Juventus Season 2014-2015

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Cagliari 1-3 Juventus:
Bianconeri return to winning ways

Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Fernando Llorente all netted before
Luca Rossettini netted a late consolation for the struggling Sardinians.

Dec 18, 2014

Juventus cruised to a 3-1 win at Cagliari on Thursday to secure their place at the top of Serie A heading into the mid-season break.

Back-to-back draws against Fiorentina and Sampdoria meant Massimiliano Allegri's team travelled to Sardinia with a slender one-point advantage over nearest challengers Roma.

Carlos Tevez scored from close range to hand the defending champions an ideal start and Arturo Vidal struck a sumptuous second to make it 2-0 after 15 minutes.

Fernando Llorente added a third early in the second half and, although Luca Rossettini pulled a goal back, Zdenek Zeman's strugglers remain winless in the league since late October and in the bottom three.

By contrast, Juventus are now unbeaten over 10 matches in all competitions.

Cagliari, without a home win in the league all season, were boosted by the return of Victor Ibarbo in attack.

Angelo Ogbonna started at centre-back for Juventus in place of the suspended Leonardo Bonucci, while fellow defender Giorgio Chiellini came back from a ban of his own.

Allegri started without Paul Pogba, the influential midfielder rested as a further yellow card would have ruled him out of the Monday night's Supercoppa Italiana clash with Napoli in Qatar, but his Juventus team immediately tore into Cagliari and were rewarded with a third-minute lead.

Alessio Cragno had already plunged to make a fine save from Llorente's header, but, when Chiellini bundled goalwards from another right-wing cross, the Cagliari goalkeeper could only touch towards Tevez for a simple finish.

Juventus looked to further exploit Cagliari's unease under crosses, but Gianluigi Buffon was called into action for the first time to keep out Albin Ekdal's header.

That chance briefly roused Cagliari, but they fell further behind when Patrice Evra's centre was half-cleared and Vidal curled home a magnificent side-footed finish from outside the box.

Allegri's men were now able to control the game at a comfortable pace, although Cagliari's Danilo Avelar was allowed to advance towards goal and flash a shot past Buffon's near post three minutes from half-time.

Ekdal shot wide when given room to try his luck from 25 yards after the break before Juventus put the result beyond doubt five minutes after the restart.

Andrea Pirlo lifted a perfectly weighted pass into Llorente’s path and the Spain striker spun Luca Ceppitelli before scuffing a shot that squirmed past Cragno.

Marco Capuano volleyed over unmarked from a corner as Cagliari looked to respond and they grasped a lifeline in the 65th minute when Rossettini rose to power home at the back post.

But Juventus' superiority was never truly under threat as the lively Roberto Pereyra twice went close to adding gloss to the scoreline during the closing stages.

Avelar might have set up a grandstand finish, but lashed wide from close range in the 87th minute after Stephan Lichtsteiner blocked his initial header.

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Cagliari 1-3 Juventus: Early Strikes
Drive Bianconeri To Win

Dec 18, 2014

Juventus cruised to a comprehensive 3-1 against Cagliari at Stadio Sant’Elia in Serie A on Thursday evening.

Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal struck early to give the visitors a commanding lead before Fernando Llorente added a third shortly after the break. Luca Rossettini headed home a consolation for Cagliari midway through the second half.

The hosts, under heavy Juventus pressure from the outset, crumbled early. Giorgio Chiellini deflected a cross into Alessio Cragno’s midriff and the keeper was unable to hold onto the ball, allowing Tevez to pounce from close range for his tenth league goal of the season.

Despite falling behind, the Isolani looked lively with Albin Ekdal forcing a decent save from Gianluigi Buffon, however it was only a matter of time before the Bianconeri doubled their lead.

It came after fifteen minutes as Patrice Evra’s cross was poorly cleared and Vidal who was lurking outside the area, provided the precise strike, stroking the ball home into the far corner from twenty yards, leaving the keeper with no chance.

After going two-nil down, the Rossoblu began to assert themselves in the contest with efforts from Danilo Avelar and Ekdal going close but ultimately not bearing any fruit for the hosts as they went into the break two goals down.

Immediately after the break Ekdal went close once more as his low effort was deflected just wide of Buffon’s post and from the resulting corner Luca Ceppitelli was unable to guide his header on target.

It was the Bianconeri, however, who would add to their lead shortly afterwards. Andrea Pirlo’s delightful ball found Llorente who used his strength to hold off a defender before swivelling and squirming a shot under Cragno from close range.

Francesco Capuano should have immediately reduced arrears, but hisclose range volley failed to trouble the Juventus goal and flew harmlessly over the bar.

Zdenek Zeman’s side eventually managed to make their mark on the game when Andrea Cossu’s free kick was easily headed home by the unmarked Rossettini from six yards out.

Roberto Pereyra was guilty of not extending the Bianconeri’s lead on multiple occasions as he failed to take advantage of two clear goalscoring chances while, as usual, Pirlo was dictating the visitor’s play in every way possible and continually dominated the midfield.

Avelar came close to setting up a grandstand finish however he snatched at his late effort and once again failed to test Buffon as Cagliari sought to create a late and unlikely comeback.

The result sees Juventus extend their lead at the summit of Serie A to four points over Roma, albeit temporarily, while Cagliari remain stuck in the relegation zone, one point adrift of Chievo in seventeenth place.

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Juventus crush Cagliari

Juventus will end 2014 top of the Serie A table after a comfortable
3-1 victory away to Zdenek Zeman’s struggling Cagliari.

Dec 18, 2014

This fixture was brought forward to Thursday December 18 as Juve and Napoli prepare for the Italian Super Cup on December 22.

The Sardinians were the only side without a home win this season and hadn’t enjoyed any victories since October 25, putting Zeman on the edge. Juve saw their lead at the top of the Serie A table cut to just one point after three consecutive draws in all competition. Giorgio Chiellini returned from suspension, but Leonardo Bonucci was banned along with the injured Andrea Barzagli, Kwadwo Asamoah, Romulo, Martin Caceres and Luca Marrone. With Marco Sau still injured, Zeman switched his legendary 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 system.

In the opening three minutes Alessio Cragno had to perform a save on Fernando Llorente, then from that corner the goalkeeper’s parry on Chiellini was tapped in from six yards by Carlos Tevez.

Gigi Buffon was also tested, at full stretch to deny an Albin Ekdal header. However, Arturo Vidal got on the end of a poor clearance and curled a magnificent effort off the inside of his right foot from the edge of the box that left Cragno rooted to the spot.

Ekdal had a shot charged down then straight after the restart his strike was deflected inches past the upright.

However, Fernando Llorente made it 3-0 when he gathered with his back to goal, spun round Luca Ceppitelli and placed his finish beneath Cragno. Andrea Pirlo had sparked the move with a pass over the top.

Antonio Balzano ran a risk to intervene, stopping Tevez from pulling the trigger after chesting down in the box.

Cagliari did get one back with a towering header from Luca Rossettini, who soared to meet Andrea Cossu’s free kick. It was the defender’s first goal in over two years and the Sardinian side’s first after three blank rounds.

Godfred Donsah dived in with practically a goal-line clearance on Roberto Pereyra just 30 seconds later, then Pirlo and Stephan Lichtsteiner combined to set up Pereyra, forcing Cragno into a fingertip save.

Alvaro Morata sprung the offside trap on a smart Vidal pass, but couldn’t keep his lob on target. Cagliari also threatened a second goal, Danilo Avelar chesting down a cross to flash a shot across the face of goal.

Cagliari: Cragno; Capuano, Ceppitelli, Rossettini, Benedetti (Donsah 46); Avelar, Conti, Ekdal, Balzano; Cossu, Ibarbo (Caio Rangel 75)

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Pereyra (Padoin 80); Tevez (Giovinco 85), Llorente (Morata 72)

Ref: Mazzoleni

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Cagliari vs. Juventus: Score,
Grades, Reaction from Serie A Game

Dec 18, 2014

Juventus moved provisionally four points clear atop Serie A with a 3-1 victory at Cagliari on Thursday.

Carlos Tevez fired the visitors ahead in just the third minute, Arturo Vidal doubling the lead 12 minutes later with a fine curling strike. Fernando Llorente netted Juve's third in the 50th minute before Luca Rossettini pulled a goal back for Cagliari 15 minutes later.

The result took Juventus on to 39 points from 16 matches, extending the Bianconeri's lead atop the Serie A table to four points over AS Roma. That four-point advantage will hold until at least Saturday, when Roma host AC Milan.

Regardless of the outcome of the Roma-Milan match, Juventus will head into the winter break in first place.

The Bianconeri's next league match is set for Jan. 6, at home to Inter Milan. Nearing the halfway point of the season with just one loss, Massimiliano Allegri's men are in a good position to claim a fourth consecutive Serie A title.

The home supporters at the Stadio Sant'Elia were in fine voice at kick-off, creating a noisy atmosphere for their illustrious opponents. Juventus silenced them quickly with a fast start and an early goal.

The Bianconeri's first chance came in the third minute as Llorente placed a low header on target from a Claudio Marchisio cross. Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno saved, pushing the ball around the post for a corner.

Juventus took the lead from the ensuing set piece. Andrea Pirlo took the corner short, trading passes with Arturo Vidal. The latter then played the ball into the box, where Angelo Ogbonna backheeled deftly into the goalmouth. Giorgio Chiellini was unable to turn the ball in at close range, but a mis-touch by Cragno sent the ball to Tevez, who swept in at the back post.

