Juventus Season 2013-2014

[Socrates 7963]

SAMPDORIA - JUVENTUS

August 24, 2013 8:45 PM
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova
Referee:‬ L. Banti‎

Line-ups

Aug 24, 2013

Reigning champions Juventus start the defence of their title with Carlos Tevez against a Sampdoria that beat them twice last season.

Antonio Conte’s men are aiming for a third consecutive Scudetto, which the Bianconeri have not achieved since the 1930s. Their campaign kicks off at Marassi at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

http://markting10.nl/

Juve’s confidence is sky high after thrashing Lazio 4-0 in the Italian Super Cup last week, which saw Tevez score on his official debut.

The former Manchester City striker starts again in Genoa, partnering Mirko Vucinic, as Fernando Llorente is still not 100 per cent fit.

Claudio Marchisio is out for a month with a knee injury, while Simone Pepe is still sidelined, so Paul Pogba takes over in midfield.

Sampdoria shocked Juventus twice last season, winning both at Marassi and in Turin, the away match despite going down to 10 men.

Vasco Regini and Renan are suspended, but Juve-owned Manolo Gabbiadini partners Eder in attack.


Sampdoria: Da Costa; Gastaldello, Palombo, Costa; De Silvestri, Eramo, Berardi, Krsticic, Obiang; Eder, Gabbiadini

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Vucinic

[Socrates 7963]

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Carlos Tévez 58′

August 24, 2013 8:45 PM
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova
Referee:‬ L. Banti
Attendance:‬ 23000‎

‎Tevez fires Bianconeri to opening day win

The Argentine scored on his Serie A debut to give the defending Serie A champions all three points.

Aug 24, 2013

Carlos Tevez scored his first league goal for Juventus as the Bianconeri opened their Serie A campaign with a 1-0 win over Sampdoria.

The striker - who joined from Manchester City earlier this summer - found the net just before the hour mark to give Juve all three points at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

http://markting10.nl/

Antonio Conte handed a league debut to Tevez, with the Argentinian partnering Mirko Vucinic in attack, while Paul Pogba started in midfield in the absence of Claudio Marchisio.

Juventus came close to taking the lead after just two minutes, when Andrea Pirlo's superb long-range strike was tipped over the bar by Brazilian goalkeeper Angelo Da Costa.

Sampdoria responded well, pressing Conte's men back into their own half, but they could not take advantage of that period of supremacy and almost fell behind when Da Costa produced another fine save as Kwadwo Asamoah met a Pirlo corner with a powerful diving header.

The visitors attacking quality was evident, and Sampdoria were again grateful for the reflexes of Da Costa as he denied Tevez his first goal in Italian football with a great stop at the near post.

Asamoah fired a swerving effort over the bar from the edge of the area seven minutes before the interval, but despite an array of chances the Bianconeri were left frustrated as they failed to find a breakthrough before half-time.

But on 57 minutes the visitors sprung back into life in spectacular fashion. Vucinic, Arturo Vidal and Pogba combined excellently in a wonderful team move, with the latter pulling back for Tevez to tap into an empty net with Da Costa stranded.

However, the hosts nearly crafted an instant response, as defender Andrea Costa converted from an in-swinging free-kick only for the assistant referee to disallow the goal for offside.

Pogba, afforded too much time and space by Sampdoria, continued to exert his influence on the game, and he was heavily involved again as Juventus looked to close the game out, crossing for Stephan Lichtsteiner, only to see the Swiss head wide.

Juve took their foot off the gas in the dying embers of the game, with Sampdoria lacking the ability to turn the deficit around.

And the game ended on a sour note for the hosts, with substitute Paolo Castellini sent-off for a lunging tackle on Lichtsteiner to extinguish any hope of a late comeback.

[Socrates 7963]

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Carlos Tévez 58′

August 24, 2013 8:45 PM
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova
Referee:‬ L. Banti
Attendance:‬ 23000‎

‎Tevez inspires Juve victory

Carlos Tevez scored on his Serie A debut to give Juventus a hard-fought
1-0 victory away to Sampdoria, including a straight red card.

Aug 24, 2013

The reigning champions started the defence of their title against a side that beat them twice last season. Confidence was sky high after last week’s 4-0 thrashing of Lazio in the Italian Super Cup, though Claudio Marchisio was ruled out for a month. Samp had to do without the suspended Renan and Vasco Regini, but had Juve-owned Manolo Gabbiadini leading the attack.

http://markting10.nl/

It was raining very heavily in Genoa, but within three minutes Junior Da Costa had fingertipped an Andrea Pirlo strike out from under the crossbar.

A brave Kwadwo Asamoah header was also palmed over from a corner, while Da Costa had to parry a Carlos Tevez shot out from the near bottom corner.

Asamoah also blasted off target from the edge of the box, but Sampdoria held out well under pressure. After the restart Paul Pogba knocked down a Pirlo free kick, but once again the Blucerchiati scrambled clear.

Juventus finally broke through with a very well-worked goal. Pogba sprung the offside trap on an Arturo Vidal first time pass and rolled across for Tevez to tap in from six yards. It was the former Manchester City striker’s goal on his Serie A debut.

There was a scare for the visitors on 63 minutes when Sampdoria finally threatened and indeed had the ball in the back of the net, but Andrea Costa had wandered offside to volley in a free kick at full stretch.

Moments later Eder tested Gigi Buffon with a powerful cross-shot at the near post, but Stephan Lichtsteiner couldn’t keep his header on target from a tight angle on Pogba’s chipped cross.

Pedro Obiang’s screamer flashed across the face of goal, whistling past the far post and Andrea Barzagli almost scored an own goal, kicking his clearance straight at Vidal.

Fernando Llorente was given his Serie A debut in the final minute, but Paolo Castellini’s opening game lasted just eight minutes, as he was shown a straight red card for his sliding tackle on Lichtsteiner.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sampdoria: Da Costa; Gastaldello (Mustafi 72), Palombo, Costa; De Silvestri, Eramo (Soriano 72), Krsticic, Obiang, Berardi (Castellini 82); Eder, Gabbiadini

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez (Giovinco 89), Vucinic (Llorente 89)

Ref: Banti

Sent off: Castellini 90 (S)

[Socrates 7963]

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Carlos Tévez 58′

August 24, 2013 8:45 PM
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova
Referee:‬ L. Banti
Attendance:‬ 23000‎

‎Tevez clinches Juve success

Aug 24, 2013

Carlos Tevez marked his Serie A debut with the winning goal for Juventus as the champions began their bid to win a third straight Scudetto with victory as they beat Sampdoria 1-0.

The former Manchester City striker, a marquee signing for Antonio Conte's team this summer, has scored fancier goals than the close-range finish that earned all three points in Genoa.

http://markting10.nl/

He has scored many more important in his time with Boca Juniors, Corinthians, West Ham, Manchester United and City, and the Argentina national team.

But there was no faulting Tevez's timing, or his form, as he made the difference in Serie A's big opening Saturday night game.

Sampdoria completed an unlikely double over Juventus last season, spoiling their title celebrations with a 3-2 win at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on the final day.

Their coach, Delio Rossi, was wary of the vengeance arriving from Turin and Juventus were good value for their win, even if the home side held out for nearly an hour.

Andrea Pirlo had an early long-range attempt saved by Angelo Da Costa, who turned the ball over the bar, and further attempts from Kwadwo Asamoah and Mirko Vucinic peppered the Sampdoria goal.

Tevez went as close as anyone with a powerful left-footed strike that almost crept inside the left post.

He made the breakthrough after 58 minutes with a poacher's goal.

The craft came from Arturo Vidal, with a cute pass to Paul Pogba, who showed great awareness to flick a pass to his right for Tevez, who could hardly fail to beat Da Costa from close quarters.

Sampdoria briefly thought they had levelled when Andrea Costa slid home a free-kick, however he was offside and a flag from the assistant referee rightly went up.

Gianluigi Buffon saved from Eder and Gaetano Berardi in quick succession but Sampdoria's hopes began to look forlorn.

A red card in the dying stages for Paolo Castellini was a sorry way to finish for the home side, when a mistimed tackle was punished, arguably a little harshly, by referee Luca Banti.

