Socrates

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Matri: 'Bring on Bayern!' Mar 31, 2013 Alessandro Matri got the winner against Inter and admits he’d love to start against Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday. The Juventus striker turned in Fabio Quagliarella’s pull-back for a 2-1 victory at San Siro on Saturday afternoon. “It was an important win and we played at a high tempo right from the start,” Matri told Sky Sport Italia. “Nicolas Anelka had predicted I would score a goal. We earned three precious points for the standings and can now focus on Bayern.” Sebastian Giovinco is in doubt for that game after Esteban Cambiasso went in hard on his ankle, while Mirko Vucinic missed the trip to Inter with flu symptoms. “Of course I’d like to play against Bayern Munich, even if the decision is down to the Coach. I always tend to score when I play alongside Quagliarella, as we get along well. “Europe is a dream for us and we know how Bayern play with some very talented individuals.” Bayern Munich sent a message to Juve by beating Hamburg 9-2 in the Bundesliga on Saturday. “We have a solid lead in Serie A, but cannot take our foot off the gas until we are mathematically certain, so every game must be played like a Cup Final,” continued Matri. “We used up a lot of energy at San Siro and need to recover in time for Tuesday.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Quaglia: 'Goal was instinctive' Mar 30, 2013 Fabio Quagliarella said his goal against Inter was “instinctive,” explains why he hugged Nicolas Anelka and assures Juventus “do not fear Bayern Munich.” He was an unexpected starter in today’s 2-1 win at San Siro, opening the scoring from distance and setting up Alessandro Matri for the second. “The goal was instinctive,” he told the media. “I trapped the ball, saw that I had space and so I aimed for goal. I’m very happy, as it’s wonderful to break the deadlock against such a big team. “I ran to the bench to hug Anelka because he asked me to in the locker room. It’s good to remember those on the bench, as they also work hard all week. “The Coach has been rotating the strikers for two years now, so we are all relaxed and now our opportunity will come. Nobody here gets annoyed when they don’t play, as the important thing is to be ready when called.” Juventus now go into the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, who are set to win the Bundesliga title this weekend. “We have respect for Bayern, but no fear,” assured Quagliarella. “We are going there with the same spirit as always, trying to play our game. “The Coach keeps his choices to himself until the last minute, so we have no idea who is going to play in Germany.” Sebastian Giovinco is an injury doubt after Esteban Cambiasso’s terrible tackle on his ankle today, while Mirko Vucinic missed the Inter game with flu symptoms. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Cambiasso: 'It was an accident' Mar 30, 2013 Esteban Cambiasso apologised to Sebastian Giovinco in public and private after his red card for a horrific challenge. “My history speaks for me.” The Inter midfielder was sent off in the final kick of the 2-1 home defeat to Juventus for sliding on to Giovinco’s standing ankle. “My history speaks for me and Juve also understood straight away that it was an accident,” Cambiasso told Inter Channel. “I went into the locker room to see how Giovinco was doing. He is a colleague and I didn’t want to cause him any problems. “He didn’t seem too bad, though unfortunately I did arrive late to the tackle. I think what I have done in my career makes everyone realise I didn’t want to break anyone’s ankle.” Giovinco is not a major doubt to recover in time for the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Conte: 'Juve beat great Inter' Mar 30, 2013 Antonio Conte praised Inter for causing Juventus problems, but also pointed out “we proved we have got better” after today’s 2-1 victory. The Bianconeri had been beaten 3-1 in Turin earlier this season, ending their 49-match unbeaten Serie A run, but got revenge this afternoon at San Siro. “We achieved a great result, as in my view Inter are capable of beating anyone,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia. “We proved that we have got better since November. I have to compliment my lads, as they were constantly on point. It is always a Match with a capital M against Inter. “We put another brick down on the foundations of the Scudetto and it’s a step forward, even if there are teams like Napoli and Milan behind us who can’t wait to make the most of any slip-up. “Juventus now go to Munich with great confidence. We are facing a strong Bayern side, but continue to embrace this dream. In Italy we realised that we are on the right track and now we want to measure ourselves against Europe too.” Conte had hinted he was considering a move abroad to Chelsea or PSG after his irritation at the constant controversy in the Italian game. “I was sad to see certain comments in the papers. What I actually said was in there, but the headlines made it look different. One day I could go abroad, but right now my present is here.” The Coach surprised with his starting XI, picking Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri, who were both on target. “Nobody has rotated the strikers the way I have. Quagliarella played in some important games and often started the big matches. I trust the look in the eye of a player, which is rarely wrong.