Juventus Season 2015-2016

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Juventus 0 - Sassuolo 1: Initial
reaction and random observations

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/10/28/9631394/sassuolo-juventus-2015-serie-a-round-10-final-score-result-initial-reaction

 
Oct 28, 2015
 
As Sassuolo's 1-0 win over Juventus went on Wednesday night, it seemed as though the only thing that could replicate the kind of utter frustration that is becoming this 2015-16 season was the weather. It rained, and then it poured. It's the perfect representation of how things are going for Max Allegri and Juventus.

Frustration, just like the rain at the Mapei Stadium, had to only get bigger and more noticeable as the game went on. Nothing worked. Free kicks went all over the place except on goal. Corner kicks were pretty much a waste of time. And, when it was all said and done,

This team can't find any kind of consistent level right now. You don't know what you're going to get from one game to the next. As good as Juventus looked against Atalanta over the weekend, it was the complete opposite THREE DAYS LATER against Sassuolo. And that's the norm this season. It's pretty much trying to find your car keys while being blindfolded. Just when you think you've got things figured out, nope, try again.

It's becoming an all too familiar tune this season.

Way, way too familiar.

Are we reaching the point where we just chalk it up to this being what this team is? We can only play the "Yeah, but it's early!" card for so long. And even an eternal optimist like myself can see the things are starting to get real real when it comes to Juventus snapping out of this funk before the gap between themselves and the top three or four teams becomes too much of a an obstacle to overcome. Roma are now plus-11 or Juventus, Napoli and Fiorentina are plus-9.

That's not insane, but the fact is that those teams are playing well to start the season.

And Juventus? Well, just like they showed against Sassuolo, they're a little more than just a team that can be considered a work in progress.

Gianluca Nesci @GianlucaNesci
Juventus played like garbage. Bye.

Man, I wish I could just drop the mic right here and go home. I really do.


Random thoughts and observations

We all want this team to play consistently and build off wins yet all they do is give us the middle finger. Basically the only thing they can do consistently is play inconsistently.

Juventus' midfield looked completely lost without both Claudio Marchisio (flu) and Sami Khedira (rest). There might have been a few flashes of actual good things to have happen, but it's pretty clear that when Marchisio and/or Khedira are out of the lineup, it's going to be a complete adventure to figure out if their replacements will actually play well at all.

I won't go as far as blame the ref for everything, but when you can tell that 25 minutes in and he's already starting to lose control of the game, then there's something up. Chiellini getting sent off will be the main talking point — and I think it's fair, seeing as his first yellow card probably wasn't a yellow — but it was a dumpster fire worth of calls/non-calls that added up and made things even worse than simply the scoreline.

Like, you know, this not being called a foul.

Juventus have now scored 11 goals in their 10 league games. Yeah.

Sassuolo completed 70 percent of their passes and won. Yeah.

It's time for Allegri to go with Morata-Dybala up top full time. As much as I like him and think he can contribute to this squad at some point, Mario Madnzukic has been so hit-and-miss this season that it's becoming a microcosm for the team has a whole. If Mandzukic was in there because of the crossing ability of Juan Cuadrado and Alex Sandro — which made a lot of sense considering how well both wingers have played — then he has to get actual crosses to do something.

Case in point...

Morata had 27 touches after coming on around the 60th minute in the second half. Mandzukic 18 touches in twice as many minutes.

Allegri needs to field his best starting XI right now because the team is in such need for points. And when it comes to the forward position, that doesn't include Mandzukic.

That free kick from Nicola Sansone was a thing of beauty. Even if Gigi Buffon made an attempt to stop that shot, he wouldn't have gotten there. That's about as perfectly placed a free kick as you can get against a keeper like Buffon — or anybody, for that matter.

So while we're all frustrated with another disappointing Juventus performance, let's not forget that Sassuolo did some very good things to put themselves in position to win this game, too.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Buffon: 'Juve got it so wrong'

http://www.football-italia.net/74980/buffon-juve-got-it-so-wrong?

 
Oct 28, 2015
 
Gigi Buffon slammed Juventus after a 1-0 defeat at Sassuolo. “We can’t get it as wrong as we did tonight.”

Giorgio Chiellini saw red early on and Nicola Sansone’s curling free kick proved enough.

“This defeat was something we really wanted to avoid, seeing as we were doing better recently,” the goalkeeper told Mediaset Premium.

“I wasn’t angry with the referee, I just spoke with respect and accepted his decisions. I am very disappointed by the first half performance.

“If we were a provincial team, I’d be satisfied with the reaction when down to 10 men, but seeing as we are Juventus and we have different objectives, I can only be upset.

“There could’ve been excuses three or four weeks ago, but after the injured players returned and we played two or three games very well, we cannot get the first half as wrong as we did tonight.

“I think we have a large squad of quality and men who can change places without problems, but if we play like we did in the first half, failing to win a single challenge and failing to string three passes together, we can’t blame a single area of the team.

“We all played badly. The first half was simply unacceptable. I am stunned, as I am the captain and it hurts my soul to see my team dominated like that, to see my team not realise how important this game is and what attitude to take.

"There was also too much arguing with the referee. Talking about the referee all the time is what losers do and we do not stoop to that level. We wear the Juventus shirt and must do it justice."

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Allegri: 'Disastrous first half'

http://www.football-italia.net/74981/allegri-disastrous-first-half?

 
Oct 28, 2015
 
Max Allegri was “very bitter” at the attitude of Juventus in their 1-0 defeat to Sassuolo. “The first half was disastrous.”

Nicola Sansone’s curling free kick into the near top corner was decisive, but curiously Juve played better after Giorgio Chiellini was sent off.

“I am very bitter at the way we interpreted this game. We were irritable, gave free kicks away repeatedly around the box and didn’t hold out under Sassuolo’s pressure,” the Coach told reporters.

“You win and lose games on details. We lost because of a free kick and that’s because we gave away a free kick in a position we shouldn’t have done.

“We also went down to 10 men and have clearly not improved in terms of responsibility. Serie A is extremely tough and in order to win you need to give 100 per cent with the right attitude in every single game.

“We have to get out of this situation and we will do with work. Now we have to prepare for Saturday’s game and then we’ll think about the Champions League.

“I am the first person responsible for this. We must do better and the many young players in midfield are not an excuse. We’ve got the likes of Paul Pogba and Mario Lemina in there, this squad has enough strength in depth to do better.

“We reacted well in the second half, but that just makes us even angrier at what happened in the first half.

“There are games where you have to understand what awaits you. Tonight was worth a great deal to us, the first half was tragic and disastrous, yet we still only conceded one shot on goal from a free kick.

“It’s a recurring issue, as we conceded against Frosinone at the 92nd minute on a corner, here to a free kick, at Roma to a free kick. We have to limit the number of fouls we commit around the box and a lot of that is down to a lack of experience.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Sassuolo beat Juventus 1-0 in a
historic Serie A win for the club

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/match/432175/sassuolo-juventus/report?

 
Oct 28, 2015
 
Nicola Sansone's free-kick earned Sassuolo an historic 1-0 win over 10-man Juventus on Wednesday at the Mapei stadium.

The Sassuolo forward struck the only goal of the game in the 20th minute, a brilliant curled free-kick that left Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon rooted to the spot.

Juve had defender Giorgio Chiellini sent off for a second yellow card in the 39th minute and could not find a way past Sassuolo keeper Gianluca Pegolo.

The outcome in Sassuolo, Juve's fourth loss in Serie A, has left the defending Italian champions 12th in the standings with 12 points from 10 games.

They are 11 points adrift of league leaders Roma.

Sassuolo, meanwhile, have kept their unbeaten run at home and have climbed to fifth position.

The visitors went into the encounter hoping to win two games in a row in the domestic competition for the first time this season.