[Socrates 7963]

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Carlos Tévez 58′

August 24, 2013 8:45 PM
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova
Referee:‬ L. Banti
Attendance:‬ 23000‎

‎Initial reaction and random observations

Rumors say that Carlos Tevez is good. Still waiting for confirmation. ‎

Aug 24, 2013

You know that whole thing about Juventus not being able to beat Sampdoria last season? That was stupid, so incredibly stupid. It made a lot of us grumpy — and nobody likes it when we're grumpy. And the facts are facts: It was one of the few blemishes on what was Antonio Conte's second straight Scudeto-winning campaign at Juventus.

http://markting10.nl/

And now we don't have to talk about all that nonsense anymore because Juve have claimed their first win at the Luigi Ferraris since 2006.

Two competitive games for Carlos Tevez in a Juventus shirt, two goals scored. Two losses to Sampdoria last season replaced with one Juventus win over them this season. Those thoughts of Juve falling to a 10-man Samp side at Juventus Stadium or closing last campaign with a loss are now exactly what they've been the past three months — a thing of the past. Different seasons, sure, but it's always nice to enact a little bit of revenge on the only team to beat Juve twice last season.

And that's exactly what Conte and Juventus did.

A hard-fought, grind-out-it kind of result in the pouring down rain at the Marassi. Sounds like a Conte-style win to me. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm right. But these kinds of things seem to meet Conte's liking. Well, other than standing out in the rain for a couple hours. Then again, he did get to wear his favorite hat...


Things I think I thought during the match:

•Let's talk about Juventus' goal. You know, that beautiful combination play between Mirko Vucinic, Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Tevez? Yeah, that thing. I saw a few people point out on Twitter about how the short interchanges between a group of players is something that is different this year compared to the two previous ones under Conte and I couldn't help but agree. Once Vucinic sent the ball into Vidal from the left wing, the wheels started moving — quickly. After a quick one-touch pass to Pogba, things were looking even better. Then Tevez was there to bury Pogba's assist into a wide open goal. Four players, three passes, one beautiful collective effort for Juve's first goal of the Serie A season.

And just like it was in the Supercoppa, Tevez's goal brought one heck of an emotional celebration. I think it's safe to say Carlitos is enjoying his time in Turin so far.

•The rain was just ridiculous. But the Marassi field held up relatively well. It wasn't like Andrea Pirlo was running into any big puddles as he tried to spray balls to out wide to Stephan Licthsteiner or Kwadwo Asamoah. It definitely didn't allow both teams to probably play the way they completely desired, but with the amount of water that came down, the field could have been in a lot worse shape as the final whistle got closer and closer.

•I never want to be on the end of a Lichtsteiner death stare.

•Delio Rossi, despite seeing his fancy suit get absolutely drenched with the near-monsoon that was going on in Genova, had his team prepped very well. Sampdoria's 3-5-2 was a very effective anti-Juve tactic — especially in the first half of play. Samp pressed high and made things difficult for Juve. It worked well in the grand scheme of things, with only a brilliant team goal from Juventus being the thing that prevented Sampdoria from coming away with a point at the very least.

•Gigi Buffon and Juventus' three-man defense didn't have a whole hell of a lot to do, but Manolo Gabbiadini had a few bright moments against the team that co-owns him. There was the memorable nutmeg of Giorgio Chiellini in the first half that set up a free kick right outside the 18-yard box. And with Samp only having 31 percent of the possession, according to WhoScored, it's not like Gabbiadini had a lot of chances to really do much anyways.

•Who needs subs before the 86th minute anyway? Conte gonna be Conte.

•Paolo Castellini was on the field for seven minutes and then got sent of for an incredibly stupid tackle. Sampdoria did a decent number of things right to try and beat Juventus, that wasn't one of them.

•Good way to start the quest for three straight titles.

[Socrates 7963]

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Carlos Tévez 58′

August 24, 2013 8:45 PM
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova
Referee:‬ L. Banti
Attendance:‬ 23000‎

‎Player Ratings

Goal took in the Serie A action at the Marassi, where the defending Serie A champions
got their season off to a positive start with a narrow away win, thanks to a Tevez strike.

Aug 24, 2013

Sampdoria

Angelo Da Costa - Unlucky to be on the losing side as he made some fine saves, especially in the first half.

Andrea Costa - Gave the ball away too many times, inviting pressure right back onto his team.

Angelo Palombo - Often got himself in the way of the ball to prevent dangerous openings for the opposition, and was his usual brave self.

Daniele Gastaldello - Paid very close attention to Mirko Vucinic whenever the Montenegrin tried to pull wide off the ball. Solid display.

Gaetano Berardi - Could not contain Lichtsteiner out on the flanks and was often left scrambling in vain to prevent the overlap.

Lorenzo De Silvestri - Got forward more often as the game progressed, causing problems on the right, even inadvertently testing Buffon with a wayward cross.

Mirko Eramo - Toiled diligently all game long in midfield, and worked very hard to close down space.

Nenad Krsticic - Bypassed far too often in the middle of the park in a forgettable game for him.

Pedro Obiang - Lost out a few times in the physical battle with Poba and Asamoah, but flashed a powerful effort just wide.

Eder - The main attacking outlet for the home side, as his guile on the ball fashioned most of the little openings they had.

Manolo Gabbiadini - A nuisance at times in the box, but he could never channel that into an outright goal threat.


Substitutions

Shkodran Mustafi - Solidified the defence in his spell on the pitch.

Paolo Castellini - Given his marching orders late on with a harsh red card after sliding into Lichsteiner near the touchline.

Roberto Soriano - A much needed bolt of energy and fresh legs to steady Sampdoria.

http://markting10.nl/

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon - Made a strong save from De Silvestri in the second half, but was not called into action much otherwise.

Andrea Barzagli - The centre back did not put a foot wrong throughout, and was particularly useful during the closing stages with his safety first approach.

Leonardo Bonucci - Solid at the back, holding his position well and proving a good deterrent for the visiting attackers.

Giorgio Chiellini - Found it hard to deal with the unpredictable nature of the ball and was responsible for one or two Sampdoria near misses.

Stephan Lichtsteiner - Overlapped on the right with plenty of intent, and provided a strong outlet for Juve down that side. Overreacted to a challenge that led to Castellini's dismissal.

Paul Pogba - Provided the midfield with a lot of physicality, and was heavily involved in the goal, making a good run off the ball and squaring for Carlos Tevez to finish.

Andrea Pirlo - Could not get into his usual stride, and was uncharacteristically inaccurate from set-pieces. Tested Da Costa early on.

Arturo Vidal - His passing was hit or miss thanks to the state of the pitch, but he kept his head to thread in Paul Pogba, who then set up the opener.

Kwadwo Asamoah - Motored from end to end in a tireless display, and refused to let the rain deter him from doing his job. In fact, he seemed to relish the gritty nature of proceedings, and disrupted a few attacks.

Carlos Tévez - Combined well with strike partner Mirko Vucinic on one or two occasions, and took full advantage of a flowing Juve move to tap home the only goal of the game.

Mirko Vučinić - One or two moments of link-up play aside, he was rather stymied up front as the conditions and stout defensive attention took their toll.

[Socrates 7963]

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Carlos Tévez 58′

August 24, 2013 8:45 PM
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova
Referee:‬ L. Banti
Attendance:‬ 23000‎

‎Conte hails Tevez and Pogba

Antonio Conte praised Carlos Tevez for his work rate
and believes Paul Pogba “can become the best in the world.”.

Aug 24, 2013

The Coach spoke to Sky Sport Italia after Juventus secured a 1-0 victory away to Sampdoria in their opening game of the Serie A season.

“Tevez is working very hard, not just on the field but also off it. He’s a wonderful person,” explained Conte of his goalscorer.

http://markting10.nl/

“He is improving, as are Fernando Llorente and Angelo Ogbonna, who will take time to settle into a squad that already did so well for two years.”

Pogba provided the assist for Tevez and at age 20 has already become a mainstay in the Juve midfield.

“We started working on him a year ago and his progress has been incredible. I saw his interviews in which he said he wanted to become the best in the world. I am happy with that, because in my view he can be the best.

“Pogba is eclectic and a modern player, as he is strong, fast and has stamina. He’s also humble, so listens to the advice given by me and by his teammates.”

It is particularly remarkable considering Juve snapped up Pogba on a free transfer from Manchester United.

“We can’t spend €30m for a player, so we try to move early to get either Bosman transfers or low-cost opportunities so we can get in front of the rest.”

[Socrates 7963]

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS

Carlos Tévez 58′

August 24, 2013 8:45 PM
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova
Referee:‬ L. Banti
Attendance:‬ 23000‎

‎Rossi saw 'right Samp spirit'

Aug 24, 2013

Delio Rossi insists he saw “the right spirit” despite Sampdoria’s slender defeat to Juventus.

