Juventus Season 2014-2015

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Juventus 3 - Cesena 0:
Initial reaction and random observations

Cesena tried to park the bus 10 seconds after they arrived at Juventus Stadium.
Arturo Vidal and his killer mohawk full of badassery had other ideas.

Sep 24, 2014

As I sat there not even 10 minutes into Juventus-Cesena, it was pretty easy to figure out a few things.

1 - Cesena were going to throw everything humanly possible behind the ball as they tried to come away with a point.

2 - Because of that, the next 80 minutes were going to be relatively all Juventus possessing the ball, with an occasional Cesena counterattack thrown in there just to change things up a bit.

3 - Long shots. Lots of long shots.

The good thing in all of this, though?

Arturo Vidal, a man who supposedly signed with Manchester United about a couple hundred times this summer, was back in the starting lineup for the first time since he returned from international duty with a muscular injured. And, on top of that, Vidal got back to his scoring ways, scoring a brace and leading Juventus to a convincing 3-0 win over newly-promoted Cesena. First, beating Nicola Leali from the penalty spot, and then unleashing an absolute missile off his right football to beat Leali at the back post.

Another good thing?

Just how commanding Juventus were. They were in complete control from the onset. The match just had a vibe of Juventus would have to completely shoot themselves in the foot to come away with something other than three points. In a game that could be a difficult game for some teams, Juve just took care of business. Was it a little frustrating in front of goal sometimes? Well, yeah. But they got the job done — and that's the most important thing in all of this.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
#Allegri: "It’s important to handle games like these with great care and not allow the tension to ease up after the #UCL." #JuveCesena

Random thoughts and observations

Sebastian Giovinco attempted 12 shots. Cesena, as a team, attempted one shot.

Said Cesena shot was saved by Gianluigi Buffon, who could have calmly knitted a sweater or two between each touch of the ball he had Wednesday night.

Don't let the three goals fool you, Nicola Leali played very well in goal for Cesena. WhoScored has him down for 10 saves in the game, and that seems about right based on how Juve were simply dominating the possession from the opening whistle. Other than misreading a Patrice Evra cross in the second half, there weren't a lot of noticeable things the 21-year-old on-loan Leali did wrong. He nearly saved a penalty, made a handful of acrobatic saves, and was one of the few bright spots for a Cesena side that has now lost two out of its last three games.

Simone Padoin plays, Simone Padoin gets an assist. Simple math, folks.

Add this performance to the list of games where Claudio Marchisio argues that Juventus don't need to sign some huge name on the transfer market to be the club's new regista. The more he plays in the deep-lying role, the more he just looks the part. A few Marchisio numbers: 123 touches, 93 percent pass accuracy, and a game-high four tackles. I mean, the guy is talented to begin with, but this just seems to be growing into a perfect match.

Angelo Ogbonna was really, really good. And it's the second game in a row where he's been really, really good. That's the kind of player Juventus envisioned when they signed him from cross-town rival Torino for a nice chunk of change last summer. Sure, Juventus didn't have to defend much with Cesena laying back so much, but they didn't miss a beat with their most in-form defender, Martín Cáceres, out injured.

Seventy-two percent possession. SEVENTY-TWO PERCENT POSSESSION. It looked like a lot, and you just go "Wow!" when you actually see the final total. Thanks for coming, Cesena. Safe travels back home.

Max Allegri stuck to his word and didn't fully rotate things Wednesday night, but this win was a display of just how far Juventus' squad depth has been improved compared to the last few years. Roberto Pereyra has been great, Ogbonna has been great, Giovinco was one of Juve's best players. I can go on and on about it, but I'll just leave it at this: It's nice to see the reserves come in, give the likes of Carlos Tévez and Paul Pogba a rest, and just keep the train rolling right along.

Next Juventus home game: Roma on Oct. 5. I suspect Juventus Stadium will be a bit more crowded and raucous on the first Sunday in October than it was against Cesena on Wednesday night.

Just as we predicted in his first couple days as Juventus manager: Max Allegri has gone 5 for 5 and has seen his defense not allow a goal to open the season. Yep, just how we drew it up.

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

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Juventus 3-0 Cesena: Virtuoso Vidal Sees
Bianconeri Maintain Perfect Serie A Start

Sep 24, 2014

Juventus defeated Cesena 3-0 in Serie A action at the Juventus Stadium on Wednesday night.

A first half penalty from Arturo Vidal was followed up by a second strike from the Chilean in the second, before Stephan Lichtsteiner wrapped things up late to see the Bianconeri through and maintain their 100 per cent record in the Serie A.

The home side had the first chance after 10 minutes when Sebastian Giovinco saw his free kick blocked by the Atalanta wall, but the forward unleashed a shot from the rebound that was well saved by Nicola Leali.

The Bianconeri were rewarded for their aggressive start with a penalty in the 17th minute when Emmanuel Cascione was called for a handball off a Roberto Pereyra shot.

While the call may have looked harsh, Vidal stepped up and squeezed it by a diving Leali to give the home side the 1-0 lead.

The Cavallucci Marini responded in the 31st minute when Guido Marilungo unleashed a stinging drive from 25 yards out that Gianluigi Buffon had to punch away.

Llorente responded two minutes later as he found space in the penalty area with a nice turn only to see his effort go just over the crossbar.

Giovinco was the dangerman in the 41st minute when his shot from outside the area left Leali flat-footed before going just wide of goal.

The second half started much the same way the first did as Giovinco once again tested Leali, with Vidal sending his follow-up over the frame of the goal.

The diminutive forward continued his attack on Leali in the 61st minute but the young shot stopper did well to send the shot out for a corner.

The Bianconeri’s pressure would pay off in the 64th minute as Vidal controlled the ball from just outside the penalty area before sending his effort to the far post and past Leali to make it 2-0.

Second half substitute Alvaro Morata should have made it 3-0 after 75 minutes but the Spaniard failed to send his effort into the back of the net from six yards out after being set up by Patrice Evra.

Juventus put things to rest in the 85th minute when Lichtsteiner burst down the right before sending his shot across goal and past Leali to make it 3-0.

Giovinco had one last chance to get his name on the scoresheet in the 88th minute, but it was not to be as the Italian’s effort hit the post to keep his goal tally at zero for the season.

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

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Player ratings

Sep 24, 2014

Juventus

1 G. Buffon - A very straightforward night for the Juve legend, with his one real save from Marilungo being a relatively easy one.

5 A. Ogbonna - Tidy in possession, commanding in the tackle and a physical presence in attack. A good display.

19 L. Bonucci - Juve's last line of defence as his centre-back colleagues often scurried up field. However, he rarely needed assistance as he marshaled Marilungo well.

3 G. Chiellini - Appeared to enjoy himself against pragmatic Cesena. Roamed forward constantly and saw a lot of the ball.

26 S. Lichtsteiner - Not quite as involved as perhaps he would have liked, but he was a thorn in the side of Cesena nonetheless and he netted the third late on with a delightful finish at the end of a good run.

23 ARTURO VIDAL - An unstoppable force when at his best and Cesena had no answer to him. His forward runs were purposeful, his passing incisive and he netted Juve's first goals.

8 C. Marchisio - Busy as ever in the middle of the park and his forward passing caused a few problems amongst the Cesena defence. An enterprising performance.

37 R. Pereyra - Very dangerous in the first half as he generally drifted out towards the left, and won the penalty. However, he did seem to fade out in the second period.

