Juventus Season 2015-2016

[Socrates 8524]

Five Juventus questions to be answered in 2016

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/5/10708488/five-juventus-questions-to-be-answered-in-2016-serie-a-champions-league-pogba-morata

Jan 5, 2016

Many questions about where Juventus are at will be answered in 2016. Here are five questions that will be answered, just two days away from the beginning of the 2016 portion of the schedule.


Can Juventus win a fifth consecutive scudetto?

Juventus started the 2015-16 season in the worst possible way. Juve's record for the first seven games of the season was L-L-D-W-D-L-W. That is a grand total of eight points in the first seven games. Luckily, we all know about Juve's perfect record in the last seven games they have played. The 21 points collected in the last seven matches have moved Juventus from 12th place on Round 7 to fourth place after Round 17. Most importantly, Juve are a mere three points away from first place.

The big question now is this: Can Juventus win the 2015-16 Scudetto? I have mentioned that if Juve were to be champions once again, after the massive rejuvenation of the squad, then they will be unstoppable for years to come.


Where does Juve stand in Europe?

Last season's European run was just amazing. Even the most optimistic of fans would not have predicted Juventus making it into the Champions League final. We went toe-to-toe with Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid ... and we beat them; and were inches away from going all the way against Barcelona. But, it wasn't to be.

Now, for a team to claim a spot in Europe's elite, consistency is key, and Juventus have a golden opportunity ahead of them. Defeating Bayern Munich and moving on to the quarterfinals of the Champions League would be a massive statement. It will signal to other clubs that Juve are to be respected and feared. No matter what, the two upcoming European matches will be a huge learning opportunity for our young players.


Will Paul Pogba stay one more year?

Mino Raiola, Pogba's agent, recently mentioned how much Paul loves Juventus. The,n there is also young Paul taking the No. 10 shirt. Sure, he can take it for one year, but I think that he is more committed to Juve than what the media would like you to think. Winning the Champions League with Juve may accelerate a move, so will a €100 million-plus offer. But otherwise, I wouldn't be surprised seeing him stay put for one more season.


Where will Alvaro Morata play next season?

Next summer Real Madrid will have the chance to bring Morata back home for only €30 million. However, the final word will be Morata's. I honestly think he would like to be at Madrid, but he knows the competition there is unlikely to give him the extended playing time he requires. With that being said, he is not getting many minutes in Turin at the moment. In fact, he has only started six games as a center-forward, according to WhoScored, in all competitions, with his major role being that of an impact sub (10 substitute appearances).


Will Domenico Berardi finally move to Turin next season?

Berardi has been part of the Juventus world for a long time now. And this summer is the summer to make a decision. He needs to decide whether he is willing to come and fight for a spot or if he prefers to be a big fish in a small pond. Juventus also need to decide whether they are willing to build a team that will play to the young Italian's strengths or let his strengths match our style of play. A 3-5-2 is not really for him, but a 4-3-2-1 or 4-3-1-2 may be suitable. No matter what, the Berardi soap opera will be over by the end of the summer.

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus vs. Hellas Verona:
Team News, Predicted Lineups

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2603930-juventus-vs-hellas-verona-team-news-predicted-lineups-live-stream-tv-info?

Jan 5, 2016

Serie A returns to action this week, with Juventus hosting Hellas Verona on January 6, the date Italian football traditionally ends its winter break. Currently sitting bottom of the table and without a single win this term, the visitors could not have asked for a more daunting task than a trip to Turin.

Indeed, the Bianconeri have finally returned to form, ending 2015 with seven consecutive league wins, adding a Coppa Italia victory over cross-town rivals Torino in for good measure. They will be looking to continue that streak, especially as they are now just three points behind early leaders Inter.

OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo
7 - Massimiliano Allegri has won seven consecutive league games for the first time in the Serie A. Confidence.

Yet the players appear to only be focused on their next opponents, with midfielder Stefano Sturaro in no mood to discuss Juve’s long-term objectives during an interview with Sky Italia late last week.

“We’re taking each game at a time,” he said per the club’s official website. “To start talking about the title now would be premature and the wrong way to go about things because we’re only at the midway point of the season.”

His team-mate Paul Pogba believes that the improvements are down to the work ethic instilled by Juventus, telling La Stampa (h/t Football Italia) that being at Manchester United felt “like being on vacation in comparison.”

They will be made to work by Hellas, too, with veteran striker Luca Toni believing the timing of the fixture gives his side an advantage, as he discussed the matchup with Tuttosport last week.

“It’s better we face them now after the Christmas break, so hopefully some will still be distracted,” Toni said (h/t Football Italia). “Juve are clearly stronger, but we can cause them problems.”

The 38-year-old has, of course, been reunited with former Bianconeri boss Gigi Delneri, but the two men will know it will take something special to get the better of their old club as Juventus look to continue their climb up the table.

 

Probable Formations

 

Juventus (3-5-2):

Gigi Buffon; Daniele Rugani, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini; Juan Cuadrado, Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba, Patrice Evra; Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala

Unavailable: Andrea Barzagli, Mario Lemina and Roberto Pereyra (all injured)


Hellas Verona: (4-2-3-1):

Pierluigi Gollini; Eros Pisano, Matteo Bianchetti, Vangelis Moras, Samuel Souprayen; Federico Viviani, Emil Hallfredsson; Pawel Wszolek, Artur Ionita, Luca Siligardi; Luca Toni

Unavailable: Jacopo Sala (suspended), Romulo and Michelangelo Albertazzi (both injured)


Key Battle

Luca Toni is the danger man for Hellas Verona, the veteran striker having ended last season alongside Inter Milan's Mauro Icardi at the top of the Serie A goalscoring charts. The 2006 World Cup winner bagged a remarkable 22 goals to lift the Capocannoniere crown but has struggled somewhat with injuries this term.

OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo
20 - Luca Toni is the Italian player who scored the most goals (20) over the top-5 European leagues in 2015. Giant.

Limited to just eight starts thus far, the 38-year-old has still struck three times, a tally representing a third of Verona’s total goals so far in 2015/16. Toni is, of course, well-known in Turin, having netted the first-ever goal at Juventus Stadium during his short spell at the club.

The task of keeping him under wraps is likely to fall to Giorgio Chiellini, and the Bianconeri defender will be undaunted by the physical battle that will ensue as the two men go head-to-head.


Player to Watch

If Toni poses the biggest threat for the visitors, perhaps the man to watch here will be working at the opposite end of the field, with Mario Mandzukic in excellent form for Juventus.

The Croatian striker struggled in the early months of the campaign but has recently found his scoring boots, weighing in with five goals and an assist in his last five appearances before the winter break.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@MarioMandzukic9 is voted the best Bianconeri player during November: http://juve.it/VJpNK

Mandzukic was named Juve’s Player of the Month for November, according to the club’s official website, and he will look to start the New Year by finding the back of the net once again here.

The Gialloblu may struggle to stop him, conceding no fewer than 27 times thus far in 2015/16—a tally only beaten by Carpi (33), who are just above them at the foot of the Serie A table.


Odds (via Odds Shark)

Away win: 25-1

Home win: 50-357

Draw: 11-2

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Allegri: ‘Verona not easy’

http://www.football-italia.net/77884/allegri-‘verona-not-easy’?

Jan 5, 2016

Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri is expecting “a complicated game” against Verona tomorrow.

The Bianconeri have won seven games in a row to propel themselves back into the Scudetto fight, while the Butei haven’t won all season, but the tactician isn’t taking anything for granted.

“Tomorrow is a complicated game, because it’s like the first of the season,” Allegri warned in his pre-match Press conference.

“Or it’s like the last before going on holiday. Firstly, we have a duty and an obligation to win, because we’re still lagging behind.

“It’s true that we’ve closed the gap, but right now we can’t afford to get our approach wrong, or make mistakes in terms of our competitiveness or spirit in the game.

“A result is the most important thing against a Verona who have played very well in their last two matches.

“They’re a team who don’t give much away, they’ve found solidity and they’re going through a good period, so we’ll have to be very good, and above all be aware of the importance of this game.

“The lads have come back [from the break] and I’d say they’re good. They needed to rest after an important period over the last two months, when we got to the Carpi game we really needed to catch our breath.

“In my opinion we’ve done good work over the last week, and tomorrow the hardest thing is to power-up mentally right away.

“I’d say that the team are very responsible in that regard though, they know that tomorrow is a game in which we can’t afford mistakes, not least because I think we’ve dropped important points against the mid-to-low ranked teams.

“The lads have put a difficult situation right, because we were 12 points behind and we put a run of important wins together.

“But the season ends in May, so from tomorrow onward the sprint to the finish begins, the second half of the season where, in the end, those who make less mistakes have more chance of winning.

“So we have to be aware, we’re still trailing top spot by three points with two games to go until the end of the first round of fixtures.

