Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus 3-1 Atalanta - Team ratings http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-atalanta/2305894/ratings?ICID=MP_MS_6 Dec 3, 2016 TEAM RATINGS Juventus 1G. Buffon It was an incredibly quiet night for the veteran goalkeeper, who had little to do until Atalanta finally found the back of the net late on thanks to a lovely strike from Freuler. 3G. Chiellini Was given few problems by Atalanta’s struggling front line, resulting in him having a relatively comfortable evening in which he was rarely called into action. 24D. Rugani Impressed on his return to the starting line-up and was rewarded for his good work with a bullet header that made it 2-0 to Juventus. 12Alex Sandro Fired his side into the lead with a well-placed low strike and was great from then onwards. Impressed when getting forward and was resolute defensively when called on to act. 26S. Lichtsteiner Had few problems over on the right wing, where he was given little to think about, and whilst he got forward well, he was sometimes careless with his crosses 8C. Marchisio Was tidy at the base of the Juventus midfield, where he impressed with his passing and dropped back to defend well when needed. 5M. Pjanić Everything went through the Bosnian, who was great from start to finish. Always did well to carve out pockets of space for himself and set up goals from both Rugani and Mandzukic 6S. Khedira Had little to do defensively, which allowed him to spend his time pushing forward, where he helped out offensively and was smart with his passing. 27S. Sturaro Was solid yet unspectacular in the middle of the pitch, where he defended just as well as he attacked to help keep Juventus balanced. 17Mario Mandžukić Put in an excellent shift up front, where he played like a man possessed and always looked hungry both on and off the ball, and did well to make it 3-0 to Juventus with a well-placed header. 9G. Higuaín Worked brilliantly alongside Mandzukic, and the duo made life incredibly difficult for the Atalanta defenders from start to fnish. Atalanta 57M. Sportiello It wasn’t the best of nights for the goalkeeper, who arguably should have done well with Sandro’s strike for Juventus’ first goal and never looked entirely comfortable. 13M. Caldara Made a few good tackles when his side were put under pressure, but he struggled against Mandzukic and was made to pay for his mistakes. 5A. Masiello Arguably Atalanta’s best defender. Had a few tough moments but put in a good shift and was particularly strong in the air. 24A. Conti Was beaten far too easily by Sandro in the build-up to Juventus’ opener, and from then onwards the wing-back struggled defensively before making way for Grassi. 3Rafael Tolói Didn’t look comfortable trying to deal with either Mandzukic or Higuain, both of whom made life tough for the defender with their impressive movement. 37L. Spinazzola Grew into the game as it wore on and looked more comfortable in the second half, despite a few troubling moments before the break. 19F. Kessié The Ivorian largely struggled in the middle of the pitch, where Marchisio and Pjanic constantly made life tough for the teenager. 11R. Freuler It was a largely difficult night for the Swiss midfielder, who lost out in most of his battles, but he gave his side something to smile about late on with a well-placed thumping shot that left Buffon with no chance whatsoever. 10A. Gómez Tried his hardest to carve out chances on goal for his side, but, bar a few good moments in the first half, struggled inside the final third of the pitch. 27J. Kurtič Made little impact behind the two strikers, where he was unable to see much of the ball and was wasteful on the rare occasions when he was in possession. 29A. Petagna Juventus’ dominance of the game left the striker largely isolated in front of goal, and he was only presented with one half-chance before making way for Pesic just 10 minutes into the second half. Substitutes 33P. Evra Came on to help see Juventus over the finish line and managed to do that with a strong defensive performance. 18M. Lemina Featured for the final half an hour after replacing Khedira and continued the German's good work in the middle of the pitch. 7J. Cuadrado Impressed over on the right flank after taking the place of Mandzukic, and he always proved to be a handful for the Atalanta back line. Substitutes 88A. Grassi Came on for Conti and drifted in and out of the game, despite performing better than the struggling wing-back. 7M. D'Alessandro Made a big difference after coming off the substitutes' bench, and it was his great cross that set up Freuler for his late goal. 9A. Pešić Had a few good moments in front of goal immediately after taking the place of Petagna but struggled from then onwards and was largely anonymous. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus burst Atalanta bubble Juventus ended the extraordinary Atalanta run and got back on track themselves with a dominant 3-1 performance. http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/87968 Dec 3, 2016 The Bianconeri were fresh from a humiliating 3-1 defeat at Genoa, but had won their last 23 Serie A home fixtures. Atalanta had won eight of the last nine rounds, the best run during that period in Europe, and hadn’t conceded from open play for over 12 hours of football. Leonardo Bonucci, Dani Alves, Andrea Barzagli, Paulo Dybala and Marko Pjaca were sidelined, so Max Allegri switched to a 4-3-1-2 system with Miralem Pjanic in the trequartista role. The visitors had Roberto Gagliardini suspended and Etrit Berisha injured, so Remo Freuler stepped in. La Dea had lost their last 12 meetings with Juventus, home and away, not winning a Serie A fixture in Turin since October 1989. Marco Sportiello intercepted a Gonzalo Higuain ball across the six-yard box for Mario Mandzukic, but Alex Sandro broke the deadlock with a solo run and finish at the near post that surprised the goalkeeper. It was the first goal from open play Atalanta had conceded in over 12 hours of football. Mandzukic won back possession from a napping Franck Kessie to send Higuain on the counter, but Mattia Caldara sprinted back for a decisive sliding block. However, on that corner Daniele Rugani soared above the crowd to nod in Juve’s second. Sportiello palmed a Pjanic free kick out from under the bar, while the shaken Orobici only started to create some pressure towards the break when Mandzukic became Juve’s most precious defender with a double block on Freuler’s half-volley and the Papu Gomez follow-up. After the restart Andrea Petagna couldn’t get enough power on his finish from point-blank range, but Mandzukic continued to earn applause from the crowd as he fought to win possession all over the pitch, tearing his shorts while doing so. Sportiello palmed a Claudio Marchisio half-volley out of the near bottom corner, but Mandzukic got his deserved goal with a looping header on Pjanic’s corner to make it 3-0. The Croatia international was given a standing ovation after hobbling off with a cut to his shin. Substitute Juan Cuadrado tested Sportiello after skipping past Andrea Masiello. However, Atalanta did get one back with a spectacular volley off the inside of the boot from Freuler, nine yards out, giving Gigi Buffon no chance. Moments later, Aleksandar Pesic’s header glanced just wide of the near stick, but Mario Lemina hit the upright from close range after Sportiello spilled a Cuadrado volley. Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Rugani, Chiellini, Alex Sandro; Khedira (Lemina 61), Marchisio, Sturaro; Pjanic (Evra 78); Higuain, Mandzukic (Cuadrado 75) Atalanta: Sportiello; Toloi, Caldara, Masiello; Conti (Grassi 55), Kessie, Freuler, Spinazzola; Kurtic (D’Alessandro 74); Petagna (Pesic 55), Gomez Ref: Irrati http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus 3 - Atalanta 1: Initial reaction and random observations http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/12/3/13827822/juventus- atalanta-2016-serie-a-round-15-final-score-result-initial-reaction Dec 3, 2016 So, how did you all like that for a direct response to one of Juventus’ worst losses in years? We wanted a positive response from Juventus, and that’s exactly what we got. It was a classic kind of Juventus performance that led to a 2-0 halftime lead, as goals from defenders Alex Sandro and Daniele Rugani helped the Serie A leaders get back on the right foot and beat red-hot Atalanta 3-1 in Turin on Saturday night. You wanted this team to show an improved product, you got it. You wanted this team to show the grinta of old, you got it. You wanted this team to really show the kind of potential that it has, you got that, too. Against a team that was starting to become everybody’s darlings thanks to a two-month-long unbeaten run, Juventus put forth one of the best showings they’ve had all season. There’s no way around it, really. It was as complete of a game as Max Allegri’s squad has delivered in months, maybe all season. The switch to a 4-3-1-2 proved to be the thing that this team needed. And it worked like absolute magic, clicking this team back into the demolition derby-like mode that we haven’t seen all that often during the first three months of the 2016-17 season. Follow J D Angkasa @JDAngkasa Seems like we do well when we play players in their preferred roles, eh Mister? 