Socrates

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Player Ratings: Cagliari 1-3 Juventus Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Fernando Llorente were all on target as the Italian champions pulled four points clear at the summit of Serie A with a comfortable win in Sardinia. Dec 18, 2014 Cagliari 27 A. Cragno - Made a number of smart saves to ensure that the scoreline stayed at a respectable level for the hosts but erred badly on Llorente's goal. 33 M. Capuano - Struggled against Lichtsteiner throughout and missed a great volleyed chance at the back post in the second half. 32 L. Ceppitelli - Fairly strong in the air, but made a number of needless fouls to allow Juve to push upfield and force his side backwards. 15 L. Rossettini - Not too solid in defence, but netted a good back-post header to grab a consolation goal for his side. 24 S. Benedetti - Struggled against Evra overlapping on the left-hand side and was sacrificed at the break as Zeman changed system. 8 Danilo Avelar - Broke upfield to good effect at times, but spurned a great double-chance from a tight angle in the final 10 minutes. 5 D. Conti - The Cagliari captain failed to lead by example as he was repeatedly bypassed in midfield. 20 A. Ekdal - Worried Buffon with a number of efforts from the periphery of the penalty area, but was left chasing shadows somewhat defensively. 21 A. Balzano - Offered plenty of industry, doing his utmost to upset the likes of Vidal and Pirlo by getting stuck in. 7 A. Cossu - Bright on the ball, but was incredibly fortunate to stay on the field after a jumping two-footed tackle on Ogbonna that was made through pure frustration. 23 V. Ibarbo - Held the ball up fairly well at times, but struggled to get much joy from Ogbonna and didn't get his marker turned whatsoever Substitutes 30G. Donsah - Offered an outlet down the right-hand side after coming on. Juventus 1 G. Buffon - Solid enough shot stopping from the experienced goalkeeper, but his distribution was awful throughout. 26 S. Lichtsteiner - Constantly a willing runner down the right-hand side, hanging up and cutting back some smart deliveries from the byline. 5 A. Ogbonna - Fine performance, keeping Ibarbo fairly quiet and sliding in to make some important late interventions. 3 G. Chiellini - Covered across well on a few occasions to help his central defensive partner in a fairly comfortable outing. 33 P. Evra - Offered an outlet out wide on the left throughout the entire match, delivering some teasing crosses to lead to defensive confusion. 8 C. Marchisio - Calm and composed on the ball, moved possession from side to side patiently and drove forward when possible. 21 A. Pirlo - Comfortable return to the side for the Italy international, who was afforded too much space for long periods and could pick his passes easily. 23 ARTURO VIDAL - Curled home a delightful second goal and was always arriving at the back post to pose the Cagliari defence questions. 37 R. Pereyra - The Argentine dug out some intelligent passes and was denied by a good save from Cragno late on. 10 C. Tévez - Scrambled home a finish early on to give the Bianconeri the lead and never stopped running. 14 F. Llorente - Was a good focal point and tested Cragno with several headers. Permitted to turn easily and net Juve's third in the second half. Substitutes 9 Álvaro Morata - Didn't take his chances again, taking too long to deliver from wide areas and chipped an effort during a one-on-one wide of the target. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Player Ratings: Cagliari 1-3 Juventus Dec 18, 2014 Juventus extended their lead at the top of the table with a 3-1 win against Cagliari at the Stadio Sant’Elia in Serie A on Thursday evening. Early goals from Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal gave the visitors control of the game before Fernando Llorente got on the score sheet early in the second half. Luca Rossettini pulled a consolation goal for the home side but it didn’t prevent the league leaders from collecting a comfortable three points. Cagliari Luca Cragno – 5.5– Unlucky - The Cagliari goalkeeper was excellent at handling the ball though he should have done much better to save Llorente’s weak attempt. Marco Capuano – 6 – Battling - Was kept busy by Lichtsteiner’s run though was constantly helping out going forward. Luca Ceppitelli – 5.5 – Decent - Read the game well for most parts after his side had conceded the two early goals. Luca Rossettini – 6 – Tough - Had a difficult time dealing with Juventus’ strike force though he got his goal with a bullet of a header past a hapless Buffon. Simone Benedetti – 5 – Poor - Was hauled off at half-time after a rough night. Danilo Avelar – 5.5 – Conservative - Didn’t have the license to roam forward and was constantly pegged back by Lichtsteiner. Daniele Conti – 5 – Ineffective - The 35-year-old was overrun in the midfield and had a poor game. Albin Ekdal – 4.5 – Wayward - Tried his best but had a lot of long range efforts which didn’t come to any fruition. Antonio Balzano – 5.5 – Struggled - Could have done so much more against Evra down the right though did play a couple of delightful through balls. Andrea Cossu – 6 – Bright - One of the few good performers on the night for the home side. Played a couple of clever passes while drifting out wide and crossing into the box. Victor Ibarbo – 5.5 – Isolated - Threatened down the left flank in the opening few minutes of the first half before fading out of the game as the Old Lady exerted its dominance. Substitutes Godfred Donsah – 5 – Anonymous - Came on at half time as Zdenek Zeman changed the system but Ghanaian didn’t have much of an impact. Caio Rangel – N/A Juventus Gianluigi Buffon – 6 – Alert - Did well to deny Ekdal early on though wasn’t accurate with his distribution and couldn’t do much with the goal. Stephan Lichtsteiner – 7 – Lungs - Was kept busy by Conti down the flank though made his traditional bombarding runs frequently. Angelo Ogbonna – 6.5 – Rock - Had his hand full with the Ibarbo and did his bit in stopping potential counter attacks whenever the home side threatened. Giorgio Chiellini – 6 – Solid - The Italian hard man was an assured presence at the heart of the defence throughout. Patrice Evra – 5 – Adequate - Didn’t offer too much going forward and was at fault for Cagliari’s consolation goal. Claudio Marchisio – 6 – Consistent - Controlled the midfield with Pirlo, spraying balls out wide to the marauding fullbacks. Andrea Pirlo – 6.5 – Maestro - The 35-year-old put in another impeccable display capping it off with a delightful chip which Llorente raced on to and converted. Arturo Vidal – 7.5 – Gladiator - The Chilean scored a scorcher from outside the area and put in a remarkable display in the midfield, closing down the opposition ferociously. Roberto Pereyra – 5 – Bursts - The 23-year-old blew hot and cold and came close to scoring his first Juventus goal when put through by first Tevez and then Lichtsteiner. Fernando Llorente – 6.5 – Tower - Was imperious in the air, though his goal came from a scruffy attempt. Carlos Tevez – 6.5 – Tenacious - Opened the scoring in the third minute from a rebound. Did well to drop into midfield and link up play. Substitutes Alvaro Morata – 6 – Trying - Came close to scoring towards the end and linked up well while going forward in the 20 minutes or so he played. Simone Padoin – N/A Sebastian Giovinco – N/A http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Just what the doctor ordered! Return of vintage Vidal the perfect tonic for Juventus The Chile international has struggled both for form and fitness since undergoing knee surgery during the summer but he was back to his best in Sardinia on Thursday night. Dec 18, 2014 By Mark Doyle After celebrating his stunning strike in Juventus’ 3-1 victory at Cagliari with Simone Pepe and the rest of the Bianconeri bench, Arturo Vidal turned his attention back to the crowd at the Sant’Elia stadium and pointed to the name on the back of his shirt, as if to remind everyone of who he is. But nobody had forgotten Vidal or his fantastic footballing ability – it was more that we were wondering just when the midfield dynamo would return to his brilliant best. Thursday evening’s outing in Sardinia offered ample evidence that the wait may be finally over. It says much about the totality of Juventus’ domestic dominance that there was an inquest after Sunday’s 1-1 draw with a high-flying and organised Sampdoria side. Form, fitness and frustration were the principle topics of debate, with the Old Lady having been held for the third successive game in all competitions. CoachMassimiliano Allegri dismissed the suggestion that his players were exhausted and in dire need of a break, conversely berating the officials for allegedly shortening the game unfairly by not playing sufficient injury time. His touchline antics earned him a retrospective fine. However, there was no more frustrated figure at Juventus Stadium at the weekend than Vidal, who risked a straight red card for the second consecutive outing. Just four days after fortuitously avoiding a second booking for a rash tackle in the Champions League stalemate with Atletico Madrid, the Chilean escaped a red for a desperate challenge which took Samp’s Alfred Duncan out of the game. Vidal was lashing out - and it was easy to figure out why. Up until Thursday night, the midfielder had played nothing like the seemingly indefatigable force of nature that propelled Juve to three successive Scudetti following his arrival from Bayer Leverkusen in 2011, with his struggles directly related to the knee operation he underwent just before this summer’s World Cup. Vidal recovered in time to represent his country at Brazil 2014 but he was nowhere near fully fit and it came as no surprise when he missed a large chunk of Juve’s pre-season programme. Even when he returned, he looked desperately out of sorts and was repeatedly pictured nursing his knee with ice packs. However, Vidal insisted that the surgeon who had operated on him had always maintained that he would experience some discomfort months after the surgery. Nevertheless, his form and mental state remained the subject of much concern and Sunday’s draw at Samp – which ended a run of 25 consecutive home wins – prompted some pundits to ponder the benefits of the Bianconeri cashing in on the South American during the January transfer window. Consequently, Vidal’s stellar showing against Cagliari could not have been better timed. After Carlos Tevez had opened the scoring just three minutes in with his first goal in five games – another major boost for the Bianconeri – with a fine poachers’ goal, Vidal doubled the visitors’ lead with a wonderfully controlled, side-footed strike from outside the area. It was a fantastic, first-time finish from a player whose goals have contributed enormously to Juve’s resurgence over the past three years - but it was Vidal’s general dynamism that was arguably even more encouraging from Juve's perspective. Indeed, his energetic endeavour was arguably best illustrated during a 30-second spell with just five minutes left on the clock. First, he went close to scoring after winning a ball that he had no right to win before then putting Alvaro Morata clean through on goal with a sublime pass. It was vintage Vidal and a heart-warming sight for Juve fans. "I've always said that 2015 will be my year," an ecstatic Vidal enthused to Sky Italia's half-time reporter. On Thursday's showing at the Sant'Elia, he could well be right. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni CAGLIARI 1 -3 JUVENTUS MATCH REPORT Dec 18, 2014 Juventus end 2014 top of the table after a one-sided demolition of Zdenek Zeman’s struggling Cagliari. The side from Sardinia are the only Serie A team yet to win at home this season and went into the match sitting 18th while Juve saw their lead at the top of the table trimmed down to just 1 point following a disappointing 1-1 draw against Sampdoria. Giorgio Chiellini returned from suspension while Leonardo Bonucci sat out his one match ban while Andrea Barzagli, Kwadwo Asamoah, Romulo, Martin Caceres and Luca Marrone were all out through injury. Paul Pogba was replaced by Claudio Marchisio as the Frenchman is just 1 booking away from a suspension himself. Juve started the brighter and Alessio Cragno was forced into a great reaction save from Fernando Llorente’s bullet header. The resulting corner found its way to Giorgio Chiellini whose parried shot was tapped in by