to extend their lead at the top of the table.

It was only the second Serie A game all season in which Juve conceded two goals and the first time they have allowed the opposition more than five efforts on target in 90 minutes, and Allegri hopes to see his side learn from their mistakes going forward.

"We did not get into the reality of the game. It was not easy to play against Cesena," he told reporters.

"It was a bad performance, it’s a pity because this would’ve been an important step towards the Scudetto, but our advantage is still the same.

"On the one hand, these are painful results, but on the other they get our feet back on the ground to stop any sign of arrogance."

Allegri also refused to pin blame on Vidal after his failed from the spot in the closing stages.

"The penalty has nothing to do with his performance. In the first half he was one of the best, he ran a lot," Allegri added.

"From a psychological point of view, it would've been better had he scored from the spot, but unfortunately penalties can be missed."

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Arturo Vidal Pays Penalty as Juventus
Miss Golden Chance to Extend Serie A Lead

Feb 15, 2015
 
Juventus travelled to Cesena on Sunday, hoping to continue the excellent form that they have shown since the start of the new year. With two comfortable wins seeing them ease into the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, the Bianconeri entered the Dino Manuzzi on an unbeaten run in Serie A which stretched all the way back to October.

Playing on Sunday evening meant the game was the last of the round, and as kick-off time approached, Massimiliano Allegri and his players would have been aware that AS Roma had once again dropped points.

That meant the capital club have now won just a single game on their last six outings, with Juve given the opportunity to further distance themselves from the chasing pack as the Champions League once again comes into view.

Allegri has constantly discussed the importance of going as far as possible in Europe, and the comfortable lead Juventus enjoy atop the Serie A standings will allow him to rest his stars ahead of next week’s last-16 meeting with Borussia Dortmund.

At his press conference on Saturday, the coach promised that Juventus “won’t be rotating the starting line-up but will send out the best possible team,” against Cesena—per the club’s official website—and he would be true to his word. Missing leading scorer Carlos Tevez through suspension, the only other notable absentee was central defender Giorgio Chiellini who was rested in favour of Angelo Ogbonna.

That meant Gigi Buffon would play in his 375th league game for Juventus—seeing him climb to third in the club’s all-time appearance chart—while Nicola Leali would start opposite him in goal for Cesena. Seen as a future Italy No. 1, the 21-year-old is currently on loan from the Bianconeri, but surprisingly he would not be the first to be called into action.

The fiery atmosphere inside stadium inspired Cesena, and the team ran hard at Juve from the outset, Gregoire Defrel drawing two smart saves from Buffon in the opening 10 minutes. Ze Eduardo would also test the Bianconeri skipper, before Milan Djuric gave the home side a surprise lead after Andrea Pirlo gave the ball away.

Those early scares appeared to spark the visitors into life, with Paul Pogba once again the driving force behind everything positive from the reigning champions. It would be his cross that found Alvaro Morata at the near post, the Spanish striker making no mistake with a smart header to level the scores.

Claudio Marchisio’s gamble led to a second goal shortly after, the midfielder pouncing to knock the ball past Leali, and from there the first half would peter out. The second would begin at a far less frenetic pace, Juventus looking to exert some control over their opponents, but Cesena would find an equaliser through a well-taken Franco Brienza strike.

With the Juve defence struggling to contain the effervescent Djuric, but Arturo Vidal would miss the chance to restore Juve’s lead from the penalty spot after a handball from Stefano Lucchini. Just as he did in the Champions League against Olympiakos, the Chilean would fail under pressure and still looks short of his best form.

With the Bianconeri struggling to unlock a resilient Cesena side, Allegri would throw on Simone Pepe and Kingsley Coman to help in the desperate search for a winning goal. None would arrive, however, and Mimmo Di Carlo deserves immense credit for the way his side executed his intelligent game plan.

