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Juventus 506 days at the top Aug 26, 2013 Juventus’ win at Sampdoria in Week 1 means they have now been at the top of the Serie A table for over 500 days. http://markting10.nl/ The Old Lady have been at least level on points with whoever the Serie A pace setters were since April 7, 2012, when a win against Palermo allowed them to overtake Milan. In total, the Bianconeri have won 35 League games, drawn seven and lost five of the 47 encounters since then. Juventus have been at the top of the table for 506 days – that translates to 43,718,400 seconds, 728,640 minutes or 12,144 hours.

Buffon considered Juventus exit Aug 26, 2013 Gigi Buffon says a phone call from new boss Antonio Conte in the summer of 2011 stopped him from leaving Juventus. After a problematic 2010-11 campaign, the goalkeeper was considering bringing his career in Turin to an end. http://markting10.nl/ “I was expecting a call from Conte,” the now 35-year-old stated to the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport on Monday. “He told me some beautiful and important things. “In the previous season, which was the first under the Presidency of Andrea Agnelli, I hardly played in the first half of the campaign because of injury and I wasn’t myself in the second. “My head was elsewhere,” the club captain, who needed back surgery after the 2010 World Cup, added. “I thought the time had come for me to change, to leave Juventus. “However then the new directors and I got to know each other better and their opinion of me changed. To have the maturity to fix relationships after some disagreements bonds you even more. “That telephone call from Conte was important and, from that moment, I was even more of a Juventino than I was before.” The Italian international, presently tied to the outfit until June 2015, was netted by the Old Lady in 2001 from Parma for £33m. Buffon had previously admitted that he would probably have left Juventus in 2006 had they not been demoted to Serie B as part of the Calciopoli probe.

Pogba: Juve faith makes me proud The French midfielder is delighted with the start his side have made to the season and is ignoring AC Milan's shock defeat to Hellas Verona. Aug 26, 2013 Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has hailed the faith shown in him by the club since his move from Manchester United in the summer of 2012. http://markting10.nl/ The France international enjoyed a stellar first season in Serie A and is set for an extended run in the first team following Claudio Marchisio's injury. "I feel that everyone here has faith in me and that makes me feel very proud. We've made a good start by winning a difficult game with an excellent performance," he told the club's official website. Pogba went on to say that he is not concerned with AC Milan's opening loss, with his focus solely on matters in Turin. "AC Milan lost? That doesn't affect us. We just have to focus on ourselves and our own games." Juventus continue their Serie A defence with a home fixture against Lazio on August 31.

Buffon considered leaving Juventus two years ago The World Cup winner explained that he was struggling with injuries at the time and that his "head was somewhere else" before a crucial phone-call from Antonio Conte. Aug 26, 2013 Gianluigi Buffon has revealed that he was ready to quit Juventus two years ago only to be talked into staying in Turin by coach Antonio Conte. http://markting10.nl/ The veteran goalkeeper, who has subsequently won back-to-back Scudetti with the Bianconeri, explained he had felt that it was maybe time to end a decade-long relationship with the Old Lady as he struggled for fitness and focus. "But Conte called me, telling me beautiful and important things," Buffon told Sky Sport Italia. "Since then, I am more Juventino than ever before. "In the previous season [2010-11], the first of Andrea Agnelli's presidency, I had not played during the first half of the championship through injury and in the second half of the season I was not there; my head was somewhere else. "I felt that it was maybe time for a change; to leave Juventus. I have always had a great sense of responsibility; [but] I had lost it. "Then, I got to know the new directors well and they changed their opinions of me. "Having the maturity to mend relations after some disagreements brings you together even more." Buffon has made 359 Serie A appearances for Juventus since joining from Parma 13 years ago for a reported fee of €51 million.

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Buffon: "Carlos Tevez is a genuine champion" Aug 25, 2013 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has insisted that Carlos Tevez has been misrepresented in the media, describing the controversial forward as a humble player capable of shining in Serie A this season. http://markting10.nl/ Tevez has scored in each of his first two appearances for Juve since signing during the close season, with the latest strike proving decisive in a 1-0 win over Sampdoria in Serie A yesterday. Buffon believes that the Argentine has looked sharp and hungry since swapping Manchester for Turin, while insisting that coach Antonio Conte remains irreplaceable for the defending champions. He told Sky Sports Italia: "Tevez has been misrepresented. He puts the good of the squad above his own ego and has incredible quality. He's a genuine champion.

Chiellini impressed by 'world-class' Tevez The Juventus defender has lavished praise on his new team-mate after the striker scored on his debut, singling out the Argentine's exceptional work rate. Aug 25, 2013 Giorgio Chiellini hailed the quality of Carlos Tevez after the forward's strike led Juventus to a 1-0 win over Sampdoria. The Argentine found the net just before the hour mark on his Serie A debut to give the Bianconeri the three points at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris and the perfect start to their league title defence. http://markting10.nl/ Chiellini, speaking to journalists after the game, was eager to praise the club's star summer signing and revealed he was especially delighted with the 29-year-old's selfless attitude. "Tevez is an absolutely world-class player," the centre-half said. "But what surprised me more than anything is the way he sacrifices himself to help the team. "He works like a mule! I am happy for him as he is starting to reap the rewards of all his hard work this summer." The Old Lady began the season with a comfortable 4-0 win over Lazio in the Supercoppa Italiana before defeating the Blucerchiati, but Chiellini believes there is far more to come from the side. "As a team we have ample room for improvement, as our legs are still not 100 per cent," he continued. "Sampdoria were a difficult side to face who closed up well, so it’s good that we allowed them little or nothing in attack."