33 P. Evra - Never stopped bombing forward down the left, giving Cesena and Perico in particular an uncomfortable day, while he also hardly had a thing to think about from a defensive perspective.

12 S. Giovinco - A constant terror for the Cesena defence, who simply could not contend with his evasive movement, set-pieces or ability on the ball. He went close several times and hit the post late on, but he just could not find a deserved goal.

14 Llorente - Saw enough of the ball while he was on, but the service in to him was not particularly great and his finishing was not much better. Eventually replaced by Morata.


Substitutes

20 S. Padoin - Claimed a fine assist for Lichtsteiner after coming on in the latter stages and he almost scored the fourth with a decent effort from distance.

9 Álvaro Morata - Looked confident with the ball at his feet after replacing Llorente for the final 20 minutes, but he will be devastated to not score after producing an air kick eight yards from the target.

7 - S. Pepe -

Cesena

1 N. Leali - A competent display for the most part, producing a couple of eye-catching saves, none more so than to deny a Giovinco half-volley in the first half.

15 L. Krajnc - The 20-year-old Slovenian defender seemed more attentive to Juve's runners from deep than his team-mates and he made a vital interception to deny Lichtsteiner just before half-time.

6 S. Lucchini - The captain put in a few silly challenges and, although Llorente was nowhere near his best, Lucchini struggled to get the better of him.

25 D. Capelli - A fairly ineffectual display against Juventus' dominant attack, with his most notable contribution coming in the shape of a flailing elbow planted right on Marchisio's nose.

24 G. Perico - Occasionally offered an outlet on the right, but most of his time was spent trying -- and failing -- to counter the attacking threat of Evra.

5 L. Giorgi - One of the two deeper midfielders for Cesena, Giorgi endured an uncomfortable night trying to keep an eye on both Giovinco and Pereyra, who moved around a lot and caused many problems.

34 E. Cascione - Conceded the penalty for having his hands needlessly high and his set-piece deliveries were terrible. On the whole, a day to forget.

3 A. Mazzotta - As part of the midfield trio, it can come as no surprise that Mazzotta had little impact as Juve barely allowed Cesena a kick of the ball. Unsurprisingly withdrawn at half-time.

33 F. Renzetti - One of Cesena's few attacking threats, but the left-sided wing-back's final ball was generally very poor.

92 G. Defrel - With Marilungo doing most of the work in attack, Defrel was virtually anonymous for much of the game and his impact was minimal.

89 G. Marilungo - Often appeared to be playing a lone role in the final third, such was his isolation. Despite being forced to do much by himself, with Defrel doing little, he did cause Juve a few issues and tested Buffon.


Substitutes

7 C. Carbonero - With Perico faltering and on a yellow card, Carbonero entered. Nevertheless, he did not do much better against the rampaging Evra.

10 M. Coppola - Introduced for the poor Mazzotta at half-time and he was not able to produce much of an improvement. He did, however, seem to put himself about a bit more.

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

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Vidal is not even in good
shape yet, warns Allegri

The Chile star scored twice in the champions' 3-0 win over Cesena
and his coach was delighted with his impact.

Sep 24, 2014

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri has warned that Arturo Vidal is not even fully fit yet after his star performance in his side's 3-0 win over Cesena.

The Chile international burst back on to the Serie A scene, scoring a penalty and a well-taken low drive to put his side firmly in the driving seat before Stephan Lichtsteiner sealed the win in the closing stages.

Allegri was delighted with the performances of the players who slotted into his rotated starting XI and warned that Vidal is not yet even at his very best.

"It was a positive night because we won, which was the most important thing," he told Sky Sport Italia.

"Giovinco played very well for 90 minutes, Vidal was not in great shape and was still decisive, Ogbonna and Pereyra continue to do well. It’s important to have 15-20 players in good shape during a long season, especially when our intensity level drops.

"Unfortunately we have some players with injuries and we must try to get them back into shape by playing, but winning at the same time.

"We controlled the ball well and didn’t allow Cesena many good opportunities and I was pleased to see the concentration levels stayed high."

Allegri also believes Juventus need to improve despite their 100 per cent record in Serie A so far, as he looks adapt the side from the system of Antonio Conte.

"Every coach trains the way he thinks is best and has different ways of expressing his ideas. Conte's Juventus had three years of excellent results," he said.

"I am fortunate to be Juventus coach. I think each game lasts 90 minutes and you have to read it.

"At times you need to raise the tempo, at others lower it, and some players don’t need to be completely caged by tactics. I think games are won with organisation and excellent players, otherwise it becomes like playing on a computer and that’s not possible.

"I inherited a side with great organisation, but this team still needs to improve a great deal."

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

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Arturo Vidal scores twice
as Juventus defeat Cesena

Sep 25, 2014

Juventus defended their place at the top of Serie A with Arturo Vidal on target twice in a 3-0 win over Cesena.

The Chilean scored first from the penalty spot and then from open play as Massimiliano Allegri's men made it four wins out of four at the start of the season.

Stephan Lichtsteiner added the third in a dominant performance from the Bianconeri.

Allegri made a few changes to his usual starting XI, most notably giving Vidal his first start of the season and resting Carlos Tevez with Sebastian Giovinco taking his place.

The pint-sized forward was a livewire as usual and he want close to giving Juventus the lead with a free-kick in the 10th minute which hit the wall before his rebound was pushed over the crossbar by Nicola Leali.

Juve continued to press and they had two penalty appeals waved away before Emanuele Cascione was adjudged to have blocked Roberto Pereyra's shot intentionally with his arm.

Vidal stepped up and although Leali went the right way, and got a hand to the ball, he could not keep the Chilean's spot-kick out.

Fernando Llorente and Giovinco both went close to adding a second in what was becoming a monologue for the hosts, who still had to wait until the 64th minute before Vidal settled any nerves.

Giovinco was the provider for the midfielder to drill in his shot from just outside the penalty area.

That broke Cesena's resistance and their belief that they might snatch a point, and Juve had chances to run away with it.

In the end, they had to settle for a third goal from Licthsteiner, who lifted his shot over the onrushing Leali to make it three in the 85th minute.

Giovinco was denied the goal which would have capped his evening in the 88th minute when he hit the post, but enough damage had already been inflicted on Cesena.

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

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Bisoli: Juventus Were Too Much For Cesena

Sep 25, 2014

Pierpaolo Bisoli has admitted his Cesena side found the going tough against Juventus in their Serie A meeting on Wednesday evening.

The Bianconeri triumphed 3-0, with Arturo Vidal opening the scoring on a penalty which Bisoni saw as pivotal to limiting his side’s chances.

“We knew we had to do everything well this evening,” the Cavallucci Marini tactician admitted in his post-match press conference.

“I understand that an incident like [the penalty] brought everything to collapse in on us.”

The spot-kick was awarded after Emanuele Cascione was judged to have handled the ball inside his own penalty area.

“Compared to Roma there was a step forward.

“At home we are different, but I have seen a clear improvement tonight. I would always like to win, but when a team is stronger you have to admit it.

“In Serie A single incident can change a game, and that rule is doubly important to us.”

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

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Vidal returns with a bang as Allegri
shows Conte the secret to rotation

The reigning champions made it four wins out of four in Serie A in 2014-15 with
a comfortable victory over Cesena. There were plenty of positives for the Bianconeri.

