JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

Socrates · May 6, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Allegri: Juve not thinking beyond the next game

Manager’s pre-match comments ahead of Derby della Mole

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/5/6/15567164/allegri-juve-not

-thinking-beyond-next-game-juventus-torino-preview-derby-della-mole

May 6, 2017

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Juventus take on cross-town rivals Torino today with the season winding down, and as his usual, manager Massimiliano Allegri warned against any kind of complacency.

“Atalanta, Monaco and Torino all play a fairly similar game, especially in terms of players. They each have great technique and pace in their teams.

“The derby? There’ll be a nice atmosphere, even for what happened during the Superga anniversary.

“In the face of tragedies, there’s only respect, there are no colours. The fans must behave well and be calm.”

Despite Juve now holding a nine-point lead with just four games to play over a rapidly-fading Roma, Allegri insists it’s all still left to play for.

“There’s still a bit of the campaign to go before we can win the title, and we’ve yet to reach the Champions League final.

“We’d have to play the Coppa Italia before the [Champions League] final, plus many other matches. But we must get to the finish line first.

“The team are in a good mental and physical condition, the lads picked up a great result in Monaco, but we can do better in the return leg from a performance perspective.

“Getting to June won’t be easy. These 20 days must be had with great enthusiasm and desire to get to the end of the season because it doesn’t happen every year, and every moment has to be had the same as the last one.

“We’re thinking about what will happen tomorrow, not the season’s end. For now, thinking beyond the next game can put you off-track. We only have one certainty, the Coppa Italia final.

“The other final will be decided on Tuesday and the title will be decided once it’s mathematically the case. “We’ll train and think about tomorrow, then Monaco. It’s useless to make predictions, so we’ll just go for it and nothing more than that.”

Torino President Urbano Cairo said that there was no way he’d sell star Andrea Belotti to Juve. Allegri for his part also said Belotti wouldn’t fit in at the Bianconeri.

“Belotti and Mihajlovic? Belotti’s a great champion and Italy’s future. I know Sinisa comes to see us often, so he’ll be prepared for the game.

“Belotti and Higuain? You can’t play these two together, not even with glue.”

He went on to call Belotti “a great champion and Italy’s future”, before launching a rant over today’s one-hit wonders.

“The Italian League is criticised so much, but everyone who comes here improves, especially from a tactical perspective, so much so that all the foreign players are coming here, to Italy.

“Buffon and Ronaldo are two great role models, Gigi even more than Ronaldo due to his age.

“They have great sincerity and professionalism, as well as great heads and sacrifice, which today’s young players have little of because they think they’re phenomena after 30 minutes.

“It takes great qualities and a great head to become a phenomenon.”

There were some random references towards who would be in the team today.

“My XI? It’s a pretty good problem because even I don’t know [my XI] yet. Today we’ll train and then we’ll see.

“I have players that allow me to change things, even if some are ahead of others.

“Marchisio had a great match on Wednesday and is returning to his usual level. I don’t think he’ll play tomorrow, but he’s made a big contribution and he’s coming back.

“Bonucci will play tomorrow.

“The derby will be a very difficult match, Torino are in good shape. They’ll be aggressive, but we won’t need to be in order to pick up a positive result.”

As always a question about his future.

“My renewal? It makes no sense to talk about it, neither now or before. We’ll meet when it’s possible, but there are no problems.”

Juve only need to match Roma’s result this weekend to become uncatchable mathematically.

“Celebrations? If there’s going to be a celebration from now until the end of the season, we’ll do it. We work when we have to work and celebrate when we have to celebrate, but we’ll also have to be good at plugging in the plug.”

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

Socrates · May 6, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Line-ups: Juventus-Torino

http://www.football-italia.net/102186/line-ups-juventus-torino

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus rest several star names for the Derby della Mole, but will need to be on their toes against Andrea Belotti’s Torino tonight.

The Bianconeri have their eyes on the Treble, as they are nine points clear at the top of the Serie A table, will face Lazio in the Coppa Italia Final and won the first leg of the Champions League semi-final 2-0 away to Monaco.

With the second leg coming up here on Tuesday, Max Allegri needs fresh legs, so he’s resting Gigi Buffon, Gonzalo Higuain, Dani Alves, Giorgio Chiellini, Alex Sandro and Miralem Pjanic are all rested.

Sami Khedira starts, as he was suspended in Monaco, while Mario Mandzukic moves into the centre-forward role.

There would’ve been even more changes, but Daniele Rugani and Marko Pjaca are injured, while Moise Kean is playing for Italy at the European Under-17 Championship.

Torino have pride at stake and want to make Belotti the Capocannoniere, a role he currently shares with Roma striker Edin Dzeko on 25 goals.

The Derby della Mole – named after the Mole Antonelliana building that dominates the city skyline – always means a great deal to the Granata.

Sinisa Mihajlovic is missing Lorenzo De Silvestri and Arlind Ajeti, while Lucas Boye is again chosen ahead of Juan Manuel Iturbe, who got his first Toro goal last week.

Torino have beaten their city rivals just once in Serie A since Ruggiero Rizzitelli’s brace sealed a 2-1 ‘away’ result at the old Stadio delle Alpi in April 1995, along with four draws and 16 defeats, home and away. The lone victory was 2-1 on Granata turf in April 2015.

Juventus: Neto; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Benatia, Asamoah; Khedira, Rincon; Cuadrado, Dybala, Sturaro; Mandzukic

Juventus bench: Buffon, Audero, Dani Alves, Mattiello, Barzagli, Chiellini, Mandragora, Alex Sandro, Pjanic, Marchisio, Lemina, Higuain

Torino: Hart; Zappacosta, Rossettini, Moretti, Molinaro; Acquah, Baselli; Iago Falque, Ljajic, Boye; Belotti

Torino bench: Padelli, Cucchietti, Carlao, Castan, Barreca, Avelar, Benassi, Valdifiori, Lukic, Obi, Iturbe, Maxi Lopez

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

Socrates · May 6, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Bonucci: 'Juve must prove ourselves'

http://www.football-italia.net/102188/bonucci-juve-must-prove-ourselves

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Leonardo Bonucci warned Juventus must “prove on the field” that they deserve all the praise ahead of the Derby della Mole with Torino.

“This is another match where Juventus have to prove on the field that we’re a team, we deserve the praise and we are focused, because we already lost points in Bergamo by taking the wrong approach and can’t do that again,” Bonucci told Mediaset Premium.

The Bianconeri were held to a 2-2 draw by Atalanta last week, ahead of their 2-0 Champions League semi-final victory in Monaco.

“It’s the Derby, it’s worth the Scudetto for us, while for them it’ll be the game of the season and two days after Superga they want to honour their heroes.”

Last week, Bonucci was spotted in the stands to watch Torino play with his son Lorenzo, a Granata supporter.

“Lorenzo? He didn’t say much to me today. He was a little tired actually, perhaps because he was tense for the derby!”

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

Socrates · May 6, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Moretti: 'Torino focused on ourselves'

http://www.football-italia.net/102189/moretti-torino-focused-ourselves

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Torino wing-back Emiliano Moretti doubts Juventus will be weakened by squad rotation in the Derby della Mole this evening.

It kicks off at the Juventus Stadium at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

“We know this is a very important game with immense motivation. We prepared all week for this and now want to use it in the match situation,” Moretti told Mediaset Premium.

Max Allegri has made many changes to rest stars for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final against Monaco.

“Juventus have such a big squad precisely to allow for rotation and competing over three tournaments. Whoever plays is irrelevant, we just have to focus on our own approach.

“We know Juve have no weaknesses, but we know our potential and have to make the most of that.”

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

Socrates · May 6, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Cairo: 'Torino will invest for future'

http://www.football-italia.net/102189/moretti-torino-focused-ourselves

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Torino President Urbano Cairo pledged to invest further in the squad to challenge for Europe and has a gift for Leonardo Bonucci’s Granata-supporting son.

It kicks off at the Juventus Stadium at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

“Superga is a very special moment for us, one of remembrance of our fallen and an incredible team that won five Scudetti in a row,” Cairo told Mediaset Premium after this week’s commemoration of Il Grande Torino’s demise.

“Certainly, the support of the fans at Superga was strong and added further motivation to what is always an important event in the Toro calendar.

“I think the important thing is that we had a good season, albeit not the one we intended to have. We are the seventh most prolific side in Torino’s history, so that is excellent, but we conceded a few too many goals as well.

“If we had converted some of those penalties that we wasted, for instance against Milan both home and away, those would’ve taken us up to 52 points and dropped Milan to 56. At times we absolutely dominated games and peppered their goal with shots and still couldn’t win, so we were not far off success.

“This is a new squad, a new Coach, a new system and many young players, so I think we laid the foundations for the future.

“We intend to keep the team largely intact, though we have a pact with Andrea Belotti that if a club from abroad pays €100m, we’d be obligated to sell unless of course he turned them down. I think it’d be good for him, for us and for Italy if he stayed with us for another year.

“We’ve already signed some players for next season, we bought out Iago Falque, so the investments have been made, but we intend to do more to make Torino competitive for a return to Europe.”

Cairo revealed that the Derby della Mole would be a lot less tense than usual thanks to the presence of a very special little boy – Lorenzo Bonucci.

