Socrates

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Juventus Star Paul Pogba Delivers Victory over Sassuolo for Drab Bianconeri Mar 9, 2015 The reigning Serie A champions welcomed Sassuolo to Juventus Stadium on Monday evening, the Bianconeri fully aware that their closest rivals had slipped up once again at the weekend. Chievo held AS Roma to a draw, a result that meant a win for the home side would extend their lead at the top of the table to 11 points. Their recent results had seen their own form fluctuate wildly, however, beating Borussia Dortmund and then playing the Giallorossi to a stalemate a week ago, then capitulating to Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia. That final game was perhaps understandable, the high level of intensity over their previous two outings leading to a somewhat inevitable slump. Yet, still, questions were asked, and Massimiliano Allegri told a pre-match press conference that he and the players “calmly sat down” to review the game against the Viola, per the club’s official website. Noting that reports had labelled the performance “a disaster,” the Juve boss spoke of the need to quickly rediscover their best form. “We must improve, stop conceding and work on our focus, because we’re at the final straight of the season,” he continued. “We’re in good physical shape though, and we’ll need to put in a great performance on Monday night.” As the game began, it seemed the side he sent out on the field had failed to heed that warning. Passes went astray, and the match slowly slipped into the kind of dull affair that appears destined to fade into a drab goalless draw. Fans made their displeasure known at half-time, and after the break the effort level appeared to rise accordingly as both sides went in search of a goal. Sassuolo’s exciting trio of young attacking players caused constant problems for the Juve defence, with Domenico Berardi, Nicola Sansone and Simone Zaza each posing a threat as the game wore on. Then, after 83 minutes of monotony, Paul Pogba rose to the occasion. As with the world’s finest players, the midfielder delivered when his side needed him to, smashing home Simone Pepe’s pass on the half-volley. Goalkeeper Andrea Consigli stood little hope. The player clearly recognised the significance of his goal, however, and also told Sky Italia shortly after the game that the team needs support from those in the stands (h/t Football Italia): It was a very, very difficult match and the victory is very important for this Scudetto. The pass was for someone else, but I felt it and I went for the ball. It went well. I thank the whole team and the fans. It’s tough for them too, but we need them throughout the season. I want to tell the supporters we need you, especially if we are playing badly, because we all win together. Another who perhaps deserves credit is Pogba’s compatriot Patrice Evra, who coped well with the threat of Berardi here. The youngster had little joy against the former Manchester United full-back as he made four tackles, four interceptions and won one aerial duel, according to statistics from WhoScored.com. In the dying minutes, Allegri also took the opportunity to give Andrea Barzagli a chance to get onto the pitch. The Italian international has been out with a heel injury since the World Cup but came on as an 87th-minute substitute for Carlos Tevez, much to the delight of everyone watching. It was a difficult match, but it was the kind of win that helps to deliver titles, as championship-winning teams so often find a way. Yet Allegri was in no mood to celebrate after the final whistle, telling Sky Italia that the race for the Scudetto is far from over. “There’s a long way to go, we need to be calm and balanced, there’s no rush,” he told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia). “We have a series of games coming up in Serie A, the Champions League and Coppa Italia.” The difference between a win and a draw here could eventually prove vital for the Old Lady as she pursues a fourth consecutive Serie A crown, however, and she has Paul Pogba to thank for collecting all three points. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo JUVENTUS 1-0 SASSUOLO PLAYER RATINGS Mar 9, 2015 Juventus ground out a vital 3 points against a resilient Sassuolo side, thanks to Paul Pogba’s wondergoal. The first 45 mins failed to create any moments of note but the Bianconeri stepped things up in the second half. Allegri introduced Llorente and Simone Pepe and it was the winger who supplied the cross for Pogba’s late goal. Marco Storari 6.0 - Did nothing wrong and was untroubled for the entire night with barely a save to make. Stephan Lichtsteiner 6.0 - Better when he was on his feet rather than rolling around on the floor. Barely had any defending do but also lacked the final ball in the opponents half. Leonardo Bonucci 6.5 - Played the ball brilliantly out of defence and forced a save from