Socrates

Non credo che vinceremo 6-1.

Bonucci gira alto.

Che parata di Wyland su Chiello.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Fabio Quagliarella starts for Juventus against Copenhagen Sep 17, 2013 Juventus coach Antonio Conte has included Fabio Quagliarella in his starting lineup for his side's Champions League clash against Copenhagen in Denmark tonight. http://markting10.nl/ The Italian striker will start alongside Carlos Tevez in attack for the Serie A champions, with Fernando Llorente left on the bench. Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal all start in midfield for Juventus. Meanwhile, Copenhagen have former Bianconeri defender Olof Mellberg in their lineup for the sold-out clash at the Parken Stadium. COPENHAGEN: Wiland; Jacobsen, Mellberg, R Sigurdsson, Bengtsson; Bolanos, Claudemir, Delaney, Braaten; Adi, N Jorgensen Subs: Jensen, Margreitter, Remmer, Kristensen, Gislason, Santin, Toutouh JUVENTUS: Buffon; Bonucci, Ogbonna, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Peluso; Quagliarella, Tevez Subs: Storari, De Ceglie, Padoin, Asamoah, Isla, Giovinco, Llorente.

Abbraccio Buffon-Mellberg. @@

Che bella la maglietta da riscaldamento della Juve. @@

Magari 2.

Io la sto vedendo sulla Svizzera italiana in streaming .... c'é Zambrotta ospite in studio.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Line-ups: Copenhagen-Juventus Sep 17, 2013 Juventus begin their Champions League campaign in Copenhagen with a reshuffled side. The Bianconeri kick off at the Parken Stadium at 20.45. http://markting10.nl/ Andrea Barzagli and Mirko Vucinic played in the 1-1 draw with Inter on Saturday despite knocks, so are rested in Denmark along with Kwadwo Asamoah. Claudio Marchisio, Martin Caceres and Simone Pepe are all still on the treatment table, so Angelo Ogbonna, Federico Peluso and Fabio Quagliarella step into the starting XI. Juve will be hoping for a better showing than last season, when they were held 1-1 by Nordsjaelland in Copenhagen. The Danes have had a difficult start to their season, picking up just seven points from eight League matches. Their line-up includes former Juve defender Olof Mellberg. The 38,000-seater stadium is sold out, though only 900 of those are expected to be travelling Juventus fans. COPENHAGEN: Wiland; Jacobsen, Mellberg, R Sigurdsson, Bengtsson; Bolanos, Claudemir, Delaney, Braaten; Adi, N Jorgensen Copenhagen bench: Jensen, Margreitter, Remmer, Kristensen, Gislason, Santin, Toutouh JUVENTUS: Buffon; Bonucci, Ogbonna, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Peluso; Quagliarella, Tevez Juventus bench: Storari, De Ceglie, Padoin, Asamoah, Isla, Giovinco, Llorente