“We prepared a special shirt for him. It was wonderful seeing such healthy support for rivals in a football world that can be full of poisonous rhetoric.”

Juventus defender Bonucci took his son to see Toro last week.

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

Socrates · May 6, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Marotta: 'Allegri among best in the world'

http://www.football-italia.net/102191/marotta-allegri-among-best-world

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus director Beppe Marotta praised Max Allegri as “one of the best Coaches in the world” and targets Derby della Mole success.

It kicks off at the Juventus Stadium at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

“The Derby has its own motivation, so we must remain concentrated only on this game,” Marotta told Mediaset Premium.

“It’s only natural that if Allegri were to sign a contract extension, we’d have nothing more to talk about. He has already proved himself to be a great Coach, one of the best in the world.

“It is satisfying to have such a strong professional who has made the most of the resources at his disposal, even if he arrived in Turin amid general scepticism.

“This squad is competitive for our objectives, with highly-motivated professionals who always want to win. That also means it’s not easy to improve upon the current team and there are few players up for negotiation who fit the bill.

“We keep a close eye on the market, but are happy with the squad at our disposal.”

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

Socrates · May 6, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

HT 0-0: Juventus rattle Torino

http://www.football-italia.net/102191/marotta-allegri-among-best-world

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Medhi Benatia hit the woodwork and Joe Hart made a couple of saves, as Torino are holding Juventus at half-time in the Derby della Mole.

This was the local derby and came just two days after commemorations at Superga for the demise of Il Grande Torino in the plane crash.

It was also a few days before the Champions League semi-final against Monaco, so Juve rotated the squad and rested numerous stars. Toro missed Lorenzo De Silvestri and Arlind Ajeti.

Torino had beaten their city rivals just once in Serie A since Ruggiero Rizzitelli’s brace sealed a 2-1 ‘away’ result at the old Stadio delle Alpi in April 1995, along with four draws and 16 defeats, home and away. The lone victory was 2-1 on Granata turf in April 2015.

Medhi Benatia’s header from a corner bounced off the underside of the bar and back out, then Leonardo Bonucci’s follow-up was deflected over by Cristian Molinaro from close range.

Iago Falque scuffed his volley wide from the edge of the box, while Luca Rossettini got his foot to a Juan Cuadrado cross before Mario Mandzukic could strike.

Stephan Lichtsteiner stung Joe Hart’s gloves at the near post, Tomas Rincon sprinted back to stop an Adem Ljajic counter and Belotti fired over under pressure on a Davide Zappacosta cross.

Dybala completed a great give-and-go with Mandzukic, but Hart parried the finish with his chest at the near post. On the stroke of half-time, Adem Ljajic turned just over the far top corner, as the ball bounced slightly.

Juventus 0-0 Torino (Half-Time)

Juventus: Neto; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Benatia, Asamoah; Khedira, Rincon; Cuadrado, Dybala, Sturaro; Mandzukic

Torino: Hart; Zappacosta, Rossettini, Moretti, Molinaro; Acquah, Baselli; Iago Falque, Ljajic, Boye; Belotti

Ref: Valeri

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

Socrates · May 6, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Juventus 1 Torino 1: Last-gasp Higuain

strike cancels out Ljajic stunner

Substitute Gonzalo Higuain's stoppage-time strike earned Juventus

a 1-1 draw in an enthralling Serie A clash against city rivals Torino.

<a href="http://oi67.tinypic.com/28bqwr8.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-torino/2306101

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Gonzalo Higuain's 92nd-minute strike dealt a cruel blow to 10-man Torino as Juventus claimed a 1-1 draw in a thrilling Derby della Mole in Serie A.

In a frantic encounter at Juventus Stadium, Adem Ljajic's exquisite free-kick had looked set to seal a first away league victory for Torino - who also had head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic sent to the stands - against Juventus since April 1995.

However, a moment of brilliance from substitute Higuain - whose double against Monaco last time out put Juve in pole position to reach the Champions League final - salvaged a point to nudge Massimiliano Allegri's side closer to retaining the title.

Paulo Dybala, Medhi Benatia and Mario Mandzukic were all guilty of wasting golden opportunities as Juve dominated prior to Ljajic's opener, though Afriyie Acquah's harsh dismissal 57 minutes in looked set to scupper Torino's chances.

Torino fought valiantly, though, and it was not until Higuain spun his marker to unleash a venomous drive past Joe Hart that their hopes were shattered.

The draw ensures that Juve, who lead second-placed Napoli by eight points, extend their remarkable unbeaten home run in Serie A to 34 matches and moves them a step closer to a sixth straight Scudetto crown.

A much-changed Juve started brightly, with Dybala's brilliant set-pieces causing havoc for Torino's defence.

Indeed, it was from a corner that Juve went close to opening the scoring as Benatia headed Dybala's wicked delivery against the woodwork - Leonardo Bonucci unable to convert on the rebound.

Restored to a more familiar central role in place of Higuain, Mandzukic was the next to go close, the Croatia striker unable to direct Juan Cuadrado's terrific cross on target.

For all Juve's dominance, Hart was not truly tested until just prior to half-time, the Manchester City loanee charging out to deny Dybala after the Argentine had combined excellently with Mandzukic.

Despite Juve's attacking prowess, though, Allegri's side found themselves behind seven minutes into the second half.

Iago Falque drew a clumsy foul from Kwadwo Asamoah 25 yards out and Ljajic made Juve pay with a sublime free-kick that nestled into the top-left corner, leaving stand-in goalkeeper Neto stranded to the spot.

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Mandzukic looked set to restore parity almost immediately, only for the former Atletico Madrid man to skew his effort wide after getting one-on-one with Hart.

Juve were handed a lifeline minutes later though, Acquah picking up a second yellow card for what seemed a perfectly timed challenge on Mandzukic - with Torino boss Mihajlovic also receiving his marching orders for his reaction to the decision.

Allegri's side quickly looked to make their numerical advantage count, but both Tomas Rincon and Sami Khedira failed to hit the target from gilt-edged chances.

Juve flooded forward and finally had their rewards when Higuain engineered space for himself on the edge of the area with a clever turn, drilling a blistering strike into the bottom-left corner to earn Allegri's side a share of the spoils.

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Ljajic Ends Juventus’ Home Winning Streak

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

https://forzaitalianfootball.com/2017/05/ljajic-ends-juventus-home-winning-streak/

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

An amazing freekick from Adem Ljajic almost gave Torino a hard-fought win over Juventus in the Derby della Mole, but Gonzalo Higuain popped up at the death to rescue a point for the home side.

Placing the ball brilliantly into the top corner, the Serbian did help end Juve’s 33-match winning streak at the J Stadium in Serie A, but Higuain’s 32nd goal of the season ensured it wasn’t a defeat for the Bianconeri.

Afriye Acquah was also sent off for Torino on 57 minutes, five after they took the lead.

Juventus spurned a slew of chances with Leonardo Bonucci smashing into the stands from six yards out, following Medhi Benatia’s header hitting the crossbar.

Seconds after Ljajic opened the scoring, Juventus went up the other end but Mario Mandzukic dragged a shot wide, then Acquah was sent off after collecting two yellow cards for a challenge on the Croatian which reduced Toro to ten men.

Despite pinning their opponents in their own half, with Sami Khedira missing an easy chance from 12 yards, and just as it looked Juve wouldn’t be able to get the ball past Joe Hart, Higuain blasted into the bottom corner.

MATCH FACTS

Juve have not won at home in the league for the first time in 591 days, since 23/09/2015 Juventus-Frosinone 1-1.
Juventus’ home winning streak in Serie A has come to an end: 33 wins in a row, a new Serie A all-time record.
Juventus have scored a goal in the 90th minute or later in a Turin derby in four of their last six Serie A derbies.
Juventus have fallen behind at home only twice in Serie A this season (first was against Udinese in October).
No team have scored more set piece goals than Torino (23) in Serie A this season.
Adem Ljajic has scored at least nine goals in a single Serie A campaign for the first time since 2012/13 (11 goals for Fiorentina).
Juventus have become Ljajic’s 21st opponent against whom he’s scored at least one goal in Serie A.
Higuain has scored 32 goals in this season in all competitions, only 6 goals away from last season’s tally.
Torino have found the net in three consecutive Serie A derbies away to Juventus for the first time since April 1995.
Juve have found the net in each of their last 26 Serie A games.
Juventus have not conceded a shot on target by half time in 12 of their 35 Serie A matches this season.

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Derby della Mole drama!

<a href="http://oi64.tinypic.com/358w6tt.jpg" target="_blank">View Raw Image</a>

http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/88169

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

A magnificent Adem Ljajic free kick was wiped out by Gonzalo Higuain in stoppages after a controversial red card, but Torino still ended the Juventus Serie A home win record.

This was the local derby and came just two days after commemorations at Superga for the demise of Il Grande Torino in the plane crash. It was also a few days before the Champions League semi-final against Monaco, so Juve rotated the squad and rested numerous stars. Toro missed Lorenzo De Silvestri and Arlind Ajeti.

