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OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Juventus must triumph against Lyon in the Europa League Apr 2, 2014 The last Italian side to feature in European competition, Juventus are the pride of the peninsula. Whilst they should be applauded for all they have done this season, this club really should be carrying the reputation of Calcio in the Champions League as opposed to the less prestigious competition that is the Europa League. Nonetheless, it is the Bianconeri's duty to defeat Lyon, their next opponent, and reach the next stage of the competition. AMAZONIAN The Old Lady must have smiled when she realised she would be taking on Lyon rather than the likes of Sevilla and Porto, two European stalwarts the Italians were hoping to avoid. However, any match that is not taken seriously leads to complacency and essentially a defeat. The French giants may not be the team they once were, but they are a dangerous opponent and have already impressed in the competition, suffering only one defeat to Viktoria Plzen thus far. Playing an attacking style of play, the French outfit’s performances have yo-yoed this season. They suffered clear problems in September as they attempted to adapt to a changed squad, devoid of the talent that had led them to great success last season. Lyon conceded incessantly and were confused going forward, and manager Remi Garde admitted he was worried about losing his job. However, they have since established a rhythm and begun to make the most of the talent they possess within the squad, especially in the attacking positions. The problem with Lyon is their defence. They’ve conceded 37 goals this season, an average of 1.2 goals per game. Not bad usually, but rather poor considering this is the French league and 11 teams have conceded fewer goals than them. There is cause for concern. AMAZONIAN Discipline has been a problem as players have often failed to regain their position and have conceded from the counterattack, whilst intricate play in the box seems to confuse the back line. Essentially, the decision to sell off experience, such as Dejan Lovren, and not purchase an adequate replacement has cost them whilst Miguel Lopes' long-term injury has created real problems for them shuffling personnel. Fortunately for Lyon, their attack has done enough to allow them to climb up the league table after a shaky start. They lacked direction going forward earlier in the season, but they have since started to make the most of the physical strength and power of Alexandre Lacazette -- a player infatuated with the idea of joining Juventus -- and Bafetimbi Gomis. Together, they cause problems for opposing back lines. Only PSG have scored more from open play this season in Ligue 1, whilst the squad’s passing accuracy allows them to penetrate effectively. However, Lyon are missing playmaker Clement Grenier for this vital match, and the weekend loss to Saint Etienne has not only dampened the mood but has seen them practically surrender their fight to finish in a Champions League place. Lille are simply too far ahead now. Whilst Lyon and Juventus have never played each other in an official competition, the Old Lady has played at the Stade de Gerland twice before. The first was against Lyon in 1965 in honour of Nestor Combin, who moved from Lyon to Juventus. The Bianconeri played again in that stadium in 1972, against Marseille in the European Cup, losing 1-0. AMAZONIAN On this occasion, a defeat is simply out of the question considering the considerable difference in quality between the two sides. Juventus are exhausted and have suffered due to their packed schedule and an energetic style of play that demands great intensity. Nonetheless, even a tired Juve should manage an away goal to take back to Turin. Thankfully for the Italians, Andrea Barzagli and Angelo Ogbonna have been called up to the squad, which should ease concerns, although it’s doubtful either will start. Up front, all sorts of options have been noted by the media, but it’s likely the side will rely on a Carlos Tevez-Mirko Vucinic partnership. Juve manager Antonio Conte, utterly pleased with the compliments Garde dished out in his prematch conference, said he will try to deploy a side that’s unconquerable. Fans will be hoping for just that as the club chase a European trophy after having suffered for so many years without one.

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Defenders back for Lyon-Juve Apr 2, 2014 Andrea Barzagli and Angelo Ogbonna are back in the Juventus squad against Lyon in tomorrow’s Europa League quarter-final. AMAZONIAN Barzagli and Ogbonna had missed the last few Serie A games with injury, but are available for the first leg in France. Carlos Tevez also returns, as he was suspended for Sunday’s Serie A 2-0 defeat to Napoli. AMAZONIAN Juventus squad for Lyon: Buffon, Chiellini, Caceres, Ogbonna, Pogba, Marchisio, Vucinic, Tevez, Giovinco, Peluso, Llorente, Barzagli, Osvaldo, Bonucci, Padoin, Pirlo, Asamoah, Vidal, Lichtsteiner, Storari, Isla, Rubinho

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Conte: 'Juve back on track in Lyon' Apr 2, 2014 Antonio Conte is confident Juventus can rediscover their form in the Europa League and have found “weak spots” in Lyon. AMAZONIAN The first leg kicks off at the Stade de Gerlande on Thursday at 21.05 CET. “We should be proud that we are the only Italian team left in Europe for the second season running,” noted the Coach in his Press conference. “We do feel the pressure of having to bring some lustre back to Italian football and, seeing as we are on our own, we’ll try to go as far as possible even throughout difficulties. AMAZONIAN “If we want to compare who has the most injuries, it’s a real battle between us and Lyon! In the last round of the Europa League I only had three players available on the bench, so it’s certainly not an easy time for us. “Lyon are a strong side and have won several titles in recent years. I certainly think their attack is the most important area, as it is full of quality and physical strength with players like Gomis and Lacazette. “We studied them, know their strengths and believe we know a few weak points too. We will try to take control of the game tomorrow, knowing the first leg is very important to get qualification on the right track, especially as it is away from home.” AMAZONIAN The Bianconeri have stuttered of late with an injury crisis and suffered their first Serie A defeat since October when beaten 2-0 by Napoli on Sunday. Today Roma play Parma in a game that was rained off on February 2, so by this evening the gap at the top of the table could be just eight points. “I hope the defeat to Napoli can give us the strength to push on through the final rush. I think that game can be put down as a physiological defeat that can happen after a long run of success, where you can have a drop in tension, concentration and determination. I already expect a great performance from the whole team tomorrow. AMAZONIAN “We’re not thinking about Roma, as it’s only right that all our focus goes on to tomorrow’s Europa League tie against Lyon. Am I worried about our condition? Not at all. “I would also like to thank Remi Garde, as being compared to PSG is a real show of respect. He said Juve are a mountain to be climbed? We’ll try to make it unconquerable.”

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Marchisio: 'Critics too hard on Juve' Apr 2, 2014 Claudio Marchisio hit back at Juventus critics ahead of tomorrow’s clash with Lyon in the Europa League. AMAZONIAN The first leg of the quarter-final kicks off on Thursday at 21.05 CET at the Stade de Gerlande. “We put in a bad performance against Napoli and didn’t step on to the field with the right mentality,” said the midfielder in his Press conference. That 2-0 result at the San Paolo on Sunday was their first Serie A defeat since October, ending a run of 20 wins and two draws. AMAZONIAN “The good news is we have the chance to make up for that in Europe. It is a game that means a huge amount to us, as we know how important it is to get a good result in the away leg. “We need to get straight back on track, the same path we’ve been on since the start of the season, looking to fix what went wrong against Napoli and put in a great performance. “To be honest, I have been struck by the wave of pessimism that followed the Napoli game. I read an article this week that said this tyranny of Juventus was finally set to end. We achieved something extraordinary over the last few years and as time goes on, we accumulate bigger advantages over our direct rivals. AMAZONIAN “These are clubs who spent money to improve their squads, but so have we and we keep getting better and better. “To read that Juve are in crisis just because they lost one game by taking the wrong approach... but a defeat to Napoli can happen. This is a team that has always been on an upward trajectory and will continue to do so.” Marchisio was asked whether the midfielders weren’t pushing up to score as much because of fatigue or the fact opponents had studied how to stop them. AMAZONIAN “It’s normal that the other sides study every way possible to stop us. It’s normal we will find difficulty when the other teams are playing mainly to block our creative centres. Even so, we always created many chances and imposed our style on the opposition.” Lyon stand in their way now and Marchisio admires their squad going into the game. “It is certainly a very good side that proved its worth in Europe and Ligue 1. We haven’t had much time to study them, but from what we saw they are a very complete squad, strong physically with attacking players like Lacazette who can hurt you on the counter. Therefore we’ve got to be very wary.” AMAZONIAN This week Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said Juventus could not consider winning the Europa League a success, as they were built for the Champions League. “In all honesty I’m not very interested in what he says,” replied Marchisio. “We started out in the Champions League trying to improve on last year, didn’t manage it, and now want to go all the way in the Europa League. “It’s not just because the Final is in Turin, as our objective would still have been to go all the way, as that is always our target in every competition. Others can say what they want.”