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Copenhagen & Juve UEFA CL Updates Sep 17, 2013 If we didn’t know for sure, we do now: Mauro Icardi is an official Juve villain. We were put on watch when he scored three goals against us last season for Sampdoria (two at Juventus Stadium). But nothing provides confirmation like scoring a goal for Inter in a Derby d’Italia. http://markting10.nl/ Thankfully, Juve’s “bete noire” (as the press are calling him) was neutralized by our own white knight, Arturo Vidal, who equalized minutes later with a quietly incredible strike through four defenders, allowing Juve to leave San Siro with a hard-fought point. But forget the Derby for now. Tonight, the Bianconeri address the more important matter of Champions League glory. The dream begins with this evening’s group stage encounter with Copenhagen, as Juventus look to take what they’ve learned from the joys and sorrows of last season’s final-eight performance in Europe’s top competition, determined to get as close as possible to winning it all. Copenhagen Update: Quagliarella’s Turn? Antonio Conte is contemplating some smart turnover for tonight’s CL opener. In an effort to both rest ailing starters Andrea Barzagli and Mirko Vucinic, as well as provide some crucial European experience for Angelo Ogbonna (in a relatively low-pressure, non-Real Madrid environment), the Juve coach is considering starts for both Ogbonna and Fabio Quagliarella, according to several Italian sources. Fabio looks to be ready, if his performance against Inter was any indication. He certainly claims to be, according to Sky Sport Italia (via Football Italia): The Coach, as always, makes his decisions. But my objective is to do well in training and convince him to pick me game after game. I’m always ready. When the Coach decides that I need to start a game or come on as a substitute, he knows that he can calmly rely on me. If he decides that it is my turn to play then there would be no problem at all. Starting both Quagliarella and Ogbonna would be a good move. The former is not shy on European nights, as evidenced by his heroics vs. Chelsea last year. And as mentioned above, this is the perfect opportunity for Ogbonna: a chance to play in a “big” European match that will nevertheless (hopefully) allow for a few rookie mistakes. As you would expect for such an important match, Andrea Pirlo will start in midfield, but there’s good news on the horizon for those of us who think he’s being flogged to death week after week: Our architect will likely start from the bench next weekend against Verona. In tacit acknowledgment of their relative unfamiliarity with Copenhagen (see the official site’s summary of the Danish side’s recent exploits for what little we know), Gigi Buffon focused more on Juve’s general goals for this year’s European campaign (via Juventus.com): Winning a Champions League is an exceptional achievement, and something that hasn’t happened too often for us and other great teams. Managing to lift the trophy would be hugely satisfying, not from a personal point of view, but for the whole environment here: fans, club and teammates.” I’m intrigued to see if we’re able to follow up the good things we did last year and improve the results we managed to gain. On paper you could say we’ve developed since then. We’ve got two important years behind us and the club have strengthened the team in the transfer market. But proof of this can only come from what happens on the pitch and it will be our enthusiasm and desire to keep surprising that will confirm this feeling. Juve may be intent on surprising this year, but the group stage will certainly provide some surprises of its own. This current squad knows very well not to underestimate a side like Copenhagen, who are capable of providing the same stiff competition as Shakhtar Donetsk and compatriots Nordsjaelland did last season. “Minnow” is a relative term, especially in the Champions League. Beware, Bianconeri. FORZA JUVE!!! Conte & the Champions League: Learning from Experience Antonio Conte expects his men and himself to learn from last year’s Champions League experience — especially from their struggles in the early group stage. The Bianconeri’s eventual triumph vs. Celtic and sobering defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich in the knockout stages was certainly not a foregone conclusion after the first three matchdays of the 2012-13 campaign. Needing a valiant comeback just to draw with Chelsea and suffering shock stalemates with Nordsjaelland and Shakhtar, Juventus were staring down the very real prospect of crashing out prematurely. As stated in his press conference yesterday (via Juventus.com), Conte