“We had prepared the game well and allowed very little to what was objectively a stronger team,” said the Coach of the 1-0 home loss.

http://markting10.nl/

“They played a great move and with that goal won the game, but I saw the right spirit from my men. Unfortunately we paid the price for those incidents that went against us.

“We made a mistake on their goal, as the players down the left did not close the space, but it was a collective error rather than an individual one.”

The Blucerchiati did not have a single effort on goal for the first hour and barely troubled Gigi Buffon. Has Mauro Icardi been suitably replaced this summer?

“We signed some young players who will do well for our objectives. We cannot afford a player like Carlos Tevez...”

[Socrates 7963]

‎New season, same old story:
AC Milan still a million miles behind Juventus

The Rossoneri started the Italian league campaign with a performance
reminiscent of some of their poorer displays in an underwhelming 2012-13.

Aug 25, 2013

COMMENT
By Kris Voakes

They may be just 90 minutes into their respective Serie A campaigns, but already the distance between Juventus and AC Milan has been impressed upon the watching world once more.

http://markting10.nl/

The Rossoneri’s season-opening 2-1 defeat to Verona on Saturday was born out of an inability to fix holes that have been widely apparent for a year or more, while Juve quickly followed up with a 1-0 victory at Sampdoria which exemplified their knack of being able to find a way past the most stubborn and structured of opponents.

Milan’s difficulties in defence have been obvious for some time, but with no notable additions to their roster in that department this summer, the reliance on a consistently cohesive relationship between Philippe Mexes and Cristian Zapata appears unrealistic in the least. If last season they showed a significant lack of the kind of defensive telepathy often needed by the top clubs, they only added to the worry further on Saturday in allowing 36-year-old Luca Toni to bully them into submission.

While Toni is undoubtedly a striker of great repute, Milan’s defenders should be wise to his various abilities. Yet the former Palermo, Bayern Munich and Fiorentina front man had a field day in the air, finding it all too easy to drop off his markers to find space where none should have been afforded to him.

Beyond the back line, there was further evidence of weakness for Massimiliano Allegri’s side. The lack of any real physique in the midfield allowed Massimo Donati and Romulo to run over the top of Antonio Nocerino, Riccardo Montolivo and goalscorer Andrea Poli. Nigel de Jong’s importance to the side is made infinitely more evident with each game in which the Rossoneri fail to field him.

Up front, too, there were issues. Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy showed flashes of the beginnings of an understanding against PSV on Tuesday night, but against Hellas they did nothing of the sort. Back to the same two players who looked like strangers in their movement last term, they are on course to giving Allegri a serious headache in finding the goals necessary to make their defensive issues less concerning.

As if a defeat to a newly-promoted outfit wasn’t enough, the reigning champions’ dominantly efficient performance against Sampdoria a couple of hours later only served to remind Milan of just how short of the mark they really are. Where the Diavolo look lacklustre and short of ideas on how to repel supposedly inferior opposition, Juventus pressured Sampdoria until the Blucerchiati finally caved.

Carlos Tevez’s debut strike came after great interplay between Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. It was a goal that always looked likely, such is the air of inevitability when watching Juve these days. The imperious Scudetto holders are on another plane to the Milans of this world right now, and it will take either a concerted late effort on the transfer market or a serious piece of magic from Allegri to patch up the reeling Rossoneri into a Champions League outfit once again.

Wednesday’s return leg against PSV and the €20 million bonus which comes with progression to the group stage may hold the key to Milan having realistic top-three hopes again this season.

[Socrates 7963]

Juventus 506 days at the top

Aug 26, 2013

Juventus’ win at Sampdoria in Week 1 means they have now been at the top of the Serie A table for over 500 days.

http://markting10.nl/

The Old Lady have been at least level on points with whoever the Serie A pace setters were since April 7, 2012, when a win against Palermo allowed them to overtake Milan.

In total, the Bianconeri have won 35 League games, drawn seven and lost five of the 47 encounters since then.

Juventus have been at the top of the table for 506 days – that translates to 43,718,400 seconds, 728,640 minutes or 12,144 hours.

[Socrates 7963]

Juve-Real Madrid, Milan-Barca again

Aug 29, 2013

Juventus take on Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, Milan have Barcelona yet again and Napoli face Arsenal in the Champions League.

The draw for the Champions League group phase was performed this afternoon in Monaco, involving three Italian clubs.

http://markting10.nl/

Juventus and Milan were both second seeds, while Napoli were in the fourth pot due to their lack of experience in this competition.

The Bianconeri have been paired with Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, who are perhaps the favourites to win the trophy this season, Galatasaray and Copenhagen.

Milan will face Barcelona for the third year running, Dutch giants Ajax and Scotland’s Celtic. This is the only group where all four clubs are previous winners of the trophy.

Napoli have a tough group, as they are going to fight it out with Arsenal, Olympique Marseille and Borussia Dortmund. It's a special moment for Gonzalo Higuain, who had been close to joining the Gunners this summer.

Reigning Champions of Europe Bayern Munich are in Group D with CSKA Moscow, Manchester City and Viktoria Plzen.

Group A

Manchester United

Shakhtar Donetsk

Bayer Leverkusen

Real Sociedad


Group B

Real Madrid

JUVENTUS

Galatasaray

Copenhagen


Group C

Benfica

Paris Saint-Germain

Olympiacos

Anderlecht


Group D

Bayern Munich

CSKA Moscow

Manchester City

Viktoria Plzen


Group E

Chelsea

Schalke 04

Basel

Steaua Bucharest


Group F

Arsenal

Olympique Marseille

Borussia Dortmund

NAPOLI


Group G

Porto

Atletico Madrid

Zenit

Austria Vienna


Group H

Barcelona

MILAN

Ajax

Celtic

[Socrates 7963]

CL: Juve visit Madrid in October

Aug 29, 2013

Juventus start their Champions League campaign in Denmark, conclude in Istanbul and visit Real Madrid on October 23.

http://markting10.nl/

Copenhagen-Juventus (Sep 17)

Juventus-Galatasaray (Oct 2)

Real Madrid-Juventus (Oct 23)

Juventus-Real Madrid (Nov 5)

Juventus-Copenhagen (Nov 27)

Galatasaray-Juventus (Dec 10)

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS - LAZIO

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎

Juventus-Lazio Preview:
Hosts gunning for Supercoppa repeat

The Bianconeri beat the capital club 4-0 in the season's curtain-raiser
and will be hoping to build on their positive start to Serie A on Saturday.

Aug 30, 2013

Juventus will hope for a repeat of their Supercoppa Italiana triumph when they host Lazio in Serie A on Saturday.

Antonio Conte's side ran out 4-0 winners over the Rome club in Italian football's traditional curtain-raiser between the league winners and Coppa Italia holders earlier in the month thanks to goals from Paul Pogba, Giorgio Chiellini, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Carlos Tevez.

http://markting10.nl/

However, Italy international Chiellini has warned his team-mates that result is by no means a guarantee of another victory this time around.

"Honestly I don’t think the gap between the two sides is as big as that scoreline might have made it seem," the defender told Sky Sport Italia.

"We were good at striking for the jugular and making the most of our opportunities, but Lazio are a great side... they will be out to show people what they’re made of and get revenge against us on Saturday."

Striker Tevez has settled into life in Turin quickly after his close-season switch from Manchester City, and grabbed a crucial winner for the champions in their top-flight opener at Sampdoria last week.

Vladimir Petkovic’s men will head to Juventus Stadium in high spirits though, as they got over their Suppercopa Italiana disappointment by defeating Udinese 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico in their first game of the new campaign.

Brazilian playmaker Hernanes and Italian midfielder Antonio Candreva were on the scoresheet for Lazio, who managed to frustrate Juventus on their last Serie A visit to Turin by coming away with a 0-0 draw last November.

Claudio Marchisio is the only player unavailable to Conte as he continues to recover from a knee problem, but Lorik Cana is likely be fit for the visitors after limping out of the Udinese game with a muscular complaint.

Club doctor Stefano Lovati told Lazio Style Radio: "We feared something serious but tests have confirmed that there is no serious lesion.

"He is at about 80 per cent so could be available for the weekend."