Consigli when he fired a superb shot from range. Giorgio Chiellini 6.5 - Much improved on his recent shaky performances. One shaky moment aside, he was solid at the back and had a few chances to score from set-pieces. Patrice Evra 7.0 - A superb performance – Got forward every chance he got and linked up with Pogba to good effect. Hard-working and great defensively. Paul Pogba 7.0 - Quiet for large parts of the game with only some fine foot work to show for the night, before scoring a sublime late winner to possibly seal the scudetto. Claudio Marchisio 6.5 - Markedly better from the midweek game against Fiorentina. Sound defensively, an energetic performance Arturo Vidal 6.5 - Gradually improving. A hard-tackling display, had a few half-chances to put Juve ahead. Needs to be back to his best before Dortmund. Roberto Pereyra 5.5 - A disappointing night after some promising performances in previous games. Slow in attack and made no real impact on the game. Carlos Tevez 6.5 - A hard-working display where he troubled the Sassuolo defence again and again. Fired wide of the post on one occasion and deserved a goal for his display. Alvaro Morata 6.0 - His finishing lacked but he gave a typically industriouus display, pulling wide to stretch the Sassuolo defence. Improving, despite not scoring. Substitutes Simone Pepe 6.5 - Ran and ran…and ran. Delivered some great crosses into the box after Juve switched to 4-4-2 and provided the assist for Juve’s winner. Fernando Llorente 6.0 - The focal point of Juve’s attack after replacing Morata with 30 mins left. Andrea Barzagli N/A - Returned to action and was met with huge applause. Great to see him back. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Juventus 1-0 Sassuolo: Player Ratings Mar 9, 2015 League leaders Juventus extended their lead at the top of the table to 11 points after a hard-fought 1–0 victory over 14th place Sassuolo. For 80 minutes of the match the Bianconeri were unable to break down the Neroverdi defence however Paul Pogba managed to obtain the three points for his side when he scored an exquisite half volley in the 81st minute. Juventus Marco Storari – 6 – Untroubled - A comfortable evening for the veteran goalkeeper as he was only forced into making one save. Will have been expected to keep his clean-sheet. Stephan Lichtsteiner – 6.5 – Offensive - The Swiss defender was tireless in his attempts to help contribute towards the Juventus attack was ever-present along the right-hand side. Always there to support the players in front of him and worked hard until the final minute of the match. Leonardo Bonucci – 6.5 – Enforcer - Along with his defensive partner, Bonucci’s strength was key in their attempts to subdue the Sassuolo attack. Never shirked a challenge and also used his offensive positional sense to help push his side forwards on every occasion. Giorgio Chiellini – 6.5- Rock - The Italian international was his usual self at the heart of the Juventus defence and frustrated Zaza for the majority of the match. The youthful striker was always a presence but the veteran was simply too strong for him. Patrice Evra – 6 – Faultless - Unlike Lichtsteiner the Frenchman was a lot more subdued in his attempts to bomb forwards. However despite his lack of genuine offensive ambition, he still worked hard and did not put a foot wrong defensively. Arturo Vidal – 6 – Dominant - The Chilean midfielder’s strong tackles and intricate link up play were evident once again as his ability to play intelligent passes allowed for the home side to dominate the majority of possession. Claudio Marchisio – 6.5 — Metronome - The 29-year-old may possess less of the star qualities that some of his team-mates have but he was just as important as his patience and intelligence helped keep the Bianconeri ticking over for the entire 90 minutes. PAUL POGBA – 7 – Jewel - Once again the French starlet’s range of passing was mightily impressive and he dominated the midfield with considerable ease, however it will be for his impressive half-volley winner that he will be remembered. The 21-year-old came to the Vecchia Signora’s rescue in the 82nd minute with he struck a superb strike to salvage a victory for the league leaders. Roberto Pereyra – 5.5 – Faded - Looked eager to impress in the opening stages of the first half as he surged forwards with pace, however as the game grew on the 24-year-old began to fade and he was substituted in the 63rd minute. Alvaro Morata – 5.5 – Lacking - The Spaniard worked hard for the time he was on the field and was perhaps unfortunate to be taken off in the 63rd minute. He was tireless down the left hand side but ultimately lacked the cutting edge to break-through the Sassuolo defence. Carlos Tevez – 6.5 – Threat - The Argentine began the match in relatively sloppy fashion as his touch was lacking its usual class, however as the game progressed he began to display more and more quality that we expect and was