9:08 PM - 3 Dec 2016 11 Retweet likes That guy sure does know what he’s talking about. Maybe we should ask him what his opinions are on Juventus-related things more often. I can’t say it enough: This was a complete performance. Offense, defense, everything. Defense, midfield, attack, everything. Outside of Juventus not being able to keep a clean sheet, go ahead and try to find a truly weak point in this game — I dare you to. You see the way the whole team worked, you see the way Mario Mandzukic threw himself at shots and worked his tail off like an absolute battering ram, it was a sign that this team can not only snap out of the funk they’ve been in for much of the season, but also do it in relatively quick fashion. (Hopefully.) It was not only the kind of performance we wanted to see from Juventus, but also the kind of showing they needed to start this incredibly important stretch to close out the calendar year of 2016. That was fun. Let’s do this kind of thing again in a couple of days against Dinamo Zagreb with the top spot in the Champions League group at stake. RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS I had a major hunch that Allegri was going to go with a 3-5-2 formation and that would be that. I was wrong. I had a major hunch that Allegri was going to give Juan Cuadrado another start. I was wrong. Based on how things went, I am completely okay with it. Who here would be okay with Juventus investing some money in the likes of Franck Kessie and Mattia Caldera? Because I would be totally okay with it. Mandzukic’s work rate is unbelievable. I know I’ve said it before, but this was the kind of game — especially in the first half — where it was so incredibly important to what Juventus was able to do. Man of the Match and the discussion ends right there. A case can be made for Alex Sandro being one of the best left backs in the world today. And yet, for whatever reason that is still unknown to some, he still can’t break into the Brazilian national team. Sure, there may be a couple of dudes ahead of him in the pecking order right now, but dammit if Sandro played for another other country he would probably have 50 international caps by now. What a freakin’ player he is. GIORGIO CHIELLINI MADE IT THROUGH AN ENTIRE GAME AND DIDN’T GET HURT. We’ve talked about how Gonzalo Hugain’s role has changed with Paulo Dybala being out injured. On Saturday he showed that his distribution skills are pretty damn good, too. He didn’t get a goal, but he certainly played his part in a handful of scoring chances. It was definitely a good day for the €90 million man — as was the case for pretty much everybody associated with Juventus. I am going to make a request, and that is going to be for Miralem Pjanic to play as the ‘1’ in the 4-3-1-2 much more often, Max. That is the player Juventus signed from Roma over the summer. He was brilliant. Atalanta came in as the darlings of Serie A and being talked about as a under-the-radar contender for a European spot. They left Turin like so many other teams have in years past. There’s a reason why Juventus Stadium is a gosh dang fortress. There’s a reason why Juventus have won 24 straight league games at home. They showed that on Saturday night, that’s for sure. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Rugani: 'Juventus-style game' http://www.football-italia.net/95194/rugani-juventus-style-game Dec 3, 2016 Daniele Rugani said Juventus used last week’s defeat to fire themselves up and sweep Atalanta aside 3-1 tonight. The defender was on target this evening in Turin, shaking off the 3-1 defeat at Marassi. “Against Genoa it was a slip-up that can happen, but we’ve metabolised it already,” Rugani told Mediaset Premium. “We stepped on to the field determined and managed to play a Juventus-style game. "We learned from that defeat and it taught us to do the exact opposite, in other words start the game fired up and determined. “I am happy for the goal and to have given my contribution. I dedicate it to all those who have been close to me.” http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus open seven-point lead in Serie A with win over Atalanta http://www.espnfc.co.uk/report?gameId=461150 Dec 3, 2016 Juventus extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table to seven points with a 3-1 win over in-form Atalanta. The visitors arrived looking for their seventh straight league win but found the defending champions too tough to break down. Juve made it eight wins out of eight at home as first-half goals from Alex Sandro and Daniele Rugani were followed by Mario Mandzukic's third goal in his last four club games after the break with Remo Freuler scoring a late consolation. The result put a break on Atalanta's bid to storm into the Champions League places but they were under pressure from kick-off with Gonzalo Higuain and Miralem Pjanic having early efforts. Just 15 minutes in Sandro broke the deadlock with a low shot and, after Higuain was again denied, Rugani struck four minutes later when he converted Pjanic's cross. Atalanta had chances to get back into the game in the few minutes either side of half-time but Alejandro Gomez had his shot blocked while Andrea Petagna's close-range effort was saved by Gianluigi Buffon. They were made to rue those missed opportunities as Mandzukic struck just past the hour, Pjanic providing the assist again. Eight minutes from the end Freuler converted Marco D'Alessandro's cross but it made little difference. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Gasperini: 'Atalanta will learn' http://www.football-italia.net/95195/gasperini-atalanta-will-learn Dec 3, 2016 Gian Piero Gasperini admits Atalanta “only played well in fits and starts” as their incredible winning streak came to an end with Juventus. The Orobici had won six on the bounce, eight of the last nine Serie A rounds, before capitulating 3-1 in Turin this evening. “We did not think that we were on the same level as Juve, so this game will help us understand what a gap there is separating us from the Bianconeri,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium and Sky Sport Italia. Does this mean Atalanta are no longer dreaming of the Scudetto like an Italian Leicester City? “Nobody talked about this. We won six consecutive matches, but Juventus are an extremely strong side and tonight was a test that will help us to grow for the future. It’s the foundations for going forward. “Unfortunately we conceded two avoidable goals on corners and only played well in fits and starts. We ran into a Juventus side that was fired up and extremely determined. “We were in the right condition to have a good game here, so I don’t know if it was Juve’s strength that pushed us back or our psychological weakness, but we have to analyse what happened and learn from it. "What most irritates me is that against Juve you need to play as a unit, not as individuals, but instead we lost many individual duels." These teams will meet again for the Coppa Italia Round of 16 in January. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Allegri: 'Juve can use trident' http://www.football-italia.net/95196/allegri-juve-can-use-trident Dec 3, 2016 Max Allegri was pleased with the Juventus reaction against Atalanta and said he could use Mario Mandzukic, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala together. The Bianconeri put last week’s embarrassing loss in Genoa behind them by sweeping La Dea aside 3-1 this evening. “It was a good performance, above all in terms of intensity, although towards the end of the first half we allowed three dangerous through balls and could’ve done better there,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia. “You use up energy if you have to chase back on counter-attacks rather than just cutting off the supply in midfield.” Miralem Pjanic was used as a trequartista in a new 4-3-1-2 system and arguably had his best performance in a Juventus jersey. “It wasn’t an experiment. I think Pjanic has more freedom to play in that position and can go deeper to help the midfield when needed. “Once Dybala and Marko Pjaca return, we’ll have more options to choose from. I am glad we got back on track after 30 terrible minutes against Genoa.” Mandzukic was extraordinary tonight, working to win back possession all over the pitch and also nodding in a corner. “Working for an entire week in training was frankly a new experience… We got the chance to work on fitness levels as well as tactics. “The two strikers did very well and sought each other out, while Higuain could’ve scored tonight too,” continued Allegri. “Mandzukic is a player who amid all the quantity also provides quality. If he stands there and acts as a classic centre-forward, he’s not as effective. He had a great game tonight and sacrificed himself for his teammates. Fortunately it was just a knock to the knee, as I was afraid he’d sprained it. “If Mandzukic and Higuain press like this, I think there are games where we could play with those two and Dybala together, albeit with a more robust midfield. “On Wednesday we must try to beat Dinamo Zagreb to secure first place in the Champions League group, because that’s the kind of game that can really be a minefield. After that we’ll think about the Turin Derby.” http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Pjanic: 'Juve not at 100 per cent' http://www.football-italia.net/95197/pjanic-juve-not-100-cent Dec 3, 2016 Miralem Pjanic warned “this Juventus is nowhere near 100 per cent” after beating Atalanta and won’t cheer on Roma in the Derby. “It was an odd week. The defeat at Genoa, especially the opening 30 minutes, were completely wrong and should not have happened,” the Bosnian told Sky Sport Italia and Mediaset Premium after a 3-1 victory over the Orobici. “This was a positive response, as we started strong and did the opposite of what happened last week, especially against an Atalanta side in great shape. “It’s not easy after a defeat like that, as everyone is ready to criticise, but we stayed calm and learned from the experience to ensure we don’t repeat those mistakes. “I arrived this summer and we all need to play better. I will admit I expected to settle a bit quicker, but I thank the champions here who help me to fit in more every day. We’re getting to know