Socrates

Gianluigi Buffon: 20 Years Of Loyalty, Skill And Success Juventus and Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon turns 38 on Thursday January 28th, Oscar La-Gambina looks back at an astonishing career to date for ‘Gigi’. http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/gianluigi-buffon-20-years-of-loyalty-skill-and-success/? Jan 28, 2016 Italian football has been graced with the quality of Gianluigi Buffon for over 20 years. He began professional football with Parma in 1995, winning the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia, before moving on to the Serie A big guns Juventus and winning multiple trophies in Turin. Many individual records are also held by Buffon, such as the runner-up in the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2006 and being a member of FIFA’s best squad for a number of different World Cups and European competitions. Recent controversy surrounding the 2016 Ballon d’Or, in fact, shows just how good the Italian is in goal after FIGC decided to boycott the voting due to his absence from the shortlist. Italian media got behind this stance and the point was made, but little actually came out of it in terms of awards for Buffon. Nonetheless, he remains one of the top players in world football despite his age of 38-years-old. Buffon revealed he is planning to retire following the conclusion of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, leaving him just one-and-a-half more seasons in Serie A to express his quality and try to replicate the success of Germany 2006 with the Azzurri. To understand why Buffon has been part of the Italy backbone for such a long time, we must go back to the early 1990’s. After joining the youth ranks of Parma, who were one of the biggest clubs in Italy at the time, Buffon initially appeared outfield, mainly in the middle of the park. He then transferred to a place in between the sticks after watching the performance of Cameroon keeper Thomas N’Kono in Italia ‘90 and the rest, as they say, is history. Fortunately for him, both youth keepers ahead of Buffon at Parma suffered injuries before making his senior debut in a 0-0 draw in the 1994/95 season against eventual champions AC Milan. Buffon’s height and overall physicality gave him an advantage over his adversaries, and was as such chosen ahead of teammates Luca Bucci and Alessandro Nista for the 1996/97 season. A 19-year-old Buffon kept 15 clean sheets in his first Serie A season in goal for the Crociati, conceding just 17 goals overall. To put that in perspective, last season’s 37-year-old Buffon kept 18 clean sheets in Serie A and conceded 20 goals. These performances didn’t go unnoticed, and over the next few years Buffon’s reputation continued to grow. He gained the nickname of ‘Superman’ and won his first European trophy in 1999 when Juventus overcame Marseille 3-0 two lift the UEFA Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Buffon claimed the title of Best Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year twice while at Parma, before completing a move to Juventus for a world-record transfer fee(€52 million) for a goalkeeper; a record that he still holds today. He replaced Edwin van der Sar at Jthe Bianconeri, immediately being given the number one shirt by coach Marcello Lippi, whom he would find success with in Germany five years later. It was later revealed that the Italian could have joined Roma instead, or even Spanish giants Barcelona, but it was his father who convinced him that Juve was the place to win medals. He did just that in his first season with the Bianconeri after he lifted the Serie A trophy. Key performances continued to be put in by Buffon, saving penalties in high-profile matches while keeping crucial clean sheets, and several Scudetti followed, although the Calciopoli scandal at the time puts these into question. That scandal proved to be a turning point in Buffon’s career, and one that is potentially the reason he is so loved by calico fans across the globe. Juventus were relegated to Serie B following Calciopoli, causing a whole host of star players to leave the squad for new ventures elsewhere. Not Buffon, however. He stuck with the Old Lady and helped them re-gain promotion back to the top-flight. A second key turning point took place around this time, too: the 2006 World Cup. Buffon let in just two goals throughout the entire tournament, one of which was a penalty while the other was an unfortunate own goal. After becoming champion of the world with the Azzurri, he finished in second place in the 2006 Ballon d’Or, and his career appeared to have reached its peak. The couple of years following Juventus’ Serie B win and Serie A return began to pose problems for the Italian, as he was hampered by various injuries. Lack of playing time thanks to these led to speculation that Buffon would be on his way out, but once again he stuck with the Bianconeri and grew in popularity with the fans. The year of 2011 saw the arrival of Antonio Conte, and this is the Juventus we are privileged to watch today. They have won the Scudetto every year since then, despite changing coaches, and finished as Champions League finalists last season. Although no other keeper had a real chance to showcase their talent in a Juve shirt thanks to the domination of Buffon, it is difficult to claim that someone could have done a better job than the Italian. His desire to remain with the club alone made him be worshipped by fans, and his consistently strong performances mean Juventus are fearing the day that he hangs up his gloves.

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento ALVARO MORATA DOUBLE GIVES JUVENTUS CONVINCING WIN OVER INTER MILAN Alvaro Morata answered his critics with a brace for Juventus in a thrilling 3-0 win in the first leg of their Italian Cup semi-final against Inter Milan in Turin on Wednesday. http://www.thehardtackle.com/news/2016/01/28/alvaro-morata-double-gives-juventus-convincing-win-over-inter-milan/? Jan 28, 2016 Morata last hit the net for the league and Cup champions four months ago and has fallen out of favour with coach Massimiliano Allegri amid the spectacular rise of Argentinian Paulo Dybala. But the former Real Madrid striker was given a rare start in the Cup version of the ‘Derby d’Italia’ — as the Juve v Inter fixture is commonly known — and reminded fans of his class with a performance that should have seen him bag a hat-trick. Allegri told Rai Sport: “He had a good game, he broke the deadlock with a penalty that wasn’t easy to score and then hit his second. “Tonight, we gave ourselves a good chance of heading to the final, but let’s not forget we still have 90 minutes to play at the San Siro.” Inter coach Roberto Mancini felt the scoreline flattered Juve, but the former Manchester City handler admitted they now face an uphill climb if they are to reach their first final since beating Palermo in 2011. “They deserved to win but the scoreline didn’t reflect the game,” Mancini said. “Up until their penalty, they hadn’t threatened us and Samir Handanovic didn’t have a save to make. “It will be difficult for us to overcome the result but we have to go out and give it our best.” Morata stepped up to beat Inter ‘keeper Handanovic from the spot nine minutes from the interval after Jeison Murillo felled Juan Cuadrado in the area to earn the first of two yellow cards on the night. Morata hit a superb second just after the hour when he pounced on Felipe Melo’s poor control of Patrice Evra’s drive across goal, spinning away from his marker to fire into Handanovic’s far top corner. Morata admitted it had been “an important night for me”, adding: “Thanks to all my team-mates for their encouragement and support.” Melo’s mistake was too much for Mancini, who immediately replaced the Brazilian — who only returned recently from a three-match ban — with Marcelo Brozovic. Brozovic injected some much needed punch into Inter’s attack, but their hopes of reducing the arrears suffered a blow only minutes later when Murillo saw red for a second foul on Cuadrado. It means Mancini will be without two defenders, Murillo and Joao Miranda, for the return leg on March 3. Morata should have had his third on 78 minutes when Frenchman Paul Pogba curled in a delightful delivery for the Spaniard, but somehow Morata ballooned over from eight yards. Dybala, who has hit 12 Serie A goals this season, wrapped up the win only minutes after coming off the bench to replace Mario Mandzukic with a superb sweeping shot that went through Handanovic’s legs six minutes from time. Juve, who secured their first league and Cup double in 20 years last season, travel to Milan for the second leg as favourites for their second Cup trophy. On Tuesday, fallen giants AC Milan edged third division side Alessandria 1-0 at Torino’s Stadio Olimpico.