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341‎ Strama: 'Inter performance positive' Mar 30, 2013 Andrea Stramaccioni insisted Juventus scored the winning goal against the run of play and revealed Esteban Cambiasso apologised for that awful tackle. Inter went behind after just three minutes and moments after getting back on level terms were punished again by Alessandro Matri for a 2-1 defeat. “We conceded the early Fabio Quagliarella goal and with that stunning strike he put the game on the right track for Juventus,” Strama told Sky Sport Italia. “We improved in the second half and had two great chances, forcing Juve to replace a striker with a midfielder. It’s a pity we conceded the second goal during our best moment of the match. “We have to maintain our objectives, as Inter put in a positive performance. Juventus are the best side in Serie A, so regrets remain because we had more than one chance to equalise.” There were Inter complaints over two Giorgio Chiellini tackles, while Cambiasso was sent off in stoppages for a leg-breaker challenge on Sebastian Giovinco. “I don’t talk about incidents and do not want to comment on the referee’s decisions. Cambiasso’s foul was bad, but he went straight into the Juventus locker room to apologise. These things can happen, but our fair play demands the player apologise.” Stramaccioni left Fredy Guarin on the bench, as he missed his flight and arrived late back from international duty. “Guarin did not have a single training session with us. Our two midfielders often went out of position. Mateo Kovacic is the future of Inter and I had no hesitation in fielding him.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Matri: Juventus must recharge batteries ahead of Bayern The attacker, who netted the winner in Saturday's encounter, has made it clear the Turin side need some time to recover from their efforts in the Derby d'Italia. Mar 30, 2013 Alessandro Matri has admitted Saturday afternoon's Serie A win over Inter has cost Juventus a lot of energy ahead of next week's Champions League match against Bayern Munich - who went on to win 9-2 against Hamburg. The reigning Italian champions recorded a 2-1 away win over the Nerazzurri to make amends for their home loss earlier this season, but victory did not come easy for Juve. "Today's game took a lot out of us and we need to recharge our batteries ahead of Munich," Matri was quoted as saying on the official Juventus website. "We'll have a warm-down tomorrow then on Monday we'll train specifically with Tuesday's game in mind." The attacker then went on to voice his delight with Saturday's victory as he feels it was a crucial win in the hunt for the Scudetto. "It was a big win for us and we played at a high tempo right from the off," he continued. "We've picked up three crucial points for the league table and now we're focused on Bayern." http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Stramaccioni rues 'sinful' Derby d'Italia defeat The Inter boss has expressed his frustration following his side's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Juventus, but hailed Mateo Kovacic for his showing in the San Siro loss. Mar 30, 2013 Andrea Stramaccioni has branded Inter's defeat to Juventus in Saturday's breathless Derby d'Italia match as sinful. An early goal from Fabio Quagliarella gave Antonio Conte's men the lead before Alessandro Matri ensured that Rodrigo Palacio's equaliser was nullified to secure a 2-1 win for the visitors. The young coach cited Inter's profligacy and the effect of Quagliarella's early strike as the main causes of their defeat. "Quagliarella's early goal cut us down," Stramaccioni told a press conference following the match. "We had a few chances through Palacio and [Antonio] Cassano in the first half but failed to score." "It is undeniable that our intensity rose in the second half, though. We forced Juve to retreat but their second goal came during our best spell. It was a sin." Stramaccioni maintained that his side must remain motivated and recognised that the game was an entertaining spectacle but expressed his disappointment at the result. He continued: "We must not change our objectives [for the rest of the season]. We are pleased with our performance. It was a good match and in the second half we played very well against the best team in Italy. "There is still a sour taste in my mouth because we came within touching distance of a point. We did not deserve to lose, but you have to respect the result on the pitch." Stramaccioni highlighted one positive aspect in particular for Inter - the bright performance and future of January signing Mateo Kovacic. "Kovacic is the future of Inter's midfield," he added. "He is growing and I have great confidence in his ability." http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Cambiasso: I did not have the intention to hurt Giovinco The Argentine was dismissed after a late lunge on the Bianconeri attacker, but has stressed it was an unfortunate accident rather than a deliberate foul. Mar 30, 2013 Inter midfielder Esteban Cambiasso has apologised for his horror tackle on Juventus' Sebastian Giovinco in Saturday's 2-1 Serie A loss at the Giuseppe Meazza and insisted that he had no intention to injure the Italy international. The combative midfielder received a straight red card after a bad lunge on Giovinco in the closing stages of the match, but Cambiasso has stressed he did not mean to harm the forward. "Fortunately nothing bad happened to him. I think that everything I have done in the past demonstrates that I never have the intention to hurt someone," Cambiasso was quoted as saying on the official Inter website. "My past speaks for itself, and they all understood the situation right away. It was an accident. "After what had happened on the pitch, I immediately went to the Juventus dressing room to make sure he was okay. Things could have been bad due to my foul." Inter have dropped to seventh place in the Serie A table following Saturday's defeat. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Conte: Inter victory shows Juventus have grown The 43-year-old was very pleased with the Old Lady's display at San Siro and is eagerly anticipating the match against Bayern Munich. Mar 30, 2013 Antonio Conte has voiced his delight with Juventus' 2-1 Serie A win over Inter at the Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday afternoon and the successful coach feels the Bianconeri's victory was further proof of their growth in recent months. The reigning champions grabbed an early lead via Fabio Quagliarella before Rodrigo Palacio restored parity after the break. However, Alessandro Matri eventually helped Juve to the three points with his goal at the hour mark. "Today we have taken another step toward the finish line. We still have eight games to go, though, and the teams behind us are ready to take advantage if we slip up," Conte said at a press conference. "We got a great result against a superb team. Inter beat us at home and they drew and won against AC Milan. They can beat any team and our win shows that we have grown as a team. We put in a great performance." The Juventus coach then went on to discuss the upcoming first leg of the quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich. "We are travelling to Munich full of enthusiasm, knowing that we did what we had to do in the league," he added. "We want to keep our Champions League dream alive and see at what level we are. We go into the game without fear. We want to find out how big the gap with the European top is." Tuesday's match at the Allianz Arena is scheduled to kick off at 20:45CET. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341 Player Ratings Goal.com evaluates the performances of everyone involved at San Siro, as goals from Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri see the Bianconeri surge 12 points clear. Mar 30, 2013 FC Internazionale Samir Handanoviç - Given no chance by Quagliarella's opener and kept his side in the game by throwing himself at the feet of Vidal, after the Chilean had been played in by Pirlo. Continued to frustrate Juve in the second period but little he could do about Matri's winner. Javier Adelmar Zanetti - Unsurprisingly, showed a tremendous appetite for the game, even bundling the far more physical Asamoah off the ball at one point. Drove forward relentlessly after the restart but, once again, his sterling efforts were all to no avail. Andrea Ranocchia - Struggled to cope with Juve's front two and was no surprise that it was he who made way when Stramaccioni decided to go to a flat back four on 66 minutes. Walter Adrian Samuel - Made a few clumsy challenges but was solid enough for the most part, winning almost everything that came his way in the air. Cristian Chivu - Did not make any glaring errors but never looked remotely comfortable at the back and was fortunate to escape sanction for a stupid challenge on Barzagli. Alvaro Pereira - Provided good width on the left-hand side but his final ball remains maddeningly erratic. Indeed, his best cross was one which deflected into the path of an unmarked Palacio at the back post. His tackling also remains worryingly reckless and he should have been booked for going through the back of Vida even before he eventually saw yellow for catching Padoin late. Mateo Kovačić - The one player in the Inter midfield who could hold his head high at full-time, the talented teenager impressed in what was his first Derby d'Italia, passing with real purpose. Walter Gargano - Was tidy in possession at times but his attempts to upset Juve's much-vaunted midfield trio were hindered by a harsh booking for a late - but in no way reckless - challenge on Chiellini. Still, even then, he just did not do enough to impose himself on the proceedings. Ricardo Gabriel Álvarez - Given the nod ahead of Guarin in behind the front two, Alvarez again failed miserably to prove