Tevez ecstatic after 'perfect night' The striker has made an instant impact at his new club and proved to be the match winner on Saturday evening. Aug 25, 2013 Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has admitted he had enjoyed the "perfect night" after scoring on his debut in the 1-0 win over Sampdoria in front of his former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini. The pair had endured a tempestuous relationship together at Manchester City before leaving the club this summer, with Tevez enjoying a fine start to life in Italy. http://markting10.nl/ "I didn’t know Mancini was in the stadium. We have kept up a good rapport," the 29-year-old told reporters after the match. "I'm really happy here but it's not easy to slot into a new playing system, it takes time. Tonight was perfect though: a goal and a win. "I'm pleased because it was no easy feat coming here and doing that at such a difficult ground." Juve boss Antonio Conte then praised his new signing's work ethic and emphasised how all of his new recruits will get better in the coming weeks as they get more game time under their belts. "A lot has been said about him but he's certainly not afraid of putting in the hard work," the Italian commented shortly after. "I'm not happy with a striker who's static. Tevez not only offers us quality up front but he helps out defensively too. "Tevez has scored twice already but he's also made a huge contribution to the team – that's something all my players have always done. "The more time passes, the more comfortable Carlos, Fernando [Llorente] and Angelo [Ogbonna] will be. They're putting a lot of effort and it's not easy, but these are top players we're talking about."

‎New season, same old story: AC Milan still a million miles behind Juventus The Rossoneri started the Italian league campaign with a performance reminiscent of some of their poorer displays in an underwhelming 2012-13. Aug 25, 2013 COMMENT By Kris Voakes They may be just 90 minutes into their respective Serie A campaigns, but already the distance between Juventus and AC Milan has been impressed upon the watching world once more. http://markting10.nl/ The Rossoneri’s season-opening 2-1 defeat to Verona on Saturday was born out of an inability to fix holes that have been widely apparent for a year or more, while Juve quickly followed up with a 1-0 victory at Sampdoria which exemplified their knack of being able to find a way past the most stubborn and structured of opponents. Milan’s difficulties in defence have been obvious for some time, but with no notable additions to their roster in that department this summer, the reliance on a consistently cohesive relationship between Philippe Mexes and Cristian Zapata appears unrealistic in the least. If last season they showed a significant lack of the kind of defensive telepathy often needed by the top clubs, they only added to the worry further on Saturday in allowing 36-year-old Luca Toni to bully them into submission. While Toni is undoubtedly a striker of great repute, Milan’s defenders should be wise to his various abilities. Yet the former Palermo, Bayern Munich and Fiorentina front man had a field day in the air, finding it all too easy to drop off his markers to find space where none should have been afforded to him. Beyond the back line, there was further evidence of weakness for Massimiliano Allegri’s side. The lack of any real physique in the midfield allowed Massimo Donati and Romulo to run over the top of Antonio Nocerino, Riccardo Montolivo and goalscorer Andrea Poli. Nigel de Jong’s importance to the side is made infinitely more evident with each game in which the Rossoneri fail to field him. Up front, too, there were issues. Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy showed flashes of the beginnings of an understanding against PSV on Tuesday night, but against Hellas they did nothing of the sort. Back to the same two players who looked like strangers in their movement last term, they are on course to giving Allegri a serious headache in finding the goals necessary to make their defensive issues less concerning. As if a defeat to a newly-promoted outfit wasn’t enough, the reigning champions’ dominantly efficient performance against Sampdoria a couple of hours later only served to remind Milan of just how short of the mark they really are. Where the Diavolo look lacklustre and short of ideas on how to repel supposedly inferior opposition, Juventus pressured Sampdoria until the Blucerchiati finally caved. Carlos Tevez’s debut strike came after great interplay between Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. It was a goal that always looked likely, such is the air of inevitability when watching Juve these days. The imperious Scudetto holders are on another plane to the Milans of this world right now, and it will take either a concerted late effort on the transfer market or a serious piece of magic from Allegri to patch up the reeling Rossoneri into a Champions League outfit once again. Wednesday’s return leg against PSV and the €20 million bonus which comes with progression to the group stage may hold the key to Milan having realistic top-three hopes again this season.