The eventual 2-2 scoreline means that the gap to Roma remains seven points, though the Giallorossi will need to improve quickly if they are to mount a credible challenge. Juve’s desire to succeed in Europe could aid the capital club’s cause, as they host Turin giants in between the first and second legs of that vital clash with Borussia Dortmund.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Player Ratings: Cesena 2-2 Juventus

Feb 15, 2015
 
 

Cesena

1 N. Leali - Was let down by his defence on the first two Juve goals and didn't have many saves to make.

24 G. Perico - Did not close Evra quickly enough in wide areas and was withdrawn after picking up a booking.

6 S. Lucchini - Could have perhaps done more to stop Morata scoring the equaliser and he was let off by Vidal after conceding a penalty.

15 L. Krajnc - Partly culpable for the opener, but he performed well for much of the remainder.

33 F. Renzetti - Helped ensure Lichtsteiner had minimal impact when attacking but he lost Marchisio as he scored Juve's second.

77 Zé Eduardo - Had a few efforts at goal, none of which looked convincing, but did plenty of running to offer the forwards support.

8 G. De Feudis - Did plenty of running to screen the defence, battling hard for every ball.

5 L. Giorgi - Did not see much of the ball and regularly took the pace out of their breaks by passing backwards.

11 F. Brienza - Played a number of decent passes to feed the strikers and secured a point for his team with a superb equaliser.

92 G. Defrel - The Frenchman's pace caused Juve problems and he pulled a couple of saves out of Buffon, though he should have scored.

18 M. Đurić - The imposing Bosnian was very busy up top, opening the scoring in the first half and assisting Brienza's goal.


Substitutes

2 C. Nica - Replaced Perico in the 60th minute and performed solidly.

7 C. Carbonero - Came on for Giorgi in the 83rd minute.

9 Alejandro Rodriguez - Brought on for Djuric in the 83rd minute.


 

Juventus

1 Gianluigi Buffon - The keeper was busier than he would have expected, making impressive saves from Defrel in the first half.

26 S. Lichtsteiner - The Swiss was very adventurous but regularly left big gaps at the back which Djuric exploited for his goal.

19 L. Bonucci - An early slip-up nearly gifted Cesena a goal, and he struggled with the pace of Defrel and power of Djuric.

5 A. Ogbonna - Struggled up against the Cesena front two but looked comfortable in possession.

33 P. Evra - Was afforded plenty of freedom down the left and got forward consistently but he gave away many cheap free kicks.

6 P. Pogba - The Frenchman provided a great assist for Morata's goal but, on the whole, he was quiet by his standards.

21 A. Pirlo - Caught in possession ahead of the opening goal and struggled to make his mark on the game.

8 Claudio Marchisio - Worked hard in the middle and scored an important second for his side to put them ahead.

23 A. Vidal - Was forced to drop deep to get involved but still struggled before missing the chance to win the game from the penalty spot.

9 Álvaro Morata - Pulled his side level with a header and then provided the assist for Marchisio's goal.

14 Llorente - Struggled to get involved in the game for prolonged periods, but he did win the penalty late on.


Substitutes

37 R. Pereyra - Came on for Pogba in the 75th minute.

7 S. Pepe - Brought on for Llorente in the 88th minute.

11 K. Coman - Replaced Vidal in the 88th minute.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Buffon blasts Juventus attitude
after Cesena draw

The club captain shouldered the blame for his side's display in Sunday's 2-2
draw and has warned his team-mates they cannot afford to become complacent.

Feb 16, 2015

Gianluigi Buffon hit out at Juventus' attitude following their 2-2 Serie A draw with Cesena on Sunday.

Roma's stalemate against Parma offered the champions the chance to extend their lead at the top to nine points, but a disappointing display against Cesena - culminating in a late missed penalty from Arturo Vidal - sees their advantage back at seven.

Buffon moved to shoulder the blame for any complacency within the Juve dressing-room and has called on his team-mates to up their game in the coming weeks.

"The distance at the top remains unchanged and that’s what we were hoping for yesterday," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"But obviously, after Roma’s result, we had hoped for more. It was a very unsatisfactory performance, especially the opening 20 minutes, where we gave them chances that a team like ours shouldn't allow.

"With all due respect to Cesena, who played a great game, it is our fault if we failed to get all three points.

