JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

Socrates · January 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - BOLOGNA

3-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 7'

Paulo Dybala (penalty) 41'

Gonzalo Higuaín 54'

MATCHDAY 19

Sunday, January 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Maurizio Mariani

Juventus vs. Bologna 2017: Final score 3-0, Juve stroll to

comfortable victory, break Serie A consecutive home wins record

A sublime Gonzalo Higuaín double allows Juventus to open the New Year in style!

<a href="http://oi68.tinypic.com/2hhg1o4.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/1/9/14207204/

juventus-bologna-2017-serie-a-round-18-final-score-recap-result

Jan 9, 2017

We’re back! Juventus welcomed Bologna to Juventus Stadium for the first Serie A game of 2017. After all the festivities of the Christmas and New Year period, it was a huge relief to see the Bianconeri back in competitive action again in the league, especially on home turf. Juve didn’t disappoint, as a Gonzalo Higuaín brace and Paolo Dybala’s penalty was more than enough to cruise to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Bologna on a cold Sunday evening in Turin.

As expected, Juventus dominated possession early on. The territorial dominance paid off surprisingly quickly for the home side as they opened the scoring within seven minutes. Miralem Pjanic, once again roaming around freely in his trequartista position, lofted a delicate ball over the top to Higuían, who struck the ball first-time perfectly on the volley. Despite getting a hand on the volley, Antonio Mirante couldn’t keep the effort out as it trickled past him into goal: 1-0!

Juventus had the momentum in their favor and continued to control the game comfortably in possession. Higuían had the opportunity to double the Bianconeri’s lead but his header from a Khedira cross went a few yards wide of Mirante’s goal. Bologna finally had their first sight of goal in the 20th minute through a decent effort from the lively Federico Di Francesco, but it was a comfortable save for Neto.

The game visibly lost intensity as Juventus were becoming a bit lazy and complacent in possession, allowing the visitors to gain a bit more of a foothold in the game. Claudio Marchisio did manage to test Mirante with a stinging long-range shot, but the goalkeeper was up to the task and tipped it over for a corner. Just when it looked like the half was going to end on a stale note, Marios Oikonomou bundled Stefano Sturaro over just inside the box, leaving the referee with no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Dybala stepped up to rifle in a typically inch-perfect penalty to double Juventus’s lead: 2-0! That was the last piece of action of the half as the Bianconeri went to the changing rooms with a comfortable 2-0 lead.

Juventus again seemed content with controlling the game at a steady pace in the second half as they starved Bologna off possession and waited patiently for an attacking opening. That opening came very quickly after the restart in the 54th minute courtesy of that red-hot striker Higuaín. A brilliant piece of midfield interplay between Sami Khedira and Stephan Lichtsteiner allowed the latter to break through after the German played a ball in behind the Bologna defense. Lichtsteiner waited patiently for Higuaín to pick his spot in the box before lofting a perfect cross onto the head of the Argentine for him to nod past Mirante for his second goal of the game: 3-0!

Juventus took their foot off the gas even more as Bologna fought valiantly to salvage some kind of consolation from the game but it was really too difficult for the visitors to break through the solid Bianconeri defense. On the other hand, Dybala huffed and puffed, but seemed to let the cold temperatures freeze his usually brilliant and delicate skills. Another dangerous breakaway saw Khedira touch and turn wonderfully before squaring the ball to Dybala, but he couldn’t quite control the ball properly because of the bounce and blasted his effort wildly off target.

The last notable action of the game should really have resulted in the fourth goal. Sturaro broke free and seemed to be through on goal with only Mirante to beat but squared the ball just behind Khedira who couldn’t control the ball cleanly which allowed the Bologna defenders to recover and clear the danger. Thankfully it didn’t matter as Juventus had built an unassailable 3-0 lead and closed out the game without ever needing to get out of second gear.

The scoreline stayed at that as Juventus set a league record for consecutive home victories: a staggering 26 wins on the bounce! A wonderful way to start the new year!

Le Pagelle

NETO 6.5 – Besides a few saves, he barely had a thing to do. I do have to say, though, I find his footwork/passing from the back really dubious and that’s not just based on this game.

LICHTSTEINER 7 – Great cross for the assist on the third goal and dealt quite well with the lively Di Francesco.

BARZAGLI 7 – Perfect game for him to return from injury. It was a typical Barzagli performance and he didn’t put a foot wrong all game.

CHIELLINI 7 – Dealt with Destro with all the ease in the world.

ASAMOAH 7.5 – Played very confidently at left back. He was helped by the fact that Krejci drifted inside so much so he basically had no one to mark.

KHEDIRA 7 – A typical Khedira performance — solid, dependable, and did the dirty work in midfield.

PJANIC 7.5 – Brilliant assist for the opening goal and he roamed around midfield with all the comfort and freedom in the world.

MARCHISIO 7.5 – Was the free man in midfield and enjoyed the acres of space he had to play with. Even tried his luck with a few strikes at goal.

Marchisio enjoyed the acres of space in midfield afforded to him by Bologna

STURARO 7 – Solid performance and used his body intelligently to win the penalty. Shame about the poor pass at the end of the game though.

HIGUAÍN 8.5 – When he’s hot, he really is red-hot. Razor-sharp technique for his killer volley and intelligent positioning for the header. Higuaín is only going to get better and better as the season progresses!

DYBALA 6.5 – A perfectly-taken penalty aside, he really struggled to make an impact tonight. He looked quite off the mark, but I’m hoping it’s just a one-off event.

Subs

CUADRADO 6.5 – Nothing special here during his 20 minute substitute appearance.

MANDZUKIC 6.5 – A quick 15 minute cameo for the Croatian striker.

RINCÓN N/A – Nice to see him debut for a short 10 minute stint.

Manager

ALLEGRI 7 – I guess his seething anger from the Supercoppa defeat did the trick because it was a confident performance without much trouble. The team did at times look not entirely bothered to put in too much effort which, unsurprisingly, coincided with the times that Bologna grabbed a foothold in the game. Overall, though, it was easy as you like on Sunday’s return from the holiday festivities.

Tactical Analysis: Freedom

There wasn’t much revolutionary going on this game in terms of tactics which is a shame because I’m a sucker for love for the tactical nuances of the beautiful game. Other than the usual patterns for Juventus, like Pjanic roaming all over the place in his “false 10” role and Dybala drifting deep and wide in his support striker role, there were two noteworthy tactical features in the game: Marchisio’s freedom in midfield and (loosely connected) the narrowness of Ladislav Krejci and Bologna’s front three in general.

Marchisio in acres of space in this picture, with no direct man to mark

Juventus had a midfield advantage (4v3) and, given that Bologna played a 4-3-3 formation, Marchisio ended up being the free man in midfield. Thanks to his wonderful range of passing and intelligent positioning, he enjoyed this freedom very much and managed to move forward in possession from time to time to join the attack. However, it wasn’t always so rosy for the Italian maestro. Krejci would drift very centrally into Marchisio’s zone during attacks, making it unclear whether he or Asamoah should pick up the Czech winger. Also, without the ball, Destro would occasionally help out in defense by dropping deep onto Il Principino but this was mostly quite half-hearted and lackadaisical. This general confusion/indecisiveness between Krejci and Destro mostly resulted in Asamoah and/or Marchisio benefiting from oceans of space to operate in, much to the detriment of the visiting side.

Krejci (circled) basically in a CF position. He’s not really picked up by either Chiellini or Asamoah though

Bologna’s front three were, in general, remarkably narrow and the knock-on effect of this was to grant Lichtsteiner and especially Asamoah acres of space down the wings. It’s no surprise then that the former chipped in with an assist and the latter had a very impressive performance himself.

Look at how incredibly narrow the Bologna front three (underlined) are positioned. There’s barely any wide offensive outlet to pass to

The following picture is especially interesting because it shows how a few of Bologna’s problems compounded together. The front three is all very narrow again (possibly) to compensate for the midfield being outnumbered and, to provide width, Donsah (#17) drifts completely out of position to a wide right position. Dzemaili, standing next to the referee, is likewise not in the best position to track back or provide assistance to the defense and so this leaves the entire Juventus midfield/attack completely free and available for a pass on the counter attack as Bologna lose possession in this picture. Given that the front three is unlikely to bust their lungs to track back defensively in the case of a turnover, Bologna is in a bit of an awkward position formation-wise in this picture. Maybe it was for the better that the ball went out of play here instead of being intercepted because it could have ended quite embarrassingly on this play.

It didn’t help that this pass was absolutely woeful for Bologna

Record-breakers!

As you probably noticed, it was a very smooth, fun game which Juventus negotiated without much trouble. There were a few complacent moments here and there — mostly due to the tireless work by the extremely impressive Di Francesco — but it was never anything serious and the result never looked in doubt. Higuaín continues to grow ever more comfortable and accustomed to life in Juve colors, which is really showing in his goal tally. Nevertheless, Wednesday’s Coppa Italia game will probably see a decent amount of rotation as Juventus prepare for a set of demanding fixtures against Fiorentina (away), Lazio (home), Sassuolo (away) and Inter (home). January is a notoriously difficult period of the season, so let’s see what the boys have in store for us! Onwards!