“We’ll see how we end the first round, but we have to be aware that from here until the end of the season we’ll have to make as few mistakes as possible because we don’t have much time to recover.”

Allegri was then asked whether he’s likely to make changes to his side for tomorrow’s game, given they face Genoa at the weekend.

“We’ll play Genoa three days later, which will be another tough match. I think the credit for these wins goes to the lads, because - especially in recent games, including the Coppa Italia - there have been a lot of changes.

“I’ve made a minimum of three to five changes, and changing five players every game is not easy. So that means the lads are all in good condition mentally and are ready to play.

“Above all, that allows me to keep a high intensity during the game.”

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Serie A race is set to go all the way
as five teams challenge for the title

As Serie A returns after the winter break, James Horncastle assesses
the title hopes of the top five, who are currently separated by just four points.

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/12/blog/post/2780137/inter-fiorentina-napoli-juventus-and-roma-seek-serie-a-title

Jan 5, 2016

1st: Inter (36 points)

Why they can win it

Roberto Mancini was a winner as a player and he has been as a coach. He inspired Sampdoria to their one and only Scudetto in 1991, Lazio to their first in a quarter of a century in 2000, ended an agonising 18-year wait at Inter and, in England, made Manchester City champions after 44 years.

In Italy Mancini is considered close to a guarantee and so is having the best defence. Only once in the last 10 years -- Fiorentina in 2006-07 -- has the team with the tightest backline not won the league in Italy. Inter aren't in Europe and so can focus almost exclusively on winning their first title since 2009-10.

There are big margins of improvement in how they play and their chances will be enhanced further if Geoffrey Kondogbia starts to repay his €31 million transfer fee and last season's co-Capocannoniere Mauro Icardi starts to score more regularly.


Why they can't

Too many carpenters, not enough architects. Although things have improved in the construction of Inter's play, goals and results would come more easily if they had a midfield capable of making their passing game smoother and more fluent. Gary Medel and Felipe Melo aren't the answer. Up front, Icardi and Stevan Jovetic have not combined.

Flying to Dubai during the winter break took a toll on Milan a year ago. Will it on Inter now? Ill-discipline -- or poor refereeing decisions if you believe Mancini -- might cost them too. Even if Inter have occasionally played better when down to 10 men, six red cards have made life more difficult than it needed to be.


2nd: Napoli (35)

Why they can win it

In Gonzalo Higuain, Napoli have the league's best and most decisive player. He scored 35 goals in the last calendar year, including eight braces and a couple of hat tricks. In 2015-16 alone, he has 16 in 17 league appearances and we're not even halfway through the season. To put that into some perspective, Icardi and Luca Toni finished Capocannoniere with 22 goals apiece last term.

Higuain's partnership with Lorenzo Insigne is the most lethal in Serie A but, unlike other years, Napoli are finely balanced. Their +18 goal difference is level best with Fiorentina but, as a collective, they have the better individuals. In head-to-head encounters with the current top four, their record is won three, drawn one, lost none.

Napoli have been behind for only 118 minutes this season and Maurizio Sarri, their coach, is a magician. Just look at what he has done for the defence. No wonder they're calling him "Sarri Potter".


Why they can't

Higuain is durable. He played all but one of Napoli's league games last season but, if anything happens to him, it is essential he isn't out for long and that Manolo Gabbiadini isn't sold during this window. Sarri's reluctance to rotate might also tire a team that looked weary going into the winter break, particularly if Napoli go deep in the Europa League.

Also how will they cope with the pressure? It's now more than a quarter of a century since Napoli last won Serie A and there is desperation for that to end. Napoli got vertigo on going top in December and immediately relinquished pole position, surprisingly losing to Bologna. If they do move back into first, can they hold their nerve?


3rd: Fiorentina (35)

Why they can win it

Paulo Sousa arrived in Florence as a championship-winning coach in back-to-back seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Basel. He knows how to lead a title challenge, get a team over the line and has Fiorentina believing they can win the Scudetto for the first time since 1969.

Along with Napoli they have played the best football in Italy this season and everything about their play is in proportion. They have nine clean sheets in 17 games, four of which came without the opponent mustering a shot on target. With 62.6 percent, they also have the league's highest possession figures and best attack.

Fiorentina have spent 768 minutes in the lead this season, which is two hours and 50 minutes more than the next best. They've got great staying power, as their presence in the top three since mid-September shows, and have immediately bounced back from defeat when many thought they would fade away.


Why they can't

Although Fiorentina could hold their heads up high after each defeat, they still lost big games to Napoli, Roma and Juventus, which would give the impression that they're not quite on the same level and thhis is a team punching above its weight. Their revenue and wage bill are much inferior to the other contenders, after all.

Meanwhile, as with Napoli, can they really play any better and sustain these performance levels over entire season? What if top scorer Nikola Kalinic gets injured like Gabriel Batistuta did in the spring of 1999? Khouma Babacar and -- if he stays -- Giuseppe Rossi suggest there is depth to cope but the Europa League also might prove a drain on energy levels.


4th: Juventus (33)

Why they can win it

Because they're Juventus. They've got the knowhow and the experience; they've been there and done it and are now back in the race, which is nothing short of remarkable considering they're in a transition season and were 11 points off the top on the morning of Halloween.

Gigi Buffon got everyone back on message after defeat to Sassuolo and Juve haven't looked back since Juan Cuardrado's stoppage time winner in the Turin derby. Also vital have been a return to 3-5-2, injured players making comebacks, Paulo Dybala becoming the first name on the team sheet and other new recruits like Alex Sandro and Mario Mandzukic all beginning to consistently deliver.

Seven straight wins demonstrate what Juventus are capable of and, with Inter, Napoli and Roma all having to go to the J Stadium in 2016, a fifth straight Scudetto for the first time since the 1930s is a distinct possibility.


Why they can't

No one has ever won the league after the start Juventus had. Plus, if Claudio Marchisio gets hurt they're in trouble. Their Serie A record with him is won eight, drawn two, no defeats. Without him they lack balance and control and have won just twice losing four and drawing once.

Juventus can't afford to take anyone lightly and have dropped points to Udinese, Chievo, Frosinone and Sassuolo. Their Round of 16 Champions League tie with Bayern Munich also comes at a delicate time: Juventus play Inter after the first leg and have the Turin derby after the second.


5th: Roma (32)

Why they can win it

Roma's win against Genoa in their final match before Christmas was their first in six weeks and yet they're only four points off the top. Alessandro Florenzi's and Sadiq Umar's goals were also their first from open play over that period and yet, with 32 goals, Roma's attack remains the second best in the league.

If they come through this crisis, make some targeted signings in January and play to their potential, there is no reason why Roma can't win their first Scudetto in 15 years. The ceiling of this team is high and their position in the table is a false reflection of their ability -- there's more to come.

Talismanic captain Francesco Totti is back, as are Mohamed Salah and Gervinho and there's surely more to come from Edin Dzeko. Meanwhile, Kevin Strootman should be fit again in February. Roma can't be ruled out. After all, they have beaten Juventus and Fiorentina and went to Napoli and didn't lose.


Why they can't

The tension around the club continues; fans have abandoned the Olimpico in protest at new public order measures and the ownership. The team is sensitive to the atmosphere around it and that leads to extremes, from euphoric wins against Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio to, albeit in non-Serie A play, devastating defeats to Barcelona and Spezia.

Moreover, there is the loss of face endured by Rudi Garcia and the speculation surrounding his future. A flaky defence has no reliable centre-back partner for Kostas Manolas and regular natural right-back. Dzeko has been disappointing while Roma have plenty of wingers but no one capable of compensating for injuries to Salah and Gervinho.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

JUVENTUS VS HELLAS VERONA MATCH PREVIEW

http://www.juvefc.com/juventus-vs-hellas-verona-match-preview-and-scouting/?

Jan 5, 2016
 

Juventus

Serie A returns after the break and the schedule is kind with Juventus as they host Hellas Verona. The Old Lady was not particularly sharp against Carpi, conceding the lead in the first half and scoring an own goal late in the game, but the performance was good enough to bring home the three points: it was the seventh win in a row, which is quite an achievement. Thanks to the Inter stumble against Lazio, the deficit from the top has now been cut down to just three points. If bianconeri keep getting the job done against the low table teams, as they have been doing recently, they are well positioned to win Scudetto as most of the head-to-head matches against the other title contenders will be played at the Stadium.

There are a couple of doubts regarding the lineup: Andrea Barzagli and Mario Mandzukic are dealing with sore calfs, a very tricky muscle, so they will be rested in order to not to aggravate the injuries. Mandzukic could return by Sunday while Barzagli is a little more behind in the recovery. Massimiliamo Allegri admitted that he will choose between a finally healthy Martin Caceres and Daniele Rugani to replace Barzagli. It would probably be a good situation to put the Italian youngster into, as we host one of the worst teams in Serie A, even though they have foxy strikers. If Caceres started, that would mean that his departure is not so imminent and obvious as it was made to be. Stephen Lichtsteiner is set to be the right wing back, with Alex Sandro and Patrice Evra battling it out to start on the other flank. The midfield should be the best one available: Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba. Roberto Pereyra and Mario Lemina have not been called up.