"The attitude was wrong and in these situations the blame is above all down to the captain. It is my job to keep the players fired up and focused, both in the locker room and on the pitch. Obviously I failed in that.

"Some of our less experienced players need to understand that nobody will give us the Scudetto. We have to earn it each and every weekend. In fact, because we are Juventus, we have to win with a 15-point margin before people will give us credit for our success.

"We cannot go around throwing away opportunities like this. The Roma result probably made us think this was going to be easy, but a team like ours can't let itself be influenced by scores from elsewhere."

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Arturo Vidal a shadow of his former
self as Juve only manage a draw

Feb 16, 2015

Another wasted opportunity. With Roma managing only a scoreless draw against last-place Parma, it was believed Juventus would thrash Serie A's second-worst team, Cesena, to open a nine-point gap at the top of the league table. No such luck. Arrogance and nonchalance robbed Massimiliano Allegri and his men of taking another step forward towards another league title and the chance to build momentum prior to their important clash against Borussia Dortmund next week.

One thing that was said before this match was that Cesena possessed athletic ability that could be sustained for short bursts throughout, which made them dangerous. The only problem was whether or not they had the ability to make the most of the opportunities they created. Playing in front of their own fans, Gregoire Defrel not only provided the quality his side required but the confidence to put Juventus on the back foot.

Running rapidly and making the most of the synthetic turf on which they play, Domenico Di Carlo's side played a courageous game full of heart. Working tirelessly to win back possession, they forced their opponent into countless errors and immediately placed Juventus under pressure.

As the match settled, the Bianconeri began to understand how to react to the opponent and how to control the match. However, rather than make the most of their advantage to score several after conceding an early shock, they instead chose to sit back, allowing the Seahorses to profit from another energy expending burst in the second half to equalise.

This arrogance and lack of interest in closing off the match quickly and cynically is what continues to harm Juve and what could well punish them severely in the future. Roma may not be a side too desperate to provide a title challenge but unless the Old Lady shows ambition and determination for the entirety of their matches, surprises will continue to occur and states of panic will continue to ensue.

Sadly for Allegri's team, the midfield leaders proved disappointing for the second consecutive match with only Claudio Marchisio playing to expectation. Juventus may survive without a warrior in Serie A matches, but they can't be without the real Arturo Vidal in Europe. Perhaps one of the top-three midfielders in the world last season, the Chilean is a shadow of his former self and disappointed against Cesena. Mentally, he has gone missing, at times almost playing in a state of fear.

A few months ago it seemed he was gradually recovering his former brilliance, but recent performances have suggested otherwise. Vidal may still be tracking back in hopes of winning a tackle but his runs are not the same, the effort and energy expended are wholly different to what we have seen in previous years while his mental strength has clearly taken a hit. The Chilean plays with less courage, less drive and less intelligence. Allegri continues to insist that Vidal is slowly coming back into his own, even naming him as the best man on the pitch in the first half.

It's worth pointing out that Andrea Pirlo, who looked shamefully off pace and incapable of controlling the game, recovered the ball on 12 occasions. Vidal? Only eight times. Both Marchisio and Paul Pogba made more tackles throughout the game. In fact, Vidal performed worse than many of his midfield teammates in several categories: tackling, recovery, interceptions, duels, chances created and attacking third passes.

Many point out that the role of trequartista simply doesn't suit the midfielder, who is still on the mend. However, one can understand Allegri's logic. Vidal is usually the first to press the opponent when the Bianconeri lose possession, playing high up the field to win back the ball and launch his side forward. A man who was once the side's top scorer, his understanding of the movement in the final third not to mention his defensive ability to recover possession made him a suitable candidate for the role. However, in his current state, Vidal simply cannot provide the team with what they need to pierce through defences. At least not until he believes he can.

While the Bianconeri hope Vidal will slowly show the consistency required, Allegri learned that without Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus are not as secure at the back. The Leonardo Bonucci-Angelo Ogbonna partnership proved abysmal on the night. While the former was outmuscled on most occasions, the latter looked like the frightened player he was under Antonio Conte. Critics were quick to point out that these two do not belong together. However, they started the match against Sampdoria and while they suffered certain hiccups, they were quick to provide their team with the necessary security, safeguarding the central areas to impede the opponent.