Forza Juve!

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · January 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - BOLOGNA

3-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 7'

Paulo Dybala (penalty) 41'

Gonzalo Higuaín 54'

MATCHDAY 19

Sunday, January 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Maurizio Mariani

Donadoni: 'Bologna can learn from this'

<a href="http://oi65.tinypic.com/a5l3et.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.football-italia.net/96605/donadoni-bologna-can-learn

Jan 9, 2017

Roberto Donadoni hopes Bologna’s younger players can “learn from the experience” of their 3-0 defeat at Juventus.

Gonzalo Higuain broke the deadlock early on and completed his brace after a Paulo Dybala penalty.

“Unfortunately we were unable to play the game we had intended to,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia.

“At the end of the day, we have to hope that we learn from the experience and our younger players can have some teachable moments from it.

“We tried to create opportunities to score, but unfortunately didn’t manage to finish them off. We need to be more consistent both during a game and throughout the season.

“We’ve alternated good performances, for example against Sassuolo or Pescara, with other less impressive ones.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · January 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - BOLOGNA

3-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 7'

Paulo Dybala (penalty) 41'

Gonzalo Higuaín 54'

MATCHDAY 19

Sunday, January 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Maurizio Mariani

Juventus 3-0 Bologna Match

Report and Player Ratings

<a href="http://oi65.tinypic.com/ou3129.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.juvefc.com/juventus-3-0-bologna-812017/

Jan 9, 2017

It didn’t take long to ease past the concerns which come naturally after the Winter break. Had Higuain overdone the christmas pudding? Was Sturaro still wearing his Santa hat? Had Allegri refused to allow the festive spirit to calm his wrath born in Doha? The answers to all these questions were swiftly found as we cantered our way to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over a fair Bologna side.

Player Ratings

Neto – A rare outing for the Brazilian who barely warmed his gloves, such was the dominance of his outfield colleagues. 6

Chiellini – Resolute, muscled his way to winning every challenge and covered the rearguard with aplomb. 7

Barzagli – Wonderful to see the old timer return to the ranks and he appeared far from rusty. Indomitable and dealt with the lively Di Francesco when called upon. 7

Lichtsteiner – His physical conditioning has made great strides and this was a return to the Swiss Locomotive we have all known and enjoyed for many moons. Stephan was up and down the flank like a dynamo, conjured a goal with a perfect cross and caused the opponents steady bother. Despite the fact that most of the offensive thrust of our opponents came through Di Francesco on his side of the field, it was our right armoury which provided our most obvious threat going forward. A welcome return to form. 7

Kwadwo-Asamoah-started-from-the-bech-for

Asamoah – Finally a solid performance from the returning Ghanaian, who has seemed understandably out of sorts in his bit-part action thus far this term. Reprising the role of LB, the African was dependable at the back and industrious going forward. Credit to the player for forsaking the ACON to further work on his fitness and focus on Juve. 7

Marchisio – Rather subdued at times, but worked damn hard and kept the ball moving swiftly. Was in the right place at the right time to make countless interceptions. We must take on board not just the lengthy lay-off but the injury itself, which can take players many months to recover from fully, that is, if they are even able to return to previous heights. The early signs of Marchisio’s return continue to prove very promising. We are always a better side with his technique, intelligence and experience on the field. 6.5

Khedira – Seemed more spritely than the jaded offerings witnessed towards the end of last year. The big German was tidy on the ball, set up several good chances for team-mates and was deep to cover when required. One of the smartest and most experienced midfielders in the game operating anywhere near the top level. 7

Sturaro – I am quickly coming to once again enjoy his hustle and bustle, and remain jolly to find the youngster gaining sharpness and stamina. Another who missed pre-season and many more weeks of the Serie A calendar before re-entering the fray. He won the penalty, could have done better with a chance in the box, other than which covered so much ground and never gave the opponents chance to breathe. All that is missing is a few goals, which will come. 6.5

Pjanic – Miralem did nothing wrong, and played his part in the victory with yet another assist – a beautiful chipped through ball for Higuain to power home inside the box – yet such was his absence from large parts of the game I had actually forgotten to include him in the ratings until now, when nearing the end of this calm, measured report deep down below. He was so much more integral and vibrant in everything offensive at Roma and I hope that we can conjure the same from the Bosnian in our colours. Despite his impressive stats, up until now, he has not quite fit our system and tends to drift out of the action for such lengthy periods that I forget he is even playing. 6.5

gonzalo-higuain-juventus-bologna_fhu92y0

Higuain – Took his two goals superbly and looked bright and fierce. Much happier in a more central role yet he does roam powerfully and purposefully across the line and far more effective when not tasked with dropping deep as is the case when Mandzukic partners him up top. 8

Dybala – I am glad he plundered the penalty with guile, besides which he was clearly lacking sharpness. His shooting was wild, as confirmed by ending a beautiful fast flowing move by blasting horridly high and wide in the box. His movement is fine, but the sooner he regains his rhythm the better for all concerned. 6

This was a comfortable victory against a side which played well, made serious attempts to test us, but fell short on quality in key areas of the field. The result was never in question, it was more a matter of how many would we score and could we keep a clean sheet.

Perfect return for Barzagli, whose experience will be key as we approach the business end of the season. The back four were rock solid, offering very few, if any clear cut chances from anywhere near our goal. Both fullbacks were impressive; Lichsteiner back to somewhere near his swashbuckling finest and Asamoah able to show he still has much to offer, albeit against weak opponents. The decision to allow Evra to depart may well suggest that Allegri is content with other options to back up Sandro and he will have been pleased with the performance of the Ghanaian, who at 28 years of age could still provide superb squad depth if he can maintain his fitness.

The midfield triumvirate of Khedira – Marchisio – Sturaro is by far the strongest we have deployed this troublesome season with Rincon slotting in for a late but encouraging cameo. Only Pjanic continues to perplex and leave me feeling he is capable of so much more. Whilst his output in terms of goals and assists and set piece deliveries is splendid, he has yet to find himself truly in sync with the team and tactics. If we are to continue with the 4-3-1-2, which I assume we will, the Bosnian will have every chance to bed in more meaningfully and potently. His talent is never in question and even when he is drifting in and out of games, his top notch technique comes to bear when it matters. I just seek more from one of the most naturally gifted players in the squad.

We were missing Benatia, Bonucci, Sandro, Lemina, Alves and Evra, yet still able to deploy a side more than a match for a well organised, confident and determined Bologna. This is the major positive to take from the game. Other than the return of Asamoah, Barzagli and especially Dybala, for all three of them could yet play a prominent role in our quest for glory on several fronts.

If we can continue this decent form through January and February, recover more players and slowly introduce Pjaca into proceedings, our future feels and looks ever so bright and gilded.

A pleasing start to 2017, with our 26th home victory on the trot breaking the top flight record.

I can’t help but grumble when I accept that this wondrous winning streak has come at the cost of 9 goals conceded! Such is the success and dominance I have become accustomed to as first Conte, then Allegri, with plenty of cunning assistance from Beppe and Paratici, have dragged our beloved Juve from fallen giants, back to the upper echelons of continental football.

The beauty of this current Juve side is that the potential to improve is vast.

Prior to Christmas our form was haphazard, often abject, which was almost solely due to injuries. Despite these constant demands to chop and change personnel and tactics to accomodate the same, we have fared well in Europe, and achieved a healthy lead domestically. Allegri deserves more credit for this feat than he receives, and yet his real test will come when a close to full squad becomes available. We have superb strength in every position on the field. World class talent aligned with industrious determination and belief. The only question which remains is…If Lady Luck offers the opportunity, can Allegri conjure a historic treble’? We have the talent. It is now up to Max.

Forza Juve

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · January 9, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

How should Juventus line up against Atalanta

in the Coppa Italia on Wednesday night?

Who do you think should get a chance to prove themselves worthy of a lineup spot?

h ttp://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/1/9/14207288/juventus

-atalanta-2017-coppa-italia-round-of-16-you-choose-the-lineup

Jan 9, 2017

After a long break from Juventus game action, it’s nice to get two fixtures within such close proximity of one another. After Sunday night’s win over Bologna, Juventus will host Atalanta in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 on Wednesday night.

As usual, a game in the Coppa could be a good chance for fringe and/or reserve players to prove their worth for future starting spots. While Tomas Rincon made his Juventus debut against Bologna, it would be nice to see him get a large amount of minutes to show what he can do. It would also nice to see Marko Pjaca back in action after a long injury layoff. Buffon may or may not be available, but it may be a good time to give Neto another game after his clean sheet (2 saves per W/S) performance against Bologna.

Atalanta is no pushover this season, though, as they currently sit in sixth place in the league table, but only three points behind third-place Napoli. Juventus has already beat them this season, claiming a 3-1 win on Dec. 3 at Juventus Stadium.

All things considered, who would you like to see start on Wednesday night?