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Europa League Preview: Juventus vs. Lyon, Leg 1 — The French Connection Not, not the movie, you nerds. But good knowledge on your part. Apr 2, 2014 Juventus has traveled far and wide this season. From Italy to Spain and back again. From Italy to Denmark and back. Over to Turkey and back to Turin — twice! It's been quite a travel-filled European journey that has covered hundreds upon thousands of miles, from one end of the continent to the other. AMAZONIAN And this week brings us a new destination. It's off to the land that brought us the wonderfulness that is Paul Pogba for everybody who wears black and white jerseys. Maybe we should thank the wonderful country of France for Pogba? I dunno, just an idea I had. But the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals takes Juventus to a country they have yet to step foot in this season. Maybe that's a good, maybe it's not. We do know one thing, though: They arrive as a team coming off a loss, yet they are still the odds-on favorites to win the whole damn thing in front of their hometown crowd next month. That's gotta mean something, right? AMAZONIAN The thing is this: The way Juventus has been playing for the better part of their stint in the Europa League, we don't know how they will react to the 2-0 drubbing at the hands of Napoli this past weekend. We know how we want them to come out and play against Lyon tomorrow night. But we don't know for sure how, exactly, they will react to one of their worst performances of the year. That's the interesting thing in all of this, I guess. This game can be funny in a cruel kind of way. It's been weeks upon weeks, months upon months since Juventus were put in the situation they are currently in. Their last league loss was when Roma was taking Serie A by storm and racking up shutouts like they were going out of style. The last time they had to react to a league loss was when they were in a completely different European competition. AMAZONIAN But if that last time is any kind of hint, then things will be more than okay. Or, if the last six weeks are any indication, then maybe things won't just instantly become better at the snap of Antonio Conte's magical managerial fingers. (That would be nice, though. Just being honest.) Maybe a European tie will be just the cure like the last post-loss one was and Juventus roll into the Europa League semifinals and clinch the league title sooner rather than later. That sure would be nice, wouldn't it? AMAZONIAN GOOD NEWS Like I said, Juventus can use the loss to Napoli the same way they used the Fiorentina defeat back in late October — a much-needed kick in the backside that can snap them out of their current funk. There is no guarantee, of course, but when you get worked over like Juve did on Sunday night, sometimes a reality check is the thing you need. BAD NEWS If you have watched Juventus lately, you pretty much know things aren't going so hot right now. There are wins and the lead atop Serie A is still pretty comfortable, but the team's actual form has been pretty darn ugly. Winning ugly is one thing, but Napoli pretty reminded us of what we already knew — Juventus isn't playing well at all right now. Side note: No Arturo Vidal thanks to his yellow card in the second leg against Fioretnina. Claudio Marchisio, welcome back to the starting lineup. Now go out and do something awesome against Lyon. AMAZONIAN WHAT TO WATCH FOR 1. Carlos Tévez's return to the lineup. Tévez is rested and probably tired of hearing about how he hasn't scored any goals in Europe for longer period of time than this blog has been in existence. Well, I know I'm tired of it, so I'll just speak for Carlitos in this sense. And while the team as a whole has taken a total step back in terms of form, don't blame it on Juve's No. 10. He continues to be one of the squad's most consistent players — even in Europe when he's not scoring goals. Now I'm pretty sure it's time to go out and score a goal in Europe so everybody shuts the heck up about no European goals, Carlitos. Just a suggestion. 2. Who else starts up front? Fernando Llorente isn't on top form like he was a few months ago. Dani Osvaldo has cooled off since he first arrived in Turin. Sebastian Giovinco is sometimes healthy, sometimes not even included in the match day squad. Mirko Vucinic is probably thinking about his next mustache after finally taking the field over the weekend. The striker options to play alongside Tévez are...yeah, hard to say at this point. For as much as I thought Conte would stick to his guns and continue to play Osvaldo in Europa League matches, he had Llorente play from the start in the second leg against Fiorentina. But as we've seen, Llorente's big contributions are becoming less and less these past few weeks. I guess what I'm trying to say is that your guess as to who Tévez's strike partner tomorrow night will be as good as mine. AMAZONIAN 3. Paul Pogba on his home soil. Outside of national team duty, this is the 21-year-old Frenchman's first trip to his homeland since he became a Juventus player. You would think that because of said event, he would have a little extra motivation to go vintage Pogba on Lyon and do some things. You know, match-changing things where Pogba absolutely takes over. We all know he is capable of such awesomeness, but much like the team's overall form in recent weeks, Pogba being Pogba has been pretty hit-and-miss. I might be going out on a limb here, but having one of those big-time Pogba games when there's likely to be a few extra eyes on him would be pretty nice to see. (Okay, that's not exactly going out on a limb.) 4. Getting the vital away goal or two. The last two rounds, the shoe was on the other foot. Juventus were home and therefore preventing some kind of away goal shenanigans. But now that the script is flipped, and Juve get to play the first leg away from home rather than in front of the home crowd at Juventus Stadium. It's probably the way a lot of us want it considering if Juve return home with an away goal, it will be just that much tougher for Lyon to overcome things. Even with that, they're going to have to overcome a few things — or injuries — in the first leg. That's a whole lot of Lyon players out injured or more than likely out injured. If you ever wanted a chance to snatch an away goal or two when your opponent is less-than 100 percent, this would be that chance. Go right ahead, gents. I'm hopefully we won't have to remind you twice. My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla, Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah; Osvaldo, Tevez OFFICIAL KICKOFF TIME: 9:05 P.M. IN ITALY; 3:05 P.M. ON THE EAST COAST; 12:05 P.M. ON THE WEST COAST.

