Juventus Season 2015-2016

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Juventus 3-0 Inter: Bianconeri Thrash
Nerazzurri In Coppa Italia First Leg

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/juventus-3-0-inter-bianconeri-thrash-nerazzurri-in-coppa-italia-first-leg/?

Jan 27, 2016

Juventus have one foot through to the finals of the Coppa Italia, defeating archrivals Inter 3-0 at the Juventus Stadium.

Without a goal in nearly fourth months, Alvaro Morata converted a 35th minute penalty before doubling his tally in the 62nd. Dybala made it three six minutes from time, awarding the Bianconeri a considerable advantage heading into the second leg.

The first chance of the contest fell to the home side just two minutes in when Paul Pogba played Kwadwo Asamoah through but the Ghanaian’s off-balance effort finished high and wide.

Inter responded with long-range efforts from Gary Medel and Felipe Melo that were comfortable for goalkeeper Neto.

Controversy struck after 14 minutes when Juan Cuadrado’s goal-bound free kick appeared to have struck the arm of Medel but referee Paolo Tagliavento signaled for only a corner despite a clear view of the incident.

In the 21st minute a Cuadrado grass-cutter drifted just wide of the far post with goalkeeper Samir Handanovic rooted to the ground.

Juventus were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when Murillo was judged to have taken Cuadrado down in the box. Morata stepped up and smashed his spot-kick into the top corner of the net to give Juventus the lead.

On the stroke of halftime Cuadrado’s free kick found Morata but the Spaniard’s header was straight at Handanovic.

Juve doubled their advantage in the 63rd minute, again through Morata. Melo deflected an Asamoah cross straight to the former Real Madrid man who turned and fired in at the far post.

Inter came close to responding minutes later but D’Ambrosio’s header was caught by Neto.

Inter were reduced to ten men after 70 minutes when Murillo was sent off for a second bookable tackle on Cuadrado.

In the 78th minute Pogba played an impeccable ball across the Inter box but Morata denied himself the hat trick by ballooning over from eight yards.

Dybala put the tie to bed with a first-time effort that went straight through the legs of Handanovic, sending the Juventus Stadium into a state of euphoria.

The tie’s second leg will commence on the afternoon of March 3rd.

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

RATINGS: Juventus 3-0 Inter

http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-internazionale/2180160/ratings

Jan 27, 2016
 

Juventus

25 Neto - Hardly had a save to make, but commanded his area well with Buffon awarded a well-earned rest.

4 M. Cáceres - Didn't miss a beat filling in for Barzagli, communicating well with the likes of Bonucci and Chiellini to do his part at the back.

19 L. Bonucci - Great pace in defence which helped him cover a lot of ground with Inter on the counter. So eager to put in a tackle.

3 G. Chiellini - Read the game admirably and was always in the right position. Hardly put a foot wrong at the back.

16 Juan Cuadrado - At the heart of everything good going forward for Juventus. Won the first-half penalty which resulted in Morata's opener, helped set up the second and got Murillo sent off. Was so exciting and direct.

10 P. Pogba - A bullish figure in midfield, helping to combat the physical presence of Medel and Melo. Didn't offer all that much in attack, however.

8 C. Marchisio - Distributed the ball so well from deep, pulling the strings for Juventus in possession.

22 K. Asamoah - Passed the ball around capably, and asked a couple of questions with his pace. Picked out Dybala in the build-up to the third Juve goal.

33 P. Evra - Always aware of the pacey Biabiany, affording the attacker very little space to exploit on the flank. His cross led to Morata's second.

17 M. Mandžukić - Wonderful work rate up top. Didn't see a lot of the ball, but his contributions were still vital for the hosts, making tidy runs off the ball to help open up space.

9 Álvaro Morata - Converted from the spot with an emphatic, unstoppable penalty to end his nearly four month goal drought. Doubled his tally with a brilliant finish after the ball fell kindly to him in the area.


Substitutes

21 P. Dybala - Scored five minutes after replacing Mandzukic with a wonderful first-time strike from the top of the area.

12 Alex Sandro - Replaced Evra for the final 10 minutes, with the game already out of reach.


 

Internazionale

1 S. Handanovič - Had no chance to keep out either of Morata's goals, but should have done better to get something on Dybala's strike.

33 D. D'Ambrosio - A bit shaky at the back, and wasteful with the ball in the final third despite getting into some decent areas.

25 Miranda - Unable to prevent Morata from knocking home the second, and wasn't able to take away space from the hosts in the build-up to the third. Had a very difficult time trying to deal with Morata throughout.

24 J. Murillo - A careless tackle awarded Juventus their penalty, and his night ended early with another rash challenge on Cuadrado to pick up his second yellow. The Colombian gave him fits all match.

55 Y. Nagatomo - Needed to provide much more of a helping hand to Murillo in defending Cuadrado, but was unable to do so. Offered little on the overlap.

83 Felipe Melo - Knocked Evra's cross straight to Morata, who pounced for his second. Withdrawn moments later after an uninspired and altogether sloppy performance.

17 G. Medel - Provided good defensive cover, helping to limit the impact of Pogba, but he needed to move the ball around better.

7 G. Kondogbia - Struggled to assert himself in midfield and was unable to ask much of the Juventus defence in possession.

11 J. Biabiany - Tracked back excellently at times to provide key defensive support, but couldn't use that pace to contribute much in attack.

10 S. Jovetić - Had a thankless task up top, starved of service and never getting a clean sight at goal. His only real chance came late on, and Caceres was able to block the shot from reaching Neto.

22 A. Ljajić - Eager to get on the ball and found some space on the flank, but really struggled to produce an end product before giving way for Juan Jesus for the final 10 minutes.


Substitutes

77 M. Brozović - Failed to provide the creativity Inter so desperately needed, after replacing Melo just past the hour mark.

9 M. Icardi - Unable to provide much of a spark in attack.

5 Juan Jesus - On for the final 10 minutes but couldn't stop Juventus from adding a third.

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Player Ratings: Juventus 3-0 Inter

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/player-ratings-juventus-3-0-inter/?

Jan 27, 2016

Juventus have all but booked their place in the final of the Coppa Italia after a 3-0 win over Inter in the first leg at the Juventus Stadium.

Alvaro Morata netted a brace and Paulo Dybala added a third as the cup holders look to retain the trophy, with Jeison Murillo sent off in the second half.
 
 

Juventus

Neto – 6.5 – Faultless - Showed good composure early on, saving the Felipe Melo effort from distance. Demonstrated excellent confidence.

Martin Caceres – 6 – Competent - Happy to get forward and involve himself in the build-up play, tracked back quickly and stayed with his marker.

Leonardo Bonucci – 6.5 – Dominant - Booked for a poorly-timed slide tackle on Adem Ljajic, but otherwise rarely put a foot wrong.

Giorgio Chiellini – 6.5 – Calm - Cleared his lines astutely and rarely looked troubled.

Juan Cuadrado – 7 – Nuisance - Came very close to opening the score with a driven effort outside the box, but it bobbed just wide. Earned the hosts a penalty when he was tripped in the box. A menace whenever he was on the ball and ran his socks off.

Paul Pogba – 6.5 – Flair - A typically spirited performance from the Frenchman, composed on the ball and dangerous whenever he got into an advanced position.

Claudio Marchisio – 6.5 – Creator - Had an effort from distance just before half time but it sailed over the bar. Kept the midfield ticking over and made a number of penetrating passes.

Kwadwo Asamoah – 6.5 – Powerhouse - Denied an early goal-scoring opportunity when Jonathan Biabiany slid in to deny him. Difficult to shrug off the ball and demonstrated a wonderful passing range.

Patrice Evra – 6 – Decent - Looked a tad off the pace at times, but fulfilled his role and added a degree of experience. Dragged off for Alex Sandro late on.

Mario Mandzukic – 6.5 – Involved - Rarely looked like scoring but regularly made himself available, showed a good understanding with Morata. Made way for Dybala in the second half.

Alvaro Morata – 7 – Relieved - Finally scored after a four month wait, blasting past Samir Handanovic from the penalty spot. In the second half he doubled his account, capitalising on an error from Felipe Melo to finish brilliantly into the top corner. Squandered a wonderful opportunity to net his hat-trick, skying over from close range.


Substitutes

Paulo Dybala – 7 – Unstoppable - Came on for Mandzukic with 15 minutes to go, added a third for the Bianconeri hitting from distance and putting it between the legs of Samir Handanovic.

Alex Sandro – N/A - Late cameo for the Brazilian.

Simone Padoin – N/A - Cameo in the place of Cuadrado.


 

Internazionale

Samir Handanovic – 5.5 – Fault - Guessed the right way from the penalty but beaten by the power Alvaro Morata put on the ball. Could have perhaps done better to deny Morata his second, but the Spaniard reacted the quickest. Should have saved the shot from Paulo Dybala, seemed to be caught by surprise.

Danilo D’Ambrosio – 5 – Poor - Had a tendency to dwell in possession and not releasing the ball quickly enough, added very little to the attack and left a lot to be desired defensively.

Miranda – 5.5 – Nervous - Booked for a soft foul on Alvaro Morata. A nervy performance from the Brazilian, who could have received a second booking for a foul on substitute Alex Sandro.

Jeison Murillo – 5 – Foolish - Yellow carded for not making contact with the ball and bringing down Juan Cuadrado in the box. Received his marching orders after hacking down Cuadrado once again when the Colombian went on a surging run.