Starting Formation


3-5-2/5-3-2	5
4-3-3/4-5-1	20
4-3-1-2	23
4-4-2	1
4-3-2-1	11
Overig	6

3-5-2/5-3-2	5	7.6%
4-3-3/4-5-1	20	30.3%
4-3-1-2	23	34.8%
4-4-2	1	1.5%
4-3-2-1	11	16.7%
Overig	6	9.1%

Starting Keeper


Gianluigi Buffon	9
Neto	57
Emil Audero	0

Gianluigi Buffon	9	13.6%
Neto	57	86.4%
Emil Audero	0	0%

Starting Lineup

Question	Count
D - Daniele Rugani	66
D - Giorgio Chiellini	47
D - Andrea Barzagli	30
D - Stephan Lichtsteiner	50
D/M/W - Alex Sandro	21
WB/M/W - Juan Cuadrado	35
WB/M - Kwadwo Asamoah	42
M - Sami Khedira	17
M - Hernanes	37
M - Claudio Marchisio	33
M - Stefano Sturaro	28
M - Tomas Rincon	59
W/AM - Marko Pjaca	55
M/AM - Miralem Pjanic	26
S - Mario Mandzukic	49
S - Gonzalo Higuain	13
S - Paulo Dybala	40
S - Moise Kean	12

D - Daniele Rugani	66	100%
D - Giorgio Chiellini	47	71.2%
D - Andrea Barzagli	30	45.5%
D - Stephan Lichtsteiner	50	75.8%
D/M/W - Alex Sandro	21	31.8%
WB/M/W - Juan Cuadrado	35	53%
WB/M - Kwadwo Asamoah	42	63.6%
M - Sami Khedira	17	25.8%
M - Hernanes	37	56.1%
M - Claudio Marchisio	33	50%
M - Stefano Sturaro	28	42.4%
M - Tomas Rincon	59	89.4%
W/AM - Marko Pjaca	55	83.3%
M/AM - Miralem Pjanic	26	39.4%
S - Mario Mandzukic	49	74.2%
S - Gonzalo Higuain	13	19.7%
S - Paulo Dybala	40	60.6%
S - Moise Kean	12	18.2%

Justify an interesting inclusion (optional)

Kean showed he has talent, no reason no to call him back for this

I want to see a Christmas tree with Pjaca and Rincon out there!

If we're OK after 60 mins then replace Pjanic, Sturaro.

Hernanes surrounded by two work horses in a 4-3-3

2 central defensive midfielders (rincon,marchisio) as to play more aggressive for once in a while, like conte's in chelsea.

I don't think Cuadrado is as bad at RB as people say...if that's interesting.

give a rest to Pjanic and Kedhira, a chance to Pjaca, and some continuity for Dybala

rest for the first team players

If the CL final were tomorrow and Alex Sandro were unavailable, who would be your preferred LB option?


Giorgio Chiellini	30
Kwadwo Asamoah	28
Overig	5

Giorgio Chiellini	30	47.6%
Kwadwo Asamoah	28	44.4%
Other	5	7.9%

Socrates · January 10, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Gagliardini can face Juventus

http://www.football-italia.net/96657/gagliardini-can-face-juventus

Jan 10, 2017

Atalanta named their squad for tomorrow’s Coppa Italia clash with Juventus – including Inter target Roberto Gagliardini.

The Round of 16 tie kicks off in Turin on Wednesday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT.

There had been reports that Gagliardini would be having his final training session with Atalanta today ahead of a medical with Inter.

However, Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has included the Italy international midfielder in his squad.

Gagliardini is in advanced negotiations for a €25m transfer to the Nerazzurri, but the move has been delayed for several days.

Nonetheless, Sky Sport Italia also claim this afternoon that the deal could be completed within hours, so Gagliardini could at any point simply leave the Atalanta training camp and be redirected towards Milan.

He was left out of the side that beat Chievo 4-1 at the Bentegodi on Sunday afternoon in Serie A.

Atalanta squad for Juventus: Bassi, Berisha, Caldara, Capone, Conti, D'Alessandro, Freuler, Gagliardini, Gatti, Gomez, Grassi, Konko, Kurtic, Latte, Masiello, Melegoni, Migliaccio, Pesic, Petagna, Raimondi, Spinazzola, Sportiello, Toloi

Socrates · January 10, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Allegri: 'Pjaca yes, Evra we'll see'

http://www.football-italia.net/96658/allegri-pjaca-yes-evra-well-see

Jan 10, 2017

Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri confirms “Marko Pjaca will play tomorrow”, but can’t give an update on Patrice Evra.

The Bianconeri face Atalanta in the Coppa Italia tomorrow, and was asked about what kind of team he’d put out.

“I’ll have to look at training today and tomorrow to decide and evaluate,” Allegri replied in his pre-match Press conference.

“Tomorrow I’ll put out the best team for tomorrow’s game, there won’t major changes, partly because we don’t have many available at the back.

“[Giorgio] Chiellini is suspended, and we’ll evaluate [Leonardo] Bonucci today to see if he can at least make the bench.

“Someone will have to be rested in the midfield and I’ll evaluate that. [Paulo] Dybala has to play because he hasn’t played much, and to find consistency he has to play.

“Pjaca has been out for a long time, he’ll definitely play a half. I don’t know if it’ll be the first half or the second half, but he’ll play one of them.

“The situation with Evra is the same as it was two days ago. We spoke to Patrice, we spoke and at the moment that’s the situation.

“We don’t know how it will come out, but at the moment the situation is very clear with him. It was very clear with us and with me.

“The relationship with him… He was clear and I was clear. That’s the situation, he has to take some time to decide whether to go or stay.

“Given that this is the situation, it’s fair that he takes some time to reflect, then we’ll see. There’s time until January 31.

“[Tomas] Rincón could play, because this morning I saw that [Stefano] Sturaro has a bit of a cold, so we’ll see who is available in midfield. But Rincón could play from the start.

“On Sunday we have an important game in Florence where Lichtsteiner is suspended, so Lichtsteiner will play tomorrow.”

Juve have won the Coppa for the past two seasons in a row, no side has ever managed to win three in a row…

“It’s not about the record, it’s about entering the competition tomorrow and knowing that we have to play to get to the end.

“It’s not easy this year, because have Atalanta and then we’ll have another tough opponent in the Quarters and another in the Semis if we’re good enough to get there.

“So we’ll take it a game at time. Tomorrow we’re facing a good Atalanta team, that plays well against whoever they face.

“So if we don’t approach the game tomorrow in the right way we’ll go out. Tomorrow is a final, there will be normal time, and the risk of extra time which we have to avoid because on Sunday we have a difficult game in Florence.

“So if we can save some energy tomorrow it would be important, but it won’t be easy.”

Socrates · January 10, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Bonucci back after six weeks

http://www.football-italia.net/96665/bonucci-back-after-six-weeks

Jan 10, 2017

Leonardo Bonucci is back in the Juventus squad to face Atalanta in the Coppa Italia, but Gigi Buffon and Patrice Evra are still out.

The Round of 16 tie kicks off on Wednesday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT in Turin.

Captain Buffon is still nowhere to be seen as he works to recover from a bout of flu, which also ruled him out of Sunday’s 3-0 Serie A victory over Bologna.

Evra is again left on the sidelines while he considers a January move to Valencia, though he is reportedly hesitating in the hope that Manchester United come in with a firm proposal.

Bonucci is back in the squad for the first time since sustaining a thigh injury on November 27.

Mario Lemina and Medhi Benatia are on Africa Cup of Nations duty.

Juventus squad for Atalanta: Pjanic, Khedira, Cuadrado, Marchisio, Higuain, Hernanes, Mandzukic, Bonucci, Pjaca, Dybala, Asamoah, Rugani, Neto, Lichtsteiner, Sturaro, Rincon, Audero, Del Favero, Semprini

Socrates · January 11, 2017

JUVENTUS - BOLOGNA

3-0

Gonzalo Higuaín 7'

Paulo Dybala (penalty) 41'

Gonzalo Higuaín 54'

MATCHDAY 19

Sunday, January 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Maurizio Mariani

Gonzalo Higuain Proving His Worth

To Record-Breaking Juventus

Breaking their own record of 25, Juventus notched their 26th straight

home win against Bologna thanks to a brace by Gonzalo Higuain.

223135734-f5e292e8-8397-4b44-b674-d14380

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2017/01/gonzalo-higuain-proving-his-worth-to-record-breaking-juventus/

Jan 10, 2017

Juventus Stadium has been a lucky talisman for the hosts, who have won Serie A every year since its opening and are on track for their sixth straight this year.

This dominance is in no small part due to the excellent fans the Bianconeri have in Turin, and their fan base only continues to grow as they continue to rack up victory after victory.

Juventus started the streak against Bologna, and it was only fitting that they break the record the same way.

The Bianconeri started the match off strong, as early as the seventh minute, when Miralem Pjanic delivered a lobbed through ball to Higuain, who showed brilliant technique as he volleyed the ball past the outstretched hands of Antonio Mirante, marking his 11th goal of the season.

