Socrates

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 2-0 Juventus: 6 Things We Learned Mar 30, 2014 Juventus travelled to Naples on Sunday evening knowing they already possessed a comfortable 11-point lead in the Serie A standings. The two-time champions also carried with them a superb run of form that had seen Antonio Conte’s men win their seven previous matches, dropping a mere four points over their last 22 league fixtures. AMAZONIAN For their part, Napoli bounced back from last weekend’s 1-0 loss at home to Fiorentina with a 4-2 win over Catania on Wednesday. That victory, coupled with Fiorentina’s failure to defeat Sampdoria earlier on Sunday, meant the southern side had a nine-point cushion over the fourth-placed Viola. Over the following pages are six things the game highlighted about these two teams as Napoli outplayed Juve, going on to win the game 2-0. AMAZONIAN Juventus Sorely Miss Carlos Tevez While reluctant to describe Juventus as over-reliant on Carlos Tevez, it’s clear they miss the Argentinean when he is not in the lineup. He was unavailable for this match after picking up a suspension for the accumulation of yellow cards, and his absence took its toll on the Bianconeri. Yet such is the influence of the 30-year-old, it is impossible to imagine any side not missing his contribution. He has had an incredible impact on Juve, already weighing in with 18 goals and six assists since arriving from Manchester City. AMAZONIAN Conte’s Tactical Shift Helps Defensively but Blunts the Attack In recent weeks, Juventus have begun bringing the ball out at the back from wide areas, allowing Leonardo Bonucci to become a true defender instead of a second playmaker behind Andrea Pirlo. While that has improved the solidity of the Bianconeri back line, it has blunted their buildup play. Without his excellent long-range passing, Juve have struggled to break down well organised opponents and Napoli under Benitez are certainly that. AMAZONIAN Mauricio Isla Is Slowly Playing into Form After arriving from Udinese in the summer of 2012, Mauricio Isla missed almost an entire season with injury, making just eight league starts for Juve last term. He has made the same number this term as niggling injuries have limited his impact, but he is slowly showing signs of returning to the heights he reached at his previous club. He was a constant threat to Napoli after his second-half introduction, adding to good recent performances against Trabzonspor and Fiorentina. AMAZONIAN Jose Callejon Is a Genuine Star Jose Callejon arrived at Napoli with much less fanfare than his former Real Madrid teammate Gonzalo Higuain, but the Spaniard has been sensational. He has instantly settled in Serie A, repaying the faith shown in him by Rafael Benitez this past summer. The 27-year-old has notched 11 goals and three assists thus far for the southern club, becoming a devastating force whether selected out wide or just behind Higuain. That he has still yet to be capped by the Spanish national side is unfathomable. AMAZONIAN Marek Hamsik Stuck to His Task Well Marek Hamsik was asked to track Andrea Pirlo, a tactical choice that looked to prevent Juventus’ patient approach in midfield. It was an intelligent move, but one which would only pay dividends if the Slovakian stuck to his task. He did precisely that, limiting the Juve man’s touches by denying him the ball, and the Juventus attack suffered as a result. AMAZONIAN Dries Mertens Highlights Improved Napoli Depth While Napoli fans still lament the sale of Edinson Cavani, it is undeniable that the squad has been vastly improved as a result. Where before they relied almost exclusively on the Uruguayan star, they now have a number of attacking stars contributing. The introduction of Belgian winger Dries Mertens showcased that new depth, netting less than two minutes after his introduction and sealing the points for the home side. 