Buffon: 'Tevez is misrepresented' Aug 25, 2013 Gigi Buffon insists Carlos Tevez has been “misrepresented” and the thought of Antonio Conte leaving Juventus terrifies him. The goalkeeper was taking part in a charity event at Massa Carrara today and spoke about last night’s 1-0 win over Sampdoria, which was sealed by a Tevez goal. http://markting10.nl/ “Everyone seems to take it for granted that Juventus will win a third consecutive Scudetto, but Conte warned us that a treble is extremely difficult. You risk falling apart at the first sign of trouble, because you don’t have that hunger and determination that helped you to the first title,” he told Sky Sport Italia. Many also expected Tevez to struggle in Turin after personality clashes at Manchester City. “Tevez has been misrepresented. He puts the good of the squad above his own ego and has incredible quality. He’s a genuine champion. “As for Conte, when there was talk of his potential exit I felt a shiver go up my spine. He is the added value of this team and an absolutely crucial element. “Would I have given up three years of my career for him to stay? Not three years, but maybe three weeks,” joked Buffon. The focus for this season is likely to be the Champions League, having gone out in the quarter-finals last term against eventual winners Bayern Munich. “In Europe we are competitive, but that’s very different from saying we can win it. You need luck, above all in the draw. Maybe last year if we had faced Bayern Munich in the Final rather than the quarters, it could’ve gone differently. “There are three or four teams currently better equipped to lift the trophy, that is objectively true. I think at times facing a side you know is stronger on paper can help bring something out of you, though.”

Chiellini: 'Tevez works like a mule!' Aug 25, 2013 Giorgio Chiellini was won over by new Juventus teammate Carlos Tevez. “He works like a mule!” The striker scored on his Serie A debut to secure a 1-0 victory away to Sampdoria on Saturday night. http://markting10.nl/ “Tevez is an absolutely world class player, but what surprise me more than anything is the way he sacrifices himself to help the team,” said Chiellini. “He works like a mule! I am happy for him, as he is starting to reap the rewards of all his hard work this summer. “As a team we have ample room for improvement, as our legs are still not 100 per cent. Sampdoria were a difficult side to face who closed up well, so it’s good that we allowed them little or nothing in attack.”

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS Carlos Tévez 58′ August 24, 2013 8:45 PM Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova Referee:‬ L. Banti Attendance:‬ 23000‎ ‎Rossi saw 'right Samp spirit' Aug 24, 2013 Delio Rossi insists he saw “the right spirit” despite Sampdoria’s slender defeat to Juventus. “We had prepared the game well and allowed very little to what was objectively a stronger team,” said the Coach of the 1-0 home loss. http://markting10.nl/ “They played a great move and with that goal won the game, but I saw the right spirit from my men. Unfortunately we paid the price for those incidents that went against us. “We made a mistake on their goal, as the players down the left did not close the space, but it was a collective error rather than an individual one.” The Blucerchiati did not have a single effort on goal for the first hour and barely troubled Gigi Buffon. Has Mauro Icardi been suitably replaced this summer? “We signed some young players who will do well for our objectives. We cannot afford a player like Carlos Tevez...”

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS Carlos Tévez 58′ August 24, 2013 8:45 PM Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova Referee:‬ L. Banti Attendance:‬ 23000‎ ‎Conte hails Tevez and Pogba Antonio Conte praised Carlos Tevez for his work rate and believes Paul Pogba “can become the best in the world.”. Aug 24, 2013 The Coach spoke to Sky Sport Italia after Juventus secured a 1-0 victory away to Sampdoria in their opening game of the Serie A season. “Tevez is working very hard, not just on the field but also off it. He’s a wonderful person,” explained Conte of his goalscorer. http://markting10.nl/ “He is improving, as are Fernando Llorente and Angelo Ogbonna, who will take time to settle into a squad that already did so well for two years.” Pogba provided the assist for Tevez and at age 20 has already become a mainstay in the Juve midfield. “We started working on him a year ago and his progress has been incredible. I saw his interviews in which he said he wanted to become the best in the world. I am happy with that, because in my view he can be the best. “Pogba is eclectic and a modern player, as he is strong, fast and has stamina. He’s also humble, so listens to the advice given by me and by his teammates.” It is particularly remarkable considering Juve snapped up Pogba on a free transfer from Manchester United. “We can’t spend €30m for a player, so we try to move early to get either Bosman transfers or low-cost opportunities so we can get in front of the rest.”

Tevez: 'The perfect night' Aug 24, 2013 Carlos Tevez celebrated “the perfect night” after scoring the Juventus winner on his Serie A debut in front of Roberto Mancini. The former Manchester City striker was a steal at €9m this summer and netted in the 1-0 victory away to Sampdoria. http://markting10.nl/ “It was the perfect night, as we won in a difficult arena and are very happy with the performance,” Tevez told Sky Sport Italia. “It is not easy to get to know my teammates straight away, but I tried to do all I could for the team.” The Argentine has now scored two goals in his two competitive games for Juventus, also finding the net in last week’s 4-0 Italian Super Cup win over Lazio. Ex-Manchester City manager Mancini was in the stands at Marassi tonight, as he is a former Sampdoria star. “I didn’t know Mancini was in the stadium. We have kept up a good rapport.”