Peter Galindo @pgalindo16
Cragno could've saved that, though. Can't allow that to happen as a goalkeeper.

Gianluigi Buffon preserved Juve's lead with a good save in the ninth minute, diving to his left to keep out an Albin Ekdal header after Victor Ibarbo crossed from deep on the left.

Six minutes later, it was 2-0. Juventus moved forward at pace, attacking down the left through Patrice Evra. The French full-back crossed into the middle, but the danger seemed to pass as Cagliari cleared. The ball rolled directly to Vidal, who curled his first-time shot around Cragno and into the net at the far post.

Leading comfortably by two goals, Juve cruised through the rest of the first half. Shortly after the restart, Ekdal had a curled shot deflected just wide of the bottom corner as Cagliari searched for a way back into the match.

Instead, Juventus netted for the third time in the 50th minute, taking advantage of another Cragno miscue.

Pirlo played a pass over the top for Llorente, who held off his marker in the box, turned and shot low at Cragno. The Cagliari goalkeeper should have saved, but the ball trickled underneath him and crept into the net for a 3-0 Juve lead.

The visitors were in full control, but Cagliari pulled a goal back in the 65th minute. Andrea Cossu curled in a free-kick from the right, and Rossettini nodded in at the back post to give the hosts hope at 3-1.

Adam Digby @Adz77
Bad defending on the Cagliari goal there, not poor marking. Gotta win that header there, weak from the Bianconeri

At the other end, Cagliari's Godfred Donsah made a timely interception in front of goal to cut out a dangerous Roberto Pereyra pass intended for Marchisio at the back post. In the 77th minute, Cragno saved at his near post to keep out Pereyra's low drive.

Juve continued to attack as full-time approached, but with the result secure, the visitors were able to see out the final 10 minutes in relative comfort.


Grades
 

Gianluigi Buffon 6.6

Stephan Lichtsteiner 6.8

Giorgio Chiellini 7.7

Angelo Ogbonna 7.7

Patrice Evra 7.6

Claudio Marchisio 7.2

Andrea Pirlo 7.6

Arturo Vidal 9.4

Roberto Pereyra 6.7

Carlos Tevez 8.0

Fernando Llorente 8.6

 

Substitutes Rating

Alvaro Morata (for Llorente, 73') 6.4

Simone Padoin (for Pereyra, 81') 6.2

Sebastian Giovinco (for Tevez, 86') 6.1

Ratings via WhoScored.com


Reaction

Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal (via Football Italia):

Today it was important to win and we did it well. We played against a difficult side and put in a great performance. Now we can start to think about Napoli, as there are four or five days to prepare for the game and end the year on a high.

In 2015 I want to get back to being among the best and I am working hard. It was important for us to end 2014 on top of the table.

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Juventus return to winning
ways against Cagliari

Dec 18, 2014

Juventus moved four points clear at the top of Serie A as they returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory at Cagliari.

The Turin giants had drawn their last two games to see their lead at the top cut to just a point by second-placed Roma, but they never looked in danger in Sardinia from the moment Carlos Tevez stabbed home the opener after only three minutes.

Arturo Vidal curled home a fine second before the break and Fernando Llorente added a third early in the second half.

Luca Rossettini headed a consolation for struggling Cagliari, who are now without a win in eight league games.

Juve, without a win in December, got off to a flying start when Tevez followed up to tap home after the ball had come back off goalkeeper Alessio Cragno.

The hosts looked to respond quickly and a powerful header from Albin Ekdal forced Gianluigi Buffon into a sprawling save.

But they found themselves two down after only 15 minutes.

Patrice Evra's low ball in from the left was stabbed out of the area, where Vidal nonchalantly guided it into the far corner with the inside of his right foot.

Juve were home and dry when Llorente netted number three six minutes into the second half.

The Spaniard ran on to a long ball into the right of the area, spun his marker to create a shooting chance and then squeezed a shot under Cragno.

Cagliari pulled a goal back in the 65th minute when Rossettini rose at the back post to head in an Andrea Cossu free-kick from the right.

A comeback never looked likely, though, as the visitors continued to create chances, albeit without extending their lead.

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Vidal: 'Back among best in 2015'

Dec 18, 2014

Arturo Vidal scored a wonderful goal in a Juventus victory at Cagliari and assured “in 2015 I’ll get back to being among the best.”

The Chile international curled in from the edge of the box to help secure a 3-1 result in Sardinia.

“Today it was important to win and we did it well,” Vidal told Sky Sport Italia.

“We played against a difficult side and put in a great performance. Now we can start to think about Napoli, as there are four or five days to prepare for the game and end the year on a high.”

Juventus will face Napoli in the Italian Super Cup on Monday at 17.30 GMT in Doha, Qatar.

“In 2015 I want to get back to being among the best and I am working hard. It was important for us to end 2014 on top of the table.”

With today’s result, Juventus set a new all-time record of 95 Serie A points in a single calendar year.

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

CAGLIARI 1 -3 JUVENTUS MATCH REPORT

Dec 18, 2014

Juventus end 2014 top of the table after a one-sided demolition of Zdenek Zeman’s struggling Cagliari.

The side from Sardinia are the only Serie A team yet to win at home this season and went into the match sitting 18th while Juve saw their lead at the top of the table trimmed down to just 1 point following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Sampdoria.

Giorgio Chiellini returned from suspension while Leonardo Bonucci sat out his one match ban while Andrea Barzagli, Kwadwo Asamoah, Romulo, Martin Caceres and Luca Marrone were all out through injury. Paul Pogba was replaced by Claudio Marchisio as the Frenchman is just 1 booking away from a suspension himself.

Juve started the brighter and Alessio Cragno was forced into a great reaction save from Fernando Llorente’s bullet header. The resulting corner found its way to Giorgio Chiellini whose parried shot was tapped in by Carlos Tevez taking the Argentine to 10 league goals for the season.

Albin Ekdal bought a great save from Gianluigi Buffon but it was Juve that capitalised moments later. Arturo Vidal got on the end of a poor clearance and curled a sublime shot from the edge of the box leaving Cragno with no chance. Vidal has been under criticism from Juventini for his slow recovery from injury, but today’s goal showed that even while he recovers Vidal is still an excellent player and a true threat to opposing sides.

Ekdal was the livliest player on the pitch for Cagliari, having his shot charged down before seeing his fine strike deflected inched wide of the Juve goal. Juve continued their dominance in the second half and it was a moment of brilliance from Fernando Llorente that earned Juve their third. The Spaniard latched onto Andrea Pirlo’s pass with his back to goal before spinning round Luca Ceppitelli and slotting past Cragno to net his fourth league goal of the season.

Cagliari got one back with a header from Luca Rossettini who met Cossu’s free kick but the game was already beyond them. Alvaro Morata had a chance to make it 4 when he got on the end of a perfect Arturo Vidal cross but his lob was just over the post.

Similarly, Roberto Pereyra had a chance to score late in the match but his effort was a tad misfired. Regardless Pereyra had a fine game and is in the running for man of the match. Overall we saw Juventus easily toss aside Cagliari, as they tend to do to Zeman teams. The emphatic win breaks the streak of draws and provides Juventus with a nice boost of form heading into the SuperCoppa versus Napoli.

In defense Angelo Ogbonna was outstanding. While Victor Ibarbo regularly outpaced him Ogbonna was able to consistently squash any threats from Ibarbo. Admittedly, Ibarbo didn’t have many tricks to get around Ogbonna either. Ogbonna has been playing very well this season and usually not in his preferred left center back position. Today was more of the same, as he played right center back in lieu of Leonardo Bonucci, and had a near flawless performance.


Statistics

Man of the Match: Arturo Vidal

Flop of the Match: N/A

Fouls: 7

Corners: 7

Pass Accuracy: 88%

Shots on Target: 7

Total Shots: 13

Ball Possession: 63%

Formation: 4-3-1-2


Lineups

Cagliari: Cragno; Capuano, Ceppitelli, Rossettini, Benedetti (Donsah 46); Avelar, Conti, Ekdal, Balzano; Cossu, Ibarbo (Caio Rangel 75)

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Pereyra (Padoin 80); Tevez (Giovinco 85), Llorente (Morata 72)

Ref: Mazzoleni

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Just what the doctor ordered! Return of vintage
Vidal the perfect tonic for Juventus

The Chile international has struggled both for form and fitness since undergoing
knee surgery during the summer but he was back to his best in Sardinia on Thursday night.

Dec 18, 2014

By Mark Doyle

After celebrating his stunning strike in Juventus’ 3-1 victory at Cagliari with Simone Pepe and the rest of the Bianconeri bench, Arturo Vidal turned his attention back to the crowd at the Sant’Elia stadium and pointed to the name on the back of his shirt, as if to remind everyone of who he is. But nobody had forgotten Vidal or his fantastic footballing ability – it was more that we were wondering just when the midfield dynamo would return to his brilliant best.

Thursday evening’s outing in Sardinia offered ample evidence that the wait may be finally over.

It says much about the totality of Juventus’ domestic dominance that there was an inquest after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with a high-flying and organised Sampdoria side. Form, fitness and frustration were the principle topics of debate, with the Old Lady having been held for the third successive game in all competitions.

CoachMassimiliano Allegri dismissed the suggestion that his players were exhausted and in dire need of a break, conversely berating the officials for allegedly shortening the game unfairly by not playing sufficient injury time. His touchline antics earned him a retrospective fine.