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Europa League: Lyon v Juventus team news Carlos Tevez's return will bolster Juventus as the Italians look to bounce back from their defeat at Napoli in Thursday's Europa League quarter-final first leg at Lyon. Apr 2, 2014 The Argentinian striker, who is Juve's top scorer this season with 18 goals, missed Sunday's 2-0 defeat in Naples through suspension. AMAZONIAN The loss, Juve's second in Serie A, left the Turin giants 11 points clear of Roma at the top of the standings with seven games remaining. "It's a difficult time because we are playing so many games and it's not always possible to play every game at a high level," Tevez said to www.tuttojuve.com. "We have won a lot of games this season and this is what matters. "The fact that I didn't play at the weekend has given me the opportunity to prepare in the best possible way for the game at Lyon." AMAZONIAN Tevez's last European goal dates back to April 2009 but the South American, who will lead Juve's attack in Lyon, is calm despite his goal drought on the continent. "I am serene because sooner or later the goal will arrive," he said. "For me this is not an obsession." Juve travel to the Stade de Gerland having won their two Europa League games on the road, including a 1-0 triumph at Fiorentina in the previous round. AMAZONIAN Rivals Lyon are unbeaten at home since the group stages of the competition but just like their rivals, they are also feeling the fatigue of their busy fixture schedule. Sunday's 2-1 home loss to St Etienne was Les Gones' second defeat in their last three league games and dropped Remi Garde's side to fifth place in Ligue 1. "We have played a lot of football this season and we are starting to feel it," Garde said to olweb.fr. "It's never easy to lose the derby, but it doesn't change anything. AMAZONIAN "We don't have time and we don't want to dwell on this. We have to bounce back on Thursday." The hosts are without six injured players, including Miguel Lopes, Mou Dabo and Clement Grenier. The only consolation for Garde is that striker Yassine Benzia returns from suspension. AMAZONIAN Juve coach Antonio Conte will be without midfielder Arturo Vidal, who serves a one-match ban. The return leg will be played on April 10 at the Juventus stadium, the venue for this year's final.

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Lacazette: I want to play for Juventus The 22-year-old, who is the second top goalscorer in the French league at the moment, has admitted he would be interested in joining the Italian giants. Apr 2, 2014 Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette has hinted at a possible move to Italian giants Juventus in the future. AMAZONIAN The two sides meet in the last eight of the Europa League on Thursday, with the first-leg in France before the return in Turin a week later. And Lacazette, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions for the French side this season, says he would relish the chance to join a club the size of Juve. "Juventus are the most successful club in Italian football," he told Tuttosport. AMAZONIAN "So, of course, I'd be lying if I said I didn’t want to play for them. I am attracted by the big clubs and would love to play abroad. "But right now I am thinking about scoring goals for Lyon, and my job is to try to do that against Juve. "We know they are going to be extra motivated because the final is at their own stadium, but we're looking forward to the challenge."

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Juve’s French challenge Juventus face Lyon in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday. Luca Cetta assesses the pair heading into the tie. Apr 2, 2014 When the draw for the Europa League quarter-finals paired Juventus with Lyon, Fabio Grosso was immediately sought for comment. The newly-installed Bianconeri Primavera Coach represented both clubs in his career, winning Italian and French championships. AMAZONIAN “I must admit I got excited when I saw the draw, two teams that are important to me will be facing each other. I’m part of Juventus and will always have Lyon in my heart. I’ve got many friends there and enjoyed a fantastic experience.” He continued: “I was lucky enough to play with world class talents like Juninho Pernambucano, Benzema, Keita and Toulalan.” That was then. This is now. It’s no longer the all-conquering club which romped to seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles. This Lyon – led by former defender Remi Garde – is well off the pace set by Paris Saint-Germain. Currently fifth on 48 points, they are six adrift of Europe following inconsistent form. AMAZONIAN The continent has also proved a struggle. Dumped from the Champions League in the play-off round, Lyon topped Group I in the Europa, yet scored just six times in as many games. Aside from breaking the shackles and netting four in the Round of 16 first leg with Viktoria Plzen, goals have been hard to come by. As Grosso notes, there is a youthful outlook in the east of France. “There are a couple of players who were youngsters when I was there and have subsequently managed to break into the first team. The club works very well, they’re serious and passionate about what they do.” Alexandre Lacazette is one such example. Juve will need to be wary of Lyon’s top scorer who has bagged 14 domestic goals and two in Europe. Strike partner Bafetimbi Gomis has 11 in Ligue 1 and one more than Lacazette on the continent. AMAZONIAN Captain Maxime Gonalons was close to Napoli in January, but is now hoping to lead Lyon to the last four. He’ll be looking to make a statement, but former Milan midfielder Yoann Gourcuff is set to miss out because of an ankle problem. He’s one of a number of players unavailable. The French club go in as the underdog as they host a Juve outfit smarting from only its second domestic loss. Pegged back for long periods by Napoli, the Bianconeri fell to a 2-0 defeat and with it came the end of a 22-game unbeaten run in Serie A. They had won seven straight beforehand. The favourite to win the Europa League, the question surrounding Juve ahead of the first leg is fatigue. Coupled with injuries, a chunk of the team has been unchanged for a number of matches. That has led to lacklustre performances reliant on moments of individual brilliance rather than overwhelming team showings. AMAZONIAN “I believe that we have been missing for a month, players of great worth,” stated captain Gianluigi Buffon after Sunday’s loss. “Barzagli, Ogbonna, we have Marchisio who is slowly coming back, but we also missed Carlos Tevez. In short, we were and are in an emergency for the past 30-40 days, with three games a week.” The Old Lady faces a manageable upcoming domestic run, so the proverbial eggs can be thrown in the Europa League basket as players return. Especially with an 11-point Serie A lead. Yet Garde can look favourably at how Napoli toppled the Turin club. Juve could not get out of the blocks against a side Buffon says “would spit blood in order to take the scalp of Juventus.” At the Stade de Gerland, where they are unbeaten in Europe this term, Lyon would have to do the same. Rafael Benitez’s men were spot on in stopping Juventus. They outgunned the midfield trio of Andrea Pirlo, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal, stemmed the flow out wide and pegged them back in their half. AMAZONIAN Vidal won’t be in France, he sits out suspended. Conversely, Tevez returns. Juve’s top scorer – still without a European goal – is fresh from his own suspension. “I’m calm because sooner or later the goals will come, but it’s not an obsession for me,” he said over the weekend. The Argentine will no doubt be pivotal and an away goal would be the perfect end to the drought. So how does Grosso see the tie? “They will be two difficult games, but Juventus are aware of their strengths and possess the quality to give anyone a tough time. I’m convinced we’ll see two great matches.”

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Garde: 'Juve are a mountain' Apr 2, 2014 Lyon Coach Remi Garde said Juventus are like “a mountain” to climb in tomorrow’s Europa League quarter-final. AMAZONIAN The first leg is at the Stade de Gerland on Thursday at 20.05 UK time (19.05 GMT). “We are confronted with a mountain, so it will take the perfect game,” said Garde in his Press conference. “Juve have the players for a Champions League quarter-final, let alone one in the Europa League. Our players can’t wait to enjoy this moment in the spotlight, their little chance to shine. AMAZONIAN “We must adapt our style of play to that of Juventus, because the level of quality in Europe is much higher than in France.” Garde was asked whether he saw similarities between Juve and Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain. “They are identical teams in the way they dominate everyone in their respective Leagues. They are both packed with champions. AMAZONIAN “Carlos Tevez is a constant danger. Antonio Conte is doing great work and knows how to make his team play well. “It will be our 52nd game of the season, but I won’t make calculations or rotate my squad. The best available players will start.”

Cavani swap for Pogba? Apr 2, 2014 Juventus will ask for cash plus Edinson Cavani should Paris Saint-Germain make a move for Paul Pogba in the summer. AMAZONIAN The France international has been heavily linked with a number of top European clubs, including Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United. But it is the Ligue 1 leaders who have been consistently rumoured to be tracking the 21-year-old, with several stories emerging that they would be willing to pay upwards of €60m for the midfielder. However, Tuttosport have led with the news this morning that should Laurent Blanc’s men come back in for Pogba during the off-season, the Bianconeri will ask for Cavani in return, plus cash. AMAZONIAN It is suggested that Antonio Conte’s outfit would accept a much lower fee than €60m, but that would be cancelled out by the Uruguayan striker’s supposed transfer fee and wages. The former Napoli man is apparently keen to return to Italy, having become disillusioned with life in the French capital.