Conte: Pogba can be world's best The Bianconeri trainer feels the midfielder can be one of the world's best if he maintains the same progress shown since he moved to Turin. Aug 24, 2013 Juventus coach Antonio Conte is confident Paul Pogba will eventually become the world's best player, after the prodigy helped his team to a 1-0 win at Sampdoria on Saturday. The hosts stifled the Italian champions to good effect in a dour encounter, but Pogba popped up with the vital assist for league debutant Carlos Tevez to net the winner. http://markting10.nl/ And Conte has hailed the growing maturity of his prodigy, stating there is no limit to his potential. "Pogba is a modern player, as he is strong, fast and has stamina," the 44-year-old told reporters after the match. "He’s also humble, so listens to the advice given by me and by his team-mates. We started working on him a year ago and his progress has been incredible. "I saw his interviews in which he said he wanted to become the best in the world. I am happy with that, because in my view he can be the best." Pogba looks set for an extended run in the first team following Claudio Marchisio's knee injury, which is likely to leave him sidelined for a month, and the midfielder paid tribute to his team-mates for aiding his progress. "I feel like I have improved a lot especially playing with the likes of [Andrea] Pirlo, Arturo [Vidal], [Giorgio] Chiellini and now Tevez. "We are strong mentally. We are Juve and we always want to win." The young France international scored five goals in 37 official appearances for the Italian champions last season.

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS Carlos Tévez 58′ August 24, 2013 8:45 PM Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova Referee:‬ L. Banti Attendance:‬ 23000‎ ‎Player Ratings Goal took in the Serie A action at the Marassi, where the defending Serie A champions got their season off to a positive start with a narrow away win, thanks to a Tevez strike. Aug 24, 2013 Sampdoria Angelo Da Costa - Unlucky to be on the losing side as he made some fine saves, especially in the first half. Andrea Costa - Gave the ball away too many times, inviting pressure right back onto his team. Angelo Palombo - Often got himself in the way of the ball to prevent dangerous openings for the opposition, and was his usual brave self. Daniele Gastaldello - Paid very close attention to Mirko Vucinic whenever the Montenegrin tried to pull wide off the ball. Solid display. Gaetano Berardi - Could not contain Lichtsteiner out on the flanks and was often left scrambling in vain to prevent the overlap. Lorenzo De Silvestri - Got forward more often as the game progressed, causing problems on the right, even inadvertently testing Buffon with a wayward cross. Mirko Eramo - Toiled diligently all game long in midfield, and worked very hard to close down space. Nenad Krsticic - Bypassed far too often in the middle of the park in a forgettable game for him. Pedro Obiang - Lost out a few times in the physical battle with Poba and Asamoah, but flashed a powerful effort just wide. Eder - The main attacking outlet for the home side, as his guile on the ball fashioned most of the little openings they had. Manolo Gabbiadini - A nuisance at times in the box, but he could never channel that into an outright goal threat. Substitutions Shkodran Mustafi - Solidified the defence in his spell on the pitch. Paolo Castellini - Given his marching orders late on with a harsh red card after sliding into Lichsteiner near the touchline. Roberto Soriano - A much needed bolt of energy and fresh legs to steady Sampdoria. http://markting10.nl/ Juventus Gianluigi Buffon - Made a strong save from De Silvestri in the second half, but was not called into action much otherwise. Andrea Barzagli - The centre back did not put a foot wrong throughout, and was particularly useful during the closing stages with his safety first approach. Leonardo Bonucci - Solid at the back, holding his position well and proving a good deterrent for the visiting attackers. Giorgio Chiellini - Found it hard to deal with the unpredictable nature of the ball and was responsible for one or two Sampdoria near misses. Stephan Lichtsteiner - Overlapped on the right with plenty of intent, and provided a strong outlet for Juve down that side. Overreacted to a challenge that led to Castellini's dismissal. Paul Pogba - Provided the midfield with a lot of physicality, and was heavily involved in the goal, making a good run off the ball and squaring for Carlos Tevez to finish. Andrea Pirlo - Could not get into his usual stride, and was uncharacteristically inaccurate from set-pieces. Tested Da Costa early on. Arturo Vidal - His passing was hit or miss thanks to the state of the pitch, but he kept his head to thread in Paul Pogba, who then set up the opener. Kwadwo Asamoah - Motored from end to end in a tireless display, and refused to let the rain deter him from doing his job. In fact, he seemed to relish the gritty nature of proceedings, and disrupted a few attacks. Carlos Tévez - Combined well with strike partner Mirko Vucinic on one or two occasions, and took full advantage of a flowing Juve move to tap home the only goal of the game. Mirko Vučinić - One or two moments of link-up play aside, he was rather stymied up front as the conditions and stout defensive attention took their toll.