his worth to this Inter side, even if he did show in flashes what he can do, particularly at the tail end of the first half when he began to float in between the Juve defence and midfield to good effect. However, his half-time exit was not in the least bit surprising. Rodrigo Palacio - Was always looking to get in behind the Bianconeri backline and went desperately close to cancelling out Quagliarella's opener but Buffon managed to stop his back-post header right on the goal-line. Had another tame header just before the break before belatedly beating Buffon with an impressively calm finish. Antonio Cassano - Always the man most likely to prise open the Bianconeri defence, playing in Palacio a couple of times before the Argentine eventually drew Inter level courtesy of a sublime slide-rule pass from 'Fatantonio'. Also threatened Juve's goal himself, most notably with a low drive that Buffon finger-tipped around the post. A constant menace, he could even have earned himself a couple of penalties. Substitutions Fredy Guarín - Left on the bench after his late return from international duty, but thrown on in place of the ineffective Alvarez in time for the second half. Made an immediate difference and was unlucky to see a late attempt deflected into the side netting. Esteban Matias Cambiasso - Replaced Ranocchia midway through the second half but while he offered plenty of endeavour, he was unable to swing the game back in the hosts' favour and disgraced himself with a dreadful challenge on Giovinco. Tommaso Rocchi - Sent on in the closing stages in search of an equaliser but was unable to find one. Juventus Gianluigi Buffon - Twice came to his side's rescue in the opening quarter, tipping a low strike from Cassano around the post before then denying Palacio at almost point-blank range. Andrea Barzagli - Coolness personified once again. Inter's front two were lively enough, but Barzagli was nearly always there to snuff out the danger whenever Palacio tried to make a clever run in behind or down the channels. Leonardo Bonucci - Another towering display from Bonucci, who was not even content just to reign supreme at the back. Indeed, he very nearly scored after getting on the end of a brilliant Bianconeri breakaway midway through the first half. Giorgio Chiellini - Perhaps surprisingly selected at the back with Bayern Munich in mind, but he showed just why Conte decided he just could not leave him out by turning in a tremendous defensive display that was both composed and committed. Indeed, it was hard to keep track of just how many times he got in the way of crosses from Pereira. Simone Padoin - Did a decent job deputising for Lichtsteiner, twice going close to scoring in the second half. Still, Inter did most of their good work down the left-hand side, so Padoin was given plenty to do from a defensive perspective. Claudio Marchisio - Once again offered so much dynamism in the middle of the park for Juve, even if his crossing let him down whenever he ventured down the left wing. Andrea Pirlo - As per usual, the most creative presence on the pitch. Pirlo repeatedly switched the play to great effect and also played out some predictably sublime passes, with his through-ball for Vidal the pick of the bunch. Also threatened a goal with a well-struck drive that drew a good save out of Handanovic. Arturo Vidal - Typically industrious performance from the Chilean, who won plenty of ball in the middle of the park before using it intelligently. Indeed, Bonucci should have done better with his inviting right-wing cross midway through the first half. However, he also should have scored himself after being put in on goal by Pirlo, but he couldn't get the ball out of his feet. Kwadwo Asamoah - Kept busy by the evergreen Zanetti, so was not able to attack as freely as usual, but he stood up well defensively and did an excellent job getting back to cover when Palacio looked set to get away from Chiellini. Replaced by the more defensively reliable Peluso midway through the second half. Fabio Quagliarella - The undoubted man of the match. The forward gave his chances of starting against Bayern the power of good by opening the scoring in spectacular 25-yard strike just three minutes and then setting up the second for Matri with a terrific cut-back from right on the touch-line. Alessandro Matri - Deserves his fair share of credit for Quagliarella's opener as it was the former Cagliari man who created space for his strike partner with an incredibly clever dummy. Got the goal his industry deserved on the hour when he calmly converted Quagliarella's cut-back. Substitutions Federico Peluso - Took over on the left-hand side from the more attack-minded Asamoah as Juve looked to shore up their defence after reclaiming the lead. Paul Pogba - Added some solidity to the midfield after coming on for Matri with 17 minutes remaining. Sebastian Giovinco - Sent on in place of Quagliarella late on and made a real nuisance of himself, even picking up a booking. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341‎ Inter vs. Juventus: 5 Things We Learned Mar 30, 2013 In what was ultimately their last chance to secure a Champions League spot, Inter lost 2-1 to Juventus at home in yet another emotional installment of the Derby d'Italia. Unfortunately, what was a fantastic 90-minute Italian affair ended in controversy as Esteban Cambiasso made a last second lunge on Sebastian Giovinco's ankle. It was a horrid tackle which could have ended the atomic ants career. Anyway, onto the five biggest lessons from this pivotal Serie A match! Esteban Cambiasso Should Be Sanctioned Heavily It was a tackle reminiscent of Eduardo's horror injury with Arsenal a few years ago. Bitter from the loss, Esteban Cambiasso temporarily lost his head and lunged into the tiny Giovinco right as the referee was blowing the final whistle. Behavior of this sort has to be eradicated with harsh suspensions. Fortunately for Giovinco, he avoided serious injury despite image captures of the foul painting a much harsher picture. Juventus Has Won the Scudetto In reality, this match could have turned the tide in Serie A had Inter managed a result. Milan would have crept within eight points and had a chance to shorten it to five as the two sides still have to meet later this season. However, Juventus played much more fluidly and were saved on several occasions by the eternal Gianluigi Buffon. The Derby D'Italia Is the Biggest Rivalry in Italy at the Moment Although Lazio and Roma fans would state their case against this headline, there is little doubt in my eyes that Juventus and Inter have the most heated rivalry in Italy at the moment. Think about it, which other two sides are still bitter about something as serious as the dreaded Calciopoli scandal in 2006 which sent Juventus to Serie B and allowed Inter to snap up their Scudetti? It's a match fueled by bad blood and always incredibly enjoyable for neutral spectators. Juventus vs. Bayern Could Be One of the Best Matches of the Year Juventus is coming off this win while Bayern Munich have absolutely pulverized Hamburg 9-2 over the weekend, clinching the Bundesliga title in emphatic fashion. Tuesday's Champions League fixture has all the makings to be one of the most memorable matches of the year, as it pits the first place sides from both Italy and Germany. Inter Need Massive Changes in the Summer Despite having a few young starlets with potential such as Mateo Kovacic, Inter is coming off one of their most bizarre January transfer windows. Head-scratching moves such as wheeling in the 35-year old retiree Tommaso Rocchi, doubled by other mediocre signings have turned Inter into an awkward mix of mediocre squad players alongside aging veterans. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341‎ Derby d’Italia No Longer Top Of The Bill Mar 30, 2013 Walking into the lair of their most heated (and hated) rivals, for once Juventus had bigger concerns than a meeting with Inter. Thanks to a nine point cushion atop the Serie A table, nobody could blame the Bianconeri if they were looking past the latest installment of the Derby d’Italia saga and thinking about the Champions League Quarter Final against Bayern. MATCH ANALYSIS - by Adam Digby The line-up was, as the coach promised in his Friday press conference, very strong. Giorgio Chiellini took his place among the starting eleven despite missing out on Italy duty this past week as Conte looked to improve his match fitness ahead of Tuesday. The M-V-P trio of Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo was also left intact behind a front pairing of Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri. On the other side, Andrea Stramaccioni went back to the 3-5-2 formation that served Inter well at Juventus Stadium back in November. Walter Samuel returned in the heart of defence, in hope the robust Argentinean could bolster the back line but, throughout the first half, it appeared the young coach had out-thought himself. Seemingly inspired by a huge banner in the Curva Nord belittling the 2006 relegation, Juventus went at Inter from the opening whistle and, in the unfamiliar shape, the Nerazzurri struggled to contain such a vibrant start. The opening goal was no surprise but the amount of time and space awarded to Quagliarella certainly was. The Neapolitan striker has proven time and time again that given such generous defending he will almost certainly punish opponents as he did here, lashing a superb shot past Samir Handanovic from outside the area. From there the two sides exchanged ball-to-hand incidents in the box as first Bonucci and then Javier Zanetti were struck by crosses they had no chance of avoiding with referee Nicola Rizzoli shockingly managed to get both calls right in a game which he managed relatively well. Juve than appeared happy to sit and defend, with only Kwadwo Asamoah appearing to struggle as Inter enjoyed some success down his flank. The second half was something of a stalemate until come great play from Cassano released Rodrigo Palacio to level the scores but Juventus reacted almost immediately as Simone Padoin almost scored from a smart shot. Vidal then sent Quagliarella through and the striker made a huge effort to keep the ball in play, successfully squaring for Matri to smartly restore Juve’s lead. Inter pressed forward searching for a lead, making some penalty appeals for some typically tough Chiellini tackles. Their tempers frayed and substitute Cambiasso saw a red card right at the final whistle for a tackle on Sebastian Giovinco that can only be described as disgusting. LE PAGELLE - by Adam Digby Gianluigi Buffon 7.0 - San Siro marshalls should ask to see his ticket. Best seat in the house and actually got paid to watch the game. *Yawn*Ooops, sorry, that was every other game this season, here Buffon actually had work to do, making some excellent saves from a number of good Inter chances. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Andrea Barzagli 6.5 - Calm, cool and rock solid as ever, Barzagli surprised everyone with an incredible burst of speed in the first half. The defender stepped out to dribble past both Antonio Cassano and Cristian Chivu, thoroughly embarrassing the latter as he left him trailing in his wake. Leonardo Bonucci 6.0 - With Cassano and Palacio pulling wide he had very little to do other than marshall the defence. He did. Giorgio Chiellini 6.0 - Seeing him in the starting XI after injury is always a worry, his desire to play often overriding rational thoughts about fitness. He quickly allayed those fears with a typically robust performance that bodes well for Bayern. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Simone Padoin 6.0 - Came in to allow Lichsteiner to rest up and did just what you would expect in a dependable but ultimately limited performance. Claudio Marchisio 6.5 - A quiet display as both he and Vidal sat deep alongside Pirlo rather making than his usual late forays into the opposition area. Andrea Pirlo 7.0 - At the heart of everything as ever, he was crucial to controlling the tempo and direction in the calm manner we have come to expect of the Bearded Genius. Unlucky not to score in the first half but otherwise a sharp display. Arturo Vidal 6.5 - Like Marchisio he abandoned all thoughts of attacking in order to contribute to a sound defensive display. Kwadwo Asamoah 5.5 - Struggled to stay in front of his man and can fully expect to be replaced by Federico Peluso in the Champions League this week. Still nowhere near the levels we saw from him prior to his African Cup of Nations exploits. ’56 Federico Peluso 6.0 - Given the final thirty minutes which one imagines was preparation for facing Bayern. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fabio Quagliarella 7.5 - Took his goal as only he can and immediately rushed to celebrate with Nicolas Anelka who has been acting as something of a mentor/guide/coach for the other strikers since his January arrival. Eager Beaver once again rewarded Conte’s faith in him. ’82 Sebastian Giovinco s.v - Came on to play ten minutes as a 5′ 5″ (1.64 m) lone striker. Unsurprisingly made very *ahem* little impact in his *cough* short spell other than be the victim of Cambiasso’s late violent lunge. Alessandro Matri 7.0 - Held the ball up well but wasted a couple of great chances in the opening 45 minutes. Matri would fully make amends in the second half as he capitalised on some woeful Andrea Ranocchia defending to slot home Juve’s second goal. ’74 Paul Pogba 6.5 - Came on to reinforce an already solid midfield in order to ensure the victory. Job done. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Antonio Conte 7.5 - Made a number of big calls but his choices, tactics and substitutions kept him one step ahead of Stramaccioni throughout the game and will ensure the team heads to Tuesday’s huge game filled with confidence and sharpness. ANALYSIS WRAP-UP - by Adam Digby The difference here appeared to be comfort. Juventus, the opening half aside, were rarely at their best but Antonio Conte thoroughly got the better of Andrea Stramaccioni as the two men went head to head. Juve’s familiarity with the 3-5-2 told for the whole game as far too many Inter players simply did not fit into the framework their coach demanded. Nowhere was this truer than with Ranocchia who, as we saw at both Genoa and Inter under Gian Piero Gasperini, cannot understand the nuances of the system. Constantly out of position and not quick enough to recover, the 25 year old was at fault on both goals and it was no surprise to see him replaced by Esteban Cambiasso midway through the second half. Antonio Conte: Juventus now go to Munich with great confidence. We are facing a strong Bayern side, but continue to embrace this dream. In Italy we realised that we are on the right track and now we want to measure ourselves against Europe too. Conte’s plans as the Bianconeri head for the Allianz Arena remain unclear but they undoubtedly need to shore up the wide areas before facing Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben. With Lichtsteiner and Peluso surely coming in for Simone Padoin and Asamoah, it would also be no surprise to see them opt for Paul Pogba over one of the two strikers on Tuesday as he did in the final quarter of this match. Conte used the latter part of this match to experiment with a 3-5-1-1 formation with Marchisio just behind