Torino have beaten their city rivals just once in Serie A since Ruggiero Rizzitelli’s brace sealed a 2-1 ‘away’ result at the old Stadio delle Alpi in April 1995, along with five draws and 16 defeats, home and away. The lone victory was 2-1 on Granata turf in April 2015. The last time Torino beat Juventus ‘away’ was 2-1 on April 9, 1995, followed by three draws and nine losses.

Above all, Juve were on an all-time Serie A record of 33 consecutive home victories, going back to their 1-1 with Frosinone on September 23, 2015.

Medhi Benatia’s header from a corner bounced off the underside of the bar and back out, then Leonardo Bonucci’s follow-up was deflected over by Cristian Molinaro from close range.

Iago Falque scuffed his volley wide from the edge of the box, while Luca Rossettini got his foot to a Juan Cuadrado cross before Mario Mandzukic could strike.

Stephan Lichtsteiner stung Joe Hart’s gloves at the near post, Tomas Rincon sprinted back to stop an Adem Ljajic counter and Belotti fired over under pressure on a Davide Zappacosta cross.

Dybala completed a great give-and-go with Mandzukic, but Hart parried the finish with his chest at the near post. On the stroke of half-time, Adem Ljajic turned just over the far top corner, as the ball bounced slightly.

The deadlock was broken by a moment of magic, as Ljajic curled a magnificent free kick in off the underside of the near top corner, making it simply unstoppable.

Moments later, Mandzukic almost equalised, his angled drive flashing across the face of goal. Gonzalo Higuain was thrown on, but there was a moment of huge controversy. Afriyie Acquah had already been booked for an elbow on Dybala, which was shown on replays to be nothing more than a simple coming-together. The midfielder then went into a sliding tackle on Mandzukic and clearly got the ball, but the referee awarded another yellow card. Sinisa Mihajlovic was understandably furious and was sent off after going head-to-head with the fourth official.

Tomas Rincon’s header was off target, but Marco Benassi stung Neto’s gloves on the counter. Khedira missed a sitter, ballooning over undisturbed from 12 yards. Higuain could only scuff the ball straight at Hart from close range and Torino also lost Daniele Baselli to a calf injury.

Bonucci came sliding on to a Miralem Pjanic low cross only to turn it straight at Hart, then the goalkeeper flapped wildly at another cross, but got away with it.

Juventus got their equaliser in stoppages, as Higuain controlled on the edge of the box and on the turn drilled low into the near bottom corner just past Hart’s fingertips. Yet again, Toro conceded a heart-breaking late goal in the Derby della Mole.

Juventus: Neto; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Benatia, Asamoah; Khedira, Rincon (Pjanic 69); Cuadrado, Dybala (Alex Sandro 80), Sturaro (Higuain 56); Mandzukic

Torino: Hart; Zappacosta, Rossettini, Moretti, Molinaro; Acquah, Baselli (Obi 74); Iago Falque (Iturbe 83), Ljajic, Boye (Benassi 68); Belotti

Ref: Valeri

Sent off: Acquah 57 (T)

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Ljajic: 'Derby draw too painful'

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http://www.football-italia.net/102198/ljajic-derby-draw-too-painful

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Adem Ljajic admits conceding a last-gasp equaliser to Juventus when down to 10 men amid controversy “hurt too much” for Torino.

The Granata thought they had beaten their Derby della Mole taboo with a fantastic Ljajic free kick, but Gonzalo Higuain struck in stoppages for a 1-1 draw.

“It hurts too much and I am really disappointed to have conceded this goal, because we didn’t deserve to lose the win at the 92^nd minute,” Ljajic told Mediaset Premium.

“We didn’t deserve this. (Afriyie) Acquah got the ball and it was obvious, but the referee read it that way. There are regrets, as we played a great derby, we gave our all as if it was the final game of our careers.

“We defended well and created many chances against a great side like Juve. I scored a wonderful goal, but I can’t be happy, because I thought we’d win tonight.”

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Gonzlao Higuain saves point for

Juventus, but title must wait

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/report?gameId=460959

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Gonzalo Higuain's stoppage-time goal earned Juventus a 1-1 draw with Torino but the two dropped points meant they must wait at least another week to secure the Serie A title.

Juve had won every game at home so far this season, but went behind to their city rivals in the second half after Adem Ljajic's sublime 25-yard free kick.

Afriyie Acquah was sent off shortly before the hour mark, and coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was sent to the stands following protests before a much-changed Juventus finally drew level thanks to Higuain's 24th league goal of the season.

Allegri made eight changes to his side following the 2-0 win over Monaco in the Champions League on Wednesday, with one eye undoubtedly on the upcoming second leg, but the changes backfired in a disjointed performance.

The Bianconeri started on the front foot and had the first opportunity to break the deadlock after just 11 minutes.

Paulo Dybala's cross found Leonardo Bonucci inside the area, but the centre-back was put off and failed to test Joe Hart in the Torino goal.

Bonucci missed another golden chance minutes later after Mehdi Benatia crashed a header onto the underside of the bar. The ball rebounded to his defensive partner, who volleyed over from six yards with the goal at his mercy.

Torino struggled to get out of their half for much of the first period, with Iago Falque and Andrea Belotti both failing to trouble the goalkeeper.

Mario Mandzukic flicked over from close range before Hart was called on to make a good save from a Stefan Lichtsteiner half-volley, and again from Dybala after a fine piece of interplay with Mandzukic.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 52nd minute after Kwadwo Asamoah was harshly adjudged to have handled. Ljajic stepped up to curl a precise free kick right into the corner and leave keeper Neto with no chance.

Mandzukic missed the chance to level barely two minutes later as he slid the ball past the far post after being played in by Sami Khedira, who later skied a volley over from close range.

The game changed when Acquah was shown a second yellow card in the 57th minute despite winning the ball, forcing Torino to sit deep and play on the break.

Bonucci could not force a low cross past Hart and when Tomas Rincon headed wide, it looked as though the ball would not go in for the league leaders.

However Higuain stepped off the bench to fire the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the area in stoppage time and keep Juve eight points clear of Napoli as they seek a sixth straight title.

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Allegri: 'Juve lacked patience'

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http://www.football-italia.net/102199/allegri-juve-lacked-patience

May 6, 2017

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Max Allegri felt Juventus were “too frenetic” and lacked patience against Torino, but was proud of Juventus fighting back for a 1-1 draw.

The Derby della Mole had been going for the Granata with an Adem Ljajic free kick, but Gonzalo Higuain snatched the equaliser in stoppages after a controversial Afriyie Acquah red card.

“We have to compliment both teams for a great game, and Juventus for playing so many matches this season,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

“We created a great deal and lost some sharpness after the goal, as we were too frenetic even from the start. You need patience in certain situations.

“It’s an important point, I am happy to get closer to the Scudetto. We needed four points to be mathematically sure, now it’s three.

“Paulo Dybala had some cramp, which was normal in the circumstances and towards the end of the season. Tonight it was more of a psychological problem, as we didn’t have the right determination or focus. It’s natural after days of people telling us we would win the Treble and reach the Champions League Final.

“We got a point in difficult circumstances and for that must be happy. We were too frenetic to get the win and hopefully win the Scudetto this weekend, but there was no need to be in a rush. We’ve got time, we mustn’t get ahead of ourselves, as that can lead you into mistakes.

“It’s an important stage of the season and we need to keep our heads.”

Allegri made numerous changes to the line-up ahead of the Champions League semi-final with Monaco, so were some of the players trying too hard to prove themselves?

“It’s entirely possible and I don’t condemn them for that. It was a very difficult match, for Torino it’s the game of the season and they fully deserved their point. We should’ve held the ball more and had patience.

“Tomorrow we need to rest and then can think about Monaco. This is a side with great talent, our qualification is absolutely not sealed yet and we need to win the second leg.”

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Mihajlovic: 'Feels like Toro victory'

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http://www.football-italia.net/102200/mihajlovic-feels-toro-victory

May 6, 2017

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Sinisa Mihajlovic insists the Afriyie Acquah red card was “an unjustifiable error,” but Torino’s draw with Juventus “feels like a win.”

Adem Ljajic’s free kick had put the Granata ahead in the Derby della Mole, but Acquah received two extremely debatable bookings and Gonzalo Higuain equalised deep into stoppages.

“I could see from the touchline he got the ball cleanly. It doesn’t take a nuclear scientist to tell that. What is the fourth official there for? He was in an even better position to see than me,” Mihajlovic told Mediaset Premium after his own dismissal for dissent.

“It was an unjustifiable mistake and not the only one, as in the first half we got three yellow cards for a perfectly fair game. I went to the fourth official and asked why don’t you help the referee? He must’ve seen it better, the referee didn’t whistle for a good six or seven seconds, so he too was waiting for help.

“I went over the top, I know that, but it was an unjustifiable error. Playing here down to 10 men is hard for everyone, we might’ve equalised anyway, but at least give us a chance.

“I don’t know if the referee made this decision or, even worse, the assistants told him it was a foul, because they were in a better position to see that it wasn’t.”

Mihajlovic is likely to get a touchline ban for going head-to-head with the fourth official.

Torino did nonetheless end the all-time Serie A record of 33 consecutive home Juventus victories.