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS Carlos Tévez 58′ August 24, 2013 8:45 PM Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova Referee:‬ L. Banti Attendance:‬ 23000‎ ‎Initial reaction and random observations Rumors say that Carlos Tevez is good. Still waiting for confirmation. ‎ Aug 24, 2013 You know that whole thing about Juventus not being able to beat Sampdoria last season? That was stupid, so incredibly stupid. It made a lot of us grumpy — and nobody likes it when we're grumpy. And the facts are facts: It was one of the few blemishes on what was Antonio Conte's second straight Scudeto-winning campaign at Juventus. http://markting10.nl/ And now we don't have to talk about all that nonsense anymore because Juve have claimed their first win at the Luigi Ferraris since 2006. Two competitive games for Carlos Tevez in a Juventus shirt, two goals scored. Two losses to Sampdoria last season replaced with one Juventus win over them this season. Those thoughts of Juve falling to a 10-man Samp side at Juventus Stadium or closing last campaign with a loss are now exactly what they've been the past three months — a thing of the past. Different seasons, sure, but it's always nice to enact a little bit of revenge on the only team to beat Juve twice last season. And that's exactly what Conte and Juventus did. A hard-fought, grind-out-it kind of result in the pouring down rain at the Marassi. Sounds like a Conte-style win to me. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm right. But these kinds of things seem to meet Conte's liking. Well, other than standing out in the rain for a couple hours. Then again, he did get to wear his favorite hat... Things I think I thought during the match: •Let's talk about Juventus' goal. You know, that beautiful combination play between Mirko Vucinic, Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba and Tevez? Yeah, that thing. I saw a few people point out on Twitter about how the short interchanges between a group of players is something that is different this year compared to the two previous ones under Conte and I couldn't help but agree. Once Vucinic sent the ball into Vidal from the left wing, the wheels started moving — quickly. After a quick one-touch pass to Pogba, things were looking even better. Then Tevez was there to bury Pogba's assist into a wide open goal. Four players, three passes, one beautiful collective effort for Juve's first goal of the Serie A season. And just like it was in the Supercoppa, Tevez's goal brought one heck of an emotional celebration. I think it's safe to say Carlitos is enjoying his time in Turin so far. •The rain was just ridiculous. But the Marassi field held up relatively well. It wasn't like Andrea Pirlo was running into any big puddles as he tried to spray balls to out wide to Stephan Licthsteiner or Kwadwo Asamoah. It definitely didn't allow both teams to probably play the way they completely desired, but with the amount of water that came down, the field could have been in a lot worse shape as the final whistle got closer and closer. •I never want to be on the end of a Lichtsteiner death stare. •Delio Rossi, despite seeing his fancy suit get absolutely drenched with the near-monsoon that was going on in Genova, had his team prepped very well. Sampdoria's 3-5-2 was a very effective anti-Juve tactic — especially in the first half of play. Samp pressed high and made things difficult for Juve. It worked well in the grand scheme of things, with only a brilliant team goal from Juventus being the thing that prevented Sampdoria from coming away with a point at the very least. •Gigi Buffon and Juventus' three-man defense didn't have a whole hell of a lot to do, but Manolo Gabbiadini had a few bright moments against the team that co-owns him. There was the memorable nutmeg of Giorgio Chiellini in the first half that set up a free kick right outside the 18-yard box. And with Samp only having 31 percent of the possession, according to WhoScored, it's not like Gabbiadini had a lot of chances to really do much anyways. •Who needs subs before the 86th minute anyway? Conte gonna be Conte. •Paolo Castellini was on the field for seven minutes and then got sent of for an incredibly stupid tackle. Sampdoria did a decent number of things right to try and beat Juventus, that wasn't one of them. •Good way to start the quest for three straight titles.

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS Carlos Tévez 58′ August 24, 2013 8:45 PM Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova Referee:‬ L. Banti Attendance:‬ 23000‎ ‎Tevez clinches Juve success Aug 24, 2013 Carlos Tevez marked his Serie A debut with the winning goal for Juventus as the champions began their bid to win a third straight Scudetto with victory as they beat Sampdoria 1-0. The former Manchester City striker, a marquee signing for Antonio Conte's team this summer, has scored fancier goals than the close-range finish that earned all three points in Genoa. http://markting10.nl/ He has scored many more important in his time with Boca Juniors, Corinthians, West Ham, Manchester United and City, and the Argentina national team. But there was no faulting Tevez's timing, or his form, as he made the difference in Serie A's big opening Saturday night game. Sampdoria completed an unlikely double over Juventus last season, spoiling their title celebrations with a 3-2 win at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on the final day. Their coach, Delio Rossi, was wary of the vengeance arriving from Turin and Juventus were good value for their win, even if the home side held out for nearly an hour. Andrea Pirlo had an early long-range attempt saved by Angelo Da Costa, who turned the ball over the bar, and further attempts from Kwadwo Asamoah and Mirko Vucinic peppered the Sampdoria goal. Tevez went as close as anyone with a powerful left-footed strike that almost crept inside the left post. He made the breakthrough after 58 minutes with a poacher's goal. The craft came from Arturo Vidal, with a cute pass to Paul Pogba, who showed great awareness to flick a pass to his right for Tevez, who could hardly fail to beat Da Costa from close quarters. Sampdoria briefly thought they had levelled when Andrea Costa slid home a free-kick, however he was offside and a flag from the assistant referee rightly went up. Gianluigi Buffon saved from Eder and Gaetano Berardi in quick succession but Sampdoria's hopes began to look forlorn. A red card in the dying stages for Paolo Castellini was a sorry way to finish for the home side, when a mistimed tackle was punished, arguably a little harshly, by referee Luca Banti.