Yuto Nagatomo – 6 – Motivated - Covered a lot of ground and tried to find the killer cross to unlock the Juventus defence. Couldn’t translate his desire into a goal-scoring opportunity.

Felipe Melo – 5.5 – Patsy - The former Juventus man had an early crack from distance, but it was easily saved by Neto. Guilty of losing the ball that fed into the path of Alvaro Morata for his second of the night.

Gary Medel – 6 – Lucky - Escaped a blatant hand ball offence, filled in for the dismissed Murillo at centre-back. Covered a lot of ground and performed admirably considering the circumstances.

Geoffrey Kondogbia – 6 – Frustrated - Made an effort the pull the strings in middle of the field for the Nerazzurri, yellow carded in the second half for a foul on Giorgio Chiellini.

Jonthan Biabiany – 6.5 – Runner - Put in a brilliant early challenge to deny Kwadwo Asamoah getting a shot in at goal. Quick on the ball and tracked back a great deal, replaced by Icardi late on.

Stevan Jovetic – 6 – Isolated - Saw little of the ball and barely had an attempt on target in the ninety minutes.

Adem Ljajic – 6.5 – Inspired - Looked the brighter of the Inter attackers with excellent movement and an eye for a pass, made way with ten minutes to go for Juan Jesus.


Substitutes

Marcelo Brozovic – 6 – Tough - Replaced Melo in the second half, added a degree of physicality but little else.

Mauro Icardi – 6 – Anonymous - Brought on with Inter desperately needing a goal or two, but couldn’t deliver.

Juan Jesus – N/A - Late cameo in the place of Ljajic.

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Mancini: '3-0 is too harsh'

http://www.football-italia.net/79021/mancini-3-0-too-harsh?

Jan 27, 2016

Inter Coach Roberto Mancini insists “3-0 was an exaggerated result” for Juventus and pointed to the penalty incident.

Alvaro Morata converted a spot-kick after 36 minutes, then completed his brace before a Paulo Dybala goal in the Coppa Italia semi-final.

“It was a balanced game with Juve pushing harder. The penalty was awarded before the break, then clearly they waited to hit us on the break,” Mancini told Rai Sport.

“It was a strange match. Juve deserved to win, but 3-0 seemed exaggerated. Juve deserved to win, but I do not recall any Samir Handanovic saves, nor were we under any particular pressure.

“The second goal came from our error, as we cleared it to Morata and he scored. Then Juve sat back and focused only on the counter, then we went down to 10 men, so that was that.”

Inter have slipped down the Serie A standings too in recent weeks, so does this match reflect their crisis?

“No, I don’t think it reflects anything. It’s true this is the most delicate period of the campaign, but all we can do is stay calm and continue working despite the disappointment of the results, as that is the only way forward.

“We should’ve been more incisive in front of goal, but this was the match we expected. Juve pushed higher up the field, but they would not have scored without the penalty.”

The second leg is at San Siro on March 3, but Joao Miranda and Jeison Murillo will be suspended.

“This result is very difficult to overturn, especially as we’re missing Miranda and Murillo. We’ll think of something.”

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Inter midfield overrun as Juventus
romp to 3-0 Coppa Italia win

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/internazionale/110/blog/post/2795381/inter-midfield-overrunas-juventus-romp-to-coppa-italia-win

Jan 27, 2016

Inter Milan were torn apart by Juventus in the Coppa Italia. The Turin giants won 3-0 in a match that asked many questions of Roberto Mancini's system.

The tie seems nearly dead and the Nerazzurri need to rethink their strategy as 2016 is slowly turning into a nightmare. The Derby Della Madonnina looms and a response vs. AC Milan will be critical.

Wednesday's first half saw a physical battle that resulted in the hosts going in at half-time with a 1-0 lead thanks to Alvaro Morata. In fairness the Old Lady perhaps should have had another after a missed Gary Medel handball.

Mancini's choice to play Felipe Melo, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Medel in the midfield backfired. They all sat too deep and pressed at different times, resulting in the font three being very isolated and having to come deep to get the ball.

Marcelo Brozovic was eventually brought on in place of Melo, but by this point in the second half Inter were down 2-0 after Morata added a second. The night got worse as Inter went down to 10 men and Paulo Dybala scored a third for Juve, telling a wider tale about the Milanese club's form and midfield rather than just being a damning story of this game. The system that once seemed too difficult to break down now seems weak while the creativity has not improved.


Player ratings

Samir Handanovic, 6 -- Nothing he could do with the emphatic penalty dispatched by Morata, nor could he do much about the Spaniard's second fierce strike. He wasn't tested as much as in previous games but did little wrong.

Danilo D'Ambrosio, 6 -- The full-back started the game in a composed manner and also managed to get in some good deliveries in his forays forward. One of the only players to come out of the tie with any credit.

Joao Miranda, 6 -- The Brazilian looked extremely calm and took care of Morata spectacularly well early on. The booking he picked up will see him miss the return leg. Not much he could do second half as the team fell to pieces.

Jeison Murillo, 5 -- The confidence the Colombian has when playing alongside Joao Miranda was evident once again. Murillo played some excellent crossfield passes early on but his day went from bad to worse when he gave away a penalty. He imploded when he got sent off for a poor challenge on Juan Cuadrado, a naive move justly punished.

Yuto Nagatomo, 4 -- This match again showed why the Japanese international is ineffective at full-back. Cuardrado ran rings around him early on. This game must have been his last chance with Mancini watching on.

Felipe Melo, 6 -- He seemed to enjoy the physical nature of the match and settled in to the pace quickly for the second game running. He did his job but was substituted for Brozovic in the second half.

Gary Medel, 6 -- The Chilean was extremely lucky not to have a penalty awarded against him in the first half. A decent display but he was simply one of three players holding.

Geoffrey Kondogbia, 5 -- He started the game in an extremely deep position and this left a large gap between the midfield and the forward three. An anonymous second half and Inter need to allow him to press higher up the field.

Jonathan Biabiany, 5 -- While the work rate cannot be faulted, his touch is infuriating. It seemed he was playing more as a wing-back at the end of the first half and constantly tracked back.

Stevan Jovetic, 6 -- This was not the first time that when tasked with playing as a No. 9 he dropped deep instead of staying central. He went looking for the ball too much and left the Juventus center-halves with little to do.

Adem Ljajic, 7 -- The most creative and potent of Inter's attacking men in the first half, he simply suffered from a lack of support. He did well throughout and it was a shame he wasn't used as a Trequartista.


Substitutes:

Marcelo Brozovic 6 -- Came on 63 minutes for Melo. His creativity was needed earlier. He contributed a lot considering the predicament.

Mauro Icardi NR -- Came on for Biabiany on 76 minutes and contributed little.

Juan Jesus, NR -- Replaced Ljajic on 79 minutes, simply for damage limitation.

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Allegri: 'Morata was doing well'

http://www.football-italia.net/79023/allegri-morata-was-doing-well?

Jan 27, 2016

Max Allegri felt it was only a matter of time for Alvaro Morata to score for Juventus and after Inter targets Bayern Munich.

Morata broke his 20-game goal drought with a brace before substitute Paulo Dybala completed the 3-0 Coppa Italia semi-final rout.

“Morata had put in some good performances recently and gone close to a goal,” the Coach told Rai Sport.

“He did well tonight technically, physically, kept his cool converting the penalty – which wasn’t easy – and did well to score the second goal.

“I realise a striker gets sad when he doesn’t score goals, I understand that, but it’s not as if Morata lost all his talent in a couple of months.

“At this moment Juventus are in good shape, we put in a good performance against a strong Inter side. We were organised defensively, could’ve done better creating chances going forward, but at this moment the lads are giving the fans and club some great satisfactions.

“We are still second in Serie A, so must try to reach first, and the semi-final of the Coppa Italia isn’t over yet.

“When you get a lot of victories in two months, you do tend to think about what has been achieved. We mustn’t do that. We have to press the reset button, put a wall behind us and focus on what we can do going forward.

“We are two points behind Napoli, now it’s a mini-League of 17 rounds and we have to focus on being better than Napoli in that period.”

Are Juve planning to maintain this tempo up to the Champions League with Bayern Munich?

“I don’t like the word maintain, as that means resting on our laurels. We need to improve and the lads know that’s what we are working on.

“Bayern Munich will respect us just as we respect them. It’ll be a great round of 16, in the Champions League knockouts you need a bit of luck too and never can tell what is going to happen.

“This will be a valuable experience for the many young players we have who are new to this level of the Champions League.

“I always say Juventus have to play on level terms with any opponent, including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Barcelona.

“Naturally, we both think we could’ve had a better draw!”

Allegri has been heavily linked with the Chelsea job for next season.

“At this moment there are other things to think about. I have a contract until June 2017, I am happy at Juventus. In football it’s the results that count. So far we have done good things, but we haven’t achieved anything yet.

“Even in the Coppa Italia semi-final there’s a 3-0 first leg result, but we still have to play another 90 minutes at San Siro.”

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Juventus 3 - Inter Milan 0: Initial
reaction and random observations

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/27/10852588/juventus-inter-milan-2016-coppa-italia-semifinal-leg-1-final-score-result-initial-reaction

Jan 27, 2016

Things have not come easy for Álvaro Morata this year. He's been played out of his natural position, he's battled arguably the longest and toughest goal-scoring spell of his young but accomplished career. It's been the exact opposite of how he played — at least when it comes to what he's done in front of goal — during the second half of his first campaign with Juventus.

Goal drought no longer.