Head to Head

Super Cup ‎- Aug 18, 2013 - Juventus 4 - 0 Lazio
Serie A ‎-‎ Apr 15, 2013 - Lazio 0 - 2 Juventus
Coppa Italia ‎-‎ Jan 29, 2013 - Lazio 2 - 1 Juventus
Coppa Italia ‎-‎ Jan 22, 2013 - Juventus 1 - 1 Lazio
Serie A - Nov 17, 2012 - Juventus 0 - 0 Lazio


Last Five Matches

Juventus

Aug 24, 2013 - Sampdoria 0 - 1 Juventus - Serie A
Aug 18, 2013 - Juventus 4 - 0 Lazio - Italian Supercoppa
Aug 6, 2013 - Juventus 1 - 1 FC Internazionale - Fr
Aug 4, 2013 - Juventus 1 - 3 Los Angeles Galaxy - Fr
Aug 1, 2013 - Juventus 1 - 1 Everton - Fr


Lazio

Aug 25, 2013 - Lazio 2 - 1 Udinese - Serie A
Aug 18, 2013 - Juventus 4 - 0 Lazio - Italian Supercoppa
Aug 10, 2013 - Crystal Palace 0 - 1 Lazio - FR
Aug 4, 2013 - Panathinaikos 0 - 0 Lazio - FR
Jul 24, 2013 - Lazio 3 - 0 Spezia - FR

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS - LAZIO

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎

MATCH PREVIEW

Aug 30, 2013

Juventus and Lazio started with victories, but the memory of their Super Cup clash is still fresh ahead of this League encounter.

Juve have commenced with a bang. They dismantled the capital club to lift the first trophy of the season a fortnight ago, while also enjoying a positive start in Serie A. They toppled bogey club Sampdoria, with Carlos Tevez netting the only goal of the game.

http://markting10.nl/

Defender Giorgio Chiellini says meeting Lazio so soon after their 4-0 victory will only serve to spur on the visitors, “Lazio will bring out something more to take revenge for the result, so we will have to be extremely careful.”

The Bianconeri are expected to continue with the XI that took to the Marassi pitch last Saturday. Paul Pogba deputises for the injured Claudio Marchisio, while Simone Pepe remains on the comeback trail.

Lazio bounced back from their Super Cup hammering to defeat Udinese last Sunday in their Serie A opener. A fast start proved pivotal, with Hernanes and Antonio Candreva scoring inside the first 20 minutes to set-up the 2-1 triumph.

There was a sense of relief for the Biancocelesti, with Coach Vladimir Petkovic claiming they will ‘hold on tight to this result’. Before the game he made note that critics were waiting for Lazio to fail, and so deemed the victory over Udinese an important one.

Petkovic has a number of injuries to contend with. Lorik Cana, Abdoulay Konko, Felipe Anderson, Emiliano Alfaro, Bruno Pereirinha and Vinicius are all missing, as is suspended captain Stefano Mauri.

Federico Marchetti starred last term as Lazio held Juve to a scoreless draw, the 18th stalemate between the two. Meanwhile, the Turin club have claimed 43 wins to Lazio’s eight.

Keep an eye on: Miroslav Klose (Lazio) – The German spoke in the build-up to the Super Cup of his desire to net past Juventus, after seven scoreless meetings. That number rose to eight thanks to Gianluigi Buffon, and so Klose will be eyeing that elusive goal in Turin.

Form guide: Juventus ( - - - -W) Lazio ( - - - -W)

Last season: Juventus 0-0 Lazio

Stat fact: Lazio have not returned to Rome with maximum points since a 2-1 triumph in 2002-03, a run of nine matches.

Juventus (probable): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Vucinic

Lazio (probable): Marchetti; Cavanda, Novaretti, Biava, Radu; Gonzalez, Biglia, Hernanes, Lulic; Candreva; Klose

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS - LAZIO

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎

Juventus v Lazio: Preview

Aug 30, 2013

Juventus head coach Antonio Conte is bracing himself for a backlash as Lazio arrive in Turin on a revenge mission.

The Biancocelesti suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat at their own Stadio Olimpico base in a curtain-raising Supercoppa meeting two weeks ago.

http://markting10.nl/

But while reigning Serie A champions Juve laboured to a 1-0 win at Sampdoria on the opening weekend, Lazio showed they were made of stronger stuff by beating Udinese 2-1.

Conte is under no illusions that the capital club will be determined to right recent wrongs while potentially pulling three points clear with victory at the Juventus Stadium.

The Bianconeri boss told juventus.com: ``It will be a test for the heart and the head before it is a test for our legs.

``The Supercoppa defeat will give them something extra and tomorrow will be completely different game.

``We picked up a trophy in Rome and we're happy to have done so but there's less difference between us and them than the scoreline suggested.

``Lazio will fight for the top spots and they always do, it will be the same tomorrow.

``They will make things difficult for us but we want to do the same to them.''

Conte also bemoaned the fact striker Alessandro Matri had been sold to AC Milan due to a lack of funds in northern Turin.

He added: ``With a few exceptions, including Napoli, clubs have to sell before they can buy and we have to make back the 20million euros we spent on (Carlos) Tevez, (Fernando) Llorente and (Angelo) Ogbonna.

``I'm not worried about this situation, even if it is obvious that I don't like having to sell players to buy others.

``But we are forced to do so and that's why coaches go cap in hand to their clubs.''

Biancocelesti boss Vladimir Petkovic also believes his players' performance in the Supercoppa was not a true reflection of their true ability, especially considering the fact Udinese were beaten at the same stadium a week later.

``We weren't in peak condition, but we're developing as we displayed against Udinese,'' he told reporters.

``Now we want to pick up some points in Turin and we need to play as we did in the first half last weekend.

``We must not be in a rush to score, what we need to do is play with quality and awareness, giving as good as we get and looking to make the most of every opportunity that comes our way.''

Despite recent experiences the Bosnian does not believe Juve are a cut above their rivals in the new campaign, while conceding their desire to win make them a tough proposition.

He added: ``The gap isn't that wide, but Juventus are used to winning. They've shown they have more hunger, that's their characteristic.

``But we're a top side ourselves, our players have plenty of character and tomorrow they'll give everything to get a result.''

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS - LAZIO

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎

Petkovic seeks Juve revenge

Aug 30, 2013

Lazio lost 4-0 to Juventus in the Italian Super Cup two weeks ago and tonight Vladimir Petkovic wants to prove “the gap is not that big.”

The Aquile seek revenge in Turin this evening, as their Serie A clash kicks off at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

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“We were not at 100 per cent in the Super Cup, but we are improving, as we showed against Udinese,” said Petkovic in his Press conference.

“We must be careful, because we are playing against 11 champions and the best team in Italy, but we’re not exactly worthy of being thrown in the bin.

“The gap is not that big. Juventus are accustomed to getting great results, winning and keeping their feet on the ground. They are always hungry, that is their characteristic, with very expensive players who make the difference.

“With pride, my players will do everything possible to bring home the three points. The win over Udinese did us good, as did the 4-0 defeat to Juventus in a way.

“I’ve never heard of a team that gives up at the start of the season. In order to stop them from scoring, we have to not make mistakes, but play with quality and belief. We must not hide, but face them head-on as a unit.”

Carlos Tevez has scored in both his competitive appearances for Juventus, in the Super Cup and against Sampdoria, so he is the man to watch.

“Tevez bring a lot of individual experience and is a great player who can give Juve a push forward on an international level.

“They are all great players, as Juventus have a squad that can compete not only in Italy, but also in Europe.”

Stefano Mauri is still banned awaiting his appeal against a six-month suspension, while Abdoulay Konko, and Felipe Anderson are injured.

Lazio squad for Juventus: Marchetti, Bizzarri, Strakosha; Biava, Dias, Radu, Novaretti, Vinicius, Pereirinha, Cavanda, Cana; Ledesma, Onazi, Ederson, Candreva, Lulic, Gonzalez, Hernanes, Biglia; Floccari, Rozzi, Klose, Keita.

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS - LAZIO

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎

Line-ups: Juventus-Lazio

Aug 31, 2013

Lazio seek revenge against Juventus for the Super Cup thrashing, as Carlos Tevez and Paul Pogba take on Hernanes and Miroslav Klose.

This Serie A game kicks off in Turin at 19.45 UK time.

http://markting10.nl/

The two sides met only two weeks ago for the Italian Super Cup, which saw Juve emerge 4-0 winners from the Stadio Olimpico.

That humiliation still weighs heavily on the Aquile and Coach Vladimir Petkovic noted this was the perfect opportunity to prove “the gap isn’t that big.”

Stefano Mauri is still suspended awaiting an appeal verdict on his six-month ban for being aware of a potential fix.

Lorik Cana, Mickael Ciani, Libor Kozak, Bruno Pereirinha and Vinicius are not 100 per cent fit, while Abdoulay Konko is unavailable.