However, there was no more frustrated figure at Juventus Stadium at the weekend than Vidal, who risked a straight red card for the second consecutive outing. Just four days after fortuitously avoiding a second booking for a rash tackle in the Champions League stalemate with Atletico Madrid, the Chilean escaped a red for a desperate challenge which took Samp’s Alfred Duncan out of the game.

Vidal was lashing out - and it was easy to figure out why. Up until Thursday night, the midfielder had played nothing like the seemingly indefatigable force of nature that propelled Juve to three successive Scudetti following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2011, with his struggles directly related to the knee operation he underwent just before this summer’s World Cup. Vidal recovered in time to represent his country at Brazil 2014 but he was nowhere near fully fit and it came as no surprise when he missed a large chunk of Juve’s pre-season programme. Even when he returned, he looked desperately out of sorts and was repeatedly pictured nursing his knee with ice packs.

However, Vidal insisted that the surgeon who had operated on him had always maintained that he would experience some discomfort months after the surgery. Nevertheless, his form and mental state remained the subject of much concern and Sunday’s draw at Samp – which ended a run of 25 consecutive home wins – prompted some pundits to ponder the benefits of the Bianconeri cashing in on the South American during the January transfer window.

Consequently, Vidal’s stellar showing against Cagliari could not have been better timed.

After Carlos Tevez had opened the scoring just three minutes in with his first goal in five games – another major boost for the Bianconeri – with a fine poachers’ goal, Vidal doubled the visitors’ lead with a wonderfully controlled, side-footed strike from outside the area.

It was a fantastic, first-time finish from a player whose goals have contributed enormously to Juve’s resurgence over the past three years - but it was Vidal’s general dynamism that was arguably even more encouraging from Juve's perspective.

Indeed, his energetic endeavour was arguably best illustrated during a 30-second spell with just five minutes left on the clock. First, he went close to scoring after winning a ball that he had no right to win before then putting Alvaro Morata clean through on goal with a sublime pass.

It was vintage Vidal and a heart-warming sight for Juve fans. "I've always said that 2015 will be my year," an ecstatic Vidal enthused to Sky Italia's half-time reporter. On Thursday's showing at the Sant'Elia, he could well be right.

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Player Ratings: Cagliari 1-3 Juventus

Dec 18, 2014

Juventus extended their lead at the top of the table with a 3-1 win against Cagliari at the Stadio Sant’Elia in Serie A on Thursday evening.

Early goals from Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal gave the visitors control of the game before Fernando Llorente got on the score sheet early in the second half.

Luca Rossettini pulled a consolation goal for the home side but it didn’t prevent the league leaders from collecting a comfortable three points.

 

Cagliari

 

Luca Cragno – 5.5– Unlucky - The Cagliari goalkeeper was excellent at handling the ball though he should have done much better to save Llorente’s weak attempt.
 

Marco Capuano – 6 – Battling - Was kept busy by Lichtsteiner’s run though was constantly helping out going forward.

Luca Ceppitelli – 5.5 – Decent - Read the game well for most parts after his side had conceded the two early goals.

Luca Rossettini – 6 – Tough - Had a difficult time dealing with Juventus’ strike force though he got his goal with a bullet of a header past a hapless Buffon.

Simone Benedetti – 5 – Poor - Was hauled off at half-time after a rough night.
 

Danilo Avelar – 5.5 – Conservative - Didn’t have the license to roam forward and was constantly pegged back by Lichtsteiner.

Daniele Conti – 5 – Ineffective - The 35-year-old was overrun in the midfield and had a poor game.

Albin Ekdal – 4.5 – Wayward - Tried his best but had a lot of long range efforts which didn’t come to any fruition.

Antonio Balzano – 5.5 – Struggled - Could have done so much more against Evra down the right though did play a couple of delightful through balls.

Andrea Cossu – 6 – Bright - One of the few good performers on the night for the home side. Played a couple of clever passes while drifting out wide and crossing into the box.

Victor Ibarbo – 5.5 – Isolated - Threatened down the left flank in the opening few minutes of the first half before fading out of the game as the Old Lady exerted its dominance.

Substitutes

Godfred Donsah – 5 – Anonymous - Came on at half time as Zdenek Zeman changed the system but Ghanaian didn’t have much of an impact.

Caio Rangel – N/A
 

 

Juventus

 

Gianluigi Buffon – 6 – Alert - Did well to deny Ekdal early on though wasn’t accurate with his distribution and couldn’t do much with the goal.

Stephan Lichtsteiner – 7 – Lungs - Was kept busy by Conti down the flank though made his traditional bombarding runs frequently.

Angelo Ogbonna – 6.5 – Rock - Had his hand full with the Ibarbo and did his bit in stopping potential counter attacks whenever the home side threatened.

Giorgio Chiellini – 6 – Solid - The Italian hard man was an assured presence at the heart of the defence throughout.

Patrice Evra – 5 – Adequate - Didn’t offer too much going forward and was at fault for Cagliari’s consolation goal.

Claudio Marchisio – 6 – Consistent - Controlled the midfield with Pirlo, spraying balls out wide to the marauding fullbacks.
 

Andrea Pirlo – 6.5 – Maestro - The 35-year-old put in another impeccable display capping it off with a delightful chip which Llorente raced on to and converted.

 

Arturo Vidal – 7.5 – Gladiator - The Chilean scored a scorcher from outside the area and put in a remarkable display in the midfield, closing down the opposition ferociously.

Roberto Pereyra – 5 – Bursts - The 23-year-old blew hot and cold and came close to scoring his first Juventus goal when put through by first Tevez and then Lichtsteiner.

Fernando Llorente – 6.5 – Tower - Was imperious in the air, though his goal came from a scruffy attempt.

Carlos Tevez – 6.5 – Tenacious - Opened the scoring in the third minute from a rebound. Did well to drop into midfield and link up play.

 

Substitutes

Alvaro Morata – 6 – Trying - Came close to scoring towards the end and linked up well while going forward in the 20 minutes or so he played.

Simone Padoin – N/A

Sebastian Giovinco – N/A

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Player Ratings: Cagliari 1-3 Juventus

Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Fernando Llorente were all on target as the Italian champions

pulled four points clear at the summit of Serie A with a comfortable win in Sardinia.

Dec 18, 2014
 

Cagliari

27 A. Cragno - Made a number of smart saves to ensure that the scoreline stayed at a respectable level for the hosts but erred badly on Llorente's goal.

33 M. Capuano - Struggled against Lichtsteiner throughout and missed a great volleyed chance at the back post in the second half.

32 L. Ceppitelli - Fairly strong in the air, but made a number of needless fouls to allow Juve to push upfield and force his side backwards.

15 L. Rossettini - Not too solid in defence, but netted a good back-post header to grab a consolation goal for his side.

24 S. Benedetti - Struggled against Evra overlapping on the left-hand side and was sacrificed at the break as Zeman changed system.

8 Danilo Avelar - Broke upfield to good effect at times, but spurned a great double-chance from a tight angle in the final 10 minutes.

5 D. Conti - The Cagliari captain failed to lead by example as he was repeatedly bypassed in midfield.

20 A. Ekdal - Worried Buffon with a number of efforts from the periphery of the penalty area, but was left chasing shadows somewhat defensively.

21 A. Balzano - Offered plenty of industry, doing his utmost to upset the likes of Vidal and Pirlo by getting stuck in.

7 A. Cossu - Bright on the ball, but was incredibly fortunate to stay on the field after a jumping two-footed tackle on Ogbonna that was made through pure frustration.

23 V. Ibarbo - Held the ball up fairly well at times, but struggled to get much joy from Ogbonna and didn't get his marker turned whatsoever


Substitutes

30G. Donsah - Offered an outlet down the right-hand side after coming on.


 

 

Juventus

1 G. Buffon - Solid enough shot stopping from the experienced goalkeeper, but his distribution was awful throughout.

26 S. Lichtsteiner - Constantly a willing runner down the right-hand side, hanging up and cutting back some smart deliveries from the byline.

5 A. Ogbonna - Fine performance, keeping Ibarbo fairly quiet and sliding in to make some important late interventions.

3 G. Chiellini - Covered across well on a few occasions to help his central defensive partner in a fairly comfortable outing.

33 P. Evra - Offered an outlet out wide on the left throughout the entire match, delivering some teasing crosses to lead to defensive confusion.

8 C. Marchisio - Calm and composed on the ball, moved possession from side to side patiently and drove forward when possible.

21 A. Pirlo - Comfortable return to the side for the Italy international, who was afforded too much space for long periods and could pick his passes easily.

23 ARTURO VIDAL - Curled home a delightful second goal and was always arriving at the back post to pose the Cagliari defence questions.

37 R. Pereyra - The Argentine dug out some intelligent passes and was denied by a good save from Cragno late on.

10 C. Tévez - Scrambled home a finish early on to give the Bianconeri the lead and never stopped running.

14 F. Llorente - Was a good focal point and tested Cragno with several headers. Permitted to turn easily and net Juve's third in the second half.


Substitutes

9 Álvaro Morata - Didn't take his chances again, taking too long to deliver from wide areas and chipped an effort during a one-on-one wide of the target.

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Allegri: Important For Juventus
To End Year In First Place

Dec 18, 2014

Massimiliano Allegri has admitted that it was important for his Juventus side to lead Serie A as they move into the new year.

The Bianconeri easily dispatched a poor Cagliari side after two early goals from Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal and can now look forward to their Supercoppa Italiana match against Napoli in Doha, Qatar.

“It was important to close out the year in first place and have the best preparation for the Super Cup,” he told Sky Sport Italia after his side’s win.