is well aware of the need to start brightly: The last time we were here we only managed to clinch a point right at the end and risked our chances of getting out of the group stages. You have just six games and it’s always difficult to bounce back from any slip-ups. Danish champions FC Copenhagen have strangely struggled for form so far this season and even fired a coach in August. Antonio is baffled by this turn of events, but is wisely preparing for a club at their best: I’m struggling to understand why Copenhagen find themselves in the position they’re currently in. We’ve studied them well, they play good football and always appear to have something over their opponents, even if the final outcome hasn’t always been positive. So we’ll need to pay great attention to them, taking heed of what happened here last year. Conte finds his squad to be comfortably placed in their group in terms of CL expectations. Real Madrid’s presence makes Juve automatic underdogs, which will take a bit of pressure off the Bianconeri and allow to initially focus solely on progressing further than last season: It’s a fascinating group. Real Madrid, who have been chasing their tenth Champions League title for years and continue to spend heavily, will be regarded as favourites, at least on paper. We’ll be battling it out with Galatasaray for second place, but we’ll also need to pay attention to Copenhagen, who could cause an upset. We know that there’s still a way to go and a year’s added experience will help us. We’ll be outsiders, but a dangerous outsider for anyone to face. We know who we are and how far we can go. We won’t place limits on our progress, but we’ll maintain a level of realism which will enable us to keep our feet on the ground. Of course, the onset of the Champions League fixtures means that the Bianconeri will run through a bit of a gauntlet over the next month: seven matches in 25 days (including Saturday’s match with Inter). So, then, the inevitable question: Who’s going to rest, and when? Also, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO REST PIRLO? The answer to that last question might easily be “when Marchisio comes back.” But let’s let Antonio answer for himself: It’s inevitable that I’ll rotate the side in this important period, looking to grant rest to those who need it in order to have them ready for the next game. What won’t change, however, is our philosophy. Pirlo doesn’t need a break at present and will start tomorrow. I believe you can change a maximum of four players at a time, in order to avoid upsetting the balance of the side too much, but I’m convinced I’ll get the right responses from everyone. Last season’s mild turnover can partly be excused by the lack of “quality” in the side, but as far as the media and most tifosi are concerned, there are no such excuses this year. Making turnover decisions is a dangerous game, and Conte will be playing it with ever-higher stakes for both the club’s future and his own. Giuseppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici have arguably given him what he wanted over the summer. And sure, those signings have to pay off, which is mostly down to the signings themselves. But if Juventus are expected to arrive at the promised “next level” as a club, then Conte is expected to arrive there as a coach, too. Part of that will entail tactically outwitting the Bayerns, Barcelonas and Real Madrids of the world. But an equally important part will be ensuring that Juve are physically and mentally rested enough to not only balance the demands of multiple important campaigns, but be devastatingly effective in each one. This season was designed to be an evolutionary one for Juve, but no less of one for Conte himself. He is very much ready to be a next-level coach. The next level starts tonight. Previously in Denmark… Historically, Juve have had precious few adventures on Danish soil, and never with the same club. Tonight will see only the third Bianconeri encounter with a Danish side. The first occurred on September 15, 1982 in the last-16 of what was then known as the European cup (I’m figuring this is before Heineken took Europe hostage). Here’s the summary from the official site: A Juve side with six recent world champions, not to mention Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek, lined up against Hvidovre for a place in the European Cup quarter-final. Giovanni Trapattoni’s adventurous attacking formation paid dividends as the Bianconeri ran out 4-1 winners, with goals from Platini, Paolo Rossi, Sergio Brio and Antonio Cabrini putting the Danes to the sword. Interestingly enough, that fixture became the inspiration for a character in the Danish film