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 vs. Juventus: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction Mar 30, 2014 Napoli ended Juventus’ 22-match unbeaten streak in Serie A with a hard-fought but ultimately deserved 2-0 victory on Sunday evening. AMAZONIAN Jose Callejon finally got the better of Gianluigi Buffon midway through the first half before Dries Mertens’ brilliant finish with 10 minutes remaining clinched the match, as Italy’s likely champions suffered just their second defeat of the campaign. Buffon was perhaps the busiest player on the pitch over the course of the 90 minutes, saving twice from Callejon in the first half before producing breathtaking acrobatics to deny Marek Hamsik and Faouzi Ghoulam on either side of the break. Despite the defeat, Antonio Conte’s side remain 11 points clear at the top of the table, although AS Roma can reduce that margin to eight if they win their game in hand. AMAZONIAN Napoli’s hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are enhanced by the triumph, however, as they now lead Fiorentina by 12 points in the race for third. They are also just six points behind Roma, keeping alive the possibility of finishing second and avoiding a play-off to enter Europe's most lucrative competition. "This is a very important win, because it keeps us close to Roma," Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne said, per AP. "We're going to fight until the end." AMAZONIAN Paolo Bandini @Paolo_Bandini So here's a thought: Juventus's lead could be down to just five points by the time they next play in Serie A. Sam Tighe @stighefootball #Napoli were absolutely incredible tonight. Truly excellent. Ghoulam, Hamsik, all of them. Juventus were in trouble almost from the off, as Napoli showed real attacking intent from almost the first whistle. Callejon warmed up Buffon with a shot on goal that the Italian was more than equal to, before Hamsik forced him into a stretching save that drew gasps from the crowd inside San Paolo Stadium. AMAZONIAN Callejon was again denied by Buffon shortly after, having been played through by Lorenzo Insigne, but soon after the Spaniard would finally win the battle. It was a controversial goal for Juventus, who had seen Giorgio Chiellini forced off the pitch to change his shirt after bleeding on it from a facial wound. The captain was still trying to get back into position as Insigne swung a cross in right where he should have been, and Callejon ghosted in behind his man to turn a close-range shot past the frustrated Buffon. In the second half Napoli continued to press, but Buffon was back to being an immovable object in the Juventus goal. Ghoulam was the latest to be denied, the full-back’s fine free-kick somehow tipped away by the in-form veteran. AMAZONIAN Conte made changes—bringing on Mauricio Isla, Claudio Marchisio and Mirko Vucinic to change the shape and threat of his attack—but it was a move from Napoli boss Rafael Benitez that would seal the points with just under 10 minutes remaining. Infostrada Sports @InfostradaLive 43 - The Serie A record for scoring in most matches in a row ends at 43 as Juventus lose 2-0 at Napoli. Juve's 2nd league defeat of season. Mertens was not named in Benitez’s starting XI, but he made the difference off the bench, evading Claudio Marchisio to latch onto Goran Pandev’s high ball before dragging a powerful shot across Buffon and into the far corner. AMAZONIAN Juventus had a handful of shots throughout the match, but few of any real clarity and danger, with Stephan Lichtsteiner forcing Pepe Reina into action from a couple of half-chances and Pablo Osvaldo squandering an opening or two. A surprising six minutes of injury time offered the visitors a glimmer of hope of a dramatic late comeback—but after Reina rushed from his line to thwart Arturo Vidal’s burst toward goal the points were secured. AMAZONIAN NAPOLI Player Ratings Pepe Reina 8 Henrique 7 Federico Fernandez 7 Raul Albiol 7 Faouzi Ghoulam 8 Gokhan Inler 7 Jorginho 7 Lorenzo Insigne 8 Marek Hamsik 7 Jose Callejon 8 Gonzalo Higuain 6 Substitutions Goran Pandev 7 Dries Mertens 7 Blerim Dzemaili 6 AMAZONIAN JUVENTUS Player Ratings Gianluigi Buffon 8 Martin Caceres 6 Leonardo Bonucci 5 Giorgio Chiellini 6 Stephan Lichsteiner 6 Arturo Vidal 5 Andrea Pirlo 5 Paul Pogba 5 Kwadwo Asamoah 6 Pablo Osvaldo 5 Fernando Llorente 6 Substitutions Mauricio Isla 6 Claudio Marchisio 6 Mirko Vucinic 6 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 end Juventus' 23-match unbeaten streak Napoli have condemned Serie A leaders Juventus to just their second defeat of the season this evening, ending their 23-match unbeaten streak with a 2-0 victory at the Stadio San Paolo. Mar 30, 2014 The hosts almost broke the deadlock after just six minutes when Gokhan Inler's shot deflected into the path of Jose Callejon, who was then denied by a