“Football matches are never finished, Cagliari are a side that never give up, they got better after they were 2-0 down and even when they were 3-0 down.

“After their goal, we started to play [again] but we did not have to risk anything.”

Allegri then addressed his side’s upcoming trip to Qatar to face Napoli in the Supercoppa.

“We will play to our maximum level without thinking about the resumption of Serie A against Inter.

“I am fortunate to coach a team that only wants to win and continue to impress, we want to win and to impress in other competitions.”

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Zeman explains Cagliari changes

Dec 18, 2014

Zdenek Zeman explained his tactical revolution against Juventus, although Cagliari were still beaten 3-1.

The chief proponent of the 4-3-3 surprisingly adopted a 4-4-2 system for this game.

“I chose the 4-4-2 after evaluating the Juventus team,” Zeman told Sky Sport Italia.

“They are the best team in Italy and I had to take some cautionary measures. I used four centre-backs to stop Juve’s aerial threat, but we conceded a goal on a low cross. We conceded two ugly goals.

“Either our opponents did very well or we made a mistake. On the first goal we were confused by a dummy. On the third goal I’d say it was more of a goalkeeping error than Ceppitelli.”

This Cagliari side is dropping towards the relegation zone, without a win since October 25 and unusually for a Zeman team scoring very few goals.

“We played the last two games badly, but before then the team always provided attacking football. I don’t want the team to play for safety. At this moment we’re in a bad way, but can improve. We played many games against stronger teams on level terms and today Buffon had more to do than Cragno.

“Do I want reinforcements in January? In my view this is a valid squad.”

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Allegri: 'Zeman amazed me'

Dec 18, 2014

Max Allegri noted “it was important to end 2014 top of the table,” but was “astonished” by Zdenek Zeman’s Cagliari.

This 3-1 result means that even if Roma beat Milan at the weekend, they will not be able to catch the Bianconeri ahead of the Christmas break.

“I was astonished by the change of system and did not expect it,” confessed Allegri to Sky Sport Italia after Zeman scrapped his trademark 4-3-3 for a 4-4-2 tactic today.

“Considering the difficult moment they are going through and the fact they were up against Juventus, Zeman tried to close up the spaces and go on the counter. We did well to avoid running into difficulties.

“I was angry towards the end because in modern football a game isn’t over until it’s over, especially against a Cagliari side that never gives up, so we should’ve controlled the situation better when 2-0 and 3-0 up.

“After their goal we started playing again, but we shouldn’t run risks like that. It was important to end 2014 on top of the table so that we can prepare at our best for the Super Cup.”

Juventus face Napoli in Doha, Qatar on Monday at 17.30 GMT in the Italian Super Cup, the challenge between Scudetto holders and Coppa Italia winners.

“We will play to the max without thinking about Inter after the Christmas break. I am fortunate to train a group of players that wants to win and continue amazing people.

“I have a lot of faith that this side can do well in Europe too.”

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Llorente's unpredictable Super Cup

Dec 18, 2014

Fernando Llorente is looking forward to Monday’s Juventus-Napoli Italian Super Cup. “Anything could happen!”

The two giants face off in Doha on Monday at 17.30 GMT for the traditional clash between Scudetto holders and Coppa Italia winners.

“This is a decisive and very difficult match,” Llorente told reporters after a 3-1 win over Cagliari.

“Napoli are a strong side. Anything could happen, we must play at the top level to win and prove what a strong team we are.”

The victory at Cagliari means Juve set a new all-time record of 95 points in a single calendar year and will end 2014 on top of the Serie A table.

“I am happy, as it was a very important result to stay top. The fundamental thing is to win and help the teams to achieve that aim. Sometimes I do it by scoring, sometimes I don’t, that is the routine of a striker.

“What do I wish from 2015? I couldn’t ask any more than we achieved in 2014, as it was a magnificent year. We’ll see if we can continue like this.”

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Cagliari do themselves no favours
as Juve strike early for win

Dec 18, 2014

Zdenek Zeman's sides usually provide the opponent with a challenge, but his Cagliari team, despite some bright moments, allowed the strength of Juventus to consume it, with the Bianconeri winning 3-1 away.

One thing that has been evident about Juventus in recent weeks is the determination they have shown at the start of each game. Despite playing every three days and perhaps exhausted from the packed schedule and little rotation, each game has seen the Old Lady attempt to finish off the opponent as quickly as possible from the outset.

When at their energetic best, Juve play with confidence and skill, concentrating on their passing ability to construct intelligent patterns of play. Against Italian sides, which by nature are cautious defensively, the Bianconeri are forced to be patient, rotating the ball until they find the right moment to penetrate. However, the beauty of Zeman's sides is that they play with abandon, sacrificing defensive security for exciting attacking play. As such, it took Carlos Tevez all of two-plus minutes to breach the home defence, slipping by unnoticed and unmarked to grab the first goal.

Cagliari's plan was to commit as few mistakes as possible against the best team in Italy. But this young squad couldn't control Juve's good start, and their errors led to the opening goal, robbing the viewers of a potential spectacle -- a clash in footballing beliefs.

While Juventus have always been a side that favoured balance and excellent defending, Zeman's philosophy revolves around attacking play where goals are often scored, even if more are conceded.

"This theory of the top team being the one that concedes fewest goals is not true," Zeman said. "Just look at Spain, Germany or England. As long as you score one more than the opposition, who cares?"

Based on current evidence, Zeman makes an interesting point. After all, Barcelona have the stingiest defence in Spain, yet it's Real Madrid that occupy the top spot.

However, Italy is different, and the Old Lady have spent their existence believing in the value of a good defence. Still, splashing the largest amount of cash on a goalkeeper, a great back line and organised defending earns a team the right to demonstrate the beauty of its attack. The Sardinians and their exciting attack may have scored a few, but they sit in the relegation zone.

Interestingly, and perhaps bizarrely, Zeman opted to change Cagliari's game on the day, setting up his squad to play in a 4-4-2 formation rather than their usual 4-3-3 shape. To make matters worse, he opted to play a back line made up entirely of centre backs. The coach's change, meant to neutralise the strength and aerial ability of Fernando Llorente and keep a watchful eye on Tevez, instead resulted in the concession of "two ugly goals". The players were not only fighting against the best team in Italy but against their own tactical confusion.

The Rossoblu may not have much, but what they did have this season is a clear identity and wonderful chemistry between the players -- a team capable of springing a surprise. Tinkering with the side in an attempt to halt a rampant Juve was naive. Changes have the power to disturb momentum, especially when forced upon sides that possess youngsters as opposed to experienced world-class talent. They should have been spent their preparation time on perfecting their movements and minimising their errors, focusing on the few flaws of Juve's game.

Instead they were 2-0 down by the 14th minute. They desperately fought off the psychological blow and attempted to mount serious challenges going forward, but they were consistently halted. Unfortunately for them, they were facing a strong defence and a beast of a player in Angelo Ogbonna, a centre back who has developed tremendously under Massimiliano Allegri.

This season, Ogbonna is a player transformed. Playing at a calmer tempo may have well suited the defender, but his performances this season have shown remarkable progress, both on a physical and psychological level. Graceful, calm and simply excellent at reading the game, he is no longer reckless or panicked under pressure. Always on hand to clear and challenge, there was little Cagliari could do to overcome his presence.

While Juventini appreciated Ogbonna's perfection, it was Arturo Vidal's game that grabbed all their attention. A player who looked entirely off his game, he was simply heinous in his last two matches prior to Thursday's affair. He had been reckless, chaotic and seemingly incapable of the most basic tasks. However, against the Isolani he not only played with better control, pushing forward as well as providing defensive assistance but his passes were crisp, his positioning excellent and his goal, fabulous. That wonderful finish will help the Chilean to recover the confidence required to get him back to his best.

If he can continue to build on his performance from tonight, Juventus will have recovered their diamond in midfield, the player who at his best, makes champions out of the Turin giants.

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Cagliari 1 - Juventus 3:
Initial reaction and random observations

Dec 18, 2014

With the quality and talent Juventus has in attack, going up against any kind of team that has trouble on the defensive end of the field had to be music to the ears of Max Allegri's starting attackers. Then when you throw into account how poorly Caglari have played on defense this season — entering their game against Juventus allowing 26 goals in 15 games — it was almost like there was a perfect storm arriving just outside the gates of the Saint'Elia.

That was exactly the case for Juventus in their 3-1 win over Cagliari on Thursday night in Sardinia.

The three goal scorers — Arturo Vidal, Carlos Tévez and Fernando Llorente — all had 0-for-Decembers going in Serie A matches. Don't believe me, take a look for yourself.

Llorente hadn't scored a goal in Serie A since Nov. 9.
Vidal hadn't scored a goal in Serie A since Nov. 30.
Tévez hadn't scored a goal in Serie A since Nov. 22.

Playing against a team that has such an attack-first, don't-worry-about-defense mantra like Zeman's Cagliari does, it was a chance for all three of the names above to get right and back on the right track. Guess what they did? Yeah, exactly that. Tévez's goal helped him become the first player in Serie A to hit double digits this season, while both Vidal and Llorente had to get some huge confidence boosts thanks to their respective goals.

And when it came to Juventus as a whole, that short three-game streak of nothing but draws and frustrating performances, that's over and done with. They don't have to worry about going into the holiday break not at the top of the Serie A table, they got back to their usual winning ways, and just had a solid team performance.