Italian for Beginners: Curiously, the game came to have an impact on Lone Scherfig’s 2000 film “Italiano per principianti”. Telling the story of a tiny community living in the Copenhagen suburbs that go to an Italian-speaking school, it features a powerful example of absolute love for the Bianconeri: one of the main characters is a waiter who practically lives in the Juventus shirt after watching the team beat Hvidovre. Of course, you’ll remember the second Danish encounter, which took place last year at tonight’s venue, Parken Stadium, against Nordsjaelland, who played us to a draw: Although the hosts took the lead through a Mikkel Beckmann free kick, the Bianconeri fought back and found an equaliser when Mirko Vucinic converted Mauricio Isla’s cross from the right-hand side 10 minutes from the end. The Nordsjaelland draw snapped Juve out of their stupor, spurring them on to eventually top the group. Let’s hope this group stage never sees Juve in such dire straits in the first place. Speaking of history, tonight’s official, Ivan Bebek of Croatia, has handled only one Bianconeri match, that being a 2-1 win at Ajax during the very painful Europa League campaign of 2010. His linesmen will be Tomislav Petrovic and Miro Grgic, while Dalibor Conjar will be fourth official (and will hopefully remind Conte to use his substitutes). From the Enemy Camp: Copenhagen Speaks! Copenhagen find themselves in a strange place at the moment — which could be very dangerous for our Bianconeri. Defending champions of the Danish Superliga, FC Copenhagen have nevertheless found themselves at the bottom of table following a disastrous start to the domestic season, their coach replaced by a returning hero. Stale Solbakken recently returned for a second spell in charge, hoping to add to the success of his first. Copenhagen won five league titles between 2006 and 2011, all under Solbakken’s stewardship. His return has already had a galvanizing effect on the squad, who are finally starting to see some positive results towards a successful defense of the Danish crown. Now Solbakken turns his attention to the Champions League, hoping for a big scalp or two to further boost his club’s domestic confidence (via Juventus.com): Getting a result tomorrow could represent the turning point of our entire season. We’re focusing on the three games that we’ll be playing at home, even though we’re perhaps in the most difficult group. Juventus need to win at all costs and perhaps we’ll be able to surprise them. We hope to do the same against Galatasaray. We’ll be playing against superior sides, but perhaps they might underestimate us. We need to believe we can do it, otherwise we won’t get a result. We need to stick to our own game plan, have plenty of belief and play to the best of our abilities. If we do just that, who knows, we could well spring a surprise. “Who knows” indeed. The above quote should be a lyric in the official Champions League song. Although Bianconeri tifosi may be unfamiliar with Copenhagen as a club, they should recognize one relatively friendly face from TDDBC (The Dark Days Before Conte): Olof Mellberg. Asked about his time at Juve, Mellberg’s response was to marvel at the complete overhaul in personnel and philosophy: The team has changed a great deal since I was there. Back then they had plenty of experienced players, such as Del Piero, Trezeguet, Camoranesi and Nedved. Now they’re a younger group and have changed their style of play. Only Buffon, Chiellini, Marchisio, Giovinco and De Ceglie have remained from my spell in Turin. It’s a completely different side and I think they’ve improved. As for the match itself, Conte’s relentless tactical drills should come in handy, if Mellberg’s assessment of Copenhagen’s readiness for tonight is any indication (of course, he could be laying a trap!): It will be difficult because we haven’t had much time on the training ground to prepare specifically for this clash. But we’ll give it our best shot and try and get a result. We’re aware of the dangers that we could potentially come up against. I played against Carlos Tevez when he was at Manchester United and tomorrow will be a tough battle against a striker of his quality. You know what they say about wounded animals, so I won’t repeat it here (and I’ll also pretend it applies to football clubs). Suffice it to say that Copenhagen is exactly the type of club to trip up a Champions League hopeful or two with a bravura performance, especially at home. If Juve want to avoid the more desperate moments of last year’s group stage, they must leave nothing to chance and dispatch Copenhagen as quickly as possible. The last thing we need is for things to get “interesting.”

