Socrates

Allegri bans Scudetto party Apr 30, 2015 Max Allegri has banned Scudetto celebrations if Juventus get the necessary point at Sampdoria on Saturday. The Bianconeri need just one point to secure their fourth consecutive Serie A title and could well get it on Saturday at Marassi. However, the fans are banned from making the trip to Genoa following crowd trouble in the Turin Derby and the game is just days before Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid. It’s therefore reported that Coach Allegri has ordered no Scudetto celebrations this weekend, as he doesn’t want any distractions going into the showdown with Carlo Ancelotti’s side. “It would also be better to celebrate on home turf against Cagliari next Saturday,” he was quoted as saying. That means no big dinners, no nights out clubbing and no more than a glass of champagne each over the weekend. Against Cagliari the Juventus Stadium will not be full anyway, because the Curva received a two-match ban for the incidents around the Derby della Mole.

Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus agree €80 million fee for Pogba EXCLUSIVE: The Ligue 1 champions have made the first move in the race to sign the in-demand midfielder. Apr 30, 2015 Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus have agreed an €80million fee for France international Paul Pogba . Goal understands PSG’s offer has been accepted by Juve, for whom the 22-year-old has emerged as a key player since leaving Manchester United in 2012. But even though the Ligue 1 champions appear to have jumped the queue in the race to sign Pogba there remains no guarantee he will swap Turin for his native Paris. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi met with Pogba and his representatives in Monte Carlo earlier this week but a financial package for the player was not agreed. And it is understood Pogba is willing to bide his time and evaluate other offers which he believes will come his way this summer. Al-Khelaifi confirmed on Tuesday he had spoken to the player but admitted they would face competition for his signature. He told the French media: “Why did I talk with Pogba? Because he’s a great talent, he’s French, from Paris even. That said all the big clubs want him.” Juve sporting director Giuseppe Marotta responded following Wednesday night’s game with Fiorentina by saying: “It was an occasional meeting. They spoke about football. We don't want to sell Paul.” Despite Marotta's stance, Juve accept every player has a price although the deal could hinge on the involvement of Pogba's agent Mino Raiola. The representative is known to have a strong relationship with the boards of both clubs and helped broker a new five-year deal for his client in October 2014. He is also the agent of a number of PSG players, most notably Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It is not thought Financial Fair Play will hinder a move should Pogba opt to join PSG as the club are expected to sell several squad members to balance the books, with the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Ezequiel Lavezzi under threat. Should they beat off the competition to sign Pogba, it would represent a major coup for PSG and their owners, Qatar Sports Investments. Although dominant domestically, PSG have failed to make the breakthrough in the Champions League and were knocked out at the quarter-final stage to Barcelona this season.

Llorente: Juventus can shock Real Madrid The Spanish attacker is confident the Serie A champions can cause an upset and was delighted with his goal in the 3-2 win over Fiorentina on Wednesday. Apr 30, 2015 Fernando Llorente believes Juventus have what it takes to spring a surprise against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The Serie A champions last made it to the final of the competition in 2002-03, when they were beaten by AC Milan on penalties, and Llorente has set his sights on shocking Madrid. "We will need a perfect performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League," Llorente told reporters. "I am confident that we are more than capable of causing them a few problems, though." Llorente featured from the start in Juventus' 3-2 win over Fiorentina on Wednesday for the first time since the 1-0 loss against Parma on April 11. He scored once as Massimiliano Allegri's men edged one step closer to the Serie A title and was delighted with his return to the starting XI. "I hadn't played in a while and Wednesday's goal was important for me. "We were four points off the title, now it's just one. We'll look to wrap it up as soon as possible and then we'll think about the Champions League. "Could I start against Madrid? I scored last year against them, but the coach has many options. I'm ready to give my all if I get the nod."

Pogba could face Real Madrid - Allegri The midfielder has been absent for the last month but should return to training next week ahead of the meeting with the Champions League holders. Apr 30, 2015 Massimiliano Allegri has revealed Paul Pogba could return for the first leg of Juventus' Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. The midfielder has been absent since suffering a hamstring injury in the 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the club's quarter-final tie. He was initially expected to be out of action for up to two months but is ahead of schedule with his recovery, meaning he may play a part against the Champions League holders. Allegri said: "Pogba? He’ll have another test on Thursday but I think all will be OK, meaning he should join up with the team next week."

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus 3-2 Fiorentina: Carlos Tévez grabs Scudetto with one hand Juventus need one more point to officialy seal the fourth consecutive Scudetto after Tévez's brace and Llorente's long-sought goal overcame Fiorentina. Apr 30, 2015 A win for Juventus and a draw for Lazio. A win for Juventus and a draw for Lazio. A win for Juventus and a draw for Lazio. A win for Juventus and a draw for Lazio. Verdammnt! Verdammnt Lazio... hanging in there, postponing the title celebrations. It would have been the perfect timing and the ideal venue, winning the 33rd Scudetto and the fourth in a row, after the match No. 100 played at the Juventus Stadium — which surprisingly had quite a few empty seats. At least the festive day has not been marred by the nasty Gigliati, even if it is hard to believe they would have dared to get another positive result after what happened last time. A single point is needed now to officially secure the title. Not that you didn’t already know this, but with five games left to play, it is quite a handy situation for one to find himself in and it definitely requires a bit of showing off. Just ask Carlos Tévez and he will tell you. Sealing the Scudetto without making Rudi Garcia look like a fool won’t do. Max Allegri continued to reshuffle the pack with great effect, making no less than six different changes to the line-up used for the Derby della Mole. Stephan Lichtsteiner was the only player who kept his place in the defensive compartment. Central backs Angelo Ogbonna and Leonardo Bonucci, who had a little nightmare in the previous game, were replaced by Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini, while Patrice Evra regained his place at left back to the detriment of Simone Padoin. Claudio Marchisio had served his suspension and marked his 300th appearance with a place among starters, with Arturo Vidal benched. The upfront pair Alvaro Morata and Alessandro Matri also made way for the former oh so effective duo from last season Carlos Tévez – Fernando Llorente. Perhaps, surprisingly, it actually was again effective with the Spanish-speaking strikers sharing the goals between them. Plenty of moves to keep the squad fresh and fully fit ahead of the vital clash with You-Know-Who. Hopefully, the title party taking shape at the horizon will not create too much discomfort within the Bianconeri ranks. This, indeed, if Juventus get that single point in their trip to Genoa where Sampdoria, winless in five games, await. And it looks like they will. MATCH SUMMARY After a small misunderstanding between referee Luca Banti and Tévez over the first kick of the game, the action unfolded, but rather slowly, with a disciplined Fiorentina managing to close the ball down quickly, away from their own box. Juventus almost had a shot on target after quarter an hour of playing, but Marchisio’s powerful attempt was involuntarily blocked by Tévez. A few minutes later, Llorente pivoted brilliantly with Gonzalo