Juventus had plenty of chances to extend the lead to two, but they were unable to do so until the 41st minute when Stefano Sturaro was tripped up by Marios Oikonomou just inside the 18-yard box.

Paolo Dybala, who had just come off of a missed spot-kick in a penalty shootout defeat in the Supercoppa Italiana, made no mistake this time, striking the ball confidently from 12 yards to make it 2-0.

They entered the break two goals ahead, a dominating performance from the hosts who were set to break the record.

In the 54th minute, the Bianconeri closed the game.

After an excellent display of passing between Sami Khedira and Stephan Lichtsteiner, the Swiss took his time and found Higuain wide open in the box. El Pipita calmly headed the ball home and proved his worth once again to the critics.

After that, it was smooth sailing for the hosts, who comfortably broke the record with a 3-0 win at home.

It was a dominating performance from the Bianconeri, one that exemplified the difference in ability between them and the rest of the league as they currently sit four points above second-placed Roma with a game in hand.

Giuseppe Marotta’s signings performed well, and Juventus fans rejoiced as they broke yet another Serie A record.

Higuain continues to prove that he was worth his €90 million price tag, dazzling and delighting fans with masterclass displays and a barrage of goals.

The Argentine, while perhaps not as in-form as he was at Napoli, is still the best striker in the league, and he proved that this week with a brilliant performance, one that earned him an 8.76 rating from WhoScored and also a place in Forza Italian Football’s Team of the Week.

The wins are not a surprise to anyone who has been following the Serie A in recent years, and it looks as it is nothing but a race for second at this point.

We’ll see if La Vecchia Signora can continue this impressive win streak when they face a tough opponent in Lazio in two weeks.

Results: Empoli 1-0 Palermo; Napoli 2-1 Sampdoria; Udinese 1-2 Inter; Sassuolo 0-0 Torino; Lazio 1-0 Crotone; Chievo 1-4 Atalanta; Genoa 0-1 Roma; Milan 1-0 Cagliari; Juventus 3-0 Bologna

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

Socrates · January 11, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Allegri has not asked for any new players in January

Manager’s pre-match comments ahead of midweek clash

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/1/10/14229754/max-

allegri-not-asked-for-new-players-january-transfer-window-juventus

Jan 11, 2017

Juventus take on Atalanta tomorrow in the Coppa Italia, and before the game manager Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the media. With the January transfer window open, he was asked what players the Bianconeri are looking at to bolster his side, and his answer surprised quite a few people.

“No, I absolutely haven’t asked for anything. I don’t expect anything because, I repeat, at Juventus you have to take players who will improve the squad.

“If there’s a chance then the club - as they have done in recent years - will take it, otherwise it’s better to stay with the very good players we have.

“It’s useless to have a lot of players you don’t need, especially if they won’t improve the quality of the squad.

“I’d rather bring in the Primavera lads who are good and get them working with the first team, then maybe they’ll get their chance in the course of the season.”

In a squad update, Allegri went on to say that Marko Pjaca would make a long-awaited return from injury.

“I’ll have to look at training today and tomorrow to decide and evaluate.

“Tomorrow I’ll put out the best team for tomorrow’s game, there won’t major changes, partly because we don’t have many available at the back.

“Giorgio Chiellini is suspended, and we’ll evaluate Leonardo Bonucci today to see if he can at least make the bench.

“Someone will have to be rested in the midfield and I’ll evaluate that. Paulo Dybala has to play because he hasn’t played much, and to find consistency he has to play.

“Pjaca has been out for a long time, he’ll definitely play a half. I don’t know if it’ll be the first half or the second half, but he’ll play one of them.”

He also had nothing new to report on the chatter that Patrice Evra was on his way out of the club.

“The situation with Evra is the same as it was two days ago. We spoke to Patrice, we spoke and at the moment that’s the situation.

“We don’t know how it will come out, but at the moment the situation is very clear with him. It was very clear with us and with me.

“The relationship with him… He was clear and I was clear. That’s the situation, he has to take some time to decide whether to go or stay.

“Given that this is the situation, it’s fair that he takes some time to reflect, then we’ll see. There’s time until January 31.”

New signing Tomas Rincon could also make an appearance tomorrow.

“[Tomas] Rincón could play, because this morning I saw that Stefano Sturaro has a bit of a cold, so we’ll see who is available in midfield. But Rincón could play from the start.

“On Sunday we have an important game in Florence where Stephan Lichtsteiner is suspended, so Lichtsteiner will play tomorrow.”

No team in Italy has ever completed a Coppa Italia hat-trick, and Juventus have won the tournament twice in a row.

“It’s not about the record, it’s about entering the competition tomorrow and knowing that we have to play to get to the end.

“It’s not easy this year, because have Atalanta and then we’ll have another tough opponent in the Quarters and another in the Semis if we’re good enough to get there.

“So we’ll take it a game at time. Tomorrow we’re facing a good Atalanta team, that plays well against whoever they face.

“So if we don’t approach the game tomorrow in the right way we’ll go out. Tomorrow is a final, there will be normal time, and the risk of extra time which we have to avoid because on Sunday we have a difficult game in Florence.

“So if we can save some energy tomorrow it would be important, but it won’t be easy.”

Socrates · January 11, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Juventus fans with one eye on Mattia Caldara

vs. Atalanta in the Coppa Italia

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3036323/juventus

-fans-with-one-eye-on-mattia-caldara-against-atalanta-in-the-coppa-italia

Jan 11, 2017

Juventus have already started 2017 with a bang by beating Bologna 3-0, and expectations of this team continue to grow with another win expected on Wednesday evening when the side face Atalanta in the Coppa Italia.

Gian Piero Gasperini's men have proved exciting to watch this season. Blessed with tactical acumen, speed and youthful exuberance, they have managed several impressive victories even if they came unstuck against Juve when the two clubs faced off in December.

Expected to give Juventus a stern challenge, Gasperini will be without two important midfielders. Franck Kessie is representing his country in the African Nations Cup while it appears the young Roberto Gagliardini will be undergoing a medical to complete his transfer to Inter.

Without those two, Atalanta lack a little power and authority in midfield and Gasperini will once again face the toughest opponent without his best assets available to him, yet he is a man who continues to find and develop talent and will be ready for the challenge.

Juventus themselves are without several defenders. Giorgio Chiellini is suspended, Mehdi Benatia is also at the African Nations Cup and Patrice Evra is pondering his future. The Frenchman has been unhappy at the lack of playing time afforded to him at Juve and while he has enjoyed his experience, he feels he is more needed elsewhere. Experienced, determined and a player of immeasurable influence in the dressing room, Evra will be missed if he does indeed leave.

Having helped resurrect the club's confidence in Europe, Evra's performances on the pitch have not been hugely impressive in recent months. He struggled in the Supercoppa match against Milan while it's best not to remember his blunder against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. With Alex Sandro providing the type of performances befitting of a club chasing honours, it's understandable that Evra will be offered fewer minutes on the pitch and thus ought to look elsewhere for greater continuity.

However, as one defender ponders his future, another will soon hope to make his mark. A win against Atalanta is of the utmost importance to help secure progression in the Coppa Italia but the match will be interesting to watch for another reason -- Mattia Caldara.

The young centre-back has agreed to join Juventus in 2018 after having impressed during his time in Bergamo. Known for his positioning sense, his ability to remain calm under pressure and of keeping a certain Arkadiusz Milik quiet when Atalanta took Napoli on, Caldara is not your typical footballer. An intellectual fond of Russian Literature, the softly spoken player has been likened to Andrea Barzagli and even the great Gaetano Scirea.

Together with Daniele Rugani, Juve hope to have found the centre-back partnership of the future while the Azzurri will be glad to have them as well as Milan's Alessio Romagnoli going forward.

The defensive future secured, Allegri will be more interested in the present and in a certain young attacker. Finally fit and ready to play, the coach has confirmed that against Atalanta on Wednesday evening, Marko Pjaca will play.

The Croatian winger's summer arrival was greeted with a lot of excitement for he is not only young, speedy and technical but a versatile player capable of indulging Allegri's tactical metamorphosis. Unfortunately for the new arrival, injuries have robbed him of the chance to prove his worth in the first half of the season, having played only 76 minutes for the Italian giants thus far. When we consider his price tag, that effectively means each minute played has cost Juventus €302,000.

Capable of injecting speed as a winger, technique as a midfielder and creativity as a support striker, Pjaca could play in a variety of formations. It is thought he would be most comfortable in a 4-3-3 formation and this is set to be the shape Allegri will deploy against Atalanta with the winger likely to make an appearance in the second half.

With so many attacking players of varying skills and strengths available, Allegri's biggest task will be finding the right balance and a formation that would fit in as many of these players as possible. With several schemes already tested, it might be worth experimenting with a 4-2-3-1 formation, allowing for creativity and speed going forward as well as strength to protect the defence.

Allegri will certainly not be complaining now that he's close to having all his players available for selection and with so many games coming up, rotation will be key to ensure success across all three competitions.