each other and everyone did their work well today. “This Juve is nowhere near 100 per cent, as we can do a lot more, collectively and individually. “I am happy to be here, I’m learning day by day from all these champions and it’s true you breathe a different atmosphere at Vinovo. “I continue to work hard all week to settle in better. It’s a matter of time.” Pjanic’s former club Roma face Lazio in the Derby della Capitale tomorrow afternoon, so is he going to cheer on his old teammates? “I hope it ends in a draw,” he shrugged. “Roma are a great squad with an excellent Coach and will cause us problems to the end. “Juve have a club and team accustomed to winning, to dealing with pressure and so much experience in the locker room. Words are weighed carefully here and make a big difference.” http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Allegri: Mandzukic had a great game tonight Manager’s post-match comments after big win http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/12/3/13830450/allegri-mandzukic- had-a-great-game-tonight-man-of-the-match-juventus-3-1-atalanta Dec 3, 2016 Juventus bounced back from a surprise defeat last weekend by beating this season’s Cinderella team Atalanta 3-1. The Bianconeri looked dominant from the get-go and had a couple of stellar performances from Mario Mandzukic and Miralem Pjanic to key the win. After the game, manager Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the media. “It was a good performance, above all in terms of intensity, although towards the end of the first half we allowed three dangerous through balls and could’ve done better there. “You use up energy if you have to chase back on counter-attacks rather than just cutting off the supply in midfield.” Pjanic played in the trequartista role in a new 4-3-1-2 system that Juve trained in all week, and the Bosnian excelled today. “It wasn’t an experiment. I think Pjanic has more freedom to play in that position and can go deeper to help the midfield when needed. “Once Dybala and Marko Pjaca return, we’ll have more options to choose from. I am glad we got back on track after 30 terrible minutes against Genoa.” Mandzukic also had a very good game, tirelessly tracking back after the ball and throwing himself into challenges everywhere. He capped his night with a headed goal to put Juve up by three. “Working for an entire week in training was frankly a new experience… We got the chance to work on fitness levels as well as tactics. “The two strikers did very well and sought each other out, while Higuain could’ve scored tonight too. “Mandzukic is a player who amid all the quantity also provides quality. If he stands there and acts as a classic centre-forward, he’s not as effective. He had a great game tonight and sacrificed himself for his teammates. Fortunately it was just a knock to the knee, as I was afraid he’d sprained it. “If Mandzukic and Higuain press like this, I think there are games where we could play with those two and Dybala together, albeit with a more robust midfield. “On Wednesday we must try to beat Dinamo Zagreb to secure first place in the Champions League group, because that’s the kind of game that can really be a minefield. After that we’ll think about the Turin Derby. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus' Max Allegri backs Gonzalo Higuain amid striker's goal drought http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/3011356/juventus-max- allegri-backs-gonzalo-higuain-amid-strikers-goal-drought Dec 4, 2016 Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri backed Gonzalo Higuain to rediscover his form after the striker failed to score for the fourth straight game on Saturday. Goals from Alex Sandro, Daniele Rugani and Mario Mandzukic allowed Juve to beat Atalanta 3-1, and Allegri didn't see any issue as Higuain's drought continued. "Higuain is accustomed to scoring goals every week, but it is normal that there are others to score for Juventus," Allegri told Premium Sports. "He has had opportunities to do so, but he has not. But he certainly will in the next games. In the last two years Higuain was the [Serie A] top scorer. "The criticisms are good for us because we do react and prepare well, we are only in the fourth month of the season and the game still is to be improved." Allegri also said he could use Higuain and Mandzukic together with Paulo Dybala, who missed the win with a thigh strain. "The two strikers did very well and sought each other out, while Higuain could've scored tonight too," Allegri said. "Mandzukic is a player who amid all the quantity also provides quality. If he stands there and acts as a classic centre-forward, he's not as effective. He had a great game tonight and sacrificed himself for his teammates. Fortunately it was just a knock to the knee, as I was afraid he'd sprained it. "If Mandzukic and Higuain press like this, I think there are games where we could play with those two and Dybala together, albeit with a more robust midfield." Miralem Pjanic shone as a trequartista as Allegri debuted a new 4-3-1-2 system, which the coach hinted could be used more in the future. "It wasn't an experiment," Allegri said. "I think Pjanic has more freedom to play in that position and can go deeper to help the midfield when needed. "Once Dybala and Marko Pjaca return, we'll have more options to choose from. I am glad we got back on track after 30 terrible minutes against Genoa." http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Mario Mandzukic, Miralem Pjanic on song as Juve cruise past Atalanta http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3011371/mario- mandzukic-miralem-pjanic-on-song-as-juve-cruise-past-atalanta Dec 4, 2016 Just as we began to worry, Juventus played an exceptionally professional and intelligent game to defeat high-flying Atalanta 3-1 to send a message to their many rivals: this is still Juve's title to lose. When Massimiliano Allegri is allowed a full week to prepare, it's difficult not to enjoy the intelligence with which his Juventus side play. A coach who understood how to stop the opponent while simultaneously exploiting the experience of his squad earned the Bianconeri a deserved win. Deploying Miralem Pjanic as a trequartista in a 4-3-1-2 shape, the Bosnian pulled the strings as his teammates ran relentlessly and pressed effectively, united in their efforts to expose Atalanta's naivety. Three goals and a strong demonstration of team spirit ensured a good night for the wounded champions who, when playing as a collective, are too difficult to beat. Positives Allegri's tactical intelligence made all the difference on the night. A cunning game plan, Juventus restricted Atalanta's ability to play a quick and direct game by cutting off their options, while Pjanic's new-found freedom on the pitch confused those who attempted to defend against him. Playing with intensity and character, the coach inspired the Bosnian to prove his worth, Mario Mandzukic to play the game of his life and Daniele Rugani to step up and prove he belongs with the champions. It's been difficult for Allegri with so many injuries but when allowed time to teach his men and the tactician never fails to impress. Negatives Juventus lost their concentration at times while it appears the midfield lacked quality with Stefano Sturaro and Sami Khedira's performances, but perhaps the real negative worth mentioning is Gonzalo Higuain. The €90 million striker is being asked to sacrifice himself for the sake of offensive fluidity, dropping deep to help provide which inevitably results in a lack of efficiency up front. Higuain was only worth purchasing if he could guarantee goals going forward but due to the many absences of supporting players, such as Paulo Dybala, it appears that the striker's many talents will continue to be wasted. Manager rating out of 10 8 -- It's remarkable what a full week of preparation can do for a side. Juventus not only played as a unit, happy to sacrifice and work for one another, but it appears Allegri has also found Pjanic's perfect position, allowing the playmaker to demonstrate his full range of skills on the night. Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating) GK Gianluigi Buffon, 6 -- Atalanta had only two shots on target to allow Buffon the opportunity to act as a spectator, yet he always remained alert to the danger. DF Stephan Lichtsteiner, 6 -- The full-back always works hard for the team and was determined to fight for the badge. Pushed forward to provide solutions but struggled to provide the accuracy required at this level. DF Daniele Rugani, 7 -- The youngster is slowly proving to be a crucial part of the team. Composed, mature and elegant, Rugani not only defended intelligently but scored Juve's second goal to demonstrate his growing confidence. DF Giorgio Chiellini, 6 -- His experience and grit had been missed but he was hardly troubled at the back. DF Alex Sandro, 7 -- His goal was perfect, the Brazilian tore down the right wing with courage and intelligence, contributing to the attack and making life impossible for Atalanta's Andrea Conti. Accelerated with perfection. MF Sami Khedira 5 -- Not the usual performance from the player who failed to make incisive runs going forward although he offered security at the back. Seems off colour. MF Claudio Marchisio, 6 -- May not always dazzle, but Marchisio manages the basics with efficiency to keep the team ticking. Nearly scored a beauty. MF Stefano Sturaro, 6 -- A determined warrior, but technically limited, which often stops him from making a real impact on the game. MF Miralem Pjanic, 8 -- Finally the performance we have all been waiting for! Pjanic was offered the opportunity to roam and inspire, demonstrating his technical excellence and the impact he can make on the side. FW Gonzalo Higuain, 6 -- Missed a good opportunity when clear on goal. His runs were good but he's suffering with the current setup and his position. FW Mario Mandzukic, 9 -- An excellent performance from the forward who sacrificed himself at every opportunity. Defended courageously, he tracked back to cover and scored a goal to round up a close-to-perfect performance. Mario Mandzukic lead the Juventus line with aplomb against Atalanta. Substitutes MF Mario Lemina, 6 -- A good performance from the player who offered athleticism and energy. MF Juan Cuadrado, N/A -- Went close to making it 4-0 but, as usual, he squandered the opportunity and failed to pick the right option. DF Patrice Evra, N/A -- Helped to ensure solidity at the back. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Goals will return for Higuain, says Allegri After seeing his side beat Atalanta 3-1 in Serie A on Saturday, the Juventus boss insists he has no concerns over the form of his Argentine striker. http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a/2016/12/04/ 30152422/allegri-has-faith-in-higuain?ICID=TP_HN_2 Dec 4, 2016 Massimiliano Allegri has backed Gonzalo Higuain to rediscover his goalscoring touch following Juventus' convincing 3-1 victory over Atalanta in Serie A. Previously in-form Atalanta came into Saturday's clash on the back of a nine-game unbeaten streak in the league, but Juve went ahead early on thanks to Alex Sandro's stunning effort. That strike set the tone for a dominant Juve display, with Miralem Pjanic turning provider twice as Daniele Rugani and Mario Mandzukic headed in a second and third respectively either side of half-time, though Atalanta did snatch a consolation strike late on. The victory sees Juve return to winning ways following a 3-1 reverse at Genoa last time out, and Allegri was thrilled with his side's reaction to that defeat. He is also not concerned that Higuain failed to net for the fourth game running. The Argentina striker has netted nine times across all competitions so far this term, though has not scored since the 1-1 draw with Lyon in the Champions League at the start of November. "When you lose it is normal that there is the reaction, we gave away three goals in 29 minutes last Sunday," Allegri told Premium Sports. "It was not easy tonight, the guys were good. "Higuain is accustomed to scoring goals every week, but it is normal that there are others to score for Juventus. "He has had opportunities to do so, but he has not. But he certainly will in the next games. In the last two years Higuain was the [Serie A] top scorer. "The criticisms are good for us because we do react and prepare well, we are only in the fourth month of the season and the game still is to be improved." http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus vs. Atalanta 2016: Final score 3-1, Confident Juventus dismiss in-form Atalanta Surprise package Atalanta were overwhelmed by a fantastic Juventus in Torino http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/12/4/13830574/juventus- atalanta-2016-serie-a-round-15-final-score-result-match-recap Dec 4, 2016 Juventus came into Saturday night’s game against Atalanta on the back of an avalanche of injuries and with dented confidence due to the woeful performance at Genoa last week. On the other side, Serie A’s in-form team Atalanta were in supernatural form thanks to a run of nine wins in 10 games. Despite this swaggering momentum, the Bianconeri made Atalanta look pedestrian by securing a convincing 3-1 victory at Juventus Stadium. The home side started very strongly and dominated possession in the first 10 minutes. Miralem Pjanic slid a neat reverse pass into Gonzalo Higuaín, who returned to the starting line-up after fully recovering from a niggling injury, but the Argentine’s pass towards Mario Mandzukic was too close to the goalkeeper and resulted in nothing. Nevertheless, this Juventus domination resulted in a surprisingly-early, though deserved, goal through Alex Sandro. The Brazilian collected a Claudio Marchisio pass and drifted inside from the left-wing. With none of the Atalanta players feeling comfortable to step out to challenge him, he progressed towards goal and fired a tidy left-footed shot with the inside of his boot past the goalkeeper and into goal: 1-0! Juventus were out to make a point as they continued to ride the momentum of their dominance. Higuaín collected an incisive Pjanic pass and bore down on goal but unfortunately his second touch wasn’t quite good enough, thus allowing Mattia Caldara to block the Argentine’s shot for a corner kick. Juventus took full advantage of the ensuing corner as Pjanic whipped in an inch-perfect cross which Daniele Rugani emphatically headed into the back of the net to double the home side’s lead: 2-0! Juventus were rampant and continued to dial up the pressure on a surprisingly timid Atalanta side. Pjanic later fired a great free-kick towards goal but Marco Sportiello was up to the challenge to make the save. Atalanta finally came to life late in the first half as Chiellini was forced to block a decent Gomez shot before Mandzukic heroically blocked and headed away two Atalanta shots inside his own box. That was all the action for the first half as Juventus went into the changing rooms with a wonderful 2-0 lead! Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images The Bianconeri picked up where they left off as some lovely interplay between Sami Khedira, Higuaín and Mandzukic led to the latter squaring the ball for the Argentine, but again Caldara was there to cut out the danger just in time. Atalanta got a half-chance later on through Petagna, but the striker couldn’t quite get power in the shot due to heavy pressure by Giorgio Chiellini so Buffon comfortably collected the ball. Nevertheless, Pjanic and the inspired Mandzukic ran the show against Atalanta thanks to the former’s incisive passing and movement and the latter’s tireless defensive running and offensive threat. Mandzukic, especially, absolutely harassed the young midfielder Franck Kessie all evening, leading to numerous interceptions and ball recoveries. Marchisio also joined the fun by collecting a loose ball at the edge of the area and unleashing a cracking volley that Sportiello did well to parry. However, Mandzukic would finally get the reward for all his hard work by scoring the third goal of the evening. From the resulting corner, the Croatian rose highest to glance a fantastic header into the back of the net for the 3-0! Sandro, however, wasn’t satisfied with just three goals as he fired in various threatening crosses into the Atalanta box but a frustrated Higuaín couldn’t quite reach them. Juventus clearly — and understandably — took their foot off the pedal as the final 20 minutes of the game saw a significant drop in tempo and intensity. Substitute Juan Cuadrado later skipped past a few challenges but his subsequent shot was well saved by Sportiello. Atalanta did manage a consolation goal after a lovely bit of play down the right wing allowed D’Alessandro to whip in a cross that Freuler finished very impressively on the volley: 3-1. Juventus fell asleep and paid the price by once again failing to keep a clean sheet. The Bianconeri almost secured a fourth goal through Mario Lemina after Cuadrado volleyed a dangerous Sandro cross into the ground which Sportiello batted away very awkwardly towards Lemina, but the Gabonese midfielder could only hit the post from the loose ball due to heavy pressure from three Atalanta defenders. It didn’t matter though as Juventus comfortably saw out the final few minutes and secured an impressive 3-1 home victory against an in-form Atalanta side! Mandzukic picking Kessie’s pocket yet again Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images Le Pagelle BUFFON 6.5 – Could do nothing about the goal. Overall, he had little/nothing to do as Atalanta rarely threatened. LICHTSTEINER 6.5 – Did his defensive work well, although he was quiet offensively. RUGANI 7.5 – Another confident performance and even got a nice goal for his efforts here. Continues to grow in maturity and stature. CHIELLINI 7 – Wasn’t disturbed at all by Atalanta’s strikers and led the defense well with Rugani. ALEX SANDRO 8.5 – What a brilliant, brilliant player he is. So strong, so fast, and so composed with and without the ball. I have tremendous admiration and praise for the high-flying Brazilian defender. KHEDIRA 7 – Solid but unspectacular. Did the nitty-gritty stuff in midfield which allowed his teammates to shine. PJANIC 7.5 – Fantastic display. This is the type of performance we’ve been waiting for and expecting from the Bosnian. Enjoyed the space behind and in front of Atalanta’s midfield and made full use of it. Not sure if Vidal or Mandzukic Statszone by Opta MARCHISIO 7 – Was a little subdued due to Kurtic’s disciplined marking duties in the first half, but was comfortable after the Slovenian faded in the second. STURARO 7 – Pleasantly impressive performance by Sturaro, did really well today. Lots of running, good interceptions, and participated in attacks very well. HIGUAÍN 6.5 – A bit frustrated tonight, but his perseverance and sharp footwork played a big part in the lead-up to the first goal. I think he’ll be fine overall, but a goal for the Argentine wouldn’t hurt. MANDZUKIC 9 – Absolutely tremendous game. Certainly the best game he’s had this season as he was simply everywhere, all the time. Dazzling. Subs LEMINA 6.5 – I wonder why Allegri has played Lemina so infrequently of late. Nevertheless, he played well here tonight in an RCM position, solid and dependable. CUADRADO 6.5 – Overall a good performance, but his miscommunication with Lichtsteiner allowed Atalanta to grab a late consolation goal. EVRA 6.5 – Comfortable outing for the Frenchman. Did he get a haircut? He’s looking sharp. Manager