Carlos Tevez taking the Argentine to 10 league goals for the season. Albin Ekdal bought a great save from Gianluigi Buffon but it was Juve that capitalised moments later. Arturo Vidal got on the end of a poor clearance and curled a sublime shot from the edge of the box leaving Cragno with no chance. Vidal has been under criticism from Juventini for his slow recovery from injury, but today’s goal showed that even while he recovers Vidal is still an excellent player and a true threat to opposing sides. Ekdal was the livliest player on the pitch for Cagliari, having his shot charged down before seeing his fine strike deflected inched wide of the Juve goal. Juve continued their dominance in the second half and it was a moment of brilliance from Fernando Llorente that earned Juve their third. The Spaniard latched onto Andrea Pirlo’s pass with his back to goal before spinning round Luca Ceppitelli and slotting past Cragno to net his fourth league goal of the season. Cagliari got one back with a header from Luca Rossettini who met Cossu’s free kick but the game was already beyond them. Alvaro Morata had a chance to make it 4 when he got on the end of a perfect Arturo Vidal cross but his lob was just over the post. Similarly, Roberto Pereyra had a chance to score late in the match but his effort was a tad misfired. Regardless Pereyra had a fine game and is in the running for man of the match. Overall we saw Juventus easily toss aside Cagliari, as they tend to do to Zeman teams. The emphatic win breaks the streak of draws and provides Juventus with a nice boost of form heading into the SuperCoppa versus Napoli. In defense Angelo Ogbonna was outstanding. While Victor Ibarbo regularly outpaced him Ogbonna was able to consistently squash any threats from Ibarbo. Admittedly, Ibarbo didn’t have many tricks to get around Ogbonna either. Ogbonna has been playing very well this season and usually not in his preferred left center back position. Today was more of the same, as he played right center back in lieu of Leonardo Bonucci, and had a near flawless performance. Statistics Man of the Match: Arturo Vidal Flop of the Match: N/A Fouls: 7 Corners: 7 Pass Accuracy: 88% Shots on Target: 7 Total Shots: 13 Ball Possession: 63% Formation: 4-3-1-2 Lineups Cagliari: Cragno; Capuano, Ceppitelli, Rossettini, Benedetti (Donsah 46); Avelar, Conti, Ekdal, Balzano; Cossu, Ibarbo (Caio Rangel 75) Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Pereyra (Padoin 80); Tevez (Giovinco 85), Llorente (Morata 72) Ref: Mazzoleni http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Vidal: 'Back among best in 2015' Dec 18, 2014 Arturo Vidal scored a wonderful goal in a Juventus victory at Cagliari and assured “in 2015 I’ll get back to being among the best.” The Chile international curled in from the edge of the box to help secure a 3-1 result in Sardinia. “Today it was important to win and we did it well,” Vidal told Sky Sport Italia. “We played against a difficult side and put in a great performance. Now we can start to think about Napoli, as there are four or five days to prepare for the game and end the year on a high.” Juventus will face Napoli in the Italian Super Cup on Monday at 17.30 GMT in Doha, Qatar. “In 2015 I want to get back to being among the best and I am working hard. It was important for us to end 2014 on top of the table.” With today’s result, Juventus set a new all-time record of 95 Serie A points in a single calendar year. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Juventus return to winning ways against Cagliari Dec 18, 2014 Juventus moved four points clear at the top of Serie A as they returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory at Cagliari. The Turin giants had drawn their last two games to see their lead at the top cut to just a point by second-placed Roma, but they never looked in danger in Sardinia from the moment Carlos Tevez stabbed home the opener after only three minutes. Arturo Vidal curled home a fine second before the break and Fernando Llorente added a third early in the second half. Luca Rossettini headed a consolation for struggling Cagliari, who are now without a win in eight league games. Juve, without a win in December, got off to a flying start when Tevez followed up to tap home after the ball had come back off goalkeeper Alessio Cragno. The hosts looked to respond quickly and a powerful header from Albin Ekdal forced Gianluigi Buffon into a sprawling save. But they found themselves two down after only 15 minutes. Patrice Evra's low ball in from the left was stabbed out of the area, where Vidal nonchalantly guided it into the far corner with the inside of his right foot. Juve were home and dry when Llorente netted number three six minutes into the second half. The Spaniard ran on to a long ball into the right of the area, spun his marker to create a shooting chance and then squeezed a shot under Cragno. Cagliari pulled a goal back in the 65th minute when Rossettini rose at the back post to head in an Andrea Cossu free-kick from the right. A comeback never looked likely, though, as the visitors continued to create chances, albeit without extending their lead. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Cagliari vs. Juventus: Score, Grades, Reaction from Serie A Game Dec 18, 2014 Juventus moved provisionally four points clear atop Serie A with a 3-1 victory at Cagliari on Thursday. Carlos Tevez fired the visitors ahead in just the third minute, Arturo Vidal doubling the lead 12 minutes later with a fine curling strike. Fernando Llorente netted Juve's third in the 50th minute before Luca Rossettini pulled a goal back for Cagliari 15 minutes later. The result took Juventus on to 39 points from 16 matches, extending the Bianconeri's lead atop the Serie A table to four points over AS Roma. That four-point advantage will hold until at least Saturday, when Roma host AC Milan. Regardless of the outcome of the Roma-Milan match, Juventus will head into the winter break in first place. The Bianconeri's next league match is set for Jan. 6, at home to Inter Milan. Nearing the halfway point of the season with just one loss, Massimiliano Allegri's men are in a good position to claim a fourth consecutive Serie A title. The home supporters at the Stadio Sant'Elia were in fine voice at kick-off, creating a noisy atmosphere for their illustrious opponents. Juventus silenced them quickly with a fast start and an early goal. The Bianconeri's first chance came in the third minute as Llorente placed a low header on target from a Claudio Marchisio cross. Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno saved, pushing the ball around the post for a corner. Juventus took the lead from the ensuing set piece. Andrea Pirlo took the corner short, trading passes with Arturo Vidal. The latter then played the ball into the box, where Angelo Ogbonna backheeled deftly into the goalmouth. Giorgio Chiellini was unable to turn the ball in at close range, but a mis-touch by Cragno sent the ball to Tevez, who swept in at the back post. Peter Galindo @pgalindo16 Cragno could've saved that, though. Can't allow that to happen as a goalkeeper. Gianluigi Buffon preserved Juve's lead with a good save in the ninth minute, diving to his left to keep out an Albin Ekdal header after Victor Ibarbo crossed from deep on the left. Six minutes later, it was 2-0. Juventus moved forward at pace, attacking down the left through Patrice Evra. The French full-back crossed into the middle, but the danger seemed to pass as Cagliari cleared. The ball rolled directly to Vidal, who curled his first-time shot around Cragno and into the net at the far post. Leading comfortably by two goals, Juve cruised through the rest of the first half. Shortly after the restart, Ekdal had a curled shot deflected just wide of the bottom corner as Cagliari searched for a way back into the match. Instead, Juventus netted for the third time in the 50th minute, taking advantage of another Cragno miscue. Pirlo played a pass over the top for Llorente, who held off his marker in the box, turned and shot low at Cragno. The Cagliari goalkeeper should have saved, but the ball trickled underneath him and crept into the net for a 3-0 Juve lead. The visitors were in full control, but Cagliari pulled a goal back in the 65th minute. Andrea Cossu curled in a free-kick from the right, and Rossettini nodded in at the back post to give the hosts hope at 3-1. Adam Digby @Adz77 Bad defending on the Cagliari goal there, not poor marking. Gotta win that header there, weak from the Bianconeri At the other end, Cagliari's Godfred Donsah made a timely interception in front of goal to cut out a dangerous Roberto Pereyra pass intended for Marchisio at the back post. In the 77th minute, Cragno saved at his near post to keep out Pereyra's low drive. Juve continued to attack as full-time approached, but with the result secure, the visitors were able to see out the final 10 minutes in relative comfort. Grades Gianluigi Buffon 6.6 Stephan Lichtsteiner 6.8 Giorgio Chiellini 7.7 Angelo Ogbonna 7.7 Patrice Evra 7.6 Claudio Marchisio 7.2 Andrea Pirlo 7.6 Arturo Vidal 9.4 Roberto Pereyra 6.7 Carlos Tevez 8.0 Fernando Llorente 8.6 Substitutes Rating Alvaro Morata (for Llorente, 73') 6.4 Simone Padoin (for Pereyra, 81') 6.2 Sebastian Giovinco (for Tevez, 86') 6.1 Ratings via WhoScored.com Reaction Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal (via Football Italia): Today it was important to win and we did it well. We played against a difficult side and put in a great performance. Now we can start to think about Napoli, as there are four or five days to prepare for the game and end the year on a high. In 2015 I want to get back to being among the best and I am working hard. It was important for us to end 2014 on top of the table. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Juventus crush Cagliari Juventus will end 2014 top of the Serie A table after a comfortable 3-1 victory away to Zdenek Zeman’s struggling Cagliari. Dec 18, 2014 This fixture was brought forward to Thursday December 18 as Juve and Napoli prepare for the Italian Super Cup on December 22. The Sardinians were the only side without a home win this season and hadn’t enjoyed any victories since October 25, putting Zeman on the edge. Juve saw their lead at the top of the Serie A table cut to just one point after three consecutive draws in all competition. Giorgio Chiellini returned from suspension, but Leonardo Bonucci was banned along with the injured Andrea Barzagli, Kwadwo Asamoah, Romulo, Martin Caceres and Luca Marrone. With Marco Sau still injured, Zeman switched his legendary 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 system. In the opening three minutes Alessio Cragno had to perform a save on Fernando Llorente, then from that corner the goalkeeper’s parry on Chiellini was tapped in from six yards by Carlos Tevez. Gigi Buffon was also tested, at full stretch to deny an Albin Ekdal header. However, Arturo Vidal got on the end of a poor clearance and curled a magnificent effort off the inside of his right foot from the edge of the box that left Cragno rooted to the spot. Ekdal had a shot charged down then straight after the restart his strike was deflected inches past the upright. However, Fernando Llorente made it 3-0 when he gathered with his back to goal, spun round Luca Ceppitelli and placed his finish beneath Cragno. Andrea Pirlo had sparked the move with a pass over the top. Antonio Balzano ran a risk to intervene, stopping Tevez from pulling the trigger after chesting down in the box. Cagliari did get one back with a towering header from Luca Rossettini, who soared to meet Andrea Cossu’s free kick. It was the defender’s first goal in over two years and the Sardinian side’s first after three blank rounds. Godfred Donsah dived in with practically a goal-line clearance on Roberto Pereyra just 30 seconds later, then Pirlo and Stephan Lichtsteiner combined to set up Pereyra, forcing Cragno into a fingertip save. Alvaro Morata sprung the offside trap on a smart Vidal pass, but couldn’t keep his lob on target. Cagliari also threatened a second goal, Danilo Avelar chesting down a cross to flash a shot across the face of goal. Cagliari: Cragno; Capuano, Ceppitelli, Rossettini, Benedetti (Donsah 46); Avelar, Conti, Ekdal, Balzano; Cossu, Ibarbo (Caio Rangel 75) Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Pereyra (Padoin 80); Tevez (Giovinco 85), Llorente (Morata 72) Ref: Mazzoleni http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Cagliari 1-3 Juventus: Early Strikes Drive Bianconeri To Win Dec 18, 2014 Juventus cruised to a comprehensive 3-1 against Cagliari at Stadio Sant’Elia in Serie A on Thursday evening. Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal struck early to give the visitors a commanding lead before Fernando Llorente added a third shortly after the break. Luca Rossettini headed home a consolation for Cagliari midway through the second half. The hosts, under heavy Juventus pressure from the outset, crumbled early. Giorgio Chiellini deflected a cross into Alessio Cragno’s midriff and the keeper was unable to hold onto the ball, allowing Tevez to pounce from close range for his tenth league goal of the season. Despite falling behind, the Isolani looked lively with Albin Ekdal forcing a decent save from Gianluigi Buffon, however it was only a matter of time before the Bianconeri doubled their lead. It came after fifteen minutes as Patrice Evra’s cross was poorly cleared and Vidal who was lurking outside the area, provided the precise strike, stroking the ball home into the far corner from twenty yards, leaving the keeper with no chance. After going two-nil down, the Rossoblu began to assert themselves in the contest with efforts from Danilo Avelar and Ekdal going close but ultimately not bearing any fruit for the hosts as they went into the break two goals down. Immediately after the break Ekdal went close once more as his low effort was deflected just wide of Buffon’s post and from the resulting corner Luca Ceppitelli was unable to guide his header on target. It was the Bianconeri, however, who would add to their lead shortly afterwards. Andrea Pirlo’s delightful ball found Llorente who used his strength to hold off a defender before swivelling and squirming a shot under Cragno from close range. Francesco Capuano should have immediately reduced arrears, but hisclose range volley failed to trouble the Juventus goal and flew harmlessly over the bar. Zdenek Zeman’s side eventually managed to make their mark on the game when Andrea Cossu’s free kick was easily headed home by the unmarked Rossettini from six yards out. Roberto Pereyra was guilty of not extending the Bianconeri’s lead on multiple occasions as he failed to take advantage of two clear goalscoring chances while, as usual, Pirlo was dictating the visitor’s play in every way possible and continually dominated the midfield. Avelar came close to setting up a grandstand finish however he snatched at his late effort and once again failed to test Buffon as Cagliari sought to create a late and unlikely comeback. The result sees Juventus extend their lead at the summit of Serie A to four points over Roma, albeit temporarily, while Cagliari remain stuck in the relegation zone, one point adrift of Chievo in seventeenth place. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 1 - 3 Carlos Tévez (3') Arturo Vidal (15') Fernando Llorente (50') Luca Rossettini (65') Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Cagliari 1-3 Juventus: Bianconeri return to winning ways Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Fernando Llorente all netted before Luca Rossettini netted a late consolation for the struggling Sardinians. Dec 18, 2014 Juventus cruised to a 3-1 win at Cagliari on Thursday to secure their place at the top of Serie A heading into the mid-season break. Back-to-back draws against Fiorentina and Sampdoria meant Massimiliano Allegri's team travelled to Sardinia with a slender one-point advantage over nearest challengers Roma. Carlos Tevez scored from close range to hand the defending champions an ideal start and Arturo Vidal struck a sumptuous second to make it 2-0 after 15 minutes. Fernando Llorente added a third early in the second half and, although Luca Rossettini pulled a goal back, Zdenek Zeman's strugglers remain winless in the league since late October and in the bottom three. By contrast, Juventus are now unbeaten over 10 matches in all competitions. Cagliari, without a home win in the league all season, were boosted by the return of Victor Ibarbo in attack. Angelo Ogbonna started at centre-back for Juventus in place of the suspended Leonardo Bonucci, while fellow defender Giorgio Chiellini came back from a ban of his own. Allegri started without Paul Pogba, the influential midfielder rested as a further yellow card would have ruled him out of the Monday night's Supercoppa Italiana clash with Napoli in Qatar, but his Juventus team immediately tore into Cagliari and were rewarded with a third-minute lead. Alessio Cragno had already plunged to make a fine save from Llorente's header, but, when Chiellini bundled goalwards from another right-wing cross, the Cagliari goalkeeper could only touch towards Tevez for a simple finish. Juventus looked to further exploit Cagliari's unease under crosses, but Gianluigi Buffon was called into action for the first time to keep out Albin Ekdal's header. That chance briefly roused Cagliari, but they fell further behind when Patrice Evra's centre was half-cleared and Vidal curled home a magnificent side-footed finish from outside the box. Allegri's men were now able to control the game at a comfortable pace, although Cagliari's Danilo Avelar was allowed to advance towards goal and flash a shot past Buffon's near post three minutes from half-time. Ekdal shot wide when given room to try his luck from 25 yards after the break before Juventus put the result beyond doubt five minutes after the restart. Andrea Pirlo lifted a perfectly weighted pass into Llorente’s path and the Spain striker spun Luca Ceppitelli before scuffing a shot that squirmed past Cragno. Marco Capuano volleyed over unmarked from a corner as Cagliari looked to respond and they grasped a lifeline in the 65th minute when Rossettini rose to power home at the back post. But Juventus' superiority was never truly under threat as the lively Roberto Pereyra twice went close to adding gloss to the scoreline during the closing stages. Avelar might have set up a grandstand finish, but lashed wide from close range in the 87th minute after Stephan Lichtsteiner blocked his initial header. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Bravo Morata.

Abelar spara fuori.

Errore di Morata.

Zona Giovinco.