Rodriguez closely marking him inside the opposite box but the Spaniard had no venom in his shot and it was easily saved by Neto. The stream decided then to botch things up and by the time it was fixed... well, nothing had happened. However, it wasn’t long until a few moments of pressure rewarded Fiorentina with the opener in the 33rd minute. Pirlo was easily tricked by Joaquin right at the edge of Juventus’ area and the bearded master tripped the Spaniard down, forcing referee Banti to point to the spot. Viola captain Rodriguez stepped up to take the penalty and converted it perfectly, giving Gianluigi Buffon no chance. All Hell broke loose afterwards and with great effect for Juventus who managed to equalise in the 36th minute. Neto, who was well out of his position, brought Sturaro down with a silly foul on the right side of the box. From the resulting free-kick — a shorter corner – Pirlo delivered a sublime cross for Llorente who headed the ball past an idle Neto. Three minutes later, another great corner-kick delivered by Pirlo – and I write this while still in utter astonishment — almost lead to the second goal, but Evra directed his header straight at the goalkeeper who showed good reflexes to pull the save. With three minutes before the break, Lichtsteiner managed a fantastic last-ditch tackle to block Salah, whose attempt from close range was announcing danger for Buffon. Tévez gave Juventus the lead in the first minute of injury time with a sublimely placed header — although the way he hit the ball looked a bit weird. Evra had enough time to prepare his cross from more than 25 yards out and found El Apache in the box. The Argentine broke free of his marker and sent the ball past Neto who had no chance to keep it out. Allegri showed a sign of relief as the ball hit the net and headed straight for the locker rooms, probably also missing the chance to see Tévez playing the violin — Rudi, doing alright? The second half started in the same high tempo as it finished and the Gigliati launched themselves forward, but an early corner came to nothing. In the 55th minute, Gomez was presented with a decent chance but Evra cramped him enough and the German striker put his header wide. Appeals for a penalty were fruitless, for Gomez’s exasperation. Ten minutes later, Joaquin won the second penalty of the evening after a similar situation but with Chiellini the villain. Rodriguez faced Buffon again but put his shot wide of the post, sending Buffon and Allegri in exuberant celebrations. The miss suddenly proved even more costly for Fiorentina as Tévez doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 70th minute. From just inside Juventus’ own half, Marchisio delivered a fantastic ball over Viola’s defence for Tévez who beat the offside trap and made his way inside the box, placing a perfect shot at the far post from a tight angle past a fully-stretched Neto. Allegri reacted quickly after the goal and switched to a three-man defence, replacing Pereyra with Ogbonna. The substitution pretty much closed the game, as Fiorentina’s attacks were coming to a premature halt. With four minutes to go, a dialogue between Buffon and Alessandro Diamanti was more interesting than the game, as the two friends were shouting at each other, trying to make themselves heard over the chanting coming from the crowds. The friendliness of the pair was all charming but a football game was still left to be finished and Fiorentina reduced the deficit on the board in the 90th minute. Having just replaced Salah, Josip Ilicic stepped up to take a free-kick from just under 30 yards out and the Slovenian curled a tremendous ball over the wall and into the net, despite Buffon’s desperate efforts. The four minutes of extra time passed without any more problems for Juventus who sealed the win to move one point away from the fourth consecutive Scudetto. PLAYER RATINGS Buffon: 5.5 Could do nothing to prevent either of the goals, but was not really tested beside that Lichtsteiner: 6 Steady performance from the Swiss who kept Alonso quiet throughout, although his presence in attack was scarcely felt Barzagli: 6.5 The Wall put in a great display, dealing with the opposite attacking players with ease, while also very confident with the ball at his feet Chiellini: 5.5 Conceded the second penalty after a reckless challenge but had a decent performance overall Evra: 6.5 Great delivery to assist Tévez’s goal and could have also scored in the first half. Very alert in defending Marchisio: 7 Swept pretty much everything in midfield and distributed the ball around swiftly, with a brilliant long-ball played for the third goal Pirlo: 6 Uncharacteristically, delivered two fantastic crosses from set-pieces but wasn’t one of his best games, also conceding the penalty Sturaro: 6.5 Probably the first exceptional performance from him, before being forced off with injury. Very dynamic and an important defensive contribution. Pereyra: 6 Looked a bit out of form in the first part but managed to cover a lot of ground throughout, although ineffective in attack Tévez: 8 Bailed Juventus out once again with a phenomenal brace. Simply brilliant Llorente: 7 The Spaniard finally found the net again. Also decent hold-up and passing game from him Subs Vidal: 6 Replaced Pirlo after 56 minutes and added some extra muscles and speed to the midfield. Ogbonna: 6 Introduced to accommodate the 3-5-2 and did his job all right Padoin: N/A Played the last 12 minutes after replacing Sturaro but was barely involved Coach Allegri: 7 The rotations used recently have worked quite well and they also paid off against Fiorentina, with an inspired attacking partnership dealing with matters. Replacing Pirlo before the hour mark was a great decision, as was changing the system following Tévez’s second goal. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Carlos Tevez Drags Juventus Closer To Serie A Title Apr 30, 2015 The Serie A leaders Juventus beat Fiorentina 3-2 on Wednesday but their title celebrations were delayed by Lazio’s 4-0 victory over a Parma side who are now certain to be relegated But Juve, who are 14 points clear with five matches to go, will be champions with a draw at Sampdoria on Saturday. As they prepared to host Fiorentina on Wednesday evening,Juventus knew that each stage of a remarkable treble was slowly coming within touching distance. A Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid looms large on the horizon, with the Coppa Italia final against Lazio to follow later next month. Both sides were coming off surprise defeats at the weekend, as the Viola had lost three on the bounce in Serie A, while the Bianconeri fell 2-1 to rivals Torino. Claudio Marchisio returned from suspension, but Leonardo Bonucci was banned with Paul Pogba, Martin Caceres, Kwadwo Asamoah and Romulo. Khouma Babacar and Giuseppe Rossi were out for the season. Fiorentina are the only side to have conquered the Juventus Stadium since Bayern Munich in April 2013, winning 2-1 here in the Coppa Italia semi-final last month. However, their most recent League victory here was 3-2 in March 2008. Juventus are the most prolific side in the opening 45 minutes of games so far this Serie A season, but it was the visitors that started brighter pressing the ball high up the pitch as well as being comfortable in possession. Gianluigi Buffon was untested though, as Juve recorded the first shot on target in the match after 20 minutes when Llorente rolled Rodriguez and forced Neto into a comfortable save. Fiorentina did take the lead from the penalty spot after Andrea Pirlo tripped Joaquin just inside the box sticking out his left leg when the wingback stepped outside him from a short corner. The Tuscan side was the only team in the top five European leagues to have failed to convert any of the previous four penalties awarded to them this season, but Rodriguez beat Buffon with a powerful right-footed strike high into the corner. Their lead only lasted for two minutes and 28 seconds as Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto was shown a yellow card after rushing outside his box to challenge Stefano Sturaro. Pirlo curled the resultant free-kick from near the corner flag on the left side into the centre of the box for Llorente to score with a header into the bottom corner. Patrice Evra then forced Neto to claw away a bullet header from close range after a Pirlo corner before turning provider, as Juventus turned the game around with a goal in the final action of the first-half. The 33-year-old fullback picked out Tevez with an excellent pass over the Viola defence and