Sep 25, 2014

COMMENT
By Carlo Garganese

One of the biggest criticisms of Antonio Conte during the second and third years of his Juventus reign was that he didn’t rotate his squad well enough.

This proved to be particularly harmful on the continent where the current Italy boss regularly fielded almost identical XIs just days after Serie A matches.

The Europa League semi-final second leg stalemate against Benfica, which ended Juve’s hopes of contesting the final in their home stadium, was Conte’s darkest hour in this regard. Ten of the starting XI that night played just three days earlier in an away match at relegation-threatened Sassuolo despite the Scudetto being virtually unlosable.

Conte often responded to his detractors by stressing that the “Scudetto is our priority”. But he failed to recognise that such is the gulf in quality between Juve’s squad and most of Serie A that there are plenty of opportunities to rest players and still win comfortably.

Juve’s home clash with newly-promoted Cesena on Wednesday is a perfect example of such a game. If Conte was in charge, he would have likely fielded a full-strength XI – and used Roma’s 100 per cent start to the season as justification.

Conte’s successor Massimiliano Allegri wisely chose to rotate his line-up for a match Juve were always going to bag three points from. Carlos Tevez, who was in unstoppable form after scoring four goals in his last three games, was benched along with Paul Pogba and Kwadwo Asamoah. In came Sebastian Giovinco, Patrice Evra and the returning Arturo Vidal – as Roberto Pereyra retained his place. Due to other injuries, Juve actually began the game with just six first team players.

During a congested period of fixtures, some of Juve’s star players were able to catch a breather ahead of a crucial week of football. The Bianconeri travel to Spanish champions Atletico Madrid in the Champions League next Wednesday before welcoming Roma to Turin on the Sunday in a Scudetto showdown.

This kind of rotation policy is an absolute must if Juventus are to have any hope of closing the gap on Champions League giants like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea.

Wednesday’s victory was as comfortable as they come. They boasted more than 70 per cent of possession, dominated territory, while Cesena had just one attempt all game. The biggest positive was, of course, the return from injury of Vidal. The Chilean was nowhere near his best and even admitted during his half-time interview with Sky that he was "a bit tired and wasn't at 100 per cent".

But such is Vidal's quality that even half-fit, as he was during the World Cup, he is still a man possessed. He slotted home a first-half penalty before striking home a brilliant second from the edge of the area on 63 minutes. He was substituted to a standing ovation with 10 minutes remaining, shortly before Stephan Lichtsteiner completed a 3-0 victory.

Giovinco was lively during a rare outing and went close on a number of occasions (hitting the post), while Claudio Marchisio showed increased maturity in the ‘Pirlo role’. The biggest negative was a very lethargic Fernando Llorente, who again disappointed and was substituted with 20 minutes remaining for Alvaro Morata - who himself missed a sitter.

Juventus continued their flawless start to the new season, and you would not bet against them getting close to their record 102-point tally from the previous campaign. The Bianconeri have won all five of their games in all competitions without conceding. And by rotating smartly, as Allegri did tonight, they may even make their mark on Europe too.

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

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Buffon: Roma war will last all season

The veteran goalkeeper cannot foresee the Giallorossi dropping out of the title chase,
with Juventus and last season's runners up neck-and-neck at the top of Serie A.

Sep 25, 2014

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that the club's battle with Roma for the Scudetto will be a season-long war.

Roma were Juve's only real contenders for the league title last season but the Turin giants managed to ease ahead and win it for a third successive time.

Massimiliano Allegri's men have won all four of their opening Serie A games of this season, but so have Roma, and the veteran Bianconeri shot-stopper thinks the two Italian sides will be jostling for the top position for the rest of 2014-15.

"It will be tough to repeat ourselves again in our battle with Roma," Buffon told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "It will be a battle which will go on for another year as the Giallorossi are top with us again.

"Roma will fight for the Scudetto until the very end, they have the strength and talent to bag wins with good performances. They reinforced in the summer, but we have not lost our grip either.

"If Roma finish top of Serie A next year they will have done so on merit. I think this rivalry makes the league more compelling."

Buffon refused to compare Allegri's way of running Juve with Antonio Conte's three years with the Turin club, in which they won three successive Scudetti.

"There is no comparison to be done," the Italy international added. "I have too much experience to answer which team is stronger - whether it's Conte's or Allegri's.

"Juve were fantastic under Conte. I hope that Allegri can repeat Conte's successes, then we'll be on track.

"Allegri has experience at big clubs, he's always managed his teams well despite pressure from the media and club chiefs."

Juve travel to Atalanta on Saturday hoping to stay ahead of Roma, whom they are currently ahead of on goal difference, in Serie A.

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

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CESENA

-

Arturo Vidal 18'
Arturo Vidal 64'
Stephan Lichtsteiner 85'

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium - Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Lichtsteiner: Defence Has Always Been
A Key Strength For Juventus

Sep 25, 2014

Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner has admitted that one of the Old Lady’s main strengths is their strong defence, which is what helped them defeat Cesena on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old scored a goal for the Bianconeri in their 3-0 home win over the Seahorses and he has attributed the positive result to his team’s ability to have everyone on the pitch alternate between attacking and defending in order to help keep control of the ball.

Lichtsteiner spoke to the press after the victory against Cesena about the difficulties Juventus had faced in the beginning of the match and the qualities that aided the home side in securing the three points.

“The defence has always been one of our key strengths, because we defend ourselves with all eleven players and then attack with al eleven players,” said the Swiss international.

“We have forwards and midfielders who already know that they’ll have to make certain sacrifices and this is what gives us security.

“We had done good against Cesena because in the beginning it was not easy, we had some chances to score but we weren’t particularly sharp in front of the goal.

“However, we had always kept hold of the game and, once we unlocked the result, we had continued to play our game, deserving the win.”

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Preview: Atalanta vs. Juventus

Sep 25, 2014

Juventus will be hoping to maintain their early lead in Serie A when they face Atalanta in the Italian top flight this weekend.

The defending champions have won all four of their matches so far this season, including a 3-0 win over Cesena earlier this week.

The Turin side welcomed back Arturo Vidal from a knee injury in their last match, and will be hoping that the Chilean playmaker will be involved again in this match.

Meanwhile, Atalanta will be hoping to bounce back for defeats in their last two league outings.

A 2-0 defeat to Inter Milan earlier this week has left the club 11th in the table, just a point above the relegation places.

The visitors have a number of players carrying knocks, but have reported no fresh concerns following their midweek match.


Recent form

Atalanta: DWLL

Juventus: WWWW


Possible starting lineups

Atalanta: Sportiello, Zappacosta, Benalouane, Cherubin, Drame, D'Alessandro, Carmona, Estigarribia, Cigarini, Bianchi, Moralez.

Juventus: Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini; Romulo, Vidal, Marchisio, Pereyra, Asamoah; Giovinco, Llorente.

Sports Mole says: 0-3

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Atalanta V Juventus: Oribici Up Against
The Unstoppable Bianconeri Machine

Sep 26, 2014

Atalanta host Juventus at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia on Saturday evening, hoping to halt the Bianconeri’s current run of victories.

Massimiliano Allegri’s men have won their opening four Serie A matches in a most convincing fashion and it will take something special from the Oribici to get a point or more from this match.

Last season, the game ended in a spectacular 4-1 victory for the visitors, as Carlos Tevez, Paul Pogba, Fernando Llorente and Arturo Vidal downed the side from Bergamo, with Maxi Moralez getting the solitary goal for Atalanta.