Alvaro Morata is the frontrunner to take Mandzukic’s spot, but I wonder if the coach (and the management) could decide to give Simone Zaza some playing time to convince him to stay put. Rumour has it that Juventus do not want to sell the striker, but the offers that arrived are pretty rich. However, as we have seen in the past, the club does not want to keep disgruntled players, so if Zaza demanded to leave because he wants to play, he would be let go. A similar maneuver was used with Kingsley Coman, but it was not enough to retain him after Bayern’s strong courtship.

As for the transfer market rumours, it looks like the officials are making a strong move for Ikay Gundongan, a very good player that would add a ton of quality and could become a cornerstone, especially should Paul Pogba leave in the summer. As it happened with Alex Sandro, the executives are willing to spend for young players that could have a long career in black & white. Borussia Dortmund are playing hardball, we will see how it goes and if the management will move for other targets in the event Gundogan does not arrive. It may not: the midfield has been injury ridden but it is stacked when fully healthy; a move to add a superb player always makes sense, spending just for the sake of spending rarely does. Honestly, I would be very happy with simply securing the deals for Rolando Mandragora and Stefano Sensi, who could become helluva players in a couple of years.

 

Probable lineup 3-5-2:

Buffon; Rugani, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Sandro; Morata, Dybala.


Injuries:

Mandzukic (calf), Barzagli (calf), Pereyra (hamstring), Lemina (knee).

Suspended:

None.


 

  Hellas Verona

Hellas Verona are at the bottom of the table and they are still winless. They have sacked their longtime coach Andrea Mandorlini to hire Luigi Delneri. The situation has not improved by much after the coaching change: they have been able to pick up a point here and there, but obviously not being able to win games have hurt them immensely.

Certainly, injuries have played a big part in the demise of what was looking like an established Serie A side last season. I think that every of their players has missed time because of various ailments at some points during the season. The most impactful absence was Luca Toni’s, who was sidelined for two months by a knee ligament tear. The heir apparent Giampaolo Pazzini has been in and out of the lineup with ankle problems and has never been able to gain some momentum and scored only a goal so far.

Considering that main strengths were defending hard and countering fast with Toni finishing up the plays, it is easy to see why things went south so quickly: their defense is 17th in the League for goals allowed and has always looked shaky; they have no speedy wing players to lead the counter-attacks; Toni has missed most of the season. It is a recipe for disaster.

Delneri is a 4-4-2 aficionado but because of injuries and suspensions, he has used so far 4-2-3-1 with Artur Ionita as a tactical weapon in the advanced midfielder position. The results have not been great. Pazzini and Juanito Gomez are both healthy enough, so there is a chance they deploy 4-4-2 with a double pivot, Toni and Pazzini, a couple that might work wonders or not work at all.

They have been hit by a number of last-minute absences, so the lineup is pretty much up in the air. Jacopo Sala is disqualified and Eros Pisano has been ruled out, this means that they have no true right backs available other than Claudio Winck that they have refused to play all season. Matteo Bianchetti will probably slide on the flank, as he did for few minutes against Milan, and Filip Helander will start in the middle, as they have recently lost Rafa Marquez, who moved to Atlas, and they are yet to replace him. They are not particularly high on Samuel Souprayen either and they are looking for a new fullback, but they have no alternatives to fielding him in this one. It is safe to say that they will not have the stingiest defense on Sunday.

Federico Viviani has been dealing with sports hernia all year and will be sidelined in the weekend and Matuzalem is out too. These absences will probably lead them to use 4-4-2, with Leandro Greco or Ionita alongside Emil Hallfredsson in the middle and Luca Siligardi or the newcomer Urby Emanuelson on the left wing. Pawel Wszolek has been constantly picked over Bosko Jankovic in the recent games. Of course they could still use 4-2-3-1, but they are very shorthanded in the midfield and would have no replacements on the bench other than a couple of youngsters. The availability of Juanito Gomez and Pazzini makes a two-man attack more likely.

Rafael has been one of their cornerstone for a longtime, but they are reportedly looking for a new goalkpeer and he could even be on his way out, so it is possible that Pierluigi Gollini will take the starting job.

Probable lineup 4-4-2:

Gollini; Bianchetti, Moras, Helander, Souprayen; Wszolek, Greco, Hallfredsson, Siligardi; Pazzini, Toni.


Injuries:

Viviani (groin), Albertazzi (calf), Romulo (groin), Matuzalem, Pisano.

Suspended:

Sala.

 

Formation

Poll

Who will emerge victorious when Juve take on Hellas Verona?

Juventus 95%
Hellas 2%
Draw 2%

Votes 42

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus V Hellas Verona — Preview: Hot Streak
Bianconeri Take On Winless Bottom Club

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/juventus-v-hellas-verona-preview-hot-streak-bianconeri-take-on-winless-bottom-club/?

Jan 6, 2016
 
Juventus host Hellas Verona at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday afternoon in Serie A, hoping to win their eighth consecutive game.

After a slow start to the season, the Italian champions have won their last seven Serie A games, catching up with the top, now distant only three points. Massimiliano Allegri wanted his team to have a positive run before the Christmas break to close the gap with the top teams and his players responded perfectly, scoring 17 goals in seven games, conceding just five, and climbing into fourth position.

Hellas Verona on the other hand have won just in the Coppa Italia so far this season, having put together only eight points with eight draws that put them bottom of the league and eight points away from the safe zone. Coach Gigi Delneri said he is convinced Verona will stay in Serie A, but it already seems very difficult.

The latest game between the two sides ended 2-2 in Verona on the final day of last season, with Luca Toni and Juanito Gomez responding to goals by Fernando Llorente and Roberto Pereyra. Last season’s fixture at the Juventus Stadium saw the Vecchia Signora thrash the visitors 4-0 thanks to a wonder goal by Paul Pogba, a Carlos Tevez brace and a Pereyra goal.

The Argentinian midfielder, who scored in both games last season, is unavailable, due to a long lasting injury. He is joined by Mario Mandzukic, Andrea Barzagli and Mario Lemina on the sidelines. Allegri will therefore start Alvaro Morata up front and probably give Daniele Rugani his first start for Juventus in Serie A. Allegri also has the usual decision on the flanks with the duel on the right between Juan Cuadrado and Stephan Lichtsteiner and on the left between Alex Sandro and Patrice Evra.

Delneri won’t be able to count on banned Jacopo Sala or Romulo, who has been out virtually all season. Other than that, Delneri will play with his usual 4-4-2, targetting the heavy attack formed by captain Toni and Giampaolo Pazzini, who scored and appeared in good form in the friendly against Vigasio on Sunday.


Form Guide: Juventus (W-L-W-W-W) Hellas Verona (W-L-D-L-D)


Expected Starting XIs:

Juventus (3-5-2):
Buffon; Rugani, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Alex Sandro; Morata, Dybala.

Hellas Verona (4-4-2):
Gollini; Pisano, Bianchetti, Moras, Souprayen; Wszolek, Viviani, Halfredsson, Siligardi; Toni, Pazzini.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus vs. Verona: Live Score,
Highlights from Serie A

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2605189-juventus-vs-verona-live-score-highlights-from-serie-a?

Jan 6, 2016
 
Serie A midweek action continues on Wednesday afternoon as title-holders Juventus host Hellas Verona at home.

Following an awful start to the campaign, the Turin side have gotten their act together and are on a run of seven straight wins in the league, shifting them up to the table into fourth place, just three points off leaders Inter Milan.

Hellas Verona's own poor start to the year simply hasn't come to an end at all; 17 games into the season they have still yet to win a single match, drawing their last two but still eight points adrift of safety after scoring only 12 goals all season.

The match kicks off at 2 p.m. GMT (9 a.m. ET).

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus prepared for Serie A sprint finish - Allegri

The reigning Italian champions have bounced back from a dreadful 2015/16
opening to sit three points off the summit, and their coach wants to keep pushing.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a/2016/01/05/19011612/allegri-ready-for-scudetto-push?ICID=TP_HN_HP_RI_1_2

Jan 6, 2016
 
Massimiliano Allegri is preparing his Juventus side for a "sprint finish" to the Serie A season and wants to see stronger performances against lower ranked sides.

The Scudetto holders recovered from a poor start to the campaign in which they won just three of their opening 10 fixtures to head into the mid-season break in fourth position, just three points adrift of leaders Inter, after seven consecutive wins.

Allegri credited the players for turning their fortunes around and believes they cannot afford to slip up against teams below them in the table as they chase a fifth straight title.