Morata not only stomped out his goal-scoring slump, but announced his return in big-time fashion. Thanks to his brace on Wednesday night, Juventus were able to storm past arch-rivals Inter Milan 3-0 in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal at Juventus Stadium. They now head into the second leg in March knowing that they've got one foot in the final where they'll be facing another Milan club or the storybook tale of the tournament out of Lega Pro, Alessandria.

And it was thanks to a classic kind of Morata game where he could have added a third before the final whistle was blown.

OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo
20 - Prior to tonight Alvaro Morata has not scored in his last 20 games (last goal against Bologna in October). Revive.

Or, for those of us who want an even more precise breakdown of how long Morata went without a goal...

Álvaro Morata: Morata's goal vs Inter tonight ends a baron run of 1,034 minutes without a goal for Juventus

— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 27, 2016
That's a lot of minutes, folks. A lot of minutes to think about why things aren't like they were this time last season.

Yet even with the struggles, we've seen him continue to work his tail of no matter what kind of form he's in, so in that aspect, it's not surprising to see him dropping back into the defensive third and then go on storming runs forward. The only thing that was lacking in his game was what he did in front of goal and the confidence that surely comes with it.

He changed that with his first-half penalty — which was an absolute blast off his right foot, by the way — to give Juventus the lead they never relinquished. Then, with his spinning laser beam into the side netting to double the Juve lead.

This was the game he needed to get right. And when it comes against a team and defense that has allowed more than three goals in a game just once ALL SEASON, that has to do wonders for Morata's confidence. And as we learned about the young Spaniard last season, once one or two goals come, there's a good amount of them to follow.

Hopefully that's the case for Morata. Can you imagine an in-form Morata teaming up with Paulo Dybala as Juve's partnership up front in the not-so-distant future? Oh my god. Pray for every team Juventus will play.


Random thoughts and observations

I wonder if Gary Medel played volleyball at any point of his childhood in Chile. He seemed decent at it in the first half on Wednesday night.

But don't worry, guys, it wasn't called a penalty. (That's a penalty all day, every day.)

Juventus have won all six of their games in the calendar year of 2016. They've scored 14 goals in that span of time. They've allowed all of one goal (in the 2-1 win over Sampdoria). If you want a recipe for success, I would say that's a pretty good one to follow.

Neto actually had to make a couple of saves against Inter. So much for just standing there and doing nothing like in his previous Coppa Italia appearances.

Juan Cuadrado can be a frustrating player a good portion of the time. Cuadrado's skill set is what it is. But when he's flying down the right wing and burning opposing players like it's no big deal, it's pretty fun to watch. Max Allegri talks about how Cuadrado offers a special set of skills — no, not like the ones Liam Neeson talks about in Taken — that no other Juventus player has. He's got speed to thrill and give opposing defenses problems. So when Juve buy him this summer, I'm not going to be surprised.

Here's the status of Inter's two starting center backs in the second leg come March 2...

Miranda? Suspended thanks to yellow card accumulation.

Jeison Murillo? Suspended thanks to a red card.

Throw in the fact that Andrea Ranocchia is about to head out the front door and over to Sampdoria when his transfer is completed in short order and, well, Inter is looking at a situation where Medel starts in the center of the defense come five weeks from now. That's exactly what you want to hear when you're down 3-0 after the first leg, right? (Nah.)

Feelings. Lots and lots of feelings.

Since we did it for Carlos Tévez on a regular basis, I guess we need to start doing the same thing for Paulo Dybala seeing as he's scoring goals EVERY DAMN TIME HE STEPS ONTO THE FIELD right now.

26 appearances in all competitions, 20 starts, 15 goals scored, 7 assists

God he's incredible.

Not a bad way for Gigi Buffon to go into his birthday on Thursday. Happy No. 38, my friend.


POLL

Who is your Juventus Man of the Match against Inter?

56% Álvaro Morata (307 votes)

35% Juan Cuadrado (190 votes)
5% Kwadwo Asamoah (27 votes)
2% Claudio Marchisio (12 votes)
1% Giorgio Chiellini (7 votes)
0% Leonardo Bonucci (1 vote)

544 votes total

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Juventus vs. Internazionale: Winners
and Losers from Coppa Italia

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2611586-juventus-vs-internazionale-winners-and-losers-from-coppa-italia?

Jan 27, 2016

Fate has gifted Italian football with two extra editions of the Derby d’Italia this season, and the first of those extra sessions between Internazionale and Juventus came on Wednesday in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final.

The two teams had battled to a goalless draw in the first league game between the two in October, but this was a different Juve team than the one the Nerazzurri faced at the San Siro.

Finally clicking on all cylinders, Juve have been a machine, winning 11 consecutive games in the league and 15 of 17 in all competitions since Halloween.

After a start that leaned toward Juve, the floodgates came open on the 36th minute when Alvaro Morata slammed home a penalty. Another one from the Spaniard in the second half swung the momentum decidedly in Juve’s favor, and Inter’s hopes were put to bed when Jeison Murillo was sent off with 20 minutes to go.

A late stunner from Paulo Dybala, who somehow managed to nutmeg Samir Handanovic from 18 yards away, completed Inter’s humiliation and put the tie firmly in Juve’s hands as they look for a second consecutive trip to the final.

Who were the winners and losers in Wednesday’s derby? Let’s take a closer look at the match and find out.


Winner: Alvaro Morata

It's been a rough four months for Morata. After starting the year scoring big goals in the Champions League at Manchester City and against Sevilla and adding his first league goal of the year against Bologna, the young Spaniard ran cold. Going into the game he hadn't scored since that goal against Bologna on October 4.

Part of the problem was the fact that he was pushed wide to the left in a 4-3-3 for much of October. Playing in an unnatural position had a major effect on his form, and it didn't help when Mario Mandzukic recovered his form and went on a tear, putting Morata on the bench for the man in form.

Morata has not been all that far off the mark the last few weeks. He's been in the right positions, but his final touch has been just off. That's led to a sight familiar to anyone who watched in the first half of last year when he was battling Fernando Llorente for playing time.

Morata has been pressing badly. His touches have been too heavy, and he's been too intent to put his head down and charge at goal himself than to look up and find better options. That was how he looked for the first half-hour or so on Wednesday.

Then he regained his mojo in spectacular fashion.

It started in the 36th minute when Murillo bundled over Juan Cuadrado in the box. Morata was ordered up to the spot, and he took the penalty with aplomb, firing high into the side of the net. Penalty specialist Handanovic had guessed the right way but could do absolutely nothing.

Morata immediately looked brighter, and just after the hour he made it two after Felipe Melo made a hash of a Patrice Evra clearance, sending the ball right to him. Morata turned and fired high into the far corner.

He almost polished off his hat-trick in the 77th when a cross from Paul Pogba landed right at his feet, but he attacked the ball too hard and ended up powering over from six yards out.

Regardless of that miss, this game was absolutely massive for Morata. Allegri would do well to play him in Sunday's matchup against Chievo in order to capitalize on this burst and turn it into a real run of form.


Loser: Jeison Murillo

Murillo had about as bad a game as a defender can have on Wednesday. He conceded the penalty that led to the game's first goal in the 35th minute, firmly planting his shoulder into Cuadrado right in front of referee Paolo Tagliavento.

After the arbiter had missed a clear handball in the box by Gary Medel earlier in the half, doing anything close to a foul in the box was likely to produce a whistle, although the foul would have been called any day.

Murillo nearly redeemed himself when he fired in a strong header off a free-kick that would have made the game 2-1 if not for a fine save. But four minutes later, he made a bad mistake worse by hacking Cuadrado down again, earning a second yellow and, for all intents and purposes, ending the match.

Murillo will be suspended for the second leg and may find himself in Roberto Mancini's doghouse as the main culprit in a high-profile defeat.


Winner: Juan Cuadrado

Cuadrado has been the subject of some criticism lately.

B/R’s own Adam Digby pointed out his need to do more earlier this week after failing to affect what was a 0-0 game when he was inserted as a sub against Roma on Sunday. This writer has been critical in the past of his tendency for flash over substance.

Today, there was substance. Cuadrado flitted around the right wing almost at will, totally canceling out Yuto Nagatomo on Inter’s left. He latched onto a ball from Morata to earn the penalty in the first half, and his hard drive down the center were the catalyst for both Morata’s second and for Murillo’s red.

It’s unlikely that Cuadrado will replace Stephan Lichtsteiner full time in the 3-5-2—the Swiss is simply too important to the team to bench. But as a late-game change of pace or in a different role if Allegri changes formations in the future.

After a period of some struggle, Cuadrado came through when it counted on Wednesday. Now he must keep it up.


Loser: Felipe Melo

Wednesday wasn’t the first time Melo had returned to the Juventus Stadium.

After two disappointing years in Turin, the midfielder had gone to Galatasaray, first on loan and then permanently, and had played in the Champions League group stage when Juve faced the Turkish giants in 2013-14.

This game, though, didn’t produce many big memories. Melo was ineffective on both ends. He couldn’t do anything creatively, committed a foul on a free-kick that wasted a good chance to equalize and, worst of all, simply tapped Evra’s cross back to Morata for him to tuck away for his second goal.

Whether or not Mancini was planning it regardless, it didn’t look too good that the big Brazilian was hauled off seconds after that miscue, giving way to Marcelo Brozovic.

It certainly wasn’t a day to remember.


Winner: Neto

As Gianluigi Buffon’s deputy, Norberto Neto has been relegated to the Coppa and the odd league game when Buffon desires a rest. That isn’t often.