“This draw is worth a win, because I am so proud of my lads. We had character, tactical intelligence and determination. We did something nobody else had been able to do, which was to stop Juventus winning at home in Serie A and down to 10 men too.

“Juve had the chances to equalise and we did let in that avoidable equaliser in stoppages. I had told Ljajic in the final minute he shouldn’t have taken that free kick into the stands, because we wasted the chance to keep possession – if we’ve got the ball, they can’t score. Instead Juve immediately went forward and scored.

“We are a young team, so we lack experience and ‘smarts’ – but above all we lacked the determination to score more goals and the cool heads to not concede.

“Nonetheless, we came here and fought hard, knowing that if we played to our best, it would not be easy even for Juventus.

“It feels like a victory. My players had a fantastic game, there is bitterness at the result, but pride over the performance. You can beat a team, but not history and this evening we put our history on to the pitch.

“Juve had more chances than us, of course, and if they had scored earlier, it would’ve been less painful. We conceded at the 92^nd minute, when the game was practically over, so at that moment we could feel the win and it’s the worst time to concede.”

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Gonzalo Higuain rescues late point

for Juventus in Turin derby

Gonzalo Higuain's stoppage-time equaliser saw Serie A leaders Juventus

salvage a 1-1 draw against 10-man Torino in the Turin derby.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11854/10866783/serie-a-round-up

-gonzalo-higuain-rescues-late-point-for-juventus-in-turin-derby

May 6, 2017

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Miralem Pjanic flicked the ball to Higuain on the edge of the area and the Argentina international fired a right-footed strike into the bottom left corner.

Juve looked set to take nothing from the match, which came days after they earned a two-goal advantage over Monaco in their Champions League semi-final tie, with the return leg on Tuesday.

Adem Ljajic had given Torino the lead in the 52nd minute from a free-kick which found the top left corner of Neto's net.

However, Juve found themselves with a one-man advantage five minutes later when midfielder Afriyie Acquah was sent off for the visitors for his second yellow card.

It took until added time, though, for Juve to get back on level terms, and the point moved them eight points clear of Napoli, who climbed into second spot after a 3-1 victory over Cagliari.

Dries Mertens celebrated his 30th birthday by putting the Light Blues in front in the second minute before he doubled their advantage four minutes into the second half.

Faouzi Ghoulam had a hand in both goals, with Mertens then turning provider as he set up Lorenzo Insigne in the 67th minute for a three-goal cushion.

Diego Farias pulled one back for Cagliari in stoppage time, but it proved to be scant consolation for the mid-table side.

Napoli moved two points clear of Roma, who slipped into third, ahead of their match with AC Milan on Sunday.

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Raging Bull

Yet another last-gasp Juventus goal broke Torino hearts, but the

Granata can be proud of their efforts, writes Giancarlo Rinaldi.

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http://www.football-italia.net/102202/raging-bull

May 6, 2017

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If there is a quality stitched into Torino’s shirts, it is heart. Their fans are most proud of their team when performances are as much about character as they are about talent. They deserved to leave the Juventus Stadium with their chests puffed out on Saturday night after pushing their city rivals as hard as anyone has on their own ground in Serie A this season.

Let’s cut to the chase here and say that a poor piece of refereeing did not help their task. Having taken the lead through an exquisite Adem Ljajic free-kick, they lost Afriyie Acquah to two yellow cards which were debatable at best. Sinisa Mihajlovic was incandescent with rage and the fires of conspiracy theory were stoked once again.

Whatever your view - an error or an officiating assist - the simple fact is that the top team in Italy is hard enough to beat without getting the benefit of any contentious decisions.

Yet Toro fought with every fibre to deny them even after suffering injustice. In fact, it almost seemed to inspire them - in the week of the anniversary of the Superga disaster - to live up to the battling abilities of their greatest ever side. It took a strike of deadly genius from Gonzalo Higuain to snatch victory away, like a knife through the Cuore Granata.

That El Pipita was even on the pitch was a tribute to the away team’s efforts. La Vecchia Signora had made so many changes for this game that she was scarcely recognisable at kick-off. Max Allegri clearly hoped to get through the match without wasting the energy of some of his stars with a big Champions League date imminent. It came within a couple of minutes of back-firing spectacularly.

Juve were good enough before they slipped behind and prior to the sending off, but not their usual clinical selves. A midfield containing the likes of Stefano Sturaro and Tomas Rincon was always likely to be heavier on perspiration than inspiration. The Scudetto spumante will have to remain on ice.

The Bianconeri will view it as a job done, a tricky fixture navigated without defeat en route to making Calcio history with a sixth league title in a row. They have a big fish to fry in Europe midweek, of course. And accusations of refereeing aid are like bullets bouncing off Superman for them by now.

As for Torino, they will feel justifiably aggrieved. It is hard enough to take down Juve without them getting a little boost from a game’s key decisions. They will be raging now - and rightly so - but when their blood has ceased boiling, they should also take some pleasure in living up to all the attributes their famous colours demand.

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Mihajlovic-Vialli row over Acquah red

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http://www.football-italia.net/102201/mihajlovic-vialli-row-over-acquah-red

May 6, 2017

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Sinisa Mihajlovic got into a live television row with Sky Sport Italia pundit – and former Juventus player – Gianluca Vialli over the Torino red card.

Afriyie Acquah received two bookings in the 1-1 Derby della Mole, both of them extremely debatable, which left the Granata down to 10 men.

The majority of Sky Sport Italia and Mediaset Premium pundits noted the second yellow for a sliding tackle on Mario Mandzukic got the ball, but Vialli did not share that view.

“A few years ago, especially in England, that wasn’t even a foul, let alone a yellow card,” said Vialli.

“But the rules have changed and you can’t slide in like that now without having full control of your body, so for me the yellow card was understandable.”

When Mihajlovic arrived via a video link, he did not hold back.

“Vialli said that’s a foul – I consider that blasphemy! He got the ball cleanly. I don’t care what you say. You are on television, you are supposed to be impartial, everybody saw it was not a foul!

“You are the only one defending this. You should be fair in your judgement and you are not! Either that or you need a pair of glasses!”

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Player Ratings: Juventus 1-1 Torino

Who were the heroes and villains in a fiery Derby della Mole? Football Italia rates the Juventus and Torino stars.

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May 6, 2017

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Juventus

Neto: 6

The goalkeeper was relatively untested throughout the 90 minutes, but was beaten all ends up by Adem Ljajic’s stunning free kick. It’s hard to criticize Neto this evening, as he didn’t have many shots to save, but could do nothing but stand and watch the free kick fly into the top corner.

Stephan Lichtsteiner: 5

A poor performance from the usually reliable Swiss full-back. He provided very little attacking support for the forwards and didn’t get involved as much as he should have. Compared to the usual standards of Dani Alves, Lichtsteiner wasn’t up to the task this evening.

Leonardo Bonucci: 7

In the first half, Bonucci was a rock in defence, stopping anything that would pass, and he even came close to opening the scoring following a goalmouth scramble. Ultimately, there was very little he could have done about the Torino goal, and despite a quiet second half, he was good enough within the first 45 minutes.

Medhi Benatia: 6

Much like his defensive partner of the night, Benatia was solid in the first half and hit the crossbar in the same scramble where Bonucci nearly scored. But in terms of a defensive performance, Benatia didn’t do much wrong. He was solid enough and couldn’t do much more in the game.

Kwadwo Asamoah: 4

In what world is Asamoah good enough to be a left-back? He got forward regularly, but his end product was dreadful with most of his crosses or passes missing his intended target. Safe to say this will not be a performance that Asamoah will be in a hurry to remember.

Sami Khedira: 6

A standard performance from the German, who will be remembered for his huge miss in front of goal where he skied what seemed like an easy chance. If Khedira had put that chance away, it would have been a completely different story. He seemed to open up a bit more once Pjanic came on, but his guilt edged chance will be something to forget.

Tomas Rincon: 5

Brought in to anchor the midfield, Rincon didn’t really do all that much in the way of anchoring, and was eventually subbed off for Pjanic following the Torino goal. Rincon just didn’t get into the game much, and him coming off allowed Juve to go forward more, with no defensive worries.

Juan Cuadrado: 5

There is no doubt that Cuadrado can be effective on his day and his direct, fast style can be very dangerous on the counter attack, yet tonight he just seemed a few steps off the pace. His end product wasn’t there and whilst he wasn’t afraid to take on his man, he couldn’t find anyone in the box all that often.

Paolo Dybala: 7

At times tonight, Dybala looked like the only one who was ready to change the game for Juve, even before the Ljajic free kick. His quick play and direct style tried to force the issue and arguably should have scored when he played a quick one-two with Mandzukic and shot straight at Joe Hart. After his withdrawal Juve missed that spark, and who knows, maybe if he had stayed on Juve may have come out victorious?

Stefano Sturaro: 5

Sturaro is a hard worker, and that’s what Juve fans love about him, but he didn’t provide enough penetration when it mattered tonight. His industrious play is good when everyone else is on song, but it wasn’t what was needed this game.

Mario Mandzukic: 6

A solid showing from the Croatian, who was placed up front tonight in the absence of Gonzalo Higuain. Mandzukic was very rarely on the end of chances, but he was always trying to get others involved, although at time he did look quite isolated in the final third of Torino’s half.