Juve have dropped points against the likes of Udinese, Chievo and Frosinone this season but the coach sees Wednesday's clash with bottom side Verona - without a win in 17 top flight fixtures this season - as a chance to begin a title charge in a positive manner.

"The lads have put a difficult situation right, because we were 12 points behind [sic 11 points] and we put a run of important wins together," Allegri said on Tuesday.

"From tonight onward the sprint to the finish begins, the second half of the season where those who make less mistakes have more chance of winning.

"So we have to be aware, we're still three points off top spot with two games to go until the end of the first round of fixtures.

"We'll see how we end the first round, but we have to be aware that from here until the end of the season we'll have to make as few mistakes as possible because we don't have much time to recover."

With just four points separating the top five teams in Serie A, Allegri does not believe the title will be decided until late in the season.

"I think this year's Scudetto will be decided in the final six games of the season," he added.

"I think this year the number of points to win the title will be around the 82 mark."

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Del Neri: ‘Juventus best in Serie A’

http://www.football-italia.net/77891/del-neri-%E2%80%98juventus-best-serie-a%E2%80%99

Jan 6, 2016

Verona Coach Luigi Del Neri says Juventus are “for me, currently the best team in the League”.

The Butei travel to Turin to take on the defending champions tomorrow, having failed to win a single Serie A game so far this season.

“They’ve shown that any recovery is possible,” Del Neri said when asked about Juventus in his pre-match Press conference.

“Until two months ago it seemed like Inter were favourites for the Scudetto, then Juventus put together seven wins a row.

“For me, they’re currently the best team in the League. The return from the winter break is always difficult, and we hope the Bianconeri will grant us something.

“Clearly they’ll control the game, we have to be good at defending, showing our qualities which are temperament, desire and aggression.”

Hellas are being tipped as certainties for relegation, but Del Neri believes they can turn their fortunes around.

“We are where we are in the table and we have to improve that. The results of the season will reflect what Verona did on the pitch.

“Right now we’re in limbo, we had good performances against Milan and Sassuolo, and the clash with Empoli showed us how to deal with our direct rivals correctly.

“Juventus is a step up for us, to see if we can play against anyone. I expect to see tactical and physical improvements, we’ve been together for a month and we have to do well until May.

“The break was beneficial, and the games we’ve played so far in the League and the Coppa Italia have been useful to fill the tank.

“We have credibility, the fans believe in us and the travelling support for tomorrow proves it. I’ll take this opportunity to thank them.


“We’ll do everything we can not to throw away the work we’ve done so far, together with them we can do something important.”

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Line-ups: Juventus-Verona

http://www.football-italia.net/77940/line-ups-juventus-verona?

Jan 6, 2016

Juventus search for an eighth consecutive Serie A victory and host bottom of the table Verona.

It kicks off at 15.00 CET - 14.00 GMT.

The Bianconeri had a disastrous start to the season, but begin 2016 back among the Scudetto favourites thanks to a remarkable march up the table.

They are looking for an eighth win on the bounce here and Max Allegri’s touchline histrionics should ensure there’s no complacency after a squeezed 3-2 at Carpi before Christmas.

Andrea Barzagli, Roberto Pereyra and Mario Lemina are sidelined, but Mario Mandzukic and Leonardo Bonucci have recovered from slight issues.

Martin Caceres is given the nod in the back three rather than Daniele Rugani.

Hellas are bottom of the standings and incredibly still without a single victory this season, despite a change of management.

This is Gigi Del Neri’s first time back in Turin since he was sacked by Juventus in 2011, having finished seventh in Serie A with early Coppa Italia and Europa League exits.

While Verona are no doubt in serious trouble, there has been an upswing recently with two consecutive 1-1 draws against Milan and Sassuolo.

Jacopo Sala sits out a ban with Michelangelo Albertazzi and ex-Juve winger Romulo sidelined.

The heavy blow is that start striker Luca Toni pulled out this morning with a calf injury and has already left Turin.


Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Alex Sandro; Dybala, Morata

Juventus bench: Neto, Rubinho, Rugani, Evra, Padoin, Sturaro, Hernanes, Vitale, Asamoah, Cuadrado, Zaza


Verona: Gollini; Bianchetti, Moras, Helander, Souprayen; Greco, Hallfredsson; Wszolek, Ionita, Siligardi; Pazzini

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')
 
 

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus 3-0 Hellas Verona: Champions
move second with convincing win

Two goals in the first half and a late effort from substitute Zaza were the key
for the Bianconeri in a straightforward home win, which takes them level with Inter.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/juventus-vs-hellas-verona/2120549/report

Jan 6, 2016

Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Zaza stepped up to an eighth consecutive league win for resurgent Serie A holders Juventus, who overcame Verona 3-0 to move briefly up to joint-second place.
After a faltering start to the season, Massimiliano Allegri's champions have surged up the table and this latest triumph will only serve to increase the pressure on early pacesetters Inter, Fiorentina and Napoli.

Paulo Dybala broke the deadlock from a free-kick after just eight minutes as Juve dominated the early exchanges against winless Verona – coached by former Bianconeri boss Luigi Delneri.

The hosts' second came courtesy of a powerful Leonardo Bonucci header before half-time, while Verona were restricted to a Giampaolo Pazzini effort that was kept out by Gianluigi Buffon.

Simone Zaza came off the bench to round off the scoring eight minutes from time, wrapping up the three points in convincing fashion.

Juve could probably have won by a bigger margin, but their bottom-placed visitors posed little threat throughout and Allegri's attentions will now turn to Sunday's trip to Sampdoria.

The home side started brightly and could have been ahead inside the opening three minutes as Stephan Lichtsteiner dragged just wide of the right-hand post from a Dybala cutback.

The full-back's participation looked to be in doubt when he went down holding his knee following a challenge from Samuel Souprayen, but the Swiss soon returned to the action and Dybala curled home a wonderful effort from the resulting free-kick.

The goal was just reward for an utterly dominant first eight minutes from the home side, but Pazzini almost netted a leveller out of the blue five minutes later with an improvised effort that forced Buffon into a diving save.

Paul Pogba pulled wide with a chance to make it 2-0 from 20 yards, before Alvaro Morata had a shot turned around the post by goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini.

Juve remained in control and Claudio Marchisio tested Gollini with a low drive, while Souprayen produced a goal-saving interception to clear over the crossbar with Lichtsteiner and Morata ready to pounce in the six-yard box.

Having scored the opener, Dybala was on hand to provide the assist for Juve's second.

A whipped free-kick from the left was met with a bullet header by Bonucci that sailed beyond a flat-footed Gollini.

Alex Sandro skewed wide early in the second half, but Juve were happy to sit on their advantage and committed fewer men to attacking moves as the half progressed.

Pogba was denied a penalty when he went down softly in the box, before Buffon faced a rare threat to his goal as he expertly tipped over a looping Pazzini header that looked destined for the top corner.

But Zaza made absolutely certain of the win in the 82nd minute, slotting home after latching onto a wonderful throughball from Pogba.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')
 
 

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Champions Juventus move into second spot

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/juventus/result/result-champions-juve-move-into-second-spot_263637.html

Jan 6, 2016

An eighth successive Serie A victory at the expense of basement side Hellas Verona has lifted champions Juventus up to second in the Serie A standings this afternoon.

Massimiliano Allegri's men started the campaign in slow fashion, but just two points now separate them and leaders Fiorentina thanks largely to the influence of summer signing Paulo Dybala, who was involved in two goals as Juve won 3-0 in front of their own supporters.

It took the Argentine striker just eight minutes to score what was his third goal in as many league outings. Faced with a five-man Verona wall, Dybala lifted his set piece over the top and inside visiting goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini's near post.

As the half wore on Alvaro Morata, Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio all spurned chances to double the home side's lead, but there were no such problems for Leonardo Bonucci in first-half stoppage time as he opened his goalscoring account for the season.

On this occasion Dybala turned provider when he swung over a cross from the left, which an unmarked Bonucci powered into the back of Gollini's net.

The Old Lady continued to dominate proceedings after the restart, yet it was not until eight minutes from the end that they were able to score a third goal.

A day after Allegri had insisted that he would not be leaving the club this month, substitute Simone Zaza sprinted clear to latch on to Pogba's through-pass. Then, faced with Gollini, he rounded the keeper before going on to roll the ball into an empty net.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')
 
 

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus 3-0 Hellas Verona:
Bianconeri Continue Winning Streak

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/juventus-3-0-hellas-verona-bianconeri-continue-winning-streak/?

Jan 6, 2016

Juventus have stretched their winning run in Serie A to eight games after beating Hellas Verona 3-0 at the Juventus Stadium.

Two first-half goals from Paulo Dybala and Leonardo Bonucci put the Old Lady firmly in the driving seat at half time and Massimiliano Allegri’s men controlled the match in the second half adding a third through substitute Simone Zaza

The home side started on the front foot and Dybala picked out Stephan Lichtsteiner in the penalty area in the first couple of minutes but his shot whistled just wide.