Max Allegri says Juventus must focus on what lies ahead Manager's comments after Juve beat Inter 3-0 in the first leg of the Coppa semi. http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/28/10853852/juventus-manager-max-allegri-focus-ahead-inter-coppa-italia-derby-d-italia? Jan 28, 2016 Juventus thrashed old rivals Inter Milan 3-0 at the Juventus Stadium to take a commanding lead after the first leg of the semifinal round of the Coppa Italia. A brace by out-of-form striker Alvaro Morata and a third from in-form forward Paulo Dybala put the Bianconeri in pole position of this tie. After the game, Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri spoke to the press: On the form of Morata - "Morata had put in some good performances recently and gone close to a goal. "He did well tonight technically, physically, kept his cool converting the penalty - which wasn't easy - and did well to score the second goal. "I realize a striker gets sad when he doesn't score goals, I understand that, but it's not as if Morata lost all his talent in a couple of months." On how Juventus are playing currently - "At this moment Juventus are in good shape, we put in a good performance against a strong Inter side. We were organised defensively, could've done better creating chances going forward, but at this moment the lads are giving the fans and club some great satisfactions. "We are still second in Serie A, so must try to reach first, and the semi-final of the Coppa Italia isn't over yet. "When you get a lot of victories in two months, you do tend to think about what has been achieved. We mustn't do that. We have to press the reset button, put a wall behind us and focus on what we can do going forward. "We are two points behind Napoli, now it's a mini-League of 17 rounds and we have to focus on being better than Napoli in that period." On maintaining the tempo up leading up to playing Bayern Munich in the Champions League - "I don't like the word maintain, as that means resting on our laurels. We need to improve and the lads know that's what we are working on. "Bayern Munich will respect us just as we respect them. It'll be a great round of 16, in the Champions League knockouts you need a bit of luck too and never can tell what is going to happen. "This will be a valuable experience for the many young players we have who are new to this level of the Champions League. "I always say Juventus have to play on level terms with any opponent, including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Barcelona. "Naturally, we both think we could've had a better draw!" On the persistent Chelsea rumors - "At this moment there are other things to think about. I have a contract until June 2017, I am happy at Juventus. In football it's the results that count. So far we have done good things, but we haven't achieved anything yet. "Even in the Coppa Italia semi-final there's a 3-0 first leg result, but we still have to play another 90 minutes at San Siro."

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Allegri stays grounded after Juventus demolish Inter The champions cruised to a 3-0 win in their Coppa Italia semi-final first leg but their head coach is not getting carried away. http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italian-football/2016/01/27/19747922/-? Jan 27, 2016 Massimiliano Allegri says the job is still not done for Juventus despite watching his side demolish Inter 3-0 in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg on Wednesday. Alvaro Morata struck twice – the Spaniard's first goals since October 4 – and Paulo Dybala came off the bench to add a third for the holders as Inter were outplayed in Turin. To compound the visitors' woes, Jeison Murillo was sent off for a second bookable offence late on. And despite the Nerazzurri now needing a remarkable comeback in the second leg at San Siro on March 1 to prevent Juve from reaching the final, Allegri is still demanding improvement from his players. "Right now Juventus is fine, the guys played a good match," he told reporters. "It was not easy; we were good in defence but we have to improve in the build-up phase. "I would say that at this time we are taking away great satisfaction from the performance but we still have much to do. "We still have to get to the Coppa Italia final and we are second in the league, not first." Morata meanwhile expressed his relief at ending a long barren run in front of goal. "It was an important night for me," he said. "Thanks to all my team-mates for their encouragement and support. "I am now a completely different player than yesterday. A striker lives for goal, now I expect to continue like this."