The current campaign has not started so well for coach Stefano Colantuono, as his side have only earned one win in their four games and have struggled to score. Last time out, they were convincingly beaten 2-0 away to Inter and have only picked up maximum points away to bottom team Cagliari.

Having only scored twice so far, Colantuono dropped German Denis from the starting line-up against the Nerazzurri but Rolando Bianchi and Moralez faired little better, as they both failed to find the net.

Denis is expected to start against Juventus alongside Richmond Boakye who also missed the Inter tie. The Ghanaian is owned by the Bianconeri, and it will be interesting to see how he plays against his parent club.

However, there is some good news for the coach as young keeper Marco Sportiello and Italy U21 full back Davide Zappacosta continue to impress despite their club’s indifferent form. Both should feature on Saturday evening against the current Serie A champions.

Allegri’s Juventus look in terrific form and with Champions League football on the horizon, the ex-AC Milan coach may look to rest a few of his regulars. Romulo may get a rare chance at right wing-back in place of Stephan Lichsteiner and new Spanish signing Alvaro Morata could start his first game for the club, allowing compatriot Llorente to take a well earned break.

Italian international midfielder Andrea Pirlo has begun to train with his team mates after a lengthy lay off due to injury, but he is very doubtful to even make it onto the bench this weekend. Angelo Ogbonna will continue at centre back as both Martin Caceres and Andrea Barzagli recover from various knocks.


Expected Starting XIs

ATALANTA - Sportiello; Zappacosta, Biava, Cherubin, Drame; Gomez, Carmona, Baselli, Estigarribia; Boakye, Denis

JUVENTUS - Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini; Romulo, Vidal, Pogba, Marchisio, Asamoah; Morata, Tevez

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Atalanta vs. Juventus: Key Issues
That Will Shape Serie A Game

Sep 26, 2014

Having handily dispatched Cesena on Wednesday evening, Juventus travel to Bergamo on Saturday for their next Serie A fixture. Their comfortable 3-0 win over Pierpaolo Bisoli’s men—reviewed here—marked their fourth straight victory to start the season, and they will look to add three more points against Atalanta.

Their opponents have endured a difficult start to 2014-15, losing to Inter and Fiorentina in their last two outings. Currently sitting in 11th place in the table, they will be glad to see the easier run of fixtures following this encounter with the reigning Italian champions.

Massimiliano Allegri insists there is more to come from his side, despite the fact they have won five games in all competitions without conceding a single goal. “I inherited a side with great organisation, but this team still needs to improve a great deal,” he told Sky Italia on Wednesday (h/t Football Italia).

Over the following pages is a look at the issues which will shape this match as they seek to do just that, identifying the matchups and factors which could ultimately decide the result against the Orobici.


Juve’s Injury Hit Defence

One major area for concern in the Juventus side is in defence, Martin Caceres joining Andrea Barzagli on the sidelines with an injury. Angelo Ogbonna filled the void left by the absent duo on Wednesday, turning in an impressive display despite being fielded in an unfamiliar position.

With German Denis yet to score for Atalanta, how the reshuffled Bianconeri backline copes with the Argentinean striker could well decide the result of this match. Gigi Buffon already has four clean sheets to his name, and the team will certainly be looking to add to that tally.


The Midfield Battle

As with seemingly every Juventus fixture, how their opponents cope with the Bianconeri midfield is likely to have a major impact upon the outcome. While Vidal and Andrea Pirlo have struggled with knocks, Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio have ensured their team-mates are not overly missed.

Both have been excellent thus far, with the latter turning in a superb display against Cesena as his passing dominated the game. Atalanta boast a talented group of midfield players themselves, with Luca Cigarini and Maxi Morales two names to monitor closely.


The Form of Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper Marco Sportiello has been in excellent form so far this term, often the difference in ensuring Atalanta haven’t suffered even heavier defeats. According to Fox Soccer, only Genoa’s Mattia Perin (21) has made more saves than the 22-year-old after four matches and he has also managed one clean sheet.

Juventus clearly boast the quality to find their way past even the best of stoppers, but Sportiello’s ability to frustrate them could weigh heavily here.


Tuesday’s Big Champions League Fixture

Following this match, Juve are next in action on Tuesday, travelling to Spain to face last year’s Champions League runners-up. Atletico Madrid will provide a stern test for the Bianconeri, and the prospect of that on the horizon could affect the game with Atalanta.

Allegri has already proven unafraid of rotating his side, using no less than 20 players in the first four league fixtures. That, allied to Arturo Vidal’s ongoing injury worries, seems to suggest the coach could once again field a much-changed line-up on Saturday.

Atalanta will seek to exploit any lack of focus from the Turin giants, while La Madama must hope she can once again muster a performance to see off a determined opponent.

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Atalanta v Juventus: Preview

Sep 26, 2014

Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon believes it will be harder to win the scudetto this season with Roma having already shown themselves to be serious title contenders.

The Italian champions are level on 12 points with Roma at the top of the Serie A standings ahead of Saturday's game at Atalanta.

Like Juve, Roma, who finished second - 17 points behind the Bianconeri last season, have enjoyed a perfect start to the campaign.

``It's going to be very difficult to win the scudetto again against this strong Roma,'' Buffon said. ``I know that Roma will fight until the end for the league title.

``They have strengthened their team this summer and have grown in confidence thanks to their good results.

``We want to continue to impress and we are on the right path. I think it's going to be a thrilling campaign.''

Juve travel to Bergamo having yet to concede a goal this season and looking for their fifth-straight league triumph.

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri is expected to hand Spanish striker Alvaro Morata his first start against Atalanta and rest Fernando Llorente in view of Wednesday's Champions League match at Atletico Madrid.

Against Atalanta, Morata will partner Carlos Tevez in attack.

Tevez returns to the starting line-up having rested in Wednesday's 3-0 triumph over Cesena.

Atalanta head into the encounter on the back of Wednesday's 2-0 loss at Inter Milan. The result followed their 1-0 defeat to Fiorentina and dropped the Bergamaschi to 12th place with just one win so far.

Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono has urged his players to put their recent setbacks behind them and focus on putting in a great performance against Juve.

``We must turn the page,'' he said. ``We face a very difficult game against Juventus and will try to do our best.

``The important thing is that we play our game and fight until the end because if we do, the results will eventually arrive.''

Atalanta defender Giuseppe Biava has recovered from a muscular injury and will play against Juve.

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Strong start vital for Juventus this season - Chiellini

The Italy international is confident they can continue their good form
as they prepare for trips to Atalanta and Atletico Madrid.

Sep 26, 2014

Giorgio Chiellini is delighted with Juventus' start to the 2014-15 campaign and is confident they can keep up their fine form in the weeks to come.

The reigning Italian champions have won all four Serie A games so far this season without conceding a goal, while they also started the Champions League in positive fashion with a 2-0 win over Malmo.

Some important games await, including the trip to Atletico Madrid, and Chiellini is optimistic about Juventus' chances of success.

"We’re happy with how we’ve started the season. It’s an important signal following the eventful summer we experienced," Chiellini told the official Juventus website.

"The many positive signals bode well for the upcoming games. Arturo Vidal has made his comeback following the injury he sustained on international duty.

"But we’ll keep moving on and working hard on a daily basis because we know we’re just at the start.

"The Champions League is different from Serie A on a physical level. We got off to a good start, but must put in a top performance in Madrid."