a threat for the Sassuolo defence throughout. Substitutes Fernando Llorente – 5 – Worse - Did not offer the same work-rate that Morata provided in the first half and also missed a good chance from close range in the 75th minute to help put his side ahead. Simone Pepe – 5.5 – Assist - It was the substitute who was a key factor in Pogba’s goal as he broke forwards with pace and for once caught the away side out of position. A good decision by Massimiliano Allegri [head coach of Juventus] to bring on the winger whose pace was essential in their quest for obtain the winning goal. Andrea Barzagli – N/A Sassuolo Andrea Consigli – 6.5 – Unlucky - The 28-year-old dealt very well with the constant Juventus attacks that came his way. When faced with dangerous long-shots he did well to palm them out of danger and was especially good at commanding his penalty area when the Bianconeri swung in threatening set-pieces. Was unlucky to lost his clean-sheet. Sime Vrsaljko -5.5 – Decent - Had less to deal with in terms of Evra’s lack of attacking ambition but when called into action he did a good job of closing down the space and preventing the home side whipping in several dangerous crosses. Francesco Acerbi – 5.5 – Good - The 27-year-old will be bitterly disappointed that his side were unable of to keep hold of their clean sheet as they eventually undone by a Pogba wonder-strike. He and his defensive counterparts were camped in their own penalty area for the majority of the match and overall he did a decent job in keeping out the Juventus attack. Federico Peluso – 5.5 – Capable - Along with Acerbi, Peluso was a solid presence at the back and he also will be disappointed that they were not able to cling onto their clean-sheet. Alessandro Longhi – 5 – Struggled - Struggled to cope with the surging runs of Lichtsteiner throughout the match and rarely managed to push forwards to help his side when they were on the counter-attack. Matteo Brighi – 5 – Static - The 34-year-old struggled with the dynamic Juventus midfield and could not prevent his opposing midfielders from obtaining a firm grip on the match. Looked jaded towards the end of the second half and was substituted in the 80th minute. Francesco Magnanelli – 5 – Laboured - Was simply not good enough to prevent Marchisio from pulling the strings in what was a laboured display by the 30-year-old. Simone Missiroli -4.5 – Poor - Could not deal with the quality of Juventus midfield and made far too many errors to make a positive impact on the Sasssuolo midfield. Domenico Berardi – 4.5 – Anonymous - Often wasteful in possession and was anonymous for the entire 90 minutes. Simone Zaza – 6 – Learning curve - The Italian starlet had a frustrating evening at the Juventus stadium as he was marked well by the veterans at the other end of the pitch. He was given many opportunities to display his ability but he cannot be faulted as he still worked hard up until the dying minutes. Nicola Sansone – 6.5 – Threatening - Did well to infiltrate the open gaps behind Lichtsteiner throughout the match and his pace was extremely useful for Sassuolo when they had the rare opportunities to counter-attack. A strange decision to take him off in the 72nd minute as he was perhaps the Neroverdi’s best player for the time he was on the pitch. Substitutes Saphir Taider – N/A Raman Chisbah – N/A Dejan Lazarevic- N/A http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Marchisio: Juventus Didn’t Allow Sassuolo Any Chances Mar 9, 2015 Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has insisted that his side did not allow Sassuolo any chances in the Bianconeri’s 1-0 win over the Neroverdi on Monday. Paul Pogba’s goal late into the second half decided matters for La Vecchia Signora, thus putting them 11 points clear of Roma at the top of Serie A. “They played really well,” he told Sky Sport. “However, we didn’t allow them any chances despite their strong offensive unit. “Such games are never easy, it was difficult to find any space because they played with five defenders. Eventually we got the goal and now we have an 11 point lead at the top of the table. “As the gameweeks progress, points become more and more valuable. We mustn’t give opponents any breathing space. Marchisio then went on to state that Juve are not thinking about the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg tie against Borussia Dortmund just yet. “We take it game by game,” he started. “We’ve just suffered a loss in the Coppa Italia [against Fiorentina], tonight was an important game, and we’ll think about Dortmund when the time comes.