He didn’t have much to do on Wednesday, but he did come up big when it counted, not only stopping Murillo’s bullet header minutes after Morata made it 2-0 but catching it—diving, no less—to deprive any Inter players of a rebound opportunity.

It was a fantastic save in an important moment, denying Inter what could have been a crucial away goal and at that point in the game, a goal that could have completely switched the game’s momentum.


Loser: Roberto Mancini

Roberto Mancini might be in serious trouble.

He remade Inter’s roster this year, stacking it with big, strong players but precious few with creativity.

That’s created a huge imbalance on the field. A midfield full of destroyers like Melo, Medel and Geoffrey Kondogbia has put almost the entire burden of creativity on Inter’s forwards. And so far, they haven’t shown they can handle it.

Inter have only scored 26 times in the league this season. By contrast, Roma—six points behind them in fifth—have scored 37, and Fiorentina—ahead of them on tiebreakers for third—have scored 39. Six teams behind them in the table have scored more, including Chievo in 10th and Torino in 11th.

It takes a lot to penetrate Juve’s defense as it is. With a team like this, it’s practically impossible without the Bianconeri making a mistake.

Mancini needs to come up with a way to inject some creativity or things could get bad. He cannot keep counting on 1-0 wins to get Inter where they want to go.

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Allegri stays grounded after
Juventus demolish Inter

The champions cruised to a 3-0 win in their Coppa Italia semi-final
first leg but their head coach is not getting carried away.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italian-football/2016/01/27/19747922/-?

Jan 27, 2016

Massimiliano Allegri says the job is still not done for Juventus despite watching his side demolish Inter 3-0 in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on Wednesday.

Alvaro Morata struck twice – the Spaniard's first goals since October 4 – and Paulo Dybala came off the bench to add a third for the holders as Inter were outplayed in Turin.

To compound the visitors' woes, Jeison Murillo was sent off for a second bookable offence late on.

And despite the Nerazzurri now needing a remarkable comeback in the second leg at San Siro on March 1 to prevent Juve from reaching the final, Allegri is still demanding improvement from his players.

"Right now Juventus is fine, the guys played a good match," he told reporters. "It was not easy; we were good in defence but we have to improve in the build-up phase.

"I would say that at this time we are taking away great satisfaction from the performance but we still have much to do.

"We still have to get to the Coppa Italia final and we are second in the league, not first."

Morata meanwhile expressed his relief at ending a long barren run in front of goal.

"It was an important night for me," he said. "Thanks to all my team-mates for their encouragement and support.

"I am now a completely different player than yesterday. A striker lives for goal, now I expect to continue like this."

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

ALVARO MORATA DOUBLE GIVES JUVENTUS
CONVINCING WIN OVER INTER MILAN

Alvaro Morata answered his critics with a brace for Juventus in a thrilling 3-0 win in the
first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final against Inter Milan in Turin on Wednesday.

http://www.thehardtackle.com/news/2016/01/28/alvaro-morata-double-gives-juventus-convincing-win-over-inter-milan/?

Jan 28, 2016

Morata last hit the net for the league and Cup champions four months ago and has fallen out of favour with coach Massimiliano Allegri amid the spectacular rise of Argentinian Paulo Dybala.

But the former Real Madrid striker was given a rare start in the Cup version of the ‘Derby d’Italia’ — as the Juve v Inter fixture is commonly known — and reminded fans of his class with a performance that should have seen him bag a hat-trick.

Allegri told Rai Sport: “He had a good game, he broke the deadlock with a penalty that wasn’t easy to score and then hit his second.

“Tonight, we gave ourselves a good chance of heading to the final, but let’s not forget we still have 90 minutes to play at the San Siro.”

Inter coach Roberto Mancini felt the scoreline flattered Juve, but the former Manchester City handler admitted they now face an uphill climb if they are to reach their first final since beating Palermo in 2011.

“They deserved to win but the scoreline didn’t reflect the game,” Mancini said.

“Up until their penalty, they hadn’t threatened us and Samir Handanovic didn’t have a save to make.

“It will be difficult for us to overcome the result but we have to go out and give it our best.”

Morata stepped up to beat Inter ‘keeper Handanovic from the spot nine minutes from the interval after Jeison Murillo felled Juan Cuadrado in the area to earn the first of two yellow cards on the night.

Morata hit a superb second just after the hour when he pounced on Felipe Melo’s poor control of Patrice Evra’s drive across goal, spinning away from his marker to fire into Handanovic’s far top corner.

Morata admitted it had been “an important night for me”, adding: “Thanks to all my team-mates for their encouragement and support.”

Melo’s mistake was too much for Mancini, who immediately replaced the Brazilian — who only returned recently from a three-match ban — with Marcelo Brozovic.

Brozovic injected some much needed punch into Inter’s attack, but their hopes of reducing the arrears suffered a blow only minutes later when Murillo saw red for a second foul on Cuadrado.

It means Mancini will be without two defenders, Murillo and Joao Miranda, for the return leg on March 3.

Morata should have had his third on 78 minutes when Frenchman Paul Pogba curled in a delightful delivery for the Spaniard, but somehow Morata ballooned over from eight yards.

Dybala, who has hit 12 Serie A goals this season, wrapped up the win only minutes after coming off the bench to replace Mario Mandzukic with a superb sweeping shot that went through Handanovic’s legs six minutes from time.

Juve, who secured their first league and Cup double in 20 years last season, travel to Milan for the second leg as favourites for their second Cup trophy.

On Tuesday, fallen giants AC Milan edged third division side Alessandria 1-0 at Torino’s Stadio Olimpico.

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Kwadwo Asamoah Injury-Free and Key to
Juventus' Coppa Italia Win over Inter

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2611738-kwadwo-asamoah-injury-free-and-key-to-juventus-coppa-italia-win-over-inter?

Jan 28, 2016

Having beaten AS Roma 1-0 on Sunday, Juventus returned to Coppa Italia action against Inter Milan on Wednesday evening, and a comfortable 3-0 victory in the first leg saw them firmly take control of this semi-final matchup.

The final score served as a good indication of the gulf between the two teams, with the visitors offering little attacking threat and looking woeful in midfield.

What made the result even more remarkable was that while the Nerazzurri fielded a largely first-choice side, Juve were able to rest a number of key players.

Gigi Buffon, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sami Khedira and Paulo Dybala were all left out of the starting XI, and although coach Massimiliano Allegri was careful to remain balanced, he is certainly happy with the depth of his squad.

“The most important thing is to stay level-headed and keep in mind that we haven’t achieved anything yet,” he told reporters at the post-match press conference. “We have a tough run of fixtures ahead, and I know I can swap a few players in and out and still be sure that the quality of our performances won’t drop off.”

Alvaro Morata certainly benefited, with the striker netting twice to break a goal drought which stretched back to Oct. 4 and delivering a performance that bodes well for the rest of the campaign. His importance to the side has been discussed at length, but Kwadwo Asamoah was arguably even more impressive.

WhoScored.com ✔ @WhoScored
Álvaro Morata: Morata's goal vs Inter tonight ends a run of 1,034 minutes without a goal for Juventus

Despite making only his third start of the season, the versatile left-footer slotted in seamlessly, helping the Bianconeri dominate the central area of the field as they continually overran their opponents.

Defensively solid throughout, Asamoah helped protect the back line impeccably, combining with Patrice Evra to frustrate Adem Ljajic. He was helped by the lack of attacking impetus from Inter’s midfield, where Gary Medel, Felipe Melo and Geoffrey Kondogbia were each better suited to breaking up play rather than venturing forward.

The same cannot be said of Juventus, with both Pogba and Asamoah regularly joining the attack, a smart assist from the latter eventually laying on the third goal as Dybala made a late cameo appearance.

Statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com highlight just how well Asamoah performed overall, recording one tackle, one interception, one clearance and completing 91.9 percent of his 37 pass attempts. That tally included three scoring chances for his team-mates, with the Ghana international also winning two aerial duels.

After making just 10 appearances last term due to a variety of injuries, he finally seems to be back to full fitness and—speaking shortly after the recent win over Udinese—the 27-year-old revealed that he had previously doubted his future.

“There were several moments when I asked myself when I would get back playing again, because, whenever things were looking on the up, there would always be a new setback throwing my progress off course,” Asamoah told Sky Italia (h/t the official Juventus website). “Right now, though, I’m in good shape.”

Having such a high-quality backup bodes well for the rest of the campaign, giving Juve the option of resting any of their first-choice trio, and Allegri was happy to praise the midfielder for his contribution against Inter.

“Asamoah was brilliant tonight in all aspects of his play,” the coach said at the post-match press conference. “When the team are in great form, every team selection can be difficult, and it’s never easy leaving the other guys out of the side. The further we go in the cups, though, the more playing time there will be for everyone.”

That will certainly be true, with the likes of Neto, Daniele Rugani and Juan Cuadrado all looking to earn more minutes on the field.

Asamoah will now join that trio, as he has proved that he can be relied upon to deliver whenever he is given a chance.

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Cuadrado: Juventus Haven’t Won Anything Yet

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/cuadrado-juventus-havent-won-anything-yet/?

Jan 28, 2016

Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado has played down suggestions that the Bianconeri have secured their place in the Coppa Italia final, following their 3-0 win over Inter in their semi-final first leg.

A brace from Alvaro Morata, capped off by Paulo Dybala, saw the Old Lady run riot at the Juventus Stadium on Wednesday evening, though Cuadrado feels the tie is far from over.

“I’m happy for the result, we produced a great performance,” Cuadrado said to Rai Sport after the match.

“However, we must be calm, we’re taking the season game by game.