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Juventus vs. Internazionale: Winners and Losers from Coppa Italia http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2611586-juventus-vs-internazionale-winners-and-losers-from-coppa-italia? Jan 27, 2016 Fate has gifted Italian football with two extra editions of the Derby d’Italia this season, and the first of those extra sessions between Internazionale and Juventus came on Wednesday in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final. The two teams had battled to a goalless draw in the first league game between the two in October, but this was a different Juve team than the one the Nerazzurri faced at the San Siro. Finally clicking on all cylinders, Juve have been a machine, winning 11 consecutive games in the league and 15 of 17 in all competitions since Halloween. After a start that leaned toward Juve, the floodgates came open on the 36th minute when Alvaro Morata slammed home a penalty. Another one from the Spaniard in the second half swung the momentum decidedly in Juve’s favor, and Inter’s hopes were put to bed when Jeison Murillo was sent off with 20 minutes to go. A late stunner from Paulo Dybala, who somehow managed to nutmeg Samir Handanovic from 18 yards away, completed Inter’s humiliation and put the tie firmly in Juve’s hands as they look for a second consecutive trip to the final. Who were the winners and losers in Wednesday’s derby? Let’s take a closer look at the match and find out. Winner: Alvaro Morata It's been a rough four months for Morata. After starting the year scoring big goals in the Champions League at Manchester City and against Sevilla and adding his first league goal of the year against Bologna, the young Spaniard ran cold. Going into the game he hadn't scored since that goal against Bologna on October 4. Part of the problem was the fact that he was pushed wide to the left in a 4-3-3 for much of October. Playing in an unnatural position had a major effect on his form, and it didn't help when Mario Mandzukic recovered his form and went on a tear, putting Morata on the bench for the man in form. Morata has not been all that far off the mark the last few weeks. He's been in the right positions, but his final touch has been just off. That's led to a sight familiar to anyone who watched in the first half of last year when he was battling Fernando Llorente for playing time. Morata has been pressing badly. His touches have been too heavy, and he's been too intent to put his head down and charge at goal himself than to look up and find better options. That was how he looked for the first half-hour or so on Wednesday. Then he regained his mojo in spectacular fashion. It started in the 36th minute when Murillo bundled over Juan Cuadrado in the box. Morata was ordered up to the spot, and he took the penalty with aplomb, firing high into the side of the net. Penalty specialist Handanovic had guessed the right way but could do absolutely nothing. Morata immediately looked brighter, and just after the hour he made it two after Felipe Melo made a hash of a Patrice Evra clearance, sending the ball right to him. Morata turned and fired high into the far corner. He almost polished off his hat-trick in the 77th when a cross from Paul Pogba landed right at his feet, but he attacked the ball too hard and ended up powering over from six yards out. Regardless of that miss, this game was absolutely massive for Morata. Allegri would do well to play him in Sunday's matchup against Chievo in order to capitalize on this burst and turn it into a real run of form. Loser: Jeison Murillo Murillo had about as bad a game as a defender can have on Wednesday. He conceded the penalty that led to the game's first goal in the 35th minute, firmly planting his shoulder into Cuadrado right in front of referee Paolo Tagliavento. After the arbiter had missed a clear handball in the box by Gary Medel earlier in the half, doing anything close to a foul in the box was likely to produce a whistle, although the foul would have been called any day. Murillo nearly redeemed himself when he fired in a strong header off a free-kick that would have made the game 2-1 if not for a fine save. But four minutes later, he made a bad mistake worse by hacking Cuadrado down again, earning a second yellow and, for all intents and purposes, ending the match. Murillo will be suspended for the second leg and may find himself in Roberto Mancini's doghouse as the main culprit in a high-profile defeat. Winner: Juan Cuadrado Cuadrado has been the subject of some criticism lately. B/R’s own Adam Digby pointed out his need to do more earlier this week after failing to affect what was a 0-0 game when he was inserted as a sub against Roma on Sunday. This writer has been critical in the past of his tendency for flash over substance. Today, there was substance. Cuadrado flitted around the right wing almost at will, totally canceling out Yuto Nagatomo on Inter’s left. He latched onto a ball from Morata to earn the penalty in the first half, and his hard drive down the center were the catalyst for both Morata’s second and for Murillo’s red. It’s unlikely that Cuadrado will replace Stephan Lichtsteiner full time in the 3-5-2—the Swiss is simply too important to the team to bench. But as a late-game change of pace or in a different role if Allegri changes formations in the future. After a period of some struggle, Cuadrado came through when it counted on Wednesday. Now he must keep it up. Loser: Felipe Melo Wednesday wasn’t the first time Melo had returned to the Juventus Stadium. After two disappointing years in Turin, the midfielder had gone to Galatasaray, first on loan and then permanently, and had played in the Champions League group stage when Juve faced the Turkish giants in 2013-14. This game, though, didn’t produce many big memories. Melo was ineffective on both ends. He couldn’t do anything creatively, committed a foul on a free-kick that wasted a good chance to equalize and, worst of all, simply tapped Evra’s cross back to Morata for him to tuck away for his second goal. Whether or not Mancini was planning it regardless, it didn’t look too good that the big Brazilian was hauled off seconds after that miscue, giving way to Marcelo Brozovic. It certainly wasn’t a day to remember. Winner: Neto As Gianluigi Buffon’s deputy, Norberto Neto has been relegated to the Coppa and the odd league game when Buffon desires a rest. That isn’t often. He didn’t have much to do on Wednesday, but he did come up big when it counted, not only stopping Murillo’s bullet header minutes after Morata made it 2-0 but catching it—diving, no less—to deprive any Inter players of a rebound opportunity. It was a fantastic save in an important moment, denying Inter what could have been a crucial away goal and at that point in the game, a goal that could have completely switched the game’s momentum. Loser: Roberto Mancini Roberto Mancini might be in serious trouble. He remade Inter’s roster this year, stacking it with big, strong players but precious few with creativity. That’s created a huge imbalance on the field. A midfield full of destroyers like Melo, Medel and Geoffrey Kondogbia has put almost the entire burden of creativity on Inter’s forwards. And so far, they haven’t shown they can handle it. Inter have only scored 26 times in the league this season. By contrast, Roma—six points behind them in fifth—have scored 37, and Fiorentina—ahead of them on tiebreakers for third—have scored 39. Six teams behind them in the table have scored more, including Chievo in 10th and Torino in 11th. It takes a lot to penetrate Juve’s defense as it is. With a team like this, it’s practically impossible without the Bianconeri making a mistake. Mancini needs to come up with a way to inject some creativity or things could get bad. He cannot keep counting on 1-0 wins to get Inter where they want to go.

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Juventus 3 - Inter Milan 0: Initial reaction and random observations http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/27/10852588/juventus-inter-milan-2016-coppa-italia-semifinal-leg-1-final-score-result-initial-reaction Jan 27, 2016 Things have not come easy for Álvaro Morata this year. He's been played out of his natural position, he's battled arguably the longest and toughest goal-scoring spell of his young but accomplished career. It's been the exact opposite of how he played — at least when it comes to what he's done in front of goal — during the second half of his first campaign with Juventus. Goal drought no longer. Morata not only stomped out his goal-scoring slump, but announced his return in big-time fashion. Thanks to his brace on Wednesday night, Juventus were able to storm past arch-rivals Inter Milan 3-0 in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal at Juventus Stadium. They now head into the second leg in March knowing that they've got one foot in the final where they'll be facing another Milan club or the storybook tale of the tournament out of Lega Pro, Alessandria. And it was thanks to a classic kind of Morata game where he could have added a third before the final whistle was blown. OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo 20 - Prior to tonight Alvaro Morata has not scored in his last 20 games (last goal against Bologna in October). Revive. Or, for those of us who want an even more precise breakdown of how long Morata went without a goal... Álvaro Morata: Morata's goal vs Inter tonight ends a baron run of 1,034 minutes without a goal for Juventus — WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) January 27, 2016 That's a lot of minutes, folks. A lot of minutes to think about why things aren't like they were this time last season. Yet even with the struggles, we've seen him continue to work his tail of no matter what kind of form he's in, so in that aspect, it's not surprising to see him dropping back into the defensive third and then go on storming runs forward. The only thing that was lacking in his game was what he did in front of goal and the confidence that surely comes with it. He changed that with his first-half penalty — which was an absolute blast off his right foot, by the way — to give Juventus the lead they never relinquished. Then, with his spinning laser beam into the side netting to double the Juve lead. This was the game he needed to get right. And when it comes against a team and defense that has allowed more than three goals in a game just once ALL SEASON, that has to do wonders for Morata's confidence. And as we learned about the young Spaniard last season, once one or two goals come, there's a good amount of them to follow. Hopefully that's the case for Morata. Can you imagine an in-form Morata teaming up with Paulo Dybala as Juve's partnership up front in the not-so-distant future? Oh my god. Pray for every team Juventus will play. Random thoughts and observations I wonder if Gary Medel played volleyball at any point of his childhood in Chile. He seemed decent at it in the first half on Wednesday night. But don't worry, guys, it wasn't called a penalty. (That's a penalty all day, every day.) Juventus have won all six of their games in the calendar year of 2016. They've scored 14 goals in that span of time. They've allowed all of one goal (in the 2-1 win over Sampdoria). If you want a recipe for success, I would say that's a pretty good one to follow. Neto actually had to make a couple of saves against Inter. So much for just standing there and doing nothing like in his previous Coppa Italia appearances. Juan Cuadrado can be a frustrating player a good portion of the time. Cuadrado's skill set is what it is. But when he's flying down the right wing and burning opposing players like it's no big deal, it's pretty fun to watch. Max Allegri talks about how Cuadrado offers a special set of skills — no, not like the ones Liam Neeson talks about in Taken — that no other Juventus player has. He's got speed to thrill and give opposing defenses problems. So when Juve buy him this summer, I'm not going to be surprised. Here's the status of Inter's two starting center backs in the second leg come March 2... Miranda? Suspended thanks to yellow card accumulation. Jeison Murillo? Suspended thanks to a red card. Throw in the fact that Andrea Ranocchia is about to head out the front door and over to Sampdoria when his transfer is completed in short order and, well, Inter is looking at a situation where Medel starts in the center of the defense come five weeks from now. That's exactly what you want to hear when you're down 3-0 after the first leg, right? (Nah.) Feelings. Lots and lots of feelings. Since we did it for Carlos Tévez on a regular basis, I guess we need to start doing the same thing for Paulo Dybala seeing as he's scoring goals EVERY DAMN TIME HE STEPS ONTO THE FIELD right now. 26 appearances in all competitions, 20 starts, 15 goals scored, 7 assists God he's incredible. Not a bad way for Gigi Buffon to go into his birthday on Thursday. Happy No. 38, my friend. POLL Who is your Juventus Man of the Match against Inter? 56% Álvaro Morata (307 votes) 35% Juan Cuadrado (190 votes) 5% Kwadwo Asamoah (27 votes) 2% Claudio Marchisio (12 votes) 1% Giorgio Chiellini (7 votes) 0% Leonardo Bonucci (1 vote) 544 votes total