La finite di beccarvi?

Appunto, evita se vuoi seguire la partita sul forum stasera.

Ho cancellato alcuni messaggi. Sembravano scritti da bambini della prima elementare.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Champions League Preview: Juventus vs. FC Copenhagen It all begins again Sep 17, 2013 THE CHAMPIONS!!!! http://markting10.nl/ Juventus were drawn into a tough group in this season's edition of the Champions League. Am I going out on a limb with that last sentence? Nah, I don't think so. It's not very often three teams that made it into the quarterfinals the previous season meet the next time around. There's also this: Juventus don't have to play any of those two to begin the group stage. Instead, Juventus have made a trip to Denmark for the second straight year. But don't worry, there won't be the struggle to figure out how the hell to spell "Nordsjælland" on a regular basis. (And, for the record, I am glad about that.) No, it's just simple spelling this time around, with Juve's trip to Denmark seeing them play FC Copenhagen in the Group B opener for both teams. While their trip to play Nordsjælland last season was Juve's return to European football, this time the journey to Denmark comes with serious expectations. Juve have added to their squad this summer, reinforcing what was already a Champions League quarterfinalist and two-time defending Serie A champions. Now, Antonio Conte is looking to build on what is a damn good foundation. Go right ahead, Mister. You won't find me complaining about wanting to go even further in the Champions League. GOOD NEWS Juventus are opening the group stages with FC Copenhagen instead of Real Madrid. Say what you want about opening with a challenge, but I'll take the very good chance to get three points straight away every day of the week. BAD NEWS Injuries. Martin Caceres (knee surgery), Claudio Marchisio (knee ligament), Simone Pepe (thigh strain) and Rubinho (pelvic muscle strain) are all recovering from their respective problems. Fun! And the schedule is busy again. Seven games in about a month. That's rough — with or without the current injuries Juventus are dealing with. More on that in a little bit. WHAT TO WATCH FOR 1. Just how pissed off Juventus are after a Derby d'Italia draw over the weekend. Antonio Conte likes to win. I like that Antonio Conte likes to win. I think everybody likes that Antonio Conte likes to win. Well, those of us who root for this great club, but I'm not so sure about the others. And even though Conte was pleased with his team's effort against Inter on Saturday, it wasn't a win — and therefore Il Mister can't be completely satisfied...right? This is a great chance for Juve to start Group B action on a really good note and get all three points right out of the shoot before the tougher group games arrive. I'm sure they realize that, and want to have all three points possible in their pocket when they get on the plane back to Turin. 2. The condition of Mirko Vucinic. After hearing for a week leading up to the derby about Vucinic's injury status and availability, Vucinic was available on Saturday and his performance was, uh, not so good. Maybe that's just Mirko being Mirko and following the trajectory of his career, I dunno. But with everything that was going on during the week and having to shake off an injury in such a short period of time, it's hard to think it didn't play some kind of role — significant or minor — in his performance. 3. The striker situation. I could, realistically, say this in every preview I write up in the same kind of fashion I did a season ago. But this time, it's not because we don't know who will play on consistent basis. Carlos Tevez will play much more often than he won't. I could go on and on about Fernando Llorente needing a chance to show what he's capable of just to shut people up, but I won't. For all I know, Conte could be planning on changing things for the simple fact of squad rotation and that will be that. Much like the Inter preview, this is basically tied to Vucinic — if he's deemed healthy enough to play, Mirko will most likely play. It's as simple as that. 4. Which Andrea Pirlo shows up. Conte has made his stand, and we know the maestro is playing. Now that we've established that Pirlo is playing, let's talk about how he hasn't been the player we've come to know since he arrived the last couple of weeks. Pirlo's not on his best form. That's not some wild theory I'm throwing out there right now, either. The amount of misplaced passes are starting to add up. So are the amount of turnovers he's committing. Conte says he doesn't need rest, so we'll go with that. But I'm just going to sit here and wonder what a night off might do if that okay with all of you. It's not like giving Pirlo a break has helped in the last year or two. Oh wait... 5. The condition of Olof Mellberg's world-class viking beard. Because before Pirlo's beard, there was Mellberg's beard. And since we'll be seeing an old friend tomorrow night, there's no reason not to pay attention to his glorious facial hair. 6. How much Conte actually rotates the squad — now and in the future. From Conte's post-match interview on Saturday night: "I'll need to call on everyone and will rotate the side the side when the moment's right, with the league championship in mind as our realistic objective. I definitely couldn't rotate in a match against Inter." So, he's established that he will rotate things. How much? That's still to be seen. But it's something I expected him to do more often a year ago and it didn't happen as much as it probably should have. Has Conte learned? I don't know. That's just something he's going to actually have to prove to me — and a lot of other folks around these parts — before we truly believe that squad rotation is going to be happening when the schedule is busy like it currently is. Even with some of his better players injured right now, Conte has the depth at his disposal. It's time to take advantage of it. My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Ogbonna, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Llorente (?), Tevez OFFICIAL KICKOFF TIME: 8:45 P.M. IN ITALY; 2:45 P.M. ON THE EAST COAST; 11:45 A.M. ON THE WEST COAST