The difference in this match was that they faced two bigger players of immense strength who were not only capable of winning the duels but of dominating the area to provoke fear and panic. In this particular match, Juve's centre-backs were exposed to devastating effect making them the wrong choice on the night.

There is an important lesson to be taken from this particular match against the Seahorses. Not even the most inferior of opponents can be underestimated. In order to win, every single match requires heart, intensity and intelligence. This was a wasted opportunity but the gap at the top of the table remains impressive. It's in Europe where fans really hope Juventus will live up to expectations.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Cesena 2-2 Juventus: Bianconeri miss

the chance to extend Serie A lead — again

Arturo Vidal missed a late penalty and the chance to send Juve nine points clear,
as the Seahorses deservedly grab a point amid erratic display by the Old Lady.

Feb 16, 2015

Every so often, Juventus plays a provincial team and get a tougher game than against some of the big boys. Sunday was another one of those days. Given an opportunity, once again, to extend our lead at the top over Roma to nine points, Juve (once again) flubbed their lines with an erratic display.

Juve were good at times, and woeful at other times. Yet, Juventus had the chance to take all three points against a very good Cesena side.

Cesena did not look like the team that's spent pretty much all of the season so far in the bottom three. Quite the contrary. They looked like a team at least in mid-table, pushing for a Europa League spot come end of the season. Their front three of Djuric, Defrel and the veteran Brienza caused no shortage of distress for Juve's back four all game. In particular, Leonardo Bonucci was constantly put through the ringer by both Defrel and Djuric. He especially had a tough time with the big Bosnian in the second half. The Seahorses also enjoyed some penetration from midfield by Ze Eduardo. Their left back, Renzetti, had a solid game generally keeping Lichtsteiner in check and put in the cross that led to their equalizer. If they keep playing like this, they may very well escape the drop.

A few positives to take from this match for Juve.

On his 200th appearance in a Juve shirt, Claudio Marchisio put in a solid — if unspectacular — shift, also getting the go-ahead goal momentarily.
Álvaro Morata was once again good, scoring and inadvertently assisting on Marchisio's goal.
Despite not extending the lead over Roma, Juventus did not lose. And given the way Roma's results have been going lately — five draws in their last seven league games, yikes! — it's not looking likely that Juve's lead will be significantly chipped away soon.
Fernando Llorente did not look as awful as he has for the most part this season. He did win the penalty; his initial attempt would have probably scored if it wasn't for the handball.
With Atalanta and then the big showdown against Dortmund in the next 10 days, Juve need to pick themselves up from this set back and get back on track. We cannot afford to slip up, especially in the second of those games.

At least we'll have Carlitos back against Atalanta...
 

 

MATCH SUMMARY

There was a quick start to this game, with Marchisio getting a shot off right from kickoff, after some good work from Morata and Vidal. Moments later, a Pogba slip and giveaway to Cesena's undoubtedly best player Gregoire Defrel, resulted in a Cesena counter attack down Juve's right — something that would be a feature of the first half — with Defrel's shot forcing a good save from Gianluigi Buffon at his near post.

One minute later, nice one-touch passes between Arturo Vidal, Marchisio and Morata before a cross field pass out left by Vidal for Paul Pogba to control, cut inside and get a shot off, which was well smothered by Nicola Leali. Another minute later, poor control and a slip at the back by Bonucci — who had a poor first half — resulted in another chance for Defrel, but the Frenchman took too long on the ball and Buffon spread himself well to block his shot.

A couple minutes after that chance, Cesena broke down Juve's right again — with Bonucci caught out of position — with Ze Eduardo getting to the box unchallenged before shooting straight at Buffon.

All these chances by the home side were a sign of things to come, as shortly after that Ze Eduardo chance, Cesena deservedly took the lead. Another giveaway in midfield, this time by Andrea Pirlo, led to a 2-on-1 counterattack with Defrel leading the way before sliding a pass across for his strike partner Djuric to coolly finish under Buffon. Cesena had their tails up and continued to attack. On twenty-two minutes, a Vidal giveaway in midfield led to a Cesena counter attack led by Brienza, however his cross for Djuric couldn't be controlled by the Bosnian Ibra lookalike.