Simone Zaza, who joined Juve from Sassuolo this summer for 18million euros, was left on the bench with Mario Mandzukic chosen to partner Paulo Dybala in Juve's attack.

Sassuolo, looking for their first ever win against Juve, were the better side. They took a 20th-minute lead when Sansone's free-kick hit the top corner for the first goal allowed by Juve in four games.

Juve almost pulled level six minutes later but Pegolo did well to keep out Paul Pogba's hard drive from 30 yards.

The visitors suffered a blow shortly after when Chiellini was handed his marching orders after a late tackle on Domenico Berardi.

Chiellini had been booked four minutes into the game for dissent.

On the stroke of half-time, Buffon kept out Sansone's bullet strike from outside the area.

Juve looked more dangerous after the restart and Pogba saw his right-footed attempt go wide early in the second half.

Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli saw their goal-bound attempts blocked by Sassuolo defenders.

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri brought in Alvaro Morata in place of Mandzukic on the hour.

Two minutes later and Morata fed Juan Cuadrado in the box and his right-footed shot towards the near post was saved by Pegolo.

The visitors continued to push forward but could not break Sassuolo's well-placed defence and were limited to outside shooting.

Hernanes and Mario Lemina's long-range attempts were kept out by Pegolo.

Sassuolo were fortunate not to have Francesco Acerbi sent off in the 77th minute after he elbowed Dybala in the face but the referee did not see the action.

With 12 minutes remaining, Allegri brought in Zaza in place of Dybala but Juve could not find the equaliser.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Di Francesco: 'Sassuolo history'

http://www.football-italia.net/74984/di-francesco-sassuolo-history?

 
Oct 28, 2015
 
Eusebio Di Francesco said Sassuolo “are now in history” after their first ever victory over Juventus.

The Neroverdi had previously managed only one 1-1 draw in four meetings, home and away, but emerged with a 1-0 triumph after Giorgio Chiellini saw red.

“In the second half we didn’t control the ball as well as we should’ve done, but we wanted to get into the history books and beat Juventus for the first time. We achieved it and now we are in history,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia.

“In the first half we did really well, playing with intensity and closing down all the Juve players. It’s never easy to beat Juventus and we had to work hard for this result.”

Sassuolo are now in joint fifth place with Lazio, so what can they achieve this season?

“We mustn’t stop now. The fact we made many changes to the line-up shows we have a squad capable of handling the campaign.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

RATINGS: Sassuolo 1-0 Juventus

http://www.goal.com/en/match/sassuolo-vs-juventus/2120474/ratings

 
Oct 28, 2015
 

Sassuolo

79 G. Pegolo - A sensational diving stop to deny Pogba was his best contribution of the night, but he had to be sharp throughout to preserve the clean sheet.

11 Š. Vrsaljko - Pogba gave him some difficulties, but he managed to completely negate the impact of Dybala.

28 P. Cannavaro - Marshalled the back line with real authority, keeping Mandzukic in his back pocket and affording the visitors no clean looks at goal.

15 F. Acerbi - Confident showing in defence, following Cannavaro's lead as he kept everything in front of him.

13 F. Peluso - Put in an excellent performance on the flank, dealing confidently with the pace of Cuadrado while offering a decent option on the overlap.

7 S. Missiroli - Full of energy as he ran tirelessly between defence and attack. Responsible in possession and read the game well.

4 F. Magnanelli - Splendid cover for the back line, limiting the time and space with which the visitors had to create in attack.

8 D. Biondini - His physicality in midfield helped a great deal in suffocating Juventus in possession, clogging their route into attack.

25 D. Berardi - A wonderfully-determined showing, working his tail off to keep the ball in attack while tracking back to lend a hand in defence.

99 S. Floccari - Struggled to get himself involved up top, with Bonucci keeping close watch. Service wasn't always there, either.

17 N. Sansone - His absolutely sublime free kick crept just inside the near post after dipping over the wall, leaving Buffon rooted to his spot.


Substitutes

92 G. Defrel - Replaced Floccari but didn't have much more joy in attack.

32 A. Duncan - Committed himself well in midfield, coming on for the final 20 minutes.

10 K. Laribi - Provided some fresh legs to help see out the victory.


 

Juventus

1 G. Buffon - Had no chance to keep out Sansone's free kick and wasn't asked to do much otherwise.

15 A. Barzagli - Hardly managed to venture forward and provide support for Cuadrado on the overlap, while struggling a bit with the pace and trickery of Sansone. Moved to centre-half after Chiellini's dismissal and appeared much more comfortable.

19 L. Bonucci - Kept close watch on Floccari and played a large role with his side in possession. Did well to keep everything in front of him.

3 G. Chiellini - Picked up a second yellow card for a ridiculous and unnecessary challenge on Berari shortly before half time.

16 J. Cuadrado - Limited in possession. Had a few bright moments in possession, but needed to be much more decisive in possession.

27 S. Sturaro - Covered a ton of ground as his work rate was rivaled by few, but creativity was sorely lacking.

18 M. Lemina - A bit scattered in midfield, causing him to make rash decisions at times. His foul on Sansone awarded the hosts the free kick which resulted in the opener. Grew into the game well, however, and was bright in possession in the second half.

10 P. Pogba - Always a threat on the left, playing a prominent role at both ends. Made a number of mesmerizing runs into attack. Denied the equaliser by a fine save from Pegolo.

12 Alex Sandro - Didn't allow Berardi a whole lot of time or space to create. Limited presence in attack.

17 M. Mandžukić - Had a tough ask up top with service lacking. Did his best to make himself an option in the centre, but the ball didn't often find its way through to him. Replaced on the hour.

21 P. Dybala - Flashed his skill at time but was largely kept on the fringes of the match as he lacked ideas and direction with the ball at his feet.


Substitutes

9 Álvaro Morata - Did well to drop deeper to get on the ball, but was largely unable to test Pegolo.

7 S. Zaza - Seemed determined to score against his former club, providing a nice spark in attack, but ultimately wasn't able to provide the difference.

11 Hernanes - A long range effort trickled just wide in his lone contribution off the bench.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Juventus enter training retreat

http://www.football-italia.net/74985/juventus-enter-training-retreat?

 
Oct 28, 2015
 
Juventus have gone into a training retreat until the Derby della Mole with Torino on Saturday.

The Bianconeri announced the move after a 1-0 defeat to Sassuolo left them joint 11th in the Serie A table with Chievo.

Both captain Gigi Buffon and Coach Max Allegri had very harsh words for the squad at the Mapei Stadium.

The biggest issue in this game was their attitude and lack of intensity.

This is why the club opted for a training retreat, where the squad lives and works together in the build-up to a big match.

On Saturday Juventus are due to face local rivals Torino, who are three points ahead of the reigning champions in the table.

This evening Toro were pegged back to a 3-3 draw by Genoa.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Juventus shocked by Sassuolo,
Roma stay top of table in Serie A

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/story/2686767/juventus-shocked-by-sassuolo-roma-stay-top-of-serie-a?

 
Oct 28, 2015
 
Nicola Sansone's free-kick earned Sassuolo a historic 1-0 win over 10-man Juventus on Wednesday at the Mapei stadium.

The Sassuolo forward struck the only goal of the game in the 20th minute, a brilliant curled free-kick that left Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon rooted to the spot.

Juve had defender Giorgio Chiellini sent off for a second yellow card in the 39th minute and could not find a way past Sassuolo keeper Gianluca Pegolo.

The outcome in Sassuolo, Juve's fourth loss in Serie A, has left the defending Italian champions 12th in the standings with 12 points from 10 games.

Juve are now 11 points adrift of league leaders Roma, who cruised to a 3-1 win against Udinese at the Stadio Olimpico.

The Giallorossi struck twice early on through Miralem Pjanic and Maicon before Gervinho made it 3-0 after the hour.

Udinese's Cyril Theareau reduced the arrears in the 77th minute but the visitors got no closer as Roma celebrated their fifth straight win in Italy.