“We haven’t won anything yet, although we want to win every competition.

“I’m playing for the strongest team in Italy, we have always been the best. It’s a pleasure.

The Colombian scored the winner in a 2-1 win over Torino in October and the Bianconeri remain unbeaten ever since.

“That goal gave us a lot of confidence, I remember every moment about it,” he concluded.

“It was an important game and now we hope to continue winning.”

[Socrates 8524]

Juventus approaching great opportunity
to seize first place in upcoming weeks

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/28/10835358/juventus-napoli-2016-serie-a-standings-scudetto

Jan 28, 2016
 
It's been a bizarre season in Serie A so far. The four-time reigning champs managed just 12 points over 10 games. While Juventus' underlying statistics showed that they weren't nearly as bad as their performance in the league table suggested, it wasn't unreasonable to wonder if they had legitimate title hopes.

Sure, Juve had a few key players missing and they were more than capable of a hot streak, but could they catch the league leaders after such a dismal start?

Well, thanks to the improved health of Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira, the emergence of Paulo Dybala as a legitimate star, burgeoning chemistry among the new arrivals, and a massive 11-game win streak, it certainly looks like they can. Twenty-one games in, Juventus sits just two points behind Napoli at the top of the table, and virtually all statistical analysis has concluded that these are the best two teams in the league right now.

Looking ahead at the two clubs' schedules over the next few weeks, the Bianconeri have a great opportunity to claim sole ownership of first place.

The next three matches on Juve's league schedule are away at Chievo Verona, at home against Genoa, and away at Frosinone. While Juve recorded a draw against Frosinone previously, I think it's safe to say that it was a bit of a fluke. A quick look at the stat sheet from that match shows a result that is very unlikely to be repeated. Juve also drew against Chievo (the only of their next three opponents to sit at 10th or better in the table) earlier in the year, but once again, they outshot their opponent by a massive margin, only to get an unfavorable result. Furthermore, the lineup from that match hardly resembles the squad we should expect to take the pitch in the rematch. Mario Lemina, Stefano Sturaro, and Hernanes were all in the starting lineup, as Paul Pogba and Giorgio Chiellini began the match on the bench. Lastly, Genoa shouldn't present much of an issue for an in-form Juventus.

Napoli's upcoming stretch is a bit tougher, with Empoli (at home), Lazio (away), and Carpi (home) coming up. Empoli can be tough to take three points from, although Napoli will have the advantage of playing at home. Laizo's had a rough year, but Napoli will face them on the road and Lazio still has plenty of talent. Carpi, though, should be an easy win. Still, Napoli has two games in a row against teams in the upper half of the table.

The fourth match for both teams is where it gets interesting.

Napoli will travel to Juventus Stadium on Feb. 13 for a match with huge title implications. Either team could slip up between now and then, but the margin should still be close and the result will be a massive one for both sides, as the league's highest-scoring attack takes on the most talented defensive unit in Italy. Juventus will have an opportunity to get revenge for the 2-1 loss in Napoli earlier in the year and stake their claim as the best team in the country.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

Juventus Club Focus: Star’s The Limit
Ahead Of Crucial February Tests

The number 11. It is the number of people in a football team, the smallest positive integer that requires
three syllables, and also the number of the first manned Apollo to land on the surface of the moon.

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/juventus-club-focus-stars-the-limit-ahead-of-crucial-february-tests/?

Jan 28, 2016
 
Juventus can now add the ‘number of games won in a row’ category to that list of significant things to do with 11 after their 1-0 win over Roma on the weekend.

Juve v Roma was the headline fixture of the whole season for the past few years after both sides’ continuous domination at the top of Serie A and this weekend was no different.

Indeed, the Giallorossi look to be out of the Scudetto chase this term, but it doesn’t take away from their quality.

On October 28 last year, Sassuolo claimed a surprise 1-0 win over the Bianconeri thus putting the reigning champions in 12th place in the table.

What followed was eleven games of determination and quality from Massimiliano Allegri and his men, allowing them to enter the top 10 for the first time this season before continuing to rise, now sitting in second place just two points off top spot.

They travel to Chievo this Sunday in their next fixture where they would expect to pick up all three points, before facing off with Genoa and Frosinone.

With their current form showing no sign of dipping and some relatively simple tasks to complete over the next few weeks, the question is: how long will this last?

Not only are Juventus being considered as title favourites once more, you wouldn’t be a complete fool for thinking that they have a chance of advancing past Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Speaking of which, the few weeks from mid-February to mid-March will prove to be a testing time for the Old Lady, but they could be seen as a basis of where Juve will end up in May.

February 13 sees them host top-of-the-table Napoli in a match which is crucial by itself; three points there could see Juventus leapfrog the Partenopei in the table.

Just over a week later, it is the first leg of the clash with Bayern Munich and the Bundesliga giants will help us see where Juve are compared to the rest of the continent; the Italians got further than the Germans last year in the competition.

Another tough game with Inter follows, before a match with the same opponents in the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final.

Two average domestic tasks follow against Atalanta and Sassuolo, before the return leg of their Champions League tie, and a derby with Torino to round it all off.

Over the course of a month, Juventus could throw away all their chances of achieving the European treble while also losing a battle with their bitter cross-city rivals.

Equally, however, they could close the gap or potentially create a gap between them and the top of the Serie A table, book their place in the Coppa Italia final and become huge favourites to go far in Europe this year.

February/March will test Juventus’ stamina and consistency, but winning 11 domestic games in a row is not easy for anyone.

Should they replicate their recent form over the next two months, they will be in a strong position to challenge for any title they please come the end of the season.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

JUVENTUS - INTER

3 - 0

 
Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty)
Álvaro Morata (63')
Paulo Dybala (83')

 

Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final
Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Juventus vs. Inter Milan 3-0, Bianconeri
put one foot into Coppa italia final

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/29/10858012/juventus-inter-milan-2016-coppa-italia-semifinal-leg-1-final-score-recap-result

Jan 29, 2016

Before gong into this game we knew three things: Juventus have the better team, Juve-Inter is a special game, this could be a risky game where the underdog comes out on top. After 90 minutes of play, only the first point was made abundantly clear. The game was not really special in terms of competition -- I mean, beating Inter is always special but I digress -- and at no point were Juventus at risk of being surprised. With a three-goal advantage going into the return leg at the beginning of March, the Old Lady has one foot on the final.

Juventus lined up with their classic 3-5-2 with Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic leading the attack, Juan Cuadrado and Kwadwo Asamoah giving Stephan Lichtstiner and Sami Khedira some rest in the middle of the field, and Martin Caceres taking the spot of Andrea Barzagli at the right of the defense. One tactical surprise was the shift of Paul Pogba to the right side of Claudio Marchisio to play Asamoah in his natural position.

Juventus controlled the game from its onset while Inter sat back hoping to contain the Old Lady. After 13 minutes, Juventus should have received a penalty from a Gary Medel's handball in the box that Tagliavento didn't see or was too scared to call.

Then began the Morata show.

Thirty-five minutes into the match Cuadrado was fouled by Murillo in the box, showing that you can grow balls in 22 minutes referee Paolo Tagliavento pointed at the spot. Now, I don't know about you, but when Morata was setting up the penalty kick, I was terrified he would miss. My fear was not because Juventus would squander a good chance, it seemed clear we were not losing this one, my concern was for Morata's self esteem if he failed to score. Morata proved me wrong taking one of the most confident penalty kicks you can imagine. It was great seeing him celebrate.

Things will only get worse for Inter after the break.

Juventus continued to control the game, Cuadrado was terrorizing Inter's left wing but the second goal came from the other side. Morata scored his first goal from open play in who knows how long to bring Juventus up 2-0. To make things better the assist will come from ex-Juventino Felipe Melo. The evening will be sealed with a red card for Inter and a spectacular goal from Paulo Dybala (rumors are Samir Handanovic is still looking for the ball).


LE PAGELLE

Neto 6.5 He had one save to make the whole game and he made it look great. Buffon clapping was the icing on the cake.

Caceres 6.5 Did what was asked of him, we didn't really miss Barzagli last night.

Bonucci 7.0 Great game creating a number of opportunities from the back. His composure on the ball is second-to-none.

Chiellini 7.0 I know I may get some flak for this, as Chiellini kept falling over and drawing unnecessary fouls. To some it may be unnecessary time wasting, to me this was furbizia at its best. Every time Inter will build any momentum Chiellini will slow down proceedings.

Cuadrado 7.5 His best game in bianconero. Got us the penalty and made sure Murillo will be missing next match. He is cutting in a lot more and passing the ball more than ever in the past.

Pogba 7.0 He showed Kondogbia who is boss. Controlled the game well and had some nice flicks and touches to go with it.

Marchisio 7.5 His positioning and calm are invaluable in the team at the moment. Moreover, I noticed that he has add some flair to some of the moves he makes. He is really enjoying his football and the Old Lady couldn't be happier.

Asamoah 7.0 Had a great game showing to be a viable alternative for our midfield roation.

Evra 7.0 Involved in the buildup of the second goal, made sure nothing came from Inter on his wing.

Mandzukic 6.5 Had a good game and worked for the squad.

Morata 7.5 He needed this so bad and came back with two huge goals. He could have had a hat-trick showing he still needs to sharpen his shooting a little more.


THINGS I THINK I THINK

- I don't know about you, but I loved watching Juventus up 2-0 and 3-0 and still defending with as much -- if not more -- commitment than when the game was scoreless.