the Argentine scored for his fourth successive Serie A match at the Juventus Stadium with a looping header. Fiorentina gave nothing more away in the first third of the second half and even sniffed for a leveller on occasions. They thought they had been given the perfect opportunity to produce one in the 66th minute when Giorgio Chiellini felled Joaquin in the area. This time, however, Rodriguez made a mess of his spot-kick, sending the ball wide and inspiring much backslapping from Juve’s players. Tevez sensed blood and quickly doubled his side’s advantage with a fine strike in the 70th minute. Put through by Claudio Marchisio, the Argentine stormed into Neto’s box before picking his spot just inside the far post. With time running out it looked like Juve had done enough to rubber-stamp the three points that put them on the brink of a fourth straight title, but Fiorentina fancied reminding them that there would be no festivities just yet. Substitute Josip Ilicic aped set-piece master Pirlo with a searing free-kick that Gianluigi Buffon could only wave a fist at. Fiorentina have now lost each of their last four league matches for the first time since February 2005, whereas Juventus are now undefeated in their last 45 home matches in Serie A. Juventus remain 14 points clear of Lazio and will clinch a fourth successive title with a point at Sampdoria on Saturday. No matter what he does on the transfer market this summer, Beppe Marotta should be lauded for nabbing Carlos Tevez for such a small fee from Manchester City. The Argentine has been simply phenomenal this term and it keeps getting better as we approach the business end of this season. Gigi Buffon made his 529th appearance last night, moving him all alone into third place all time at the club while Claudio Marchisio recorded his 300th appearance, which was capped with another beautiful assist for Juve’s third goal. Andrea Barzagli produced a confident performance against Fiorentina but Giorgio Chiellini conceded a needless penalty in the second half. With Chiellini continually error-prone, it is perhaps not too far-fetched to suggest Allegri should consider sitting the 30-year-old for a period, particularly now that Andrea Barzagli has fully recovered from his own injury problems. It would be a bold move to drop the vice-captain, but if Allegri goes with a four-man defence against Real Madrid, a Bonucci-Barzagli pairing would see his two most in-form players take the field. Stefano Sturaro had an impressive game registering a team-high four tackles plus he was relentless and active throughout the night. Fernando Llorente gained some confidence by netting the equalizer and one must not forget that he does know a thing or two about scoring goals against Real Madrid. There was also plenty of food for thought ahead of that clash with the reigning European champions, and it will be interesting to see what decisions are made along the way. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11h4GTFi87s

Serie A - 15^ Giornata Ritorno - 2-5-2015 (ore 18:00) SAMPDORIA - JUVENTUS - Sabato, 2 maggio 2015 - ore 18:00 Luigi Ferraris Stadium (Marassi), Genova Arbitro: Paolo Valeri Confronti ufficiali 122 - 113 (Serie A) - 9 (Coppa Italia) Vittorie Juventus 60 - 52 (Serie A) - 8 (Coppa Italia) Pareggi 37 - 37 (Serie A) Vittorie Sampdoria 25 - 24 (Serie A) - 1 (Coppa Italia) Goals Juventus 201 - 173 (Serie A) - 28 (Coppa Italia) Goals Sampdoria 125 - 112 (Serie A) - 13 (Coppa Italia) Sampdoria - Juventus Serie A a Genova Confronti ufficiali 56 Vittorie Juventus 19 (L'ultima il 24.08.2013, 0-1) Pareggi 18 (L'ultimo il 23.01.2011, 0-0) Vittorie Sampdoria 19 (L'ultima il 18.05.2013, 3-2) Goals Juventus 67 Goals Sampdoria 66 Giocatori con più presenze e goals contro la Sampdoria a Genova 13 presenze Boniperti Giampiero 11 Del Piero Alessandro 10 Salvadore Sandro 9 Castano Ernesto 9 Furino Giuseppe 9 Scirea Gaetano 8 Leoncini Gianfranco 8 Tacconi Stefano 7 Anastasi Pietro 7 Cuccureddu Antonello 7 goals Boniperti Giampiero 7 Sivori Omar Enrique 4 Altafini Josè João 3 Del Piero Alessandro 3 Mora Bruno 3 Muccinelli Ermes 2 Bettega Roberto 2 Inzaghi Filippo 2 Leoncini Gianfranco 2 Platini Michel Ultimi confronti diretti 15.02.2009 - Serie A - Juventus-Sampdoria 1-1 28.10.2009 - Serie A - Juventus-Sampdoria 5-1 21.03.2010 - Serie A - Sampdoria-Juventus 1-0 12.09.2010 - Serie A - Juventus-Sampdoria 3-3 23.01.2011 - Serie A - Sampdoria-Juventus 0-0 06.01.2013 - Serie A - Juventus-Sampdoria 1-2 18.05.2013 - Serie A - Sampdoria-Juventus 3-2 24.08.2013 - Serie A - Sampdoria-Juventus 0-1 18.01.2014 - Serie A - Juventus-Sampdoria 4-2 14.12.2014 - Serie A - Juventus-Sampdoria 1-1 Giocate 10 - Vittorie Juventus 3 - Pareggi 4 - Vittorie Sampdoria 3 - Goals Juventus 18 - Goals Sampdoria 14 http://www.goal.com/it/results-standings/69/serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_101

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn8h7-_XODQ http://www.tuttosport.com/foto/Calcio/Serie%20A/2015/04/29-95521_0/FOTO+Juventus-Fiorentina+3-2%3A+Tevez+segna+e+suona+il+violino http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/t-PF4HOlvZb/Juventus+FC+v+ACF+Fiorentina+Serie

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus Maintain Astonishing 14-Point Lead, Could Wrap Up League On Saturday Apr 30, 2015 Juventus triumphed over a spirited Fiorentina side yesterday night and maintained their 14-point lead at the top of the table. Lazio’s 4-0 win over Parma postponed Juve’s title celebrations, but Massimiliano Allegri’s side can wrap up the title if they pick up a win against Sampdoria on Saturday. The game started with Fiorentina pulling the strings in the first few minutes and looked comfortable in possession. Juventus finally started playing some football of their own after the 15-minute mark as Fiorentina struggled to get hold of the ball. However, in the 31st minute, Andrea Pirlo stuck out a leg to take down winger Joachin in the penalty area. Rodriguez converted the resultant penalty to give his side a lead against the run of play. Fiorentina weren’t able to hold their lead for long as Juve took only three minutes to find an equaliser. Andrea Pirlo made up for his mistake and provided a beautifully flighted ball from a free kick which was nodded home by Fernando Llorente. The reigning champions then took the lead just before half time when a Patrice Evra cross was cleverly headed home by Carlos Tevez. In the second half, the Viola were handed a golden opportunity to equalise when Joachin was once again taken down, but this time, by Chiellini. However, Rodriguez failed to convert it after trying to smash it. Juve punished Fiorentina in the 70th minute after their defence tried to play an offside trap, but failed in doing so. Tevez converted the chance after slotting the ball past the keeper. Fiorentina tried to push in order to reduce the deficit but had to wait until extra time. Ilicic scored from 20 yards out, but unfortunately, Fiorentina failed to back that wonderful set piece with an equaliser. Losing the title very unlikely from here, says Allegri Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri was delighted with the win and added that it will take an almighty loss in form for his side to lose the title from here, “At this point it would take a reverse miracle for us to lose this Scudetto,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “We have to be wary, as we’ve lost out last two away games, but the lads deserve compliments for an extraordinary campaign. “We have a 14-point lead, we need one more and hope to get it on Saturday so we can best prepare for the Champions League. “This victory allows us to face the remaining Serie A games with a more relaxed state of mind. When you’re nearly there, this anxiety comes in. “When you are 14 points in front, it is natural to have some dips in concentration. There are also many players who haven’t been available this season for long periods, so the others had to carry on throughout and not rest as much as I’d have liked,” he added. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus still have to wait for Serie A title despite beating Fiorentina Apr 30, 2015 Title celebrations will have to be postponed at least a while for Juventus, who managed a win against Fiorentina. Lazio pummelled Parma to delay matters, but a point against Sampdoria over the weekend and the Old Lady can celebrate yet another domestic triumph. Fiorentina are always tricky opponents for they boast great technique and genuine desire. When they're fully concentrated and alert, they defend with vigour and attack with pace and strength and the manner in which they started the match troubled the home side. Juventus are simply not at their best at this moment in time and it largely has to do with the fact that they don't need to be. Careless with their passes, their attitude nonchalant, the Bianconeri are not playing with gritty determination and the fluidity that previously defined them. The problem with Serie A is this: Juventus rarely find an opponent capable of punishing them for their mistakes. They can afford to play with the handbrake on, squander possession and give only 80 percent. They need not play to expectations but as long as they understand how to exploit the opponent's weaknesses, victories can be collected. This was the case on Wednesday evening against the Tuscans, who showed their defensive inadequacies. There is a slight fear that playing in such comfortable surroundings where the Bianconeri always know they can win despite not giving their all will set them up for disappointment in Europe. Not since the Coppa Italia second leg have Juventus actually played at an impressive level, showing ambition and beautiful play. Since then, not even the win against Lazio required optimum levels of determination, because even the team in second place lacks too much to provide real competition. It is for this reason, Massimiliano Allegri should be worried. He must ensure his men play with fluidity and accuracy, sacrificing it all to obtain a win against Real Madrid midweek. Juventus cannot afford to be careless against the Spanish giants, as they were against the Viola, with players casually committing silly fouls in the box to concede two penalties. Consistently offering Vincenzo Montella's men an opportunity to attack a set piece, the Old Lady must play a more intelligent game should they want to avoid a European defeat. Andrea Pirlo was the man to concede the first penalty and the deep lying midfielder, despite some excellent passes, can be a defensive problem. Giving up possession too easily and offering little support to the men behind him, there are times we can understand why the fans call for Claudio Marchisio to play in his position. His artistic ability is unrivalled, but the moment he loses the ball, Juventus are in trouble. Sadly for the visitors, they barely had enough time to celebrate as Fernando Llorente used his large frame to equalise minutes later. Yet while the Spaniard always does his best to contribute to the side with his back to goal, using his strength to maintain possession and bring others into play, it's Carlos Tevez who makes Juve's world go round. The Argentine wasn't a consistent presence up top in this particular game -- one suspects he's not yet at his best after illness -- yet when called upon, he possess the majestic touch and ability to affect the game. A sublime cross from Patrice Evra found Tevez who headed in the second. His mobility, his reading of the game and his attitude are the reasons behind his excellence and the 20 league goals he has scored this season. The third goal was a fine finish but even when he's not scoring, he's making the right runs forward to penetrate even the toughest of defences. One of the main differences between the win against the Viola and the loss to Torino is Evra on the left wing. He is not the quickest, he can be easily overwhelmed and he frustrated with his inability to handle the duality of his role in the early part of the season. Yet the manner in which he has progressed this season has been truly exciting to watch as he can now always be relied upon to produce balanced displays and provide important attacking contributions. It is his constant presence on the left, his relationship with the now injured Paul Pogba and his accurate crosses into the box that have given the side a new dimension. A player who can also score the goals, one shouldn't forget what a threat he can be from set-pieces and he nearly was again against Fiorentina. A beautiful Josip Ilicic gave the Viola their second goal of the night but they simply didn't have enough going forward to take advantage of their opportunities. Italy hopes they can get back to winning ways in the Europa league. As for Juve, the postponement of celebrations is a good thing to ensure tensions are high and the motivations are there to secure more victories. A wonderful performance against Sampdoria will ensure the title and leave them in the right frame of mind to face the biggest test of the season: the semifinal of the Champions League. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Player Ratings: Juventus 3-2 Fiorentina Apr 29, 2015 Juventus 1 G. Buffon - Though he could have done better with the late free-kick, he was still generally a safe pair of hands. 26 S. Lichtsteiner - Made a crucial block on Fernandez at the near post and was alert defensively. 15 A. Barzagli - Marked Gomez out of the game, tracking almost all of his runs to perfection. 3 G. Chiellini - Conceded a penalty as Joaquin fooled him with a quick change of direction. 33 P. Evra - His great ball set up the go-ahead goal, and he was a danger in the final third regularly. 8 C. Marchisio - The midfielder's passing from deep areas was delightful, and one such ball set up Tevez's second. 21 A. Pirlo - Caught in possession regularly and was a defensive liability, giving up a spot kick. However, he also sent in the free kick for Llorente's leveler. 27 S. Sturaro - His runs from deep were menacing, and he never stopped fighting for the team. 37 R. Pereyra - Worked hard at the tip of the midfield, though he struggled to pick the right passes at times. 10 Carlos Tévez - Two clinical finishes gave the Bianconeri victory, and he proved to be their match winner yet again. 14 F. Llorente - Bullied the defence on occasion, and scored the leveler with a header from a free kick. Substitutes 23 A. Vidal - Not his usual self off the bench. Fiorentina 1 Neto - His play off his line was generally sound and he was unlucky to be called for a free-kick that led to a goal from Llorente. 15 S. Savić - Couldn't stop Llorente from powering in Juve's first. 2 G. Rodríguez - Buried a penalty, missed another and was caught out by the run of Tevez in an eventful game for him. 19 J. Basanta - Caught napping at the back more than once. Let his team down. 28 Marcos Alonso - Cleaned up defensively and sprayed some clever passes down the flanks as well. 5 M. Badelj - Not his night as a few turnovers nearly proved costly. 10 A. Aquilani - Misted the movements of his teammates more than once, resulting in some frustrating attacks. 14 M. Fernández - Thwarted by Lichtsteiner at the near post, but didn't look to attack down that side nearly enough. 17 Joaquín - Won two penalties with his quick feet and was always a threat in the final third. 74 Mohamed Salah - The Egyptian was always a danger with his pace, but he needed better support. 33 M. Gómez - Hard for him to sniff out a chance against the Juve back four. Substitutes 72 J. Iličić - Curled in a wonderful free kick that ended up being only a consolation. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Buffon: This Season Is One Juventus Can Be Proud Of Apr 29, 2015 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon revealed his pride at the Bianconeri’s season to date, after his side’s 3-2 victory over Fiorentina on Wednesday evening. Buffon looks set to win a fourth straight Scudetto in Turin, and expressed his happiness after yet another successful Serie A campaign. “We are happy,” Buffon said to Mediaset Premium “Especially because tonight’s game had many pitfalls.” “We started at a disadvantage and it was difficult to recover. With patience and tenacity we were able to turn the result around.” “As for the Scudetto, it would be my ninth title, and the eighth for Serie A. It would be a small success in the 14 years I’ve been with Juve.” “This year is one to be proud of, and progress has been made.” Juventus could wrap up the title with a win as early as Saturday evening, when they travel away to Sampdoria. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Allegri: It Was Important For Juventus To Return To Winning Ways Against Fiorentina Apr 29, 2015 Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has praised the resilience of his side after they came from behind to win 3-2 against Fiorentina at the Juventus Stadium on Wednesday evening in Serie A. The Old Lady went into the match having lost two of their last three league games, as many as they had in their previous 59 Serie A fixtures, but will secure a fourth consecutive Scudetto on May 2 should they avoid defeat away at Sampdoria. “It was an important victory,” said Allegri to Sky Sport Italia after the match. “At this point it would take the opposite of a miracle for us to lose this Scudetto. “We have a 14-point lead, we need one more and hope to get it on Saturday so that we can best prepare for the Champions League. “The last two games have been difficult to prepare for, psychologically there may have been dips in concentration. “There are also many players who haven’t been available this season for long periods, so the others had to carry on throughout and not get as much rest as I’d have liked. “I thought it would be a good season, as these players are great both on the field and off. “I found players like Simone Padoin, Stefano Sturaro, Kingsley Coman and Simone Pepe who have proved decisive when coming off the bench. “During the course of a campaign, these are the players who become crucial.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus 3 - Fiorentina 2: Initial reaction and random observations Apr 29, 2015 AS Lazio put in their first, second, and third goals within the first 18 minutes of their game against Parma Wednesday night, the reality of Juventus being able to celebrate Scudetto No. 33 in front of their hometown crowd pretty much went up in smoke. Poof! Just like that, it was essentially known that the title party was being put off until the next match day. That didn't deter Juventus from showing Fiorentina who the top dog in Italy is. Well, I guess giving up a clear and unquestioned first-half penalty while also not playing very well whatsoever in the opening 30 minutes woke them up, too. The Beauty & The Beast striker partnership was in full force at Juventus Stadium, as Juventus' small and tall combo of Carlos Tévez and Fernando Llorente led the way offensively in the 3-2 win over Fiorentina. They're two strikers having two completely different kinds of seasons, obviously, but all three of the goals were as pretty as it gets. It was Llorente's first goal since Juve lost 2-1 to Fiorentina in Turin in the Coppa Italia back in early March. And what about Tévez? Well, he was just out there being Tévez, really. JuventusFC ✔@juventusfcen Seven Serie A doubles racked up by @carlitos3210 in the black and white stripes. Gee, I wonder who we've also seen play the violin at Juventus Stadium this year... Ah, right. That's a good one, Carlitos. Keep them coming. So now all that remains for Scudetto No. 33 to be signed, sealed and delivered? One single point. That's it. One more point and Juventus get to celebrate a fourth consecutive Serie A title. It's unfortunate that it couldn't be locked up in Turin, but when you're closest competition is playing Parma, then it's a tough thing to have happen from the get-go. No matter what, though, Juventus will be officially anointed Serie A champions sooner rather than later. That inevitable day we've been waiting for over the last two months is finally here. Let's just hope it's done in swift and concise fashion. JuventusFC ✔@juventusfcen .@gianluigibuffon: "We’re extremely close. We needed to win and that’s what we did. Our destiny is now entirely in our own hands." Random thoughts and observations Never ever ever leave Turin, Carlos. Never ever. (I know it will happen, but still.) Think about how many goals Carlos Tévez has scored as a Juventus player, then think about how much — or little at this point — Beppe Marotta paid for him a couple of years ago. I will never get over how Marotta just completely fleeced Manchester City for such a world-class striker. No matter what he does on the transfer market going forward, the swoop for Tévez will be one of the best deals he's ever made. What big night for milestone appearances amongst the Juventus ranks. Gigi Buffon with his 529th appearance, moving him all alone into third place all time at the club. Too bad there was no clean sheet to go along with it. That would have been nice. Claudio Marchisio with his 300th appearance, which was capped with another standout performance in a season that is basically filled with them. That assist to Tévez on his second goal was a thing of beauty. That's a huge part of the Juventus spine both on the field and in the dressing room. And that's lot of games in a Juventus jersey between the two of them. Luckily for us, there's plenty more where that came from and a few more milestones are still to be rang in before it's all said and done. It's hard not to love them both. When was the last time we've seen Andrea Pirlo taken off at 55 minutes due to non-injury reasons? Max Allegri was clearly thinking of this weekend's trip to Sampdoria once Juve got a 2-1 lead. (It also probably helped knowing that Arturo Vidal was sitting there on the bench.) That cross from Patrice Evra on Tévez's first goal was one of the best cross a Juventus player has delivered not just all season, but in a couple of years. What an absolute gem with about two seconds left to go in the first half. Andrea Barzagli was a consistent as it gets against Fiorentina. Surprise, surprise. I guess Fiorentina must not have anybody better on the current roster when their best penalty kick taker is a center back and he subsequently ends up slitting his attempts from the spot. I know it's a small sample size, but this was easily one of the best games Stefano Sturaro has played since coming to Juventus in January. He finished up tied with Marchisio with a team-high four tackles despite being subbed off at the 76-minute mark. Good to see him be as relentless and active as ever. Llorente gaining some confidence entering the home stretch definitely isn't the worst thing in the world. He does know a thing or two about scoring goals against Real Madrid, you know. Just one last request: Get the Scudetto out of the way before Real Madrid. That last thing Juventus needs to have happen is a disappointing result with such a massive European contest looming. JuventusFC ✔@juventusfcen .@OfficialAllegri: "We’ll look to claim the point we need in Genova and then focus on the #UCL and #CoppaItalia." I'm glad we agree about that, good sir. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti JUVENTUS 3-2 FIORENTINA MATCH REPORT Apr 29, 2015 Juventus edged out Fiorentina in a thrilling 3-2 to take them within a point of a 33rd Scudetto. Both teams were reeling from surprise defeats at the weekend with Juve losing to Torino 2-1 while Fiorentina were pummelled 3-1 by Cagliari at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Claudio Marchisio returned from suspension to make his 300th club appearance but Leonardo Bonucci was out with a one-match ban while Paul Pogba, Martin Caceres, Kwadwo Asamoah and Romulo were still out through injury. The away side started the brighter through Mohamed Salah while Mati Fernandez fired wide of the post from distance. Juve looked out of sorts early as Stephan Lichtsteiner almost gifted the visitor’s possession before Andrea Pirlo blatantly tripped Joaquin to earn Fiorentina a penalty. Gonzalo Rodriguez stepped up and converted into the far top corner. Juventus were aggrieved just moments later when Norberto Neto appeared to foul Stefano Sturaro outside of the box but the referee waved away appeals for a sending off, giving the keeper a yellow card instead as the tackle was well wide of the goal. Pirlo floated in a free kick and Llorente rose highest to bring Juve level through a well taken header. Patrice Evra had a chance shortly after the restart but his header from Pirlo’s corner was saved by Neto. Juve continued to press for the lead and it was Evra again, this time with a perfectly chipped pass for Carlos Tevez to loop his head past a stranded Neto to put Juve ahead. Juve sat back early in the second half and their complacency almost cost them dearly. Giorgio Chiellini tripped Gonzalo Rodriguez but thankfully his penalty was blasted wide of the goal. Juve capitalised moments later as Carlos Tevez ran on to a great long ball from Marchisio to beat Savic and beat Neto one-on-one with a pinpoint finish. Fiorentina earned a late consolation goal through Josip Ilicic’s sublime free kick but Juve held on for the win that takes them to within a point of their fourth successive scudetto. Statistics Man of the Match: Carlos Tevez Flop of the Match: N/A Fouls: 11 Corners: 5 Pass Accuracy: 82% Shots on Target: 5 Total Shots: 12 Ball Possession: 50% Formation: 4-3-1-2 Lineups Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo (Vidal 56), Sturaro (Padoin 77); Pereyra (Ogbonna 70); Tevez, Llorente Fiorentina: Neto; Savic, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Basanta, Alonso; Badelj, Aquilani, Mati Fernandez (Borja Valero 76); Joaquin, Salah, Gomez (Gilardino 70) Ref: Banti Missed penalty: Gonzalo Rodriguez 67 (F) http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus Beat Fiorentina Despite Yet Another Error from Giorgio Chiellini Apr 29, 2015 As they prepared to host Fiorentina on Wednesday evening, Juventus knew that each stage of a remarkable treble was slowly coming within touching distance. A Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid looms large on the horizon, with the Coppa Italia final against Lazio to follow later next month. First came Serie A, however, with the Bianconeri fully aware that they needed just four points to clinch the 2014-15 crown, which would see them add to the hat-trick of titles they had secured in the three previous campaigns. They would eventually take three of those here courtesy of a 3-2 victory, but not without problems, as the Viola and Vincenzo Montella once again proved a difficult opponent for even the very best side. Massimiliano Allegri had demanded that his players concentrated on the task at hand in his pre-match press conference, discussing the need for patience and urging the squad not to look to the games that lie ahead. “We have to take things one game at a time, we can’t play them all at once,” the coach told reporters, per the club’s official website. “We’re not playing Real Madrid tomorrow or the following day, we meet them on 5 May. We therefore have to prepare for tomorrow night’s match as best we can because it’s definitely harder to work on the back of a loss.” Yet rather than seeking to put the memory of Sunday’s derby defeat at the hands of Torino behind them, it certainly appeared as though the Bianconeri had other things on their minds, and a lazy tackle from Andrea Pirlo saw Fiorentina earn a penalty with just over 30 minutes played. Gonzalo Rodriguez would make no mistake from the spot, but Fernando Llorente would equalise just a few minutes later, and Juventus were not done yet. Picking out Carlos Tevez with an excellent cross, Patrice Evra looked on as his former Manchester United team-mate gave La Madama the advantage just before half time. The goal had something of an air of inevitability about it, the Argentinian’s superb header taking his tally for the season to 27 in all competitions. Yet sadly for the Turin giants, another all too frequent event soon followed, with Giorgio Chiellini conceding a second penalty after he impeded Viola winger Joaquin in the box. Just a week after the Italian international was fortunate not to be shown a red card for his blatant handball against AS Monaco, this was the latest in a string of errors that have littered Chiellini’s play this term. He was arguably Juve’s poorest player in the first half of the season, a matter discussed at length in this previous column. With Chiellini continually error-prone, it is perhaps not too far-fetched to suggest Allegri should consider sitting the 30-year-old for a period, particularly now that Andrea Barzagli has fully recovered from his own injury problems. That—allied to the excellent displays of Leonardo Bonucci—offers the coach a distinct alternative should he indeed opt to take Chiellini out of the fray for a few matches. It would be a bold move to drop the vice-captain, but if Allegri goes with a four-man defence against Real Madrid, a Bonucci-Barzagli pairing would see his two most in-form players take the field. It would remove the opportunities for yet another costly mistake from Chiellini, while there is little doubt the duo could play well together. Tevez and Josip Ilicic would exchange goals to complete the 3-2 final score, the Bianconeri taking a giant step toward a championship they will likely claim away to Sampdoria this Saturday. There were a number of positives in the match: Llorente’s return to goalscoring form, the play of Claudio Marchisio and the continued brilliance of Carlos Tevez to name just three. But there was also plenty of food for thought ahead of that clash with the reigning European champions, and it will be interesting to see what decisions are made along the way. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Tevez is dragging Juventus to the title - Buffon The goalkeeper says Juventus will be "forever grateful" to the striker for his performances this season after his double in the victory over Fiorentina. Apr 29, 2015 Gianluigi Buffon has thanked Carlos Tevez for "dragging" Juventus to Serie A glory following their 3-2 win over Fiorentina on Wednesday. The Argentine scored twice against Vincenzo Montella's side to take his tally to 26 in all competitions this season and move Juve to within one point of defending their Scudetto crown. And Buffon says the whole team is indebted to Tevez for his performances throughout the campaign, telling Mediaset Premium: "Tevez? He's fantastic, from the start of the season he's helped us win games. He's dragging us to the title. We'll be forever grateful. "We're happy. Tonight was a game with many hidden pitfalls. We were at a disadvantage, it wasn't easy to recover. "With patience and tenacity we've overcome a team who gave everything. "We can be proud of this year, we've made fantastic progress." A point from Saturday's trip to Sampdoria would be enough to secure Juve's fourth consecutive title. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Allegri: 'Scudetto bar a miracle' Apr 29, 2015 Max Allegri said it “would take a reverse miracle” for Juventus to lose the Scudetto after beating Fiorentina 3-2. The Bianconeri now need only one point to secure the title, as their party was postponed tonight by Lazio beating Parma 4-0. “At this point it would take a reverse miracle for us to lose this Scudetto,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia. “We have to be wary, as we’ve lost out last two away games, but the lads deserve compliments for an extraordinary campaign. “We have a 14-point lead, we need one more and hope to get it on Saturday so we can best prepare for the Champions League. “This victory allows us to face the remaining Serie A games with a more relaxed state of mind. When you’re nearly there, this anxiety comes in. “When you are 14 points in front, it is natural to have some dips in concentration. There are also many players who haven’t been available this season for long periods, so the others had to carry on throughout and not rest as much as I’d have liked. “I thought it would be a good season, as these players are great both on the field and off. I found players like Simone Padoin, Stefano Sturaro, Kingsley Coman and Simone Pepe who proved decisive when coming off the bench. During the course of a campaign, these are the players who become crucial. “Football is strange, as if we had conceded the Fiorentina penalty for 2-2, the game could’ve ended differently and put more pressure on us for the weekend. “I hope Fiorentina and Napoli can reach the Europa League Final.” Juventus can now start to focus on the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid. “Real Madrid are tough to play against and I doubt they’ll be defensive! Neither will we, as if you defend with six men then you’re not going to win. “Paul Pogba is training, will have another test tomorrow and if all goes well he could be available for the second leg.