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Juventus probable XI v Copenhagen Sep 17, 2013 Angelo Ogbonna and Fabio Quagliarella are expected to be named in the Juventus starting XI against Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday. http://markting10.nl/ Boss Antonio Conte is being tipped to make two changes to the side who began the 1-1 draw at Inter on Saturday. Ogbonna and Quagliarella will replace Andrea Barzagli and Mirko Vucinic, players who only appeared at the weekend after passing late fitness tests. Ogbonna, signed in the summer from Torino, is expected to play in the middle of the back-three which will see Leonardo Bonucci moved to the right of the trio. Italian international Ogbonna has never played in the Champions League before. Paul Pogba will again be handed a starting shirt as Claudio Marchisio is still sidelined with the injury he picked up in the Italian Super Cup Final. Juventus probable: Buffon; Bonucci, Ogbonna, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Quagliarella, Tevez.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Struggling Danes fear Juventus Juventus will have nothing to fear when facing FC Copenhagen on Tuesday, writes Danish sports journalist and commentator Karsten Krogh. Sep 17, 2013 FC Copenhagen are nowhere near as strong as the team that made it to the last 16 of the Champions League two years ago. They’re currently 10th out of 12 sides in the Danish Superliga. However, they’re probably still favourites for the title as their squad remains the best in Denmark. And they have just signed their old Coach Ståle Solbakken, who led the team to its best season ever 24 months ago. That may be a game changer. http://markting10.nl/ Two years ago FC Copenhagen sported probably the best Danish club outfit of all time. Led by former Chelsea star Jesper Groenkjaer, by a wide margin the best player ever in the Danish League, the team also had a great centre-forward in Dame N’Doye (now Lokomotiv Moscow), international midfielder William Kvist (now Stuttgart) and a rock solid defence – consisting of, among others, current Bologna defender Michael Antonsson. Swedish ‘keeper Johan Wiland is the only one left of that defence. FCK won the Danish championship with 26 points to spare the season of 2011 – even if they were also playing European football at the same time. When the campaign ended, almost everyone left. Still, most people expected FCK to win the title easily the next season but they failed to do so. Minnows and neighbours FC Nordsjælland beat FCK by two points and drew Juventus, Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League. FC Nordsjælland were completely outclassed and basically humiliated, conceding a record 22 goals in the group stage alone. Last season FCK took their title back, although not in a very convincing fashion, and they ended the term with a string of defeats and draws. The poor results continued at the start of this campaign and the club decided to fire Belgian Coach Ariel Jacobs when they had a chance to sign Staale Solbakken, the man who took FCK to their great Champions League season. Solbakken was part of the FCK exodus two years earlier when Bundesliga club FC Köln came knocking. However, Solbakken was a failure in Germany and his later stint at Championship side Wolves wasn’t a success either. Now he’s back in FCK and his first two games in charge have brought optimism and four points to the title holders. However important Solbakken may be as a lightning rod and motivator, though, he can’t actually play the games for FCK, and it’s still a fact that FCK don’t have much of a team at the moment. Their defence has conceded 12 goals in eight matches and have only managed to score 11 goals – with four of those coming against relegation favourites Viborg. The team is struggling everywhere on the pitch. Brazilian midfielder Claudemir, excellent two seasons ago, is nowhere near the same player he was when playing with Kvist in central midfield. Goalkeeper Wiland, excellent for two seasons, has shown signs of weakness lately, and the strikers, Santin and Vetokele, have never been Champions League standard. FCK have bought two new strikers, German Pourie, from Danish club Silkeborg, and 193cm, 22-year-old Nigerian Adi from Slovakian FK AS Trencin but they really shouldn’t be a problem for the likes of Giorgio Chiellini or Leonardi Bonucci. Coach Solbakken recently stated that the Champions League could turn out to be a somewhat nasty experience for the troubled outfit and that seems to be an understatement. The truth is that this FCK is nowhere as strong as in the recent past and are probably expected to fetch maybe one point in their six games – their home game against Galatasaray. Anything more than that would be a big surprise. Last season Juventus sensationally drew 1-1 against FC Nordsjælland at Parken in Copenhagen, the same pitch where they’ll be playing FCK on Tuesday. It would be a huge, huge upset if they do anything of that sort again. The likes of Juventus and Real Madrid really shouldn’t have any problems picking up six points against the current FCK.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Pique: 'Juve among favourites' Sep 17, 2013 Barcelona midfielder Gerard Pique believes Juventus can win the Champions League and Milan “remain complicated rivals.” http://markting10.nl/ The tournament proper kicks off this evening with Copenhagen-Juventus, then Milan host Celtic and Napoli face Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. “Juventus will fight for the Champions League, as they are among the group of favourites for the trophy,” Pique told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “Last season they were only stopped by Bayern Munich. They have strength in depth, Andrea Pirlo, a great defence, Gianluigi Buffon and with Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente have definitely strengthened in attack. “Napoli have Rafa Benitez, who is very competitive, and have signed players from Real Madrid who know what the Champions League is all about. In Serie A they started out scoring a lot and play decisively attacking football. They won’t win the Champions League, but they will have a good run.” Barcelona are in the same group as Milan, Celtic and Ajax, so have been paired with the Rossoneri for the fifth time in three seasons. “We know each other well,” smiled Pique. “In recent years they haven’t bought as many players because they are not in a great financial moment, but they remain complicated rivals. “As for Kaka, Milan need a player like him, whereas Real Madrid are full of them. Kaka didn’t play very much and over time that affected his confidence, so I think that’s why he left. He had his best years at Milan and can be reborn there. “Mario Balotelli? He’s special, in every sense! A very different player with great quality. He really needs to feel he is the star at the centre of a project and I think he has that at Milan, whereas it was tough for him to feel important at Manchester City. “He was already decisive last season and I hope he can be again this term.” Pique also cast his eye over some of the other contenders for the Champions League. “It’s true that with Carlo Ancelotti they are trying to keep the ball more, but Real Madrid haven’t changed their playing style all that much. With those players and now Gareth Bale, it’s natural to win back possession and hit you on the break. “Bayern Munich are in development and it’ll take a while to become the football machine Pep Guardiola wants, but this year they can win it all again. “Chelsea? In the Super Cup with Bayern Munich they had their chances, scored when down to 10 men and could’ve won. It’s the pure Jose Mourinho style – not the most entertaining football in the world, but the way he sees it that doesn’t matter as long as you win.”