- I liked how the team can switch from offensive to defensive based on who plays on the wings. I don't know that Cuadrado and Alex Sandro have started together recently but I think that Max is cautious to move his team too far forward. However, it is nice to see we have the option if we need to.

- How good was Asamoah?

- A few months ago, Kwadwo came out to say that Juventus has been supportive during his time on the sidelines. Morata had similar comments after tthis game, thanking the club and his teammates for all the support during his dry spell. Nice to see the family sense is still there.

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

CHIEVO VERONA VS JUVENTUS MATCH PREVIEW

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

Jan 30, 2016
 

Juventus

On Wednesday, Juventus basically secured the qualification to the Coppa Italia final with a commanding 3-0 victory over Inter at the Stadium. The team was a bit sloppy in the first half, but still created some good chances and scored; it was instead masterful in the second half, where it took advantage of an undermanned Inter to seal the deal and secure itself a friendly in March in the second leg. It was Juventus’ 14 win in a row in all competitions.

The best news coming out of the Inter bout was obviously Alvaro Morata breaking his drought. I think that the Spaniard was still effective on the pitch, he was not playing too selfishly or seeking the goal too insistently. However, you could see that it was getting into his head as he missed some easy chances, probably because he was overeager in the box. Hopefully, goals will now come in bunches for him, because Juventus will need them.

As a matter of fact, after the game there were some bad news too: Mario Mandzukic will miss a month because of a calf injury and Kwadwo Asamoah will be sidelined for two-three weeks with an hamstring ailment. At this point, Mandzukis is set to miss the first leg against Bayern Munich, but I would not rule out a quicker recovery than the initial timetable, considering his grit and tenacity. It is the second time that the Croatian striker gets injured in a match where he showed no signs of physical problems, which says a lot about his pain tolerance. The Asamoah injury is frustrating because these hiccups continue to set him back when he is given a little of playing time, luckily Juventus is deep in the midfield and should not miss him.

I do not think that the management will make a move to replace Mandzukic, even though Fabio Quagliarella, Giampaolo Pazzini and maybe Alessandro Matri are very available, nor they should. Giuseppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici are after several talented several Serie B strikers, Gianluca Lapadula, Ante Budimir, Filip Raicevic and Simone Ganz, likely to stash them and see if one blossoms, but I do not foresee a scenario where they bring one in to groom him. For one reason or another, their respective teams sorely need them now.

Against Chievo Verona, Juventus will seek the 12th consecutive win in Serie A to pressure Napoli that plays later that day. I personally hope for a good performance because I will make my annual trip to Verona to see the team in person. Here is a stat: we have always won in the matches I witnessed to (4-0, three against Chievo Verona and one against Shamrock Rovers).

Patrice Evra is disqualified for this game, so it is Alex Sandro time, which also means that Stephen Lichsteiner will play on the other flank, especially since Juan Cuadrado played in the midweek match. The Colombian was terrific and I really hope Massimiliano Allegri finds a way to give him more playing time, he could be our it factor. The lineup should be the standard one, with Morata replacing Mandzukic upfront. Considering that Sami Khedira and Paul Pogba are primed to start and that we will face Genoa on Wednesday, it could be a good chance to give Claudio Marchisio some rest: Hernanes would take his spot. Giorgio Chiellini coul get a day off too, with Martin Caceres replacing him.


Probable lineup 3-5-2:

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


Injuries:

Mandzukic (calf), Asamoah (hamstring), Lemina (knee).

Suspended:

Evra.


 

 Chievo Verona

Chievo Verona are unnecessarily secretive at a Belichickian level with the squad list and injuries, but they should be very depleted in this match. Alberto Paloschi has flown to Wales to join Swansea. They should be without Riccardo Meggiorini too, who is nursing an hamstring injury. This means that Roberto Inglese, a very nice young player, and Paul-Josè Mpoku, an interesting offseason addition that quickly fell out of grace, are likely to be the striker’s duo in Rolando Maran’s 4-3-1-2, unless he changes the scheme. Sergio Pellissier probably can not go for 90 minutes.

Absences galore in the defence too: Bostjan Cesar is suspended and Alessandro Gamberini suffered a serious hamstring injury in the last game. In that occasion, the coach trotted out Gennaro Sardo, who is famous for scoring the winning goal in Chievo’s lone win against Juventus; however, the recently acquired Nicolas Spolli is the favourite to pair up with Dario Dainelli in the middle of the defence in this one. Nicolas Frey, a natural right-back but very versatile, could be an option both at centre-back should Spolli not be ready to play or at left-back to have a more defensive player there than Massimo Gobbi, who is famous for scoring a in a Fiorentina’s 3-2 win against Juventus in Turin. On the right, there should be Fabrizio Cacciatore, who is famous for scoring goal against Juventus and dancing awkwardly afterwards during his time with Hellas Verona. So many bad memories.

Perparim Hetemaj has missed the last two games because of bruised leg. Maran has used Giampiero Pinzi and Nicola Pinzi as box-to-box midfielder in the past: as usual, against Juventus, the most defensive option is the most likely one. The starters Ivan Radovanovic, Lucas Castro and Valter Birsa will form the rest of the diamond. Simone Pepe, who could be an option both in the midfield and in the attack, should be out as well.

In this season, they got off to a brilliant start where they were scoring a ton, but then lost some steam and regressed to the same old Chievo of yesteryears. Still, they have a nice record and have built a nice cushion over the most dangerous areas of the table.


Probable lineup 4-3-1-2:

Bizzarri; Cacciatore, Dainelli, Spolli, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Pinzi; Birsa; Meggiorini, Mpoku.


Injuries:

Gamberini (hamstring), Meggiorini (hamstring), Hetemaj (leg), Izco (knee), Pepe.

Suspended:

Cesar.

 

Formation

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Chievo - Juventus Preview: Champions
eye top spot in early kick-off

With Napoli not playing until later on Sunday, the in-form champions
can move top of the Italian top flight with victory over the 10th-placed side.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/match/chievo-vs-juventus/2120591/preview

Jan 30, 2016
 
Juventus will be looking to turn up the heat on Serie A leaders Napoli when they face Chievo in Sunday's early kick-off.

The defending champions trail Napoli, who host Empoli later in the day, by two points at the summit, having mounted a sustained charge with a remarkable run of 11 consecutive league victories - just one short of their top-flight record.

That sequence forms part of a wider run of 14 wins in their last 15 matches in all competitions, with Wednesday's 3-0 Coppa Italia victory over Inter acting as a further boost to morale as Juve continue to turn around a poor start to the season.

Neto kept his third Coppa clean sheet in the semi-final first leg and, while he is likely to be replaced by captain Gianluigi Buffon - who turned 38 on Thursday - for the trip to Verona, the Brazilian goalkeeper has urged his team-mates not to be distracted by an unfamiliar lunchtime kick-off.

"We're playing at a time that we're not so used to, but at this level we ought not be concerned by kick-off times or what may seem like difficult journeys," he told Juve's official website.

"We need to stay focused on the task at hand, not think about the matches we've already won or those which await us further down the line.

"We have to give our undivided attention to winning each game as it comes."

Alvaro Morata ended a 20-match goal drought to net twice against Inter, before revealing off-field problems had been taking their toll.

However, the Spaniard was in good spirits as he showed his charitable side after the match - inviting a Juve fan to dine with his group of friends after spotting the supporter sitting alone at a restaurant.

Morata will hope he has now turned a corner and, with Chievo having conceded four goals in their last outing - a 4-1 defeat at Lazio - Sunday could represent a good opportunity for the former Real Madrid striker to build some momentum.

Chievo have won just one of their last 25 Serie A meetings with Juve, and the departure of top scorer Alberto Paloschi to Swansea City on Friday could hinder their chances of improving on that record.

Juve's forward options have are also depleted by a muscle injury for Mario Mandzukic, which could keep him out for four weeks, while Kwadwo Asamoah (thigh) is sidelined for two to three weeks.

That said, the Turin outfit possess one of the most potent attacking threats in Serie A in the form of Paulo Dybala, who has been directly involved in half of Juve's 38 goals this season (12 goals, seven assists).


Key Opta stats

- Juventus have won their last three away league games against Chievo.

- Chievo have scored a league-high share 26 per cent of their goals in the opening 15 minutes of games this season (7/27), while Juventus have conceded a league-high 27 per cent of their goals in this period (4/15).

- Chievo have lost 13 points from leading positions this season, more than any other team. Meanwhile, Juventus have gained a league-high 13 points from losing positions.

- Chievo's Valter Birsa has provided the most assists from set-pieces in Serie A this season (4).

- All 12 of Dybala's Serie A goals this season have been with his left foot, the most in the top five European leagues.


OPTA FACTS

Chievo have won only once in their last 25 Serie A matches against Juventus (D7, L17).

Juventus have won their last three away league games against Chievo.

The Bianconeri have won 11 league games in a row, one short of their record in a single Serie A season (12 in 2013/14).

Juventus have conceded only one goal in their last four league matches.

Chievo have scored a league-high share 26% of their goals in the opening 15 minutes of games this season (7/27), while Juventus have conceded a league-high 27% of their goals in this period (4/15).

Juventus have scored the joint-most headed goals (8) in Serie A this term (Chievo have netted seven).

Chievo have lost 13 points from leading positions this season, more than any other team. Meanwhile, Juventus have gained a league-high 13 points from losing positions.

Valter Birsa has provided the most assists from set-pieces in Serie A this season (4).