ALLEGRI 7 – This game was all about getting the players’ heads back into the right place after that demoralizing defeat at Genoa so credit Max for getting this spot-on today. He also clearly won the battle of the trequartisti (see below) as Pjanic had all the space and freedom to run the midfield to his desire. Tactical Analysis: Battle of The Trequartisti Atalanta lined up in a 3-4-3/3-4-1-2 system while Juventus took up the 4-3-1-2 formation with Pjanic as trequartista. Kurtic was the trequartista for Atalanta although he sometimes shuttled forward into the striker position. The main tactical interest of the game was the difference in the way that the trequartisti for either side operated. Kurtic picking up Marchisio here in the center of the screen. Petagna and Gomez play as wide forwards in the meantime This image shows Kurtic marking Marchisio very closely to make up for Atalanta’s numerical deficit in central midfield, but that was exactly their problem: Marchisio was occupying Kurtic’s trequartista space meaning that the Slovenian had to mark a player when out of possession but simultaneously had less space to operate in when in possession. Pjanic, on the other hand, didn’t have that problem because Atalanta played without a designated holding midfielder in front of defense i.e. the space that a trequartista usually thrives in. Atalanta front three underlined in blue and Pjanic in red. One of their CMs (presumably Freuler?) has moved forward to press high up leaving an ocean of space behind him. Look at how much space Pjanic has there. Kurtic faded badly as the game progressed — presumably due to all the ground he had to cover defensively and offensively — as he dropped deeper and deeper and further away from the strikers Gomez and Petagna. He was unsurprisingly substituted in the 75th minute. Just look at the stark difference in his influence in the first half: Passes received by Kurtic in the first half.... Statszone by Opta Versus that in the second half: And those in the second half, where he’s almost playing as a left-sided central midfielder now Statszone by Opta Kurtic was probably envious of the freedom that Pjanic enjoyed as the Bosnian could do whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted, and whenever he wanted it. It’s clear to see who won the battle of the trequartisti here. Statszone by Opta A Defiant Riposte This was exactly the type of response that was necessary after last week’s debacle. Mandzuckic and Pjanic were absolutely stellar, while Sandro also showed off his tremendous ability on both sides of the pitch. The Atalanta goal was frustrating though as we continue to yearn for those elusive and once-customary clean sheets, but I guess you can’t have it all. It’s still going to be a difficult month but by making such a potentially tricky game look very straightforward, both the team and the fans can look forward with much more optimism and faith towards the challenges that lie ahead. Forza Juve! http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 4, 2016 JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 3-1- Alex Sandro 15' Daniele Rugani 19' Mario Mandzukic 64' Remo Freuler 82 MATCHDAY 15 Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 - 08:45 p.m.Juventus Stadium, TurinReferee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus Deliver Timely Reminder of Serie A Superiority vs. Atalanta http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2679786-juventus-deliver -timely-reminder-of-serie-a-superiority-vs-atalanta Dec 4, 2016 Having been picked apart by Genoa last time out, Juventusneeded to provide a swift response as they welcomed an in-form Atalanta side to Turin on Saturday. The visitors were unbeaten in their previous nine Serie A outings, winning eight and drawing once as their rapid climb up the table led to an obvious comparison. "We will try to keep imitating Leicester City for as long as possible," coach Gian Piero Gasperini declared during an interview with Radio Sportiva (h/t Football Italia). Despite that lofty ambition, however, the Old Lady would swiftly remind his side—and the rest of Serie A—why she has dominated the Italian football landscape in recent years. Jumping out to an early lead, the Bianconeri controlled this game from start to finish. It was a performance that was as ruthless as it was convincing, with the 3-1 final scoreline failing to capture just how comprehensively Atalanta were outplayed over the 90-plus minutes of action. Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images Max Allegri had prepared perfectly for Atalanta. But what the match did provide was some insight into just what coach Massimiliano Allegri and his team are capable of. With no midweek fixture to contend with, the Juve boss was happy with what he saw and admitted that the extra time to prepare had been a major bonus to their preparation. "It makes things easier when you have more time to work together, both from a physical and a tactical perspective," Allegri said at his post-match press conference. "Having a full week to train together after losing at Genoa last weekend was just what we needed to come back with a bang." They certainly did that, with WhoScored.com statistics showing the home side enjoyed 52.8 per cent of possession and outshot Atalanta 12-7, with just two of their opponent’s efforts hitting the target. Follow Juvefc.com @juvefcdotcom Fine fine fine gol from Alex Sandro 9:05 PM - 3 Dec 2016 1818 Retweets 2626 likes Alex Sandro had no such problem after just 15 minutes, opening the scoring following a powerful run infield from the left flank, with the full-back dispatching a shot that left goalkeeper Marco Sportiello completely wrong-footed. It was an excellent individual goal, but the Brazil international was soon outshone by two of his team-mates. Indeed, it would be impossible to analyse this match without mentioning the display of Mario Mandzukic, with the striker continuing his excellent recent form and ensuring Juve set the tone throughout. View image on Twitter Follow JuventusFC ✔@juventusfcen .@MarioMandzukic9 receives his @EASPORTSFIFA November MVP award from #JMember Paolo #JuveAtalanta#ForzaJuve 8:34 PM - 3 Dec 2016 · Turin, Piedmont 6363 Retweets 100100 likes Always hardworking, he was simply relentless on a night that began with the 30-year-old being named the club’s player of the month for November. With three goals and an assist in his four previous appearances, Mandzukic was clearly in no mood to see a repeat of the Genoa display. As the FourFourTwo Stats Zone graphic in the tweet below highlights, he may have only completed 59.3 per cent of his pass attempts, but it was without the ball where his infectious work rate was most visible. View image on Twitter Follow Adam Digby ✔@Adz77 1 shot, 1 goal, 16/27 passes, 2/2 take-ons, 7(!) tackles, 2 blocks. A match-winning performance from @MarioMandzukic9 (via @StatsZone) 11:10 AM - 4 Dec 2016 44 Retweets 99 likes Winning a team-high seven tackles, Mandzukic set an example, defending from the front before finally getting a well-deserved goal to seal the result. He came off after cutting his knee, but his coach was impressed with the effort shown by the Croatia international. "Mandzukic is a player who, amid all the quantity, also provides quality," Allegri told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia). "If he stands there and acts as a classic centre-forward, he’s not as effective. He had a great game tonight and sacrificed himself for his team-mates. Fortunately, it was just a knock to the knee, as I was afraid he’d sprained it." Perhaps more than his goal, the defining moment of his night came just before half-time. Atalanta delivered a set piece into the box that Juve could only partially clear, and after finding himself as the deepest defender, he blocked two shots in rapid succession to deny La Dea a way back into the game. Follow Adam Digby ✔@Adz77 Scores at one end, denies them at the other. Mario Mandzukic, MARIO MANDZUKICCC, MARIO MANDZUKICCC #JuveAtalanta https://gifs.com/gif/juventus-atalanta-3-1-highlights-3-12-2016-Y6rwK0 … 11:24 AM - 4 Dec 2016 22 Retweets 55 likes It was quintessential Mandzukic. Putting his body on the line to help his side, there was little doubt he was a key factor in winning this game. But so too was Miralem Pjanic, albeit in a vastly different way. While Mandzukic was busy throwing himself around at both ends of the pitch, the Bosnia and Herzegovina midfielder was delivering the quality in between, with Allegri’s tactical approach to the match suiting him perfectly. Juventus lined up in a 4-3-1-2 formation, with Pjanic playing behind the strikers in a role that brought the best from him. Freed from the responsibilities of regular midfielders, he was constantly finding gaps in front of the Atalanta defence and looked much more like the player he was at AS Roma. Follow Khaledalnouss @khaledalnouss1 Rugani scores his second goal this season. 9:07 PM - 3 Dec 2016 7777 Retweets 5757 likes The 26-year-old was typically dangerous in dead-ball situations, with both Daniele Rugani (see video above) and Mandzukic (below) netting with headers from his perfectly struck balls into the box. "Pjanic played well and showed his quality," Allegri said at his post-match press conference. "He's obviously very handy on set pieces, and two of our goals came from corners this evening. He's got a bit more freedom playing in the hole, and I think he can do well there.” On the evidence of this game, he certainly can. He completed 73.5 per cent of his 49 pass attempts and three take-ons, according to WhoScored.com, also weighing in with one tackle and two interceptions. Follow Stereo Serie A Radio @StereoSerieA Mandzukic finally gets his goal! No one deserves it more than he does today! 3-0! 