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Lyon v Juventus – Team News, Tactics, Line-ups And Prediction Apr 2, 2014 Juventus travel to the State De Gerland to take on Lyon in what will be the first meeting between these two sides in a competitive fixture. Juventus will start as favorites against a Lyon side who despite fielding a very young side are enjoying a pretty good season. We must keep in mind that this is not the same Lyon side led by Paul Le Geun who won an incredible seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles in the period of 2001 to 2008. To sanction a new stadium, budget has been very tight and the team now comprises of promising academy graduates rather than the likes of as Sonny Anderson, Juninho Pernambucano , Karim Benzema , Fred , Michel Bastos, Lisandro Lopez , Michael Essien , Florent Malouda , Eric Abidal , Diarra Mahmadou, Hatem Ben Arfa. Under the stewardship of former Arsenal midfielder Remi Garde, the squad has few experienced names which include Bafatembi Gomis, who is in the last year of his contract and will leave the club in summer, the talented but very inconsistent Yohann Gourcuff and Steed Malbranque a youth academy alumnus who has returned to his former club to finish his career. Les Gones – which fittingly means ‘the Kids’ in the local dialect of Arpitan, have some exciting talents which include the very impressive Clement Grenier and also leftback Samuel Umtiti. Centre Tola Vologe has produced top-level players at a volume only Barcelona and Real Madrid can match in recent seasons, with stars such as Karim Benzema, Hatem Ben Arfa, Loic Remy, Sidney Govou and Ludovic Guily. Juventus, as history suggests, have performed well against French clubs and they would be looking to grab a positive result here after the setback in Naples on Sunday. Antonio Conte himself has been pretty vocal about respecting the Europa League and his players will look to carry on their momentum of good domestic form in Europe as well. Except the historic 6-1 victory against PSG in 1996, Juventus have struggled on French soil so they would look to improve on this record. This clash also sees the youngest side (Lyon-average age 24.3 yrs) in Europa league take on the oldest (Juventus- average age 29.4 yrs). AMAZONIAN Team News and Tactical Brief LYON Lyon have switched between the 5-3-2 and 4-1-2-1-2 formations this season with Remi Garde preferring a more pragmatic approach away from home.In goal they have the very impressive Portuguese Anthony Lopes, who at age of 23 has already displaced the experienced Remi Vercoutre and is seriously challenging to be Portugal’s No.1 goalkeeper at World Cup 2014. Samuel Umtiti has grabbed headlines with commanding displays at the heart of the defence. Excellent positional sense, good physique and a great left foot are his best qualities. He will be partnered by the experienced Serb Milan Bisevac. The full back positions are taken by Henri Bedimo and Miguel Lopes, another Portuguese on loan from Sporting. Garde usually prefers Burkina Faso international Bacary Kone when he uses a 3men backline. In front of the defence sits the captain and midfield anchorman Maxime Gonalons who seemed destined to join Napoli this year. Along with him he has the Franco- Cameroonian Gueïda Fofana. Jordan Ferri has proven himself a viable option in the midfield and will take the place of Fofana in case he does not recover from his injury. Malbranque and Grenier are the creative outlets in midfield and Clement Grenier in particular is a very dynamic young prospect who has grabbed headlines with some wonderful displays this season. The former AC Milan player Yoann Gourcuff is now only an alternative from the bench. Gourcuff would love to step up on this big stage and show some glimpses of his talent which once made him one of the most coveted youngsters in Europe. AMAZONIAN The forward line will comprise of Jimmy Briand who will start ahead of Bafatembi Gomis. Brian has been in good form this season notching up 11 goals already. He will be partnered by rising star and the most positive story of this season for Lyon: Alexander Lacazette has already netted 19 times in all competitions and will hope to make a mark against Juventus as well. Another promising talent for the future is the 19yr old striker of Algerian origin Benzia Yassine. Probable Starting Line-up (4-1-2-1-2): Lopes(GK); Bedimo, Bisevac, Umtiti, Lopes; Gonalons, Gourcuff, Grenier; Malbranque,Lacazette, Briand. AMAZONIAN JUVENTUS Juventus travel to France with a weakened defensive lineup as long term absentees Ogbonna Barzagli and Peluso continue to remain on the sidelines. Buffon will lead a three man defence of Bonucci Cheillini and Caceres. This will be the fifth consecutive game that the same trio lineup as centre-backs highlighting the lack of options Antonio Conte has due to the injuries. In midfield Andrea Pirlo is likely to be rested as Claudio Marchisio will get to start after his injury layoff and will take the role of a regista in which he has flourished so far this season. Arturo Vidal will partner Paul Pogba in what promises to be an interesting duel with Gonalons and Grenier.Both of them have looked well below par last month as the congested fixture list seems to take a toll on the entire squad. Mauricio Isla will look to impress in a rare starting role as the right fullback. Kwado Asamoah also has shown signs of fatigue in recent weeks but will continue to start on the left side as there are no alternatives for him at this moment. AMAZONIAN Upfront Juventus will be glad to see the return of Carlos Tevez who was absent against Napoli in which the Juventus forward line offered very little in an insipid display. Mirko Vucinic made a cameo appearance on Sunday after almost two months and will make his first start since 5th January when Juventus travelled to face Bologna. The two looked promising as a front pair at the beginning of the season,particularly in the Supercup and the league game against Lazio, and Conte will be hoping that they rediscover that understanding. Probable Starting Line-up (3-5-2): Buffon(GK);Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, Marchisio, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Vucinic. AMAZONIAN Players to Watch Out For Carlos Tevez (Juventus) Few eyebrows were raised in the summer when Juventus handed the iconic number 10 to new arrival Carlos Tevez. Eight months into the season and those doubts have been pretty much put to rest by the Argentine who has exceeded all expectations in his debut season to register 18 goals. Apart from his goals, Tevez has also become the crowd favorite with his relentless running and bullying of opposition defence, carving out chances for his teammates and sacrificing himself for the team’s cause. It seems Tevez can do no wrong ut quite astonishingly he has failed to find the back of the net in Europe since 2009. Having scored the match winners in his previous two matches against Catania and Parma, this might just be the tie where he breaks his European duck.Lyon captain Maxime Gonalons claimed that he had already stopped Falcao so he would not lose his sleep over Tevez. Apache would be looking to answer that on the field this Thursday. AMAZONIAN Clement Grenier (Lyon) Grenier joined Lyon in 2002 from his hometown club FC Annonay and soon became one of the club’s best prospects. A wonderfully talented player who likes to play in the hole behind the two strikers or as part of a midfield trio, he is also one of the best dead-ball specialists in France right now. His free-kicks have drawn plenty of comparisons with Lyon legend Juninho Pernambucano. Unsurprisingly, he is also a threat from long distance as well and although his defensive work isn’t great but that isn’t necessarily a key aspect of his game. The best part about Grenier is that he is just 22, and his potential is huge. Watching him play is almost like watching the player that his team-mate Yoann Gourcuff could have become with a bit more consistency and more luck with injuries. Lyon will be hoping that Grenier succeeds and the early signs are very positive to say the least. Maxime Gonalons(Lyon) Maxime Gonalons, the captain of Lyon, has had to show maturity and calmness beyond his 24 years as Lyon struggle through a period of transition. Gonalons has been with Lyon for over 14 years now and since making his professional debut back in 2009 has grown to become one of their most reliable players in the period following their dominance in France. His versatility to be both the classic defensive midfielder protecting the back line, but also to combine that with lung-busting box-to-box runs means he is usually the first name on the team-sheet for Lyon, and since early 2013 he was handed the captain’s armband of his beloved hometown club. Gonalons has remained a consistent leader on and off the pitch and even though he will never be a midfielder who will score buckets of goals; his real skills lie in his intelligence and ability to assess situations almost instantly. His 6’1″ frame means he is a threat from set pieces. His performances over the last couple of years has led Gonalons to be linked with a number of Europe’s leading clubs from Arsenal to Napoli, the latter being a highly possible move as rumours of recent meetings with senior staff at the Italian club refuse to go away. AMAZONIAN Prediction Lyon 1–3 Juventus Lyon have an inexperienced but talented squad of players who have performed admirably in this year’s Europa League. But this Juventus side might be an obstacle too formidable to dispatch. Expect them to put up a good fight but Juventus are the clear favorites in this fixture. AMAZONIAN Blast From the Past This will be the first meeting in European stage for these two teams. They previously met in a friendly in 2010.