Marotta: 'Juve have to sell' Aug 24, 2013 Juventus director Beppe Marotta confirms “the squad is too vast,” but insists Milan “haven’t asked for Alessandro Matri.” The Bianconeri brought in Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente, so Matri and Fabio Quagliarella are on the market. http://markting10.nl/ “We have a valid squad that has won two consecutive titles. We know that we have the quality to go after a third,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia ahead of their match with Sampdoria. “The side is competitive in every area, but obviously there is not enough room for everyone. If these players should find another club, we would certainly talk about it. “Matri is our player and at the moment is with us. Milan? They haven’t asked for Matri, but if they do then we’re open to discussions. “We are taking part in three competitions and want to do well, but at the moment the squad is too vast. There are still 10 days left before the transfer deadline and we will evaluate the situation with the players, as moves depend on them.” Quagliarella has been heavily linked with a move abroad to West Ham or Norwich City, while Matri is a target for Everton, Milan and Napoli.

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS Carlos Tévez 58′ August 24, 2013 8:45 PM Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova Referee:‬ L. Banti Attendance:‬ 23000‎ ‎Tevez inspires Juve victory Carlos Tevez scored on his Serie A debut to give Juventus a hard-fought 1-0 victory away to Sampdoria, including a straight red card. Aug 24, 2013 The reigning champions started the defence of their title against a side that beat them twice last season. Confidence was sky high after last week’s 4-0 thrashing of Lazio in the Italian Super Cup, though Claudio Marchisio was ruled out for a month. Samp had to do without the suspended Renan and Vasco Regini, but had Juve-owned Manolo Gabbiadini leading the attack. http://markting10.nl/ It was raining very heavily in Genoa, but within three minutes Junior Da Costa had fingertipped an Andrea Pirlo strike out from under the crossbar. A brave Kwadwo Asamoah header was also palmed over from a corner, while Da Costa had to parry a Carlos Tevez shot out from the near bottom corner. Asamoah also blasted off target from the edge of the box, but Sampdoria held out well under pressure. After the restart Paul Pogba knocked down a Pirlo free kick, but once again the Blucerchiati scrambled clear. Juventus finally broke through with a very well-worked goal. Pogba sprung the offside trap on an Arturo Vidal first time pass and rolled across for Tevez to tap in from six yards. It was the former Manchester City striker’s goal on his Serie A debut. There was a scare for the visitors on 63 minutes when Sampdoria finally threatened and indeed had the ball in the back of the net, but Andrea Costa had wandered offside to volley in a free kick at full stretch. Moments later Eder tested Gigi Buffon with a powerful cross-shot at the near post, but Stephan Lichtsteiner couldn’t keep his header on target from a tight angle on Pogba’s chipped cross. Pedro Obiang’s screamer flashed across the face of goal, whistling past the far post and Andrea Barzagli almost scored an own goal, kicking his clearance straight at Vidal. Fernando Llorente was given his Serie A debut in the final minute, but Paolo Castellini’s opening game lasted just eight minutes, as he was shown a straight red card for his sliding tackle on Lichtsteiner. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sampdoria: Da Costa; Gastaldello (Mustafi 72), Palombo, Costa; De Silvestri, Eramo (Soriano 72), Krsticic, Obiang, Berardi (Castellini 82); Eder, Gabbiadini Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez (Giovinco 89), Vucinic (Llorente 89) Ref: Banti Sent off: Castellini 90 (S)

SAMPDORIA 0 - 1 JUVENTUS Carlos Tévez 58′ August 24, 2013 8:45 PM Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova Referee:‬ L. Banti Attendance:‬ 23000‎ ‎Tevez fires Bianconeri to opening day win The Argentine scored on his Serie A debut to give the defending Serie A champions all three points. Aug 24, 2013 Carlos Tevez scored his first league goal for Juventus as the Bianconeri opened their Serie A campaign with a 1-0 win over Sampdoria. The striker - who joined from Manchester City earlier this summer - found the net just before the hour mark to give Juve all three points at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. http://markting10.nl/ Antonio Conte handed a league debut to Tevez, with the Argentinian partnering Mirko Vucinic in attack, while Paul Pogba started in midfield in the absence of Claudio Marchisio. Juventus came close to taking the lead after just two minutes, when Andrea Pirlo's superb long-range strike was tipped over the bar by Brazilian goalkeeper Angelo Da Costa. Sampdoria responded well, pressing Conte's men back into their own half, but they could not take advantage of that period of supremacy and almost fell behind when Da Costa produced another fine save as Kwadwo Asamoah met a Pirlo corner with a powerful diving header. The visitors attacking quality was evident, and Sampdoria were again grateful for the reflexes of Da Costa as he denied Tevez his first goal in Italian football with a great stop at the near post. Asamoah fired a swerving effort over the bar from the edge of the area seven minutes before the interval, but despite an array of chances the Bianconeri were left frustrated as they failed to find a breakthrough before half-time. But on 57 minutes the visitors sprung back into life in spectacular fashion. Vucinic, Arturo Vidal and Pogba combined excellently in a wonderful team move, with the latter pulling back for Tevez to tap into an empty net with Da Costa stranded. However, the hosts nearly crafted an instant response, as defender Andrea Costa converted from an in-swinging free-kick only for the assistant referee to disallow the goal for offside. Pogba, afforded too much time and space by Sampdoria, continued to exert his influence on the game, and he was heavily involved again as Juventus looked to close the game out, crossing for Stephan Lichtsteiner, only to see the Swiss head wide. Juve took their foot off the gas in the dying embers of the game, with Sampdoria lacking the ability to turn the deficit around. And the game ended on a sour note for the hosts, with substitute Paolo Castellini sent-off for a lunging tackle on Lichtsteiner to extinguish any hope of a late comeback.