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Allegri: 'Morata was doing well' http://www.football-italia.net/79023/allegri-morata-was-doing-well? Jan 27, 2016 Max Allegri felt it was only a matter of time for Alvaro Morata to score for Juventus and after Inter targets Bayern Munich. Morata broke his 20-game goal drought with a brace before substitute Paulo Dybala completed the 3-0 Coppa Italia semi-final rout. “Morata had put in some good performances recently and gone close to a goal,” the Coach told Rai Sport. “He did well tonight technically, physically, kept his cool converting the penalty – which wasn’t easy – and did well to score the second goal. “I realise a striker gets sad when he doesn’t score goals, I understand that, but it’s not as if Morata lost all his talent in a couple of months. “At this moment Juventus are in good shape, we put in a good performance against a strong Inter side. We were organised defensively, could’ve done better creating chances going forward, but at this moment the lads are giving the fans and club some great satisfactions. “We are still second in Serie A, so must try to reach first, and the semi-final of the Coppa Italia isn’t over yet. “When you get a lot of victories in two months, you do tend to think about what has been achieved. We mustn’t do that. We have to press the reset button, put a wall behind us and focus on what we can do going forward. “We are two points behind Napoli, now it’s a mini-League of 17 rounds and we have to focus on being better than Napoli in that period.” Are Juve planning to maintain this tempo up to the Champions League with Bayern Munich? “I don’t like the word maintain, as that means resting on our laurels. We need to improve and the lads know that’s what we are working on. “Bayern Munich will respect us just as we respect them. It’ll be a great round of 16, in the Champions League knockouts you need a bit of luck too and never can tell what is going to happen. “This will be a valuable experience for the many young players we have who are new to this level of the Champions League. “I always say Juventus have to play on level terms with any opponent, including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Barcelona. “Naturally, we both think we could’ve had a better draw!” Allegri has been heavily linked with the Chelsea job for next season. “At this moment there are other things to think about. I have a contract until June 2017, I am happy at Juventus. In football it’s the results that count. So far we have done good things, but we haven’t achieved anything yet. “Even in the Coppa Italia semi-final there’s a 3-0 first leg result, but we still have to play another 90 minutes at San Siro.”

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Inter midfield overrun as Juventus romp to 3-0 Coppa Italia win http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/internazionale/110/blog/post/2795381/inter-midfield-overrunas-juventus-romp-to-coppa-italia-win Jan 27, 2016 Inter Milan were torn apart by Juventus in the Coppa Italia. The Turin giants won 3-0 in a match that asked many questions of Roberto Mancini's system. The tie seems nearly dead and the Nerazzurri need to rethink their strategy as 2016 is slowly turning into a nightmare. The Derby Della Madonnina looms and a response vs. AC Milan will be critical. Wednesday's first half saw a physical battle that resulted in the hosts going in at half-time with a 1-0 lead thanks to Alvaro Morata. In fairness the Old Lady perhaps should have had another after a missed Gary Medel handball. Mancini's choice to play Felipe Melo, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Medel in the midfield backfired. They all sat too deep and pressed at different times, resulting in the font three being very isolated and having to come deep to get the ball. Marcelo Brozovic was eventually brought on in place of Melo, but by this point in the second half Inter were down 2-0 after Morata added a second. The night got worse as Inter went down to 10 men and Paulo Dybala scored a third for Juve, telling a wider tale about the Milanese club's form and midfield rather than just being a damning story of this game. The system that once seemed too difficult to break down now seems weak while the creativity has not improved. Player ratings Samir Handanovic, 6 -- Nothing he could do with the emphatic penalty dispatched by Morata, nor could he do much about the Spaniard's second fierce strike. He wasn't tested as much as in previous games but did little wrong. Danilo D'Ambrosio, 6 -- The full-back started the game in a composed manner and also managed to get in some good deliveries in his forays forward. One of the only players to come out of the tie with any credit. Joao Miranda, 6 -- The Brazilian looked extremely calm and took care of Morata spectacularly well early on. The booking he picked up will see him miss the return leg. Not much he could do second half as the team fell to pieces. Jeison Murillo, 5 -- The confidence the Colombian has when playing alongside Joao Miranda was evident once again. Murillo played some excellent crossfield passes early on but his day went from bad to worse when he gave away a penalty. He imploded when he got sent off for a poor challenge on Juan Cuadrado, a naive move justly punished. Yuto Nagatomo, 4 -- This match again showed why the Japanese international is ineffective at full-back. Cuardrado ran rings around him early on. This game must have been his last chance with Mancini watching on. Felipe Melo, 6 -- He seemed to enjoy the physical nature of the match and settled in to the pace quickly for the second game running. He did his job but was substituted for Brozovic in the second half. Gary Medel, 6 -- The Chilean was extremely lucky not to have a penalty awarded against him in the first half. A decent display but he was simply one of three players holding. Geoffrey Kondogbia, 5 -- He started the game in an extremely deep position and this left a large gap between the midfield and the forward three. An anonymous second half and Inter need to allow him to press higher up the field. Jonathan Biabiany, 5 -- While the work rate cannot be faulted, his touch is infuriating. It seemed he was playing more as a wing-back at the end of the first half and constantly tracked back. Stevan Jovetic, 6 -- This was not the first time that when tasked with playing as a No. 9 he dropped deep instead of staying central. He went looking for the ball too much and left the Juventus center-halves with little to do. Adem Ljajic, 7 -- The most creative and potent of Inter's attacking men in the first half, he simply suffered from a lack of support. He did well throughout and it was a shame he wasn't used as a Trequartista. Substitutes: Marcelo Brozovic 6 -- Came on 63 minutes for Melo. His creativity was needed earlier. He contributed a lot considering the predicament. Mauro Icardi NR -- Came on for Biabiany on 76 minutes and contributed little. Juan Jesus, NR -- Replaced Ljajic on 79 minutes, simply for damage limitation.