The hosts did go ahead though just as a few minutes as Dybala struck a fantastic free kick to which Verona keeper Pierluigi Gollini had no chance of keeping out.

The Gialloblu tried to get back into the game and in Luca Toni’s absence, striker Giampaolo Pazzini’s acrobatic effort was saved by Gianluigi Buffon.

Juventus then preceded to control the game and went 2-0 up just before half time.

Once again a Dybala free kick this time from the left hand side and defender Bonucci met the ball with a header unmarked in the penalty to double his side’s lead.

The second half started as the first one had ended with Juventus firmly dominating the game and Verona really struggling to cause them any major problems.

Mastini boss Luigi Delneri decided to change things up on the hour mark by bringing on new signing Urby Emanuelson as well as Juanito Gomez.

Substitute Zaza scored from a Pogba pass on 82 minutes to seal the points.

Victory means that Juventus temporarily go level on points with Inter but still two behind Fiorentina at the top of the table.

Defeat leaves Verona rooted to the bottom and defeat on Sunday would mean that Delneri’s men will have gone through the whole of the first half of the season without a win.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Wk18: Juve climb

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/juventus-3-0-hellas-verona-bianconeri-continue-winning-streak/?

Jan 6, 2016

Juventus celebrated their eighth win on the bounce by sweeping bottom club Verona aside 3-0.

The Bianconeri were seeking an eighth consecutive Serie A victory and hosted bottom of the table Verona, coached by former Juve boss Gigi Del Neri. Andrea Barzagli, Roberto Pereyra and Mario Lemina were sidelined, while Hellas missed Michelangelo Albertazzi, Romulo and suspended Jacopo Sala.

Paulo Dybala started 2016 the way he finished 2015, scoring a magnificent goal with a curling free kick into the near top corner. Remarkably, that was Juve’s first Serie A goal from a free kick since Andrea Pirlo against Torino in April.

Gigi Buffon had to fingertip an acrobatic Giampaolo Pazzini volley round the base of the far post at full stretch and Pierluigi Gollini dived to deny an Alvaro Morata left-foot strike, doing the same on Claudio Marchisio’s right.

Leonardo Bonucci extended Juve’s lead before the break with a bullet header on Dybala’s corner.

Urby Emanuelson made his debut for Verona and Alex Sandro drilled an intriguing effort across the face of goal, while Gollini rushed out to deny Dybala a brace.

Simone Zaza replaced a disappointing Alvaro Morata and scored four minutes later, springing the offside trap on a Pogba pass to beat the goalkeeper from a tight angle.

Juanito Gomez Taleb threatened a consolation goal, but his header only skimmed the woodwork.


Juventus:
Buffon; Caceres (Rugani 84), Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira (Sturaro 70), Marchisio, Pogba, Alex Sandro; Dybala, Morata (Zaza 79)

Verona:
Gollini; Bianchetti, Moras, Helander, Souprayen; Greco (Gomez Taleb 61), Hallfredsson (Fares 81); Wszolek (Emanuelson 64), Ionita, Siligardi; Pazzini

Ref: Calvarese

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus 3-0 Hellas Verona

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/match/432098/juventus-hellas-verona/report

Jan 6, 2016

Juventus stormed back into the title race by beating hapless Hellas Verona 3-0 to register an eighth straight Serie A win.

Massimiliano Allegri's men - the reigning champions - made a poor start to the season, spending most of the autumn in mid-table after kicking off their latest title defence with back-to-back defeats.

But they are now well and truly in the fight for the Scudetto with the likes of Inter Milan and Napoli, thanks to goals from Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Bonucci and substitute Simone Zaza at the Juventus Stadium.

Winless Hellas, meanwhile, remain rooted to the bottom of the table after losing for the 10th time.

Juve wasted no time setting about lowly Verona, and Dybala opened the scoring with a perfectly-aimed free-kick after just eight minutes.

The Bianconeri could have scored a lot more in the first half but Pierluigi Gollini denied both Alvaro Morata and Claudio Marchisio with smart stops.

He could not deny Juve's centre-back on the stroke of half-time, though. Dybala's free-kick was accurate once again and it was Bonucci who rose highest to glance the ball home.

Juve clearly wanted more goals after the break but took a while to get going, with Alex Sandro and Paul Pogba coming up short with their ambitious attempts.

Eight minutes from time substitute Zaza provided the buffer. Pogba's through-ball put the former Sassuolo striker in a fine position and he could do nothing other than beat Gollini for Juve's third.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')
 
 

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

TEAM RATINGS -
Juventus 3-0 Hellas Verona

http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-hellas-verona/2120549/ratings

Jan 6, 2016
 

Juventus

1 G. Buffon - A diving stop to deny Pazzini was the entirety of his work on the afternoon. The only other times he saw the ball really came with Juventus in possession.

4 M. Cáceres - Followed the lead of Bonucci and Chiellini, never putting a foot wrong in defence as he filled in for the injured Barzagli.

19 L. Bonucci - Eluded his marker to head home the second Juve goal at the stroke of half time, which essentially put the game out of reach.

3 G. Chiellini - A brick wall at the back, never letting Hellas get so much as a sniff at goal.

26 S. Lichtsteiner - Always looked to get involved in the buildup play and found some encouraging pockets of space in attack. Was never troubled in defence.

6 S. Khedira - Did plenty of the grunt work in midfield for Juventus, reading the game well and winning the ball back consistently for them.

8 C. Marchisio - Pulled the strings for the hosts from a deep-lying role. A typically composed showing from the Italian.

10 P. Pogba - His usual physical, imposing self in midfield. Helped dictate the tempo and played Zaza through for the third Juve goal with a perfectly-weighted ball.

12 Alex Sandro - Offered a consistent option on the overlap and sent some excellent deliveries in from the left.

9 Álvaro Morata - Didn't have much joy up top, as service from open play was limited, though he did well to drop deeper and provide a link.

21 Paulo Dybala - A man of the match display from the Argentine. Opened the scoring with a sweetly-struck free kick inside 10 minutes, then served the second up on a platter for Bonucci. Always a threat with his deliveries from set pieces.


Substitutes

27 S. Sturaro - Provided some fresh legs in midfield, replacing Khedira with 20 minutes remaining.

7 S. Zaza - Scored minutes after coming on with a tidy finish following a well-timed run behind the defence.

24 D. Rugani - n/a


 

Hellas Verona

95 P. Gollini - Could have done better on the third Juventus goal but had little chance to keep out the first two. Always confident and convincing in coming off his line.

22 M. Bianchetti - His flank was exploited on more than a couple of occasions by the likes of Dybala and Sandro, who were allowed to whip in some teasing deliveries.

18 V. Moras - Kept a close eye on Morata and really did well to limit the Spaniard's impact up top, forcing him to drop deeper to get on the ball.

5 F. Helander - Struggled with the movement and trickery of Dybala, but at least managed to keep the striker to the perimeter - though it didn't prevent him from leaving his mark.

69 S. Souprayen - Slid in a bit carelessly to concede the free kick which gave Juventus the lead.

19 L. Greco - Sloppy in possession and was unable to ask questions of the Juve back line with his passing. Replaced at the hour mark.

10 E. Hallfreðsson - Defensive cover was sound and he read the game well in midfield. Didn't offer much in possession, however.

13 P. Wszołek - Sound work rate, but he struggled to impose himself at either end as he struggled to prove anything more than a a nuisance for Juventus.

23 A. Ioniţă - Needed to work much harder to provide a link between midfield and attack which Hellas were so desperately lacking.

16 L. Siligardi - Did well to track the runs of Lichtsteiner on the overlap, but was anonymous going forward.

11 G. Pazzini - A inventive, individual effort was the entirety of Hellas' attacking play in the match, as service was in short supply.


Substitutes

21 J. Gómez Taleb - Replaced Greco at the hour mark, but didn't fare much better than the Italian.

28 U. Emanuelson - Came on for his Hellas debut and was confident in possession but largely unable to change proceedings.

93 M. Fares - n/a

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus 3 - Hellas Verona 0: Initial
reaction and random observations

Paulo Dybala is good. Just thought I would share.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/6/10722710/juventus-hellas-verona-2016-serie-a-round-18-final-score-result-initial-reaction

Jan 6, 2016
 
Paulo Dybala does not believe in rust after a 17-day break between games. Paulo Dybala does not believe in taking it lightly on teams that have yet to win a game this season. Paulo Dybala, above all else, does believe in continuing this awesome run of form he's in for as long as it is humanly possible. And, let's see here, I don't think I've got any objection to it.

The Paulo Dybala Destruction Tour continued Wednesday afternoon in Turin, as the young yet oh-so-deadly Argentine striker scored a beautiful free kick and then sent in a just as lovely cross on Leonardo Bonucci's header in the first half as Juventus beat last-place Hellas Verona 3-0 at Juventus Stadium.