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Tevez not worried by lack of European goals Apr 1, 2014 Ahead of their Europa League quarter-final tie with Lyon on Thursday Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has insisted that, despite his lack of goals in European competition for the Bianconeri this season, is not obsessed with scoring. AMAZONIAN The Argentinean has been prolific in Serie A since arriving for Manchester City in the summer, however, in eight appearances in Europe, including their earlier Champions League participation he has failed to hit the net. “I’m calm because sooner or later the goals will come, but for me it should not be an obsession,” Tevez told Uefa.com. “Unfortunately I could not play this weekend but it will give me the opportunity to prepare well for Lyon. I will be able to recharge the batteries before the trip to France.” AMAZONIAN With the Old Lady suffering their first Serie A defeat this term against Napoli on Sunday the 30-year-old believed that playing so often during the closing stages of the season can often affect teams. “It is a difficult moment,” he continued. “We’re playing a lot of games and you cannot always play at a high tempo. “However, we have managed to win most so far and this is what matters. We could not do more.”

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Marchisio: Juve must perform Apr 1, 2014 Claudio Marchisio says Juventus must put in a strong performance in the first leg of their Europa League quarter final with Lyon. AMAZONIAN The Old Lady face the French side on Thursday on the back of a disappointing performance and result against Napoli at the weekend. “Tomorrow we head to Lyon,” Marchisio wrote on his official Facebook page. “We need to put in a good performance. AMAZONIAN “We need to get the Napoli performance out of our heads and get back to doing what we are best at. Winning.”

OLYMPIQUE LYON - JUVENTUS April 3, 2014 - 9:05 PM Gerland Stadium — Lyon Referee: William Collum (Scotland) Juventus could face hooligan problem as they prepare for trip to Lyon Apr 1, 2014 Juventus are in danger of a potential violent hooligan attack when they travel to Lyon for the first leg of their Europa League quarter final tie. AMAZONIAN There is growing concern from local police that the Lyon supporters may cause problems for the Bianconeri as they are set to stay at hotel that is located close to the Stade de Gerland. According to Tuttosport, the police have been placed on maximum alert because of events that took place over the weekend during the derby match between St. Etienne and Lyon. AMAZONIAN Reports suggest that hundreds of hooligans tried to barge into the hotel that housed the visiting team, St. Etienne, forcing local police to intervene and calm the situation. The mob also attacked the away side’s bus before security personnel escorted the St. Etienne coach to the bus. With the Bianconeri set to stay at the Novotel Gerland, which is even closer to Lyon’s stadium than the hotel in which St. Etienne stayed at during the weekend, local police are already hard at work to prevent a similar situation from taking place on Thursday.

Bonucci questions Juventus hunger The Italy international has insisted that the title race is not over yet and has urged his team-mates to keep giving their all. Apr 1, 2014 Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has questioned the hunger of his team-mates and says the race for Serie A is far from over. http://markting10.nl/ The reigning champions were stunned by Napoli at the weekend, as Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens scored either side of the break to seal a 2-0 victory for Rafael Benitez's men. The result leaves Juve sitting 11 points clear of second-placed Roma, who have a game in hand, with Bonucci concerned that the Bianconeri have taken their foot off the gas. "What this defeat really showed me is firstly that the Scudetto is still not won and secondly that it will keep our feet on the ground," he wrote on his official website. http://markting10.nl/ "You can always learn more. Napoli showed that they had more hunger than we did. "The Juventus that I know has always shown more hunger than their opponents." Antonio Conte's side have seven league games remaining, including a trip to Roma in May.

Buffon: Absences have hurt us Mar 31, 2014 Gianluigi Buffon believes that Juventus have been struggling for the past six weeks due to the absences in their playing staff. AMAZONIAN The Bianconeri suffered a second League defeat of the season on Sunday evening at Napoli, to hand Roma a slight hint at a title race entering the final eight rounds of the season. For the Old Lady’s captain, the way the Vesuviani went about collecting their 2-0 win over his side was not unexpected, but for a number of reasons. “Did they surprise us? No, because we expected a team that would play at great pace, that would spit blood in order to take the scalp of Juventus,” Buffon considered to Raidue after yesterday’s game. AMAZONIAN “And we definitely arrived for this game in a bit of trouble. How so? Because I look at the newspapers, the medical reports, the commitments that we have had in the last month-and-a-half and it can be understood why at certain moments the blanket has appeared shorter. “Crisis? No, no, there is room and space for each kind of speculation and consideration, but certainly, in fact, with all these commitments, in the last month or so we have not been the brightest, nor the steamroller that we had been up to a month, a month-and-a-half ago. “I believe that we have been missing for a month, players of great worth - Barzagli, Ogbonna, we have Marchisio who is slowly coming back, but [yesterday] we also missed Tevez. AMAZONIAN “In short, we were and are in an emergency for the past 30-40 days, with three games a week. It is normal that something has to give. “It is also best that this happens when you have a sufficiently large advantage over second place, considerable, we can say.” AMAZONIAN Buffon, who also commented to Mediaset that ‘the championship is wide open’, was asked if it was a concerning issue heading into this week’s Europa League quarter-final first leg against Lyon. “To be concerned is right, in the sense that if we are a great team, when occasionally we do lose, then the reaction should be even more vehement, which it should be as we are a great team, made up of great champions. Usually it is the case and will be so again this time.”

Tevez: Roma still in it Mar 31, 2014 Carlos Tevez has warned that so long as Roma remain mathematically challenging for the Scudetto, Juventus can’t call it their own. AMAZONIAN The Bianconeri were defeated 2-0 at Napoli on Sunday night, but still hold a sizeable advantage over the third placed Partenopei and Rudi Garcia’s Giallorossi in second. Even so, the Old Lady’s No 10 has ruled out talk of the League being already decided. “With Roma there are two clubs fighting for the title,” Tevez has warned to the Corriere dello Sport this week. AMAZONIAN “Roma are working very well, and are building a team that can look to great things. Mathematically the Giallorossi still have a chance of winning the Scudetto. “And until we have mathematically won it, we cannot say we are champions.” The 30-year-old reflected on life with the Turin club. AMAZONIAN “Juve is a great in Italy, and one of those clubs where any child dreams of playing. We are a big family and that is what counts. “We are doing very well and we spend a lot of time together. I think this is an important aspect. “We have clear objectives. Win the championship and continue our journey in the Europa League. We have a great team and we can look to the final. It depends only on us.” AMAZONIAN Tevez spent seven years playing in the Premier League and was asked for his opinion on their much closer title race this term, which doesn’t include former side Manchester United. “We all know that English football is one of the most spectacular in the world. I believe that Manchester City and Chelsea are one step ahead of the others. AMAZONIAN “United’s struggles? It is hard to replace a Coach like Sir Alex Ferguson, who built up the success of the club for so many years, and it is difficult to maintain certain things, particularly in the first season. “I think that the club has to adapt, and to change the mindset of the people. It will be difficult to match what Sir Alex Ferguson did.”