Wednesday's victory, which keeps Roma unbeaten at home, has lifted the club two points clear of nearest rivals Napoli, Inter Milan and Fiorentina, who are all level on 21 points after winning their respective encounters.

Udinese, meanwhile, have lost their fifth game of the campaign and have dropped to 15th place in the standings.

Luca Antonelli's second-half strike was enough to earn AC Milan a 1-0 victory over Chievo at the Giuseppe Meazza stadium.

With the game knotted 0-0 after 53 minutes, Carlos Bacca set up Antonelli in the box and the Milan defender hit a diagonal shot towards the far post to beat Chievo goalkeeper Albano Bizarri.

The victory, AC Milan's fifth of the campaign, has lifted the Rossoneri to eighth in the standings.

Chievo have now lost three games in a row and have dropped to 11th place.

Gonzalo Higuain scored in his fourth straight game to fire Napoli to a 2-0 home win over Palermo.

The Argentine put Napoli ahead with a 25-yard shot in the 39th minute. Higuain then saw his right-footed attempt on the hour hit the right post.

The hosts were again denied by the woodwork in the 73rd minute when substitute Dries Mertens' 12-yard strike rattled the left post.

Napoli finally doubled their lead 10 minutes from time when Allan set up Mertens in the box and the Belgian winger coolly struck past Palermo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.

The win, Napoli's fifth straight in Serie A, keeps the Azzurri in second place, two points adrift of league leaders Roma.

Fiorentina halted a three-match winless run with a 2-0 triumph at Hellas Verona.

The Viola took a 25th-minute lead after Nikola Kalinic's strike took a deflection off Hellas defender Rafael Marquez and the ball went past goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini.

Kalinic then doubled the Viola's lead in the 57th minute when he tapped in Giuseppe Rossi's cross.

A last-gasp equaliser from Diego Laxalt earned Genoa a point at Torino in a 3-3 draw.

Toro looked to be heading for their fifth win of the campaign after an own goal from Genoa substitute Panagiotis Tachtsidis had given the Granata a 3-2 lead one minute from time.

However, Laxalt's header from Diego Perotti's cross denied the hosts victory.

Alejandro Gomez grabbed a late winner as Atalanta came from a goal down to snatch a 2-1 win over Lazio.

Lucas Biglia gave Lazio the lead in the 16th minute with a superb free-kick from 25 yards which rocketed into the net off the inside of a post.

However, the hosts were thrown a lifeline when Dusan Basta inadvertently turned the ball into his own net midway through the second half.

Four minutes from full time Atalanta nicked a hard-fought victory when Gomez met a cross from Marco D'Alessandro and slammed it high into the Lazio net.

Paolo Sammarco scored in stoppage time as Frosinone beat fellow strugglers Carpi 2-1.

Basement boys Carpi fell behind in the 51st minute when Daniel Ciofani collected Federico Dionisi's pass and fired left footed into the bottom right corner. But the visitors, with just one win to their name all season, equalised after Marco Borriello set up Luca Marrone to drive home.

Both sides were reduced to 10 men with Frosinone's Danilo Soddimo and Borriello seeing red. But Sammarco had the final say when he tapped in Dionisi's cross a minute into time added on.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Max Allegri says Juventus were nervous
against Sassuolo, refuses to blame young side

The manager's comments after Juventus' 0-1 midweek loss.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/10/29/9633158/allegri-juventus-nervous-refuses-to-blame-young-side-sassuolo-defeat

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
After Juventus slipped to their fourth loss of the Serie A season, manager Massimiliano Allegri insisted that there was still hope for his side. He expressed frustration about the poor first half the side played when they conceded the goal that counted as the eventual winner.

"We committed five fouls around the area before we conceded the goal. Then we were down to 10 and we were nervous.

"With many young people in the middle of the field, it can be hard work, but this is not an excuse.

"Everyone is responsible - even me. We must do better. We had a good reaction, and we must be happy with this, but also angry about what was done in the first half."

After this loss, the Bianconeri now stand in twelfth position in the Calcio table, eleven points behind leaders Roma. Allegri acknowledged that after a couple of good performances, his side could ill-afford to drop more points today.

"Tonight was worth so much. We had to avoid losing more ground.

"We lost to having received a shot on goal from a free-kick, and this says a lot about what we did."

As the interview continued, Allegri continued to get angrier.

"I am very bitter at the way we interpreted this game. We were irritable, gave free kicks away repeatedly around the box and didn't hold out under Sassuolo's pressure.

"You win and lose games on details. We lost because of a free kick and that's because we gave away a free kick in a position we shouldn't have done.

"We also went down to 10 men and have clearly not improved in terms of responsibility. Serie A is extremely tough and in order to win you need to give 100 per cent with the right attitude in every single game.

"We have to get out of this situation and we will do with work. Now we have to prepare for Saturday's game and then we'll think about the Champions League.

"I am the first person responsible for this. We must do better and the many young players in midfield are not an excuse. We've got the likes of Paul Pogba and Mario Lemina in there, this squad has enough strength in depth to do better.

"We reacted well in the second half, but that just makes us even angrier at what happened in the first half.

"There are games where you have to understand what awaits you. Tonight was worth a great deal to us, the first half was tragic and disastrous, yet we still only conceded one shot on goal from a free kick.

"It's a recurring issue, as we conceded against Frosinone at the 92nd minute on a corner, here to a free kick, at Roma to a free kick. We have to limit the number of fouls we commit around the box and a lot of that is down to a lack of experience."

Reports said that Allegri met with Juventus Sporting Director Fabio Paratici and Director General Beppe Marotta in the locker room immediately after the game, as pressure continues to mount on the manager.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Massimiliano Allegri's rotation
policy is hurting Juventus

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/2687713/massimiliano-allegri-rotation-policy-is-hurting-juventus?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
Luck may have played a part in Sassuolo's triumph, but Massimiliano Allegri and his decisions are slowly robbing Juventus and their fans of hope -- hope that somehow and someday soon, the trophy winning Old Lady will be revived and duly returned to her path of glory.

The real Juve, the one that dominated, controlled and won with startling efficiency in seasons past has officially gone missing. While tactical fluidity seems like nothing but an elusive dream at this point, the real concern is the team's inability to manage the simple tasks, such as maintaining possession. A first half made up of preposterous mistakes, it's remarkable how a side that once governed the field with precision now struggles to complete simple passes.

Exploiting the intensity and physical strength of their players, Sassuolo were able to impose their confidence with remarkable ease as they harried and pushed for the ball and were often rewarded for their efforts. Adopting an attacking approach, Eusebio Di Francesco's men refused to play with fear, like Atalanta did before them, and started the game with a ferocious appetite for goals.

Yet despite the brilliant results the Neroverdi have managed this year, not to mention against Allegri's Milan a few years ago, the Juve coach still chose to underestimate them, opting to rotate a Juve team that no longer understands the meaning of consistency.

While he can indeed justify his position by stating the obvious physical demands of such a packed schedule, surely he must understand that a fair amount of consistency is required if he is to properly embed the new arrivals into the squad and allow them to form partnerships on the pitch.

Rotating the squad is a difficult task and many coaches have struggled to truly manage it with ease. In Spain, Diego Simeone opted to play the same starting XI for practically an entire season believing that the squad, still relatively new to his style of coaching and tactics, needed to adapt to one another and learn his strategies in order to be a real force both in the league and in Europe.

That season, Atletico Madrid reached the final of the Champions League. However the likes of Luis Enrique opted to maintain freshness and often rotated his treble winning Barcelona team at the start of last year. Of course, how many have the luxury of coaching players with the talent of the Barcelona squad?

In Italy, it seems Maurizio Sarri is the only one who truly learns from his mistakes. Struggling to teach his tactics to a new side and help the new arrivals at Napoli fit in, he quickly realised that maintaining the same starting line-up was key to winning. "I definitely think this team needs consistency, so we'll have to rely on those who have been playing more."