Socrates · January 11, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Juventus vs. Atalanta: BWRAO starting lineup vote results

The usual starters were cast aside.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/1/11/14231586/juventus-

atalanta-2017-coppa-italia-round-of-16-starting-lineup-vote-results

Jan 11, 2017

I especially enjoy these lineup results posts. They usually deviate from the usual regulars that start, and usual reserve players end up getting lots of votes. This edition was no different. The 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation won the majority of votes, ending the recent reign of preference of the 4-3-1-2 formation.

In goal, Neto took the majority of the votes with 84 percent. Let’s see if he can continue his clean sheet form from the last game against Bologna.

In defense, Daniele Rugani was the only near unanimous vote with 96 percent. Stephan Lichtsteiner was next with 81 percent, and was a shoe-in to be picked considering he will be missing the next league game due to suspension. Giorgio Chiellini and Kwadwo Asamoah fill in the other two spots, receiving the same amount of votes (68 percent).

In midfield, it was clear that readers want to see Tomas Rincon make his first start in a Juventus jersey, as he received 89 percent of votes. Alongside him is Hernanes with 55 percent of votes, and Claudio Marchisio with 52. Stefano Sturaro just missed the cut by only seven votes.

Up front, Marko Pjaca led the way with 77 percent of votes. It would be nice to see what he can do, and this would be the perfect formation and personnel to try him with. On the opposite wing, Juan Cuadrado just edged out Paulo Dybala with 55 percent of votes. Mario Mandzukic will spearhead the attack.

I would put out the same lineup. I would give Claudio a more advanced role than regista, while slotting Hernanes at the base of the midfield in that role. Mandzukic in between the two wingers is ideal for all three parties, plus this is a competition where he should be playing pretty much every game if available. Special players to keep an eye on are definitely Rincon and Pjaca. I would also try to get Moise Kean in there for as long as possible if we’re up by two or more goals.

The survey results were very tight. Kwadwo Asamoah received 48 percent of votes, while Chiellini received 45 of the votes. I’m not sure who the seven percent who voted other would rather see there, but to each their own. I’d like to see Asamoah there, personally. I just don’t think Chiellini would be able to make the transitions from defense to attack like Asamoah would be able to. I’ve never really been comfortable with Chiellini at left back. I’m pretty sure that my first comment ever on here was something about his abilities at left back, but I can’t remember how I found it that time, so I can’t pull it up right now. A rec from me if you figure out how to find it. Asamoah was also a solid, reliable player at left wingback (I know it’s not exactly the same thing) during the Conte era, and I’m still clinging onto the fact that a confidence boost might bring him to somewhat resemble what he once was.

Anthony and BWRAO’s Starting Lineup (4-3-3/4-5-1): Neto; Kwadwo Asamoah, Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele Rugani, Stephan Lichtsteiner; Claudio Marchisio, Hernanes, Tomas Rincon; Marko Pjaca, Mario Mandzukic, Juan Cuadrado.

Socrates · January 11, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Line-ups: Juventus-Atalanta

http://www.football-italia.net/96727/line-ups-juventus-atalanta

Jan 11, 2017

Juventus start Miralem Pjanic, Paulo Dybala and new signing Tomas Rincon in the Coppa Italia against ambitious Atalanta.

It kicks off in Turin at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT and the winners go through to face Milan or Torino in the quarter-final on January 25.

The trophy holders begin the defence of their TIM Cup title without Gigi Buffon, who is recovering from flu, Dani Alves, Mario Lemina and Medhi Benatia.

Leonardo Bonucci is back on the bench for the first time since a thigh strain on November 27, while Patrice Evra is left out as he considers a move to Valencia and Giorgio Chiellini is suspended.

Rincon arrived from Genoa during the January transfer window and he is given his first start in midfield with Hernanes and Claudio Marchisio.

Pjanic had been expected to rest in favour of Juan Cuadrado, but the Bosnian again takes the trequartista role, this time behind Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic.

Atalanta go into their first game since selling Roberto Gagliardini to Inter, while Marco Sportiello will reportedly undergo a medical with Fiorentina tomorrow or Friday.

Coach Gian Piero Gasperini has been a huge success so far this season and rotates the squad, resting Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez.

The Orobici famously struggle on their travels, losing seven of their last eight Coppa Italia away games.

However, Atalanta knocked Juve out the last time they met in this tournament during the 2004-05 edition. There was a 2-0 home victory and thrilling 3-3 draw in Turin.

Juventus: Neto; Lichtsteiner, Rugani, Barzagli, Asamoah; Rincon, Hernanes, Marchisio; Pjanic; Dybala, Mandzukic

Juventus bench: Audero, Del Favero, Semprini, Bonucci, Khedira, Sturaro, Cuadrado, Higuain, Pjaca

Atalanta: Berisha; Toloi, Caldara, Masiello; Conti, Freuler, Grassi, Spinazzola, Kurtic; Petagna, D’Alessandro

Atalanta bench: Sportiello, Bassi, Migliaccio, Pesic, Gomez, Konko, Raimondi, Melegoni, Gatti, Capone, Latte

Ref: Giacomelli

Socrates · January 11, 2017

Juve fans under investigation

http://www.football-italia.net/96728/juve-fans-under-investigation

Jan 11, 2017

Juventus have been placed under investigation after their fans made alleged anti-Semitic chants aimed at Fiorentina.

The incident occurred during their 3-0 Serie A victory over Bologna in Turin on Sunday.

The FIGC has opened an investigation into the allegations.

It heightens the tension ahead of this weekend’s showdown between Juve and Fiorentina, who have been bitter rivals for decades.

As it’s not the first time Juventus supporters have been accused of offensive chants, they could have to pay a heavy fine or even see parts of the stadium closed as punishment.

The Bianconeri host Atalanta this evening in the Coppa Italia Round of 16, so the authorities will be keeping a very close eye on the stands for more condemnable behaviour.

Socrates · January 11, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

HT 2-0: Dybala inspires Juventus

Afbeeldingsresultaat voor juventus atalanta 2-0 dybala

http://www.football-italia.net/96734/ht-dybala-inspires-juventus

Jan 11, 2017

Paulo Dybala scored a stunning volley and set up Mario Mandzukic for the second as Juventus lead Atalanta 2-0 at half-time in the Coppa Italia.

The winners of this one-off Round of 16 encounter will go on to face Milan or Torino on January 25.

Giorgio Chiellini was suspended for the trophy holders, with Gigi Buffon, Dani Alves, Medhi Benatia and Mario Lemina unavailable. When these sides met in Serie A last month, Atalanta were beaten 3-1 to end an excellent run of form.

Tomas Rincon got his first start since the move from Genoa and almost scored in the opening minutes, as Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross sailed just over his head.

Mario Mandzukic almost scored a bizarre goal on 16 minutes when he redirected Lichtsteiner’s cross with his stomach and it bounced off the upright from point-blank range.

Paulo Dybala appeared to be brought down in the box by Rafael Toloi, but the referee waved play on. La Joya did make the difference with the opening goal, as Mandzukic knocked down a cross for his absolutely ferocious left-foot volley from the edge of the box. There was no stopping that strike.

Andrea Petagna tested Norberto Neto, but Juve added a second when Dybala’s slide-rule pass sent Mandzukic clear for an angled drive.

Mandzukic threatened a third, firing just wide of the near top corner, but on the stroke of half-time he slipped on a volley at the back post and wasted the splendid Miralem Pjanic chipped assist.

Juventus 2-0 Atalanta (Half-Time)

Dybala 22 (J), Mandzukic 34 (J)

Juventus: Neto; Lichtsteiner, Rugani, Barzagli, Asamoah; Rincon, Hernanes, Marchisio; Pjanic; Dybala, Mandzukic

Atalanta: Berisha; Toloi, Caldara, Masiello; Conti, Freuler, Grassi, Spinazzola, Kurtic; Petagna, D’Alessandro

Ref: Giacomelli

Socrates · January 11, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Juventus 3-2 Atalanta: Dybala, Mandzukic

& Pjanic fire Old Lady to Coppa victoria

The forwards put the hosts into a comfortable early lead, but Atalanta

fought back strongly after the break to push Juve to the wire.

<a href="http://oi67.tinypic.com/2qlsk6f.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-atalanta/2378483/report?ICID=MP_MS_5

Jan 11, 2017

Juventus are on course for a record-breaking third consecutive Coppa Italia title after beating Atalanta 3-2 in the competition's round of 16.

Paulo Dybala's stunning volley put the Serie A leaders in front after 22 minutes at Juventus Stadium, and he played in Mario Mandzukic for the home side's second 12 minutes later.

Gian Piero Gasperini's spirited Atalanta side rallied late in the game with goals from substitutes Abdoulay Konko and Emmanuel Latte Lath, but Miralem Pjanic's penalty booked Massimiliano Allegri's men a clash with either Milan or Torino in the quarter-finals.

Atalanta have been the surprise package of Serie A this season and they arrived in Turin hoping to improve on the 3-1 league defeat they suffered at the same ground in December.

But they came up against a supremely confident Juventus attack despite Allegri's decision to rest star striker Gonzalo Higuain, and the Bianconeri hung on for the win at the end.