SAMPDORIA - JUVENTUS August 24, 2013 8:45 PM Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris — Genova Referee:‬ L. Banti‎ Line-ups Aug 24, 2013 Reigning champions Juventus start the defence of their title with Carlos Tevez against a Sampdoria that beat them twice last season. Antonio Conte’s men are aiming for a third consecutive Scudetto, which the Bianconeri have not achieved since the 1930s. Their campaign kicks off at Marassi at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT). http://markting10.nl/ Juve’s confidence is sky high after thrashing Lazio 4-0 in the Italian Super Cup last week, which saw Tevez score on his official debut. The former Manchester City striker starts again in Genoa, partnering Mirko Vucinic, as Fernando Llorente is still not 100 per cent fit. Claudio Marchisio is out for a month with a knee injury, while Simone Pepe is still sidelined, so Paul Pogba takes over in midfield. Sampdoria shocked Juventus twice last season, winning both at Marassi and in Turin, the away match despite going down to 10 men. Vasco Regini and Renan are suspended, but Juve-owned Manolo Gabbiadini partners Eder in attack. Sampdoria: Da Costa; Gastaldello, Palombo, Costa; De Silvestri, Eramo, Berardi, Krsticic, Obiang; Eder, Gabbiadini Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Tevez, Vucinic

Buffon desperate for Champions League glory The experienced goalkeeper has yet to add the European Cup to his trophy cabinet and is eager for European success before hanging up his gloves. Aug 24, 2013 Gianluigi Buffon is desperate to win the Champions League with Juventus before the end of his career, after missing out on the trophy in 2002-03. http://markting10.nl/ The Serie A champions made it to the quarter-finals of European club football's elite competition last season, where eventual winners Bayern Munich proved to be too strong, and the Bianconeri skipper is eager to go all the way this campaign. "Winning the Scudetto is obviously something that never stops satisfying you, but there's no denying that the Champions League is something else. It is not a competition you win easily," Buffon told TG1. "I already got to the Champions League final in 2003 and I really did not enjoy the experience of losing. "What would I give to win the Champions League? Let's say I have six or seven years left to play, I'd happily give three or four years of my career to win it." The draw for the Champions League group stages takes place in Monaco on August 29.