That comment came just prior to the match against Juventus and since then, Napoli not only defeated the Old Lady but won every single game thereafter, both in Italy and Europe.

When players are allowed a little continuity, they not only learn from their mistakes and improve their reading of the game but they begin to understand the requirements of the role, encouraging sacrifice and team play. More importantly, starting often and alongside the same teammates encourages camaraderie creating an easier atmosphere to breed a winning mentality.

Juventus struggled to beat Cesena last season, managing only a 2-2 draw in February, largely because they rested Giorgio Chiellini and played Angelo Ogbonna against a side that possessed aerial ability. One defensive change and the Bianconeri conceded twice.

Choosing to play Hernanes here and there, bringing him on when there is a free-kick to be taken is not great coaching. Neither is handing out minutes to the number of midfield options Juve possess. How can players be expected to come to terms with the requirements of their particular role and adapt to the team's patterns of play when everything around them changes so often.

Sami Khedira should be starting every match and if his precarious physical condition is the reason he may find himself benched frequently then he should never have arrived. Allegri talks of an inexperienced team that gives away free-kicks in dangerous positions yet he not only hesitates in playing the experienced men he does possess but he wont allow the new additions time to grow.

Rotating so many players so often is ill-advised and more often than not, is conducive to failure. Three different newspapers struggled to predict Juve's starting line-up on Wednesday. Tuttosport believed Simone Zaza would start, Sky thought Mario Mandzukic would be deployed while giornalaccio rosa dello Sport were sure Alvaro Morata would lead the line.

If it took Carlos Tevez many months to adapt to Alvaro Morata, having grown accustomed to Fernando Llorente's ways, how are the likes of Paulo Dybala, young and inexperienced, expected to adapt to the different styles of the ever rotating forwards who play alongside him?

A terrible performance against a side of inferior talent, Allegri may be a wonderful tactician but he is proving to be a less than brilliant coach -- one who is struggling to manage a crisis and revive a winning mentality. He must provide the solutions and learn from his mistakes and not continue to exacerbate the problem by underestimating the opponent and overestimating the talents and intelligence of his many inexperienced newcomers. Time is running out for a side with such high ambitions.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Buffon: Juventus must stop
blaming referees

Juve lost for the fourth time in Serie A this term and their long-standing
goalkeeper feels the defending champions had no one to blame but themselves.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italian-football/2015/10/29/16787932/-?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon believes the Serie A holders must stop blaming referees and start to take responsibility following Wednesday's 1-0 defeat at Sassuolo.

Nicola Sansone scored a 20th-minute free-kick as Sassuolo triumphed 1-0 and condemned stuttering champions Juve to their fourth defeat of the season.

Juve had defender Giorgio Chiellini sent off for a second bookable offence six minutes prior to half-time, but Buffon refused to point the finger at referee Andrea Gervasoni after the visitors slumped to a third away loss of the campaign.

"Our first-half display was unacceptable. If we'd been a provincial side, I might have been satisfied with the way we played over 50 minutes with 10 men," the Italy international goalkeeper said via Juve's official website.

"But given our objectives here at Juventus, we return home extremely disappointed.

"Referees do not make mistakes on purpose and so I’m not accepting the red card as an excuse.

"It's very simple, if you don't win any of your 50-50s or aerial battles and you can't string together three passes, then that's no recipe for success."

Juventus languish in 12th position in the Serie A standings after 10 rounds, 11 points adrift of leaders Roma.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Sassuolo vs. Juventus 2015: Final score 1-0,
Bianconeri suffer harsh defeat at Emilia Romagna

Ten-man Juventus slump to defeat against the neroverdi,
thanks to Nicola Sansone's first-half screamer of a free kick.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/10/29/9633908/sassuolo-juvenuts-2015-serie-a-round-10-final-score-recap-result

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
After an impressive victory against Atalanta, Juventus visited the Mapei Stadium in their quest to conquer the elusive second Serie A victory in a row. Sassuolo have been somewhat inconsistent during this season, however, they are powerful at home. Prior to this match, the Neroverdi were unbeaten in their last seven home matches. Therefore, this wasn't a piece of cake for Juventus.

Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri needed to change his formation once again because Claudio Marchisio was dropped out of the match-day squad after coming down with the flu. Mario Lemina took Marchisio's place in the starting lineup. Allegri chose to implement his hybrid 4-3-3/ 3-5-2 formation, with the attack partnership of Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala. On the other side, Eusebio Di Francesco elected his usual and electric 4-3-3 configuration.

It was a cold and rainy night in Emilia Romagna. In the early stages of the game, Juventus tried to apply pressure on the home team, however, Sassuolo never panicked as a result of the bianconeri display. In fact, Sassuolo seemed very comfortable as the game minutes passed. On the other hand, Juventus became anxious and predictable by the minute.

On 18 minutes, Lemina fouled Nicola Sansone in a very dangerous spot near Juventus' penalty box. Two minutes later, Sansone scored with a wonderful curled free kick over Juventus' wall that left Gianluigi Buffon without a chance.

At the 26th minute, Paul Pogba tried to retaliate with a long-range effort; nonetheless Gianluca Pegolo denied the Frenchman with a superb two handed save. Sassuolo started to drop deeper in defense, but Juventus didn't manufacture a clean chance to score.

Then came the key play of the match. On 39 minutes, Dominico Berardi with his mad skills made Giorgio Chiellini look like a training cone, seconds later the defender pursued some "revenge" with a clumsy foul at midfield. That was his second yellow card, leaving Juventus with 10 men.

Five minutes after halftime, Alex Sandro executed a nice cross that found Mandzukic in the area. The Croatian slipped, but managed to serve Pogba, who shot immediately. However, his effort was inches wide of Pegolo's left post.

At 60th minute, Álvaro Morata replaced a very quiet Mandzukic. Moments later, the Spaniard fulfilled a clever pass to Juan Cuadrado, whose violent attempt forced another wise save by Sassuolo's keeper.

At that time, despite being with 10 men, Juventus fought tirelessly and owned the ball. Allegri brought Simone Zaza but the ex-Sassuolo was also unlucky. The problem was that the Bianconeri were toothless, and without imagination in this match. The Neroverdi defended properly in the final minutes, earning justly the victory.


LE PAGELLE

Buffon 6 - Ugly day at the office for San Gigi. He was barely tasted in a rainy match, yet he was left watching a beautiful goal by Sansone.

Barzagli 6.5 - He was a rock as always. He played his natural position effortlessly after Chellini's second yellow card.

Bonucci 6.5 - Controlled Floccari during the game. The bad whether affected his usual playmaking ability.

Chiellini 3 - He let his team down leaving them with 10 men after an absurd foul on Berardi.

Alex Sandro 6.5 - Tried to impose his play in the left flank. The menace of Berardi limited his attacking chances

Sturaro 6 - He was rusty and failed to generate something during the first half. That said, he performed properly as an emergency right back.

 

Lemina 7 - Was anxious during the first part of the match. Once he settled, he was everywhere. He won the possession of the ball for his team. My man of the match.

Pogba 6 - Another so-so performance by Paul. He should have scored in that second half chance thanks to his world-class shooting ability.

Cuadrado 6 - This wasn't the best game of the speedy Colombian. He had some problems with his ball decisions.

Mandzukic 5 - Looked slow most part of the game. The Croatian is a fighter but he must recover his form quickly.

Dybala 6.5 - La Joya showcased some of his skills during the match but he needs another attacking partner.


Subs

Morata 6.5 - Gave a spark to Juventus attack. He couldn't find a chance to score.

Zaza s/v - Entered to the game in the last 15 minutes for Dybala. He barely touched the ball.

Hernanes s/v - Entered in the 82nd minute for Lemina and performed a couple of interesting shots.