Juve finally got a great chance, and it resulted in a goal. Pogba, who was a spectator up to this point, put in a brilliant cross from the left into the box and Morata ghosted in between two Cesena defenders to nod home past Leali at the near post. Not long after, Juve took the lead — this time it was Cesena with the costly error. A throw in was nodded on by Morata, and with two defenders going towards the ball and getting in each other's way, Marchisio made the late run and got to the ball first, just prodding home past Leali. What a way for Il Principino to celebrate his 200th appearance in a Juve shirt.

There weren't many other chances in the first half. The last one of meaning came in the forty-forth minute; a counter attack for Juve started and ended by Pirlo resulted in a shot just wide of Leali's upright. 2-1 to Juve at the half.

The second half didn't kick off with the same frenetic pace as the first but Cesena again started on the front foot. Defrel blew past Ogbonna but his dangerous cross missed everyone. Another sweeping move by Cesena resulted in a chance for Brienza, but his shot went high and wide of the near post. Cesena were enjoying more possession in this half and were growing in stature. They eventually made this pay off in the seventieth minute. A cross from the left was nodded on by Djuric for the wide-open and increasingly dangerous Brienza, who volleyed home from the edge of the area. It was no less than Cesena deserved, as they had pegged Juve back for most of the second half so far.

On 76 minutes, Djuric turned Bonucci — who continued his poor form from the first half - but his finish was poor, sending a bouncing shot straight into Buffon's arms.

With 10 minutes to go, it seemed like Juve were going to take all three points back to Turin. Llorente controlled a cross in the box with his back to goal, but his overhead kick was blocked by the outstretched arm of Lucchini — penalty to Juve! Cesena were incensed with this, and their coach Mimmo Di Carlo was sent to the stands for his protests. It seemed a pretty clear penalty to me, but what do I know? Vidal stepped up to the penalty and sent Leali the wrong way. .. but dragged his penalty well wide, much to the delight of Cesena — and Roma fans — everywhere!
 

 

PLAYER RATINGS

Buffon: 6 Was busier than he usually is against teams like Cesena, but barring the two goals conceded, he put in typically solid shift. Could not be faulted for either of the goals.

Lichtsteiner: 5 Caught out of position a few times in the first half, he picked up a typically silly yellow near the end of the first forty-five. Never really threaten offensively.

Bonucci: 4 A poor performance by Bonucci, who had been pretty solid for most of the season. Usually the better of the defensive partnership, Leo was regularly caught out of position in the first half and was at fault for a number of the chances created by Cesena. Had a very hard time containing Djuric in the second half.

Ogbonna: 5 His lack of pace was exposed on a few occasions by Cesena's flying Frenchman Gregoire Defrel. His performance was not as error-laden as Bonucci's, but he was not significantly better. Definitely did not make a strong case for permanently replacing Chiellini in the starting lineup.

Evra: 5.5 Possibly the best of Juve's defenders on the night — which, frankly, isn't saying much. He was more effective than Lichtsteiner going forward, putting in a few dangerous crosses. Was involved in both goals, supplying the throw in which led to the second. Was unfortunately mismatched and manhandled by Djuric on Cesena's second goal.

Marchisio: 6.5 A solid shift by Claudio on his 200th appearance. Ghosted in late to get his second goal of the season for 2-1. Unfortunate that it did not lead to all three points.

Pirlo: 5 One of Pirlo's poorer performances this season. His giveaway led to Cesena's first goal. Only slightly improved after that disaster.

Pogba: 5 Put in a sublime cross for Morata's goal, but did not do much else. Should have been hooked sooner if we're being honest.

Vidal: 5.5 Not a bad performance by King Arturo, but showing once again that playing behind the strikers probably isn't his best role. And, of course, blew the chance to give us the three points with his penalty miss.