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Allegri: 'Scudetto is not won' Mar 9, 2015 Max Allegri said Juventus have “absolutely not” won the Scudetto after beating Sassuolo and replied to Antonio Conte. The Bianconeri moved 11 points clear of Roma, but only squeezed past Sassuolo with a late Paul Pogba goal. “Sassuolo worked hard and pressed us in the first half, but we were also too determined to go through the middle,” Allegri told Sky Sport Italia. “As time went on, we moved the ball around quicker and played with greater intensity. I like 1-0 wins, as they keep you on your toes and tactically I thought the lads did well.” At a certain stage Allegri introduced Simone Pepe and moved to a 4-4-2 system. “I was trying to open up the play, especially with Pepe who is excellent on crosses for Fernando Llorente. On the other side, Pogba could give more width with Carlos Tevez and then move into the box. “The lads did pretty well, though in some circumstances we were too hasty and the midfielders wandered around, leaving few reference points for our defenders. “Alvaro Morata is good at being a centre-forward, but today went a bit too wide and was hardly ever in the box tonight. He did good things, but outside the penalty area.” Has the Coach ever thought about placing Pogba behind the strikers rather that Arturo Vidal or Roberto Pereyra? “I think he’d struggle there, but I could be wrong. He has these long legs and needs a bit of space to get running, so there’s a lot of traffic in that area. “For example, with no space between the lines, Pereyra struggled in that position this evening.” Allegri denied suggestions Juventus are struggling for fitness levels and sharpness at this stage of the season. “From the statistics, the team always ends the game improving in the last 15 minutes. Many players have been used a lot, unfortunately injuries forced me to use the same defenders early in the season and now the same midfielders. “Pepe has been fully recovered, so he is another important alternative we’ve got, especially when we need to spread the play. “We’ve lost Martin Caceres, but Andrea Barzagli returned tonight. We’ll get there, a bit at a time.” Italy Coach Antonio Conte joked with reporters today that if Juve had his ‘grit’ then “they’d be 20 points clear” at the top rather than 11. Some took this to be egotistical from the former Bianconeri boss, others pointed out his jokey tone. Allegri seemed unimpressed. “I want to talk about the Juventus of this year and I don’t like comparisons. For all the players and fans, the important thing is to achieve our objectives. “Even if we got the bad result against Fiorentina, which was a decent performance despite everyone leaping on us to criticise, we did have the chances to equalise.” With an 11-point lead over Roma, is the Scudetto now under lock and key? “Absolutely not. There’s a long way to go, we need to be calm and balanced, there’s no rush. We have a series of games coming up in Serie A, the Champions League and Coppa Italia. “The Scudetto is the primary objective, the Champions League is a dream and in the Coppa Italia we’ll see if we can be good enough to turn it around.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Di Francesco: 'Experience was key' Mar 9, 2015 Eusebio Di Francesco felt Sassuolo had a great game against Juventus, but “experience” proved the difference. The Neroverdi fell to a fourth consecutive defeat, but were only beaten 1-0 by a late Paul Pogba half-volley. “I thought we did very well in the first half, especially on a tactical level, as we pressed them high and didn’t make the most of some promising counter-attacks,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “I am very happy with the team’s attitude, especially in the first hour, but I knew we could start to feel fatigue in the last half-hour. “Federico Peluso was in a new position, we had worked on it this week and he gave me an important response. “We won back possession several times and didn’t pick the right pass, but that’s an issue of maturity for my team, who are still young. We certainly could’ve done better on the goal, as we lost the ball in naive fashion.” Simone Zaza was shouted at from the touchline and had to be hauled away from the referee after the final whistle. “I get angry with Zaza when he wastes time stopping to argue or talk. I want him to focus on his football and not get distracted by these things.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Paul Pogba sends Juventus 11 points clear with Sassuolo win Mar 9, 2015 Juventus opened up an 11-point lead at the top of Serie A with 12 games to go thanks to a 1-0 win over Sassuolo on Monday night. Paul Pogba scored the only goal of the game eight minutes from time to break Sassuolo's resistance and move Juve closer to their fourth successive Serie A title. It was a one-sided game, although Sassuolo's defence was rarely really tested by a Bianconeri side, who seemed to be stuck only in first gear, even though they still had enough to record their 18th win of the season. With one eye already turning towards next week's Champions League last-16 second leg at Borussia Dortmund, thanks to the fact that Roma were held to another draw on Sunday, Juve just appeared to be going through the motions