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Cruyff believes Juve can challenge Sep 17, 2013 Johan Cruyff believes that Juventus can challenge for the Champions League this season. http://markting10.nl/ The Bianconeri play Copenhagen this evening in their first European match of the campaign, and the Netherlands legend has claimed that Antonio Conte’s men can do well. “I think it’s likely that they will aspire to win the Champions League,” he told Tuttosport. “For two years now they have played some great football – football that suits Europe.” The Barcelona and Ajax hero then commented on Milan and Napoli’s chances. “Milan are always Milan, but this year they have changed a lot. For me, Kaka is still an unknown in this team. “Napoli though, are beginners in the competition. I will be following them with curiosity.”

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Verratti: A PSG-Juventus Final! Sep 17, 2013 Italian international Marco Verratti has a dream – a Champions League Final between his Paris Saint-Germain side and Juventus. http://markting10.nl/ The Champions League will begin this evening and the playmaker is hoping PSG and Juve will improve on reaching the quarter-finals in the last campaign. “An ideal Champions League Final would be PSG versus Juventus,” the 20-year-old told the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “A tie between my present and my future? For now all that counts is the present.” The Turin giants did try to sign the midfielder in the summer of 2012, but refused to match the €12m which PSG handed to Pescara for him. “I see an even more spectacular Champions League this season,” Verratti continued. “We went out in the last eight last season [to Barcelona], but we did so with our heads held high. “The club have invested a lot and well. Edinson Cavani gives us more strength, as do Marquinhos and Digne. “Progress in the European Cup depends on how you get out of the group, on the draws and on injuries. But we can believe we can get to the Final. “Other outsiders? The Italian clubs. Juve and Napoli have reinforced with intelligence. Milan have Mario Balotelli and we’ll have to see what Kaka can do when in form.” Paris SG are in Group C with Benfica, Anderlecht and tonight’s opponents Olympiacos. Juventus have been placed in Group B alongside Real Madrid, Galatasaray and Copenhagen.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Juventus can win Champions League, says Nedved The Bianconeri director is optimistic about his side's chances in Europe and feels they can spring a surprise and go all the way. Sep 17, 2013 Pavel Nedved believes that Juventus have what it takes to go all the way in the Champions League this term but accepts they may not be the strongest team in the competition. http://markting10.nl/ The Serie A champions will have to deal with Real Madrid, Galatasaray and Copenhagen in Group B and Nedved is confident that they will progress to the knockout stages. "There are a few teams that are perhaps a bit stronger, but the strongest team doesn't always win. So I'd say that we could win it if you ask me if we could go all the way," the Juve director told Tuttosport. "It will obviously be tough, but it's not something that's out of our reach. "We will be playing against Copenhagen and Galatasaray in our next two games. Then, against Real Madrid, anything can happen. "We could win or lose versus Madrid, but we will have to collect as many points as possible versus the Danes and the Turks." Juventus take on Copenhagen in the Danish capital on Tuesday evening in their Group B opener.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Champions Club: Real Madrid & Dortmund favourites for European glory Nat Coombs is joined by international football writer Peter Staunton and former Champions League winner Didi Hamann as we preview this season's elite competition. Sep 17, 2013 The Champions League returns this week, as 32 teams battle it out for a place in the final at Benfica's Estadio da Luz stadium. http://markting10.nl/ Holders Bayern Munich start their title defence in the Russian capital, but with a new manager and ethos yet to settle, will last year's winners still be standing come this season's showpiece? And following a summer of unrivalled transfer activity, which stars will shine brightest in European football's premier competition.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Buffon: Winning the Champions League would be exceptional The 35-year-old has never won the Champions League, but believes his team have the talent to change that this season. Sep 16, 2013 Gianluigi Buffon says winning the Champions League would be an exceptional achievement for Juventus. http://markting10.nl/ The Bianconeri kick off their European campaign against defending Superliga champions Copenhagen on Tuesday in Denmark, a side they have never previously met in the competition. The Juve shot-stopper believes the club have improved over the summer with the signings of Angelo Ogbonna, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente, and is hoping that will translate into results on the pitch for the two-time European champions. “We’ve got two important years behind us and the club have strengthened the team in the transfer market,” he told reporters. “But proof of this can only come from what happens on the pitch and it will be our enthusiasm and desire to keep surprising that will confirm this feeling. “Winning the Champions League is an exceptional achievement, and something that hasn’t happened too often for us and other great teams. “Managing to lift the trophy would be hugely satisfying, not only from a personal point of view, but for the whole environment here: fans, club and team-mates.” Juventus will face their first test when they travel to the Parken Stadium, a venue they failed to win at in last year’s competition, drawing 1-1 with Superliga outfit Nordsjaelland. Antonio Conte’s side were drawn in Group B with Real Madrid, Galatasaray and Copenhagen, and Buffon is excited to test himself against some of Europe’s top teams. He added: “I’m intrigued to see if we’re able to follow up the good things we did last year and improve the results we managed to gain. On paper you could say we’ve developed since then.”