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS - Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni HT 0-2: Vidal inspires in Cagliari Dec 18, 2014 Juventus have a comfortable 2-0 lead away to Zdenek Zeman’s Cagliari with Carlos Tevez and an Arturo Vidal stunner. This fixture was brought forward to Thursday December 18 as Juve and Napoli prepare for the Italian Super Cup on December 22. The Sardinians were the only side without a home win this season and hadn’t enjoyed any victories since October 25, putting Zdenek Zeman on the edge. Juve saw their lead at the top of the Serie A table cut to just one point after three consecutive draws in all competition. Giorgio Chiellini returned from suspension, but Leonardo Bonucci was banned along with the injured Andrea Barzagli, Kwadwo Asamoah, Romulo, Martin Caceres and Luca Marrone. With Marco Sau still injured, Zeman switched his legendary 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 system. In the opening three minutes Alessio Cragno had to perform a save on Fernando Llorente, then from that corner the goalkeeper’s parry on Chiellini was tapped in from six yards by Carlos Tevez. Gigi Buffon was also tested, at full stretch to deny an Albin Ekdal header. However, Arturo Vidal got on the end of a poor clearance and curled a magnificent effort off the inside of his right foot from the edge of the box that left Cragno rooted to the spot. Ekdal had a shot charged down. Cagliari 0-2 Juventus (Half-Time) Scorers: Tevez 4 (J), Vidal 15 (J) Cagliari: Cragno; Capuano, Ceppitelli, Rossettini, Benedetti; Avelar, Conti, Ekdal, Balzano; Cossu, Ibarbo Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Pereyra; Tevez, Llorente http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Italy 'must understand Juve needs' Dec 18, 2014 Juventus dg Beppe Marotta warned Antonio Conte and Italy that they aren’t forced to send players for get-togethers. Since leaving Juve, Conte has been visibly irritated at the lack of co-operation from the Serie A clubs with the Nazionale. He has requested get-togethers ahead of their next official match in March, but Juventus seem likely to pull out. “People are trying to create controversy where there is none, as Juventus have a cordial and good rapport with the Federation,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia. “The needs of the Nazionale must also fit in with the needs of a club like Juventus, who are involved on numerous different fronts, including the Champions League in February. “What we need is some common sense all round to understand the needs of everyone in this situation.” Conte is currently on a tour of all the Serie A club training grounds, but is yet to visit Juventus.

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS - Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Line-ups: Cagliari-Juventus Dec 18, 2014 Juventus lead Serie A by just one point and, if they fail to beat Zdenek Zeman’s Cagliari, could start 2015 in second place. It kicks off at 19.00 CET, brought forward ahead of their Italian Super Cup clash with Napoli on Monday in Qatar. Max Allegri reached the next phase of the Champions League, but slipped up in Serie A with two consecutive stalemates against Fiorentina and Sampdoria. The Bianconeri face another tricky test away to Cagliari and their unpredictable Coach Zeman, who has engaged in numerous anti-Juve campaigns in the past. Leonardo Bonucci is suspended, joining Andrea Barzagli, Kwadwo Asamoah, Romulo, Martin Caceres and Luca Marrone on the absentee list. That means Angelo Ogbonna again starts at centre-back, but Giorgio Chiellini returns from his one-match ban. There are several players to watch out for, as a yellow card would rule them out of the Super Cup: Claudio Marchisio, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Ogbonna and Paul Pogba. Because of this issue, French midfield talent Pogba is rested. Roberto Pereyra takes the trequartista role behind Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente, implying Alvaro Morata could start against Napoli. Cagliari are the only team without a victory on home turf this season, haven’t won since October 25 and last week Zeman played out his first Serie A goalless draw in a decade. Clean sheets are generally speaking anathema to Zeman, but the absence of striker Marco Sau has weighed heavily on the team. Victor Ibarbo returns from suspension to bolster the attack with Andrea Cossu, but Zeman may well have changed to a 4-4-2 system for this game - a huge change for the master of the 4-3-3. Cagliari haven’t got a good record against the Old Lady, managing two points from their last nine Serie A meetings. Cagliari: Cragno;Capuano, Ceppitelli, Rossettini, Benedetti; Avelar, Conti, Ekdal, Balzano; Cossu, Ibarbo Cagliari bench: Barella, Longo, Farias, Caio Rangel, Donsah, Carboni, Dessena, Crisetig, Capello, Joao Pedro, Murru, Pisano Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Pereyra; Tevez, Llorente Juventus bench: Storari, Rubinho, Romagna, Padoin, Mattiello, Pogba, Pepe, Morata, Giovinco, Coman http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS - Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Llorente: Juventus Must End Year As Winter Champions Dec 18, 2014 Juventus striker Fernando Llorente has highlighted his motivation to see out 2014 in Serie A with victory over Cagliari. The Bianconeri travel to Sardinia tonight looking to maintain top spot prior to their Supercoppa showpiece against Napoli in Qatar on Monday. “We want to close 2014 as leaders of Serie A,” said Llorente via his personal Twitter account. “A win on Thursday is vital. Vamos!” Former Athletic Bilbao star Llorente has notched three goals in 14 league appearances so far this campaign and may have to settle for a place on the bench at the Stadio Sant’Elia with fellow Spaniard Alvaro Morata pushing for a starting spot. Roma recently closed the gap to just one point following consecutive draws for Juventus and therefore three points taken by the Old Lady from their clash with struggling Cagliari would put all of the pressure back on the Giallorossi to ensure victory over resurgent AC Milan this weekend. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS - Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Allegri: Cagliari Will Be A Tough Test For Juventus Dec 18, 2014 Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is not taking anything for granted when his side travel to Sardinia to take on Cagliari on Thursday evening. The match will be the Bianconeri’s last Serie A encounter before their trip to Qatar next Tuesday to take on Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana and Allegri is expecting a tough test. ”We are expecting a difficult game as Cagliari need the points,” the former Milan coach told reporters at his pre-match press conference. ”Like all teams that are managed by [Zdenek] Zeman they have very good attacking options but we must return to winning ways after the result against Sampdoria.” Allegri also dismissed suggestions his side were tired. ”We are not tired. Sunday’s game was very hectic and this has made people think we are tired. “From my point of view I thought on Sunday we looked as physically strong as we have all season.