Atalanta's Alberto Grassi tested Juventus goalkeeper Neto with a low drive in the opening 30 seconds of a lively start to the match as the Serie A champions went toe-to-toe with one of this season's brightest teams.

Juve steadied themselves and should have taken the lead when Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross found Mandzukic unmarked, but the ball hit the Croatian striker's body before striking the post on its way wide.

The visitors' bright start seemed to work against them as a galvanised Juventus poured forward, and the opening goal was a delight to watch as Mandzukic headed a cross back to Dybala, who struck the sweetest of volleys to leave goalkeeper Etrit Berisha with no chance.

miralem-pjanic-mattia-caldara-juventus-a tomas-rincon-toloi-juventus-atalanta_jb9 mario-mandzukic-juventus-atalanta-coppa-

There was no let up from Juve's front pair and after 33 minutes Dybala played Mandzukic into the area and the 30-year-old side-footed his sixth goal of the season in at the far post, before missing a golden chance to make it 3-0 just before half-time.

Atalanta made a more cautious start to the second half than they had the first, but even sitting deep they struggled to contain the tireless Juventus attack.

Sloppy play at the back by Konko allowed Stefano Sturaro to cross for Mandzukic, whose header looped dangerously back across the face of goal before Andrea Masiello acrobatically cleared the danger.

With a trip to Fiorentina awaiting his side at the weekend, Allegri replaced Dybala with Marko Pjaca after an hour and moments later Tomas Rincon, making his full Juventus debut, was denied his first goal for the club when Berisha tipped his rising shot over the crossbar.

Atalanta's travelling support were finally given something to cheer when Andrea Petagna squared the ball to Konko and the full-back hit an instinctive half-volley that bounced in off the post.

Juventus' two-goal lead was restored just three minutes later when Marco D'Alessandro tripped Lichtsteiner in the box and Pjanic made no mistake from the penalty spot, but Atalanta hit back again to ensure a tense finish to the game.

Andrea Conti got in behind the Juventus defence and crossed for Latte Lath to nip in ahead of his marker and squeeze the ball between Neto and the post, but there was to be no dramatic equaliser for Gasperini's men.

Socrates · January 11, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Juve through to QF in five-goal thriller

<a href="http://oi66.tinypic.com/k4b239.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

h http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-atalanta/2378483/ratings

Jan 11, 2017

TEAM RATINGS

Juventus

Atalanta

Substitutes

Socrates · January 12, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Coppa: Juve squeeze past Atalanta

<a href="http://oi65.tinypic.com/11blpgp.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.football-italia.net/96737/coppa-juve-squeeze-past-atalanta

Jan 11, 2017

Paulo Dybala scored a stunning volley and provided an assist, but Juventus found it harder than expected to beat Atalanta 3-2 in the Coppa Italia.

The winners of this one-off Round of 16 encounter go on to face Milan or Torino in the Quarter-Final on January 25.

Giorgio Chiellini was suspended for the trophy holders, with Gigi Buffon, Dani Alves, Medhi Benatia and Mario Lemina unavailable. When these sides met in Serie A last month, Atalanta were beaten 3-1 to end an excellent run of form.

Tomas Rincon got his first start since the move from Genoa and almost scored in the opening minutes, as Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross sailed just over his head.

Mario Mandzukic almost scored a bizarre goal on 16 minutes when he redirected Lichtsteiner’s cross with his stomach and it bounced off the upright from point-blank range.

Dybala appeared to be brought down in the box by Rafael Toloi, but the referee waved play on. La Joya did make the difference with the opening goal, as Mandzukic knocked down a cross for his absolutely ferocious left-foot volley from the edge of the box. There was no stopping that strike.

Andrea Petagna tested Norberto Neto, but Juve added a second when Dybala’s slide-rule pass sent Mandzukic clear for an angled drive.

Mandzukic threatened a third, firing just wide of the near top corner, but on the stroke of half-time he slipped on a volley at the back post and wasted the splendid Miralem Pjanic chipped assist.

In the second half Atalanta kept more possession without making a dent in the Bianconeri defence and Mandzukic couldn’t get a clean header on to Stefano Sturaro’s cross.

Marko Pjaca made his comeback after three months out with a fracture and Rincon’s solo effort was fingertipped on to the crossbar by Etrit Berisha.

However, Atalanta did find their goal when Abdoulay Konko unleashed a scorcher on the outside of his right boot that flew in off the inside of the far post from the edge of the box.

It didn’t last long, as Marco D’Alessandro tripped Lichtsteiner for a penalty that Pjanic converted.

Konko should’ve had a second moments later, but ballooned wide from 10 yards after a woeful Norberto Neto clearance. Juve didn’t learn from that scare and did concede when 18-year-old Emmanuel Latte Lath got in front of Lichtsteiner to tap in a smart Andrea Conti pull-back from the by-line.

Neto struggled to control an Andrea Petagna curler, Remo Freuler turned over after a Hernanes error and Toloi wasted with a defender’s finish.

Juventus 3-2 Atalanta

Dybala 22 (J), Mandzukic 34 (J), Konko 71 (A), Pjanic pen 75 (J), Latte Lath 81 (A)

Juventus: Neto; Lichtsteiner, Rugani, Barzagli, Asamoah; Rincon, Hernanes, Marchisio (Sturaro 46); Pjanic (Bonucci 81); Dybala (Pjaca 62), Mandzukic

Atalanta: Berisha; Toloi, Caldara, Masiello; Conti, Freuler, Grassi (Latte 60), Spinazzola, Kurtic (Konko 46); Petagna, D’Alessandro (Gomez 82)

Ref: Giacomelli

Socrates · January 12, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Barzagli: 'Too many Juve risks'

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http://www.football-italia.net/96738/barzagli-too-many-juve-risks

Jan 11, 2017

Andrea Barzagli admits Juventus “really ran some big risks” against Atalanta after a 3-2 Coppa Italia victory.

The Bianconeri booked their spot in the Quarter-Final, where they’ll face Milan or Torino on January 25, but it was a surprisingly nervy finale.

“We knew it was a tough game, we had it on track, but the truth is we took our foot off the gas a bit towards the end and really ran some big risks,” Barzagli told Rai Sport.

“This just proves you cannot take your eye off the ball for a second, because the opponents will punish you.”

Remarkably, this was the first time Juventus had conceded two goals on home turf since hosting Bayern Munich in February 2016.

“Atalanta are a very good side and they naturally took advantage. Any goal you concede, even one into the far top corner, is conceded because you made a mistake. It’s never a fluke.”

Juve face another difficult test on Sunday with their trip to rivals Fiorentina in Serie A.

“Fiorentina are truly strong at home, they play excellent football with many talented players, so it’ll be a fascinating game.”

Socrates · January 13, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Allegri: 'Juventus keep doing this!'

<a href="http://oi65.tinypic.com/263tq8j.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.football-italia.net/96739/allegri-juventus-keep-doing

Jan 11, 2017

Max Allegri again blasted Juventus for “taking our foot off the gas” during a 3-2 Coppa Italia win over Atalanta. “It keeps happening.”

The Bianconeri seemed to be home and dry in the Round of 16 fixture at 2-0 after 34 minutes, but had to cling on under pressure in the final stages.

“It was a good performance from both teams,” the Coach told Rai Sport.

“Unfortunately we kind of stopped playing and at the end really ran a huge risk of conceding a third goal. At that stage it would’ve made qualification really tough, as Atalanta found confidence and were pouring forward.

“This type of match does us good, because we have to learn that the game isn’t over until the end and we’ve got to avoid these errors.

“I can understand the opposition being fired up, but I won’t accept us taking our foot off the gas. Tonight we ran a really big risk. The games aren’t over until the final whistle.

“We need to get it into our heads that you attack when it’s time to attack, then you defend when it’s time to defend. We’ve got to reflect, because this seems to happen to us a lot now, at least once a month.

“When the game looks like it’s safe, we have to keep a clean sheet. We defended badly on the goals, but other than those we didn’t really need tough saves. Atalanta had pushed forward, but if we defended in an organised and determined fashion, we wouldn’t have allowed them to score.”

Marko Pjaca made his comeback after three months out with a fracture.

“He had 15 minutes tonight and we’ll see how he trains. He returned after 100 days out, he’s young and tonight learned that it’s tough to play in Italy.”

Before the match, Juve director Beppe Marotta confirmed they are considering Schalke 04 left-back Sead Kolasinac, so will he arrive in January or at the end of the season?

“At the moment we’ve got Patrice Evra, so it’s unlikely we’ll have someone new in,” was Allegri’s response.

Evra has been dropped from the squad for the last two competitive games while he decides on the Valencia offer.

Socrates · January 13, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Dybala leads Juventus past Atalanta

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-coppa-italia/story/3036777/coppa-italia-dybala

-leads-juventus-past-atalanta-fiorentina-see-off-chievo-verona

Jan 11, 2017

Two of Serie A's brightest young talents were on full display as Juventus and Fiorentina each advanced to the Coppa Italia quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Paulo Dybala scored one goal and set up another as Juventus beat in-form Atalanta 3-2, while Federico Bernardeschi converted a penalty in stoppage time and hit the crossbar as Fiorentina defeated Chievo Verona 1-0.