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Mancini: '3-0 is too harsh' http://www.football-italia.net/79021/mancini-3-0-too-harsh? Jan 27, 2016 Inter Coach Roberto Mancini insists “3-0 was an exaggerated result” for Juventus and pointed to the penalty incident. Alvaro Morata converted a spot-kick after 36 minutes, then completed his brace before a Paulo Dybala goal in the Coppa Italia semi-final. “It was a balanced game with Juve pushing harder. The penalty was awarded before the break, then clearly they waited to hit us on the break,” Mancini told Rai Sport. “It was a strange match. Juve deserved to win, but 3-0 seemed exaggerated. Juve deserved to win, but I do not recall any Samir Handanovic saves, nor were we under any particular pressure. “The second goal came from our error, as we cleared it to Morata and he scored. Then Juve sat back and focused only on the counter, then we went down to 10 men, so that was that.” Inter have slipped down the Serie A standings too in recent weeks, so does this match reflect their crisis? “No, I don’t think it reflects anything. It’s true this is the most delicate period of the campaign, but all we can do is stay calm and continue working despite the disappointment of the results, as that is the only way forward. “We should’ve been more incisive in front of goal, but this was the match we expected. Juve pushed higher up the field, but they would not have scored without the penalty.” The second leg is at San Siro on March 3, but Joao Miranda and Jeison Murillo will be suspended. “This result is very difficult to overturn, especially as we’re missing Miranda and Murillo. We’ll think of something.”

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Player Ratings: Juventus 3-0 Inter http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/player-ratings-juventus-3-0-inter/? Jan 27, 2016 Juventus have all but booked their place in the final of the Coppa Italia after a 3-0 win over Inter in the first leg at the Juventus Stadium. Alvaro Morata netted a brace and Paulo Dybala added a third as the cup holders look to retain the trophy, with Jeison Murillo sent off in the second half. Juventus Neto – 6.5 – Faultless - Showed good composure early on, saving the Felipe Melo effort from distance. Demonstrated excellent confidence. Martin Caceres – 6 – Competent - Happy to get forward and involve himself in the build-up play, tracked back quickly and stayed with his marker. Leonardo Bonucci – 6.5 – Dominant - Booked for a poorly-timed slide tackle on Adem Ljajic, but otherwise rarely put a foot wrong. Giorgio Chiellini – 6.5 – Calm - Cleared his lines astutely and rarely looked troubled. Juan Cuadrado – 7 – Nuisance - Came very close to opening the score with a driven effort outside the box, but it bobbed just wide. Earned the hosts a penalty when he was tripped in the box. A menace whenever he was on the ball and ran his socks off. Paul Pogba – 6.5 – Flair - A typically spirited performance from the Frenchman, composed on the ball and dangerous whenever he got into an advanced position. Claudio Marchisio – 6.5 – Creator - Had an effort from distance just before half time but it sailed over the bar. Kept the midfield ticking over and made a number of penetrating passes. Kwadwo Asamoah – 6.5 – Powerhouse - Denied an early goal-scoring opportunity when Jonathan Biabiany slid in to deny him. Difficult to shrug off the ball and demonstrated a wonderful passing range. Patrice Evra – 6 – Decent - Looked a tad off the pace at times, but fulfilled his role and added a degree of experience. Dragged off for Alex Sandro late on. Mario Mandzukic – 6.5 – Involved - Rarely looked like scoring but regularly made himself available, showed a good understanding with Morata. Made way for Dybala in the second half. Alvaro Morata – 7 – Relieved - Finally scored after a four month wait, blasting past Samir Handanovic from the penalty spot. In the second half he doubled his account, capitalising on an error from Felipe Melo to finish brilliantly into the top corner. Squandered a wonderful opportunity to net his hat-trick, skying over from close range. Substitutes Paulo Dybala – 7 – Unstoppable - Came on for Mandzukic with 15 minutes to go, added a third for the Bianconeri hitting from distance and putting it between the legs of Samir Handanovic. Alex Sandro – N/A - Late cameo for the Brazilian. Simone Padoin – N/A - Cameo in the place of Cuadrado. Internazionale Samir Handanovic – 5.5 – Fault - Guessed the right way from the penalty but beaten by the power Alvaro Morata put on the ball. Could have perhaps done better to deny Morata his second, but the Spaniard reacted the quickest. Should have saved the shot from Paulo Dybala, seemed to be caught by surprise. Danilo D’Ambrosio – 5 – Poor - Had a tendency to dwell in possession and not releasing the ball quickly enough, added very little to the attack and left a lot to be desired defensively. Miranda – 5.5 – Nervous - Booked for a soft foul on Alvaro Morata. A nervy performance from the Brazilian, who could have received a second booking for a foul on substitute Alex Sandro. Jeison Murillo – 5 – Foolish - Yellow carded for not making contact with the ball and bringing down Juan Cuadrado in the box. Received his marching orders after hacking down Cuadrado once again when the Colombian went on a surging run. Yuto Nagatomo – 6 – Motivated - Covered a lot of ground and tried to find the killer cross to unlock the Juventus defence. Couldn’t translate his desire into a goal-scoring opportunity. Felipe Melo – 5.5 – Patsy - The former Juventus man had an early crack from distance, but it was easily saved by Neto. Guilty of losing the ball that fed into the path of Alvaro Morata for his second of the night. Gary Medel – 6 – Lucky - Escaped a blatant hand ball offence, filled in for the dismissed Murillo at centre-back. Covered a lot of ground and performed admirably considering the circumstances. Geoffrey Kondogbia – 6 – Frustrated - Made an effort the pull the strings in middle of the field for the Nerazzurri, yellow carded in the second half for a foul on Giorgio Chiellini. Jonthan Biabiany – 6.5 – Runner - Put in a brilliant early challenge to deny Kwadwo Asamoah getting a shot in at goal. Quick on the ball and tracked back a great deal, replaced by Icardi late on. Stevan Jovetic – 6 – Isolated - Saw little of the ball and barely had an attempt on target in the ninety minutes. Adem Ljajic – 6.5 – Inspired - Looked the brighter of the Inter attackers with excellent movement and an eye for a pass, made way with ten minutes to go for Juan Jesus. Substitutes Marcelo Brozovic – 6 – Tough - Replaced Melo in the second half, added a degree of physicality but little else. Mauro Icardi – 6 – Anonymous - Brought on with Inter desperately needing a goal or two, but couldn’t deliver. Juan Jesus – N/A - Late cameo in the place of Ljajic.