Subs

Gonzalo Higuain: 6

The late minute equaliser was one of the only things that Higuain provided in his short cameo, and was kept quiet at times by the superb Torino centre-backs tonight. A short, but important appearance for Higuain, although he will likely be saving his best for midweek.

Miralem Pjanic: 6

Juve’s play changed when Pjanic came on, as they chased a late goal to salvage a point from the game. His range of passing gave Juventus more options in front of goal and he added something that Rincon didn’t, which was an attacking threat.

Alex Sandro: N/A

Torino

Joe Hart: 7

The Englishman hasn’t had the best of seasons in his first year in Serie A, but tonight he was arguably the reason that Torino didn’t lose. It may be said that he didn’t get down quick enough for the Higuain goal, but he did more than enough throughout the game to save his side from defeat. Most notably his point-blank save from Dybala was very important and was one of their top performers tonight.

Davide Zappacosta: 6

A good, solid performance from the full-back, who put in a shift for the Turin side. He didn’t provide any outstanding moments going forward, however was very defensively sound up against the Juve attack this evening, and kept them quiet for the majority of the game.

Luca Rossettini: 7

A super performance at the heart of the defence for the 31-year-old, who put in probably one of his showings of the season. He defended like his life was on the line and didn’t let anything pass. His experience was key towards the end when Juve were piling the pressure on, and it was just unfortunate for Rossettini that he didn’t come away with all three points.

Emiliano Moretti: 7.5

Another great performance at the back for another experienced defender. The 35-year-old was defensively sound from first minute to last and was working very well with his partner in crime Rossettini. Defensively, this may have been Torino’s best performance all season, and most of the praise will go to this man Moretti.

Cristian Molinaro: 7

The final member of an experienced Torino defence, Molinaro was just as good holding the line and keeping opposition wingers at bay. It may not have been the most glamorous of defending, but it was effective nonetheless.

Afriyie Acquah: 5

Unfortunately, his controversial sending off will largely mar Acquah’s performance this evening, when some might say neither of them were yellow cards. But before his dismissal, Acquah was nothing but solid and was doing well in his holding midfield position.

Daniele Baselli: 6

He put in a decent performance as he tried to start attacks and get on the end of a few knockdowns outside the box, but unfortunately for the midfielder he had to come off due to an injury. Baselli was very reliable this evening and can hold his head up high.

Iago Falque: 6

The winger was a good attacking outlet on the Torino counter, but unfortunately he didn’t manage to create that much for striker Andrea Belotti. His pace could have been so vital up against Asamoah and Lichtsteiner, but he didn’t make the most of what seemed like a great opportunity.

Adem Ljajic: 7

Ljajic scored a wonderful free kick that is likely to have gone viral by the time you read this, but he was fairly decent throughout the game. Of course, his free kick will be the takeaway from this game, but Ljajic was on the end of a few chances both in the first half and in the second.

Lucas Boye: 5

An average showing for Boye before his substitution in the second half, and the winger was unable to be a threat. He was taken off for Benassi once Acquah was sent off, and his presence wasn’t exactly missed in the latter stages of the game.

Andrea Belotti: 6

The in form striker had a few sniffs at goal, but failed to really make anything of the few opportunities he had. His pressurizing in the Juve half was key to Torino’s game plan, but Il Gallo will be disappointed not to get on the score sheet.

Subs

Marco Benassi: 6

The midfielder was brought on the shore up the midfield in the latter stages of the game and did well in that regard, but was largely ineffective going forward. That being said, his introduction was needed for Torino and was helpful in getting that all important point.

Joel Obi: N/A

Juan Iturbe: N/A

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Max Allegri stays positive in Juventus'

title chase after setback at home

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/story/3120778/max-allegri-

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May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Massimiliano Allegri focused on the positives as Juventus earned a last-minute point in a 1-1 draw with Torino.

Juve had won every game at home so far this season, but needed a last-gasp goal from Gonzalo Huguain to cancel out Adem Ljajic's sublime 25-yard free kick.

The draw means they cannot wrap up the Serie A title this weekend, but Allegri is not concerned.

"We have to see this as a good point as it edges us that bit closer to the Scudetto," he said on Juventus' official website.

"We won't be able to win the title tomorrow but we'll try to wrap it up at Roma. We need just three more points now, assuming our rivals win all their games.

"Considering all the matches we've played since the start of the season, I think one like tonight's is par for the course."

It was the first time this season that Juve have not had it all their own way in front of their home fans and Allegri said his side had to be more patient.

"We played well tonight but we were a bit too rushed at times," he added. "We tried too hard to get the early goal when we should have played it around a bit more patiently.

"When you rush things you make mistakes. We need to stay calm and not mess up because we're trying to overdo things.

"In the first half especially I thought we were trying to play the ball too quickly. We just need to accept the fact that sometimes we must bide our time. You can't always score in football and we used up a lot of energy."

Torino coach Sinisa Mihajlovic ended the game in the stands as he was reprimanded for protesting Afriyie Acquah's red card, which came just before the hour mark for picking up his second yellow card in a challenge where he clearly won the ball.

Mihajlovic said in his postmatch news conference: "It did not take a nuclear engineer to understand that it was not a foul.

"It was an unjustifiable mistake, though I'm sorry for my reaction. But what should I do? Do you give him a kiss?

"I asked the fourth official why he did not help the referee, what are they doing there? They do not even have the courage to talk."

He added: "This is a draw like a win, I'm happy with my team's performance, coming here, playing 35 minutes with 10 men."

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Gonzalo Higuain's late goal salvages

draw for uninspired Juventus

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3120776/gonzalo

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May 6, 2017

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Juventus were lucky to snatch a point at home to draw 1-1 with Torino in a match where they struggled to play with their usual composure and high levels of concentration.

A win in the Derby della Mole would have seen Juventus potentially winning their sixth consecutive title as early as this weekend, but the lack of creativity within the side coupled with too many wrong decisions saw the team struggle to prove as effective as usual.

Torino demonstrated discipline and defended admirably well, opening the scoring with a beautiful Adem Ljajic free kick. They went down to 10 men in the 57th minute and Juve struggled to capitalise.

Squandering so many chances for goal, Gonzalo Higuain was forced to come on and rescue a point by scoring a last-minute equaliser.

Positives

A heavily rotated side that lacked its usual flow, Juventus still boasted 62 percent possession, had 22 shots on goal and managed the equaliser that allowed them to gain a point.

Negatives

It was a shame to see Torino end Juve's run of 33 consecutive home wins. Juventus lacked composure and their usual fluidity, resulting in poor choices and a frenetic game, but the squad's attentions lie elsewhere.

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- The changes were necessary to ensure freshness going forward -- and Massimiliano Allegri can do little to keep the side hugely motivated considering their position -- but Juventus still created chances despite the lack of ingenuity.

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

GK Norberto Neto, 6 -- There was nothing he could do on Ljajic's free kick but Neto was rarely troubled, as Torino had only two shots on target.

DF Stephan Lichtsteiner, 5 -- His inaccuracy proved frustrating yet again and he didn't prove effective in the defensive phase, either.

DF Leonardo Bonucci, 6 -- Used his experience to give Andrea Belotti a hard time, but his performance was almost emotional. He squandered a few chances for goal but was frantic overall.

DF Mehdi Benatia, 6 -- The defender came close to scoring and stopped Belotti but must improve his decision-making. Struggled to know when to mark tightly, when to take risks and when to be cautious.

DF Kwadwo Asamoah, 5 -- Struggled against Davide Zappacosta and lacks the technique to truly be effective.

MF Sami Khedira, 6 -- One of the better players on the field, Khedira took up interesting positions, pushing forward to occupy the right spaces, but struggled for accuracy.

MF Tomas Rincon, 6 -- A good performance from a player who showed great spirit and desire in the first half. However, Rincon all but disappeared in the second half.

MF Juan Cuadrado, 5 -- Was inaccurate, too theatrical and rarely incisive. Despite a few good crosses, Cuadrado seldom made the right decision today, frustrating his teammates yet again.

MF Paulo Dybala, 6 -- Tried to keep the side fighting till the end. The Argentine created several chances for his teammates and delivered accurately but tends to drop in and out of the game. Joe Hart denied him a goal.

MF Stefano Sturaro 5 -- Technically limited. Provided physicality and little else.

FW Mario Mandzukic, 5 -- Squandered some excellent chances for goal. Mandzukic is now more a defender than a striker capable of making the difference in the final third.

Substitutes

FW Gonzalo Higuain, 7 -- Came on to help the side grab a much-needed goal and delivered, finishing beautifully. Was one of the few who tracked back and helped regain possession.

MF Miralem Pjanic, 6 -- His introduction resulted in better quality deliveries into the area.

MF Alex Sandro, N/A -- Wasn't offered enough time to make an impact.

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Juventus vs. Torino 2017: Final score 1-1, Gonzalo Higuaín’s

stoppage-time strike rescues a point against 10-man Toro

Substitute Gonzalo Higuaín salvaged a point for the Bianconeri

with a cracking finish late into second half stoppage time.