Coach

Allegri 5.5 - Returned to the hybrid 3-5-2/4-3-3 and it didn't work. Juventus had the possession of the ball, but Sassuolo looked more dangerous. Morata for Mandzukic was an obvious substitution. Nonetheless, he failed to give Juventus other ideas to break their opponent's defense.


Things I think I think

Please, Max, next time use the Dybala-Morata partnership. Trust us.

Dear, Mr. Marotta, if you don't seal the deal for Domenico Berardi, the tifosi will be mad.

Dear, Mr. Marotta, please scout that Sansone guy, too.

Juventus are clueless without Marchisio and Sami Khedira

Juventus felt more comfortable playing with the 4-3-1-2 scheme. I know the team has injuries, but Hernanes is a natural trequartista after all.

Well, let's get ready for the Derby della Mole. Fino alla Fine!

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Juventus' Issues Resurface for
Massimiliano Allegri in Loss to Sassuolo

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2583815-juventus-issues-resurface-for-massimiliano-allegri-in-loss-to-sassuolo?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
Travelling to Reggio Emilia on Wednesday evening, Juventus hoped to continue their recent unbeaten run against an impressive-looking Sassuolo. The Neroverdi entered the midweek round sitting sixth in Serie A, three points ahead of the visitors, who were themselves occupying 12th place.

In a season that has been punctuated with poor performances, the Turin giants would capitulate once again, losing 1-0 in a match they never looked like winning. Nicola Sansone curled home an unstoppable free-kick for the only goal of the game, but that aside, this was a disjointed display from the reigning champions.

Massimiliano Allegri must shoulder some of the responsibility for that lack of cohesion. While the Juve boss has clearly settled on a formation, he was guilty of making too many changes ahead of this encounter, robbing his players of the continuity they so desperately need.

Claudio Marchisio skipped the game with flu-like symptoms, per Football Italia, making the decision to also rest Sami Khedira almost unthinkable. The Bianconeri have yet to lose with the Germany international in the side, and his importance to the team was further highlighted by his absence here.

Meanwhile, bringing in both Stefano Sturaro and Mario Lemina exposed their limitations, the midfield duo failing to provide any attacking threat or protect the defence. Both men lost possession countless times, either through a lack of awareness or intelligence in distribution, and they proved they should not be fielded together.

OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo
1 - Juventus have collected only 12 points in the first 10 Serie A games, it never happened before in the three points era. Involution.

Allegri insisted his squad “has enough strength in depth to do better,” as he spoke to reporters after the game (h/t Football Italia), and the regulars who did remain in the starting XI must join the coach in accepting blame. Far too many established stars failed to deliver once again, with perhaps Giorgio Chiellini and Paul Pogba among the chief culprits at the Mapei Stadium.

The veteran defender was fortunate not to be shown a yellow card when he hauled down Domenico Berardi after just four minutes yet managed to talk his way into the book for protesting his innocence.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Chiellini clattered into the same player shortly before half-time, leaving referee Andrea Gervasoni little choice but to send him off. Reduced to 10 men, the Bianconeri needed somebody to step up, yet Pogba would continue the same poor form that has blighted his campaign.

Misplacing passes or losing the ball when trying to take on too many defenders, the Frenchman was frustrating to watch, lacking the decisive touches that were previously a hallmark of his game.

The game petered out in the second half, but the collective failure of the visitors clearly angered captain Gigi Buffon, who lambasted their showing to Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) shortly after the final whistle:

We all played badly. The first half was simply unacceptable. I am stunned, as I am the captain and it hurts my soul to see my team dominated like that, to see my team not realise how important this game is and what attitude to take.

There was also too much arguing with the referee. Talking about the referee all the time is what losers do and we do not stoop to that level. We wear the Juventus shirt and must do it justice.

They have the perfect chance to make amends on Saturday, with the Turin derby taking place at Juventus Stadium. The Bianconeri needed nothing less than a win over their cross-town rivals in order to get back on track.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

From double winners to also-rans: Allegri's
Juve in their worst start in nearly 30 YEARS

Giorgio Chiellini's red card for a second a foul on Domenico Berardi compounded
the misery for the Italian as the Old Lady slipped to defeat, but where is it going wrong?

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/7118/opta/2015/10/29/16789462/-?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
A goal and a man down, Juventus drifted to a miserable defeat versus Sassuolo on Wednesday to mark their worst start to a Serie A season in nearly 30 years.

For only a few months ago, head coach Massimiliano Allegri guided his side to the Serie A, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana titles, not to mention a first Champions League final appearance for 12 years.

Yet a stunning free-kick from Sassuolo striker Nicola Sansone and a second-half dismissal for Juve defender Giorgio Chiellini ensured the Old Lady continued their early-season slump with a 1-0 loss.

Now, with just 12 points from their opening 10 league games, Juve languish in 12th position in the Serie A standings and are already 11 points adrift of leaders Roma.

It is with that form that they have accrued the clubs’ lowest points return since 1987-88 – which is also the last time the club lost four of their first 10 games of a Serie A season.

In attack on Wednesday night, Juve – who sold forward Carlos Tevez in the summer – saw strikers Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic draw a blank at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore.

Sansone, however, opened the scoring to ensure Juventus conceded goal at the first shot on target for the fifth time in the Serie A this season after Udinese, Chievo, Frosinone, and Bologna.

Furthermore, Allegri’s side fell a goal down for the fifth time in the first ten Serie A games – a scenario that happened only nine times in the entirety of last season.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Hamsik: ‘Don’t write off Juventus’

http://www.football-italia.net/74999/hamsik-%E2%80%98don%E2%80%99t-write-juventus%E2%80%99?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
Napoli captain Marek Hamsik isn’t counting Juventus out of the Scudetto race, and admits “we’re having fun.”

The Bianconeri lost their fourth match in 10 Serie A games last night, going down 1-0 at Sassuolo, while the Partenopei won their fifth game in a row.

“I don’t think Juventus are out of contention,” Hamsik considered in an interview with Radio Kiss Kiss Napoli.

“I don’t think so, but right now they’re behind and that’s good for us. Roma have a great team too. You need consistency to win the Scudetto, and we’re showing that.

“The important thing is to stay close to the top. We’re having fun, as are the fans.

“Can we win it? I don’t know, we’re enjoying the moment. We’ve had 10 games, we’ll talk about it after 30 if the situation is still the same.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Juventus won't leave hotel or training
in wake of Sassuolo defeat - Allegri

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/2687911/juventus-not-to-leave-hotel-or-training-after-sassuolo-loss?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has said he and his players have been reprimanded in the wake of their fourth Serie A defeat of the 2015-16 season.

A 1-0 defeat to Sassuolo on Wednesday night has seen the defending Serie A champions fall 11 points adrift of league leaders Roma.

Allegri confirmed to Tuttosport prior to his side's departure from Reggio Emilia that, after consultation with general manager Beppe Marotta, it has been decided to take the club into a training camp ahead of Saturday's match against Torino.

"We're going to train, go into the hotel and then train again, and it's going to be like this up until Saturday," Allegri said. "It's a difficult situation and we all need to pull together. We'll get out of it somehow.

"We need to get out of it by working hard and preparing Saturday's derby and then the Champions League game [at Borussia Monchengladbach]. This is a reprimand for everybody, including me. We've got to do better."

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon told the club's official website: "We played a humiliating first half. I'm not saying that there weren't some good moments in there, but we didn't win a tackle and this is something that means our sense of responsibility must improve.

"Three or four weeks ago, we could have said that we still needed time, but now we're all back fit again and we've been in good form, but that 45 minutes lacked emotion and bite. Maybe we could have allowed that in previous years, but not this year. And if we don't realise that, we risk making fools of ourselves.

"Our first half today was completely wrong, it was disgraceful and I'm angry above all because I'm the captain of this side and it really hurts to see your team outplayed by your opponents. I'm 38 and I have no intention of looking like a pilgrim."