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento RATINGS: Juventus 3-0 Inter http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-internazionale/2180160/ratings Jan 27, 2016 Juventus 25 Neto - Hardly had a save to make, but commanded his area well with Buffon awarded a well-earned rest. 4 M. Cáceres - Didn't miss a beat filling in for Barzagli, communicating well with the likes of Bonucci and Chiellini to do his part at the back. 19 L. Bonucci - Great pace in defence which helped him cover a lot of ground with Inter on the counter. So eager to put in a tackle. 3 G. Chiellini - Read the game admirably and was always in the right position. Hardly put a foot wrong at the back. 16 Juan Cuadrado - At the heart of everything good going forward for Juventus. Won the first-half penalty which resulted in Morata's opener, helped set up the second and got Murillo sent off. Was so exciting and direct. 10 P. Pogba - A bullish figure in midfield, helping to combat the physical presence of Medel and Melo. Didn't offer all that much in attack, however. 8 C. Marchisio - Distributed the ball so well from deep, pulling the strings for Juventus in possession. 22 K. Asamoah - Passed the ball around capably, and asked a couple of questions with his pace. Picked out Dybala in the build-up to the third Juve goal. 33 P. Evra - Always aware of the pacey Biabiany, affording the attacker very little space to exploit on the flank. His cross led to Morata's second. 17 M. Mandžukić - Wonderful work rate up top. Didn't see a lot of the ball, but his contributions were still vital for the hosts, making tidy runs off the ball to help open up space. 9 Álvaro Morata - Converted from the spot with an emphatic, unstoppable penalty to end his nearly four month goal drought. Doubled his tally with a brilliant finish after the ball fell kindly to him in the area. Substitutes 21 P. Dybala - Scored five minutes after replacing Mandzukic with a wonderful first-time strike from the top of the area. 12 Alex Sandro - Replaced Evra for the final 10 minutes, with the game already out of reach. Internazionale 1 S. Handanovič - Had no chance to keep out either of Morata's goals, but should have done better to get something on Dybala's strike. 33 D. D'Ambrosio - A bit shaky at the back, and wasteful with the ball in the final third despite getting into some decent areas. 25 Miranda - Unable to prevent Morata from knocking home the second, and wasn't able to take away space from the hosts in the build-up to the third. Had a very difficult time trying to deal with Morata throughout. 24 J. Murillo - A careless tackle awarded Juventus their penalty, and his night ended early with another rash challenge on Cuadrado to pick up his second yellow. The Colombian gave him fits all match. 55 Y. Nagatomo - Needed to provide much more of a helping hand to Murillo in defending Cuadrado, but was unable to do so. Offered little on the overlap. 83 Felipe Melo - Knocked Evra's cross straight to Morata, who pounced for his second. Withdrawn moments later after an uninspired and altogether sloppy performance. 17 G. Medel - Provided good defensive cover, helping to limit the impact of Pogba, but he needed to move the ball around better. 7 G. Kondogbia - Struggled to assert himself in midfield and was unable to ask much of the Juventus defence in possession. 11 J. Biabiany - Tracked back excellently at times to provide key defensive support, but couldn't use that pace to contribute much in attack. 10 S. Jovetić - Had a thankless task up top, starved of service and never getting a clean sight at goal. His only real chance came late on, and Caceres was able to block the shot from reaching Neto. 22 A. Ljajić - Eager to get on the ball and found some space on the flank, but really struggled to produce an end product before giving way for Juan Jesus for the final 10 minutes. Substitutes 77 M. Brozović - Failed to provide the creativity Inter so desperately needed, after replacing Melo just past the hour mark. 9 M. Icardi - Unable to provide much of a spark in attack. 5 Juan Jesus - On for the final 10 minutes but couldn't stop Juventus from adding a third.

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Juventus 3-0 Inter: Bianconeri Thrash Nerazzurri In Coppa Italia First Leg http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/juventus-3-0-inter-bianconeri-thrash-nerazzurri-in-coppa-italia-first-leg/? Jan 27, 2016 Juventus have one foot through to the finals of the Coppa Italia, defeating archrivals Inter 3-0 at the Juventus Stadium. Without a goal in nearly fourth months, Alvaro Morata converted a 35th minute penalty before doubling his tally in the 62nd. Dybala made it three six minutes from time, awarding the Bianconeri a considerable advantage heading into the second leg. The first chance of the contest fell to the home side just two minutes in when Paul Pogba played Kwadwo Asamoah through but the Ghanaian’s off-balance effort finished high and wide. Inter responded with long-range efforts from Gary Medel and Felipe Melo that were comfortable for goalkeeper Neto. Controversy struck after 14 minutes when Juan Cuadrado’s goal-bound free kick appeared to have struck the arm of Medel but referee Paolo Tagliavento signaled for only a corner despite a clear view of the incident. In the 21st minute a Cuadrado grass-cutter drifted just wide of the far post with goalkeeper Samir Handanovic rooted to the ground. Juventus were awarded a penalty in the 35th minute when Murillo was judged to have taken Cuadrado down in the box. Morata stepped up and smashed his spot-kick into the top corner of the net to give Juventus the lead. On the stroke of halftime Cuadrado’s free kick found Morata but the Spaniard’s header was straight at Handanovic. Juve doubled their advantage in the 63rd minute, again through Morata. Melo deflected an Asamoah cross straight to the former Real Madrid man who turned and fired in at the far post. Inter came close to responding minutes later but D’Ambrosio’s header was caught by Neto. Inter were reduced to ten men after 70 minutes when Murillo was sent off for a second bookable tackle on Cuadrado. In the 78th minute Pogba played an impeccable ball across the Inter box but Morata denied himself the hat trick by ballooning over from eight yards. Dybala put the tie to bed with a first-time effort that went straight through the legs of Handanovic, sending the Juventus Stadium into a state of euphoria. The tie’s second leg will commence on the afternoon of March 3rd.