LAST FIVE MATCHES

CHIEVO  L D W D L

24/01/2016 - Lazio 4 - 1 Chievo Verona
17/01/2016 - Chievo Verona 1 - 1 Empoli
10/01/2016 - Bologna 0 - 1 Chievo Verona
06/01/2016 - Chievo Verona 3 - 3 Roma
20/12/2015 - Fiorentina 2 - 0 Chievo Verona


JUVENTUS  W W W W W

27/01/2016 - Juventus 3 - 0 Internazionale
24/01/2016 - Juventus 1 - 0 Roma
20/01/2016 - Lazio 0 - 1 Juventus
17/01/2016 - Udinese 0 - 4 Juventus
10/01/2016 - Sampdoria 1 - 2 Juventus


HEAD TO HEAD

12/09/2015 - Juventus 1 - 1 Chievo Verona
25/01/2015 - Juventus 2 - 0 Chievo Verona
30/08/2014 - Chievo Verona 0 - 1 Juventus
16/02/2014 - Juventus 3 - 1 Chievo Verona
25/09/2013 - Chievo Verona 1 - 2 Juventus

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Chievo V Juventus – Preview: Gialloblu
Look To Stop Bianconeri Juggernaut

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/chievo-v-juventus-preview-gialloblu-look-to-stop-bianconeri-juggernaut/?

Jan 30, 2016
 
Chievo host Juventus on Sunday afternoon looking to end a run of 11 straight wins that has lifted Massimiliano Allegri’s side up to second spot in Serie A. The Bianconeri’s impressive form was only further demonstrated by a 3-0 drubbing of Inter in the Coppa Italia this week.

Winning a 12th game in a row would leave the Vecchia Signora just one behind the club record, though they still have some way to go to reach Inter’s 17 game streak from 2006/07. Meanwhile, the Mussi Volante are struggling for points and have won just once in their last five outings and took a bit of a battering last weekend, losing 4-1 at Lazio.

The Turin side hold a vice-like grip on the previous meetings between the two. This will be the 26th clash between the two, and Chievo have achieved just one victory, when Gennaro Sardo gave them a 1-0 win in 2010. On the other side, Juventus have won 17 of the remaining encounters, including eight at the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi, and though the meeting in September ended 1-1, it was a first point in seven attempts for Chievo.

Each side will be missing a key member of their defence as Patrice Evra and Bostjan Cesar are suspended, with Alex Sandro and Nicolas Frey set to deputise respectively. However, Rolando Maran will have to worry about injuries as Perparim Hetemaj and Riccardo Meggiorini are both on the treatment table, meaning starts are likely for Giampiero Pinzi and Roberto Inglese.

The Bianconeri are not fully fit themselves, with Mario Mandzukic joining Kwadwo Asamoah as an injury doubt, while Roberto Pereyra and Mario Lemina are both likely to miss out, too.

Gianluigi Buffon, who turned 38 during the week, has conceded 449 goals in all competitions whilst at Juventus, so will be looking to ensure he does not pass a landmark on Sunday.

On the other side, Sergio Pellissier will be hoping a record of his own comes to an end. The veteran striker will be playing his 20th game against Juventus, but has not come out on top of any of the 19 to date, as he was absent for the aforementioned game in 2010.

Meanwhile, Paulo Dybala is currently on 12 goals for the season, just one behind his Serie A best of 13.


Form Guide

Chievo (L-D-W-D-L), Juventus (W-W-W-W-W)


Expected Starting XIs

Chievo:
Bizzarri; Frey, Cacciatore, Dainelli, Gobbi; Castro, Radovanovic, Pinzi; Birsa; Paloschi, Inglese.

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

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Chievo vs. Juventus: Team News, Predicted Lineups

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2611757-chievo-vs-juventus-team-news-predicted-lineups-live-stream-tv-info?

Jan 30, 2016
 
Juventus take on Chievo on Sunday, the Italian champions in very different shape to when these two sides met earlier in the campaign. That previous meeting came in just the third game of 2015/16, with the Bianconeri having already lost to Udinese and AS Roma at that point.

They were held to a 1-1 draw in Turin but have turned their season around in recent months, winning their last 11 Serie A fixtures to climb back into title contention. They have also recorded three Coppa Italia wins during that streak, including a 3-0 rout of Inter earlier this week.

Yet coach Massimiliano Allegri is certainly not allowing his side to grow complacent, using a recent press conference to remind the players of the previous poor form and urging them to maintain their focus:

We must not rest on our laurels and think too much about the first half of the season. While we won nine in a row before Christmas, we earned too few points before that run. It will take real quality to win what is now effectively a 17-game championship.

When you are in the midst of a winning streak you need to stay focused, keep yourself grounded, put in the same hard work in training and ensure you don’t lose the solidity that got you in that position in the first place.

As they head to Verona this weekend, they will hopefully remember those words as they take on a team that is notoriously difficult to beat. Currently sitting in 10th place, Chievo have conceded just 26 goals this term but have won just one of their last five fixtures, and coach Rolando Maran needs to arrest that slide.

He will be buoyed by their recent 3-3 draw with AS Roma, and Juventus will need to remain sharp if they are to record yet another victory against Chievo in Sunday’s lunchtime kick-off.

 

Probable Formations

Chievo: (4-3-1-2):

Albano Bizzarri; Nicolas Frey, Fabrizio Cacciatore, Dario Dainelli, Massimo Gobbi; Lucas Castro, Ivan Radovanovic, Giampiero Pinzi; Valter Birsa; Paul-Jose M'Poku, Roberto Inglese

Unavailable: Bostjan Cesar (suspended), Mariano Izco (injured)


Juventus (3-5-2):

Gigi Buffon; Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba, Alex Sandro; Simone Zaza, Paulo Dybala

Unavailable: Mario Mandzukic, Kwadwo Asamoah, Mario Lemina, Rubinho and Roberto Pereyra (all injured)



Key Battle

Having dropped points at home to Chievo at the start of the season, Juventus will certainly be relieved to know that Alberto Paloschi will not be playing. A product of the Milan youth sector, he arrived in Verona back in 2011, developing into a quality striker over the past two seasons, but seems set for a move to Swansea City.

Their head coach Francesco Guidolin told the Premier League club's official website that Paloschi "would be an important player" before they completed a deal, which means that Valter Birsa is likely to be Chievo's biggest threat against the Bianconeri.

OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo
36 - Valter Birsa created 36 chances from set play in 2015, more than any other Serie A player this year. Precision.

Deadly from set pieces, the tweet above shows that the Slovenia international created more chances in the past calendar year than another player in the league, already weighing in with three goals and six assists in 2015/16.

The task of stopping Birsa will likely fall to Juve midfielder Claudio Marchisio, the Turin native occupying the deep-lying role in midfield and making him ideally suited to slow down the opposition's key player in this clash.



Player to Watch

While his team-mate may be the biggest threat, perhaps the man to watch most closely here is Simone Pepe. The winger enjoyed an incredible five-year stint at Juventus, winning four league titles and becoming a firm favourite with the club’s fans for his effort and attitude during that time.

Also suffering some terrible injuries, he was limited to 95 appearances for the club—scoring 13 goals—and it was with a heavy heart that he moved on this past summer. Discussing his exit with Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia) back in June, Pepe explained just what it meant to have played for the Turin giants:

Emptying out my locker at Vinovo gave me a huge sense of sadness. Aside from the injury, I had five fantastic years at an incredible club. I gave my heart, soul and a leg for Juventus. The Bianconeri fans realised that and always hailed me, showering me with affection. I will always maintain that incredible rapport with the supporters.

Yet the club and player have moved on, and the 32-year-old is clearly enjoying life with Chievo. In his last three appearances, Pepe has weighed in with two goals and an assist, powering his new side’s unbeaten run and helping them earn draws with AS Roma and Empoli plus a win over Bologna.



Odds (via Odds Shark)

Away win: 100-161

Home win: 19-4

Draw: 11-4

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Allegri: 'Juve respect Chievo'

http://www.football-italia.net/79150/allegri-juve-respect-chievo?

Jan 30, 2016
 
Max Allegri assured Juventus “cannot lower the concentration levels” against Chievo and welcomed Roberto Pereyra back.

It kicks off on Sunday at 12.30 CET - 11.30 GMT.

The Bianconeri are one match off equalling Antonio Conte’s record of 12 consecutive Serie A victories.

“I am interested in the fact there are another 17 rounds to go this season. We can win eight in a row, but if we don’t get the necessary points to win the Scudetto, then it’s all irrelevant,” said the Coach in a Press conference.

“Chievo play a very organised and smart style of football, so it certainly will not be easy.

“Leo Bonucci will play, Giorgio Chiellini I’ll decide tomorrow, Martin Caceres recovered pretty well from the Coppa Italia, Andrea Barzagli and Daniele Rugani are fine. It’s good to finally have a choice of defenders.

“We’ve lost Mario Mandzukic and Kwadwo Asamoah. Hopefully Mandzukic can recover for Bayern Munich, if not he’ll be in the second leg. There’s no point signing a striker just for the sake of it. Hopefully he’ll be back within a month.

“Alvaro Morata found his goal and took great responsibility to convert a penalty, but over the last couple of weeks you could see in training he was back in shape and more confident in front of goal.

“I have to use the players most suited to the game. Simone Zaza has the best goals per game average, with Mandzukic out it’s natural there will be more room for the others to compete for his spot.

“The last minute signing we’ve got is Pereyra, as he is called up and at our disposal. He is a very attacking midfielder, so with him we have other tactical options too.

“There is competition for places, so if someone doesn’t deliver in one match, he risks being left out the next.