Atletico, meanwhile, were beaten 3-2 by Olympiakos in their Group A opener.

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Allegri: Juve can still improve

Sep 26, 2014

Max Allegri updates on the conditions of Andrea Pirlo, Andrea Barzagli and Arturo Vidal and reflects that Juventus can still improve.

The Bianconeri head out to Atalanta on Saturday evening looking to maintain their 100 per cent start to the League season, before fixtures with Atletico Madrid and then Roma.

It was put to the Coach at today’s Press conference that this is a decisive week for the team.

“This team is first class regardless of the next few results,” Allegri responded.

“Technically speaking, Juve can still improve in order to win the Scudetto once again and do better in Europe.

“I feel that we can still improve in terms of speed of passes and in the offensive development of plays. The game against Roma will be a great one, but it won’t be decisive and we won’t be thinking about it before Thursday.

“Tomorrow’s game in Bergamo will be difficult because winning there is never easy for anyone. I’ll play the best starting XI I can.

“Pogba and Tevez will be back, while Llorente is doing really well – even if he didn’t manage to score, he is playing a lot for the team.

“But if Alvaro Morata was to play, I would feel confident all the same because he’s got great qualities and he can only improve.

“I don’t really want to talk about rotation. Let’s only say that there will be some changes because saying rotation would degrade those who play less.

“The game against Cesena showed that this Juve can do well even when four or five pseudo-starters are missing. Giovinco, Pereyra, Ogbonna and Evra all played well.”

Key players like Andrea Barzagli and Andrea Pirlo might be back just in time for the games against Atletico and Roma.

“Pirlo will play a friendly match on Sunday against the reserves or against a non-League team in order to put some minutes under his belt. Let’s see how he feels after that.

“So far he underwent some tests and they went well. It’s been 33 days since his injury so we want him to be in excellent conditions.

“On Monday night he will be with the team, just like he was this morning. I’ve also tried Padoin in his position but at the moment Marchisio is doing a fantastic job and he is improving game by game.

“Barzagli is working separately in order to be back in a week’s time. It’s important that everyone recovers as soon as possible so that I get the chance to rotate them throughout the season.”

The same is true for Arturo Vidal who scored a brace against Cesena in midweek.

“Vidal needs to train and play at the same time. He hasn’t played a lot so far and against Cesena on Wednesday it was evident that he struggled after the first 70-75 minutes.

“So he needs to find some balance between training and game time, but the most important thing is that he doesn’t suffer any problem to his knee. So this is a key moment for him.”

When asked if fans will get the chance to see Llorente, Morata and Tevez altogether on the pitch, Allegri dismissed the possibility.

“That would be for the show and I don’t really like shows. Let’s throw in also Coman and Giovinco, but it’s not that the more strikers you play the more games you win. It doesn’t work like that.

“I’ve always stated that players who come off the bench are equally important. Pepe, Morata and Padoin proved that the other night.

“Some players will play more, some less but I think and hope that nobody will see off the season with only one game played in the end.”

Allegri also explained why he suddenly disappears into the tunnel once the referee’s whistle blows.

“I tend to march away because I want fans to applaud the players. The only thing I can do is helping them by making the least damage I can. This is part of myself and I’ll always do this.”

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Juve list 21 for Atalanta

Sep 26, 2014

Juventus have listed 21 players for their Week 5 trip to Atalanta, with Andrea Pirlo and Andrea Barzagli still absent.

The duo were confirmed in today’s Press conference by Massimiliano Allegri as continuing their recovery from respective injuries and, as expected, neither make it into the squad for tomorrow’s League match.

Arturo Vidal, off the back of starting in midweek against Cesena, is once more included in the selection.


Juventus squad to face Atalanta: Buffon, Chiellini, Ogbonna, Pogba, Pepe, Marchisio, Morata, Tevez, Coman, Giovinco, Llorente, Bonucci, Padoin, Asamoah, Vidal, Lichtsteiner, Storari, Evra, Rubinho, Pereyra, Mattiello

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Colantuono wary of ‘quality’ Juve

Sep 26, 2014

Stefano Colantuono expects a very difficult game on Saturday when his Atalanta side face reigning champions Juventus.

With four wins from four games, the Bianconeri have gotten off to a perfect start in Serie A, and their Week 5 hosts’ Coach has explained how tough it is coming up against them.

“I’ve followed all the Juventus games and I think that it’s the team that, by some distance, is the strongest in the championship,” Colantuono said.

“There doesn’t exist a strategy to stop them - if you attack, you leave them too much space and they punish you.

“If you try to defend in numbers, like teams have done in this opening part of the season, sooner or later they break through because they have players of incredible quality.

“We will have to play with our mentality, hoping to do the best we can. Against Fiorentina and Inter we played well, like a team aware of its own limits and capabilities.

“To at least have a chance we need to play with our mentality. The Bianconeri, I repeat, are so strong - they have unique technical qualities, great aggressiveness, and an excellent organisation of play.

“But starting out with a defensive shape would be a suicidal move. I want to see a little more competitive nastiness in the final third.”

Colantuono also mentioned that he would have to make some changes from the line-up that played midweek against Inter.

“Rotation is always a double-edged sword because it doesn’t make sense to change a lot of players all at once.

“I will do my evaluations, but certain players will have to play out of necessity.

“I will evaluate the changes based on the games we have coming up, it will be a game of sacrifice.”

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Allegri: Pogba And Tevez Will Be Back
For Juventus Against Atalanta

Sep 26, 2014

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed that several first team regulars will return to the Bianconeri starting line-up against Atalanta on Saturday evening in Serie A.

Allegri rotated his squad during the 3-0 win against Cesena on Wednesday, but will look to maintain Juve’s one hundred per cent start to the season with at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia by recalling key players such as Paul Pogba and Carlos Tevez.

“Tomorrow’s game in Bergamo will be difficult because winning there is never easy for anyone,” the 47-year-old tactician said during his pre-match press conference.

“Pogba and Tevez will be back, while Fernando Llorente is doing really well – even if he didn’t manage to score, he is playing a lot for the team.

“I don’t really want to talk about rotation.

“Let’s only say that there will be some changes because saying rotation would degrade those who play less.

“The game against Cesena showed that this Juve can do well even when four or five regular starters are missing.

Allegri also provided an update on the fitness of Arturo Vidal and whether Andrea Barzagli and Andrea Pirlo will be able to return from injury in time for next week’s matches against Atletico Madrid and Roma.

“Vidal needs to train and play at the same time,” he continued.

He hasn’t played a lot so far and against Cesena on Wednesday it was evident that he struggled after the first 70 minutes.

“So he needs to find some balance between training and game time, but the most important thing is that he doesn’t suffer any problem to his knee.

“Barzagli is working separately in order to be back in a week’s time, while Pirlo underwent some tests today and they went well.

“Pirlo will play a friendly match on Sunday in order to put some minutes under his belt.

“Let’s see how he feels after that.”

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Atalanta-Juventus Preview: Champions'
perfect defence meets blunt attack

Massimiliano Allegri's men have yet to concede in Serie A this season
while the home side - beaten by Inter this week - have only scored in one game.

Sep 26, 2014

Serie A leaders Juventus will be banking on their defensive strength when they travel to Atalanta on Saturday.

Juve, unsurprisingly, are the early pace-setters ahead of Roma in the Italian top flight after four rounds, albeit on goal difference.