Against a cellar-dwelling team like Cagliari, you can't ask for much more than putting in a good shift and three points as a result of it. (Well, I mean, you could demand a 7-0 dismantling like what happened against Parma, but I won't get picky.)

Oh, and one more thing in what has been a calendar year full of record-breaking achievements for our favorite club...

James Horncastle @JamesHorncastle
3-1 win in Cagliari means Juventus end calendar year with new points record of 95

Impressive, pretty darn impressive. First an 102-point season, now 95 points in 2014. They're pretty good, you guys.


Random thoughts and observations

I just want to throw out a question for everybody to discuss: Seriously, how good has Angelo Ogbonna been this season? It doesn't really matter where he has played in defense this season — on the right or left in a 3-5-2, in the middle of the four-man backline — he's just answered the bell every time out. He's easily been one of the most consistent players in the squad and truly living up to the transfer fee Juventus shelled out to Torino a year and a half ago.

That was easily one of Arturo Vidal's best games of the season, and I won't even think twice about it. His goal to give Juve a 2-0 lead was absolutely fantastic, but it was more than just finding the back of the net that makes me say what I just did. He really looked like he was moving well out there, and was involved in a lot of the good things Juventus did. He recorded a team-high five tackles in the game, was third behind Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio in terms of touches and his passing — outside of a few mishits here and there — was back up to par. It really was a classic all-around Vidal kind of performance.

Seeing that Arturo Vidal we saw on Thursday night, I can get used to that one again.

So, Zdenek Zeman, how did that whole "let's start four center backs to try and contain Juventus" work out for you?

Juventus is still having trouble defending set pieces and allowing goals because of it. It's okay if you tell me you're tired of seeing this in post-game threads.

Gianluigi Buffon made one save, and it was a pretty nice one. That is something that's continuing to be status quo these days. Too bad he didn't get the shutout, though.

Andrea Pirlo's game in a nutshell: 123 touches, 93 percent pass completion rate and an assist to boot. That's what we're used to seeing from Mr. Pirlo, isn't it? I'd say so.

Who's ready for the Supercoppa? I'd be cool with ending 2014 with San Gigi raising another trophy over his head as confetti gets shot out of some cannons. Sounds like a grand old time.

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Cagliari 1 - Juventus 3: Magnificent
Arturo Vidal fires Juventus to victory

After three consecutive draws, Juventus needed three points to ensure first place over the winter break.
Carlos Tévez and Arturo Vidal put Juventus 2-0 up in the first 15 minutes, and she never looked back.

Dec 19, 2014

Juventus travelled to Sardinia on Thursday, taking on a Cagliari side that can finally host fans in their own stadium after the Is Arenas fiasco. With the Italian Supercoppa set for Monday in Doha, Qatar, Juve and Napoli had their games moved forward while the rest of Serie A will play a normal weekend schedule. Juve took the field with the desire to end a run of three consecutive draws, two in Serie A, which have allowed Roma to climb within one point of the Bianconeri at the top of the table.

Old nemesis Zdeněk Zeman is in charge at Cagliari this season, and the Czech tactician surprised everyone with his starting lineup. Stuck in the relegation zone and having failed to score in its last three Serie A games, Zeman sent out a shockingly defensive side by his standards. Fullbacks Antonio Balzano and Danilo Avelar were pushed up into midfield, with central defenders Marco Capuano and Simone Benedetti slotting into the back line.

On Juventus' side of the team sheet, Fernando Llorente was back in the starting lineup, with Giorgio Chiellini returning for the suspended Leonrdo Bonucci, moving Angelo Ogbonna over to right-sided center back. Paul Pogba was rested in this one, with Andrea Pirlo returning to the base of midfield.

For all the defensive intent from the home side it only took 3 minutes for Juventus to take the lead, as Carlos Tévez was quickest to react to Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno's mistake. Twelve minutes later the game was all but finished as a contest when Arturo Vidal latched onto a poor clearance and curled a beautiful shot into the far corner from distance. Albin Ekdal tried his best to bring Cagliari back into the game, but Juventus' defense was alert and got bodies in the way.

The second half saw a goal from each side as Llorente got back on the scorers sheet and Luca Rossettini found a consolation goal for the Islanders by heading in an Andrea Cossu free kick.

Cagliari was perhaps the perfect opponent for a Juventus side which has struggled to score goals and kill off games of late, with the Sardinians porous defense having allowed 26 goals in the 15 games before hosting the defending champions. Fernando Llorente and Arturo Vidal are back in the goals, with the Chilean producing perhaps his best game of the season to date. It was an important performance and result for Juventus ahead of the Supercoppa and winter break, with the three points crowning the Old Lady Winter Champion, and the three goals hopefully signaling a return to attacking form.


MATCH SUMMARY

Juventus controlled possession from the opening kickoff, with Zeman's side shockingly happy to get two lines of four behind the ball. The Bianconeri pressed high, and in the third minute created the first chances of the game. Tévez won the ball back in the Cagliari half and Claudio Marchisio found Llorente, whose header was tipped around the post. The resulting corner was played short, where eventually Vidal sent in a testing ball. Ogbonna got a backheel flick that made things difficult for Cragno in the Cagliari goal, and Tévez was quickest to react after the goalkeeper's weak parry.

In the 8th minute, Cagliari finally got a few touches of the ball, and created their first chance through Victor Ibarbo and ex-Juve midfielder Ekdal. The Colombian found a yard of space down the left and crossed for Ekdal's header, but Gigi Buffon got down quickly to save.

Ogbonna was at the heart of things in the Juventus defense, standing up Ibarbo and winning crosses into the box. But it wasn't long before the ball was at the other end, and on 15 minutes Juventus made it 2-0. Tévez picked up the ball in the center circle and drove at the Cagliari defense, getting close to the box before laying off for Patrice Evra. The left back's low cross was cleared by a desperate Capuano but only made it as far as Vidal on the edge of the box, who struck a sweet curling shot first-time into the far corner.

2-0 down Cagliari still struggled to create anything in attack, with Juventus limiting the Sardinians to hopeful punts towards an Ibarbo, who was never likely to win the ball. Andrea Pirlo nearly had a rare chance in the box following some lovely touches, but Llorente's return ball never made it through. Roberto Pereyra showed his dribbling skill down the right, but his cross was easily dealt with.

Danilo Avelar showed some intent down the Cagliari left, but Marchisio and Lichtsteiner were alert to the danger, and with only Ibarbo and Cossu to aim for was unable to turn crosses into chances. Albin Ekdal again tried his luck after a corner was cut back for the Swedish international, but Juventus players were quick to close him down.

The first yellow card of the game went to Rossettini on 33 minutes, when Tévez was hacked down looking to run onto Llorente's return ball. Cagliari had a chance on 37 minutes after Buffon miscued a clearance to Ekdal's feet, but Cossu's cross-shot was tipped over. Another chance for the home side came soon after following lovely play from Balzano to escape Vidal's attentions, but Avelar fired wide at the near post. Juventus' center backs were very solid all half, and Cagliari's last chance at a counter following a Tévez giveaway was quickly smothered by Chiellini.

Cagliari began the second half by bringing on Ghanaian midfielder Godfred Donsah on for Benedetti, with Balzano dropping into defense. The Ghanaian added impetus to the Cagliari attack, setting up Ekdal for another long-range strike that was deflected wide. Capuano saw yellow for catching Lichtsteiner with a flailing hand, while Vidal was everywhere stopping Cagliari's counter before it could get started.

On 51 minutes it was 3-0, with Pirlo providing another glorious ball over the top for the assist. Lichtsteiner pulled the ball back for the Bearded Maestro, who hit a glorious chipped pass over the defense for Llorente's perfectly-timed run. The giant striker backed down his defender before turning and squeezing a left-footed shot under Cragno.

Cagliari nearly got one back a few minutes later as Capuano was left free at the back post following Lichtsteiner's accidental flick-on, but the defender showed why he usually stays deep in his own end with a terrible finish. Cossu should perhaps have seen yellow for a challenge on Ogbonna, but the referee let this one slide.

Cossu had a few bright moments trying to at least get something on the scoreboard, but a combination of strong defending and erratic finishing kept his shots off target. Llorente had another headed chance, but this time it was easy for Cragno in goal. On 63' it could have been four, as Vidal found Tévez with a sweet ball over the defense, only for Cagliari's defense to recover just in time.

Down at the other end Cagliari got their goal, Cossu's free kick evading Evra and Vidal for Rossettini's header. Pereyra nearly restored the three goal lead soon after, but after receiving an excellent pass from Tévez in the box he opted to cross instead of shoot, and Cagliari was able to recover.

Álvaro Morata came on for Llorente in Allegri's first change of the evening, with Caio Rangel entering for Ibarbo on the other side. Pereyra had another chance to get a goal, but his shot was tipped wide after a lovely Pirlo ball over the top and Lichtsteiner cutback. Simone Padoin entered for Pereyra soon after, with Vidal taking on the attacking midfield role. Morata created a chance for Pirlo soon after, beating his man for strength and getting into the box, but a combination of Cagliari pressure and miscommunication let the home side off.

Arturo Vidal had a header saved, before providing a lovely long ball for Morata's chip that went just off target with the keeper beaten. Sebastian Giovinco was Allegri's last change, in for his customary few minutes replacing Tévez. Avelar had a chance for Cagliari when Balzano's deep cross made it past the Juventus defense, but the angle was too narrow. Ogbonna continued closing down all over the box, with Ekdal and Rangel finding no way through.