fine stop from Gianluigi Buffon. AMAZONIAN Buffon was called into action again four minutes later when Marek Hamsik latched on to a cross before curling an effort towards goal, but the Juve keeper was equal to it. The visitors' first real sight of goal came with 26 minutes on the clock as Pablo Osvaldo set up Stephan Lichtsteiner, who drew a routine save from Pepe Reina. Napoli responded with another chance of their own three minutes later as Faouzi Ghoulam's cross from the left found its way to Callejon, whose shot once again kept out by Buffon. AMAZONIAN Callejon was not to be denied for much longer, however, as he opened the scoring eight minutes before half time with a close-range finish from another Ghoulam cross. Juventus looked to pull a goal back before the break through Osvaldo's acrobatic effort, but he couldn't steer his shot on target. The visitors began to step up the pressure in the second half and had a chance to level things up 10 minutes after the restart when Lichtsteiner found himself in an advanced position, but once again Reina was equal to his effort. AMAZONIAN Buffon was soon back in action again, however, palming Ghoulam's fierce free kick over the bar before denying Hamsik's low curling effort from the edge of the box. Napoli got their crucial second goal with nine minutes left as Dries Mertens made an immediate impact off the bench, latching on to Goran Pandev's pass before drilling his shot past a stationary Buffon. The visitors could not respond in the closing stages of the match as Napoli held on for three points that edge them within six of second-placed Roma in the table. 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 bring down Juventus Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens have blown the Scudetto race open by beating Juventus 2-0 in a San Paolo firecracker. Mar 30, 2014 The Bianconeri suffered only their second Serie A defeat of the season, the other being a 4-2 at Fiorentina in October. It is also the first time they have failed to score this season. Roma are now 11 points adrift, but with a game in hand against Parma to be played on Wednesday. AMAZONIAN This has always been a huge fixture in Serie A and also in Serie B, as both clubs were promoted together in the 2006-07 campaign. Going into the San Paolo there were 20 points separating first from third, but Capocannoniere Carlos Tevez was suspended with Andrea Barzagli, Angelo Ogbonna, Federico Peluso, Fabio Quagliarella and Simone Pepe sidelined. The Partenopei missed Christian Maggio, Juan Camilo Zuniga and Rafael Cabral, but Faouzi Ghoulam returned from suspension. Bad news straight away for Juve, as Arturo Vidal started limping after 90 seconds and then fell to the ground pointing to his right knee. Replays suggest it seemed to buckle under him after a pass, but he continued after a few minutes of treatment. Gigi Buffon needed a stunning save from point-blank range when a wayward effort was redirected by Jose Callejon. From the resulting corner Buffon parried and Marek Hamsik had the ball in the net, but was correctly flagged offside. AMAZONIAN Buffon was called into action again on nine minutes, flying to flap Hamsik’s first-time shot out from under the bar from seven yards. Napoli were dominating the early play and pinning Juve back into their own half. The first Bianconeri opportunity came after 25 minutes, as Fernando Llorente struggled to turn so Stephan Lichtsteiner fired straight at Pepe Reina. Insigne was very lively and his pull-back flashed across the face of goal, behind Kwadwo Asamoah and Higuain to find Callejon, whose effort stung Buffon’s gloves. AMAZONIAN Llorente just failed to get his head to a Lichtsteiner cross, held off by Paulo Henrique, but Napoli finally found their breakthrough. Callejon got round the back of Asamoah on the very edge of the offside trap to come sliding in and volleyed Insigne’s floated cross from the left. It was an extremely close decision, as his head appeared to be offside by a matter of inches. Daniel Osvaldo turned an overhead kick off target and in first half stoppages Higuain fell under Chiellini pressure, but seemed to lose his balance and the referee waved play on. AMAZONIAN Juventus seemed more aggressive after the restart and Reina smothered a Lichtsteiner effort, but Buffon again came to the rescue by fingertipping Ghoulam’s free kick on to the crossbar. Mirko