It was just the latest and greatest game for Dybala, who is shooting up the Serie A scoring chart just as fast as Juve has risen up the league table since the end of October. He's got nine goals in league play this season and 10 in all competitions. In 34 Serie A appearances with Palermo last season, he scored 13 goals. So, to say that he's having one hell of a first half of the season with Juventus would probably be pretty on point right now.

And just for a little bit of context, let's go back to something along the lines of what I brought up in the match preview: Dybala has scored nine Serie A goals this season. Hellas Verona has scored 12 Serie A goals this season.

WhoScored.com ✔ @WhoScored
Paulo Dybala: Has now directly contributed to 12 goals in 13 starts in Serie A this season (8 goals, 4 assists)

Is that good? Because I feel like that's good.

Yeah, it's good, Really, really good.

But for Dybala right now, it just seems like it's the norm. The hype machine will only continue to grow and churn out talk of how good Dybala can be, and just about all of the praise the young man will get in Thursday's papers in Italy will be wholeheartedly deserves. When you play this well and play such a crucial role in your team's success, you get put under the microscope.

And Dybala seems totally comfortable with that. The boy just continues to shine like the nickname says he should.


Random thoughts and observations

Here's something we say after just about every game these days: Gianluigi Buffon had to make one save. That save was really, really good. And on a historic day for San Gigi, he got the perfect gift — a clean sheet. Well deserved.

I'm happy that Juventus' defense decided to give Buffon most of the game off as he became the first player in club history to ever surpass the 50,000 minutes played mark in Serie A. Think about that for a second. Five-hundred-thousand minutes. And he's not exactly slowing down this season. Buffon has plenty of more minutes left in the tank despite the fact he's well into being a 37-year-old goalkeeper.

I love that guy.

Juventus did get bad news on Wednesday, and it involves Claudio Marchisio's availability for the weekend fixture. With his yellow card in the first half, there will be no Marchisio in Sunday's game against Sampdoria. I am quite interested to see who Max Allegri decides to fill Marchisio's absence with. If Sami Khedira slides into the center of the midfield and is flanked by Stefano Sturaro and Paul Pogba, i would totally be okay with that. Don't mess with Hernanes, Max. Keep it simple.

If it wasn't for Patrice Evra being on the Juventus roster, I would demand Allegri makes Alex Sandro a full-time starter and not look back one bit. He seems to be getting better and better. Maybe it's because we're not seeing him in the same kind of frequency as somebody like Dybala, but it just seems like Alex Sandro is one of Juve's best players whenever he does get a start.

Many of us were hoping Daniele Rugani would get the start in place of Andrea Barzagli. Instead, it was Martin Cáceres who made his long-awaited return to the Juventus starting lineup. There will be plenty of speculation about what it means for the high sock-wearing defender's future with the club because of the rumors surrounding his future at Juve, but it was nice to see Cáceres out there again. We tend to forget with all the talk of him being injured all the time that he is quite good at his job when he's actually healthy.

Álvaro Morata couldn't help but shake his head a little bit as he was subbed off for Simone Zaza with around 10 minutes to go in the second half. You can tell he's visibly frustrated out on the field right now. He knows he can do better, and so do we. But until he gets that incredibly elusive second Serie A goal of the season, frustration will continue to mount. The boy needs some confidence, and it seems like the only thing that will solve that straight away is seeing a shot of his ripple the back of the net.

Simone Zaza scored again in a substitute appearance. The assist by Pogba on the goal ... wooo, that boy good.

That's eight in a row in Serie A for Juventus. While Roma were doing all sorts of Roma things against the other team from Verona, Juve were doing exactly what they should have done against a Hellas team that doesn't have a league win this season. That's how it's done, gentlemen. Now go and dab all you want in the locker room.


POLL

Who is your Juventus Man of the Match against Hellas Verona?

81% Paulo Dybala (323 votes)

9% Paul Pogba (37 votes)
4% Claudio Marchisio (16 votes)
2% Alex Sandro (7 votes)
2% Gianluigi Buffon (6 votes)
1% Leonardo Bonucci (5 votes)
1% Giorgio Chiellini (4 votes)

398 votes total

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus vs. Verona: Winners
and Losers from Serie A

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2605188-juventus-vs-verona-winners-and-losers-from-serie-a?

Jan 6, 2016
 
Juventus continued their recent excellent form with a 3-0 win over Hellas Verona on Wednesday as Serie A got underway in 2016.

A fast start from the home side saw them open the scoring from Paulo Dybala's curling free-kick, though there was certainly an element of fortune in the set piece being awarded in the first place. Juve's dominance bore further fruit just before half-time, as another Dybala set piece was delivered to the head of Leonardo Bonucci, who crashed in a header. The second half was much slower and saw fewer chances, but sub Simone Zaza injected a little pace toward the end and sealed the win with a late strike.

Here are our biggest winners and losers from the match in Turin.


Winner: Alex Sandro

Free to roam forward at pace and into space in Juventus' 3-5-2 system, Alex Sandro was the big early outlet for his side, and his delivery on the run was near unstoppable.

Twice he crossed superbly for the home forwards to attack, and even in shorter passing and build-up play, the Brazilian was impressive and creative, opening up Verona's defence with quick balls into feet.

Defensively he wasn't exactly tested non-stop but still did his work diligently and was always prepared to work tirelessly in both directions down Juve's left side.


Loser: Alvaro Morata

Given a start with Mario Mandzukic rested, Alvaro Morata toiled in attack and looked well off the pace, failing with his first touch at times and never looking capable of beating his defender one-on-one.

Morata missed a few opportunities to get early shots away but more concerning was his lack of self-belief in dribbling and in making the runs into scoring positions, instead looking to play safe.

It wasn't a surprise when he was subbed—and worse for the Spaniard, his replacement, Simone Zaza, netted the killer third goal.


Winner: Paulo Dybala

Argentinian forward Paulo Dybala was in exceptional form in the first half, scoring early on with a terrific free-kick inside the near post and then setting up the second with an equally impressive delivery just before the break.

Aside from his set pieces, Dybala was effective in running forward with the ball, taking on his man and spreading play to both channels, keeping Juve's attacking tempo up and always allowing the counter-attack to be an effective route toward Verona's penalty box.

Dybala wasn't so much of a goal threat in the second half, but his approach play and footwork were impressive throughout.


Loser: Luigi Delneri

It's now 18 league games this season and Hellas Verona have zero wins—that's the scale of the job facing new manager Luigi Delneri, appointed at the start of December and not exactly having made a great start to life at the club so far.

Verona are eight points from safety and have scored only 12 goals all season. There was precious little fight in the players once they went an early goal down to Juve—it was rather as if they were more concerned with not getting hammered or having to put in a big shift simply to delay the inevitable.

The next game, against Palermo, is surely a must-win before they face a difficult fixture against AS Roma.


Winner: Paul Pogba

French midfielder Paul Pogba didn't get himself on the scoresheet against Verona, but he was heavily involved in lots of Juve's best build-up play, working the left channel in impressive fashion and showing some immaculate dribbling and footwork.

Whether by quick sidesteps or powerful surges through the centre, Verona's midfielders couldn't get close to him, and he won a succession of free-kicks.

His through pass for Zaza's late goal was a deserved piece of end product after another good game.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Allegri reassures Morata

http://www.football-italia.net/77960/allegri-reassures-morata?

Jan 6, 2016
 
Max Allegri explained his tactical decisions and reassured Alvaro Morata after Juventus got their eighth consecutive victory.

The Bianconeri pushed Verona aside 3-0 in Turin with Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Zaza on target.

“The lads did well to get their minds straight back into Serie A mode after the holidays and allowed Verona nothing, other than a single great Gigi Buffon save,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

“We are back in the Scudetto race and that is important. We’ve won eight in a row and must reach maturity now. We’ve got to put points in the bag and the key is to reach the last six rounds in a good position.

“Zaza is doing well at Juventus and has a fine goals per game average. I always say the bench is essential and he has been doing very well coming in during the match. We have three tournaments and want everyone to be useful.

“Was Morata sad? He has no reason to be sad. The sadder one feels, the less well things go. Let’s not forget Morata scored two decisive goals for Champions League qualification. Every campaign has ups and downs and he is working for the team.”

With Andrea Barzagli injured, Allegri picked Martin Caceres rather than Daniele Rugani in defence.

“Because today was a game where Caceres would’ve been more useful than Rugani. Caceres is a player who needs to be recovered, but Rugani has the faith of Coach and club. He will find space this season and Rugani will not leave.”