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Alvaro Morata puts Juventus in charge against Inter Milan http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-coppa-italia/match/442171/juventus-internazionale/report Jan 27, 2016 Alvaro Morata ended his scoring drought in style as Juventus took firm control of their Coppa Italia semifinal with Inter Milan. Morata had failed to score in 20 games, a run stretching back to Oct. 4 when he netted in a 3-1 Serie A victory over Bologna. But the Spain striker scored twice and substitute Pablo Dybala added another as Juventus secured a healthy 3-0 advantage to defend in the second leg in Milan. Inter's plight worsened when Jeison Murillo was sent off 20 minutes from time for a second bookable offence and the Colombian defender will miss the San Siro return in March. Cup holders Juventus came into the contest as strong favourites having won their last 11 Serie A matches to draw within two points of leaders Napoli, but Felipe Melo's shot caused them some early concern. Juventus gradually got on top, however, and strong claims for a penalty when Inter midfielder Gary Medel handled were waved away. The deadlock was broken in the 36th minute after Murillo had brought down the strong-running Juan Cuadrado. Morata might have been forgiven for stepping up for spot-kick duty after his barren run in front of goal, but he sent Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic the wrong way with a thumping finish and his relief was tangible. Inter had plenty of possession at the start of the second period but they created little and fell further behind after 63 minutes when Mario Mandzukic's shot was blocked following another Cuadrado burst. Patrice Evra kept the move alive and, after his cross unwittingly struck the legs of Melo, Morata sent another flashing drive past Handanovic. Murillo forced a save from Neto but the defender was soon trudging off the pitch after once more unceremoniously stopping Cuadrado in full flow. Morata should have completed his hat-trick following a brilliant ball into his path from Paul Pogba but this time he could not keep his shot down. But the tie was surely put beyond Inter seven minutes from time when Kwadwo Asamoah set up Dybala and he drove through the legs of the luckless Handanovic from 20 yards.

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Coppa: Morata's Juve crush Inter Alvaro Morata’s brace ended his drought and Paulo Dybala finished off 10-man Inter as Juventus won the Coppa Italia semi-final 3-0. http://www.football-italia.net/79018/coppa-moratas-juve-crush-inter? Jan 27, 2016 The second leg will be at San Siro on March 3, but the Nerazzurri will have Jeison Murillo and Joao Miranda suspended. Simone Zaza was suspended with Sami Khedira, Stefano Sturaro, Mario Lemina and Roberto Pereyra unavailable, while Inter missed Ivan Perisic. There was a big chance in the opening 90 seconds, as Morata threaded through for Kwadwo Asamoah to blast wide under pressure. Samir Handanovic had to come flying out to nod clear from Mario Mandzukic and Juve had very strong penalty appeals after 14 minutes for a Medel handball on Juan Cuadrado’s free kick. Cuadrado’s angled drive flashed inches past the post and Stevan Jovetic nodded wide when he should’ve left it for Adem Ljajic’s volley. Juve did eventually get a penalty, as Cuadrado completed a give-and-go with Morata before he was nudged in the back by Murillo. Inter protested the decision, but Morata confidently smashed the spot-kick into the near top corner for his first goal since October 4, ending a 20-game drought. Juve doubled their lead when Biabiany blocked a Mandzukic shot, but the move continued and Felipe Melo’s clearance was straight to Morata, who blasted across Handanovic into the far top corner from six yards. Neto flew to pluck a Murillo header out of the air from Ljajic’s free kick, but Inter went down to 10 men as Murillo received a second yellow card for blocking Cuadrado’s run. It means both Murillo and Miranda will be suspended for the second leg. The Nerazzurri had penalty appeals too when Jovetic’s shot was charged down from close range, but replays show it struck Martin Caceres on the stomach. Morata should’ve completed his hat-trick, but incredibly ballooned Pogba’s cross over from eight yards with only Handanovic to beat. Dybala finished it off instead, hitting it first time to nutmeg Handanovic from the edge of the box when Asamoah rolled across the assist. It was La Joya’s 15th goal in 30 competitive games this season. Juve hadn’t beaten Inter in the Coppa Italia since February 1992, earning only four draws from seven meetings. Juventus 3-0 Inter Scorers: Morata pen 36, 63 (J), Dybala 85 (J) Juventus: Neto; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Cuadrado, Pogba, Marchisio, Asamoah, Evra (Alex Sandro 83); Mandzukic (Dybala 77), Morata Inter: Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Miranda, Murillo, Nagatomo; Felipe Melo (Brozovic 64), Medel, Kondogbia; Biabiany (Icardi 77), Jovetic, Ljajic (Juan Jesus 80) Ref: Tagliavento Sent off: Murillo 69 (I)

JUVENTUS - INTER 3 - 0 Álvaro Morata (36'-penalty) Álvaro Morata (63') Paulo Dybala (83') Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Juventus 3-0 Inter: Morata re-finds scoring touch in Coppa Italia rout The Spaniard had scored just three times in 27 appearances prior to Wednesday's cup match, but netted in each half to give Roberto Mancini's side a mountain to climb. http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-internazionale/2180160/report Jan 27, 2016 Alvaro Morata ended a 20-match wait for a goal by scoring twice as Juventus built a commanding 3-0 lead in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final clash with Inter. Morata, who had not found the back of the net for The Old Lady since scoring in the 3-1 Serie A victory over Bologna on October 4, thrashed home a first-half penalty to end his four-month goal drought after Jeison Murillo had brought down Juan Cuadrado in the box to give the hosts control of the tie. The Spaniard then celebrated ending his barren spell by adding a second after half-time, as the holders took a major step towards retaining the trophy. Inter hobbled to the end of the game with 10 men, following Murillo's dismissal for a second bookable offence, and the chances of a Milan derby final were dealt a huge blow when Paulo Dybala came off the bench to fire home a third with six minutes remaining. The home side controlled proceedings for almost the entire encounter in Turin and wanted a penalty after just 13 minutes but referee Paolo Tagliavento waved away their fervent claims when Cuadrado's free-kick struck the arm of Gary Medel. Colombian Cuadrado then drifted past two Inter defenders and fired wide midway through the opening period as the hosts piled on the pressure. Juve looked typically resilient in defence as they went in search of a fourth straight clean sheet in all competitions, and it was unsurprising that much of the match was played out methodically in midfield, given Inter's run of 10 shut-outs in their previous 16 outings. Inter finally found themselves inside the Juve penalty area in the 32nd minute but Stevan Jovetic glanced his header wide from Danilo D'Ambrosio's cross. A cagey affair was in desperate need of a flashpoint to spark it into life and that moment arrived two minutes later. Cuadrado collected a chipped throughball in the Inter box and would have had the chance to shoot at goal but for Murillo, who bundled the winger over and was lucky to escape with only a yellow card. Morata stepped up to smash home the subsequent penalty and hand the home side a lead which they never relinquished. After waiting so long for a goal, Morata doubled his haul just after the hour mark. Patrice Evra darted to the byline and, when Melo failed to clear, the Spaniard was on hand to smash into the top left-hand corner from six yards out. Inter's dismal night was made even worse with 21 minutes remaining, as Murillo picked up his second caution of the evening for a trip on tormentor-in-chief Cuadrado, and the visitors were left in damage-control mode. Morata flicked a header wide from Kwadwo Asamoah's cross, and then side-footed over from Paul Pogba's wonderful pass, as the frontman came close to completing a hat-trick, but instead it was Dybala who scored the third of the night for Juve. The substitute beat Inter keeper Samir Handanovic between his legs from 18 yards to all but end the visitors' dreams of a first Coppa final since 2011.