at the Juventus Stadium. Sassuolo did not want to take any risks, though, aware of how dangerous Juve can be if they are given an inch. The first half was therefore a tactical affair with few chances at either end. The hosts raised their rhythm slightly at the start of the second half, albeit remaining below their usual standards. Pogba had a shot in the 52nd minute with Andrea Consigli at full stretch touching it wide at the base of his left-hand post. A similar effort from Carlos Tevez was always curling away from Consigli's far post five minutes later as the home team started to do a little bit more with their possession in the final third. Coach Massimiliano Allegri changed the team's approach by sending Fernando Llorente on for Alvaro Morata, and the Basque forward nearly justified his entrance with his first attempt on goal. It seemed like it was going to take something special to decide it and Pogba provided it with his seventh goal of the season, smashed past Consigli on the volley after juggling the ball into the penalty area. There was a greater cheer from the Juve fans when Andrea Barzagli made his first appearance of the season after injury, and then the third cheer came at the final whistle with Juve that little bit closer to another Scudetto. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Paul Pogba fires Juventus past Sassuolo Mar 9, 2015 Paul Pogba struck a late winner as Juventus claimed a 1-0 victory over Sassuolo to move 11 points clear at the top of the Serie A table. The Bianconeri took control of the match from the start, but their only attempt on goal in the early stages was a wayward strike from Claudio Marchisio. Carlos Tevez was next to threaten for the hosts with a powerful shot from just inside the box that flew narrowly over the bar. Sassuolo barely posed a threat, but Nicola Sansone forced Marco Storari into a save from his dangerous free kick. In the final minute of the half Arturo Vidal saw an effort from the edge of the box deflect wide, as the visitors held on to go into the break level with the champions. Juventus kept up the pressure in the second half and Pogba drilled in a low shot from the edge of the box that was touched behind by Andrea Consigli. Tevez flashed a half-volley wide of the far post and Alvaro Morata lashed over the bar, as the hosts became increasingly frustrated. It seemed as if Juventus would be forced to settle for a point, but with eight minutes remaining Pogba collected Simone Pepe's pass and took a touch before crashing a strike into the bottom corner. Sassuolo pushed for a response in the closing stages, but they were unable to break through their opponents' defence, as Juventus saw out the game to further enhance their title-winning prospects. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Pogba: 'Juve need the fans' Mar 9, 2015 Paul Pogba told off Juventus fans for jeering their 1-0 win over Sassuolo, which was “very important for the Scudetto.” The Frenchman found the net at the 83rd minute in a hard-fought match that put Juve 11 points clear at the top of the table. “Am I the Scudetto winner? No, the team won the game. It was a very, very difficult match and the victory is very important for this Scudetto,” Pogba told Sky Sport Italia. “The pass was for someone else, but I felt it and I went for the ball. It went well.” There were loud jeers from the stands at half-time, as supporters were frustrated after Thursday’s 2-1 Coppa Italia defeat to Fiorentina. “I thank the whole team and the fans. It’s tough for them too, but we need them throughout the season. I want to tell the supporters we need you, especially if we are playing badly, because we all win together.” The 21-year-old was asked whether he was becoming a leader in the Juventus locker room. “I can always do more and if I want to become a great player it means always giving more on the field and in training. “Am I a leader? No, I am a player in the team. Even if I am young, I will say something to my teammate if it’s needed.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Pogba puts Juve 11 points clear Juventus left it late, but Paul Pogba’s strike beat Sassuolo 1-0 and put them 11 points clear at the top of the table. Mar 9, 2015 The Bianconeri had the chance to increase the gap from Roma to 11 points, but were fresh from a shock 2-1 Coppa Italia semi-final defeat to Fiorentina, their first home competitive loss since Bayern Munich in April 2013. Gigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Martin Caceres, Kwadwo Asamoah and Romulo missed out, while the Neroverdi had Alessandro Gazzola suspended, Luca Antei, Paolo Cannavaro, Gianluca Pegolo and Emanuele Terranova sidelined. Sime Vrsaljko returned after a month out. This fixture had only been played once, ending 4-0, but Sassuolo did hold Juve to a draw earlier this season. Claudio Marchisio and Carlos Tevez turned over the bar, as did Giorgio Chiellini from a