Klose leads the attack with support from Antonio Candreva, Hernanes and summer signing Lucas Biglia. The German international has never managed to put a goal past the Bianconeri.

Juventus have had a blistering start to the campaign and particularly Tevez, who netted against both Lazio and Sampdoria.

He again starts up front with Mirko Vucinic, as Fernando Llorente is struggling to settle into his new Serie A environment.

Pogba steps in for the injured Claudio Marchisio in midfield.

Last season Federico Marchetti was heroic here to earn Lazio a 0-0 draw, but they haven’t won in Turin since 2002-03.


Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Vucinic

Lazio: Marchetti; Cavanda, Novaretti, Cana, Radu; Gonzalez, Biglia, Hernanes, Lulic; Candreva; Klose

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS - LAZIO

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎

HT: Vidal double stuns Lazio

Aug 31, 2013

A magnificent Arturo Vidal brace has given Juventus the 2-1 half-time lead over Lazio, though Miroslav Klose finally ended his taboo.

This Serie A meeting came just two weeks after Juve hammered Lazio 4-0 at the Olimpico in the Italian Super Cup. Paul Pogba again replaced the injured Claudio Marchisio with Carlos Tevez partnering Mirko Vucinic, while Miroslav Klose was still looking for his first career goal against the Bianconeri.

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Hernanes forced Gigi Buffon into an early save at the near post after just two minutes, but Juve took the lead with a fantastic goal.

Arturo Vidal sprung the offside trap on a Pogba ball over the top, keeping his cool to flick the finish past Marchetti with the outside of his right boot.

Buffon got fingertips to an Antonio Candreva strike and Lorik Cana’s header from the resulting corner was across the face of goal.

The Lazio defence could not get a handle on Vidal and he scored his second in the opening half-hour. The Chilean again snuck round the back, this time on to a Leonardo Bonucci pass, and stroked it past Marchetti with aplomb from seven yards.

However, Lazio got back into it within 90 seconds. Buffon only parried a Hernanes long-range effort and Klose was quickest to pounce on the rebound. It was his first career goal against the Old Lady.

Buffon also looked slightly shaky when turning a Stefan Radu effort round the post and punching away another Hernanes attempt, while a Candreva free kick whistled wide.


Juventus 2-1 Lazio (Half-Time)

Scorers: Vidal 14, 26 (J), Klose 28 (L)

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Vucinic

Lazio: Marchetti; Cavanda, Novaretti, Cana, Radu; Gonzalez, Biglia, Hernanes, Lulic; Candreva; Klose

Ref: Tagliavento

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS 4 - 1 LAZIO

Arturo Vidal 14′
Arturo Vidal 27′

Miroslav Klose 28′

Mirko Vučinić 49′
Carlos Tévez 78′

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎
Attendance:‬ 38041‎

Juventus 4-1 Lazio:
Tevez on target as Conte's men cruise

The Bianconeri gave Vladimir Petkovic's men their second thumping
inside a matter of weeks on Saturday night.

Aug 31, 2013

Juventus maintained their 100 per cent record in Serie A thanks to a 4-1 win over Lazio.

Arturo Vidal scored twice in the first half to give the champions the edge but Miroslav Klose's reply for the Romans ensured that the result was not clear cut at the interval.

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Antonio Conte's men sealed the three points when Mirko Vucinic struck just before the hour mark, before Lazio's Hernanes was sent off, and Carlos Tevez capped a fine individual display with his side's fourth on 80 minutes.

Both sides were unchanged from their respective opening day victories and both played their part in an entertaining start to the game.

Hernanes carved out the first real opportunity for the visitors, but could only shoot straight at Gianluigi Buffon having connected with a chipped ball over the Juve defence.

The hosts replied with an early effort of their own, with Vucinic denied by a fine piece of defending from Lorik Cana as he looked to get a shot off after Andrea Pirlo had played him through.

The crowd would not be forced to wait long for a goal, though, as Vidal opened the scoring with just 14 minutes on the clock.

The Chilean latched on to a fabulous chip over the defence from Paul Pogba and showed remarkable composure to poke the ball underneath goalkeeper Federico Marchetti.

And, 12 minutes later, Vidal had his second courtesy of a cool side-footed finish after Leonardo Bonucci had surged out of the Juventus defence to play his team-mate through on goal.

Lazio had, in truth, played a more prominent role in the game than the scoreline suggested, and so there was a sense of justice when Klose got on the scoresheet two minutes after Vidal's second.

The striker was the quickest to react to a rebound from a Hernanes effort and slotted expertly beyond Buffon to bring his team back into the game.

The goalmouth action cooled somewhat after that goal, though Lazio went close on two occasions as Antonio Candreva's free-kick whistled past the post and Buffon had to be alert to keep out Hernanes' drive.

Lazio ended the first half undoubtedly on top, but just four minutes after the restart the hosts' two-goal advantage was restored.

Bonucci again provided the assist, chipping a long pass from the back into the path of Vucinic, who held off his man expertly on the turn before poking past Marchetti.

And Lazio's task would become even more difficult on the hour mark as Hernanes, in a clear show of frustration, attempted to handle a cross from the left into the Juve goal and subsequently saw a deserved second yellow card.

Tevez almost rubbed salt in Lazio wounds in the 71st minute, only for his left-footed effort from the edge of the box to come back off the bar.

But the Argentine got his goal soon after, his third in as many games for his new club, as he swept the ball home from distance following an intelligent dummy from Vucinic.

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS 4 - 1 LAZIO

Arturo Vidal 14′
Arturo Vidal 27′

Miroslav Klose 28′

Mirko Vučinić 49′
Carlos Tévez 78′

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎
Attendance:‬ 38041‎

Week2: Juve thump Lazio again

Arturo Vidal netted twice with Mirko Vucinic and Carlos Tevez as Juventus
flattened Lazio 4-1 in Turin, but Hernanes got himself sent off.

Aug 31, 2013

This Serie A meeting came just two weeks after Juve hammered Lazio 4-0 at the Olimpico in the Italian Super Cup. Paul Pogba again replaced the injured Claudio Marchisio with Carlos Tevez partnering Mirko Vucinic, while Miroslav Klose was still looking for his first career goal against the Bianconeri.

Hernanes forced Gigi Buffon into an early save at the near post after just two minutes, but Juve took the lead with a fantastic goal.

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Arturo Vidal sprung the offside trap on a Pogba ball over the top, keeping his cool to flick the finish past Marchetti with the outside of his right boot.

Buffon got fingertips to an Antonio Candreva strike and Lorik Cana’s header from the resulting corner was across the face of goal.

The Lazio defence could not get a handle on Vidal and he scored his second in the opening half-hour. The Chilean again snuck round the back, this time on to a Leonardo Bonucci pass, and stroked it past Marchetti with aplomb from seven yards.

However, Lazio got back into it within 90 seconds. Buffon only parried a Hernanes long-range effort and Klose was quickest to pounce on the rebound. It was his first career goal against the Old Lady.

Buffon also looked slightly shaky when turning a Stefan Radu effort round the post and punching away another Hernanes attempt, while a Candreva free kick whistled wide.

At the dawn of the second half, Vucinic added a third for Juventus. Once again Bonucci was the provider, his pass over the top allowing Vucinic to sneak up behind the defence and slip the delicate finish across Marchetti from a tight angle.

Hernanes made matters considerably worse for Lazio, as he received a foolish second yellow card for deliberate handball. He tried to jump for a cross in the Juve box and flailed at it with his arm.

The Biancocelesti were still shooting from distance and Buffon palmed away from Candreva, while Tevez just failed to get his third goal in as many games when his curler from the edge of the box cracked against the crossbar.

The former Manchester City striker did get his name on the scoresheet eventually with a precise finish, making the most of a Vucinic run to surprise Cana.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli (Ogbonna 84), Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Isla 79), Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Vucinic (Quagliarella 81)
Lazio: Marchetti; Cavanda (Floccari 72), Novaretti, Cana, Radu; Gonzalez, Biglia (Ledesma 65), Hernanes, Lulic; Candreva; Klose (Ederson 81)
Ref: Tagliavento
Sent off: Hernanes 63 (L)

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS 4 - 1 LAZIO

Arturo Vidal 14′
Arturo Vidal 27′

Miroslav Klose 28′

Mirko Vučinić 49′
Carlos Tévez 78′

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎
Attendance:‬ 38041‎

Vidal double seals Juve victory

Aug 31, 2013

Arturo Vidal scored twice as Serie A champions Juventus cruised to a 4-1 victory over 10-man Lazio at the Juventus Stadium on Saturday night.