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http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/5/7/15570098/juventus-torino

-2017-serie-a-round-35-derby-della-mole-final-score-result-match-recap

May 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

The glamour tie we all love to watch was back to light up the city: The beautiful Derby della Mole. The fans could be forgiven for having great expectations for this tie given that the “andata”fixture was an absolute cracker to watch. Although it wasn’t quite as gung-ho as that game, Saturday night’s derby certainly was a gripping affair to watch. Adem Ljajic’s exquisite second-half free kick looked to be enough to secure the three points for Torino after Afriyie Acquah’s controversial sending off had thrown a spanner into the works, but Gonzalo Higuaín came off the bench to salvage a point for the league leaders deep into injury time in the second half.

Juventus started the game on the front foot, looking to make an early statement of intent this game by winning a few early corners. After weathering that early spell of pressure, Torino managed to secure some possession and get a feel for the game. Juventus, though, got the first decent chance of the game after Paulo Dybala swung in a wonderful cross into the box but a peculiar mix-up between Leonardo Bonucci and Tomas Rincón resulted in the Italian defender fluffing the chance. An even bigger chance would come the home side’s way just a few minutes later, courtesy of Mehdi Benatia. The Moroccan international saw his bullet header come off the crossbar from a corner kick while Bonucci (again) skied his effort from the rebound. The Bianconeri really turned on the heat as Stefano Sturaro joined in on the fun with a thumping effort from the half volley, but his shot went wide of the target. The score remained goalless but certainly not for a lack of trying!

Although Torino managed to stem the tide after this spell of Juventus pressure in the first half, the home side continued to create some half chances in attack. Juan Cuadrado played a fantastically accurate cross towards Mario Mandzukic — finally playing as center forward again as Higuaín takes a much-needed and deserved rest — but the Croatian’s effort was deflected for a corner kick. Lichtsteiner then forced Hart into a decent save after a clever pass from a Dybala free kick. It was a fast-paced derby at the Juventus Stadium despite the goalless scoreline. A few minutes before halftime, the busy Dybala got involved in affairs by playing a neat 1-2 with Mandzukic and firing a shot at goal from close range, but once again Hart was up to the task. The final kick of the first half saw Ljajic curl a lovely right footed shot from the edge of the box towards the far corner of Neto’s goal, but the effort was always sailing a yard or so over the target.

Even though Juventus had the better of the first half, it was Torino who drew first blood in the second half. Kwadwo Asamoah conceded a dangerous free kick right on the edge of the area after (unluckily) handling the ball during a slide tackle. Ljajic then stepped up and curled an effort into the top corner that, quite frankly, could not have been more perfect if you choreographed it: 0-1. Juventus looked to hit back straight away as Khedira slipped a through ball to Mandzukic but the striker’s effort to the far post went just wide of goal. The moment that would change the course of the game, however, would come in the 57^th minute. Mandzukic and Acquah both charged towards a loose ball in the Juventus half but the Torino midfielder came in with what was deemed to be an excessively forceful tackle on the Croatian. The midfielder, already on a yellow card, received his second booking of the night and was sent off to leave the visitors with 10 men. The Torino players were absolutely livid with the referee’s decision while Mihajlovic was sent to the stands for ~~almost breaking the ref’s neck in two~~ furious dissent.

Juventus now sensed an opportunity back into the game and piled on the pressure: Bonucci headed a cross towards Rincón but the Venezuelan’s header at goal went agonizingly wide of Hart’s goal. Somehow, the home side went on a spree of missing huge chances after Torino went down to 10 men. This time, Mandzukic nodded down Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross to Dybala, who shifted his body nicely to get a yard of space for the pass to Sami Khedira who in acres of space just 10 meters in front of goal. The German, however, absolutely spanked his ball into Row Z of the Juventus Stadium. Then Bonucci and Higuaín went close themselves but couldn’t get enough power on their respective efforts to really give Hart a difficult time.

The Bianconeri were getting desperate now as they threw bodies forward but exposed themselves to some tricky Torino counterattacks. Ironically, the equalizer almost came from a Torino player as a cross into the box caused confusion between Hart, who stormed out of his goal in an attempt to punch the ball away (and evidently can’t quite communicate such a message in Italian), and Rossettini who almost headed the ball into his own goal as he was completely unaware of Hart’s rush out of goal.

Tick tock, the arena is a clock.

Just as the clock was ticking towards the final seconds of the game, and that illustrious home record seemed to be coming to an end, Juventus finally found the equalizer. Pjanic played a clever pass into the substitute Higuaín who took a second to spin into position and another second to laser a phenomenal shot past the outstretched arm of Joe Hart into goal: 1-1! An amazing finale to a pulsating, and slightly controversial, Derby della Mole at the Juventus Stadium!

Le Pagelle

NETO 6.5 – Couldn’t do a thing about the perfect free kick goal.

ASAMOAH 6 – Unlucky with the free-kick that led to the goal. Decent defensively, but couldn’t quite make his mark offensively

BONUCCI 6 – An entertaining battle between him and Belotti. However, Bonucci was very fortunate not to be cautioned after tussling with the striker on the edge of the box in the second half.

BENATIA 6.5 – Didn’t really do much wrong today and kept things tight at the back with Bonucci.

LICHTSTEINER 6 – Like Asamoah, he wasn’t very involved in attack but was decent defensively, especially given that Ljajic sometimes drifted into his zone.

KHEDIRA 6 – Some say that his missed shot is still orbiting in space. Jokes aside, he wasn’t such a disaster per se, but seemed to struggle more than usual today.

RINCÓN 7 – Solidified his claim as a very trustworthy and dependable understudy in the center of midfield. Shame about the miscued header in the second half though.

STURARO 5.5 – Really subpar stuff today but, to be fair, the position really didn’t suit him.

DYBALA 6.5 – Again, the minor tactical switch was perhaps not optimal for the little man but he seemed to cope with it far better than Sturaro did.

CUADRADO 6 – Plenty of miscommunications with Lichtsteiner today mixed with some pinpoint crosses. Not a disastrous display, but a bit subpar in my opinion.

MANDZUKIC 6 – A few half-chances aside, he labored upfront and seemed a tad out of synch in what should be his natural position.

Subs

HIGUAÍN 7 – The big man saves the day again! A phenomenal strike to rescue a point and at least keep our home unbeaten streak alive.

PJANIC N/A – Didn’t play long enough to judge, even though his clever pass was crucial in securing the equalizing goal.

SANDRO N/A – Ditto.

Manager

ALLEGRI 6 – A bit of a mixed bag this one. A solid first half followed by a pretty dire second one. The Dybala-Sturaro switcheroo seemed to be, for the most part, an unnecessary and unsuccessful experiment. Fair play to him for going back to the usual setup early in the second half after going down a goal.

Tactical Analysis – The Space Between Two Worlds

Unfortunately, the 57^th minute red card killed the tactical contest as Torino (understandably) bunkered down in a 4-4-1 formation to defend their lead. Before the controversial expulsion though, the visitors were lined up in a 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 shape that was certainly different from the entertaining setup they played in the “home” fixture of this match. That said, the tactical nuance of their lineup was provided by the always-clever Adem Ljajic.

Ljajic’s positioning before the red card. After that, he basically was a left-midfielder in a 4-4-1

A trequartista on paper, he frequently drifts away from that role into a different world that is much deeper than his original position. This is something we see Pjanic do quite frequently when he plays in that number 10 role and seems to be a different way in which players interpret that role. Always nice to see differences in footballing “philosophies”, no?

Ljajic, circled in red, switched positions with Baselli. The space indicated is where, I suppose, a trequartista would generally hover around. Baselli is tentatively playing as an attacking midfielder here, probably primarily as a decoy for a late Ljajic surge into the box.

It created an interesting dynamic with the other two midfielders, Acquah and Baselli. While the Ghanian stayed in position, the Italian was a bit more proactive in moving forward and occupying the space vacated in Ljajic’s ~~world~~ position. This is the type of simple, yet subtle, midfield movement that adds that bit of dynamism and unpredictability to a team even though Juventus handled it without too much fuss in the first half. As I said, however, that nuance was duly destroyed when Acquah received his marching orders in the 57^th minute.

Ain’t even mad?

I desperately, desperately didn’t want to lose this game (for obvious reasons), but I’m actually surprisingly ok with the draw. It’s probably because the title is extremely close to being wrapped up and we’ve all got our minds on Tuesday’s showdown. A derby like this is always for bragging rights, but in this case I just wanted to ensure that we came away with something (so as to not give Roma/Napoli some misguided sense of belief in a late title charge) and that everybody came away without injuries. Also, it was nice to see Rincón put in another good shift as the backup central midfielder; makes me wonder whether Lemina still has a place in the team honestly. On the other end of the pitch, however, it sure was interesting to see Mandzukic almost have to re-acclimatize himself to his natural role after so long of being played “out of position.” The cost of sacrifice for the team, eh Mario?

I can’t wrap this up without briefly mentioning the red card of course. I admit that Acquah did seem to get the ball first before getting (very much of) Mandzukic in the follow-through. As Fefu commented during the game, the interpretation of fouls has shifted more towards the assessment of excessive force than if a player solely “won” the ball. Because of that, I deem the challenge 50-50: one of those that if you give a booking, it might be harsh/debatable but if you don’t give a booking, you could say that he got away fortunately. One thing is for sure though: if you’re on a yellow card already, you really are tempting fate by going in for sure a tackle like that.