Morata: 7 A goal and an assist, couldn't have asked for much more from young Alvaro. Still tries to do too much at times, but showing more and more why Juve spent €20M for Real's benchwarmer.

Llorente: 5.5 Not a bad performance by the big man, and won the penalty with an inventive overhead kick (that may have scored if not for the handball). Still, much improvement is needed in his game. He may get another start against Atalanta if Allegri's rests players for the Dortmund game, but unless he gives a MOTM performance in that game, it will be back to the bench for Fernando.
 

 

Subs

Pereyra: N/A Was on the field for 15 minutes, but really did not do anything worth rating.

Coman: N/A Replaced Vidal with only two minutes to go.

Pepe: N/A Replaced Llorente with only two minutes to go.
 

 

Coach

Allegri: 5.5 Allegri may not be to blame for Juve's poor start to the first half, but when Cesena took a foothold in the game in the second half, he took too long to make changes that could have got Juve back into the driver's seat. I can't help but think that Pogba should have come off earlier; while I understand he has been in great form lately and you would be reluctant to drop a player when he's hot, it just did not seem like his day today. Vidal playing behind the strikers is also not working, and it's time to change it up.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Cesena Shock Juventus,
Hold Champions To 2-2 Draw

Feb 16, 2015

Cesena held leaders Juventus to a shock 2-2 draw after Arturo Vidal missed a late penalty in an exciting encounter at the Stadio Dino Manuzzi last night. The Bianconeri had the chance to go nine points clear at the top of the table after Roma’s shock 0-0 draw with bottom of the table Parma. Carlos Tevez was suspended and Giorgio Chiellini rested, while Cesena missed Luca Vanzania, Andrea Tabanelli, Nico Pulzetti, Emmanuel Cascione and Riccardo Cazzola. The artificial playing surface added a new dimension to the game. Cesena defeated Lazio 2-1 two weeks ago and were positive right from the first whistle in this game as well. Milan Đjurić and Grégoire Defrel caused so many problems for the Juventus defense with the former displaying his strength as a target-man while the Frenchman used his explosive pace and directness to good effect.

The hosts made an aggressive start, earning a series of early corners and Gigi Buffon was on hand early on for the visitors to prevent the Seahorses from taking the lead. The Juventus keeper stopped Grégoire Defrel from scoring at his near post. Defrel had another chance for the hosts, a much more straightforward one than the first. Leonardo Bonucci’s first touch let him down and Defrel was allowed to go clear on goal, but Buffon came to the rescue one-on-one. Again Buffon was called into action this time saving Ze Eduardo’s tame effort , as the goalkeeper faced three saves in the opening 11 minutes. Cesena finally took the lead however through Milan Đjurić after 17 minutes. Andrea Pirlo misplaced a pass leading Defrel to break, the 23 year old found Đjurić in the box who coolly slotted his effort past the impressive Buffon, who was finally beaten. This was only the fifth goal Juventus have conceded away from home this season. Prior to the goal however Fernando Llorente fluffed a great opportunity as he missed a free header which was looking costly. However Juventus regrouped quickly and equalized soon after the shaky start. Paul Pogba’s brilliant cross found Álvaro Morata free in the box who headed in from six yards out to make it all square at the Dino Manuzzi. The Bianconeri completed the turnaround soon after when Morata’s flick-on found the on-rushing Claudio Marchisio who made it 2-1 to the Old Lady. It was only his second goal of the season but marked a joyous occasion striking on his 200th appearance for Juventus in Serie A. Just before the break Pirlo tried to make it 3-1 but his effort just went wide.