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Tevez's title - Juventus Scudetto stroll is all thanks to goal machine The Argentine striker struck twice more in the Bianconeri's 3-2 victory over Fiorentina which leaves them just a point away from another league triumph. Apr 29, 2015 By Kris Voakes | International Football Correspondent When Juventus inevitably clinch of a fourth straight Scudetto, they would have every right to hand Carlos Tevez the trophy and let him do a lap of honour by himself. While the Argentine has not entirely been a one-man team this term, his ability to put his hand up and lead his men forward at key times has been the difference between the Bianconeri and the rest. He was at it again on Wednesday. A lethargic, disjointed-looking Juve managed to beat Fiorentina 3-2 at Juventus Stadium to leave themselves one point short of another much-deserved Serie A title. And it was largely thanks to Tevez once more that they collected all three points despite being well short of their best. The Viola led from a first-half Gonzalo Rodriguez penalty only for Fernando Llorente to immediately equalise from a harshly-awarded free-kick wide on the left. Heading for half-time, though, Vincenzo Montella’s side remained more than in the game. But far from Massimiliano Allegri having to come up with a rousing speech at the interval, it was Tevez who was to do all the motivating himself. First, he flicked a wonderful header past Neto on the stroke of half-time from Patrice Evra’s cross. Then, following Rodriguez’s failure from a second spot-kick attempt, the Apache charged up the other end of the field to meet Claudio Marchisio’s pass with a cool finish. His second goal of the night was his 20th in Serie A this term and his 28th in all competitions. Few men in the history of Juventus have scored more in a single season. And it was no surprise that he was the man to stand up and be counted. Simply put, Tevez has delivered when it has mattered this season. He has hit the first goal in 15 Juventus games over the course of the campaign, and has also stepped up his scoring pace in the second half of the season with 16 strikes in his last 19 starts. When Roma were falling away, the 31-year-old was busy ensuring that the same thing wouldn’t happen to the reigning champions. Barring a miracle Juventus will be celebrating another title on Saturday, and it is almost entirely down to Tevez that they will be doing so in round 34 of a 38-game season. Juventus would probably be the best team in Italy regardless of Tevez’s presence, but the sheer dominance of the Serie A table comes down to the rest of the country’s inability to deal with the stand-out player in the domestic championship. Not since Zlatan Ibrahimovic led Inter to the Scudetto in 2008-09 has one man had such a massive effect on matters at the top end of the league. When the 2014-15 season is revisited in years to come, don’t be surprised if Juve’s latest success is remembered as ‘Tevez’s title’. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti JUVENTUS 3-2 FIORENTINA SERIE A WEEK 33 PLAYER RATINGS Apr 29, 2015 Carlos Tevez bagged a brace and Fernando Llorente was back on the scoresheet to take Juve a point away from another scudetto. Juve went behind after Andrea Pirlo tripped Joaquin to earn Fiorentina a penalty but the Bianconeri were on level terms within minutes when Pirlo lofted a free kick into the box for Llorente to head home. Carlos Tevez put Juventus ahead right on half time when he nodded home Patrice Evra’s perfectly weighted cross before sealing the game late on with a fine solo effort from Marchisio’s through ball. Gianluigi Buffon 6.0 - Didn’t have a single save to make from open play and he guessed the right way for both of Fiorentina penalties. Unable to get close to Ilicic’s great free kick. Stephan Lichtsteiner 6.0 - Looked really out of sorts for much of the game and he nearly gifted Fiorentina a clear goal scoring opportunity through a poorly taken free kick. Andrea Barzagli 6.5 - Another strong performance with some great tackles and interceptions. Kept Mario Gomez quiet for the entire game. Giorgio Chiellini 6.0 - Made a careless tackle that earned Fiorentina a penalty. That aside, his tackling was great and he managed to mark Salah out of the game for large spells. Patrice Evra 7.0 - Superb performance throughout. Tackles, harried and pushed forward every chance he got. A beautiful cross provided the assist for Tevez’ first goal. Claudio Marchisio 7.0 - Exceptional in midfield and in his 300th Juventus appearance. Had a scoring chance of his own charged down before providing a deft through ball for Tevez to seal the result. Andrea Pirlo 6.0 - Gave away a blantant penalty but redeemed himself moments later by delivering a perfect weighted free kick for Llorente to head home. Stefano Sturaro 7.0 - His best game in a Juve shirt so far, combative and hard working, made countless tackles to deny Fiorentina and looked a little like a young Gattuso. Roberto Pereyra 6.0 - Much improved from his disappointing showing against Torino. Lively in the final third while creating chances for his teammates. Carlos Tevez 8.0 - Utterly brilliant. Scored two perfect goals to put Juve ahead, the first a header, the second a superb solo effort. Fernando Llorente 6.5 - Scored a great header to bring Juve back into the game. Held up play well, made some great runs and looked more like the Nando of old. Substitutes Simone Padoin N/A Arturo Vidal N/A Angelo Ogbonna N/A http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Player Ratings: Juventus 3-2 Fiorentina Apr 29, 2015 Juventus defeated Fiorentina 3-2 at home on Wednesday evening in Serie A and now only need a point from their remaining five matches to be crowned champions of Italy. A brace by Carlos Tevez and a header from Fernando Llorente were enough to see off a disjointed Viola side who struck first through a Gonzalo Rodriguez penalty and then in the final minutes of the tie with a great free kick from Josip Ilicic. Juventus Gianluigi Buffon – 5.5– Unsure - No chance with the penalty but should have done much better with the Josip Ilicic free kick. Fortunately, most of Fiorentina’s other efforts were off-target which made things much simpler for the veteran keeper. Stephan Lichtsteiner – 5.5 – Subdued - Uncharacteristically poor crossing from the Swiss full back and never really attacked the right flank in his normal swashbuckling style, perhaps due to playing in a back four. Looks more threatening when used as a wing-back in a five man midfield. Andrea Barzagli – 6.5 – Leader - Blocked everything that was anywhere near him with perfect timing for much of the evening. One of the best defensive displays from the centre back since recovering from injury. Giorgio Chiellini – 6 –Classic - Kept Mario Gomez quiet all night but difficult to tell whether that’s much of an achievement anymore. Usual blend of well-timed challenges, high elbows, fouls and shirt tugs – the typical Italian defensive display. Patrice Evra – 6.5 – Impressive - Suffered the dribbling and pace of both Joaquin and Mohamed Salah but was much more effective going forward, almost scoring with a header and then sending in the cross for Tevez to score his first goal. A decent evening’s work for the Frenchman. Claudio Marchisio – 6.5 – Composed - Very quiet game for the Italian international who sat deep and just played short and easy passes for much of the 90 minutes. Did as much as was necessary which wasn’t too much given the poor Fiorentina midfield though his lofted assist for Tevez’s second goal was sublime. Andrea Pirlo – 6 – Acceptable - Gave away silly penalty which resulted in early opener for the away side but atoned for his error by sending in a perfect free kick for Llorente’s headed equaliser. Subbed early in second half, presumably to save the ageing legs for the impending Champions League tie next week. Stefano Sturaro – 6 – Strength - Added steel to the midfield which was vital given Fiorentina’s incredible motivation to press high up the pitch early in the first half. Settling well since his move from Genoa in January and is becoming a key part of the Juve squad. Roberto Pereyra – 6.5 – Energy - Quiet but effective, the ex-Udinese man was given a free role and played expertly popping up all over the field giving his team mates plenty of passing options. Softens the blow every time Arturo Vidal is omitted from the starting line-up. Carlos Tevez – 7.5– Devastating - Was non-existent for 45 minutes of the first half but one defensive slip allowed the Argentine to score in injury time. Bagged a fantastic second to round off another perfect striker display. You just can’t discount him even when it appears he’s on a bad day – a quite wonderful centre forward. Fernando Llorente – 7 – Handful - Great headed goal and played the perfect target man role, allowing Tevez to flourish around him. Had an inspired game though helped, to an extent, by the lack of sharpness from the Fiorentina defence. Substitutes Arturo Vidal (56 mins) – 6 Angelo Ogbonna (71 mins) – 6 Simone Padoin (77 mins) – N/A Fiorentina Neto – 6 – Unfortunate - Miracle save from a Patrice Evra header and was harshly adjudged to have fouled Sturaro which resulted in the Juventus equaliser. Conceded three goals which is never a good thing for a custodian but was hardly at fault. Stefan Savic – 5 – Lost - Left Llorente who scored the equalising goal from the Pirlo free kick and looked shaky all evening. A lack of concentration seemed to hamper the ex-Manchester City defender for some reason. Gonzalo Rodriguez – 5.5 – Failed - Silenced the home fans with a tremendous spot kick but failed to marshal the back-line properly which allowed Juventus plenty of scoring opportunities throughout the game. Made a complete dog’s dinner of the second