The defending champions have won all four games to date following Wednesday's routine 3-0 win over Cesena, while Atalanta are eight points off the pace after back-to-back defeats.

Juve's defence has stolen the headlines, with the Italian giants yet to concede a goal in the league - the only team to do so thus far.

Juve's last Serie A match without a clean sheet came as far back as last season, which came in a 3-1 victory over Sassuolo on April 28.

Switzerland international defender Stephan Lichtsteiner - on the scoresheet against Cesena midweek - said Juve's willingness to defend all over the pitch has been key to their success in recent seasons.

"It has always been one of our strong points because all the players attack and defend in unison," Lichtsteiner said.

"We have strikers and midfielders at our disposal who give their all and this offers us security."

Carlos Tevez is a prime example of Juve's desire to attack from the front, with the Argentine striker known to harass defenders in order to win possession.

Tevez - Juve's equal top goalscorer with two goals - and midfielder Paul Pogba were both rested for Wednesday's fixture as sought-after Chile international Arturo Vidal bagged a double.

Massimiliano Allegri is expected to recall Tevez and Pogba to the starting XI and Juve will be confident of preserving their 100 per cent record, with Atalanta struggling for form.

Consecutive goalless defeats to Fiorentina and Inter means Atalanta have only scored in one match this season - a 2-1 win at Cagliari.

Marcelo Estigarribia and Richmond Boakye - a Juve loanee - are the only two players to find the back of the net for Atalanta.

Juventus have won the past eight meetings between the two teams, scoring 21 goals in the process.

Atalanta have not collected a point against Juventus since drawing 2-2 in 2009.

HEAD TO HEAD

Serie A - May 5, 2014 - Juventus 1 - 0 Atalanta
Serie A ‎- Dec 22, 2013 - Atalanta 1 - 4 Juventus
Serie A - May 8, 2013 - Atalanta 0 - 1 Juventus
Serie A ‎- Dec 16, 2012 - Juventus 3 - 0 Atalanta
Serie A ‎- May 13, 2012 - Juventus 3 - 1 Atalanta

LAST FIVE MATCHES

ATALANTA

Sep 24, 2014 - FC Internazionale 2 - 0 Atalanta - Serie A
Sep 21, 2014 - Atalanta 0 - 1 Fiorentina - Serie A
Sep 14, 2014 - Cagliari 1 - 2 Atalanta - Serie A
Aug 31, 2014 - Atalanta 0 - 0 Hellas Verona - Serie A
Aug 23, 2014 - Atalanta 2 - 0 Pisa - Coppa Italia


JUVENTUS

Sep 24, 2014 - Juventus 3 - 0 Cesena - Serie A
Sep 20, 2014 - AC Milan 0 - 1 Juventus - Serie A
Sep 16, 2014 - Juventus 2 - 0 Malmo FF - UCL
Sep 13, 2014 - Juventus 2 - 0 Udinese - Serie A
Aug 30, 2014 - Chievo 0 - 1 Juventus - Serie A

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

MATCH PREVIEW

Sep 26, 2014

The fixtures are coming thick and fast for Atalanta, who face an uphill task to end their losing run in Serie A against a rampant Juventus on Saturday.

Successive defeats to Fiorentina and Inter have increased the pressure on Coach Stefano Colantuono, who once claimed that he had a job for life in Bergamo.

The 51-year-old watched his side put in another encouraging display at the Giuseppe Meazza, but their efforts ultimately proved futile. The tactician, meanwhile, is refusing to panic just yet.

“The important thing is that the results will come in the long run, but it was a strange match. We played better after the restart, but in the first half we had problems with our finishing,” Colantuono said after Wednesday’s loss.

"We must think about survival first, and then we'll see. Unfortunately, even against Fiorentina, we offered a good performance but secured no points.”

However, Atalanta will be boosted by the return of Giuseppe Biava. The veteran centre-back was rested against the Nerazzurri midweek, but he is set to regain his place in the heart of the defence against the champions.

Juventus, on the other hand, have enjoyed an invincible start to the season, which has yielded nine goals without reply.

The Bianconeri continued their imperious form against Cesena on Wednesday, courtesy of a 3-0 victory on home soil, but what made their win all the more impressive, in Massimiliano Allegri’s eyes, was how his rotation policy paid dividends.

“At times you need to raise the tempo, and at others lower it. Some players don’t need to be completely caged by tactics,” Allegri told reporters after the final whistle.

“I think games are won with [the right blend of] organisation and imagination, otherwise it becomes like playing on a computer, and that’s not possible.”

Arturo Vidal, who marked his return from injury with a pair of goals, will keep his place in Juve’s midfield for the trip to Atalanta, while quartet Paul Pogba, Romulo, Kwadwo Asamoah, Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata are expected to come into the fold.


Keep an eye on: Alvaro Morata (Juventus) – The striker is set to make his full Bianconeri debut on Sunday, yet he has already shown enough potential in small doses to suggest that he will become an astute piece of business for the Italian champions. Rather than being thrown into the deep end, the 20-year-old has been eased into his new surroundings, and he will be able to kickstart his career in Turin without any pressure, starting against the Orobici.


Form Guide: Atalanta ( -D W L L) Juventus ( -W W W W)

Last season: Atalanta 1-4 Juventus

Stat fact: Atalanta’s last home win against Juventus came 13 years ago, courtesy of a late Nicola Ventola goal.

ATALANTA (probable):

Sportiello

Zappacosta, Biava, Cherubin, Drame

Estigarribia, Baselli, Carmona, Gomez

Denis, Boakye

Suspended: None

JUVENTUS (probable):

Buffon

Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini

Romulo, Vidal, Marchisio, Pogba, Asamoah

Tevez, Morata

Suspended: None

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Atalanta vs. Juventus Preview: Round 5
Sweeping our way through September?

Sep 26, 2014

O was how his teams started each season during his time at AC Milan. It was no secret, and for whatever reason, it wasn't a one-time deal, either. Allegri's Milan squads were notorious for starting the season poor and sluggish, with it ultimately costing him his job no matter how you feel about the squad that was assembled around him.

How his Allegri started his career as Juventus manager?

Win. Win, win, win. And, most recently, another win midweek against Cesena in Turin. Juventus has played five games (four in Serie A, one in the Champions League) — and they've won them all. Just for fun, they have yet to allow a goal in those five games, too, which is another sign of how well Juve are playing under their new boss. If there was ever a way to start a season as a manager, I'm sure Allegri would choose exactly what is going on right now.

But Allegri isn't settling for a handful of quality wins. This is what he said after Wednesday's 3-0 win against Cesena at Juventus Stadium:

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
#Allegri: “I’ve inherited a well organised team, but this group can and must improve further.” #JuveCesena

MAX ISN"T SATISFIED AND HE WANTS YOU TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

We've seen Antonio Conte's squads win at the start of the season, but not always while playing their best. Conte's teams started to truly click when November and December rolled around (although that didn't always pay off in the Champions League). While Allegri acknowledged Juve are nowhere near their peak, it's not like his team is playing anywhere close to poor right now, either. With both Atlético Madrid and Roma waiting in the wings before the second enthralling international break arrives, Allegri knows that keeping the train rolling is Priority No. 1 tomorrow night.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
#Allegri: "It’s never simple for anyone to win in Bergamo. Atalanta approach the game on the back of 2 defeats and will cause us problems."


JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
#Allegri: "We need to go there prepared and aim to claim three fundamental points ahead of Atletico and Roma." #AtalantaJuve

You see, that's exactly what you want to hear — regardless of who is on the upcoming fixture list. But it's just that much more imperative that Juventus don't slip up in their annual trip to Bergamo. Why? Because Maxi said so. (And it's not like I disagree with him, too.)


GOOD NEWS

I like the way Juventus has started the season. You like it, too. That wasn't so hard, was it? Indeed.


BAD NEWS

To be honest with you, I'm tired of talking about injuries preview after preview. You might ask yourself, "Well, you write it, so why do you keep mentioning it?" And that's a good point. So, for this match preview, I won't mention Andrea Pirlo, Andrea Barzagli, Martín Cáceres, and Luca Marrone are still working their way back from their respective injuries. We can also add Romulo, who wasn't called up for the trip to Bergamo, to the list of players currently injured.


WHAT TO WATCH FOR

1. Can Juventus keep the shutout streak going?

Gigi Buffon had to make all of one save against Cesena on Wednesday, thus putting forth the notion that Juventus always want their legendary goalkeeper to have a few nights off even though he's actually still on the field. History tells us that Atalanta has only scored two goals in their last six games against Juventus, not exactly an inspiring tally for a club that hasn't beaten the Old Lady in Bergamo since 2001. And it's not like Atalanta has been lighting things up this season, scoring all of two goals in their first four Serie A games. They've been shutout by both Fiorentina and Inter in a 72-hour span, and if you bet money on things, the odds are probably pretty heavy in Juventus' favor that another clean sheet could be on the way for the boys from Bergamo.

2. Who starts, who sits?

We're not talking about full squad rotation, but maybe just a return to what we've seen before Juve faced Cesena? I'm not sure what Allegri has in store when it comes to his starting lineup. Even with Atlético Madrid and the Champions League on the horizon, it seems like the starting lineup will be more or less what we've seen sans-Cesena on Wednesday night. Allegri was rather coy on the matter when asked about it at his pre-match press conference on Friday, so it's not like Max was helping us figure out what is going on. But if Cesena was the game where some of the regulars got a rest, then doesn't common logic tell us those who were rested will return to the starting lineup? Maybe that's just me thinking out loud here.

3. How a rested Carlos Tévez plays.

While his team was dominating Cesena, our dear Carlitos looked a little ... tired? Bored? Maybe wanting to go out and play with his friends like a little kid would? Or maybe it was something else, I dunno. Either way, it seems as though it's all but certain that Tévez will return to the Juventus starting lineup on Saturday night. Before he got some rest midweek, Tévez was absolutely rolling, scoring four goals in four games in all competitions. Pretty good, huh? Yeah, that's pretty good. No matter who starts alongside him against Atalanta, Tévez will be taking the field in great form and well rested. That sounds like a pretty good combination to me.

4. Can Fernando Llorente break his Serie A duck — if he plays?

The last time Juventus made the trip to Bergamo, Llorente had officially shaken off the rust of not playing much at all for Athletic Bilbao and was in damn good form. He recorded a goal — a lovely one at that — and an assist in Juventus' 4-1 win over Atalanta last December. Things are a bit different for Fernando this time around. It's not like he's playing poorly, he just hasn't found the back of the net in five appearances (five starts) this season. That's not reason to panic, especially since he's contributing in other areas, but it might be a factor in Allegri potentially giving Llorente a rest and hand Álvaro Morata his first Juventus start. I mean, Allegri did say Morata "needs minutes under his belt" at his pre-match press conference. And if my memory serves me right, there's only one true way to get somebody a big chunk of minutes

5. Keeping an eye on Richmond Boakye.

In the understandable fervor surrounding Juventus-owned strikers like Domenico Berardi, Simone Zaza and Manolo Gabbiadini, spending a year on loan in Spain might have caused Boakye to fly a little under the radar. Now that he's back in Italy, it's obviously much easier for all of us to keep tabs on the young Ghanian striker, who has one of Atalanta two goals this season. Boakye spoke about his desire to come back to Juventus at some point and do great things in the lead up to Saturday's match. One way to improve the club that still owns your contract? To play well against them. Pretty easy to figure out, huh.


My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Pereyra, Marchisio, Pogba, Asamoah; Tévez, Morata


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]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

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Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Allegri urges Juventus not to underestimate Atalanta

The former AC Milan boss has warned his side to be on their mettle on Saturday
and is ready to recall Carlos Tevez and Paul Pogba to the starting XI.

Sep 27, 2014

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has warned his side not to underestimate Atalanta ahead of their Serie A clash on Saturday.

The two teams have experienced differing fortunes so far in the campaign, with the Bianconeri making a 100 per cent start without conceding a goal, and Atalanta losing their past two matches, picking up four points overall.

But Allegri says the Nerazzurri were unlucky not to have earned more positive results against the likes of Fiorentina and Inter and has warned his side against complacency in their encounter.

“Atalanta approach the game on the back of two defeats despite putting in good displays during both, especially in the home game against Fiorentina," the 47-year-old told reporters.

“They possess greater quality with respect to previous years, have plenty of pace up front, two attack-minded wingers and a target man either in the form of German Denis or Rolando Bianchi.

“We’ll look to come back with three points that would be fundamental ahead of our upcoming fixtures against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and Roma in Serie A.

"The latter will be a fascinating affair and important for the league, but not decisive at this stage. There are still plenty of points up for grabs.”

The former midfielder also gave an update on the fitness of a number of his stars.

"I think Pogba and Tevez will return," he continued.

"Vidal needs to both train and play. He struggled a little bit in the second half against Cesena [a 3-0 win in which he scored two goals], but is in very good shape and the goals served as a morale boost.

"Pirlo will train in Vinovo tomorrow before playing a friendly designed to give minutes to those who need them."

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Boakye Keen To Impress Against Juventus

Sep 27, 2014

Atalanta host reigning champions Juventus on Saturday and on-loan Ghanaian striker Richmond Boakye wants to do well against the club that co-owns him.

The 21-year-old is in his third loan spell away from Juventus in the last three seasons having spent a season with Sassuolo, where he was also out on loan before joining Juventus and having a further season on loan with Elche.

Speaking to Tuttosport, the striker spoke about his desire to do well against the Bianconeri as he said, “I am happy to be playing against Juventus, but we will do everything to beat them.

“The defeat against Inter gives us a new desire and we have new ideas which we will try to put in place against Juventus along with all the grit that the coach gives us as we want to give great satisfaction to the fans.”

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Atalanta V Juventus – Team News,
Tactics, Line-Ups And Prediction

Sep 27, 2014

Juventus travel to Bergamo to take on a stuttering Atalanta on Saturday evening. Massimillliano Allegri’s side have made a perfect start to their new campaign and are yet to concede a goal so far. Considering the absence of first team starters like Andrea Pirlo and Andrea Barzagli, the lively beginning to the season has surprised many. Juventus will have one eye on the away trip to Vicente Calderon on Wednesday but will be equally aware of the tough task ahead of them in this game at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia.

Atalanta are traditionally very strong at home but surprisingly they have registered only one point out of a possible six so far this season. The 1-0 loss against Fiorentina in match week 3 was a particularly poor result as they looked listless on the field against a relatively inexperienced La Viola outfit. Stefano Colantuono will be rallying his troops for this tough task and will be well aware of the monumental task ahead of them tomorrow.