Vucinic was the final substitution in place of an unhappy Osvaldo and immediately curled off target. The visitors were having a lot more possession in the second half and Vucinic knocked down a cross for Claudio Marchisio, but it was just over his head. Ghoulam needed a well-timed sliding tackle to block Isla as he was pulling the trigger inside the penalty area. AMAZONIAN Juve were dominating now and Hamsik sprung the offside trap from a Pandev slide-rule pass only to scuff his finish at Buffon. Dries Mertens came off the bench and scored with a classic route one game. It was a Reina long throw from a corner, Pandev’s cross-field pass and Mertens held off Marchisio to smash an angled drive across Buffon into the far bottom corner. The Belgium international had only been on the field for a couple of minutes. There were six minutes of stoppages, mainly due to a pause for bottles being thrown while Pirlo was trying to take a corner. Reina rushed off his line to anticipate Vidal, while Insigne set up Mertens to balloon over. Vidal was booked for simulation when he dragged his foot looking for Blerim Dzemaili’s leg in the box and did not protest the decision. AMAZONIAN Napoli: Reina; Henrique, Fernandez, Albiol, Ghoulam; Inler, Jorginho; Insigne, Hamsik (Mertens 79), Callejon (Dzemaili 89); Higuain (Pandev 73) Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba (Marchisio 60), Asamoah (Isla 53); Llorente, Osvaldo (Vucinic 69) Ref: Orsato 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 Callejon and Mertens keep Serie A title race alive The Spaniard's first-half finish and the Belgian winger's clinical second ensure the Bianconeri's lead at the top of the table remains at 11 points. Mar 30, 2014 Napoli ensured the Serie A title race will remain alive for a while longer after Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens gave them a 2-0 win over Juventus on Sunday. AMAZONIAN The Spaniard prodded home from close range in the first half to put the hosts in front, although he was fortunate to escape an offside flag following Lorenzo Insigne's cross. Mertens sealed the win in the closing minutes with a well-taken finish to leave Juve's lead at the top at 11 points following Roma's win over Sassuolo. The defending champions went into the match on the back of seven straight wins in the league and Inter's record points total of 97 looked very much in their sights, but Napoli's commanding display and win has put that in doubt. AMAZONIAN Defeat for Juve - only their second in Serie A in 2013-14 - means their lead at the top of the table stands at 11 points after Roma won earlier in the day at Sassuolo, but Antonio Conte's men remain very much in line to secure a third successive title. Conte's counterpart Rafael Benitez made the point of highlighting the two sides' differing revenues in the build-up and Juve's financial firepower was encapsulated by Italy international Pablo Daniel Osvaldo replacing the suspended Carlos Tevez in attack. However, it was the hosts who looked more dangerous in the early stages and Buffon produced a crucial save after just six minutes, parrying away Callejon's close-range flick. AMAZONIAN Marek Hamsik had a goal disallowed for offside a few moments later, but went close to netting legitimately in the 10th minute as Buffon acrobatically tipped his effort over following Henrique's cut-back. The visitors finally tested Pepe Reina with 25 minutes on the clock, but he collected Stephan Lichtsteiner's tame left-footed shot with ease. Juve's attacking threat continued to dwindle and they found themselves behind in the 37th minute, as Callejon directed Lorenzo Insigne's deep cross past Buffon, despite appearing to be offside. AMAZONIAN After an inept first-half performance, Juve offered a little more from an attacking perspective in the second period, but Napoli still looked dangerous on the break and solid at the back. Despite their improvement, Juve had to rely on Buffon once again to keep them in the game in the 60th minute, with the veteran palming Faouzi Ghoulam's free kick on to the roof of the goal. Hamsik should have wrapped up the three points with 12 minutes to go as hit a gentle effort at Buffon, but Mertens made sure a few moments later, latching on to Goran Pandev's lofted pass before rifling into the net to secure a 2-0 win. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Goal di Mertens.