penalty which would have made the score 2-2 and put his side back in with a shout of a point. Jose Basanta – 5.5 – Distant - Completely misread the cross that allowed Tevez to score in first half stoppages and alongside Rodriguez and Savic made up a very perforated Viola rear guard. Defensively, Montella needs much more organisation from his three central defenders. Marcos Alonso – 6 – Effort - Probably the best of a bad bunch in the midfield for the Viola, plenty of movement and box-to-box running from the Spaniard. Ultimately not enough to compete with his Bianconeri counterparts. Milan Badelj – 5.5– Average - Chased many a black and white shadow, working hard to try and stop primarily the incursions of Roberto Pereyra with mixed success. A tough match for the Croatian who suffered along with his team mates. Alberto Aquilani– 5 – Ineffective - Embarrassing that the former Roma player is allowed to wear a shirt bearing the number ten. Brings little in terms of quality to the Viola play given he is afforded some freedom as part of five-man midfield. Matias Fernandez – 5 – Tired - Usually a star in the central areas for his side, Fernandez just failed to get going in any fashion and struggled to win the key battles in the middle of the park. Looked very jaded. Joaquin – 6 – Danger - Won both the Viola penalties and was a constant threat on both flanks. Did what was expected of him as a winger, just a shame the rest of his team failed around him. Mohamed Salah – 6.5 – Sharp - Incredible pace and dribbling and the only real danger Juve had to deal with all night. Shooting was poor but was the only player that truly stood out in purple. Mario Gomez – 5– Imposter - Got little change from Barzagli and Chiellini which is surprising given the German is quite a unit. He’s just not that great a striker and surely Fiorentina will be looking for a more consistent performer next season because coach Vincenzo Montella is not getting his money’s worth with this chap. Substitutes Alberto Gilardino (72 mins) – 5 Borja Valero (76 mins) – 5 Josip Ilicic (81 mins) – 6.5 http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Tevez takes down Fiorentina Carlos Tevez bagged a brace and Fiorentina missed yet another penalty, but Juventus saw their Scudetto party postponed again. Apr 29, 2015 Carlos Tevez bagged a brace and Fiorentina missed yet another penalty, but Juventus saw their Scudetto party postponed again. Despite the 3-2 victory in Turin, the Bianconeri cannot celebrate the title yet because Lazio hammered Parma. They need just one point to start the party. Both sides were coming off surprise defeats at the weekend, as the Viola had lost three on the bounce in Serie A, while the Bianconeri fell 2-1 to rivals Torino. Claudio Marchisio returned from suspension, but Leonardo Bonucci was banned with Paul Pogba, Martin Caceres, Kwadwo Asamoah and Romulo. Khouma Babacar and Giuseppe Rossi were out for the season. Fiorentina are the only side to have conquered the Juventus Stadium since Bayern Munich in April 2013, winning 2-1 here in the Coppa Italia semi-final last month. However, their most recent League victory here was 3-2 in March 2008. Mohamed Salah and Fernando Llorente had early scoring opportunities beaten away, while Mati Fernandez turned wide from distance. Andrea Pirlo tripped Joaquin just inside the area for a penalty. Fiorentina had previously missed all four of their Serie A spot-kicks this season, but Gonzalo Rodriguez converted high into the far top corner. Moments later Juve wanted a straight red for Norberto Neto as he went outside the box to tackle Sturaro, but it was only a yellow because they were well wide of the target and it couldn’t be considered a scoring opportunity. Nonetheless, from that Pirlo free kick near the corner flag, Llorente nodded in the equaliser. It was almost 2-1 a minute after that, as Neto performed a desperate save on Patrice Evra’s header on a Pirlo corner. As the move continued, Juve had penalty appeals for a handling offence, but Evra did hit it with an overhead kick from point-blank range. Stephan Lichtsteiner charged down a Mati Fernandez effort, but Juventus turned the game around with the last kick of the half. Evra chipped a pass over the defence for Carlos Tevez, whose looping header from 10 yards sailed into the far top corner. A Mario Gomez header went wide and a Stefan Savic clearance almost turned into a shot on goal, forcing Gigi Buffon to back-pedal. Joaquin was tripped for another penalty, this time by Giorgio Chiellini. Gonzalo Rodriguez stepped up again, but blasted wide of the goal. Incredibly, Fiorentina had now missed five out of six penalties in Serie A this season. They paid a heavy price for that error, as Tevez ran on to a great long ball over the top from Marchisio to sprint past Stefan Savic and bury the finish one-on-one with Neto. Fiorentina did get one back eventually with a splendid Josip Ilicic free kick curled into the near top corner. Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo (Vidal 56), Sturaro (Padoin 77); Pereyra (Ogbonna 70); Tevez, Llorente Fiorentina: Neto; Savic, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Basanta, Alonso; Badelj, Aquilani, Mati Fernandez (Borja Valero 76); Joaquin, Salah, Gomez (Gilardino 70) Ref: Banti Missed penalty: Gonzalo Rodriguez 67 (F) http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - FIORENTINA 3 - 2 Gonzalo Rodríguez (33'-Pen.) Fernando Llorente (36') Carlos Tévez (45'+) Carlos Tevez (70') Josip Iličič (90') Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Luca Banti Juventus edge Fiorentina but made to wait for Serie A title Apr 29, 2015 Juventus recovered to beat fierce rivals Fiorentina 3-2 in Turin but they will have to wait a little longer to claim the Serie A title thanks to results elsewhere. Gonzalo Rodriguez's early penalty looked like spoiling Juve's party -- a celebration only possible if Lazio failed to beat Parma, which they would manage with four unanswered goals -- but Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez turned the game on its head before half-time. After the break Tevez doubled up, reaching 20 league goals for the season, yet La Viola provided a late scare thanks to Josip Ilicic's superb free-kick after Rodriguez had missed a second penalty. With five games remaining, Massimiliano Allegri's Bianconeri lead Lazio by 14 points ahead of Saturday's trip to Sampdoria. Juve knew Lazio could deny them the title on Wednesday night but they were also aware that anything but a home win would leave them waiting even longer. They looked the brighter side in the opening exchanges with Llorente forcing a fine save from Neto in the 19th minute, yet they would not open the scoring. After an exchange of counter-attacks Andrea Pirlo brought Spanish winger Joaquin down in the Juve box and Rodriguez gladly stepped up to convert the penalty before celebrating in front of a baying Bianconeri crowd. His hubris would come back to haunt him only three minutes later, though. Pirlo quickly atoned for his defensive mistake by swinging in the short free-kick that Llorente connected with to head home a timely equaliser. Juve looked to catch their opponents in a disappointed fug and turned the screw before half-time with Patrice Evra heading straight at Neto before Tevez managed to secure the first-half turnaround. There were shades of Robin van Persie's bizarre diving header from the World Cup as the Argentinian raced to meet Evra's ball forward before bouncing it high off his scalp and into the back of the net. Fiorentina gave nothing more away in the first third of the second half and even sniffed for a leveller on occasions. They thought they had been given the perfect opportunity to produce one in the 66th minute when Giorgio Chiellini felled Joaquin in the area. This time, however, Rodriguez made a mess of his spot-kick, sending the ball wide and inspiring much backslapping from Juve's players. Tevez sensed blood in the water and quickly doubled his side's advantage with a fine strike in the 70th minute. Put through by Claudio Marchisio, the former Manchester City man stormed into Neto's box before picking his spot just inside the far post. With time running out it looked like Juve had done enough to rubber-stamp the three points that put them on the brink of a fourth straight title, but Fiorentina fancied reminding them that there would be no festivities just yet. Substitute Ilicic aped set-piece master Pirlo with a searing free-kick that Gianluigi Buffon could only wave a fist at. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111