Team news and tactical brief

ATALANTA

Atalanta have made an indifferent start to the new season picking up only one win out of the four games played. They were comprehensively outplayed against Inter Milan on Wednesday and the task does not get any easier as they host the champions now. Stefano Colantuono knows that his side are firmly the underdogs here but another defeat could create some pressure even this early on in the season. Marco Sportiello who saved a Rodrigo Palacio penalty midweek will continue in goal. The center-back pair of Guiseppe Biava and Nicolò Cherubin will have their toughest test so far this season against a solid Juventus frontline. Davide Zappacosta has earned rave reviews following his steady performances with the Under-21 side and Juventus are reportedly interested in acquiring his services for the upcoming season. He has been a regular fixture in the Nerazzuri lineup so far this season and he will be a starter again this Saturday. Senegal international Boukary Drame who joined from Chievo in the summer will start in the left-back position.

Ex-Juventus winger Marcelo Estigarribia will be lining up against his old team on Saturday. The tricky Paraguayan winger could prove a handful for Asamoah and he will have to keep an eye on him as Estigarribia could cause problems on the field. Daniele Baselli has been touted by many as a natural regista capable of filling Andrea Pirlo’s boots in the future. He will be up against a really strong looking midfield on Saturday and this will be a major test of his credentials. Chilean international Carlos Carmona will start alongside Baselli in midfield. If Atalanta are to create a major upset this weekend then much will depend on how Alejandro Papu Gomez performs. The lively Argentine winger had many successful seasons at Catania before his move to Ukraine which did not pan out exactly the way he would have thought. However, he is back in Italy and while he has still not rediscovered his old form, Gomez on his day can prove to be a really dangerous option for his side. Colantuono will be hoping that his enigmatic winger is back to his brilliant best against the champions. Upfront Richmond Boakye who is on loan from Juventus will be hoping to put on an impressive display against his parent side while his strike partner German Denis, who was on the bench against Inter on Wednesday, will be looking to get off the mark in this new campaign in his first start this season.

Probable Starting Line-up (4-4-2): Sportiello; Zappacosta, Biava, Cherubin, Drame; Estigarribia, Baselli, Carmona, Gomez; Boakye, Denis

JUVENTUS

Juventus head coach Massimilliano Allegri categorically denied the idea of resting his key players ahead of the midweek Champions League game and he will bring back his main players for this tricky test. Andrea Barzagli was not summoned for this game but his recovery from injury has been going on pretty steadily. Martin Caceres is expected to start against Atletico Madrid midweek so Angelo Ogbonna will retain his place on the right side of the back three. Even though he is left-footed, the former Torino captain has performed admirably against AC Milan and Empoli in this position and he should feel confident about his role although he will face a potential threat in the form of Papu Gomez tomorrow. Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci will be looking to keep up the impressive run of clean sheets along with the ever reliable Gianluigi Buffon in goal. Andrea Pirlo will take part in a friendly game on Sunday after which his situation will be assessed carefully. But his absence has been pretty much overshadowed by Claudio Marchisio’s brilliant start to this season. He has looked incredibly comfortable in the regista position and he will be expected to be the driving force again this game.

Arturo Vidal is not 100 percent fit but still he scored a brace against Cesena on Wednesday. Allegri claimed the Chilean would be regaining his sharpness slowly in training and by starting these games for the team. He is expected to start alongside Frenchman Paul Pogba who was rested midweek but will be back as the starter in midfield. Kwado Asamoah is expected to return as well in place of Patrice Evra while Stephan Lichtsteiner will be on the field from the first minute as Romulo,who was expected to start tomorrow, misses out with an injury. Allegri dropped a strong hint that Spanish striker Alvaro Morata will be making his debut against Atalanta. He had an unfortunate start to his career in Turin but displayed enough quality in his substitute appearances to suggest that he has what it takes to make the difference in this level. Carlos Tevez was rested midweek but he will be looking to continue his explosive start to the new campaign by adding to the 4 goals he has already banged in. The Argentine was once again overlooked in the national team but that disappointment should not be an obstacle for El Apache to drive Juventus towards a vital win in Bergamo.

Probable Starting Line-up (3-5-2): Buffon(GK); Chiellini, Bonucci, Ogbonna;Lichtsteiner, Asamoah, Marchisio, Pogba, Vidal; Morata, Tevez


Players to Watch Out For

Arturo Vidal (Juventus)

Arturo Vidal opened his account for the season with a brace midweek against Cesena. The Chilean is still short of full fitness and has been carefully used so far by Massimilliano Allegri. The game against Atalanta will be his 100th in Italy. He has notched up 30 goals so far for the Bianconeri, a staggering return for a midfielder. A leader on the pitch, Vidal is simply irreplaceable and Juventus will be hoping he regains his full fitness quickly and help Juventus march forward towards more glory.


Richmond Boakye (Atalanta)

Richmond Boakye joined Juventus on a co-ownership deal from Genoa in 2012. He was sent out to gather first team experience firstly to Sassuolo and then to Elche in Spain. This season he is in Bergamo and has already scored his first Serie A goal. A good display on Saturday could have a positive impact on the Juventus directors who must settle the co-ownership deal next season.


Prediction

Atalanta 1–2 Juventus

Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia is a very tricky place for any visiting side and Juventus would be well advised not to take this game lightly. A quick goal can settle the nerves better although this will be a really challenging test even after that. However, the strong defence which is yet to concede a goal could be the deciding factor here. Juventus are expected to scrape home with a win.


Blast From the Past

Juventus ran out 4-1 winners last year in this fixture. The task won’t be so simple this time one feels.

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

[Socrates 8516]

ATALANTA - JUVENTUS

-

Saturday, September 27th, 2014 8:45 PM
Atleti Azzurri d'Italia Stadium - Bergamo
Referee: Daniele Orsato

Line-ups: Atalanta-Juventus

Sep 27, 2014

Juventus try to maintain their 100 per cent record away to Atalanta with Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente.

It kicks off at 20.45 CET.

The Bianconeri are the first team in Serie A history to win all four opening rounds of the season without conceding a goal.

Andrea Pirlo, Martin Caceres, Andrea Barzagli, Romulo and Luca Marrone are still unavailable, but Max Allegri rotates his squad after a 3-0 midweek win over Cesena.

With an eye on next week’s Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid, he was expected to rest Llorente in favour of ex-Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata.

However, Allegri is taking no chances and sticks with his best available XI.

Arturo Vidal starts again in a bid to find match fitness, having scored twice on Wednesday.

Atalanta are coming off two consecutive defeats against Fiorentina and Inter, but tend to be tough to beat in Bergamo.

German Denis is back after being rested and starts with Richmond Boakye, who is co-owned by Juventus and Genoa, and ex-Catania forward Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez.

Marcelo Estigarribia also faces his former club, but Giampaolo Bellini is on the treatment table.


ATALANTA: Sportiello; Zappacosta, Biava, Benalouane, Drame’; Estigarribia, Baselli, Carmona, Gomez; Denis, Boakye

Atalanta bench: Avramov, Stendardo, Del Grosso, Scaloni, D’Alessandro, Migliaccio, Bianchi, Moralez, Cigarini, Molina, Cherubin, Raimondi


JUVENTUS: Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Marchisio, Pogba, Evra; Tevez, Llorente

Juventus bench: Storari, Rubinho, Padoin, Pepe, Asamoah, Pereyra, Mattiello, Coman, Giovinco, Morata

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