Cagliari's young Brazilian had another chance to get a cross in when he escaped from Evra and Ogbonna down the left, but Lichtsteiner and Vidal cleared the danger. The last action of the game saw Morata escape down the left to chip the ball across, but Cagliari was able to clear their lines. A 3-1 win for Juventus, which was somewhat expected against a struggling Cagliari side, but certainly a welcome end to Juventus' string of draws.


LE PAGELLE

Buffon: 6 Saved well when called into action, but one poor clearance nearly let Cagliari in. Put under pressure by a few questionable backpasses.

Lichtsteiner: 6 Strong and consistent up the right wing, the defender could have grabbed an assist if Pereyra's finishing was a bit better.

Ogbonna: 7 A fantastic performance from the Nigerian-Italian stopper, who has now played all the center back roles for Juventus this season. Kept Ibarbo and Cossu far from goal, and always won his individual battle. Lovely touch contributed to the first goal.

Chiellini: 6.5 Uncompromising as ever, the hardman made it a battle and always stopped the attack, even if he gave a few more fouls than perhaps was necessary.

Evra: 6 Very good first half for the Frenchman, who controlled his flank and sent in several teasing crosses, contributing to Vidal's second. Was one of the guilty parties on the Cagliari goal.

Marchisio: 6 A steady performance from the Italian international, who didn't get into the box as much as other times this season. Still tried his luck from distance, but didn't find much success. Very good defensively however, always available to help Lichtsteiner.

Pirlo: 6.5 While he wasn't overly active in the first half, the Architect played two magnificent balls over the top in the second, one for Llorente's goal and another that led to Pereyra's chance. Even got in the box himself a couple of times.

Vidal: 8 A storming performance from the Chilean, perhaps his best of the season. Dominant in the tackle and contributing a magnificent goal, this is the Arturo Vidal all Juventus fans want to see. With Evra, takes some blame for not getting something on Cossu's cross for the Cagliari goal.

Pereyra: 6 Not the Argentine's best day, as he was only really able to drive at the defense on a handful of occasions. Finishing let him down today, particularly following Lichtsteiner's second-half cutback.

Llorente: 6.5 A somewhat surprising decision to start the Spanish striker was rewarded with a second-half goal, while his hold-up play was as reliable as ever. Not the kind of performance that will lock up a starting spot, but did what was asked of him.

Tévez: 6.5 An early goal for the Argentine increased his goal tally to 10, but didn't contribute as much as other days this season. Always available to pick up the ball and drive the team forward, but only had two shots on the day.


Substitutes:

Morata: 5.5 Did well down the left to create havoc in the box, and showed his danger when running behind the defense. Final ball slightly let him down, whether trying to set up teammates or beat the keeper himself.

Padoin: 5.5 The utility man came on for Pereyra with ten minutes to play and did his thing, covering for his defenders and playing the simple pass.

Giovinco: N/A Another late substitute for the Atomic Ant, and another appearance where Giovinco hardly had a touch of the ball.


Coach:

Allegri: 6 Got the job done in this one, despite a fair bit of rotation with Bonucci suspended and with an eye on the Italian Supercoppa. Dropped points would have been a problem going into the winter break, especially if Roma win on the weekend, but Allegri's men did the job and the winter table will once again see Juventus clear at the top.

 

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

[Socrates 8518]

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS

1 - 3

Carlos Tévez (3')
Arturo Vidal (15')
Fernando Llorente (50')

Luca Rossettini (65')

Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM
Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari
Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni

Allegri: ‘Two horse title race’

Dec 19, 2014

Juventus Coach Max Allegri is happy about closing the year in first place, and agrees no-one else but Roma can challenge for the Scudetto.

Allegri's team crushed Cagliari 3-1 on Thursday to declare themselves the winter champions, with a margin of four points over Roma pending the Giallorossi's game against Milan.

Speaking to Rai Sport, the Coach from Livorno was openly pleased with the victory.

“It was an important win, it lets us close the year holding the first place. The game was difficult, but my boys played it well,” Allegri considered as part of his post-match analysis.

“It wasn't easy, Cagliari keeps attacking until the end and if you give them space you're always at risk of conceding.

“We had to suffer until the end. After the 3-0 we stopped playing for seven or eight minutes, then we conceded the goal for 3-1 and at that point anything could have happened.

“We conceded too many shots from outside the box.”

Finally, Allegri agreed that the Scudetto has become a two-horsed race.

“At the moment this is the case, the standings say so. Juventus and Roma are the two contenders for the title.”

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

[Socrates 8518]

JUVENTUS - NAPOLI

-

Monday, December 22nd, 2014 - 18:30 PM
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al-Sadd Stadium), ad-Dōha (Doha)
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Juventus vs. Napoli: Supercoppa Italiana Preview

Dec 18, 2014

The Supercoppa Italiana is normally a curtain-raiser for the Serie A campaign, but this season, the showpiece match between Juventus and Napoli was moved to the winter break to allow the latter a clear schedule to prepare for their Champions League play-off.

That move may have ended up being counterproductive for Napoli, who lost their tie against a more match-fit Athletic Bilbao, but that's now beside the point. Monday will be a matchup featuring two of Italy's most talented clubs—and two clubs that don't like each other much.

Indeed, when these two teams met in this same fixture two years ago, the game was intense. It was an attacking clinic but also highly physical, keeping referee Paolo Mazzoleni busy all night.

Monday's game promises more of the same. What will this year's Supercoppa bring? Who will lift the first piece of silverware up for grabs in Italy this season? Read on to find out.


Juventus Overview

Despite achieving a major season objective, December has been a bad month for Juventus.

The good news was that the Bianconeri managed to avoid the fate that befell them last year and advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Progression to the last 16 was vital to make up the financial shortfall that came from last year's drop to the Europa League, as well as to continue to re-establish the team's reputation.

Roma's elimination from the competition also means Juve will be the only recipient of Italy's portion of the tournament's broadcasting fees, setting them up to make the kind of financial killing they made in the competition two years ago.

Even better news came when the Bianconeri avoided Europe's current heavyweights and got a relatively favorable draw in the form of struggling Borussia Dortmund.

On the other hand, Juve hadn't won a game in December going into Thursday's tilt with Cagliari.

While the goalless draws they played against Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid were understandable—the former to conserve energy for the big Champions League tie, the latter playing it safe to make sure they advanced in the competition—the 1-1 draw against Sampdoria was more troubling. The team simply wasn't finishing its chances and allowing the Blucerchiati dangerous looks at goal.

Their 3-1 victory over the Isolani was a welcome relief. It ensured that the team would finish 2014 atop the Serie A table, and if Milan deny Roma three points over the weekend, Juve's slender lead will be extended.

Carlos Tevez, goalless in December, broke his duck for the month with a poacher's goal three minutes in, and despite a consolation from a set piece, Zdenek Zeman's team never looked as though they would mount a comeback.

Now, Juve are looking to take their first piece of silverware this season against a team that has become a bitter rival.


Napoli Overview

Napoli's season has been one of fits and starts.

It started with the extreme disappointment of their loss to Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League play-off round. Much of that may have been down to the fact the team requested that the Supercoppa be moved to the winter.

Without a competitive fixture to prepare for until after the European tie was over, Napoli was simply run over by a Bilbao side that was far more match fit.

The domestic season didn't start well, either. The team lost two of their first three games, and questions about Rafael Benitez's job security arose as a consequence.

After that rough start, however, they went on an 11-match unbeaten run—but only five of those matches were wins.

Until their victory over bottom side Parma on Thursday, their previous four league games yielded three draws and a loss. In the first of those draws, they blew three separate leads against Cagliari, and the next two, each saw them struggle to come from behind for a point against a team that, on paper, doesn't have their quality.

Napoli has had major problems in defense. They're joint-11th in the league in goals allowed at present. It's a department they're being beaten in by the likes of Atalanta and Chievo. Tiny Sassuolo—one of the worst defensive teams in the league last year—are dead even with them.

That defense will have to shape up against a Juve attack that they aren't used to seeing after Massimiliano Allegri changed from the 3-5-2 the team has employed in the last two-and-a-half seasons to a 4-3-1-2 that has made them a more dynamic offensive side.

The Partenopei can attack with class, but it's their back line that will have to win this game for them. Otherwise, Juve can simply outscore them.


Key Players: Juventus

Arturo Vidal

You could forgive Juventus fans for wondering who replaced Arturo Vidal with a pod person this season.

In the weeks prior to the World Cup, Vidal had surgery to correct a knee problem that originated in a mid-March game against Fiorentina.

He played in Brazil and helped lead Chile to the knockout stages, but he missed most of Juve's preseason program to recover and has not at all resembled the force of nature that has led Juve to three straight titles.

Vidal has admitted that he is still not fully fit, but Thursday's game in Sardinia was a very encouraging sign.

Simply put, it was his best game of the season. He was all over the field, making tackles, setting up attacks, and threatening the goal himself. According to WhoScored.com, he finished with five tackles, three interceptions, four clearances, a blocked shot, a key pass and two shots on target—not to mention this absolutely sublime goal.

As he celebrated his strike, he pointed to the name on the back of his jersey, as if to remind everyone who he was. If he regains his fitness and becomes that player again, Juve will be an entirely new kind of dangerous.


Carlos Tevez

Thursday's goal against Cagliari was a welcome one for Carlos Tevez, who has alternated between looking frustrated and exhausted this month.

With Fernando Llorente misfiring and Alvaro Morata still not being trusted with starters' minutes, Allegri has leaned hard on Tevez, who has been in sparkling form this season but can only do so much on his own.