“We cannot have distractions, especially as we are two points behind Napoli. In fact, this’ll be the first time – as we play earlier – that we can temporarily overtake Napoli and go top of the table.

“We must respect Chievo, just as Genoa and then Frosinone. In order to be top of the table we have to notch up a certain number of points. We look at tomorrow’s game as a victory that needs to be achieved.

“I have very responsible lads and all our objectives are very clear. I doubt it’d be possible for us to lower the concentration level.

“What happens on the pitch will say if we deserve to win tomorrow, but what we cannot do is get the approach wrong.”

Allegri is continually asked about links with the Premier League jobs at Chelsea and Manchester United. Will he 100 per cent be the Juve Coach next season?

“You have to ask the club that! I have a contract, but Juventus could fire me tomorrow! We have to be focused on the task at hand and not what is written in the papers. We’re in the Scudetto race, the Coppa Italia semi-final and it’d be nice to reach the Champions League Final again – even better to win it.”

Juventus crushed Inter 3-0 in the Coppa Italia semi-final on Wednesday, so are they still in the title race?

“Let’s not forget you said that same about Juventus a couple of months ago! We have to see everything with balance, Juve played a great game against a good Inter and we mustn’t just assume it’s all the fault of one team or credit to another.”

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Chievo - Juventus MATCH PREVIEW

http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/preview/70035

Jan 30, 2016
 
With Juventus one game short of matching their 12-win streak from 2014, few people would fancy their opponents in Sunday’s lunchtime fixture, Chievo, to be more than an afterthought.

Think again.

If there’s one team that has been unpredictable this season, it’s Chievo. From cleaving Lazio 4-0, drawing 3-3 with Roma and pipping Bologna at the death, to losing 3-2 to both Udinese and Genoa, and bowing to Milan 1-0… they’re a tough one to call.

What isn’t tough to work out is how they’ve managed to stay up. Chievo have made a mint out of ageing veterans and spare parts like Dario Dainelli Alessandro Gamberini, Ivan Radovanovic and Alberto Paloschi.

Oh, and former Catania players! Albano Bizzarri, Lucas Castro, Gennardo Sardo, Mariano Izco and Coach Rolando Maran himself are the low-cost ingredients you need to survive in this league.

Maran has actually made something spectacular out of nothing. Remember Eugenio Corini’s Chievo? They were as dull as he was exciting as a playmaker. Maran has come in, kept the defence solid and gotten the likes of Castro, Roberto Inglese and Valter Birsa to play at a high level.

There is one problem. The Mussi Volanti will have to improvise a gameplan without both the suspended Bostjan Cesar and imminent Swansea City signing Paloschi.

Juventus aren’t in a forgiving mood at the moment. Chievo tripped them up early on in the season, when it looked like the Bianconeri could do nothing right. Worse, Juventus fans will remember their last visit here… as the time Kingsley Coman dazzled everyone in August 2014, before disappearing inside Max Allegri’s sticker album.

The Old Lady is surfing a wave of enthusiasm, massacring Inter in the Coppa Italia midweek was good, recovering Alvaro Morata (who netted a brace) was even better. He’ll be needed too, as Mario Mandzukic is out for four weeks with a thigh tear.

In midfield, Sami Khedira is finally a protagonist after his long injury layoff. Some questions abound in defence, where Daniele Rugani can’t seem to get a game for love nor money.


Keep an eye on: Dario Dainelli and Nicolas Spolli (Chievo) - Albano Bizzarri’s fantastic 2014-2015 season owed something to the defensive stability that Maran brought with him, and which has been sorely missing over the past month. Five total clean sheets mask a defence that can go AWOL with alarming regularity, Bostjan Cesar alternating good games (the first half against Lazio, his performance against Empoli) with terrible blunders against the Roman sides, his red card last week costing Chievo a game they were leading 1-0. So it’s up to shrewd buy Dainelli and Nicolas Spolli, lately of the Roma bench, to improvise a partnership. Dainelli didn’t look amazing the last time he played without Cesar. Bizzarrelly, that was against former team Fiorentina… and alongside his former partner in central defence, Gamberini!


Form Guide: Chievo (L D W D L) Juventus (W W W W W)

Last season: Chievo 0-1 Juventus

Stat fact: These sides faced off 25 times in Serie A, home and away, with 17 Juve wins, seven draws and just one Chievo victory in January 2010. The Flying Donkeys scored 21 goals and conceded 46.


Chievo (probable):
Bizzarri, Cacciatore, Gamberini, Spolli, Gobbi; Pinzi, Radovanovic, Castro; Birsa; M’Poku, Inglese

Suspended: Cesar


Juventus (probable):
Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira, Marchisio, Pogba, Alex Sandro; Morata, Dybala

Suspended: Evra

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Juve squad for Chievo

http://www.football-italia.net/79152/juve-squad-chievo?

Jan 30, 2016
 
Juventus have Roberto Pereyra back in the squad for their trip to Chievo, but Mario Mandzukic and Kwadwo Asamoah miss out.

It kicks off on Sunday at 12.30 CET - 11.30 GMT.

Mandzukic and Asamoah are out for approximately three to four weeks after picking up muscular problems during training.

Mario Lemina is also still sidelined and Patrice Evra sits out a ban, but Pereyra returns after a three-month lay-off.


Juventus squad for Chievo:

Buffon, Chiellini, Caceres, Khedira, Zaza, Marchisio, Morata, Pogba, Hernanes, Alex Sandro, Barzagli, Cuadrado, Bonucci, Padoin, Dybala, Rugani, Neto, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Rubinho, Pereyra, Favilli

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Maran: 'Chievo can shock Juve'

http://www.football-italia.net/79164/maran-chievo-can-shock-juve?

Jan 30, 2016
 
Rolando Maran assures Chievo “believe” in their chances of beating Juventus, even without Alberto Paloschi.

It kicks off on Sunday at 12.30 CET - 11.30 GMT.

“It has been a bit of a turbulent week between transfer issues and a few too many injury problems,” confessed the Coach in a Press conference.

Riccardo Meggiorini, Alessandro Gamberini, Mariano Izco, Perparim Hetemaj and ex-Juventus man Simone Pepe are unavailable again, while Bostjan Cesar is suspended.

Paloschi completed his transfer to Swansea City last night for a reported €10.5m (£8m).

“His sale should not trouble us, as the transfer window is part of the sport. Alberto had this opportunity and we all wish him the best, but our journey must continue.

“We need to bring out the best of ourselves to face an opponent like Juventus. Over the last few weeks they have steamrollered everyone in their path.

“This form has to give us further motivation, because from 200 per cent performances you can get unthinkable results. We believe that we can get points because we want to have a go.

“My lads proved throughout the season they are up for the test and won’t hold back or be remissive when faced with a challenge.

“Physicality will be essential, as Juve are strong in those terms as well as in their technique.”


Chievo squad for Juventus:

Bizzarri, Bressan, Seculin; Cacciatore, Frey, Gobbi, Sardo, Dainelli, Spolli, Costa; Birsa, Pinzi, Rigoni, Castro, Radovanovic, Damian, Depaoli; Pellissier, Mpoku, Inglese

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

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MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Mandzukic injury gives Morata chance - Allegri

The striker struck twice in the Coppa Italian in midweek and
his coach has urged him to rediscover his goalscoring touch in Serie A.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a/2016/01/30/19826732/allegri-morata-now-has-chance-to-shine?ICID=TP_HN_1

Jan 30, 2016
 
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says the absence of Mario Mandzukic due to injury over the coming weeks could give Alvaro Morata the chance to shine.

Mandzukic has been ruled out for up to four weeks with a muscle problem sustained in Wednesday's 3-0 Coppa Italia victory over Inter.

Morata scored twice in that win to end a 20-match dry spell, later conceding off-field issues had taken their toll.

But the Spaniard could now find himself featuring from the start more regularly, as Allegri seeks to fill the void left by Mandzukic.

Morata will hope to rediscover his Serie A form when Juve visit Chievo on Sunday, as he tussles for selection with Simone Zaza and the prolific Paulo Dybala.

"Unfortunately we're without Mario Mandzukic and Kwadwo Asamoah," Allegri told a news conference. "We hope to have Mario back before Bayern.

"After his Coppa Italia double, Alvaro Morata must also get back to scoring in Serie A.

"I need to pick the right players for Chievo. Mario's absence will allow the other three strikers more game time."

Roberto Pereyra returns from injury for the fixture, which could see Juve move above league leaders Napoli ahead of their clash with Empoli later in the day.

"We're still two points adrift of Napoli. Winning would enable us to go top ahead of the other fixtures," he added.

"It's imperative we come away with all three points."

Leonardo Bonucci is confirmed to start, while a late call will be made on Giorgio Chiellini.

 

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

[Socrates 8524]

CHIEVO VERONA - JUVENTUS

-

 
 

MATCHDAY 22
Sunday, January 31st, 2016 - 12:30 PM
Marc'Antonio Bentegodi stadium, Verona
Referee: Daniele Doveri

Chievo-Juventus at risk?

http://www.football-italia.net/79193/chievo-juventus-risk?

Jan 31, 2016
 
The early kick-off between Chievo and Juventus could be at risk, as there’s heavy fog in Verona.

Defending champions Juventus look to win their 12th Serie A match in a row at Stadio Bentegodi this morning, but the weather may call a halt to proceedings.

The stadium is shrouded in fog, and Sky reports that the match could be called-off due to poor visibility.

The match kicks-off at 12.30 CET - 11.30 GMT, so updates are expected in the next half hour.

 

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