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Paulo Dybala the star in Juventus'
victory vs. Hellas Verona

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/2781412/paulo-dybala-stars-in-juventus-win-vs-hellas-verona

Jan 6, 2016
 
Despite needing a break to recover and rejuvenate the squad, there was a slight worry Juventus would drop the ball after taking time off for the holidays. However, with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Hellas Verona on Wednesday, the Bianconeri showed that they should not be doubted and are still the team to beat in Serie A, at least according to Luigi Delneri -- Verona's coach and Juve's former tactician.

This was a game that perfectly demonstrated why Juventus are the toughest side to beat in Italy. While the Gialloblu attempted to play with intensity at the start of the match, they soon dropped their heads and surrendered to the supremacy of their opponents. Rather than push and provide Juve with a stern challenge, Delneri's men often gave up on the ball and proceeded to defend, limiting the damage when a more positive style of play would have reaped more rewards.

Instead, it was the Bianconeri who remained eager, pressing for the ball and running to make the most of hopeless passes forward. Herein lies the difference between champions and sides destined to make up the numbers.

While Juventus looked comfortable for most of the match, they were still guilty of losing focus and dropping their concentration to force certain players into committing necessary fouls. Yet one cannot be too hard on a side that played with intelligence and control to secure their eighth Serie A win in a row.


Player ratings

Gianluigi Buffon, 7 -- Always alert and attentive to the opponent, he is barely needed in such games but never fails to make an impression when called upon.

Martin Caceres, 6 -- Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri was caught screaming at Caceres for his sporadic drops in concentration; Caceres is never going to be the most attentive defender, but he never fails to play with heart.

Leonardo Bonucci, 8 -- Excellent at sweeping and even managed his first goal of the season thanks to his thunderous header. Bonucci plays like a true leader, an inspiration with regards to his desire and ability to neutralise the opponent.

Giorgio Chiellini, 7 -- Somehow the defender always ends up with a bandage round his head, such is his determination in ensuring a clean sheet. A terrific performance from the Italian who pushes forward well and is always on hand to block the opponent.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, 7 -- A player who always provides solutions, he is well-placed tactically to receive the ball from midfield, opening up the game and offering alternatives to those on the ball.

Sami Khedira, 6 -- Still suffering to put in the kind of performances we saw from the German earlier on in the season, but he remains brilliant at positioning himself and excellent at recovering possession.

Claudio Marchisio, 7 -- Indispensable. Marchisio not only allows the team to flow, putting in perfect passes forward, but he filters out the danger to help the defence. Perfectly balanced.

Paul Pogba, 8 -- Superb footwork from a player improving his angles, he is becoming crucial to the side with regards to his vision and ability to produce attacking patterns of play. Never one to give up and always on hand to fight no matter how many obstacles are in his way, the youngster is growing into the leader worthy of the No. 10 jersey.

Alex Sandro, 7 -- A little more reckless than usual, his precise crosses are still a delight to watch.

Alvaro Morata, 6 -- Still not at the level fans expect, Morata is working hard and contributing to the team but is seemingly playing without confidence. Perhaps with a little continuity he can recover his magical touch.

Paulo Dybala, 9 -- A wonderful performance from the Argentine yet again, the most reliable forward for Juventus. Scoring the opening goal from a delightful free kick before providing the assist for the second. He looked dangerous every time he approached the box, while his ability to drop back and help the team is crucial to the side's balance.


Substitutes:

Stefano Sturaro, 7 -- Replaced Khedira with 20 minutes left. Gritty and tough, you can never fault Sturaro for his lack of effort. A man always capable of providing a physical presence, few can get past him.

Simone Zaza, NR -- Came on for Morata in the 79th minute. Another tremendous finish from the forward who is always capable of making an impact as a sub. He may play a bullish style of football that lacks a certain elegance, but he never fails to make the difference when allowed only a handful of minutes.

Daniele Rugani, NR -- On for Caceres in the 84th minute. Not offered much time to make an impact, he helped the side close the game with a clean sheet.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Paulo Dybala has 'hunger to
achieve,' says Massimiliano Allegri

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/2781538/paulo-dybala-has-hunger-to-achieve-juventus-boss

Jan 6, 2016
 
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri praised Paulo Dybala's "hunger to achieve" after the Argentine forward's latest star performance in the Bianconeri's 3-0 defeat of Hellas Verona on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old former Palermo man scored Juve's opener and provided the assist for the second goal as The Old Lady cruised to their eighth straight Serie A victory at the expense of their overmatched visitors.

Speaking after the game, Allegri said he was content to begin the new year with a win.

"The boys did well to immediately get back into the swing of things after the break," said Allegri. "It's never an easy task.

"We weren't particularly sparkling, especially at the beginning, but we didn't allow our visitors a sniff. We're back amongst the chasing pack. The title winners will be the team that makes the least mistakes."

Dybala has now scored five goals in his last seven Serie A games, and Allegri hailed the Argentina international's desire to achieve.

"As well as opening the scoring, Dybala provided the assist for Bonucci's second -- a thumping header from a left-wing free-kick," Allegri added.

"Paulo Dybala's got a real hunger to achieve his targets and works his socks off."

For his part, Dybala described how he has transitioned so fast since joining the four-time defending champions.

"When I arrived here, I altered my approach, understanding that to have a strong character means everything," Dybala said after the game. "For example, if I lose possession of the ball, I try my utmost to win it back.

"I don't consider myself one of the leaders, as there are so many important and experienced players around, but wearing this shirt comes with a great responsibility and I feel that I've matured here.

"We always need to work for one another, as we did today. It was useful to break the deadlock early on and, after the second goal, we were pretty comfortable before Simone [Zaza] put the game to bed with our third goal."

Dybala's exquisite free-kick goal left no chance for Hellas keeper Pierluigi Gollini. He credited his work on the training pitch for the sweetly-hit strike.

"Looking back at it, I have to admit that I caught the ball well. The keeper wasn't able to get across in time," Dybala said.

"We've been practicing dead-ball situations a lot in training and even have competitions to see who's the most accurate. I've still not won one of these, but I'm delighted to have scored today."

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

JUVENTUS 3-0 HELLAS VERONA
SERIE A MATCH REPORT

Juventus win their 8th league game in a row courtesy of a masterclass from Paulo Dybala.

http://www.juvefc.com/8105-2/?

Jan 6, 2016
 
Unfortunately I wasn’t able to watch the whole game as it was slap-bang in the middle of a working day, but I was lucky enough to catch the second half. There were lots of positives in that performance, most notably, that we didn’t look too exhausted by the close of game and Verona didn’t really require us to get out of 3rd gear for much of the game. After Dybala’s beautifully taken opener, the result never looked in doubt and Bonucci’s perfectly placed header gave us some breathing room before Simone Zaza killed them off late in the game. It was good to see Martin Caceres back in the starting XI, even better still to see Daniele Rugani notch up a few more minutes towards the end of the match. 3 valuable points and we keep pace with the leaders by securing our 8th in a row – The best streak anywhere in Europe i’m reliably informed. Nothing much more to add as i’ve only got time for a brief roundup….Sampdoria just days away where we’ll travel without the suspended Claudio Marchsio. Hoping to see Mandzukic return and there’s a possibility that Cuadrado may start. Fino alla fine, Forza Juve !


Statistics

Man of the Match: Paulo Dybala

Flop of the Match: N/A

Corners: 9

Pass Accuracy: 84%

Shots on Target: 6

Total Shots: 15

Ball Possession: 53%

Formation: 3-5-2


Lineups

Juventus:
Buffon; Caceres (Rugani 84), Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira (Sturaro 70), Marchisio, Pogba, Alex Sandro; Dybala, Morata (Zaza 79)

Verona:
Gollini; Bianchetti, Moras, Helander, Souprayen; Greco (Gomez Taleb 61), Hallfredsson (Fares 81); Wszolek (Emanuelson 64), Ionita, Siligardi; Pazzini

Ref: Calvarese


Poll

Who was your man of the match against Hellas Verona

Dybala 78%

Sandro 8%
Marchisio 6%
Pogba 5%
Morata 2%
Khedira 2%
Buffon 0%
Caceres 0%
Chiellini 0%
Bonucci 0%
Lichtsteiner 0%

Votes 63

 

Goals

Juventus 1-0 Hellas Verona (Dybala)




Juventus 2-0 Hellas Verona (Bonucci)




Juventus 3-0 Hellas Verona (Zaza)

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Del Neri: 'Verona season starts Sunday'

http://www.football-italia.net/77979/del-neri-verona-season-starts-sunday?

Jan 6, 2016
 
Luigi Del Neri believes “Verona’s season starts on Sunday” after a 3-0 defeat to Juventus.

Hellas are bottom of the table and still without a single victory.

“We were missing too many players to have any kind of chance here,” Del Neri told Sky Sport Italia.

“The team allowed Juventus the bare minimum, but unfortunately we were unable to hurt them. The Bianconeri were superior in every area.

“It would’ve been a difficult game even with Luca Toni, but we hope to get him back for the next game. Verona’s season starts on Sunday against Palermo.”