Can anyone stop Juventus? AC Milan, Napoli & the Scudetto challengers The 2013-14 Serie A campaign gets under way this weekend, with the Bianconeri widely expected to rack up their third successive title. Aug 24, 2013 COMMENT By Carlo Garganese Fashionably late, as always, the new Italian Serie A season is finally upon us. It has been a summer of thrills and spills in the transfer market - big names such as Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Mario Gomez arriving, but some formidable figures in the shape of Edinson Cavani, Marquinhos and Stevan Jovetic departing. http://markting10.nl/ Having won the last two Scudetti, Juventus are red-hot favourites to become only the fourth post-war team to claim three successive Italian league titles. With the meanest backline in Italy, the peninsula's best playmaker in Andrea Pirlo and Europe's most ferocious ball-winner in Arturo Vidal, it will take some effort for the Bianconeri to be toppled from their throne. Especially as Antonio Conte's squad is even stronger this term following the acquisitions of Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Angelo Ogbonna. So who can challenge Juventus for the 2013-14 Scudetto? The main contenders are listed below ... NAPOLI Napoli are considered by most experts, including Marcello Lippi, as the anti-Juve – the most realistic challenger to the Bianconeri's crown. It is easy to see why, after charismatic president Aurelio De Laurentiis oversaw a summer revolution in Campania. Rafa Benitez was brought in to replace Walter Mazzarri as coach and the former Liverpool and Valencia boss has splashed the cash in the transfer market. Despite losing star man Edinson Cavani to Paris Saint-Germain for a whopping €64 million, Napoli are Europe's fourth-biggest spenders this summer – securing the talents of Real Madrid trio Gonzalo Higuain, Raul Albiol and Jose Callejon, PSV livewire Dries Mertens and Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina. Offensively, Napoli have all the tools required to run Juventus very close. The likes of Higuain, Lorenzo Insigne, Goran Pandev, Marek Hamsik and Mertens will create and score numerous goals, and the Partenopei will be especially dangerous on the counterattack. However, while Benitez will bring about a tactical improvement, Napoli may not be strong enough defensively to maintain a Scudetto challenge. Christian Maggio and Pablo Armero are not naturally suited to a four-man defence, while the current centre-back options are ordinary. A top-class holding midfielder may also be required. Unless these areas are addressed before the close of the transfer window, then Napoli will probably fall short of improving on last year's second-place finish. AC MILAN For the second year running, AC Milan have endured a rather frustrating summer. Only the arrivals of relative midfield youngsters Riccardo Saponara (from Empoli) and Andrea Poli (from Sampdoria) – who both have the potential to be fine acquisitions - have offered fans hope. On the positive side, Milan boast Serie A's best attacker in Mario Balotelli. Should the Euro 2012 star improve his understanding with partner Stephan El Shaarawy – and there were finally good signs earlier this week against PSV – then the Rossoneri will cause defences all kinds of problems this term. The centre of midfield is solid, with Nigel de Jong back from injury, and Ignazio Abate and Matteo De Sciglio are Italy's strongest full-back combination. However, there are too many gaping holes in other areas of the pitch for Milan to aim for any more than a Champions League spot in 2013-14. The Rossoneri are still crying out for at least one top-class centre-back, having lost the legendary Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva a year ago, while goalkeeper Christian Abbiati recently turned 36. With coach Massimiliano Allegri persisting with the somewhat outdated 4-3-1-2 formation, Kevin-Prince Boateng lacks the fantasy and technique to interpret the trequartista role. Adriano Galliani needs to perform one of his late market-miracles for Milan to reach Juventus' level. FIORENTINA If there is one guarantee about the 2013-14 Serie A season, it is that Fiorentina will play the most exciting football. The Viola wowed audiences last term with their tiki-taka style and controversially missed out on Champions League qualification in the closing minutes of the season. Despite losing top scorer Jovetic to Manchester City, Fiorentina have improved after somehow pulling off the transfer coup of the summer in signing Bayern forward Gomez. The arrivals of Palermo's Josip Ilicic, Malaga's Joaquin and Milan veteran Massimo Ambrosini only adds further depth to a midfield already brimming with quality. With the outstanding David Pizarro and Borja Valero pulling the strings, Fiorentina are guaranteed to monopolise possession against most opposition. And with Gomez – a good shout to be Capocannoniere – Giuseppe Rossi, Adem Ljajic (should he stay) and Serie A's best dribbler, Juan Cuadrado, supplying the firepower, the Tuscans are a darkhorse for the Scudetto. Fiorentina's problems, like Napoli, are in defence – regardless of whether Vincenzo Montella plays with three or four at the back. Centrally, only Gonzalo Rodriguez can be trusted, while Stefan Savic has been a horror-show in pre-season. Handing inexperienced Brazilian goalkeeper Neto the first team gloves is also a risk. INTER Never have expectations at Appiano Gentile been so low going into a new season as they are right now. Indeed, this is the weakest Inter squad since president Massimo Moratti bought the club in 1995. The oil tycoon, after years of heavy spending, has undergone a series of cost-cutting measures as he prepares to potentially sell (part of) the club. The wage bill has been cut with the departures of Wesley Sneijder (in January) and Antonio Cassano, and a squad has been built around young, up-and-coming starlets such as summer signings Mauro Icardi, Ishak Belfodil, Saphir Taider, Wallace and Diego Laxalt. The only two players on Inter's roster who offer immediate guarantees at the highest level are goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and forward Rodrigo Palacio. Croatian midfielder Mateo Kovacic looks like a star of the future and could very well explode this term, but in all truth the best the Nerazzurri can probably hope for this season is a Europa League place. New coach Walter Mazzarri must be wondering why he swapped Naples for Milan! ROMA & LAZIO Until several days ago, the mood around Trigoria was positive. Despite the sale of arguably the world's best teenage defender, Marquinhos, to PSG for €32m, Roma were looking in good shape ahead of the new season, having signed Udinese centre back Mehdi Benatia and Dutch midfield enforcer Kevin Strootman. However, the quality in new Roma coach Rudi Garcia's squad has since taken a fatal hit following the departure of Pablo Osvaldo to Southampton and the seemingly imminent exit of Erik Lamela to Tottenham. In two fell swoops, the Giallorossi have gone from possessing the best attack in Serie A to arguably the weakest and thinnest of the teams in this review. Gervinho and the mooted replacements for Osvaldo and Lamela – who include Demba Ba and Alessandro Matri – are a big step backwards. While Roma still boast an abundance of top-class centre midfielders, a Champions League spot will be a tough ask. Two years on from Serie A's first foreign takeover, the American project is close to being branded a failure. As for their city rivals, Lazio enter the 2013-14 season on the back of an unremarkable transfer market. The Coppa Italia holders have, however, retained all of their first team players and the signing of regular Argentina midfielder Lucas Biglia from Anderlecht is a fine acquisition. The 4-0 thumping by Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana highlighted a number of weaknesses, particularly in the centre of defence, where Giuseppe Biava and Andre Dias are ageing fast. But with the ageless Miroslav Klose and the likes of Hernanes and Antonio Candreva – not to mention a top class coach in Vladimir Petkovic – this settled Lazio team will continue to trouble more individually-gifted outfits. A Champions League spot is unlikely, but not completely out of the question.

Buffon: 'I'd give years for trophy!' Aug 24, 2013 Gianluigi Buffon admits he’d “give three or four years of my career to win the Champions League” with Juventus. The goalkeeper has won the World Cup, UEFA Cup, European Under-21 Championship, numerous Scudetti, Italian Super Cups and the Coppa Italia, but one trophy still haunts him. http://markting10.nl/ “Let’s start from the fact you never get tired of winning the Scudetto, as it’s always a pleasure, but it’s also true that the Champions League is not something you win easily,” he told TG1. “What would I give to reach the Final? I already got there in 2003 and really did not enjoy losing,” Buffon said of the defeat on penalties to Milan. “If I have another six or seven years of my career left, then I’d give three or four years to win the Champions League.”