All that said, let us cast our minds to the momentous task we have ahead of us on Tuesday! ANDIAMO!

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

Juve can seal Scudetto at Roma

http://www.football-italia.net/102217/juve-can-seal-scudetto-roma

May 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Regardless of the Milan-Roma result, Juventus will get the Scudetto next weekend if they avoid defeat with the Giallorossi.

The Bianconeri were held to a 1-1 draw by Torino last night, their second consecutive Serie A stalemate after a 2-2 away to Atalanta.

If Roma fail to get a point against Milan tonight at San Siro, then Luciano Spalletti’s men will be mathematically ruled out of the title race, sitting 10 points behind with three rounds left.

However, Napoli beat Cagliari 3-0 on Saturday and closed the gap on Juve to eight points, with nine still up for grabs.

It’s mathematically possible for the Partenopei to take the title, but frankly improbable.

In this scenario, Juventus would only need a point against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico next weekend to celebrate their sixth consecutive Scudetto.

It would be a sense of déjà vu for Max Allegri, who won his first Serie A title with Milan thanks to a 0-0 draw away to Roma in May 2011.

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

Socrates · May 7, 2017

JUVENTUS - TORINO

1-1

Adem Ljajic 52'

Gonzalo Higuaín 92'

MATCHDAY 35

Saturday, May 6th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Paolo Valeri

Juventus 1-1 Torino Match

Report & Player Ratings

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http://www.juvefc.com/juventus-1-1-torino-match-report-player-ratings/

May 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Player Ratings

Neto – Could do little about the perfectly struck free kick. Had a couple of saves to make which were comfortably taken or repelled. Not as vocal as Buffon and I cannot help but feel he lacks presence and communication with the defence at the back. More likely the case is that I am so accustomed to Santo Buffon that any other seems a mere shadow, an unwanted imposter. 6.5

Bonucci – Made some smart challenges and kept Belotti on his toes and away from goal. Also should have scored when gifted an opening in the box. Glad to see him through the game unscathed. 6.5

Benatia – Again I find myself leaning towards avoiding the purchase option. For the Moroccan just never seems fully sharp. Obviously without regular games this will happen, and he is solid in the air and hard to pass, yet it bothers me to ponder he will remain ahead of Rugani in the pecking order. He is not worthy of that. 6.5

Asamoah – A little hard done by on several decisions, especially the one which led to the goal for the visitors. His game in the final third was made far harder than usual given the lack of mobility and pace of Mandzukic. 6

Lichsteiner – Huffed and puffed, forced a solid save from Hart yet looked out of sync with his team-mates. 6

Khedira – Missed a gilt edged opportunity to score from 6 yards out, yet kept the ball moving well and did his best to make up the numbers up top. Neither brilliant or particularly poor. 6

Rincon – Still working his way into the fold, yet produced several superb challenges and showed a threat sporadically in the box with eagerness to get on the end of moves. 6.5

Cuadrado – Appalling. His worst performance since 2016. Perhaps he was unhappy to have been dropped for the Monaco tie? Such is his sensitive little soul. Regardless of the reasons, Juan was awful in and out of possession. 4

Sturaro – I am always happy to see him play yet the LM position simply does not suit his natural skill-set in any way which is useful for the team or his own development. He drifts inside too much, leaving gaping holes on the left for opponents to attack and is not adept at hold up play, in the air or dribbling. He is a central midfielder. Why not give him a chance at the base of midfield where he can use his zeal to hustle and bomb forward? 5

Dybala – Created a beautiful opening for Sami, failed to finish when played in one on one with Hart and very much missed his fellow Argentine. 6.5

Mandzukic – If ever there was a reminder why we require a CF of stronger calibre to back-up and challenge Higuain it was this game. Mario toiled hard as always, yet wasted several chances to open the account for the home side. He lacks pace, his finishing is haphazard and he was too easily marshalled by a team whose defensive record is one of the worst in the league. 5

Higuain – Brought on to rescue the game, and after missing a couple of chances he thankfully came good in the final moments, despatching a smart drive from just outside the box to level the game with seconds to spare. 7

Pjanic – Facing a Torino side adopting a siege mentality, Miralem had little to aim for with his passes, yet did manage to up the tempo of our haphazard attacking verve. 6.5

process?url=http%3A%2F%2F90min-images-or

With eight changes to the starting XI which excelled in the french principality just a few days back, it came as no surprise to find our play disjointed and reliant upon moments of individual quality.

We were unimpressive, laboured on the ball and our finishing, converting just 1 chance of the 10 created was a return to our form pre-February. A defeat would have been harsh and a terrible way to destroy our indomitable home record of an unbeaten run which stretches back to 2015.

Allegri is a manager to likes to take risks. More often than not they come off, but last night he was almost caught out. My own stance is to play your best team always, other than perhaps before a champions league final. We are 2 up against Monaco and although I understand the need to rest key players and keep the squad as a whole sharp, eight changes proved too much for the free flowing, entertaining football we have become accustomed to over these last few months to continue. This was the derby, with our cross town rivals always likely to fight like berserkers. To hold on for so long with ten men was a laudable feat, though they were helped by our profligacy.

Mandzukic, Cuadrado and Sturaro were wretched and a performance like this erodes our confidence when we should be gaining momentum, powering our way to the title with games to spare rather than sauntering, assuming we need simply turn up to claim victory.

We lacked leadership on the field. Alongside cohesion.

I can understand a brief lull after such excitement in France and many of the players will have their heads focused on the match next Tuesday and hopefully the final in Cardiff. It is up to Allegri to ensure that they remain focused. We cannot afford to slip up in the league and must get the job done next weekend in the capital.

There are quality gaps in the squad. Which can only be addressed in the Summer. Until which, we can but hope and pray that Higuain above all others remains fit. For he is a vital component of any success we can achieve.

senzatie-mutu-dezvaluie-pentru-prima-dat

Torino manager Sinisa Mihajlovic was a talented yet despicable player…

Mihajlovic has not changed from his playing days. He was an overly aggressive prick then and displays the same absence of dignity and class now in a suit. A natural brute of a man who should be punished for attempting to man handle the officials and brought into line by Cairo for his post match comments aimed at Vialli. It does nothing but turn away potential fans to witness such uncouth behaviour.

A quick note on the red card…which for me was the right decision. If you touch the ball first and brutally follow through with your studs on a player’s ankle, it is a foul which warrants a yellow card. The instructive word here is control. Which was lacking when Acquah scythed through Mandzukic. Boye in turn was a disgrace; spiteful and petulant throughout. As is often the case, the players reflect the personality of the coach.

Onwards to Tuesday and hopefully upwards…

Forza Juve

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

Socrates · May 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - MONACO

SEMIFINALS - SECOND LEG

Tuesday, May 9th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (The Netherlands)

Kuipers ref for Juventus-Monaco

http://www.football-italia.net/102220/kuipers-ref-juventus-monaco

May 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers will officiate the Champions League semi-final between Juventus and Monaco on Tuesday.

The Bianconeri won the first leg 2-0 at the Stade Louis II thanks to a Gonzalo Higuain brace.

Kuipers has been assigned to the decider at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday evening.

It is a reunion, because Kuipers already officiated Juve’s 0-0 draw with Barcelona at Camp Nou in the quarter-final on April 19.

His assistants will be Sander van Roekel and Erwin Zeinstra, with Pol van Boekel and Danny Makkelie as the additional referees. Mario Diks is the fourth official.

This will be the fourth time Kuipers has officiated a Juventus match in the Champions League and so far all of them have been stalemates.

He was also present in a 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach in November 2015 and earlier this season their 1-1 away to Olympique Lyonnais on November 2 2016, which saw Mario Lemina sent off.

Socrates · May 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - MONACO

SEMIFINALS - SECOND LEG

Tuesday, May 9th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (The Netherlands)

Allegri and Juventus got a lot of things right in Monaco

What should Juve expect and do in Turin?

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/5/8/15572420/juventus

-monaco-2017-champions-league-semifinals-max-allegri

May 8, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Monaco started last Wednesday night’s first leg of the Champions League semifinals with two changes of their usual lineup, with Djibril Sidibé replacing Benjamin Mendy as the left back while Nabil Dirar, a right winger, played as the right back.

Juventus manager Maximiliano Allegri fielded the usual 4-2-3-1, but with Andrea Barzagli slotted into the right back role while Dani Alves started in the right winger position in place of Juan Cuadrado. Claudio Marchisio also replaced the suspended Sami Khedira.

Juventus’ solutions to Monaco's high presses

1) Three center backs

We discussed in the tactical preview post that Monaco employs a sophisticated scheme on defense that allows them to force the opponent to play the ball in the middle and facilitates them to generate transition opportunities. A central element of their defensive scheme is a carefully-designed high press that cut off opponent's passing lanes to the flanks and forced the opponents to pass through the middle. In this game, Allegri and Juventus solved Monaco's high presses almost in perfection.

Allegri explained after the match that Barzagli played right back while Alves replaced Cuadrado on the right wing because, without Khedira, Juventus needed more aerial ability while Barzagli could provide more preventative marking to contain Monaco's speed. All of these factors focus on the defensive phase.