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) FC Copenhagen vs. Juventus: Preview Sep 16, 2013 Juventus begin their Champions League campaign off the back of a comeback draw in the Derby d'Italia. http://markting10.nl/ The Bianconeri responded with an Arturo Vidal to silence a raucous San Siro crowd, who had erupted in elation moments earlier when Mauro Icardi—the Juventus killer, having scored four times in three matches against the Old Lady—had given Inter the lead. Juve will be extra motivated in the Champions League this season after a satisfactory return to the competition last year. It was pleasing to top a difficult group that included the champions Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk, but the humbling given to them by eventual champions Bayern left a sour taste. Now the Bianconeri begin a new adventure in Denmark against FC Copenhagen—a game that, at least on paper, Juve should win comfortably. However, the attitude in the camp appears to be very professional, with Leonardo Bonucci commenting on his official website that "every match is a final (in the Champions League) and this is the first." Copenhagen will not be confident of upsetting the Italians either, as the Danish champions lie 10th in their league after a torrid run that has seen FCK win just one match since April. Copenhagen Team News Former Juventus centre-back Olof Mellberg is in line to play against his former club. The Danish champions have centre-back Kris Stadsgaard out injured, and backup goalkeeper Kim Christensen remains frozen out due to a contractual dispute. Stale Solbakken will hope to have Nicolai Jorgensen back to top condition after the Dane's recent fitness issues, while new strike Adi Fanendo continues to settle into the side. Expected XI: Wiland; Jacobsen, Mellberg, Sigurdsson, Bengtsson; Bolanos, Claudemir de Souza, Delaney, Jorgensen; Fanendo, Santin. Juventus Team News Antonio Conte has no fresh injuries to concern himself with ahead of the Champions League, with Claudio Marchisio, Martin Caceres, third-choice goalkeeper Rubinho and long-term casualty Simone Pepe the only absentees for Juve. Andrea Barzagli and Mirko Vucinic have shaken off knocks, but it remains to be seen as to whether Conte will pick them to start Tuesday, as a busy schedule ahead could prompt a little rotation. Angelo Ogbonna and Fabio Quagliarella will be ready to step in should Conte feel it necessary to rest a couple of players with Hellas Verona awaiting them this weekend in Serie A. Expected XI: Buffon; Bonucci, Ogbonna, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Pogba, Pirlo, Vidal, Asamoah; Tevez, Quagliarella. Key Battle: Adi vs. Ogbonna Copenhagen will look to get Claudemir on the ball alongside Bolanos, who can drift inside and link with the strikers. Their cutting edge should come from Adi's runs off the last man into the space behind, so the added pace to the back line that comes from Ogbonna will be crucial for Juve to be able to nullify that threat. The Nigerian-born Azzurri international has enormous potential and will be looking to prove his worth after his summer switch from Torino. It is not beyond question that Ogbonna could force his way into the starting lineup over the coming months at Juve, so a Champions League test will be a nice way to measure his capability.

F.C. KOBENHAVN - JUVENTUS September 17, 2013 8:45 PM Parken Stadium — Copenhagen Referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Mellberg: Juve have changed a lot Sep 16, 2013 Former Juventus defender Olof Mellberg has conceded that the club is barely recognisable from when he left. http://markting10.nl/ The Swedish centre-back currently plays for Copenhagen – the Bianconeri’s Champions League opponents tomorrow. And the veteran has admitted that the Old Lady have changed radically since he departed in 2009. “The team has changed a great deal since I was there,” he told a Press conference. “Back then they had plenty of experienced players, such as Del Piero, Trezeguet, Camoranesi and Neved. Now they’re a younger group and have changed their style of play. “Only Buffon, Chiellini, Marchisio, Giovinco and De Ceglie have remained from my spell in Turin. It’s a completely different side and I think they’ve improved.” “It will be difficult because we haven’t had much time on the training ground to prepare specifically for this clash. But we’ll give it our best shot and try and get a result. “We’re aware of the dangers that we could potentially come up against, I played against Carlos Tevez when he was at Manchester United and tomorrow will be a tough battle against a striker of his quality.”