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus vs. Hellas Verona 3-0, Bianconeri
start the year off with comfortable win

Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Zaza scored
as Juventus rout Hellas Verona at Juventus Stadium.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/7/10727972/juventus-hellas-verona-2016-serie-a-round-18-final-score-recap-result

Jan 7, 2016
 
Juventus hosted Hellas Verona in the first match of 2016 and, just in case you're wondering, the Bianconeri didn't lose their implacable rhythm on the domestic championship with the holiday break.

Hellas Verona visited Turin craving for points, with the Mastiffs the only squad who have yet to win a game in Serie A and they are dead last in the table. On Verona's bench was an old acquaintance, Luigi Delneri, who brought us memories of that Juventus with Milos Krasic, Marco Motta and Luca Toni, amongst others.

Max Allegri employed a 3-5-2 formation again. However, it came with a surprise — instead of Daniele Rugani, Martin Caceres supplanted an injured Andrea Barzagli in the starting lineup. Alex Sandro replaced Patrice Evra on the left flank and Álvaro Morata partnered with Paulo Dybala in attack. Delneri used a 4-2-3-1 configuration with Giampaolo Pazzini as his lone attacker.

The match began red hot. Verona surprised Juventus — and all of us — with a high pressure in the early instants, but the home team could adjust quickly to that strategy.

At 6th minute Stephan Lichtsteiner was fouled harshly on the edge of Verona's penalty area. Juan Cuadrado immediately jumped off the bench as a precaution, but the Swiss Express was able to continue. Paulo "La Joya" Dybala took advantage of the free kick and performed a delightful curled shot over the wall that made Verona's goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini look like a statue.

Five minutes later, Hellas Verona responded, as Giampaolo Pazzini turned back the clock and elaborated an acrobatic volley that was saved spectacularly by Gianluigi Buffon.

After that, Juventus began to bombard Verona's goal with long-range efforts. First, Paul Pogba was really close with a thundering shot that passed just wide of Gollini's near post. Minutes later, Morata and Claudio Marchisio tested the young keeper reflexes with a pair of wicked shots. Gollini kept the score 1-0 for a moment, but Juventus' pressure was too much.

Seconds before halftime Juventus earned another set piece in the attacking third, with it was marked near the touchline. Dybala delivered a magnificent bending cross and...Sciacquatevi la bocca! Leonardo Bonucci sent the ball home with a furious header. At halftime Juventus was ahead by two goals.

Juventus slowed the tempo in the second half. Delneri made a couple of substitutions trying to be more aggressive, however, Hellas Verona didn't create a clear opportunity. The match was in Juventus' hands, and Allegri decided to manage the game and simply took his foot off the gas. Still, it looks like nobody told that to Simone Zaza who entered for Morata at the 79th minute. Three minutes later, Pogba assisted Zaza leaving him 1-v-1 with Gollini, and the ex-Sassuolo attacker calmly rounded the keeper and sent the ball to the back of the net.

Juventus achieved their eighth victory in a row. They´ll visit Genoa to play against Sampdoria on Sunday hoping to close the first half of the league schedule with another triumph.


LE PAGELLE

Buffon 7.5 He hardly appeared in the game, but his only save was world-class and served to demoralize Verona's attackers.

Cáceres 7 He filled Barzagli's shoes appropriately. He was hardly tested on defense.

Bonucci 7.5 He had great command of Juventus' backline. Also, his header for Juve's second goal was superb.

Chiellini 7 Another game another scar for King Kong. He handled Pazzini properly.

Litchtsteiner 7 A usual performance by the Swiss Express. He worked really hard on the right flank. He attacked at will.

Khedira 7 Solid game by Sami. He played a great game on defense but failed to deliver a couple of passes offensively.

Marchisio 7.5 A maestro in the middle of the pitch. Controlled the tempo of the match with simplicity and wisdom.

Pogba 8 Easy to know when Paul is having fun. He bullied Verona's players with his skills. He was always a menace thanks to his powerful shots. The assistance to Zaza was thing of beauty.

Sandro 7.5 This kid is a beast. Always a threat with his crosses and an enforcer on defense.

Paulo Dybala 8.5 I'm speechless, another Man of the Match performance for the tiny attacker.

Morata 6.5 The Spaniard is struggling right now. He tried but was out of luck. Better times lay ahead.


Subs

Sturaro 6 Entered for Khedira. He worked a lot, but was reckless sometimes. He must calm down and learn how to read the stages of the game.

Zaza 7.5 He showed great instincts with his movements and scored like an expert hitman.

Rugani s/v Entered for Cáceres at the 83rd minute.


Coach

Allegri 8 Dominated the match tactically. His side was always on command and slowed the tempo because they'll play on Genoa on Sunday.


Things I think I think

Marchisio will not play on Sunday thanks to a suspension. Place your bets for his substitute as regista. Sami, Pogba or... Hernanes.

Maybe I'm going to bring some controversy in the comments below, but Simone Zaza has some similarities to Javier Hernandez and (with a huge leap of faith to) Pipo Inzaghi in my opinion. They have a so-so technique, however, they have this killer nature and know really well how to move on attack thanks to their instincts. Also, when they're hot, they're really hot!
Paulo Dybala is making Maurizio Zamparini look like a genius, and guys that's a hard task.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

3 - 0

Paulo Dybala (8')
Leonardo Bonucci (45')
Simone Zaza (82')

MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Alex Sandro and Juventus Impress
in Win over Hellas Verona

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2605603-alex-sandro-and-juventus-impress-in-win-over-hellas-verona?

Jan 7, 2016
 
With Serie A returning from its annual winter break, reigning champions Juventus welcomed Hellas Verona to Turin, the visitors having failed to secure a victory in any of their 17 previous league games this term.

They would fail to do so again here, the Bianconeri running out comfortable winners in their first outing of 2016. Before Christmas, Massimiliano Allegri had overseen seven consecutive wins by his team, and the coach discussed the importance of continuing that streak in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference.

“We must approach the game in the right way, especially from a psychological point of view, as switching back on is always hardest after being away,” he told reporters at the club’s training centre. “The boys needed some time off but have come back fired up and trained well all week.”

Adam Digby @Adz77
Stop me if you've heard this before but a guy wearing no. 21 for @juventusfcen just curled home a freekick

Allegri went on to say that his side had “dropped too many points against so-called ‘smaller’ teams,” and he ensured they were in no mood to repeat those mistakes against Hellas. Just eight minutes had passed when Dybala curled home a superbly taken free kick, marking the Argentinian’s 11th goal of the season.

While Juventus were doing well without first-team regulars Mario Mandzukic and Andrea Barzagli, the absence of Luca Toni clearly hurt the visitors. Giampaolo Pazzini drew a fine save from Gigi Buffon, but all too often the Veronese side struggled to create any real attacking threat on the rare occasions they were able to press forward.

Hellas goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini did well to deny Alvaro Morata and Claudio Marchisio but would be powerless to prevent a superb header from Leonardo Bonucci as he nodded home another pin-point set piece from Dybala.

They would take that two-goal lead into half-time, and Simone Zaza would grab a third in the second half to seal all three points in a superb team performance that demonstrated the depth and quality available to Allegri.

As well as Barzagli and Mandzukic, the coach also left out Juan Cuadrado and Patrice Evra, with Alex Sandro doing a superb job in place of the latter. Indeed, the Brazilian wing-back was arguably Juve’s most impressive player here, turning in an excellent display that highlighted just why the club invested so heavily in him this past summer.

According to their official website, the Bianconeri paid former club FC Porto €26 million for Sandro, who then signed a five-year contract with the Italian giants. Despite the presence of established veteran Evra, he has already begun to prove to be worth that high fee with a string of eye-catching performances.

The ability to deliver match-winning assists against Milan, Torino and Manchester City showcased his attacking prowess, but Sandro has also continued to be a diligent defender each time he steps on the field.

That continued on Wednesday afternoon, with the graphic in the tweet below highlighting the extent to which he dominated the entire flank against Hellas Verona. It shows he made three tackles, four interceptions and two clearances while also completing 29 of his 35 pass attempts (82.9 percent).

Adam Digby @Adz77
Alex Sandro vs Hellas(7/1/16): 3 tackles, 4 int, 2 clearances, 29/35 passes (82.9%), 2/3 take-ons (via @StatsZone)

It also indicates the 24-year-old was successful in two of his three attempted take-ons; he was a continual source of torment for the opposition defence as he repeatedly linked up well with both Dybala and Paul Pogba down Juve’s left.

But despite Sandro’s excellence, overall it was a victory for the entire team, which Zaza noted as he spoke reporters immediately after the match. “Today’s game might have become easier as it progressed,” the Italy striker said, per the club’s official website, “but that’s down to our ability and good work. Now we need to take this form into our next fixtures.” There is little doubt Juventus will look to do just that when they visit Sampdoria this weekend.

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