Ecco il pubblico napoletano in azione. 0-2 a tavolino.

Vucinic in campo

Entra Marchisio. Esce Pogba.

Buffon para ancora. Man of the match per la Juve.

Lichtsteiner va a sinistra a fermare Callejon.

Entrerá Isla per Asamoah

Pogba prega Allah, Conte la madonna di Pompei.

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato HT 1-0: Napoli lead Juventus Mar 30, 2014 Jose Callejon gave Napoli the half-time lead over Juventus after heroics from Gigi Buffon, but it was marginally offside. AMAZONIAN This has always been a huge fixture in Serie A and also in Serie B, as both clubs were promoted together in the 2006-07 campaign. Going into the San Paolo there were 20 points separating first from third, but Capocannoniere Carlos Tevez was suspended with Andrea Barzagli, Angelo Ogbonna, Federico Peluso, Fabio Quagliarella and Simone Pepe sidelined. The Partenopei missed Christian Maggio, Juan Camilo Zuniga and Rafael Cabral, but Faouzi Ghoulam returned from suspension. Bad news straight away for Juve, as Arturo Vidal started limping after 90 seconds and then fell to the ground pointing to his right knee. Replays suggest it seemed to buckle under him after a pass, but he continued after a few minutes of treatment. Gigi Buffon needed a stunning save from point-blank range when a wayward effort was redirected by Jose Callejon. From the resulting corner Buffon parried and Marek Hamsik had the ball in the net, but was correctly flagged offside. AMAZONIAN Buffon was called into action again on nine minutes, flying to flap Hamsik’s first-time shot out from under the bar from seven yards. Napoli were dominating the early play and pinning Juve back into their own half. The first Bianconeri opportunity came after 25 minutes, as Fernando Llorente struggled to turn so Stephan Lichtsteiner fired straight at Pepe Reina. Insigne was very lively and his pull-back flashed across the face of goal, behind Kwadwo Asamoah and Higuain to find Callejon, whose effort stung Buffon’s gloves. AMAZONIAN Llorente just failed to get his head to a Lichtsteiner cross, held off by Paulo Henrique, but Napoli finally found their breakthrough. Callejon got round the back of Asamoah on the very edge of the offside trap to come sliding in and volleyed Insigne’s floated cross from the left. It was an extremely close decision, as his head appeared to be offside by a matter of inches. Daniel Osvaldo turned an overhead kick off target and in first half stoppages Higuain fell under Chiellini pressure, but seemed to lose his balance and the referee waved play on. AMAZONIAN Napoli 1-0 Juventus (Half-Time) Scorers: Callejon 37 (N) Napoli: Reina; Henrique, Fernandez, Albiol, Ghoulam; Inler, Jorginho; Insigne, Hamsik, Callejon; Higuain Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Llorente, Osvaldo Ref: Orsato http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Marotta: 'Juve had police escort' Mar 30, 2014 Juventus director Beppe Marotta hit back at Rafa Benitez and revealed the welcome in Naples was “not as bad as last year.” AMAZONIAN The general manager spoke to Sky Sport Italia ahead of tonight’s Serie A showdown at the Stadio San Paolo. “We are forced to play every game with huge motivation, because all our opponents play the game of their lives against us. “The journey to the stadium was better than last year, certainly, but it still doesn’t seem right that a football team has to be accompanied to the stadium by a police escort with armoured vehicles. There were some eggs thrown and a few insults, but overall not that bad.” AMAZONIAN There is a huge security presence around this game and reports police confiscated fireworks that were hidden in baguettes, frisking both Juventus and Napoli fans on their way in. Marotta commented on Napoli Coach Benitez’s claim Juventus have a huge advantage in the Scudetto race due to their larger revenue. “Coaches should primarily talk about football and leave the economic side to directors. If it was a compliment, then I’ll take it, but I didn’t see that approach taken in the papers. AMAZONIAN “Juventus are one of the oldest clubs in Italy and a global brand, while if we increased our revenue in recent years it is down to the hard work of the President, directors and management.” Roma Coach Rudi Garcia said today that he hopes Napoli win, as he still believes they can catch Juventus at the top of the table. “It seems only right that Garcia is in charge of Roma and has to motivate his men to the end, but we are motivated too and have no intention of easing off. We have an advantage, but still know we have to bring out quality and determination in every match.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS March 30, 2014 - 8:45 PM San Paolo Stadium — Naples Referee: Daniele Orsato Benitez: 'Fans lined the streets' Mar 30, 2014 Rafa Benitez admits “it looked like a Champions League game with fans lining the streets” to cheer on Napoli’s team bus. AMAZONIAN The Coach spoke to Sky Sport Italia ahead of tonight’s Serie A clash with leaders Juventus. Click here for the line-ups. “It looked like a Champions League game with so many fans lining the streets to cheer us on. You can tell how much it means to the supporters, but for us it has to mean only three points,” said the Coach. Carlos Tevez is top scorer, but cannot play this evening because he is sitting out a one-match ban. AMAZONIAN “We knew from the start the squad was so strong that they could play even without one of their stars.” Napoli are in third place and can still push to catch Roma, even if they won 2-0 at Sassuolo this morning. “Roma’s victory was to be expected at Sassuolo. We know we have to play our games, win every one and see where we end up.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

Goal di Callejon

Entrataccia di Inler su Chiellini.

Altra parata di Buffon su Callejon.

Insigne merita in effetti i complimenti di Alex Del Piero.

Ottimo Paul

5 angoli per il Napoli in 17 minuti.

Bravo Asamoah

Non stiamo combinando niente di buono in attacco.

Gigi bravissimo!