NAPOLI 2 - 0 JUVENTUS José Callejón (37′) Dries Mertens (81′) March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Attendance:‬ 42000‎ Serie A wide open again, claims Buffon The goalkeeper insists Napoli were fully deserving of their 2-0 win on Sunday and suggested that the defeat has given Roma a lifeline in the title race. Mar 31, 2014 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes the Serie A title race has been blown wide open by his side's 2-0 loss to Napoli on Sunday. AMAZONIAN Jose Callejon opened the scoring midway through the first half at the Stadio San Paolo before Dries Mertens' effort with nine minutes left to play secured all three points for the third-placed Partenopei. The reigning Scudetto holders remain 11 points ahead of Roma in Italy, although they have played a game more than Rudi Garcia's men. "Without going in search of whatever excuse, I have to say that Napoli deservedly won and that we we did not express ourselves adequately," Buffon told Mediaset Premium. AMAZONIAN "The Scudetto is wide open because Roma are in great shape. They have all of the credentials to make it a race for the finish line should be slip up again. "The loss does not bother me ahead of the Europa League last eight. In the end, sometimes losses precede big wins, which has often happened for us in the past. Let's hope that's the case again." Juve visit Olympique Lyonnais on Thursday in the opening leg of their last-eight European tussle with the French giants. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI 2 - 0 JUVENTUS José Callejón (37′) Dries Mertens (81′) March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Attendance:‬ 42000‎ Napoli deserved winners against tired Juve Mar 31, 2014 Juventus have not lost a Serie A match since October 2013, but on Sunday night they deserved to lose to a tactically astute Napoli side that scored a 2-0 result to secure a home victory. Just as it looked like the Scudetto was virtually guaranteed, Roma need only a win on Wednesday to close down the gap at the top to eight points. AMAZONIAN While Napoli manager Rafa Benitez's tactics were questioned in the reverse fixture due to his decision to play a passive game that relied on counterattacking football, one can do nothing but applaud his team on Sunday night who played with intelligence, passion and with great intensity. Making the most of an exhausted Juve side, Napoli simply refused to sit back and watch the Bianconeri secure another win with a halfhearted display as has been seen from them in recent weeks. The Partenopei defended astutely, played aggressively and watched with a wry smile as the Old Lady struggled to raise her game. While goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon rescued the side several times in the opening twenty minutes, the Azzurri's movement and relentless energy saw them first to every ball, desperate to close down space and effective when in possession. Their opponents, on the other hand, resembled a diamond drowning in sand, unable to dazzle, unable to breath. With Napoli cutting off Juve's routes to goal, the Bianconeri were not only poor at penetrating via the wings but also not allowed to deliver the perfectly accurate vertical ball through the middle. Andrea Pirlo was effectively marked, Fernando Llorente could barely hold the ball up while Arturo Vidal's performance perfectly encapsulated his team's display -- that of exhaustion. Unable to cover the ground necessary, his usual hunger and intensity on the field went missing leaving a shell of a man desperate for some time off. AMAZONIAN Juventus were simply too tired, not only physically buy psychologically too. The midfield that is regularly attentive to runs and excellent at closing down space was a little absent-minded, leaving the back-line to fend for themselves on several occasions. Napoli, showing their ambitions and a big game mentality, took advantage of the situation. They imposed their aggressive and energetic style of play, used Gonzalo Higuain and his attacking teammates to press high up the pitch and forced Juventus to defend. It didn't take long before the Azzurri finally cashed in on a goalscoring opportunity when the ever mobile Jose Maria Callejon overcame Kwadwo Asamoah to strike and score their opening goal. In Juve's defence, the Spaniard was marginally offside, while the goal was scored when Giorgio Chiellini was off the pitch, attending to his injury. Nonetheless, Napoli deserved to be in the lead. AMAZONIAN In the second half the Old Lady attempted to raise her game. Sitting further up the pitch, the penetration on the wings somewhat improved but when it came to actually creating chances, Juventus simply seemed out of ideas. The team dearly missed Carlos Tevez and his mobility. A player that seems to never surrender to exhaustion, his mentality may well have proved the difference on the night. Instead, Juve fans were subjected to the Llorente-Pablo Osvaldo partnership that simply doesn't work. While the tired Spaniard disappointed, Osvaldo tried to make an impact but just isn't yet that familiar with the team's patterns of play and not the right player to deploy on the night. Mirko Vucinic's arrival on the pitch immediately improved matters for the Bianconeri but a goal still seemed too ambitious for manager Antonio Conte's men on the night. AMAZONIAN In fact, it was the home side that managed another to further compound Juve's misery on the night. Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina set the attacking wheels in motion when he delivered a perfect ball only for Goran Pandev to deliver an delicious pass for Dries Mertens to slot in. An impressive finish, Napoli demonstrated just how to counter-attack effectively to make it 2-0. In truth, this was perhaps the worst domestic performance that has been seen from the Bianconeri this season. Against Fiorentina, Juventus scored and dominated the match only to concede four in 14 minutes of madness. However, on Sunday night, the Old Lady simply didn't compete and with so many injuries and players forced to play many matches in quick succession, one has to accept this result. Napoli deserve to celebrate their victory. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI 2 - 0 JUVENTUS José Callejón (37′) Dries Mertens (81′) March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Attendance:‬ 42000‎ Napoli still not at Juventus' level, says Benitez The Spanish coach claims his side must develop a stronger mentality to compete in multiple tournaments during a season and once more pointed to the Bianconeri's better revenue. Mar 30, 2014 Napoli boss Rafa Benitez believes his side must develop a stronger mentality if they are to reach the same level as Juventus. AMAZONIAN The Partenopei sealed an impressive 2-0 win over the league leaders on Sunday, and while he was impressed with his side's display, Benitez feels his charges must maintain their concentration throughout the season if they are to challenge for supremacy in Serie A. "No performance is ever perfect. Tonight it was a top-level game against a top-level team. I said the squad would make the difference over a season, but in the starting XI anything can happen," Benitez told Sky Sport Italia. "It's not easy, as we don't have as much strength in depth as Juventus and it becomes even tougher when you see Roma ahead of us aren't making any mistakes. AMAZONIAN "It was key to have possession, which in the first half was remarkable as Juve only had 38 per cent. We could have scored more, but by keeping possession we ensured Juve couldn't hurt us. "We played many games at a high level and it's tough to maintain that level throughout the season without remarkable strength in depth, especially when it's a Champions League game followed by a less important fixture. "This step up in mentality is what we need to reach the level of a side like Juve." AMAZONIAN Antonio Conte took a swipe at Napoli in his post-match interview, claiming they have developed very little despite investing over €100 million in the squad this season, but Benitez once again pointed to Juve's better financial turnover as proof that the Bianconeri should not complain over spending. "A coach must try to keep that intensity up, but it requires time and experienced players who are prepared to sit on the bench. Today Tevez wasn't playing, so Osvaldo and Vucinic were ready. "This is a winning squad that can cover all areas, which again is why I mentioned the revenue of the two clubs." http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI 2 - 0 JUVENTUS José Callejón (37′) Dries Mertens (81′) March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Attendance:‬ 42000‎ Conte: 'Benitez, check your stats' Mar 30, 2014 Antonio Conte told Rafa Benitez to “check his calculations,” but confessed Napoli deserved to beat Juventus. AMAZONIAN “It certainly wasn’t a good first half performance, in terms of approach, character or anything,” the Coach told Sky Sport Italia after a 2-0 defeat at the Stadio San Paolo. “Napoli played a very good first half and we paid the price for the fact we’ve got such a packed fixture list and the injury emergency means the same players have to play all the time. “We were facing a Napoli side that was built to win and not to take part. After all, a club that spends more than €100m on the transfer market cannot be happy just to take part.” AMAZONIAN It was a reference to Benitez repeatedly pointing out Juve have to be favourites thanks to their revenue, which is much higher than any of the other Serie A clubs. “The revenue issue is one of opinion. You can make €500m revenue, but it depends on how much you invest in the squad. Napoli spent more in one year than Juventus have in three,” continued Conte. “We paid out €25m, but covered that expenditure with sales like Emanuele Giaccherini. I hope Benitez will stop saying this or at least check his calculations. It’s important to say the truth and not just spreading stories that have no real basis in fact. AMAZONIAN “The numbers are there, you can look at them. Juventus spent €25m on the transfer market this summer and Napoli spent €100m in order to go out of the Champions League in the group phase and the Europa League in the Round of 16. “We try to reply on the field by winning and hope to do so again this season.” Carlos Tevez was suspended and Juve really missed the Capocannoniere this evening. AMAZONIAN “Let’s not forget Mirko Vucinic was out for two and a half months, Sebastian Giovinco returned this week and we’ve had a big emergency situation. It is inevitable Fernando Llorente would feel tired, as he is playing all the time. Daniel Osvaldo does well when called upon. Carlos is clearly a leader and someone who makes his presence felt in fiery games like this. “Napoli did well to peg us back and we were also not aggressive enough to contrast them. We were playing against a very good side and it can happen when playing every three days to pay a price for fatigue. “They seemed hungrier in the first half, but we had a strong reaction after the break and nobody could’ve complained if we had equalised. Of course, looking at the 90 minutes Napoli deserved the win.” AMAZONIAN Conte was also asked about Jose Mourinho’s comments this week, in which the Chelsea manager said Juventus could not consider it a success to win the Europa League when they were constructed to win the Champions League. “Mourinho was not talking about Juventus. He discussed Porto, Benfica and Napoli, so I think he was trying to make what Benitez did winning the Europa League last season with Chelsea seem less impressive. His real target was Benitez.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI 2 - 0 JUVENTUS José Callejón (37′) Dries Mertens (81′) March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Attendance:‬ 42000‎ Benitez: 'Napoli stronger on the night' Mar 30, 2014 Rafa Benitez reiterated Juventus still have more “strength in depth, but with a starting XI anything can happen.” AMAZONIAN The Partenopei ended Juve’s 22-round unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory, although there are still 17 points separating them in the Serie A table. “No performance is ever perfect. It was tonight a top level game against a top level team. I said the squad would make the difference over a season, but in the starting XI anything can happen,” Benitez told Sky Sport Italia. “More than motivation against the smaller sides, we need the same level of concentration and intensity that we showed today. It’s not easy, as we don’t have as much strength in depth as Juventus and it becomes even tougher when you see Roma ahead of us aren’t making any mistakes. AMAZONIAN “It was key to have possession, which in the first half was remarkable as Juve only had 38 per cent. We could’ve scored more, but by keeping possession we ensured Juve couldn’t hurt us. “We know that we can’t change anything now. We played many games at a high level and it’s tough to maintain that level throughout the season without remarkable strength in depth, especially when it’s a Champions League game followed by a less important fixture. “This step up in mentality is what we need to reach the level of a side like Juve. A Coach must try to keep that intensity up, but it requires time and experienced players who are prepared to sit on the bench. Today Tevez wasn’t playing, so Osvaldo and Vucinic were ready. AMAZONIAN “This is a winning squad that can cover all areas, which again is why I mentioned the revenue of the two clubs.” Paulo Henrique arrived in January and has been an impressive addition, providing more balance to the side as a right-back. “We are talking about a centre-back, which is his main role. When he is close to our area he has the tendency to come back and help. He has experience and is strong in the air, which was very useful against Llorente tonight.” AMAZONIAN Roma boss Rudi Garcia said today he wanted Napoli to win, but will he regret that now? “I think Garcia has the same mentality as we do, that he is targeting Juve just as we are targeting Roma. Teams must always aim higher.” AMAZONIAN Benitez snapped at Jose Mourinho this week and was asked what he felt seeing Chelsea lose to Crystal Palace with Liverpool top of the Premier League table. “Chelsea? Nothing. My family is at Liverpool and my friends, but at the moment I have to focus on Napoli. The atmosphere and the fans are very similar. The big difference is that the stands are closer to the pitch and the players really feel that passion.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI 2 - 0 JUVENTUS José Callejón (37′) Dries Mertens (81′) March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Attendance:‬ 42000‎ Napoli have played that well all season - Insigne The forward dedicated his side's 2-0 win over Juventus to the San Paolo supporters and said he is hopeful of being included in the Italy squad for the World Cup. Mar 30, 2014 Napoli forward Lorenzo Insigne says the team were simply playing to their usual standard in Sunday's convincing win over champions Juventus. AMAZONIAN Goals from Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens sealed a comfortable victory for Rafa Benitez's side, bringing the league leaders' 22-match unbeaten run in Serie A to and end. Insigne - who set up Callejon for the opener - believes the Partenopei have consistently performed to the level they showed on Sunday this season and dedicated the win to the San Paolo's vociferous support. "I salute the stands, the fans gave us a big helping hand. We repaid their confidence by beating the champions of Italy," he told Sky Sport Italia. AMAZONIAN "Winning was important, it allows us to lock down third place without giving up on second. "The best performance of the season? We always play like that, it gives us great satisfaction." AMAZONIAN Insigne added his hopes that Italy coach Cesare Prandelli will be pleased enough with his performances this term to hand him a spot in the squad for the World Cup this summer. "I'm giving my best to Napoli, I'm happy and I hope to be rewarded by Prandelli at the end of the season," he added. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI 2 - 0 JUVENTUS José Callejón (37′) Dries Mertens (81′) March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Attendance:‬ 42000‎ Player Ratings The Partenopei outclassed the league leaders, ending the Bianconeri's 22-game unbeaten run with goals from Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens either side of half-time. Mar 30, 2014 SSC NAPOLI Pepe Reina - May have expected to have been tested more by Juventus, but he had a rather comfortable night in between the sticks. Showed good judgement when coming off his line. Henrique - The defender played as a makeshift right-back but played with all the flair of a traditional Brazilian full-back. His combination play down the right with Callejon was particularly impressive. Federico Fernández - Was content to have the Juve forwards standing up against him for most of the game. His distribution from the back was good, though, as he played some quality passes from deep. Raúl Albiol - The centre-back showed good strength up against Llorente and Osvaldo. He was able to track their movement well and kept them under wraps. Faouzi Ghoulam - An impressive performance as he pushed up to support the forwards, although his deliveries weren't always the best. He was still solid at the back up against Lichtsteiner too. Gökhan Inler - Regularly found space just inside the final third and provided some penetrating passes from that area. He made a couple of clumsy challenges when defending, though. Jorginho - Did not stand out in the centre of the park, but he was industrious and effective as he dropped into any vacated space to keep his side compact. Lorenzo Insigne - Was extremely bright as he displayed his excellent dribbling ability on the left flank. He breezed past Caceres frequently and supplied a lovely assist for Callejon's opener. Marek Hamsik - Forced a save from Buffon early on, and it was as a result of the drifting across the pitch that he did so well throughout the game. José Callejón - The Spaniard's movement was brilliant all night, never more so as he lost Asamoah to slot home the opening goal in the first half, and he could have had more. Gonzalo Higuaín - Worked extremely hard in attack but the chances just didn't come his way. His movement was decent, but he did not test Buffon. AMAZONIAN Substitutions Blerim Dzemaili - Brought on for Callejon in the 89th minute. Dries Mertens - Came on for Hamsik in the 79th minute and scored a stunning goal to secure the three points. Goran Pandev - Replaced Higuain in the 73rd minute and held up the ball well, also assisting Mertens' goal with a terrific clipped pass. AMAZONIAN JUVENTUS GIANLUIGI BUFFON - Made a number of important saves, particularly from Callejon and Hamsik in the first half, to keep the score close for much of the game. Martín Cáceres - The Uruguayan was beaten by Insigne too easily on a few occasions. However, he did his best to get out to the wide areas and support Lichtsteiner. Leonardo Bonucci - Failed to read the movements of the Napoli attackers and was far too static at times. He was slow to react on the deck and gave away some needless free kicks. Giorgio Chiellini - Was put under a lot of pressure due to leaving too much space between himself and Asamoah. He was out of position on the opener after arguing with Benitez off the pitch. Stephan Lichtsteiner - Was penned back for much of the opening stages but when he did get the chance to attack he supplied some quality balls into the box. Paul Pogba - Made a couple of powerful runs through the midfield but ultimately was a peripheral figure in the game before being replaced just after the hour mark. Andrea Pirlo - It took him a while to stamp his mark on the game as Napoli dominated possession early on. He then began to stroke some lovely passes across the pitch, but his set-pieces were sub-par. Arturo Vidal - Took an early knock in the opening minutes but carried on playing. However, he failed to display his usual dynamism in the middle of the park during a disappointing outing, and was booked for a late dive when staying on his feet could have earned him the penalty he was after. Kwadwo Asamoah - The Ghanaian gave far too much space to Callejon in the wide areas and he allowed the Spaniard to get away from him to slot home the opening goal. Fernando Llorente - The Spaniard's touch let him down on a couple of occasions and he did not put in enough work to occupy the defenders and get a shot away. Pablo Daniel Osvaldo - Spent a lot of time chasing long balls as his link-up play with Llorente was non-existent. His best attempt was a wild scissor kick as another game passed without him even hitting the target. AMAZONIAN Substitutions Claudio Marchisio - Replaced Pogba in the 61st minute and was guilty of being too weak in the challenge as Mertens got away from him to score Napoli's second. Mauricio Isla - Came on for Asamoah in the 53rd minute and provided far more quality in the opposing final third. He was always looking to get in behind and fired in some good crosses. Mirko Vučinić - Brought on for Osvaldo and provided the sort of combination play that had been absent with the Italian and Llorente up top together. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI 2 - 0 JUVENTUS José Callejón (37′) Dries Mertens (81′) March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Attendance:‬ 42000‎ Napoli 2 - Juventus 0: Initial reaction and random observations Mar 30, 2014 The form guide had said Juventus hadn't lost since the middle of October. And with that comes the comments of "Juventus is playing great football right now!" because they see a 22-game unbeaten run and nothing else. AMAZONIAN The fact is, though, Juve hadn't been playing as well as some people probably thought they were. They were winning, but it wasn't exactly with the same kind of dominant fashion they were doing things with when the unbeaten run get underway. And on Sunday night, the so-so overall form Juve has been showing for these past few weeks finally got punished by a team capable of doing some pretty good things. Napoli were good — really, really good. Juventus? Not even close to being very good. Pretty much the complete opposite, to be honest. If not for Gigi Buffon doing all kinds of wonderful Gigi Buffon things in goal over the course of the first half, the 2-0 final score in favor of Napoli could have been a lot worse. The defense was getting stretched by Napoli's attack, the 2013-14 edition of the M-V-P midfield wasn't doing anything at all. And with Napoli having the big share of the possession, the Carlos Tévez-less attack barely saw any of the ball. AMAZONIAN What could go wrong outside of Buffon going into God Mode pretty did go wrong. JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen #Conte: "It wasn’t a good first half from us. Napoli played well and pinned us back. We were up against an excellent team." #NapoliJuve Frustrating? Hell yeah it was frustrating. Nobody likes to lose to any team, let alone somebody who is one of the best in the league and a pretty heated rival over the years. But it isn't like Juventus got worked by a team currently sitting 10th in Serie A. Napoli is a talented squad that can make you pay for your mistakes. Juventus came out like crap, didn't snap out of it until the second half, and Napoli made them pay. AMAZONIAN OptaPaolo @OptaPaolo 22 - Tonight’s defeat against Napoli ended Juventus’ 22-game unbeaten streak in Serie A (W20, D2). Stopped. #NapoliJuve You just hope that this loss works in the same fashion the last one in Serie A did. The best thing that could happen is that this negative can be turned into a positive and away Juve goes on another unbeaten run. I trust Antonio Conte. So should you. AMAZONIAN JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen #Buffon: "Sometimes certain losses can spark the start of great runs and feats. It’s often happened in the past, and I hope we see it again" Random thoughts and observations • I trust the guy, but man oh man did Conte get out-coached by Rafa Benitez. • No Carlos Tévez, no party. It's as simple as that. AMAZONIAN • Juventus played like crap. It's as simple as that. • Fernando Llorente and Dani Osvaldo aren't a good partnership and it's really starting to show the past couple of times they've been paired together. Way, way too static. It's as simple as that. • And that just shows how important Tevez is to the attack. It's not just that he works his tail off every game or that he's scoring goals at a pace we haven't seen from a Juve player in years, it's also because he just compliments Llorente so well. It's the right kind of partnership that plays so well off each other. Osvaldo and Llorente? Not even close. AMAZONIAN • A not-so-negative thought for a second: How good was Buffon against Napoli? It seems like pretty much every save he makes these days are of the spectacular variety. It's really unbelievable that he can be so good so often. But then again, it's Buffon, so maybe we shouldn't be so amazed whenever he does something God-like. Oh, and he's 36 years old. Just in case you forgot, guys. AMAZONIAN • Shots. Fired. • Remember when Juventus imploded against Fiorentina back in October and the very next game was a European tie against Real Madrid? Forget the final scoreline, that was one of Juve's best games of the season. Basically what I'm trying to say is this: Can we get angry Juventus against Lyon on Thursday night? I know Lyon isn't close to being Real Madrid on a talent level, but it'd sure be nice to see Juve show up big time in Europe and let some anger out. Just a thought. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111