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

SASSUOLO - JUVENTUS

1 - 0

Nicola Sansone (20')

MATCHDAY 10
Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia
Referee: Andrea Gervasoni

Roma march on,
Juventus out of excuses

The 2015/2016 season might be the one ruled by AS Roma, while Juventus
find themselves in a true crisis situation, writes Vincent Van Genechten.

http://www.football-italia.net/75005/roma-march-juventus-out-excuses?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
It had been a while since the Giallorossi were on top of the Serie A table, and Rudi Garcia’s side are not planning on letting it slip anytime soon. They defeated Udinese pretty easily, going up 2-0 after just nine minutes and never looking back, winning 3-1.

Roma have played like an offensive machine, scoring 25 goals in 10 league matches. They also lead Serie A with a shot accuracy of 53 per cent. Roma are so versatile in attack. Already 12 Roma players have scored this season and they lead the league with eight goals from set pieces. Rudi Garcia has to address the defense, as Roma have only recorded one clean-sheet this season, against Frosinone in Week 3.

Rivals Juventus have a lot more issues to deal with. The Bianconeri suffered their fourth loss of the season, losing 1-0 at Sassuolo on Nicola Sansone’s beautiful free-kick. They have now lost more games than all of last season. Even Giorgio Chiellini didn’t play as expected, catching two yellow cards before half-time.

Juve have created 145 chances so far. That's 19 more than Roma and 43 more than Fiorentina. But Roma have scored 14 more goals, Fiorentina seven. No striker has been able to get it going for the Old Lady. Max Allergi’s team has not lost by more than one goal this season, but seemed to lack the necessary fighting spirit against the Neroverdi. Juve are out of excuses and must perform in the upcoming Derby della Mole with Torino.

Sassuolo have proven they are for real. They had never beaten Juventus, but played composed to seal the win. The Neroverdi have gained a total of 10 points in games against Juve, Napoli, Lazio, Roma and Napoli. From now on, Sassuolo must aim for a ticket to the Europa League. With all the talent in place, they could pull this off, setting up an historisch finish in Serie A.

Napoli keep on rolling. The Partenopei beat Palermo 2-0 with goals from Gonzalo Higuain and supersub Dries Mertens. Higuain now leads Serie A with eight goals, while Napoli are undefeated in their last seven games. They have won their last five, scoring 11 goals and conceding only two. It took Napoli 10 games to reach five clean sheets in this Serie A campaign. Last season they needed 19 matches. That might be Napoli’s biggest improvement this season.

Fiorentina found back their winning form. After losing two big games in a row (2-1 at Napoli and 1-2 against Roma) La Viola took three points against Verona. They were lucky when Rafael Marquez accidentally deflected the ball into his own net, but Nikola Kalinic’s sixth goal of the season gave them a new boost of confidence. The striker has now scored five goals on the road and is a front runner for best summer transfer.

Inter are not letting Roma, Napoli and Fiorentina get away. The Nerazzurri are fourth with 21 points after a 0-1 win at Bologna. Five of their six wins this season were 1-0, while the other one was 2-1. No wonder Inter have the best defense with only seven goals conceded. Milan have already conceded 15 goals and have a goal difference of -3. But the Rossoneri have won their last two games, beating Sassuolo and Chievo at home, where they have won four of five this season.

At the bottom of Serie A, three teams are in serious trouble. Carpi, Hellas Verona and Bologna have seen other teams gain points, making a gap between this trio and 17th-place Frosinone. If they don’t get their act together, the relegation battle might be over sooner than expected…

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - TORINO

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 11
Saturday, October 31st, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Evra: ‘Respect the shirt’

http://www.football-italia.net/75004/evra-‘respect-shirt’?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
Patrice Evra has some hard-hitting words for his Juventus teammates ahead of the Derby della Mole: “We must respect this shirt.”

The Bianconeri are still in crisis following a 1-0 defeat to Sassuolo last night and will face Torino in the Turin derby on Saturday with their title hopes in tatters.

Following the loss to the Neroverdi, the Old Lady are in 11th place and announced that they will go to a training retreat until Saturday’s derby, which Evra believes is the right decision.

“Yesterday wasn’t the real Juve,” the Frenchman told Sky Sport.

“We can’t give performances like the one against Atalanta and then have a first half like we had against Sassuolo.

“There are some players who aren’t aware of the situation, who aren’t responsible, and for this reason we will leave first for the training retreat.

“I don’t like to go on them, but in this case it’s right. The club thinks it’s important to make some people understand the importance of the Juve shirt.

“I don’t like teams who first win and then lose, who go like a yo-yo. We can’t talk about the title, we must only think about Torino, we’re throwing away the chance of winning another Scudetto.

“The message for my teammates is clear: We must respect this shirt. In the first half against Sassuolo we didn’t.

“On Saturday I’m sure that we will give a good performance, at least from an attitude perspective.

“Last year when we played them it was my first match after 50 days out, I suffered a lot from Bruno Peres’ goal. I don’t believe it will be the same this time.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - TORINO

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 11
Saturday, October 31st, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Juventus - Torino Preview: Buffon calls
on champions to do themselves justice

With the Old Lady 11 points off the top in Serie A, the captain has urged
them to produce performances worthy of the famous Bianconeri shirt.

http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-torino/2120482/preview

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
Gianluigi Buffon has called on Juventus to do the club justice as they aim to turn around their disappointing form in Saturday's derby with city rivals Torino.

The defending champions are 12th in Serie A - 11 points behind leaders Roma - after slipping to their fourth league defeat of the season with a 1-0 loss at Sassuolo on Wednesday.

Nicola Sansone's 20th-minute effort put Sassuolo ahead and Juve, who had defender Giorgio Chiellini sent off in the 39th minute, were unable to find a way back.

Speaking in the aftermath of the defeat, Juve captain Buffon told Mediaset Premium: "We all played badly. The first half was simply unacceptable.

"I am stunned, as I am the captain and it hurts my soul to see my team dominated like that, to see my team not realise how important this game is and what attitude to take.

"There was also too much arguing with the referee. Talking about the referee all the time is what losers do and we do not stoop to that level. We wear the Juventus shirt and must do it justice."

Juve's poor league form sees them three points behind ninth-placed Torino in the table but Massimiliano Allegri's men can go in with some confidence given their home record in this fixture.

The Scudetto holders have not lost at home in the derby since Torino completed a double over Juve with a 2-1 away win in April 1995.

Torino did beat Juve 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino last season but are without a win in four games having twice squandered a lead in Wednesday's 3-3 draw with Genoa.

Giampiero Ventura's men were ahead 2-1 and 3-2 in that match, but Diego Laxalt's 94th-minute leveller earned Genoa a point.

And Ventura said after the draw with Genoa: "We must rethink some things. It is a step closer to our goal even if the draw is certainly not positive.

"It is clear that something did not work. Now we will see what we did wrong, we will analyse this match and try to correct. Definitely we could do better.

"We'll go there [Juventus] with some players tired but I am sure that we will prepare for the game and contest it as a derby requires."


LAST FIVE MATCHES

Juventus L W D D W

10/28/15 - Sassuolo 1 - 0 Juventus
10/25/15 - Juventus 2 - 0 Atalanta
10/21/15 - Juventus 0 - 0 Borussia Mönchengladbach
10/18/15 - Internazionale 0 - 0 Juventus
10/4/15 - Juventus 3 - 1 Bologna


Torino D L D L W

10/28/15 - Torino 3 - 3 Genoa
10/25/15 - Lazio 3 - 0 Torino
10/17/15 - Torino 1 - 1 Milan
10/3/15 - Carpi 2 - 1 Torino
9/27/15 - Torino 2 - 1 Palermo


HEAD TO HEAD

4/26/15 - Torino 2 - 1 Juventus
11/30/14 - Juventus 2 - 1 Torino
2/23/14 - Juventus 1 - 0 Torino
9/29/13 - Torino 0 - 1 Juventus
4/28/13 - Torino 0 - 2 Juventus

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - TORINO

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 11
Saturday, October 31st, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Evra: Juventus Have An Obligation To Beat Torino

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/10/evra-juventus-have-an-obligation-to-beat-torino/?