His effort at the Sant'Elia, a true poacher's goal after Giorgio Chiellini's flick was saved by Alessio Cragno, will give him confidence going into the Supercoppa.

Last year, he scored the final goal in Juve's 4-0 demolition of Lazio in the annual showpiece. He'll look to one up compatriot Gonzalo Higuain in his second Supercoppa.


Giorgio Chiellini

Giorgio Chiellini hasn't been at his best this season, but he's had a lot to deal with. Between system changes and a revolving door of defensive partners due to injuries and suspensions, there hasn't been a lot of consistency for him this season.

In spite of that, he's still one of the five best center backs in the world, and he's going to be expected to take on Higuain for much of the game. He restrained the Argentina international in both matches between the clubs last year and has a good history against Napoli, having bottled up Edinson Cavani in the majority of their meetings before the Uruguayan left for Paris Saint-Germain.

The Juve vice-captain will have his work cut out for him against Napoli's high-powered attack, but betting against him is never a safe wager.


Key Players: Napoli

Jose Callejon

Jose Callejon is going to have a massive opportunity against Juventus.

Playing the right wing, Callejon will almost certainly be matched up against Juve's Patrice Evra. The aging Frenchman has done well when defending with the ball in front of him, but he no longer has the pace to track down a fleet-footed winger in a footrace.

The best evidence of this was delivered by Torino's Bruno Peres at the end of November. The Brazilian wing-back flew past the former Manchester United man on his way to an incredible solo goal.

If Callejon plays the way he's been playing all year—he is currently tied with four other players for second on the scoring charts behind Tevez—he could make life miserable for Evra and force Juve to shift players to help cover him.

That would open up space for other players, such as Gonzalo Higuain, to challenge Gianluigi Buffon. It's imperative for Benitez's men that Callejon wins his matchup.


Kalidou Koulibaly

One of the few new signings during an uncharacteristically quiet transfer window for Napoli, Kalidou Koulibaly has been the best defender on a team rife with shortcomings in the back.

He's going to be faced with the full force of a Juve attack that supplements Tevez, Llorente and Morata with incisive runs through the channels by the likes of Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba. You can never be too careful of Stephan Lichtsteiner, either—the Swiss enjoys running in from the right and latching onto lobs from Andrea Pirlo.

Napoli's suspect defense must perform if they are to have a chance in this game, and that starts with Koulibaly. Tevez aside, Juve haven't exactly been clinical this year, and if Koulibaly bottles up the Argentine and forces the rest of the team to beat them, they stand a much better chance of winning.


Marek Hamsik

Slovakia captain Marek Hamsik knows Juve and their top-notch midfield well. He's been giving the Old Lady of Italian soccer problems since he arrived in Naples in 2007.

The advanced playmaker will be tasked with playing the balls to cut through the Juventus defense. If he gets going and starts giving Callejon, Higuain and Dries Mertens consistent service, not even the vaunted Bianconeri defense will be able to hold forever.


Manager: Juventus

Max Allegri unlocked Juve's attacking potential last month when he switched from a 3-5-2 formation to a 4-3-1-2.

Allegri arrived at Juve on short notice and retained the 3-5-2 as a matter of convenience. He clearly didn't know how to get the most out of it the way his predecessor, Antonio Conte, did.

Conte was able to penetrate defenses that parked the bus by using sequences that were painstakingly choreographed in training. In contrast, Allegri allowed things to be more free flowing, which often led to many minutes of cycling the ball around the top of the penalty area looking for any sort of opening.

In the 4-3-1-2, Juve's players can run at defenders—a critical factor, considering how deadly Juve can be on the counterattack. Though the team stalled a bit this month, the Cagliari game saw more of the direct attacking play that got fans excited when the switch was made.

This will be one of Allegri's biggest tests since he joined Juventus. How he responds could dictate how much of a future he has with the club.


Manager: Napoli

It's been a rough season for Benitez, and questions have arisen about his future in Naples.

Benitez's contract is up at the end of the year, and there is doubt as to whether it'll be extended. There have been reports of friction between the coach and owner Aurelio De Laurentiis over the lack of new arrivals this summer.

On Wednesday, Benitez claimed that he has turned down two offers to leave Napoli and coach elsewhere in the past few weeks. La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) reported on Thursday that offers came from former employers in Liverpool and Valencia, although Benitez refuted that in his post-match press conference Thursday, saying that one of the offers was from a national team.

While speculation swirls around the coach, he has to figure out how to shore up his sagging defense. He never deviates from his 4-2-3-1 formation, so any changes will have to come down to subtler tactical moves to try and close down Tevez and Co.

Benitez did manage to succeed where Walter Mazzarri failed and beat Antonio Conte in March, but the game at the San Paolo was almost meaningless, considering how massive Juve's lead already was at that point.

He must now try to do the same to Allergi on neutral ground with a defense that could explode at any point. His work is cut out for him.


Recent Matchups

Since Antonio Conte became Juventus' coach in 2011, Napoli and Juve have played each other eight times.

The Partenopei have only managed two wins—one on neutral soil in the 2011-12 Coppa Italia final and the 2-0 victory earned at the San Paolo last season.

In the other games, Juve have had the better of every one. Three times Napoli entered the Juventus Stadium on good runs of form and looking to stake their claim as worthy challengers, and three times they were sent south with their tails between their legs.

They have been outscored 8-0 in their last three visits to Turin.

The two draws they have earned at home haven't been sterling either. In 2011, they blew leads of 2-0 and 3-1 en route to 3-3 draws. They had to come from behind to take home a point after Giorgio Chiellini opened the scoring for Juve 10 minutes in the following season.

Then, there was the 2012 Supercoppa in Beijing. It was an eagerly anticipated affair between the consensus best sides in Italy, but it dissolved into a physical free-for all.

In all, nine yellow cards were handed out, including two to Juan Zuniga. Goran Pandev saw a straight red and Walter Mazzarri was sent from the touchline. Juve came out 4-2 winners in extra time, but the irate Partenopei skipped the medal ceremony in protest.


Key Matchup 1

Patrice Evra vs. Jose Callejon

This matchup was mentioned earlier in the slideshow, but it merits its own discussion because of just how big an opportunity Patrice Evra's inclusion in the side is going to be for the Spaniard.

If Kwadwo Asamoah were fit, he would almost certainly be starting at left-back in a match like this. Evra simply doesn't have it in his legs to chase down a player like Jose Callejon anymore. He has to be cautious when moving upfield to join the attack and keep the winger in front of him.

If he slips by, he will pull Giorgio Chiellini or Leonardo Bonucci over to help, opening up the middle for Gonzalo Higuain to go one on one with the remaining defender.

The former Real Madrid man was one of the best players on the field when Napoli won against Juve for the first time since the start of the Conte era last season, and they will need him to take advantage of Evra's lack of pace if they want to win.


Key Matchup 2

Giorgio Chiellini vs. Gonzalo Higuain

Giorgio Chiellini has made it his business to stop the best strikers Serie A throws at him. The likes of Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic hardly ever got a sniff when matched up against the pugnacious defender.

Gonzalo Higuain has likewise come up blank, albeit in a smaller sample size. The Argentine is responsible for a full quarter of Napoli's league goals this year and has added two more in the Europa League.

Powerful and able to score as both a dribbler and a target man, he could be the primary beneficiary of any success Callejon has against Evra if Chiellini is pulled out to help cover.

Juve want Chiellini to spend the majority of the game matched up against Higuain. If that happens, it means the game is going according to plan—and to Juve's advantage.


Key Matchup 3

Carlos Tevez vs. Kalidou Koulibaly

If you're playing Juventus, Carlos Tevez is the man you want to stop. He has been on a tear this season, scoring 10 times in the league and another three in the Champions League.

With the rest of Juve's forwards misfiring and their dangerous midfielders off-kilter, stopping Tevez makes standing with the Bianconeri an easier prospect.

The man who will endeavor to stop Tevez is Kalidou Koulibaly. His pairing with Raul Albiol has had an inauspicious start, but he has been the better of the two and must step up to stop the Argentine. If he fails, it's going to be a long night for Napoli's back four.


Prediction

This matchup hinges on Napoli's defense. The longer it holds, the more chance Napoli has of taking a lead and taking charge.

Of course, this season, a lead has been no guarantee that Napoli will win—which is the real problem. Juve are a more dynamic team now that they're playing a system Max Allegri knows how to maximize.

With such a saggy defense, the Partenopei are bound to leak a few goals—especially if Vidal continues the form he showed Thursday.

Napoli have a chance to make this a shootout with Callejon working against Evra, but in the end, I don't think Napoli's defense can keep the Bianconeri out.


My prediction: Juve take the Italian season's first piece of silverware with a 3-1 win.

[Socrates 8518]

JUVENTUS - NAPOLI

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Monday, December 22nd, 2014 - 18:30 PM
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al-Sadd Stadium), ad-Dōha (Doha)
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Allegri: 'Juve as hungry as Napoli'

Dec 19, 2014

Max Allegri assured Napoli “are not hungrier” than Juventus for Monday’s Italian Super Cup clash.

It kicks off in Doha on December 22 at 17.30 GMT and is the battle between Scudetto winners and Coppa Italia holders.

“Our first objective of the season was to reach the Champions League second round and we achieved it. The Super Cup is our second target,” said Coach Allegri in a Press conference in Qatar.

“The Super Cup is not only an objective for Napoli, who after all can also challenge for third place. They are not hungrier than us.”