Cesena began the second half like they started the first. Defrel, who was a menace throughout the evening, tormenting the Juventus back-line saw his effort go sailing over. He was again causing problems when he flashed the ball across the face of goal with Đjurić just unable to get the decisive touch. Franco Brienza attempted to equalize for the hosts in dramatic fashion with his splendid half-volley flying over the bar and that was only a warning, as he got the equalizer few minutes later. Djuric knocked down a cross on the edge of the area for Brienza to smack it first time with the outside of his left boot, right into the bottom corner past Buffon.. Đjurić was attempting to make it three goals and three points for the hosts. He controlled a lump up field, out-muscling Leonardo Bonucci as a result before scuffing his shot straight at Buffon. With eight minutes remaining Juventus had a chance to claim all three points when they were awarded a penalty. Marchisio’s cross found Llorente who controlled magnificently and was brought down by Stefano Lucchini, he also handled Llorente’s overhead kick in the same move. Mimmo Di Carlo was furious and was sent off for dissent, but Cesena stayed in the game anyway because Arturo Vidal stepped up and promptly dragged his spot-kick wide. Cesena remain in the relegation zone in Serie A, while Juventus miss out on the chance to extend their lead over Roma at the top by nine points.


Talking Points

Juventus could have easily dropped all three points against Cesena if it wasn’t for the three huge saves Buffon made in the first half. All of them came in the first 15 minutes, too, which is a pretty good indication of just how fast Cesena jumped on Juventus.

Another goal and assist from Álvaro Morata. He has got six goals and four assists in just 782 Serie A minutes this season which has been pretty productive.

Claudio Marchisio could have scored the game-winning goal on his 200th Serie A appearance but unfortunately it was not to be. The Italian international was once again a livewire in the middle of the park and was one of the very few positives for Max Allegri last night.

Juventus are still ahead of Roma by 7 points. After a game like that, it definitely could have been worse. Although, it also could have been better.

Cesena’s 2-2 draw with the champions, only hours after Parma had taken a point off Roma, showed that Italian football boasts a healthier competitiveness than the Serie A table would suggest. Domenico Di Carlo’s side were only the second team to score twice against the Bianconeri this term and would have been more than worthy winners had they gone on to become the first side in 77 games to net three past Gianluigi Buffon. They may sit in 19th spot, but Cesena showed the rest of Serie A how to get at Juve. Their pace and energy in the channels regularly found holes and will have given Massimiliano Allegri plenty to think about.

Sunday’s two headline-grabbing results will make the rest of Serie A sit up and ponder what can happen if they put their minds to it. Cesena achieved a result that many Italian clubs would dream of picking up and they did so by backing themselves. This should be the blueprint for all top-flight sides gearing up for a clash with the Old Lady. The Seahorses hit them in the channels, they got balls into the box, they had Djuric roughing it regularly with the two centre-backs – and they caused countless problems as a result. Cesena have set the standard; more challenges like this, and it may take Juventus much longer than anticipated to wrap up a fourth straight title. Meanwhile, further displays like this will help Di Carlo’s side in their battle to beat the drop. Serie A has the potential for more days like this. It just needs more of its teams to have confidence to get the right result.

 

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

[Socrates 8516]

CESENA - JUVENTUS

2 - 2

Milan Đurić (17')

Álvaro Morata (27')
Claudio Marchisio (33')

Franco Brienza (70')

Sunday, February 15th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Dino Manuzzi Stadium, Cesena
Referee: Carmine Russo

Morata: I prefer winning games
to scoring goals

The striker scored his sixth of the season on Sunday but chose not
to celebrate as his side slumped to a disappointing draw.

Feb 16, 2015

Juventus striker Alvaro Morata says he prefers winning games to scoring goals in the wake of the Serie A champions' 2-2 draw with Cesena.

The 22-year-old scored his sixth league goal of the season on Sunday but felt the disappointing nature of the result diluted the importance of his strike.

"It was great to get on the scoresheet," Morata told reporters.

"But when we don’t get all three points, the goal takes on a lesser significance. I always want to win."

The former Real Madrid man then offered Cesena praise for their efforts and noted the difficulty of playing on an alternative surface.

"It was a tough game that we could have triumphed in but ultimately we drew and earned ourselves an important point.

"Cesena are a good outfit, a tough nut to crack on their own patch and it’s difficult to come away from here with a win. They know that playing on an artificial surface makes it challenging for any opponent that comes here. They played their football and it paid dividends for them.

"We can’t dwell too much on tonight’s result and need to shift our focus to the next game."

Juventus remain top of the Serie A table and hold a commanding seven-point lead over second-placed Roma.

 

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