Vidal's brace had the home side 2-0 up after 26 minutes, only for Miroslav Klose to halve the deficit two minutes later.

http://markting10.nl/

Mirko Vucinic stretched Juve's lead four minutes into the second half, though, before Hernanes was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence just after the hour mark and Carlos Tevez completed the scoring 10 minutes from time.

In the other game in the Italian top flight on Saturday, Marek Hamsik bagged a brace as Napoli overcame stubborn Chievo 4-2 to register their second league win from two games.

Napoli twice took the lead in the first half through Hamsik and Jose Callejon, but were pegged back by Chievo striker Alberto Paloschi on both occasions.

However, they did not look back after Hamsik helped the Partenopei re-take the lead once more and Gonzalo Higuain made sure there was no way back by notching his first goal in Serie A following his big-money summer move from Real Madrid.

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS 4 - 1 LAZIO

Arturo Vidal 14′
Arturo Vidal 27′

Miroslav Klose 28′

Mirko Vučinić 49′
Carlos Tévez 78′

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎
Attendance:‬ 38041‎

Player Ratings

Goal rates every player as Juve make it two league wins out of two thanks
to a double from Arturo Vidal alongside strikes from Mirko Vucinic and Carlos Tevez.

Aug 31, 2013

Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon - Was unconvincing and struggled to hold on to a series of long range shots, noticeably Hernanes's swerving effort which he parried into Klose's path, allowing him to score.

Andrea Barzagli - It's no surprise that Juventus had the best defensive record in Serie A last season and Barzagli showed again why he is so valuable with his excellent reading of the game and good tackling.

Leonardo Bonucci - Was the deepest of Juventus' central defensive trio but that did not stop him from stepping forward to execute two fantastic long balls to set up Vidal and Vucinic for their goals.

Giorgio Chiellini - Another solid performance from the 29-year-old, who did an excellent job in marshalling Klose. The German did get on the scoresheet but ultimately failed to get the better of the Juventus No.3.

Stephan Lichtsteiner - Couldn't quite replicate his scintillating Super Cup performance but an assured display nonetheless. The Swiss wing-back's energy has ensured that he is a crucial component in Conte's formula.

Paul Pogba - The France midfielder continues to shine in Marchisio's absence and on this performance, it seems unlikely the Italian will regain his starting berth. Produced a wonderful chipped reverse pass for Vidal's opener.

Andrea Pirlo - A typical performance from the bearded wizard who helped Juventus to dominate the midfield with his intelligence and superb range of passing.

Arturo Vidal - Five goals against Lazio now for Vidal in this calendar year alone. Showed that he is one of Europe's best box-to-box midfielders with a brilliant display of passing, tackling, close control and finishing.

Kwadwo Asamoah - Got into some promising advanced positions from left wing-back but never really looked a threat with his crossing. Was rarely exposed down his side.

Carlos Tévez - Continued his promising start to his Bianconeri career with a typical hard-working performance. Dragged the Lazio centre-back pairing all over the pitch and was a constant menace with his dribbling. Made it three goals in three games with a brilliant placed effort.

Mirko Vučinić - Seems to have thrived under the pressure of Tevez's and Llorente's arrivals. Worked his socks off up front and wasn't afraid to track back and help out the midfield. Deserved his goal.


Substitutions

Angelo Obinze Ogbonna - Introduced as a substitute in the final 10 minutes to add fresh legs to the defence.

Mauricio Isla - Enjoyed his first minutes of the campaign but has a long way to go to push Lichtsteiner for a starting role.

Fabio Quagliarella - Was introduced in the final ten minutes, perhaps to showcase his talent to interested clubs. Had little time to influence the game.

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Lazio

Federico Marchetti - Couldn't repeat his heroics from last season and was helpless to deny either of Juventus' goals. Will feel let down by his defence.

Stefan Radu - The Romanian defender struggled to contain the movement of Lichtsteiner and was at fault for failing to hold the line for Vidal's second.

Luis Cavanda - Did a reasonable job against Asamoah but sometimes failed to track back. One of the few Lazio players who can take credit for his performance.

Diego Novaretti - A horrendous error from the Argentine defender to allow Vucinic to score a third Juventus goal with ease. Looked out of his depth and failed to stick with his marker on numerous occasions.

Lucas Rodrigo Biglia - Seems to be struggling to make the adjustment from Belgian football to Serie A. Didn't know whether to sit in front of the back four or close down Pirlo, both to which he did to minimal effect.

Hernanes - Was a constant thorn in the Juventus defence with his neat footwork and ability to find space to shoot from distance. His swerving shot was parried by Buffon for Klose's goal. However, he did fail to track Vidal for Juventus' second and was sent off for stupidly handling the ball.

Alvaro Gonzalez - An anonymous performance from the utility man who performed as a right-wing back late on. Was often found trailing in Pogba or Vidal's wake.

Senad Lulic - Was effective at times down the left wing but will be disappointed with the accuracy of his crossing. Did a good job in limiting Lichtsteiner's freedom.

Lorik Cana - Was dominant in the air for Lazio at both ends of the pitch but was forced out of position on numerous occasions by the intelligent movement of Tevez.

Antonio Candreva - Impressive and determined showing from the former Juventus man, who caused problems with his teasing crosses and long range shooting. Didn't deserve to be on the losing side.

Miroslav Klose - Didn't have the greatest service but nonetheless took his chance when it came, showing great anticipation to react quickest to poke Hernanes' spilled shot past Buffon.


Substitutions

Ederson - Was introduced as a late substitute and showed his willingness to get forward, testing Buffon with several long-range drives.

Cristian Ledesma - Came on to shore the midfield up when Lazio were reduced to 10 men. Provided a much-needed energy boost but ultimately could do little to prevent the Biancocelesti's downfall.

Sergio Floccari - Came on to give an extra dimension to the attack but due to Hernanes' dismissal, he lacked service and had little influence.

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS 4 - 1 LAZIO

Arturo Vidal 14′
Arturo Vidal 27′

Miroslav Klose 28′

Mirko Vučinić 49′
Carlos Tévez 78′

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎
Attendance:‬ 38041‎

Juventus 4-1 Lazio: 8 Goals in 2 Weeks, Any Questions?

Aug 31, 2013

To an outsider, it seemed all summer that the vultures were surrounding Juventus. There was talk of friction between Antonio Conte and Giuseppe Marotta, and while it seemed artificially inflated, Gigi Buffon admitted he’d considered the idea of Conte leaving this summer and was quite worried of the prospect. Juventus had a dismal record in the Guinness Champions’ Cup in America. Crown jewels like Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal were courted by cash-rich clubs, with tabloids like Marca claiming Vidal was certain to join Real Madrid. And there were stories about Juve’s new forward, too. Tevez was 6kg overweight according to the papers, and Llorente was having difficulty transitioning to Serie A. Before the Supercoppa even was played, some considered Juventus to be in crisis.

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MATCH ANALYSIS by Aaron Giambattista

If the 4-0 humiliation of Lazio in the Supercoppa at the Stadio Olimpico did not allay fears, surely the 4-1 demolition at the Juventus Stadium will have. There is no crisis in the Bianconero camp. While the team did poorly in summer friendlies, as Antonio Conte responded, [he'll] “win the Guinness Champions Cup when Andrea Agnelli tells him to.” In the 3 official games, Juventus has won all 3, scoring 9 and conceding 1. A typically tactically compact squad like Lazio was twice dismantled, and Sampdoria was defeated in driving rain in a stadium unconquered since 2006. The machine marches onto a 3rd consecutive Scudetto.

Lazio were easily brushed aside in the 4-0 drubbing at the Stadio Olimpico, but clearly Petkovic had done some homework since then. While the 4-1 scoreline suggests another one-sided affair, the men in blue played a competitive game. Hernanes and Candreva both rained in powerful strikes throughout the game, and while Juventus’ defense kept the 18′ tidy, Lazio were able to put significant pressure on Buffon from the outside. The game opened with an early Hernanes screamer after just two minutes, parried to the side from Buffon.

It was a hint of Lazio’s plan, as they would pepper Buffon throughout the match. Juventus broke the deadlock early on, however, with Arturo Vidal exploiting the space between Lazio’s center backs and fullbacks to sidefoot a lovely Pogba assist into the back of the net. Just 10 minutes later, Vidal would again make a diagonal run exploiting the same space, latching onto a brilliant Bonucci long ball and finishing coolly past Marchetti.