 
Oct 29, 2015
 
Patrice Evra believes Juventus have a duty to seal victory against Torino in the upcoming Derby della Mole, as they look to bounce back from their defeat against Sassuolo.

The 31-year-old feels that defeat to Il Toro would not only cost them three points and affect their standing in the league, but also cause fans to lose faith in them.

“There are two risks in losing a match like this and the first concerns our position in the league table,” Evra told Sky Sport Italia.

“The second concern is the support of our fans which could disappear as the result of a defeat, therefore this Saturday we are obliged to win.”

The Frenchman has notched up a total of 28 Serie A appearances for the Bianconeri since his move away from Manchester United in 2014.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - TORINO

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MATCHDAY 11
Saturday, October 31st, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Claudio Marchisio's status for
Derby della Mole still uncertain

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/10/30/9640120/juventus-midfielder-claudio-marchisios-status-for-derby-della-mole-still-uncertain

 
Oct 30, 2015
 
As is relatively easy to figure out by now, Juventus is a different kind of team with Claudio Marchisio in the lineup compared to when he's forced to sit out. The latest example of that came when Marchisio was forced to miss Wednesday night's loss at Sassuolo, a game where Juve's midfield looked out of its element without their most valuable player not amongst the starting players.

A day after Juve's fourth loss of the season, Marchisio's status for the Turin derby is still relatively unknown.

In their daily wrap up of the day's events, Juventus announced that Marchisio did not take part in training on Thursday afternoon, thus creating plenty of doubt as to whether he will actually be healthy enough to play against Torino just 48 hours later. That was followed by a report courtesy of TuttoJuve stating that Marchisio is still a doubt for the first Derby della Mole of the season thanks to the illness that kept him out of the Sassuolo match.

If there ever was a worse time for Marchisio miss action for a non-injury reason like, you know, getting sick, then this would be it. Obviously coming down with the flu is out of his control, too, but with the way Juventus is playing these days, they need all the help they can get to try and right all of their current wrongs. And, as we've come to find out, the absence of Marchisio is even that much more magnified when Juve don't have their No. 8 in the lineup.

It was as clear as day despite all the rain at the Mapei Stadium two days ago. Playing without Marchisio and Sami Khedira proved to be one of Max Allegri's biggest faults against Sassuolo. Juventus' three starting central midfielders — all of which were 22 years old, by the way — struggled to impose and kind of will on the game. And thus, the need for Marchisio and/or Khedira even became that much more clear as the minutes ticked off the clock.

I guess the only hope is that Marchisio can recover from this flu bug as fast as humanly possible. We all know the only Turin-born player on the Juventus roster sure does like playing against the club his wife just so happens to have rooted for growing up.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - TORINO

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MATCHDAY 11
Saturday, October 31st, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Juventus v Torino: Preview

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/match/432167/juventus-torino/preview?

 
Oct 30, 2015
 
Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon has told his team-mates to dig deep and start playing with more fire ahead of Saturday's city derby against Torino.

The defending Serie A champions head into the contest in Turin after Wednesday's 1-0 defeat at Sassuolo.

The loss, their first ever against the team from Reggio Emilia, was Juve's fourth defeat in the domestic campaign and dropped them to 12th place.

Juve, who have failed to win two games in a row in Serie A this season, are 11 points adrift of leaders Roma after 10 games.

``We were doing better recently and we really wanted to avoid a defeat at Sassuolo,'' Buffon told Italian TV station Mediaset.

``We are all very disappointed with how we played in the first half.''

Sassuolo scored in the opening half via a Nicola Sansone free-kick.

Juve, who had defender Giorgio Chiellini sent off late before the interval, were better after the restart but could not find the equaliser.

``We all played badly,'' Buffon said. ``The first half was simply unacceptable.

``We did better in the second half but it was still not good enough for a team like Juve. I am shocked and as captain, it hurts to see the team dominated in that manner.

``The team didn't give the game the importance it had and we have to change our attitude. I saw a lot of complaining to the referee and that is what losers do.

``We cannot drop to that level.

``We wear the Juve jersey and we must do it justice.''

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri took full responsibility for his team's latest loss and hopes they can make amends this weekend.

``I am the first to be responsible,'' he said. ``We need to get out of this situation by working together as a team.

``We will prepare for Saturday's game before focusing on the Champions League.''

Juve, who are unbeaten in the European competition, visit Borussia Monchengladbach on Tuesday.

Toro go into the encounter at the Juventus Stadium hoping to show the same fighting spirit which saw them beat Juve 2-1 back in April to secure their first Turin derby victory for 20 years.

Torino gave away a last-gasp equaliser and had to settle for a 3-3 draw at home to Genoa on Wednesday.

The outcome, which kept them unbeaten at home, lifted Giampiero Ventura's outfit to ninth place, three points clear of their local rivals.

Torino have not won since beating Palermo 2-1 on September 27 and have collected two points out of a possible 12 since.

``We are getting less than we deserve in our recent games,'' Ventura told Rai Sport.

``We merited a win against Genoa considering what we did on the pitch but we lacked the killer instinct to clinch three points which would have been very important for us.''

Former Juve forward Fabio Quagliarella, whose goal handed Torino the winner in the last derby, is expected to partner Maxi Lopez in attack.

Juve are without the suspended Chiellini while midfielder Claudio Marchisio has recovered from flu and is set to feature.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

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MATCHDAY 11
Saturday, October 31st, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Trap: ‘Juventus? It happened to me…’

http://www.football-italia.net/75037/trap-%E2%80%98juventus-it-happened-me%E2%80%A6%E2%80%99?

 
Oct 30, 2015
 
Giovanni Trapattoni attempts to explain Juventus’ poor start to the season - “it happened to me…”

The Bianconeri have lost four of their opening 10 Serie A games, but the man who won six Scudetti and the European Cup with the Old Lady stresses that off-years can happen.

“Bad years happened to me too, immediately after winning in other years,” Trapattoni reminded Corriere dello Sport.

“It seems to me that Juve are suffering above all with the attrition of some players, and I don’t mean just physically, but psychologically too.

“The pressure is always high in Turin, and Juve are the team everyone wants to beat.

“Allegri has definitely suffered with injuries, and also the national teams and the cup competitions have taken players and energy. I don’t know if that could have affected their preparation.

“The changes? Well, it’s not automatic that a replacement can be at the same level as his predecessor, but I wouldn’t give responsibility to someone in particular.

“These periods happen in football.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - TORINO

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MATCHDAY 11
Saturday, October 31st, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Patrice Evra 'furious' with Juventus
teammates 'throwing away history'

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/2689585/patrice-evra-fury-at-juventus-teammates-throwing-away-title?

 
Oct 30, 2015
 
Juventus full-back Patrice Evra has called for more respect for the colours being worn by his teammates as the pressure continues to mount on the defending Serie A champions.

Juve only missed out on the Treble last season after losing the Champions League final to Barcelona in May, but the Bianconeri have started the new campaign in poor form.

A 1-0 defeat at Sassuolo in midweek has seen an 11-point gap open up between Massimiliano Allegri's side -- down in 12th place -- and leaders Roma after just 10 games.

Juve host Torino in the Turin city derby on Saturday well aware they can no longer afford to drop points if they are to harbour any hopes of successfully defending their title, and Evra wants his colleagues to do their club justice.

"I'm really angry," the 34-year-old told Sky Sport Italia. "Some of our players are not aware of what kind of situation we are in. All I want to say to them is that we need to respect this shirt."