JUVENTUS - INTER - Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento HT 1-0: Morata spot-kick leads Inter http://www.football-italia.net/79017/ht-morata-spot-kick-leads-inter Jan 27, 2016 Alvaro Morata ended his goal drought with a penalty as Juventus lead Inter at half-time, but both sides have had complaints. This was a special edition of the Derby d’Italia and the first leg in the Coppa Italia semi-final, whose decider will be at San Siro on March 3. Simone Zaza was suspended with Sami Khedira, Stefano Sturaro, Mario Lemina and Roberto Pereyra unavailable, while Inter missed Ivan Perisic. There was a big chance in the opening 90 seconds, as Alvaro Morata threaded through for Kwadwo Asamoah to blast wide under pressure. Inter recovered from the shaky start and Felipe Melo tested Norberto Neto from distance after Gary Medel fired off target. Samir Handanovic had to come flying out to nod clear from Mario Mandzukic and Juve had very strong penalty appeals after 14 minutes for a Medel handball on Juan Cuadrado’s free kick. Cuadrado’s angled drive flashed inches past the post and Stevan Jovetic nodded wide when he should’ve left it for Adem Ljajic’s volley. Juve did eventually get a penalty, as Cuadrado completed a give-and-go with Morata before he was nudged in the back by Jeison Murillo. Inter protested the decision and Roberto Mancini laughed sarcastically on the touchline, but Morata confidently smashed the spot-kick into the near top corner for his first goal since October 4, ending a 20-game drought. Joao Miranda was booked for a foul on Morata and will be suspended for the second leg, while Claudio Marchisio blasted wide. Juventus 1-0 Inter (Half-Time) Scorers: Morata pen 36 (J) Juventus: Neto; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Cuadrado, Pogba, Marchisio, Asamoah, Evra; Mandzukic, Morata Inter: Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Miranda, Murillo, Nagatomo; Felipe Melo, Medel, Kondogbia; Biabiany, Jovetic, Ljajic Ref: Tagliavento

PAULO DYBALA 3-0

Marotta: 'Chelsea won't tempt Allegri' http://www.football-italia.net/79015/marotta-chelsea-wont-tempt-allegri? Jan 27, 2016 Beppe Marotta insists Max Allegri won’t be tempted by Chelsea. “It’s not easy to find a better club than Juventus.” The Coppa Italia semi-final first leg against Inter kicks off at 19.45 GMT, follow the action and give your views on our LIVEBLOG. Allegri has been linked with the Chelsea job for next season, as The Sun claims he is their Number One choice. “I think that a Coach is always an important component in a successful club and in turn the club has to support him to achieve those targets,” Marotta told Rai Sport. “He adapted well to the Juventus environment and achieved his objectives last season. This term he is doing very well even with a team that has changed a great deal. “We are honoured that our Coach is spoken about in such glowing terms abroad, but we don’t think this is in any way disturbing him. “In any case, it’s not easy to find a better club than Juventus in Europe, as our history speaks for us. Allegri has fully committed to our philosophy and objectives, today he deserves a lot of credit, as does the club for choosing him. “The team and Coach are therefore a mirror of the club and I think the credit ought to be divided out between all of them. “We never had doubts over the quality of the players. We have recently got many players back from injury and the new ones also realised what it means to wear this jersey. “All this pressure at the start affected them, but now they have overcome those issues.”

Marotta: 'Juve want to keep Cuadrado' http://www.football-italia.net/79014/marotta-juve-want-keep-cuadrado? Jan 27, 2016 Beppe Marotta confirmed Juventus “will try to keep Juan Cuadrado and have a verbal agreement with Chelsea.” The winger arrived on loan over the summer and has been increasingly pushed to the bench in recent games. “He is on loan. In tactical terms he is very different to the other players, so it’s only normal he suits us,” director general Marotta told Rai Sport. “There is a verbal agreement for an option to buy from Chelsea, so we’ll see what happens. “We are happy with what he’s doing both on and off the field, so certainly he is someone we’ll try to keep in Turin next season too.”

Morata fallisce il 3-0

JUVENTUS - INTER - Coppa Italia TIM - Semi-final Wednesday, January 27th, 2016 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Coppa line-ups: Juventus-Inter http://www.football-italia.net/79011/coppa-line-ups-juventus-inter? Jan 27, 2016 It’s Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic against Stevan Jovetic and Adem Ljajic as Juventus and Inter clash in the Coppa Italia semi-final. The first leg kicks off in Turin at 20.45 cet - 19.45 GMT. The Bianconeri won the trophy last season and are eager to consolidate their grip on this competition, but the Nerazzurri knocked Napoli out in the quarter-finals and are not to be underestimated. Juve have Simone Zaza suspended, while Sami Khedira, Mario Lemina and Roberto Pereyra are unavailable. Paulo Dybala and Gigi Buffon are rested, but Juan Guillermo Cuadrado gets a rare start. Stefano Sturaro was expected to start, but pulled out with an ankle problem, so Kwadwo Asamoah gets the nod in midfield. Morata tries to break his lengthy goal drought, which has lasted since October, alongside Mandzukic. Inter have slipped down the Serie A standings recently, going from leaders before Christmas to fourth place. Roberto Mancini was highly critical of Mauro Icardi’s performance at the weekend in a 1-1 draw with Carpi, noting “I’m 50 and I could’ve scored some of those goals.” Icardi is dropped in favour of Jovetic, Ljajic and Jonathan Biabiany in a trident attack, while Ivan Perisic is out injured. Mancio had been expected to mirror Juve’s 3-5-2 formation, but has instead gone for 4-3-3. The referee this evening is Paolo Tagliavento. Juventus: Neto; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Cuadrado, Pogba, Marchisio, Asamoah, Evra; Mandzukic, Morata Juventus bench: Buffon, Rubinho, Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Rugani, Alex Sandro, Padoin, Hernanes, Dybala Inter: Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Miranda, Murillo, Nagatomo; Felipe Melo, Medel, Kondogbia; Biabiany, Jovetic, Ljajic Inter bench: Carrizo, Berni, Juan Jesus, Palacio, Icardi, Telles, Montoya, Santon, Ranocchia, Gnoukouri, Brozovic, Manaj

Espulso Murillo.

ALVARO MORATA 2-0