corner. Tevez forced Andrea Consigli to beat away a sudden snapshot from distance. A poor Leonardo Bonucci back-pass was intercepted, so Tevez took one for the team with a bookable offence to stop Simone Zaza going on goal. Nicola Sansone curled the resulting free kick into Marco Storari’s arms. Alvaro Morata drilled across the face of goal at the end of a solo run down the left, while Arturo Vidal’s effort was deflected for a corner, but Juventus fans jeered at the half-time whistle. Paul Pogba had been very quiet until his snapshot was fingertipped round the base of the near post by Consigli. Tevez hit a half-volley that bent inches past the far stick and Morata blasted over. Consigli scrambled across to palm away a Leonardo Bonucci half-volley from almost 30 metres that threatened to bring the stadium down. Fernando Llorente spun on the spot, but hit a weak finish at the goalkeeper. Pogba was booked for a high foot and will be suspended against Palermo. Just as Juve seemed to be running out of ideas, they broke through with seven minutes to go. Simone Pepe went on the counter and set up Pogba, who saw the bounce and smashed a half-volley from just outside the box. The Pepe pass was probably aiming for Tevez down the left flank, but the Frenchman intercepted it. Max Allegri also gave Andrea Barzagli his season debut after that recurring Achilles heel problem. It's a fourth consecutive defeat for Sassuolo, but far from a vintage performance from the Bianconeri, who were made to work very hard indeed for these points. Juventus: Storari; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Marchisio, Pogba; Pereyra (Pepe 63); Tevez (Barzagli 87), Morata (Llorente 63) Sassuolo: Consigli; Vrsaljko, Acerbi, Peluso, Longhi; Brighi (Chibsah 79), Magnanelli, Missiroli (Lazarevic 84); Berardi, Zaza, Sansone (Taider 72) Ref: Peruzzo http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Juventus 1-0 Sassuolo: Late Show Spares Bianconeri Blushes Mar 9, 2015 Juventus narrowly overcame Sassuolo 1-0 in Serie A at the Juventus Stadium on Monday evening. The only goal arrived late on from the relatively quiet Paul Pogba in order to take the Old Lady one step closer to yet another Scudetto. It proved to be a tale of frustration for league leaders Juventus in the opening period against impressively determined opponents. Bianconeri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was a late withdrawal due to flu, but it was stand-in Marco Storari who was almost caught cold when attempting to dribble past Sassuolo striker Simone Zaza in his own area. Having got away with that early scare, the hosts found themselves closed down rapidly by the well-drilled visitors at every turn. Both Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal fired well over the bar, while Carlos Tevez displayed a clever touch inside the box before sending his effort just too high, as Juventus struggled to breakdown the Neroverdi’s stubborn resistance. Tevez also saw his corner from the left headed over by Giorgio Chiellini when the big defender really should have done better. The Argentine forward certainly seemed the man most likely to unlock the door for the reigning champions, with a swerving shot calling Andrea Consigli into action. Though the away side rarely threatened, they did force Tevez into a last-ditch challenge when pouncing on a loose ball by the shaky Leonardo Bonucci in Juve’s own half. However, the resultant free-kick by Nicola Sansone went straight into the grateful arms of Storari. There was more of the same in the second half, with Paul Pogba hitting an 18-yarder a whisker past the post and Tevez screwing his half-volley wide from a tight angle. Sassuolo were sticking diligently to their task, but some visiting players appeared to be tiring around the hour mark. Massimiliano Allegri saw that as a prime opportunity to introduce fresh legs in the shape of Fernando Llorente and Simone Pepe, as the Juventus coach looked to further stretch the plucky Emilian outfit. Bonucci strode forward with purpose and looped an effort towards goal, but it was inches off-target. Imposing substitute Llorente then spun on Tevez’s cross, but couldn’t quite get the purchase required on his low strike. Finally, with eight minutes remaining, Juventus broke the deadlock. The relief was palpable when Pogba took a pass from sub Pepe beautifully in his stride before powering home from just outside the area. It was a vital goal from the French midfielder which strengthened the Bianconeri’s grip on top spot in Serie A with an 11-point lead. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO 1 - 0 Paul Pogba (82') Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Juventus 1-0 Sassuolo: Pogba piledriver propels champions 11 points clear The Bianconeri looked set to be held to a draw in Turin but their France international made the breakthrough with just eight minutes to go with a stunning half-volley. Mar 9, 2015 Paul Pogba lashed home a superb 82nd-minute half-volley as Juventus made an instant return to winning ways on home soil with a 1-0 victory over Sassuolo that sent the Serie A champions 11 points clear at the top of the table. A combination of a couple of fine Andrea Consigli saves and some wayward finishing looked set to frustrate Massimiliano Allegri's men on Monday until Pogba made the decisive breakthrough eight minutes from time. Simone Pepe surged forward and passed for Pogba to take the ball in his stride and unleash a fine strike from the edge of the penalty area that gave Consigli no chance as it nestled in the bottom corner. Pogba's seventh league goal of the season – having opened his Serie A account for 2014-15 in the 1-1 draw at Sassuolo back in October – enabled Juve to bounce back from Thursday's Coppa Italia defeat at the hands of Fiorentina, the club's first home loss since April 2013. Sassuolo started without fear and looked particularly dangerous on the break, although they were given a 13th-minute scare when a short-corner routine allowed Claudio Marchisio a sight of goal from just inside the penalty area and his angled drive skewed off target. Neat footwork from Alvaro Morata on the left wing saw him steal a yard on his marker and his deflected centre fell kindly for Roberto Pereyra to find Carlos Tevez, who created space with his first touch and hit a rising effort that sailed over. Domenico Berardi, co-owned by the two clubs, ballooned over at the opposite end before Juve continued to crank up the intensity as the match approached the half-hour mark - Giorgio Chiellini timing his jump to perfection to meet a Tevez corner but failing to keep his thumping header down. Tevez was next to try his luck again, forcing Consigli to punch away a rasping drive, before crudely hacking down Simone Zaza to a concede a free-kick 25 yards out that Nicola Sansone curled straight into the arms of the grateful Marco Storari, deputising for the ill Gianluigi Buffon. Morata cut in from the left and fired across goal two minutes before half-time and the hosts picked up where they left off after the restart. Consigli had to be at full stretch to tip Pogba's powerful low strike around the post after Patrice Evra's cross was only cleared as far as the midfielder just outside the box. Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross just prior to the hour mark was cleverly chested by Morata to Tevez, but the striker's shot was always curling just away from goal. Leonardo Bonucci's dipping volley from fully 35 yards forced Consigli to scramble it behind and Fernando Llorente spun and shot wide from close range as Juve's pressure continued to mount before Pogba strode forward to settle it late on. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Di Francesco encazado!

Bentornato Andrea Barzagli!

PAUL POGBA 1-0

Pogba deve ancora imparare molto, soprattutto a livello caratteriale.

Occasione per Llorente, parato.

Bonucci ci riprova con un tiro dalla distanza.

Tevez scalda il piede.

Chiellini crede di essere Messi?

Genialata di Tevez, Morata non la capisce.

Ora il Sassuolo é in difficoltá.

JUVENTUS - SASSUOLO .- Monday, March 9th, 2015 - 9:00 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo HT 0-0: Sassuolo smother Juve Mar 9, 2015 Juventus have made little impact on Sassuolo in the first half, as it’s still goalless in Turin. The Bianconeri had the chance to go 11 points clear at the top of the table, but were fresh from a shock 2-1 Coppa Italia semi-final defeat to Fiorentina, their first home competitive loss since Bayern Munich in April 2013. Gigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, Martin Caceres, Kwadwo Asamoah and Romulo missed out, while the Neroverdi had Alessandro Gazzola suspended, Luca Antei, Paolo Cannavaro, Gianluca Pegolo and Emanuele Terranova sidelined. Sime Vrsaljko returned after a month out. This fixture had only been played once, ending 4-0, but Sassuolo did hold Juve to a draw earlier this season. Claudio Marchisio and Carlos Tevez turned over the bar, as did Giorgio Chiellini from a corner. Tevez forced Andrea Consigli to beat away a sudden snapshot from distance. A poor Leonardo Bonucci back-pass was intercepted, so Tevez took one for the team with a bookable offence to stop Simone Zaza going on goal. Nicola Sansone curled the resulting free kick into Marco Storari’s arms. Alvaro Morata drilled across the face of goal at the end of a solo run down the left, while Arturo Vidal’s effort was deflected for a corner. Juventus 0-0 Sassuolo (Half-Time) Juventus: Storari; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Marchisio, Pogba; Pereyra; Tevez, Morata Sassuolo: Consigli; Vrsaljko, Acerbi, Peluso, Longhi; Brighi, Magnanelli, Missiroli; Berardi, Zaza, Sansone Ref: Peruzzo http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Il Sassuolo chiude tutti i varchi per ora.

Altro fallo di Tevez su Zaza.