Six-time champion Fiorentina's next opponent is Napoli, who beat Serie B side Spezia 3-1 on Tuesday.

At the Juventus Stadium, Dybala's exploits made manager Massimiliano Allegri's decision to rest Gonzalo Higuain look smart.

Mario Mandzukic nearly broke the deadlock in the early stages when he met a cross with his chest and the ball struck the post. Juventus then protested for an apparent penalty after Dybala was taken down a few minutes later.

Midway through the first half, the 23-year-old Dybala scored with a volley from outside the area following a touch from Mandzukic.

Twelve minutes later, Dybala threaded a pass through to Mandzukic, who made it 2-0 with an angled shot.

After Dybala was taken off, the final 20 minutes proved nervous for Juventus.

Abdoulay Konko pulled one back for Atalanta in the 72nd, hammering in a shot off the inside of the post from the edge of the area. Goalkeeper Neto, starting in place of Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon, had no chance to stop the shot.

Three minutes later, Miralem Pjanic restored Juventus' two-goal lead with a penalty after Stephan Lichtsteiner was fouled inside the area.

However, in the 81st, Atalanta's 18-year-old Ivory Coast forward Emmanuel Latte Lath beat Lichtsteiner to redirect a cross in to make it 3-2.

Juventus hadn't conceded two goals at home since drawing 2-2 with Bayern Munich in the Champions League nearly a year ago.

"We knew it would be a tough match," Juventus defender Andrea Barzagli said. "We really risked a lot."

Dybala and Bernardeschi will go head-to-head when Juventus visit Fiorentina on Sunday in Serie A play.

Defending champion Juventus will next face AC Milan or Torino, who play on Thursday.

The other Round-of-16 matchups are Inter Milan vs. Bologna; Sassuolo vs. Cesena; Lazio vs. Genoa; and Roma vs. Sampdoria.

Socrates · January 13, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Dybala: 'I'm happy at Juventus'

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h ttp://www.football-italia.net/96744/dybala-im-happy-juventus

Jan 11, 2017

Paulo Dybala assures “nobody talked to me about offers” from Barcelona or Real Madrid, but he hopes to follow Alex Del Piero’s footsteps at Juventus.

He has been repeatedly linked with the two Spanish giants for next season, so which would he prefer?

“Nobody has talked to me about offers,” La Joya told Rai Sport.

The Argentine scored a spectacular volley and set up Mario Mandzukic in tonight’s 3-2 Coppa Italia victory over Atalanta, putting the shoot-out error in the Supercoppa Italiana against Milan behind him.

It was a goal reminiscent of the kind scored by Juventus legend Del Piero.

“I’d love to have his career. I am very happy a Juve and my agent will arrive over the next few days to discuss the contract renewal with the club."

Arrigo Sacchi recommended that Real Madrid swoop for Dybala, but he had a response.

"I am thinking only about what Juventus and I decide. That's what matters.

“I have to tip my hat to Atalanta, because they are a really good team and they play very well. I had a bit of a rough time over the winter break, because I’d never missed a penalty with Juventus before, but now I feel better.

“I am only 23 years old, so I need to improve in so many areas, such as my physical strength and my right foot. I am enjoying the role of a trequartista, as (Coach Max) Allegri is giving me a lot of space and I can express myself well there.”

Socrates · January 13, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Allegri won’t accept Juventus

players taking foot off the gas

Manager’s post-match comments after close win

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http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/1/12/14245092/allegri-

wont-accept-juve-taking-foot-off-the-gas-atalanta-coppa-italia

Jan 12, 2017

Juventus had to undergo a difficult end to the game as Atalanta threatened to equalize late, but pulled out a 3-2 win to proceed to the next round of the Coppa Italia.

After the game, manager Massimiliano Allegri was in no mood for platitudes.

“Juventus keep doing this! It keeps happening.

“It was a good performance from both teams. Unfortunately we kind of stopped playing and at the end really ran a huge risk of conceding a third goal. At that stage it would’ve made qualification really tough, as Atalanta found confidence and were pouring forward.

“This type of match does us good, because we have to learn that the game isn’t over until the end and we’ve got to avoid these errors.

“I can understand the opposition being fired up, but I won’t accept us taking our foot off the gas. Tonight we ran a really big risk. The games aren’t over until the final whistle.

“We need to get it into our heads that you attack when it’s time to attack, then you defend when it’s time to defend. We’ve got to reflect, because this seems to happen to us a lot now, at least once a month.

“When the game looks like it’s safe, we have to keep a clean sheet. We defended badly on the goals, but other than those we didn’t really need tough saves. Atalanta had pushed forward, but if we defended in an organised and determined fashion, we wouldn’t have allowed them to score.”

Marko Pjaca made a long-awaited return to the game after facing three months out.

“He had 15 minutes tonight and we’ll see how he trains. He returned after 100 days out, he’s young and tonight learned that it’s tough to play in Italy.”

With Patrice Evra’s future unclear, Beppe Marotta had told the media earlier today that Juve are looking at Schalke’s left back Sead Kolasinac.

“At the moment we’ve got Patrice Evra, so it’s unlikely we’ll have someone new in.”

His opposite number Gian Piero Gasperini felt his plucky Atalanta side had done well.

“It was an excellent second half performance and we were on the same level as Juventus.

“Overall it has to be considered a positive game. We gave it our best shot and scared them, but were unable to get the goal for extra time. I am happy with how Latte Lath played and his goal.”

In reference to the competition structure where the higher-seeded team plays at home, he said -

“I personally do not like the structure of the competition, as it gives too many advantages to the big clubs.”

Juve had beaten the Orobici a month ago 3-1, also at the Juventus Stadium.

Socrates · January 13, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Paulo Dybala dices up Atalanta defence

on way to Coppa Italia win

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3036841/

paulo-dybala-dices-up-atalanta-defence-on-way-to-coppa-italia-win

Jan 12, 2017

It wasn't the easiest of victories, but Juventus got over the line and defeated Atalanta 3-2 to secure qualification to the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia.

Juventus controlled the match and attacked with intelligence from the start to demonstrate superiority, but as soon as they scored the second goal of the night, they began to drop their concentration levels.

Atalanta were invited back into their game and continued to try different schemes in order to exploit any potential gaps or mistakes. Never surrendering, they pushed and fought and came close to equalising, but in the end, Juventus held firm and qualified for the next stage of the competition.

Positives

Tomas Rincon played a good game for his first start in the Bianconeri colours, but perhaps the greatest positive Juve can take out of this game is the return of Paulo Dybala. The player is truly an exceptional talent and now that he finds himself in good condition, he impact is starting to be felt once again. Capable of perfect finishes, excellent movement and wonderful assists, he is a delight to watch as he weaves his way through defences, initiating attack after attack.

Negatives

While it's been entertaining to watch Juventus start matches with such attacking verve, the manner in which they drop their concentration after scoring goals is concerning. Once again, they felt their job was done early on and allowed Atalanta's youthful, exuberant side to continuously attack and even score, running too many risks. Juventus should learn how to control a game and ensure that even after the goals are scored, they defend as a unit with grit and desire to secure victories and easy endings to matches, especially when playing at home.

Manager rating out of 10

5 -- Massimiliano Allegri is usually known for making the right substitutions, but on this occasion he did not. Taking off Claudio Marchisio and replacing him with Stefano Sturaro effectively robbed Juve's midfield of control and balance. Rincon, Hernanes and Sturaro are not who Juve need to play together to provide stability.

Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating):

GK Norberto Neto, 6 -- Should have done better on the near post for Atalanta's second goal and his clearances weren't always the best. Can produce perfection, like on Andrea Petagna's shot, but also guilty of several more errors than Gianluigi Buffon would have committed.

DF Stephan Lichtsteiner, 6 -- Played with his heart, doing all he could to command the right lane. Won the penalty but was also at fault for Atalanta's second goal.

DF Andrea Barzagli, 6 -- Always has been and always will be a pillar of strength and intelligence at the back. Controls the defence perfectly.

DF Daniele Rugani, 6 -- Measured, attentive to his duties and composed. Not the easiest of nights but handled himself well.

DF Kwadwo Asamoah, 5 -- Really struggled towards the end and not one who copes well under pressure. Perhaps he still needs time to get back to his previous levels.

MF Tomas Rincon 6 -- A great debut from the new arrival who was close to scoring a goal and demonstrated how well he's taken to Juve's style of play.

MF Hernanes, 5 -- Barely noticeable, Hernanes does his job adequately but guilty of too many inaccuracies. Suffered greatly in the second half.

MF Claudio Marchisio, 7 -- Brings balance, intelligence and control to the game. His every manoeuvre was well-executed. His departure left the team in disarray.

MF Miralem Pjanic, 6 -- His vision knows no bounds and he converted the penalty coolly to make it 3-1, but not one to provide brilliance for the entirety of the match.