10:11 PM - 3 Dec 2016 55 Retweets 33 likes He has struggled to consistently make that level of impact this term, with Pjanic himself admitting to Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) that he "expected to settle a bit quicker" following his summer move to Juve. Yet this match and the role he was given showed just what he is capable of, with the player insisting in the same interview that there is much more to come from him and the Bianconeri as the 2016/17 campaign continues: The defeat at Genoa, especially the opening 30 minutes, were completely wrong and should not have happened. This was a positive response, as we started strong and did the opposite of what happened last week, especially against an Atalanta side in great shape. It’s not easy after a defeat like that, as everyone is ready to criticise, but we stayed calm and learned from the experience to ensure we don’t repeat those mistakes. This Juve is nowhere near 100 per cent, as we can do a lot more, collectively and individually. Miguel Morenatti/Associated Press Pjanic brought his A-game. It will take much more than a routine win over one of Italy’s provincial sides—even one that had captured widespread attention for its positive play—to convince many that the Old Lady and her newest midfielder are finally in tune. But here, against Atalanta, there was hope. Hope that Pjanic and this latest version of Juventus are beginning to jell. Hope that Allegri has them headed in the right direction. Bigger and sterner challenges lie ahead, but this was a long overdue step forward for a team seeking success both in Serie A and in Europe. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 5, 2016 November’s Monthly Juventus Thoughts: Fighting The Inner Demons It was a stormy month full of injuries and emotional matches, so let’s take a second to look back at November. http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/12/4/13794816/ juventus-november-2016-review-serie-a-champions-league Dec 4, 2016 Due to the international break at the beginning of the month, Juventus only negotiated five games in all competitions in November. Despite the relative lack of games, however, there was still more than enough to talk about as a tipsy-turvy month took a heavy mental and physical toll on the team. Here are some of the things that stood out to me in November. The Great Houdini Last month, I discussed how, Hernanes had seemingly won the battle of the understudiesbetween him and Mario Lemina. What I didn’t anticipate, however, was that the young midfielder from Gabon would effectively disappear off the face of the planet. It was remarkable to note that Lemina’s last performance was on Oct. 26, which was a short 17-minute cameo in the 4-1 home victory against Sampdoria. In the meantime, he was only out for one match-day with the flu just last week. So ... what’s going on? Sometimes I wanna disappear! Has Hernanes truly supplanted Lemina so convincingly that Max Allegri doesn’t view him as a viable option at all anymore? I doubt that Claudio Marchisio’s return from injury had a detrimental effect on Lemina’s playing time given how Allegri (very wisely) wants to ease him back into business by playing him very sparingly. On the contrary, I would think that he would want to use Lemina more so that Marchisio has less pressure to play too many consecutive games in the early days of his return from injury. It certainly seems that Mad Max views the Gabonese midfielder strictly as a regista and nothing else (i.e. an RCM or LCM) given that Stefano Sturaro has been consistently picked ahead of him in midfield. It’s a strange scenario and one that has very much surprised me; but given that the Africa Cup of Nations is just over a month away, I don’t think we’re going to see much more of the scruffy-haired midfielder for a while to come. An unexpected opportunity To continue another theme from last month, I expressed my worries that Daniele Rugani might struggle for playing time given the surprisingly impressive performances of Medhi Benatia. However, what I didn’t see coming — but very well should have given how this season has proceeded — was the avalanche of injuries that the team would experience. With Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli out of action until the new year, and Giorgio Chiellini still in a precarious physical state, there is no better time than now for Rugani to step up to the plate and stake his claim. He already displayed remarkable maturity in the challenging victory against Sevilla in Spain so he certainly seems ready for his time in the spotlight. The only potential problem is that he has had very, very little time playing together with Benatia, which is mainly an issue because the Moroccan will probably be his most frequent partner in defense. A central defensive partnership, of all positions, is arguably one of the most crucial ones on the pitch where the concept of a partnership truly has to be fostered. I hope that the time that Rugani needs to develop an understanding with Benatia doesn’t take away from his performances on the pitch (or from those of Benatia, for that matter). But the opportunity is there for the taking, Daniele. Show us your best. Test of Heart Patrice Evra and Giorgio Chiellini. Two players that seemingly have little in common, but have caught my attention in similar ways. The Frenchman has had some unimpressive performances lately; not catastrophic by any means, but certainly not to the level that we’ve come to expect from him. On the other hand, Cheillini has been battling injury after injury for months, leading to much concern about his long-term health. What the two of them, therefore, have in common is that they have some convincing to do to both Allegri and the fans. Can Chiellini still handle intensive fixture pileups or will he have to be rotated frequently to conserve his physical condition? If so, will this come at the cost of good performances? You will be examined for the Mark of Mastery... but this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy—not a test of wills, but a test of heart. Both of you may prevail, or neither. Master Eraqus What about Mr. I-love-this-game? His physical condition is absolutely impeccable (according to his Instagram page at least) yet he has seemed sub-par recently, especially against Sevilla and Lyon. Can he restore his performances to the fantastic levels of last season or will he become permanently supplanted by the constantly-improving Alex Sandro? All in all, I still have faith in the capacities of both Chiellini and Evra but given that they are on the wrong side of 30, I believe that these are necessary questions that need to be asked. We need to know if the transition towards younger lads like Rugani needs to be accelerated or if the future can wait, just for now. Glass half full or half empty? Just over a week ago, Bayern Munich posted an absolutely colossal record turnover of €626.8 million for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. This translates into an increase of 20 percent, or €100 million, from the previous year and a pre-tax profit of €53.9 million. On the other hand, Juventus posted a Serie A record-high turnover of €387.9 million and a pre-tax profit of €11.6 million (€4.06 million after tax). I don’t know what they want from me It’s like the more money we come across, The more problems we see! All right, that was a lot of numbers so let’s get down to the actual English. On the one hand, Juventus continues the astonishing progress from the money-hemorrhaging disaster it was a few years ago to the remarkably stable financial entity it is today, mostly thanks to Agnelli’s fantastic work as president. Alongside clubs like Sassuolo and Udinese, we are clearly an example to the rest of the country for savvy financial management and stability and thus far ahead of the curve in Italy. Cast your gaze a little further, however, and the picture is not as rosy. Clubs like Bayern are lightyears ahead of us in terms of revenue growth and, particularly, profit growth (71.6 percent vs. 7.4 percent - Thanks Fefu!). We’ve often discussed Juventus’s progress on the pitch, particularly relative to our European rivals, but the discussion recently pivoted to our progress in the money room. As much as the purchases of elite players like Pjanic and Higuaín have certainly been noteworthy statements of intent, I wonder if such transfers (and their accompanying wages) can be sustained in the future if our bank account cannot grow at the same rate as our sporting ambitions. Progress is being made, but a titanic chasm remains to be bridged if we are truly to be the world’s greatest. When I was young, I thought that money was the most important thing in life. Now that I’m old, I know that it is. Oscar Wilde In a way, it’s funny how the world of football reflects the real world in terms of income inequality. Global football is experiencing a staggering concentration of financial and sporting power in the hands of very few while at the same time we’re also witnessing an alarming degree of income inequality in the ‘real’ world. But let’s leave that aside. The most important thing is that Juventus must continue to pursue new and innovative avenues for financial growth because the big boys are not going to wait until we catch up. Once again though, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder: we’re either fantastic for our astonishing financial progress in the last 6-7 years or simply the dorky kid trying to fit in with the cool kids because we’re so far behind the elite. I obviously cannot dissect the entire financial report, so if you’re interested, you can download the file here at “Annual Financial Report at 30 June 2016.” The most interesting part starts from page 45 of the document, Review of the results for the 2015/2016 financial year. As a closing note, remember to vote for your UEFA Team of The Year 2016: Bonucci, Buffon and Higuaín are among the nominees! I mean c’mon, if Joe Allen is one of the nominees, how can you not vote? Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 5, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) Taylor to oversee Juve-Zagreb http://www.football-italia.net/95260/taylor-oversee-juve-zagreb Dec 5, 2016 English referee Anthony Taylor has been selected to oversee the Champions League clash between Juventus and Dinamo Zagreb. The match takes place on Wednesday at the Juventus Stadium, kicking off at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT. Taylor will be assisted by linesmen Jake Collins and Stuart Burt, with Lee Mason and Martin Atkinson completing the team. The Bianconeri have already qualified for the knockout stages of the competition but need a win to secure top spot. Their Croatian adversaries have yet to score a point in Group H. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 5, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) How should Juventus line up against Dinamo Zagreb in Wednesday’s Champions League group stage finale? Injuries will force us to rely on depth, who should be asked to step in? http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/12/5/13840372/juventus-dinamo -zagreb-2016-champions-league-group-stage-you-choose-the-starting-lineup Dec 5, 2016 Juventus’ Champions League status is simple and within their own hands. Win this game and Juve wins the group. Even though Sevilla dropping points could see us through as well, giving Dinamo Zagreb their first points of their Champions League campaign would be unacceptable with their recent struggles. This team has a lot to prove, and they started this off well with a statement win against Atalanta. They will be looking to follow it up just as well against Zagreb. With the benefit of hindsight, I think it’s fair to say that it was a poor decision to leave Stephan Lichtsteiner off of the Champions League group stage squad. (Yes, I remembered to take him off the survey.) It was a move that was heavily criticized on this blog, and it looks to be confirming what most readers were scared of; the tactical flexibility lost if Dani Alves were to go down with injury or be suspended. Well, it happened, and if anything, it will make for interesting survey results. Will you revert to a 3-5-2 and have Juan Cuadrado at wingback? Push Cuadrado to fullback in a four at the back formation? Maybe even play Mario Lemina or Stefano Sturaro at right fullback? They both have played there — although very briefly — in the past before joining Juventus. The other injuries include Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Marko Pjaca, and Paulo Dybala. After this game, Juve’s next fixture will be on Sunday against Torino. All things considered, who would you like to see start on Wednesday? Vote below! The results will be posted, as well as a few different takes on the lineup, including my own. Remember, this is not what you expect the lineup to be, this is what you would do or what you would like to see. (Apologies for the lack of survey coverage lately, school is hard and unfortunately takes up a lot of time.) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesxTGZsoL1IfYStXuDZuyTj4ZBsUkxWXPWtHqvxZ0zjyMjSA/viewanalytics http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 5, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) Evra: ‘No repeat of Genoa’ http://www.football-italia.net/95283/evra-‘no-repeat-genoa’ Dec 5, 2016 Juventus defender Patrice Evra warns the thrashing at Genoa was “a one-off” and targets a sixth-consecutive Scudetto. The Bianconeri were humbled 3-1 by the Grifone in Week 14, but got back to winning ways against Atalanta on Saturday night. “After our defeat the other week away to Genoa, we talked between us as we always do when there’s something not right,” Evra told JTV. “We’re aware of the fact that wearing this shirt comes with great responsibility. That loss at the Marassi was a bit of a one off and I don’t think we’ll have to face another day like that, especially in terms of our team spirit, which is what angered us most. “At Juventus it’s possible you can lose a game, but you can’t get your attitude wrong. As we all saw against Atalanta, we’ve returned to being a great family again. “Winning a sixth successive Scudetto would be the most important thing, as we’d go down in history. You don’t lift the league title today, nor tomorrow. “I’ve always said from the start of the season that it’s my aim to get to the end of the campaign and be able to celebrate with all the fans at the Stadium and on the streets of Turin. “Right now we’re taking each game at a time, we can’t already start thinking as though we’re already champions. “Last year, when we were slow off the mark in Serie A and many thought that we’d find it tough even to qualify for the Champions League, in the end we lifted the title. “We need to be careful that the same thing doesn’t happen to another team this time around. “We work hard and dig deep every day, showing respect for this club’s great history. When a player joins Juventus, they feel it immediately. “Here I need to give my best, my teammates may have won the league last year, but they’re working hard as if they’d not achieved anything. They’re still hungry for more.” The Old Lady will secure top spot in their Champions League group with a win over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, but Evra isn’t taking it for granted. “All Champions League matches are to be played showing the highest respect, it really is a very important competition. “Even if we’ve already qualified for the next round, it’s crucial that we have the right approach. We need to play on Wednesday against Dinamo Zagreb like we did against Atalanta in order to win again in front of our fans. “I’ve always said that in the Champions League, if you put a foot wrong, you’re running the risk of conceding. The details count for an awful lot, as matches are often open. “You can win a game in the last second and, at the end of the day, that’s what makes this competition the magical one that it is.” The Frenchman has become a viral Instagram sensation, with his “I love this game” catchphrase… “I always love this game! It isn’t just an expression. I use it as a symbol of positivity in life,” Evra explained. “‘I love this game’ is something you can say when you’re sad, when you lose. You always need to stay positive, especially because in life there are more important things than losing a match. “I feel like a winner. I don’t like losing but ‘I love this game’ is a motto that works in any situation.” http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 6, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) Juventus v Dinamo Zagreb Betting: Generous money on a home win The Serie A side claimed a comfortable win when these sides met in the Croatian capital and our tipster expects a similar outcome in Turin on Wednesday night. http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2995/betting/2016/12/06/30214862/- Dec 6, 2016 Juventus go into Wednesday's Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb knowing that three points will assure them of top spot in Group H. The Italian champions boast a remarkable record on home soil, having gone 34 matches without defeat in all competitions in Turin and, as such, Massimiliano Allegri's team are red hot 1/9 (1.11) favourites with Paddy Power to pick up all three points against the Croatian champions. Dinamo suffered a painful 4-0 home defeat against Juventus in their opening group game and that result set the tone for a dismal campaign for Ivaylo Petev's charges; indeed, the Croatian side have suffered defeat in each of their five group fixtures in the competition so far this season, conceding 13 goals without reply. The visitors can be backed at a chunky 16/1 (17.0) with Paddy Power to claim a famous victory from this fixture, while 7/1 (8.0) is available that the match ends in stalemate - a selection that would have paid dividends in four of Juventus' last five Champions League clashes on home soil. There have been goals at both ends in seven of Juventus' last eight matches in all competitions and there is 6/4 (2.50) on offer that the trend continues in this tie, while the Croatians can be backed at 7/5 (2.40) to finally find the net in Group H. Given the enormous gulf in class between these teams, it would be a major surprise should the Serie A side fail to claim a convincing victory from this fixture and the odds compilers offer 10/11 (1.91) that the hosts win both halves - a selection that would have paid dividends in the previous meeting between the teams. Dinamo have regularly been outclassed in the Champions League and the even money (2.0)quote on offer from Paddy Power for Juventus to win by three or more goals offers outstanding value, for it would have seen punters profit in six of the last seven away defeats that Petev's side have suffered in this competition. The Croatian champions have already been eliminated from European competition this season and Juventus - so solid on home soil - can be trusted to heap yet more misery upon the visitors by chalking up an emphatic victory in Turin. Allegri's team have scored more than two goals in three of their last four matches and the odds compilers offer 4/6 (1.67) that the hosts notch more than two goals in this game, while the same firm go 11/10 (2.10) that there are, at least, two goals scored before the half-time whistle. Given Dinamo's dreadful record in the Champions League group stage so far this season, Juventus should be backed to claim a comfortable victory in this clash and punters should snap up the odds compilers’ supremely generous even money (2.0) quote that the Serie A side win by more than two goals in Wednesday's tussle. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 7, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) Dybala nears Juventus return http://www.football-italia.net/95314/dybala-nears-juventus-return Dec 6, 2016 Paulo Dybala trained with his Juventus teammates, and could feature against Dinamo Zagreb tomorrow. The forward has been out of action since the defeat to Milan at the end of October, but is nearing a return. According to news agency ANSA, Dybala took full part in the afternoon training session today, making it more likely he could feature in the Champions League match. It’s unlikely Dybala will be risked from the start, but he could make an appearance from the bench, depending on how the match develops. ANSA also reports that Andrea Barzagli participated in a section of training, but his dislocated shoulder is still expected to keep him out until January. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 7, 2016 Roma 'stunned' by Strootman ban http://www.football-italia.net/95320/roma-stunned-strootman-ban Dec 6, 2016 Roma director Mauro Baldissoni “stunned and perplexed” by Kevin Strootman's two-match ban for simulation, announcing an appeal ahead of Milan and Juventus games. The midfielder was given the suspension this afternoon by the Disciplinary Commission, using video evidence to suggest Strootman “simulated” violent conduct when the back of his shirt neck was tugged by Lazio midfielder Danilo Cataldi. Cataldi was sent off from the bench and given a one-game ban. “We were stunned and frankly perplexed to hear this news. Obviously the appeal has already been lodged and will be heard before the Milan game,” Baldissoni told Roma TV. “It’s extremely debatable, as this video evidence was called ‘simulation’ and yet Cataldi was himself banned for violent conduct. “Strootman falls because he was pulled and got straight back up, so there was no simulation. I expect anyone would react when feeling pulled back from the neck and not knowing what was going on. He feared he’d be attacked. “Unfortunately, for years the limits of the sporting justice system have been amplified and Roma paid for that, which leaves us disconcerted. “Strootman was straight back on his feet two seconds later, which means that even if he hadn’t fallen, Cataldi would still have been banned for the tug on the back of his neck and therefore simulation is irrelevant.” Baldissoni hinted the decision could well be affected by the fixture list, as Strootman’s ban will rule him out of top of the table showdowns with Milan and Juventus. “This is a critical moment of the season, we are about to face the first and third teams in the table and, coincidentally, we run into this two-match ban. “This is the first time that the rule has been applied in this manner, so yet again Roma have been treated as the guinea pigs for the sporting law and with two huge games on the horizon. “We hope there will be a hearing on Friday. The club will do everything in our power to defend ourselves and ask the fans to stand by us, despite the many situations they need to face. “Unfortunately, we can only battle this injustice with the weapons at our disposal. I again invite everyone to attend Roma-Milan. Roma are strong as a club and fans, so it’s apt we come together.” Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 7, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) Dybala in Juventus-Dinamo squad http://www.football-italia.net/95321/dybala-juventus-dinamo-squad Dec 6, 2016 Paulo Dybala is back in the Juventus squad for tomorrow’s Champions League match with Dinamo Zagreb. It kicks off at the Juventus Stadium on Wednesday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT. The Argentine has been out of action since sustaining a thigh injury during the defeat to Milan at the end of October. He is expected to be on the bench tomorrow evening, especially as Juve have already qualified for the Round of 16. Andrea Barzagli resumed training today after dislocating his shoulder, but is still not expected back until January. Leonard Bonucci, Dani Alves and Marko Pjaca are also injured, while Stephan Lichtsteiner is not on the Champions League list. Juventus squad for Dinamo Zagreb: Buffon, Neto, Audero; Chiellini, Benatia, Alex Sandro, Rugani, Lichtsteiner, Evra; Pjanic, Khedira, Cuadrado, Marchisio, Hernanes, Lemina, Asamoah, Sturaro, Merio; Higuain, Mandzukic, Dybala http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 7, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) Situm: 'Dinamo dream to face Juve' http://www.football-italia.net/95323/situm-dinamo-dream-face-juve Dec 6, 2016 Mario Situm said it is “a dream” for Dinamo Zagreb to play a Champions League tie at the Juventus Stadium. It kicks off at the Juventus Stadium on Wednesday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT, but while the Bianconeri have already qualified, the Croatians are still looking for their first goal and first points. “Tomorrow we play an important match against a great team and want to prove we are a solid side ready to face Juve at our best,” said the former Spezia midfielder in his Press conference. “This game means a lot to us, it is a dream for all of us to play here against a prestigious team like Juventus. “On Wednesday we will try to prove our quality and play a good game.” Marko Pjaca left Dinamo Zagreb for Juventus over the summer, but is out injured. “I know Pjaca well, he has a lot of quality and can become one of the best forwards in the world. It’s a pity that he has sustained this injury.” http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 7, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) Petev: 'Dinamo Zagreb have grown' http://www.football-italia.net/95324/petev-dinamo-zagreb-have-grown Dec 6, 2016 Dinamo Zagreb Coach Ivaylo Petev insists they “have grown” since the 4-0 home defeat to Juventus in September. It kicks off in Turin on Wednesday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT. “We can play to the best of our abilities against Juve,” assured the tactician in his Press conference. He is the third Coach to lead Dinamo Zagreb this season and was appointed on September 29, two days after Juventus won 4-0 in Croatia. “Everyone is in good shape, we’ll see who to pick for the starting XI after the training session. Everyone will play at their best for this team. “We have grown since September. We played other Champions League games and hope to prove the quality of this squad.” Dinamo have not picked up a single point in the five group games this season, nor even scored a goal. Juventus have already qualified, but first place is not yet secure from Sevilla. Considering some of the other results in the Champions League, might it be better to finish second in the group? “I would certainly like to stay in first place, because for me second place does not exist,” said the Bulgarian Coach. http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
Socrates 8526 Joined: 04-Apr-2006 134626 messaggi Inviato December 7, 2016 JUVENTUS - DINAMO ZAGREB - MATCHDAY 6 Wednesday, December 7th, 2016 - 08:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Anthony Taylor (England) Marchisio: 'Juve must be focused' http://www.football-italia.net/95328/marchisio-juve-must-be-focused Dec 6, 2016 Claudio Marchisio urged Juventus to “remain absolutely concentrated” ahead of the last Champions League group game with Dinamo Zagreb. It kicks off in Turin on Wednesday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT. “We were coming off a heavy defeat to Genoa and beat an Atalanta side that was in great shape. We have a lot to prove, we’ve dropped points in Serie A and the Champions League this season, so want to keep or increment our advantage. “There is also the first trophy of the season against Milan, the Italian Super Cup, so we need to remain absolutely concentrated,” said the midfielder in his Press conference. “Our approach to the Genoa game was wrong, so after a defeat like that it’s natural to ask ourselves a few questions.” Marchisio was out for six months with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. “If I am here, it doesn’t mean I’m playing tomorrow! I have to say that other than the performances, I am happy with the consistency I have in training, though it’ll take a while longer to be back to my best in terms of recovery and reactivity. “As soon as I returned to the squad, that hunger I had meant I didn’t feel the fear of putting my leg into a challenge. Of course as the training regime steps up, there are moments of fatigue, but I know from the experience of my teammates that it takes time and this is nothing to worry about. “I am happy to be training every day, as that is the most important thing.” Would it be better for Juventus to finish top of the group or second, considering how some of the other groups are going? “My teammates and I hope to finish first, regardless of the draw. We’ll see what the draw does give us in the end, but our experience shows that even the year we reached the Final, Monaco were the easiest on paper and yet caused us the most problems. “You know that at this level all teams are well-prepared and what matters is the form we’re in at that moment.” Roma director Mauro Baldissoni declared it was no “coincidence” that Kevin Strootman received a two-match ban ahead of the games against Milan and Juventus. “There are rules, there are judges who decide and it’s not for us to comment on these things. We have to focus on the current very important period and remain concentrated on our objectives.” http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167 Condividi questo messaggio Link di questo messaggio Condividi su altri siti