Lazio were shocked. They’d played a decent game thus far, with as many decent opportunities on net as Juventus, but were 2-0 just after a quarter hour. The Eagles however would immediately climb back into the match, with Buffon poorly parrying a Hernanes strike into the box, and Klose’s predatory instincts took over, tapping in to bring the deficit back to 1. Lazio continued to fire shots from outside of the box for the rest of the second half, with Buffon clearly unhappy about the midfield’s lack of pressure.

Just after the half, Juventus again established a 2 goal lead, with Mirko Vucinic running onto another genius Bonucci long pass, and tapping a goal in at an incredibly difficult angle. The Montenegrin looked inspired all match, creating space for Vidal’s opener, striking a few good efforts on goal, and interchanging with Tevez well. He may be reassured that with Matri’s departure, he is almost certain to stay.

Bonucci had out-Pirlo’d Pirlo in the match thus far, with two brilliant assists, but picked up a booking. He charges Hernanes down and tackled the ball, but the referee deemed it to be a foul and flashed Bonucci a caution much to his protest. Not much after, Hernanes essentially sealed the game for Juventus with a stupid handball in the box. He was given a second yellow and Lazio were down to 10 men.

The game finished with Carlos Tevez. The Argentine had played a fine match the entire game, but had not gotten his name on the scoresheet. He struck the post with a wonderful left footed strike, and minutes later finished excellently from the edge of the box, curling a shot into the left lower corner. It’s Tevez’s 3rd goal in 3 official games. Juventus triumphantly opened the home campaign with a decisive 4-1 victory.


LE PAGELLE by Aaron Giambattista

Gigi Buffon 6.0 - On one hand, he should’ve done better with the (numerous) shots from outside of the box- he parried Hernanes’ shot straight into the path of Klose for Lazio’s goal. On the other hand, a lesser keeper wouldn’t have saved several of the shots he did, like Hernanes’ early shot at the near post.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Barzagli 6.5 - Looked completely comfortable in defense all match. The back three were incredibly solid for almost all of the Supercoppa, which is perhaps why Petkovic focused a bit more on shots from outside of the box this match. Barza and co kept a tight line this match as well, forcing Lazio to fire from outside of the box.

’84 Ogbonna s.v. - Sent on when the match was clearly over.

Bonucci 7.0 - Sure, he could’ve kept track with Klose for Hernanes’ shot-cum-assist, but Bonu more than made up for it with his delightful passing. He saw the gap between the center defense and fullbacks and twice exploited it with diagonal passing for both Vidal and Vucinic’s goals. Showed that if Pirlo is being marked, he can pass from deeper – and just as well, sometimes.

Chiellini 6.5 - Like Barzagli, he controlled Lazio’s attack with calm. The Eagles’ attack rarely ever troubled big Giorgio.

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Lichtsteiner 6.5 - Never stopped running up and down the flank. Dominated the right side of the field.

’79 Isla s.v. - Came onto the pitch for 10 minutes, perhaps as a show of faith from Conte in the Chilean wingback who has long been associated with a move to Inter.

Vidal 8.0 - King Arturo is unstoppable, capable of deciding games singlehandedly. His two early goals, brilliantly taken, immediately set Juventus ahead in this skirmish. There is no price that would make up for his decisiveness.

Pirlo 6.5 - With Vucinic, Tevez, Bonucci and Vidal taking the limelight tonight, one might say Pirlo had an off game, but that’s far from the truth. No jaw-dropping passes, but his presence and precision in midfield guaranteed Juventus long possession in this match.

Pogba 6.5 - Sensational pass to Vidal for the opener, and overall showed great maturity in midfield. Should’ve shielded the defense a bit more, however.

Asamoah 6.5 - Has developed into a great wingback at least defensively, but his offensive is still hit or miss. Today he was a positive on the field, but you still get the feeling he is not a natural wide player.

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Vucinic 7.5 - At the heart of many Juventus actions, the Montenegrin had a fantastic game and is showing potential of a tremendously talented partnership with Tevez. Had numerous shots on goal, scored a great volley, and set up some of Juve’s best actions. Today was the best of Mirko – let’s hope it long continues. Received a (deserved) ovation when he was substituted off.

’81 Quagliarella s.v. - Sent on for Mirko, Quagliarella didn’t have enough time to trouble the Lazio defense, but his entrance alone suggests Conte will use him this upcoming season. We should all hope he does, Fabio was great as a supersub/reserve last season, let’s hope him and Alessio/Conte have buried the hatchet.

Tevez 7.0 - A bulldog on the field, he worked hard to move up top when Juve was in possession and pressured on defense. Struck the crossbar with a fantastic curler, bagged a great goal minutes later off a Vucinic assist. For someone supposedly overweight and/or struggling with Conte’s tactics, he’s slotted in incredibly naturally.

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Antonio Conte 7.5 - For the second time in two weeks, his Juventus demolished what typically is one of the stingier sides in Serie A. Conte has Juve playing at an even higher level than in years past. The only question mark thus far is Conte’s reluctance to rotate/substitute, while it’s working great now, as fatigue and injuries slip in, he needs to tweak to maintain the best XI.


ANALYSIS WRAP-UP by Aaron Giambattista

Without a doubt, the most amazing thing thus far is not just Juve’s domination but the elevated level of play. Juve’s midfield and attack are frequently combining in ways completely different from Conte’s first two seasons. The interplay, passing, and exchanges have dissected the other teams defenses. In the last two years, Juventus would struggle to break down defensively solid teams, often relying on a defensive error or moment of brilliance to resolve a match.

The triangle passing, backheels, and quick passing however is breaking down other teams’ easily thus far. While Juve’s offensive moves were somewhat predictable in the past, this Juve creates so many great opportunities that it’s only a matter of time before the other side’s defense fails to mark a midfielder and they bag a goal. Not surprisingly, all 3 matches thus far have been unlocked by a midfielder.

The first goal in the Supercoppa was Pirlo’s deflected free kick being converted by Pogba, the only goal against Sampdoria was a through run from Pogba that freed Tevez to tap-in, and Pogba’s turn and pass today found Vidal making a diagonal run that Lazio’s center backs couldn’t mark. Indeed, three of the goals today came from either Vidal or Vucinic exploited the gap between center backs and fullbacks that Pogba and Bonucci threaded passes through.

Whether it can continue is a question no one can answer, but the level of play Juventus is currently at is unseen in years. If it can continue, it could be the added level necessary to make a triumphant run in Europe…

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS 4 - 1 LAZIO

Arturo Vidal 14′
Arturo Vidal 27′

Miroslav Klose 28′

Mirko Vučinić 49′
Carlos Tévez 78′

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee: P. Tagliavento‎
Attendance: 38041‎

Juventus 4 : 1 Lazio — Welcome home, Juventini

Take home message for Lotito: If we had played the Supercoppa in Turin,
Lazio would have at least scored a goal.

Aug 31, 2013

What a team! There is not much else to say after seeing Juventus destroy Lazio in two competitive matches for an overall result of 8-1. Antonio Conte and many others went on record this week saying that this game would be different than the Supercoppa. And, in a sense, it was. I don't know the numbers from the Supercoppa match, but I would say Juventus pressed with more determination, passed with more accuracy, and moved with more purpose than in Rome a few weeks ago.

http://markting10.nl/

So let's review the game shall we?

Juventus started pressing like they did during Conte's first year as a coach. As soon as a Lazio player had a ball, they were swarmed by black and white shirts. It was really impressive to see Juventus pressing so hard against a team they defeated by four goals a few weeks prior. After 14 minutes came Arturo Vidal's beautiful goal from a Pirloesque Paul Pogba pass. However, one goal is nothing in football, so the boys kept on pressing. The second goal also came from 2012-2013 player of the year. This time, Leonardo Bonucci's pass left the Chilean alone in front of goal, 2-0. The intensity of the first 25 minutes was so much fun to watch.

Juventus understandably slowed down after the goal giving Lazio more breathing room. Even with all the room, Lazio continued threatening only with mid-range shots. Three minutes after Vidal's goal, one of those shots from Hernanes was stopped by Gigi Buffon. Unfortunately, the rebound fell to Miroslav Klose who scored his first goal against Juventus (also, this was his 200th goal in 500 matches). Juventus seemed a little confused after the goal and continued to allow mid-range shots that were dealt by Buffon. Juventus needed to regroup and hearing referee Paolo Tagliavento blow the whistle at half time was a relief.