FW Paulo Dybala, 8 -- Scored a beautiful left-footed volley to open the scoring. Exuding confidence, Dybala moved with grace, demonstrated power and provided the assist for Mario Mandzukic's goal. Man of the match.

FW Mario Mandzukic, 7 -- He's not always the most refined of players, but he scored the goal and worked tirelessly in an attempt to ease the pressure off the defence towards the end of the game. Team player.

Substitutes:

MF Stefano Sturaro, 6 -- Always gritty, always willing to fight for every ball but his arrival on the pitch resulted in the loss of midfield balance. Not his fault but he must play alongside more tactically intelligent and refined players to excel.

FW Marko Pjaca, 6 -- Finally back from injury, the player accelerated well and showed his strength on the ball. Not yet at his optimum physical level.

DF Leonardo Bonucci, N/A -- Came on to help provide security at the back.

Socrates · January 13, 2017

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

3-2

Paulo Dybala 22'

Mario Mandzukic 34'

Abdoulay Konko 72'

Miralem Pjanic (penalty) 75'

Emmanuel Latte Lath 81'

COPPA ITALIA TIM - ROUND OF SIXTEEN

Wednesday, January 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Juventus 3-2 Atalanta Coppa Italia –

By the skin of our teeth

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http://www.juvefc.com/juventus-3-2-atalanta-coppa-italia-skin-teeth/

Jan 12, 2017

Player Ratings

Neto – A spectator until the final half hour horror show. And could do very little about either goal conceded. 6

Rugani – Was tested constantly by a very lively Atalanta offence and generally stood firm other than the odd misplaced pass. He appears more comfortable playing with Bonucci or Chiellini, in the DCR position. 6

Barzagli – Rusty yet marshalled the line fairly well. He will need more games to return to his best and fatigue set in to his legs and mind in the latter stages. 5.5

Asamoah – Gave his finest hour of the season, then dropped off horribly. I was jolly to see him so involved at both ends of the pitch, strong in the challenge and providing the cross from which Dybala scored his brilliant effort. Should have been hooked off but Allegri decided to rest the only other option for LB (Chiellini). 6.5

Lichsteiner – Somewhat at fault for the second goal conceded as he was outmuscled in the box, yet won the penalty and was up and down the flank with great steam and threat. 6.5

Marchisio – Still working on his fitness but showed moments of class on the ball. We were instantly less threatening when he was subbed and it was baffling to see him play a different role with Hernanes in his regista role. 6

Hernanes – He has not played regularly for a while and it showed. Guilty of some terrible passes, once or twice gifting the opposition possession in dangerous areas. Offered very little defensively and was all at sea for the final stages. 5

Rincon – Brilliant full debut for El General. He is far better on the ball than I assumed from the reports and brief delvings into his past I have made of late. Went close with a great effort, tackled hard, covered a lot of ground, showed quality on the ball and offered solid support in the final third. 7

Pjanic – Mature, intelligent and potent showing. Miralem linked the midfield and attack with cunning and guile, tucked away the penalty confidently and is growing into the AM role behind the strikers. 7

Dybala – La Joya is swiftly returning to sublime form. His sharpness is still lacking, as witnessed through some wayward passing, yet his goal was taken superbly; it was a moment of beauty and he also provided the perfect assist for Mandzukic to score our second. 7

Mandzukic – A trojan as always, defending deep, offering a reference point up top, battling hard for every blade of grass, a well taken goal and assist for Dybala. 7.5

Sturaro – Fought hard, yet was undone by an empty Asamoah, leaving gaps behind him whenever he bombed forward. He needs to cut out some of the theatrics, for whilst he does throw himself into every tackle with everything he has, he has developed a habit of making a meal of some collisions. Which the refs in Europe will despise and pounce upon and the refs in Italy will simply assume he is acting and wave play on when he is seriously crunched. The boy who cried wolf, young Sturaro…5.5

Pjaca – Lively and direct , yet forged only one meaningful forage forward in his brief cameo. The kid needs time and games. 6

We looked a decent side for the opening half, dealing with the youthful exuberance of our impressive visitors and carving out some decent chances. We were well worth the 2-0 lead taken into half time.

However, once Claudio departed, our play became disjointed. Asamoah then tired badly and the defence became stretched. Complacency is one suggestion, but fear is another, for we looked scared, and once that set it, it was an uphill struggle with the penalty providing brief respite. After which, despite bringing on Bonucci to shore up the failing back line we were a damn shambles. Awful to watch and had Atalanta scored a third – they came mightily close – the momentum was assuredly with Gasperini’s charges.

It was shameful to see Mandzukic taking the ball into the corner flag to waste time, when playing at home to Atalanta. A revelation they may be, but they are Atalanta, not Bayern Munich or Real Madrid and Juve should never be resorting to such humiliating antics to confirm such a victory. One other bother with big Mario is that we can marvel at his proclivity to offer defensive assistance, yet when he is deep, we are lacking a reference point and goal-scorer in the final third. He should not need to be dragged back so often, which is no criticism of the player, its clearly how he is asked to play, but it hurts us. Let the defenders defend and the attackers attack. It is futile to win the ball deep and have solely Pjanic and Dybala, hardly the most physically powerful players, to hunt out higher up the field.

The mentality of this side when we present a side absent of a few key players is questionable at best. I am unsure if it is more the deficit of quality or confidence, but it needs to be addressed. We are approaching a period when the squad available is close to as strong as it can be. Admittedly, plenty of players need time to gain sharpness, and so a performance such as this one can still be put down to mitigating circumstances. However, this excuse will run short come February.

Asamoah was a major positive then horrid negative. Hernanes back to his worst. Barzagli not the rock we expect. The only truly pleasing aspects of the performance were Rincon seamlessly slotting into the side and Dybala scoring and providing an assist. Few others came out with any credit except Pjanic and Asamoah (prior to his sudden and complete drop in stamina).

Whilst we have signed a decent player in Rincon, we remain heavily reliant on Marchisio. Perhaps El General could be given a shot in the DM role, for nobody else appears capable of providing reliable cover. I would go as far as to say that if Il Principino finds himself injured for a lengthy period, we will still likely win the league, but not at a canter, and our european ambitions will be dead on the vine. We have returned to the elite level as a club, and our strength in depth has improved. Yet it is equally fair to say that our second string are liable to atrophy. Treating the ball like a hot potato, anywhere will do, even straight to the opposition…Which is cringeworthy to watch.

Work to be done, Boss.

Experience counts for so much in the game, as does mentality. Quality is of course paramount, but without the first two aspects that quality can be subdued and listless. We have rarely played as the sum of our parts let alone beyond that. And this remains the biggest challenge of Allegri’s tenure as boss.

Atalanta were confident, organised and never faltered in their belief. We were good value for one half, then faltered, and finally cowered. Gasperini was wrong to say they were on the same level in the second half, for his side were better. Had it not been for a glaring miss late on, we would likely have bowed out the coppa italia at the first damn hurdle.

On a happier note…Caldara played very well indeed. He is stunningly assured and careful, knowing when to dive in, when to hold off and screen, covering the channels, moving as one with his colleagues at the back. And he will improve further. A great signing by the club.

We qualified for the next round, suffered no further injury woes and saw a couple of players continue their path towards full match readiness.

Our next four games offer serious challenge –

Fiorentina A

Lazio H

Sassuolo A

Inter H

Before three eminently winnable games against weak opposition in the lead up to the Porto tie. No doubt Allegri will be aiming to rotate during that period, which I am very much against at this stage of the season. We remain in dire need of seeking form and consistency and this will only be achieved through playing our strongest first XI week in week out.

Despite the angst raging in the above, to look at our situation from an anaemic, solely results and position perspective; all is fine and dandy.

Plenty of room for improvement.

Forza Juve

Socrates · January 13, 2017

FIORENTINA - JUVENTUS

MATCHDAY 20

Sunday, January 15th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Artemio Franchi Stadium, Florence
Referee: Luca Banti

Del Piero: 'Fiorentina-Juve a derby'

http://www.football-italia.net/96775/del-piero-fiorentina-juve-derby

Jan 12, 2017

Alessandro Del Piero admits Fiorentina and Juventus have such bitter rivalry that “it can be considered a derby.”

It kicks off on Sunday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 GMT at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

“It can be considered a derby and I certainly see it that way. Like a derby, everything that happens before only counts to a certain degree,” Del Piero told reporters in Florence.

“I scored perhaps the most beautiful and significant goal of my career against Fiorentina. In fact, it was certainly the best goal I’ve ever scored.

“Against them I also got the hat-trick that allowed me to beat Giampiero Boniperti’s record. There has always been a fascinating atmosphere around this game, which can be very tense at times.”

Juve are top of the Serie A table with a game in hand, but Del Piero isn’t counting a sixth straight Scudetto yet.

“The title race isn’t over, but Juventus have shown so far that they’ve got an extra gear compared to everyone else. They have quality, results and their fans are accustomed to success.

“Roma and Napoli are certainly the teams that are closest to Juventus and can cause them problems.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

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JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

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Socrates 8526

Juventus