Juve will face Borussia Dortmund in the next phase of the Champions League in February, so can they progress further than under Antonio Conte?

“Juventus can go a long way in the Champions League. There are teams of a very high level, but we can have our say.”

The Bianconeri ended 2014 on top of the Serie A table thanks to a 3-1 victory away to Cagliari, amassing 95 points in the calendar year.

“We did our duty in Cagliari, which was to get back to winning ways and that’s the important thing.

“We might not be in the best condition at this stage of the campaign, but from Tuesday we’ll be on vacation and can relax.”

[Socrates 8518]

JUVENTUS - NAPOLI

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Monday, December 22nd, 2014 - 18:30 PM
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al-Sadd Stadium), ad-Dōha (Doha)
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Mertens: Napoli must prove worth by beating Juventus

The Belgium international sees the game in Doha as a chance for Rafael Benitez's men,
who are currently third in Serie A, to show that they can challenge for the title.

Dec 20, 2014

Dries Mertens has called on Napoli to let their football do the talking by beating Juventus in Monday's Supercoppa Italiana.

The Partenopei have been repeatedly touted as potential Serie A title contenders in recent seasons but they have consistently failed to mount a sustained Scudetto challenge and are already 12 points off the pace this term.

Consequently, Mertens says their Supercoppa showdown with Juve in Doha is a huge game for Napoli as it offers Rafael Benitez's men the chance to prove that they are capable of competing with the three-time defending champions of Italy.

"Juventus are always a strong squad, but so are we," the winger told Radio Kiss Kiss. "But facts are what count - not words.

"For us and all of our fans, it's an important game. All of the players and the supporters want to win.

"Everything is riding on one game. Winning a trophy is always important and we know what we have to do.

"It's very important to beat a great team like Juve."

Mertens only netted his first goal of the current Serie A campaign in Thursday night's 2-0 win over Parma and the Belgium international admitted that he is now hoping that both he and Napoli are in for a strong second half to the season.

"I'm ready to play against Juve as I want to do more for the team, and we hope to start from Monday," the 27-year-old added.

[Socrates 8518]

JUVENTUS - NAPOLI

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Monday, December 22nd, 2014 - 18:30 PM
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al-Sadd Stadium), ad-Dōha (Doha)
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Allegri: 'Napoli tougher in one-off'

Dec 20, 2014

Max Allegri warns Juventus that Napoli are “more difficult to face in a one-off game” ahead of Monday’s Italian Super Cup.

The clash kicks off in Doha on December 22 at 17.30 GMT.

“We have the Super Cup, our second target of the season after qualification for the Champions League knockouts, and then can rest a little bit ahead of the second part of the campaign,” Allegri told Rai Sport.

“Napoli are a European team, an opponent that is more difficult to face in a one-off game than over the course of a season. They have individuals who can change a match by themselves.

“Perhaps they don’t have the consistency and balance to challenge for the title all year round, but on their day they can cause trouble for anyone.

“I think Rafa Benitez is a great Coach and a good, intelligent person, so at this moment he is the right man to be leading Napoli.

“The Partenopei defence does not look impeccable, but we need to play over 90 minutes and that’s a very different situation to a Serie A game.

“Gonzalo Higuain has extraordinary quality, but fortunately I have Tevez, Morata, Llorente, Giovinco and Coman, so I’ll stick with my players.”

His arrival at Juve to replace Antonio Conte – who resigned the day after pre-season training had begun – was greeted largely with suspicion, but he ensured they ended 2014 top of the Serie A table.

“I arrived when the team was already at the training retreat for the summer. Of course I had my ideas and tried to transmit them to the team, but adapted slowly. It would’ve been arrogant to change everything straight away.”

[Socrates 8518]

JUVENTUS - NAPOLI

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Monday, December 22nd, 2014 - 18:30 PM
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al-Sadd Stadium), ad-Dōha (Doha)
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Juventus V Napoli – Supercoppa Italiana
Preview: Qatar’s Christmas Cracker

Dec 20, 2014

Juventus meet Napoli on Monday in Qatar with the chance of securing some mid-season silverware and give their fans some Christmas cheer over the festive period.

The traditional season curtain raiser, the Supercoppa Italiana, takes place in December due to the Bianconeri’s pre-season obligations in Asia and it is they who this timing perhaps favours more.

For it is the league champions who come into the game looking by far the slicker machine and are firm favourites to take the same title they won when these sides met two years ago – winning an ill tempered occasion in Beijing after extra time.

They met on one previous occasion in this competition, in September 1990 when the Partenopei triumphed 5-1 with Andrea Silenzi and Careca both hitting doubles

Juve have looked unstoppable at times in recent weeks and their most recent league fixture to set them up for their trip to Qatar saw them easily dispatch Zdenek Zeman’s Cagliari with a clinical performance.

The Partenopei come in off the back of a routine win against Parma, although it is their form against sides a little higher up the table which has been cause for concern lately.

Before that win, their last three points came at the start of November with that run including some extremely disappointing draws at home against Cagliari and Empoli while also being beaten on the road by a fairly lacklustre AC Milan.

That has them a full 12 points behind their Supercoppa opponents and although they have had a few little blips themselves over the past month, they rarely look like losing games and are functioning on every bit as effective a level as they did under Antonio Conte.

But even then, it is times like these when that old cliche comes out about cup finals. They truly are one off games indeed when previous form does matter little.

Although it is tough to see Napoli overcoming their opponents, the men on the benches could not be more different when it comes to dealing with these big game matches that have silverware waiting at the end.

Benitez has 11 times led teams out in cup finals and emerged victorious, including a win with Inter in this very competition, while on the other bench his opposite number Massimiliano Allegri has just one Supercoppa Italiana to show for his efforts in these kind of big cup finals.

So will that play a part? Will the wily Benitez add another piece of knockout competition silverware to his CV or will it be the Juventus boss who delivers a first trophy to the Turin club’s trophy cabinet with himself at the helm?

Only the unwrapping of the Supercoppa wrapping paper on Monday will provide the answer.

Ahead of the match, Dries Mertens and Jose Callejon trained separately from their teammates for the Azzurri while Allegri is expected to name essentially a full-strength side with Leonardo Bonucci returning to the heart of the defence.

[Socrates 8518]

JUVENTUS - NAPOLI

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Monday, December 22nd, 2014 - 18:30 PM
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al-Sadd Stadium), ad-Dōha (Doha)
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Allegri: Tevez too important not to start against Napoli

The Bianconeri boss has no intention of leaving his star striker on the bench
for the game in Doha as he is intent on picking up the first trophy of the Italian season.

Dec 20, 2014

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has revealed that while Carlos Tevez is suffering from fatigue, the Argentine is "too important" to be rested for the Supercoppa Italiana showdown with Napoli.

Tevez played 86 minutes of Thursday night's Serie A game at Cagliari, with the 30-year-old setting the Italian champions on their way to a comfortable 3-1 victory with his 10th league goal of the season.

However, Allegri will resist the urge to protect his star striker in Juve's final outing of the season, as the Bianconeri boss is intent on naming his strongest line-up for Monday's meeting with Napoli in Qatar.

"Carlos is one of the best attackers in the world and although he is, by his own admission, a little tired right now, he is too important for us [to rest]," he is quoted as saying by his club's official website.

"Plus, we're going on holiday on Tuesday!"

Tevez, for his part, is more than happy to start against Napoli, as he feels Juve will have to be at their best to beat Rafael Benitez's men.

"The Supercoppa is important," he told. "Yes, at this point of the season, there's a little tiredness, both physical and mental.

"But we need to produce a great game."

[Socrates 8518]

JUVENTUS - NAPOLI

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Monday, December 22nd, 2014 - 18:30 PM
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al-Sadd Stadium), ad-Dōha (Doha)
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Chiellini: 'Super Cup for Christmas'

Dec 20, 2014

Giorgio Chiellini hopes Juventus can “give ourselves a Christmas present” with the Italian Super Cup against Napoli.

It kicks off in Doha, Qatar, on Monday at 17.30 GMT.

“This is going to be a difficult game. In a one-off match, any opponent has to be respected and we absolutely cannot underestimate Napoli,” said Chiellini in a Press conference.

“The gap between us in Serie A does not count here. Like all teams who are in Europe as well, we can feel a little tired at this stage of the season.

“Having said that, we want this trophy. We’re happy with what we have achieved so far, as the campaign has been very positive. If we win the Super Cup, we’ll give ourselves a Christmas present.”

This will be the final match of 2014 for Juventus, so what does Chiellini expect from 2015?

“A great target would be the Champions League, but we know that is difficult. We’ve got all it takes to win a fourth consecutive Scudetto and proved that over the last three months. If we win the Super Cup, I’ll give our season so far 10 out of 10.

“The Super Cup and Coppa Italia are different competitions, where you have to make the most of your moment against strong opponents and the difference can be in the details.”

It has been a mixed 2014 for Chiellini, who was at the World Cup with Italy and saw Antonio Conte resign from Juventus to be replaced by Max Allegri.

“It was unexpected and really shook everyone up, perhaps getting something more out of us than we would’ve otherwise had.

“Allegri did well to settle in, understand slowly how the mechanisms of the team work and then bringing in his ideas. Now we are here and the objective for 2015 is to keep winning.”

Conte is said to be furious after Juventus got permission to withhold their players from an Italy get-together.

“It’s an issue between the clubs and the Nazionale,” said Chiellini. “We players understand both points of view. We just have to stay out of it and accept whatever decisions are made.”