Juve have now lost more games this season than they did in the whole of last term, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon admitted they can no longer have any excuses with all of the squad now fit and available.

Former Manchester United defender Evra agrees with Buffon, and also with the club's decision to call a training camp in the days leading up to the derby.

"What we saw on Wednesday was not the real Juventus," said the France international. "You can't play the way we did on Saturday against Atalanta and then play a first half like the one against Sassuolo. Maybe some players are not taking enough responsibility, and the training camp could be useful for this.

"I'm not a fan of training camps -- nobody wants them as we've all got families -- but if the coach and the club believe it's necessary to have this training camp to make us understand what it means to play for Juve, then it's more than welcome.

"I'm furious. I don't like yo-yo sides who win and then lose and then win again. This is not Juve. I don't want to talk about the Scudetto, but whenever we play like Juve can, then we have always got to think about winning it.

"When I wake up in the morning, I think about winning a fifth straight title, but right now we are throwing away the chance of something which would be historic.

"The message I have for my teammates, and I say it also to their faces, is that we need to respect this shirt and we didn't do that in the first half against Sassuolo. We'll definitely have the right attitude against Torino."

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - TORINO

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MATCHDAY 11
Saturday, October 31st, 2015 - 6:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi

Pogba, Allegri, a disastrous transfer market –
who is to blame for Juventus' crisis?

The Champions League finalists are enduring a calamitous campaign as they languish
in 12th position, already 11 points behind leaders Roma. So what is the cause for this collapse?

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2601/features/2015/10/30/16822622/-?

 
Oct 30, 2015
 
The last time Juventus started a Serie A season this badly, Diego Maradona’s Napoli were the Scudetto holders, Michael Jackson had just released Bad, while meteorologist Michael Fish was the most ridiculed man in Britain after dismissing an incoming hurricane that would claim 23 lives and cause more than £2 billion in damage.

The blundering Fish shares more than a passing resemblance to Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta – the man most responsible for the Bianconeri’s disastrous start to 2015-16 which sees them languishing in 12th place with just 12 points and 11 goals from 10 games.

For a club that has utterly dominated the Italian championship for the past four years and reached the Champions League final only four months ago, it is an incredible implosion but one that could have been predicted following Marotta’s reckless transfer market.

Sanctioning the sale of three world-class players all in one window in Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal was madness. A team that needs to be renewed should always be allowed to evolve slowly to smoothen the transition, it should never be revolutionised. We saw how Massimiliano Allegri’s AC Milan side collapsed after the sale of their two best players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva, to Paris Saint-Germain in 2012. We also saw what happened to Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson’s ageing squad was completely dismantled upon his retirement a year later.

While Tevez was always going to return to his beloved Boca Juniors for family reasons, and a declining, deteriorating Vidal was perhaps smart business at €37m plus bonuses, Pirlo may have stayed had he received assurances of his first team status. What is certain is that all three experienced figures should not have been allowed to leave at the same time.

“Certainly the departures of Pirlo, Vidal and Tevez are weighing heavily and the substitutes identified on the market by the leaders of the club have not been of the level to fill the void left by these three great champions,” ex-Juventus star and 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi told Corriere dello Sport on Friday.

Juventus had a budget of over €120 million to fill the void - it has been spent horrendously. A third of the total was used on a 21-year-old whose contract at Palermo was due to expire at the end of the season (€26m was sanctioned on Alex Sandro, who was also in his last year at Porto) and who had only impressed for half a season in Serie A. Paulo Dybala is undoubtedly a special talent and has all the ability to become a special player for Juve, but he is still developing and isn’t physically ready to carry the team on his shoulders like his countryman Tevez did.

Almost €40m combined was blown on two more strikers in Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza. There is a reason Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone was desperate to offload the former – he hadn’t scored a goal for the club since February. As for the Italian, he was also signed despite a difficult season for little Sassuolo where he went three months without a goal in 2015. Both Mandzukic and Zaza have looked out of their depth in Turin – with fans regularly joking about which of the clumsy pair has the heaviest first touch. The Croatian has had just eight shots in seven matches.

More money was squandered further down the pitch. Marotta spent months searching for a top-class attacking midfielder but typically failed in closing a deal for an established star. He haggled over pennies with Schalke and ended up losing Julian Draxler to Wolfsburg. He then made matters worse by paying up to €13m for Inter reserve Hernanes, whom he has even publicly admitted “is not a champion”.

Only the capture of Sami Khedira on a free and Juan Cuadrado on loan from Chelsea were shrewd acquisitions. If the German stays fit, he will be an important figure. But Khedira is no Pirlo. He can win the midfield but he can’t win the game. And Cuadrado is no Tevez. He has plenty of style, but not so much substance.

Juventus have controlled the majority of their matches this season. Only away at Roma on matchday two were they outplayed. But without the creativity of Pirlo and Tevez, they have struggled horribly to make chances against deep-lying defences. It is Marotta’s failure to replace this creativity and cunning that has been Juventus’ true downfall.

Paul Pogba was handed the iconic No.10 shirt and given the responsibility of being Juventus’s leader post-Tevez and Pirlo but he has floundered so far. He has scored one goal – a penalty – and delivered just one assist in Serie A. The Frenchman is a phenomenal all-round midfielder but he is not a playmaker and he is struggling to produce the individual magic that every great team needs from their star player.

Allegri’s constant tinkering with tactics and personnel has not helped Pogba, though, or Juventus as a whole. This season he has started with four different formations in 10 Serie A matches – the 4-3-1-2, 3-5-2, 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 - regularly changing the system during games. This tactical flexibility was crucial in Juve’s success last term, but there has been no method behind the madness this time around and all it has done is confuse a new team that needs time to gel. After beating Atalanta with a 4-3-1-2 last Sunday, Allegri inexplicably switched to a 3-5-2 as 10-man Juve lost at Sassuolo on Wednesday.

The coach, who will be under huge pressure if he doesn’t win Saturday’s derby versus Torino, has rotated his four forwards on a weekly basis and it is no surprise that only Dybala has scored more than one Serie A goal. Allegri has made more than his fair share of team selection blunders. Employing the much-maligned Simone Padoin at full-back against the league’s in-form player, Lorenzo Insigne, was only ever going to end in disaster as the winger led Napoli to victory at San Paolo. Keeping Khedira on the bench versus Sassuolo after fellow midfielder Claudio Marchisio had already pulled out with flu was unwise, too.

Allegri has bemoaned the fact that Juventus have faced an injury crisis this season – with 14 muscular problems already by November. However, the coach and his superiors must accept some responsibility for this. “The athletic preparation was wrong,” sniped another Juve legend Marco Tardelli. Juventus finished the previous season later than usual due to the Champions League final on June 6, but Allegri had his squad back in training early to be in shape for the meaningless Italian Supercup against Lazio. Worse still, he ordered the squad’s pre-season training camp to be held in the summer heat of Vinovo rather than in the cooler mountains as is Italian tradition. This all contributed to the spate of injuries.

It must be recognised that the Gods have not smiled on the Old Lady. She took just two points from the games against Udinese, Frosinone, Chievo and Sassuolo, despite giving up only six shots on target in total from those matches. Gianluigi Buffon has conceded with his first shot in five games so far. Even against Roma, television replays showed that Miralem Pjanic only opened the scoring because the distance between his free kick and the wall was 12 yards rather than the regulatory 10.

"The Bianconeri have changed a lot, and have also been very unlucky. In their games against Udinese, Chievo and Frosinone, they failed to finish many chances,” former Juventus coach Gigi Del Neri told Goal last week. "Still, I think that Juventus will be able to re-enter the race for the title.”

There are not many people who share Del Neri’s opinion. Most fans would gladly sign right now for third place and Champions League qualification. As for retaining the Scudetto, it would take a wind change of hurricane proportions for Juventus to catch Roma.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127