Three minutes after the break Juventus restored their two goal cushion thanks to another long pass from Bonucci and a cool finish by Mirko Vucinic. Kudos to Carlos Tevez on this goal for pulling one of the defenders away from his place making it easier for Mirko.

At this point, Lazio showed that they had no idea how to deal with the Old Lady. Things got worse for them when Hernanes received his second yellow for blatantly handling a ball in the area.

Tevez wanted a goal badly and almost had it with a shot from the edge of the box, however the ball hit the framework. Fortunately, five minutes later, Tevez found the back of the net for the second time against Lazio and for the third time in an official match.


Pagelle

Buffon 6.0 - Buffon's rebound allowed Lazio to get back into the game. Yes, some of the blame should go to Pirlo or whoever was covering Hernanes but Gigi should not have given the ball like that. He was visibly upset for the rest of the match with the midfield and defense for failing to close down the Lazio players.

Barzagli 7.5 - He was his solid beastly self again. I give him an extra 0.5 because he has been nursing an injury for the last 10 days and still chose to come out and play. Dedication!

Bonucci 8.0 - Two beautiful assists today. He can't really be blamed for the goal.

Chiellini 7.0 - Chiellini bossed that left side of the field for yet another game. Also, I noticed him getting a lot more involved in attacking than in the past. I don't know if this is a tactical switch or him just trying to score another goal against Lazio.

Lichtsteiner 7.0 - Good running and pressing. He left after 79 minutes for Isla.

Vidal 8.5 - Last year, Vidal showed that he can find the back of the net. He appears to have started exaclty where he left off, except this time, he wants to have as many goals as Tevez by the end of the season. If Bale is worth €100 million, and Pogba is worth twice as much as Bale according to Raiola, then a Vidal move to Real Madrid should leave Los Blancos bankrupt.

Pirlo 6.5 - For the second time in Serie A, the ex-Milan player failed to get things going. Once Marchisio comes back, I wouldn't mind if Pirlo started on the bench for a game or two. Unless it is in Europe of course.

Pogba 7.0 - Had a great 30 minutes (just like the rest of the team). I thought he drifted away from the match after the first 30 minutes of the match.

Asamoah 6.5 - Played a good defensive game (most tackles other than Vidal).

Tevez 7.5 - His understanding with Vucinic keeps getting better. Also, him and Vidal found each other successfully on a number of occasions today. His work rate is commendable.

Vucinic 7.0 - I always struggle with Vucinic's rating. Do I give him a 5.0 for going missing during large periods of the match, or, do I give him an 8.0 for his goal and his movement on the Tevez goal? I am glad he wasn't sold this summer, as he brings something different to the team. That's of course when he brings it.


Things I think I think

•What is with all these rebounds, Gigi? I just hope they are out of your system.

•Conte went on record saying that he did not expect Alessandro Matri's sale. I don't really know what he expected. Beppe Marotta has been saying Juve will sell two strikers for the last month. Did he not expect Matri would be one of them? I think Conte's rant was a way to motivate his players, to tell them that this season is far from a sure thing. If this game was an indication of the team's motivation, the I'd say it worked.

•In previous seasons, the team had showed some nice passing in short spaces when we had to get out of our own box. This game I noticed the same but in Lazio's box. Vidal, Tevez, Pogba, and Vucinic had a few quick passes that threw off the Lazio defense. Unfortunately, the last pass was missing. That will only improve with time, and I can't wait.

•Mauricio Isla coming off the bench for Stephan Lichtsteiner was surprising to say the least. All of last season I got so used to see Simone Padoin instead. So it looks like Conte is willing to give Isla another shot at being a Juventino. Let's hope he takes it.

•This is one of those games where numbers don't tell the whole story. Yes, Juve managed 65 percent possession with a pass success ratio of 88 percent, but the numbers also say that Lazio had 11 shots on target compared to the Bianconeri's five. Lazio did manage to get Buffon to parry the ball a number of times (something that Conte said the team must work on) but Gigi generally had things covered. On the other hand, out of the five shots Juve had on target, they put four at the back of the net. That type of efficacy has been lacking for years in Turin but it may be coming back. It is such a welcome sight to see players like Tevez or Vidal converting once they get the ball in the area. The quality is there, and as much as Conte may think the club was weakened by loosing Matri, the overall quality of the team continues to get better and better. Now it is time to see what will happen on the last day of the market, but no matter what, we have a team to look forward to the season ahead.

[Socrates 7963]

JUVENTUS 4 - 1 LAZIO

Arturo Vidal 14′
Arturo Vidal 27′

Miroslav Klose 28′

Mirko Vučinić 49′
Carlos Tévez 78′

August 31, 2013 6:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ P. Tagliavento‎
Attendance:‬ 38041‎

This is Antonio Conte's Juve

Aug 31, 2013

"This is Antonio Conte's Juve," beamed defender Leonardo Bonucci. Bursting with skill and technique, the Bianconeri swallowed Lazio's threat and spat out four spectacular goals to assert their strength in a league yearning for a worthy challenger to Conte's men.

http://markting10.nl/

Once again it was thought Lazio would offer the competition more than a goal that La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport referred to as 'a mosquito bite on a successful summer evening'. There was genuine belief that the Biancocelesti, still recovering from their defeat in the Supercoppa would shed their hurt and exact revenge. Instead, they were overwhelmed by the sheer force of attacking options Juventus had available to them. Whether it be via the wings, through the middle or because of a beautiful weighted long ball, how does one halt a Juve capable of constructing attacking passages of play from anywhere?

As Bonucci revelled in the mastery of his coach's wizardry, he explained the first 25 minutes were exactly what Conte wanted. Whilst there was a tendency to drop energy levels and settle into a lackadaisical tempo at the start of last season, this year, with Conte on the bench, the Old Lady is quick to fire on all cylinders, taking nothing for granted.

Within the first 25 minutes, Juventus had already scored a goal and were about to score another. More importantly, they were playing like a determined team unit. Harrying, pressing, pushing forward and passing accurately, whenever possession was lost it was quickly recovered and the Old Lady was in complete control.

The Bianconeri simply suffocated their opponents and ran away with their oxygen. The first 25 minutes of the game saw Juve recover the ball 12 times, manage 11 successful tackles, complete 167 successful passes and pertinently, score an almighty goal.

Lazio, much like last time, proved disappointing despite their reputation. Gaping holes in the back and lapses in concentration allowed Juventus to sink their teeth in and punish them with intent. The gap between Lazio's centre-backs was easily exploitable, the ease with which a forward such as Carlos Tevez could drag a defender out of position was embarrassing, whilst individual errors allowed the likes of Mirko Vucinic to laugh his way to a third team goal. Naive and unfocused, Vladimir Petkovic would do well with reinforcing a substandard back-line.

With the exception of Miroslav Klose's goal, Lazio did not excel in punishing the Old Lady for her own mistakes despite playing a solid first half. Juventus did well to limit their opponents from penetrating the area, restricting them to shots from distance and yet players like Antonio Candreva should have been closed down quickly and not allowed to simply shoot at goal. Compared to Juventus, who only managed five shots on target, Lazio had 11 efforts on goal.

Having already scored five goals against Petkovic's men in this calendar year, one would be forgiven for thinking Arturo Vidal has a score to settle with Lazio. Making perfectly timed runs, the Chilean exposed the many gaps in the Biancocelesti's defence to dart through the middle of the back-line, control the pass and score. Having managed two goals in the first 26 minutes, it was difficult to conclude who deserved more of the praise, the goalscorer or the two assist men who delivered the perfect opportunity for goals.

Paul Pogba, yet again, proved immense. His positional play and ability to scoop the ball and deliver perfect passes for Juve's attacking men to pick-up wrecked havoc on the pitch. Lazio were never quite sure what to do with him. Do they stay with Kwadwo Asamoah or track Pogba's runs? His physical stature and improved ability to shield the ball meant the opponent was never quite capable of robbing him, thus unable to stop those perfect vertical passes.

Meanwhile Bonucci, never restricted from pushing forward to deliver perfectly weighted and accurate long balls, proved to be a game changer. Whilst the world concluded that he was inferior to Andrea Ranocchia when the duo formed Bari's strong centre-back partnership, Juventus noticed in him the desire to be the best. He was the one they wanted and he has more than repaid their faith in him.

His never say die attitude, his concentration levels and always improving performances have seen him worthy of all the adulation he now receives. If Andrea Pirlo is restricted, Bonucci can deliver. A playmaker at the heart of defence, Juventus continue to demonstrate the level of skill present in every section of the field.

Two games, two wins and another Tevez goal, can anyone stop the Bianconeri?