However, intentional or not, playing Barzagli alongside Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini also allowed them to deploy three center backs and allowed Juventus to have man advantage over Monaco's two strikers both defensively and offensively. Even though they were beaten in both games, Borussia Dortmund was quite successful in advancing the ball past Monaco's first line of defense with their three center backs. Juventus's back three in this game did exactly that:

The wide and horizontal positioning between the three center backs created a problem for Monaco's two strikers because they were out-numbered. To successfully pressuring the initial build-up of Juventus, either Bernardo Silva or Thomas Lemar needed to move up to form a 4-3-3:

Monaco has only occasionally used a 4-3-3 to press opponents. The reason is that when if they move to a high 4-3-3 press, they would not be able to cover the flank in the midfield unless the side backs push up, something that they are reluctant to do because it would compromise their compact shape and leave too much space in the back. Therefore, they would not be able to exert too much pressure against Juventus' center backs in the build-up:

It was a bold move for Allegri. He was often criticized for using three center backs because it could not utilize Juventus' attacking talents. Although Allegri has used Barzagli as a center back and right back hybrid after moving to 4-2-3-1 (the Coppa game against Napoli), it was still bold for him to play like that in such a high-profile match.

2) Double pivot

Apart from a few careless passes, Marchisio and Miralem Pjanic performed the double pivot duties exceptionally well. They helped not only to control the possession and progress the ball but also stretching Monaco's defense and burning their energy.

During the build-up, both Marchisio and Pjanic often positioned themselves such that there would be a viable passing lane towards them from the three center backs, Alex Sandro and Dani Alves. Particularly, when Juventus advanced the ball from the back, there were five outfield players close to the ball, comparing to Monaco's front four players. With the numerical disadvantages, Monaco's players could not cover all the passing lanes from Juventus' center backs. Removing or blocking the passing lanes towards Marchisio and Pjanic meant that Juventus' center backs could pass the ball to Alves or Sandro.

Moreover, Marchisio and Pjanic often positioned very close to each other and tried to maintained a viable passing lane between them.

Such carefully maintained positions between them meant that it was often easy for the two players to exchange passes between each other. If one player was pressured, the other players could always bail him out of danger.

If the involved players lack passing ability, such arrangments will hamper ball progression, because they would not be able to advance the ball. But because Marchisio and Pjanic both have exceptional passing range and vision, they were able to push the ball easily and pass the ball almost anywhere they wanted. Coupled with Bonucci's long pass ability, Juventus was able to completely stretch Monaco's defense using the full length and width of the pitch. And Juventus also carried out these passes very quickly, moving Monaco's players all over the place.

There were a couple of notable miss passes from both Marchisio and Pjanic, and they could have done better in the future. However, Monaco was a fast team, and they prey for those chances. One may not be able to eliminate all the instances that they could take advantage of the transitions. Apart from these mistakes, the double pivot was instrumental for Juventus' victory because Monaco's players were visibly tired in the last thirty minutes of the game. They were no longer able to carry out the high presses on a consistent basis. A large part of their inability to push is because Juventus was able to utilize the pitch in the earlier part of the match, and the double pivot is instrumental to that success.

3) Monaco's adjustment and yet another Juventus' solution

After about 15 or 20 minutes of the game, Monaco adjusted their pressing scheme that was ineffective. Initially, Monaco's front four players could not cover the three Juventus center backs and the double pivot. To eliminate the numerical disadvantage, at least one of the two Monaco's central defensive midfielders pushed up and joined the presses.

With the smart use of cover shadow and a restored numerical equality, Monaco was able to cut out the passing lanes towards Marchisio and Pjanic while maintained pressures on the ball handling center back.

Instead of being pinned down in their half by Monaco's new pressing scheme, Juventus adjusted their build-up very quickly. The solution was very simple. Rather than progressing the ball through the center backs, Buffon would just hit a long ball forward. These long balls have only one target, and that was Mario Mandzukic. .

Almost every single long ball sent by Gigi Buffon reached the left flank of the midfield, where Mandzukic and Alex Sandro operated. It is not surprising that Juventus would use Mandzukic as a target man since he is one of the best headers in the world and is the most physical player other than the central defenders. What is surprising is the speed that Juventus reacted to Monaco's adjustments. It took merely a few minutes for Juventus to switch to having Buffon to send the long balls to Mandzukic. This observation would suggest that these tactical changes must have been discussed and practiced before the match.

4) Dybala's brillance

After switching to the 4-2-3-1, Paulo Dybala has played the trequartista role. His technical quality is beyond doubt, but his interpretation of the role was not always optimal. There always seems to be too much "striker" in him that he would take a few too many dribbles or try to shoot by himself. He was brilliant against Barcelona, but he was also afforded the space to do the damage. However, against Monaco, he finally showed the signs that he is mature enough to be that number ten to lead Juventus and compete at the highest level.

Against Monaco, Dybala did not showcase the eye-popping dribbles or his thunderous shot. But more importantly, he always moving in the midfield to try to connect to his teammates to simply advance the ball:

These kinds of connections to Marchisio, Pjanic, Dani Alves and Mandzukic were subtle but critical, in particular against a team liken Monaco who is so aggressive and put so much pressure on the opponent. Dybala's connections to other teammates not only allowed Juventus to advance the ball, but they also relived Monaco's pressures. It is even more impressive considering Dybala himself was being pressured when he received most of these balls.

All of these tactics instructed by Allegri allowed Juventus to control the game for a majority of the matches. You can see almost all of these tactics in all of the actions that led to the first goal:

5) Juventus delayed Monaco's transition

For a team like Monaco who lives on transitional opportunities, it must act quickly enough such that they can enter the offensive phase BEFORE the other team enters the defensive phase. Therefore, if it is not fast enough, it will never be able to capitalize these opportunities. To minimize Monaco's opportunities in transitions, not only Juventus was careful when in possession, Juventus' players were also very aggressive against Monaco's players when they lost the ball:

As you can see, Mandzukic and Alex Sandro were aggressive to tackle and attack Bernardo Silva once Juventus lost the possession. The idea is that if Juventus' players lost the ball, the ball closest players would attack the opponent's ball handler so that Monaco would not be able to enter the offensive phase. The delay allowed Juventus' players to enter the defensive phase.

Allegri carefully designed several very specific strategies that aim to minimize and delay Monaco from utilizing their strength in transition games. Leonardo Jardim adjusted his team accordingly, but Juventus had the exact answers for his changes. Without a Plan B, Monaco slowly but painfully lost the grasp of the game. Monaco simply had no ways to effectively attack Juventus other than sending hopeless crosses from the right-hand side.

Arrigo Sacchi had this to say about the first leg: “Juventus are doing something extraordinary, they really are a machine. A machine which completely annihilates the opponent until they’re rendered lifeless, almost nothing. The last thing happened last night with Monaco."

What about the second leg in Turin?

Monaco will play without any pressure. They have a mountain to climb, but they also have nothing to lose, and therefore, they will take a lot of risk in the second game.

The most important question for Monaco is that whether Mendy will play. When he plays, Monaco can utilize the left flank much better because Mendy is very strong, fast and skillful. Sidibe could not replace him. He cannot take on a player as well as Mendy. Moreover, he is playing on the wrong foot. When he plays the left back, he almost exclusively cuts back inside to use his right foot. This habit becomes a big problem for Monaco in the offensive phase because Sidibe always operates in the same area as Lemar (left half space) and both of them were ineffective.

Another option is Andrea Raggi, but he is worse than Sidibe as a left back. He possesses no dribbling ability, he is slow and he cannot even cut back inside consistently and cross the ball.

Assuming that Mendy is not able to recover in time for Tuesday night’s second leg, one viable option for Jardim is to play Lemar at the left back. Lemar is not a defender, but Monaco has to take a risk and they will have to press Juventus very aggressively from the start of the match. It does not matter to put Lemar there because if their presses are successful, he will not be spending a lot of time defending. Putting him at left back and playing Bernardo Silva as the left midfielder should allow Monaco to restore the attacking structure and positional plays they lacked in the first match. On the right-hand side, Sidibe can return to his preferred right-back position with Dirar as the right winger. Playing this lineup should guarantee sufficient offensive potency on the two flanks. In the middle, Moutinho can replace Bakayoko and improves their vertical passing ability.

No matter how Monaco lines up, several weaknesses remain in the team:

The center backs lack passing ranges.
There is not creativity in the team, other than Bernardo Silva.

Therefore, Monaco does not have great ability to penetrate through the middle and they rely on the flanks and the crosses to attack. In the first game, Juventus conceded too many crosses into the box from Monaco's right-hand side. Allegri criticized than Mandzukic sometimes were too slow to close down the crosser. Part of the reason is that in Juventus wanted to have an extra center back to contain Monaco's two strikers. In the deep defensive phase, Juventus used a 5-3-2 shape. The three midfielders would struggle to cover the whole width of the pitch. One solution is to have Dybala dropping back to the midfield to form a 5-4-1 shape. Monaco has not demonstrated the ability to send switching passes consistently and Juventus may be able to use a more ball-orientated approach to defend the ball close side and ignore ball far side.

Accedi

JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

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