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS - Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Juventus vs. Cagliari Preview: Round 16 — It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Dec 17, 2014 The last time Juventus saw Cagliari lining up across from them as their opposition, there was some history going down. That day at Juventus Stadium saw Antonio Conte's men record points 100, 101 and 102 on the last day of the 2013-14 season, heading out onto the streets of Turin a little while later to celebrate after Gigi Buffon lifted another Scudetto trophy over his head. Scudetto parades are fun, something that I will never tire of as long as we inhibit this very planet earth. But this game against Cagliari won't see a fancy parade with thousands of people lining the streets following the final whistle. Well, unless there's an early Christmas celebration going on afterward that I don't know about. What there is going on for Juventus is the chance of going into the holiday break — sans the playing of the Supercoppa against Napoli next Monday in Qatar — as winter champions and officially start the new year with some kind of lead atop the Serie A table. And when you throw in how Cagliari have been absolutely terrible in Serie A since the middle of October, there's nothing smacking us in the face and telling us that Juventus shouldn't have a four-point lead over Roma at the end of the day. Of course, there's talking about it and actually going out to achieve it. JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen .@OfficialAllegri: "We expect a difficult game. They’re in need of points to stay up and have plenty to offer up front." But luckily for those of us who root for Juventus, Max Allegri's squad will be playing a team coached by Zdenek Zeman — which means at least one team won't be playing much defense at all. And for a Juventus side that has scored just one goal in its last three games in all competitions, that might be the cure to this current streak of three consecutive draws. So, come on, Zemanlandia. Work your magic and let in a bunch of goals. It's the right thing to do. (According to me.) GOOD NEWS Go check Cagliari's defensive statistics this season, then get back to me. Try not to get all giddy in the process. Also, Max Allegri won't be suspended for tomorrow's match. That's good, very good news. BAD NEWS Here's something that is completely stupid... Juventus currently has four players — Angelo Ogbonna, Claudio Marchisio, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Paul Pogba — sitting one yellow card away from a one-game suspension. If any of those five players were to get a yellow card against Cagliari, then they will miss Monday's Super Cup against Napoli in Doha. So you get carded in a Serie A game and will miss a glorified exhibition that is supposed to take place before the season even begins. Do we really think somebody like Lichtsteiner is going to make it through the next two games without getting carded? Italy does a lot of stupid things, and this is definitely one of them. WHAT TO WATCH FOR 1. Can Juventus snap the draw streak? A draw against Fiorentina wasn't the end of the world, neither were those subsequent ones against Atlético Madrid and Sampdoria for their respective reasons. But as Juve enter their final away game of 2014, the manageable and comfortable cushion between themselves and Roma is basically gone. All that separates first and second place in Serie A is one measly point entering the 16th round of play Another slip up and Juventus could be in second for the first time in quite a number of months. Cagliari are nowhere near the quality of Fiorentina or Sampdoria, so anything other than three points should be considered bad news. Let's just hope we don't have to broach that subject about 24 hours from this post going live. JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen .@OfficialAllegri: "We need to get back to winning ways by turning in a great performance tomorrow." 2. What kind of squad rotation will there be — if any? I'd throw out a quote from Allegri about what kind of squad rotation may or may not be happening, but I've come to learn that Max isn't very helpful when it comes to revealing who will be playing outside of the givens. And you know what? That's perfectly okay with me. He's a manager, and managers like to do things their own way when it comes to saying what the starting lineup will be. I say this because Juventus nearing the end of another post-international break run of games. And while all but one other team will be starting their holiday break after their games this week, Juventus and Napoli won't be due to the Supercoppa. So does that mean some players might get a rest? I really don't know. Mainly because Max won't tell us. What a meanie. 3. The impact of a certain Carlos Tévez. I'm not one to truly freak out about a player of Carlitos' quality not scoring a goal for a little less than a month or so, and I'm not going to start now. Yet the last time Tévez found the back of the net was Nov. 22 when Juve throttled Lazio 3-0 and pretty much tore apart a team that many people expected to be quite a stiff challenge for the defending Serie A champions. Since then, Tévez has gone on to score another goal — a few days later in the Champions League against Malmö — and then go rather quiet. So unless Tévez wants to go 0-for-December in Serie A, things will have to turn around for the leading scorer in Italy's top flight. At least he's the top scorer in Serie A for now, that is. 4. Adventures with Zemanlandia. Here's something that won't surprise you: A Zdenek Zeman-coached team doesn't have a very good defense. A quick look at the Serie A stat sheet tells us that Zeman's Cagliari has allowed 26 goals through 15 games this season, the third-worst figure in all of Italy's top flight. So what does this mean? Well, exactly what we already know — Cagliari are all offense (20 goals scored) and no defense. JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen .@OfficialAllegri: "Cagliari always play an open game and we'll be in for an entertaining encounter tomorrow." So, no defense and all offense? Sounds like a blast! I love entertaining games! Sounds like Zemanlandia to me. This shouldn't be a surprise to anybody if they've watched a Zeman-led team. His tenure at Roma was the same type of deal — lots of offense, no defense, and then the subsequent firing around the middle of the season. Obviously Cagliari are a different animal because they're setting themselves up for a serious battle not to get sent packing to Serie B, but it's still the kind of team you'd expect from Zeman. And for that we should be thankful. Because maybe, just maybe, Juventus won't get a draw in their fourth straight game on Thursday night. My starting XI (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Ogbonna, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba; Pereyra; Tévez, Morata OFFICIAL KICKOFF TIME: 7 P.M. IN ITALY; 1 P.M. ON THE EAST COAST; 10 A.M. ON THE WEST COAST http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri: Modern game about having best players Dec 17, 2014 Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says football has become more about money than tactics and that individual quality counts more now than it ever did before. In an interview with Italy's La Repubblica newspaper, Allegri suggested that if you do not have the best players in the world, even the best coach will have his hands tied. He said his role in the modern game has transformed, which is one of the reasons Italian football has been left behind. Allegri argued that Serie A football still bases itself on tactical astuteness and organisation, a dogma introduced by legendary AC Milan boss Arrigo Sacchi "in a time when it was much easier to be innovative," and that that approach is not suited to the modern game. "You can't surprise anybody nowadays," he said. "For that reason, you need to have faith in quality." Allegri said Italian clubs are slowly catching on but it will be difficult without the funds to invest in the pick of the talent. "People want to make out that football is a science, but it's got nothing in the slightest to do with science," the former Cagliari and Milan coach said. "It's a spectacle, and for a spectacle you need artists. The biggest error that we are making is to try to suffocate creativity. "If you take away the poetry then you would be better off just playing it on the computer. We could talk for hours on end about tactics and organisation, but you win games with the players. If you've got [Lionel] Messi, you're almost already 2-0 up. The same goes for Cristiano Ronaldo. "If tactics were necessary to be successful then why did Real Madrid splash out 100 million euros on Gareth Bale if all he does is dribble, shoot and burst the back of the net? "Football has changed, like basketball. Even that, one of the most tactical games around, has transformed into one where it's all about the best players." The evolution has left Italy behind somewhat, with Serie A clubs struggling to compete on the continent since Inter Milan's 2010 Champions League triumph. The financial crisis that has hit Italy hard has spilled over into the sport but, even so, Allegri can see a brighter future. "In Italy, people tend to say that we're in a total mess, but the results this year are showing the opposite," he said. "We still focus too much on our opponents, though, and our games are monothematic, but I think we're getting back, and that means moving forwards, re-evaluating creativity and the role of the playmaker. "With Sacchi, our game changed its methods, but now we need to find a compromise. Not too much anarchy, but not too much tactics either. "[Abroad] they have more room and you only get that here when you have two teams on the same level facing each other, like Juve-Roma. Aside from the incidents, it was a great game, full of technical brilliance. In the other games, there's always one team who attacks and the other defends, and we're masters of defending." Allegri's Juve are the only Italian side to make it through to the Champions League knockout phase this season but have hope of progress after being drawn against a Borussia Dortmund team currently struggling badly in the Bundesliga. "It could have been worse, and that comes from somebody who has faced Barcelona a number of times," Allegri said. "Borussia are a side we can beat, even if it's difficult to decipher their true value and in particular what shape they will be in come February, but we can do great things in the Champions League."

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS - Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Allegri ban overturned Dec 17, 2014 Juventus Coach Massimiliano Allegri will not face a touchline ban for tomorrow’s Cagliari game, after having his sentence reduced. The Bianconeri boss was given a one-match touchline ban for insulting match officials in the wake of Sunday’s draw with Sampdoria, but has had his sentence reduced on appeal. The FIGC Appeals Court has partially upheld Allegri’s appeal, reducing his punishment to a €10,000 fine with an official warning for his conduct. The former Milan Coach will now be on the Bianconeri bench tomorrow night after his touchline ban was lifted. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS - Thursday, December 18th, 2014 - 19:00 PM Sant'Elia stadium, Cagliari Referee: Paolo Silvio Mazzoleni Zeman: ‘Pleasure to play Juventus’ Dec 17, 2014 Cagliari Coach Zdenek Zeman says it’s a ‘pleasure’ for his side to take on Juventus tomorrow evening. The Isolani face the League leaders at home tomorrow, with the Bianconeri heading to Doha to play the Supercoppa on December 22. “Which of their players would I take?” Zeman considered in his Press conference ahead of the game. “All of them, but the problem is their team as a collective. “We have to play our own game, we know it will be very difficult but we have to try. “Playing Juventus is a pleasure, it gives you an added stimulus today just as it did 20 years ago. “We don’t have much to worry about, because we don’t have much to lose. “What matters is how we approach the game. We’ll have to fight for every ball, and make as few mistakes as possible both in defence and on the counter. “I think [Antonio] Conte’s Juventus played at a higher tempo, whereas [Massimiliano] Allegri prefers more possession but in reality these are just details.” Cagliari currently sit 18th in Serie A, inside the relegation zone, and the Czech tactician admits that he expected to be doing better. “It’s not what we expected, neither ourselves nor the fans. “We haven’t been winning at home, and it’s normal that that if you’re doing all you can and results aren’t coming then you start to get a bit concerned - especially because this is a young team without a lot of experience.” A meeting was held yesterday in Milan between the Coaches of Serie A sides and Italy CT Antonio Conte. Zeman did not attend, but insists he is fully behind the Azzurri cause. “We’ve got the game against Juventus tomorrow and I couldn’t leave the team just 48 hours before a match. “I’d already said I wouldn’t be able to go, with a lot of regret. “I think that the national team should be top footballing priority in any country.” Zeman has also announced the squad which will take on the Bianconeri, with former Juve midfielder Albin Ekdal included in the party. Cagliari squad to play Juventus: Carboni, Cragno; Avelar, Balzano, Benedetti, Capuano, Ceppitelli, Murru, Pisano, Rossettini; Barella, Capello, Conti, Crisetig, Dessena, Donsah, Ekdal, Joao Pedro; Caio Rangel, Cossu, Farias, Ibarbo, Longo. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111