Sebastian Giovinco and that shape could well be used against Bayern although Mirko Vucinic would be the most likely candidate for the lone striker role. Overall a solid performance which maintains the lead over the rest of the pack domestically, Juventus can take some momentum and the memory of good performances with them to Germany. Conte ensured the focus was firmly on this game but will now move on in positive fashion after expending the minimal amount of effort. Andiamo ragazzi! Senza di te non andremo lontano, ANTONIO CONTE IL NOSTRO CAPITANO! http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xylvin_inter-vs-juventus-1-2_sport http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341‎ Spectacular Quagliarella the difference for Bianconeri Mar 30, 2013 Inter were beaten 2-1 by Juventus at the Stadio Meazza on Saturday afternoon in Serie A. An early goal from Fabio Quagliarella gave the Bianconeri the lead, before Rodrigo Palacio levelled but Alessandro Matri put Juve back in front in the second half of what was a pulsating game of football. Quagliarella’s rocket after just three minutes gave the away side the lead. The Italian curled the ball from just outside the area leaving Samir Handanovic rooted to the spot. After that goal Inter rallied well and put their opponents under a good amount of pressure and did have an appeal for a penalty waved away as Javier Zanetti’s cross was poorly controlled by Leonardo Bonucci and the ball ricocheted off the defender’s hand, but as it wasn’t a deliberate action the referee waved play on. Antonio Cassano also shot just wide and Rodrigo Palacio did have a header saved off the line from Gianluigi Buffon. There was also a penalty incident involving Zanetti, similar to that of Bonucci earlier in the match, but as before the referee waved play on. However, the Old Lady then took control of the game and could have had a penalty of their own when Arturo Vidal was played through on goal by Andrea Pirlo thanks to a splendid ball over the top, but a combination of Mateo Kovacic and Handanovic denied the Chilean. Though there were more penalty claims as Vidal felt he was fouled by the Nerazzurri goalkeeper. Pirlo had a great shot from the edge of the area well saved by Handanovic, before Palacio had another header saved by Buffon, though the cross was slightly behind the Argentinian making the stop relatively simple for the Italy number one. Then, 10 minutes into the second half, Palacio levelled the game. Kovacic started a quick attack before releasing the ball to Cassano, whose lovely pass into the path of the onrushing Argentinian who cooly placed the ball past Buffon. But then six minutes later Vidal played a through ball into the box for Quagliarella whose cut-back cross was smashed home from close range by Matri. There were protestations from the Nerazzurri who felt the ball was out of play before Quagliarella sent it into the box, however replays showed this was not the case. Kovacic then had another penalty decision turned down as Giorgio Chiellini looked to have brought down the young Croation, but the referee deemed the challenge fair. Then from the resulting corner Cassano had a point blank effort saved by Buffon, though the shot was directly at the goalkeeper. The penalty incidents kept on coming as this time Cassno was in a rage after he felt he was tripped by Chiellini once more, but again nothing was given. Inter then went all out in a bid to get an equaliser but despite their efforts the Bianconeri backline remained resolute. Then just as the final whistle blew Esteban Cambiasso was given a straight red card after a horror tackle on Sebastian Giovinco, going in studs up on the striker’s ankle. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341‎ Juve beat Inter to extend lead Juventus beat Inter Milan 2-1 at the San Siro to extend their lead at the top of Serie A thanks to goals from Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri. Mar 30, 2013 Juventus overcame the first major obstacle on the last leg of their Serie A title defence by edging out 10-man Inter Milan in today's Derby d'Italia. League leaders Juve were also eager to avenge November's 3-1 home defeat to the Nerazzurri which saw their unbeaten run ended one game shy of 50, and Fabio Quagliarella drew first blood within minutes. Inter dominated for long spells but, despite Rodrigo Palacio's second-half equaliser, they could not break down a resilient Bianconeri defence after Alessandro Matri found a winner 30 minutes from time. Esteban Cambiasso's late dismissal for a foul on Sebastian Giovinco then summed up a frustrating afternoon for Andrea Stramaccioni's men, who remain in sixth place. Juve, however, have a 12-point lead at the top ahead of second-placed Napoli's trip to Torino this evening and this week's Champions League quarter-final meeting with Bayern Munich. There was never any danger of this becoming a run-of-the-mill game but Quagliarella ensured it would be a riveting contest inside three minutes. The Neapolitan striker shaped to shoot from outside Samir Handanovic's area and his superb curling effort sailed over the Inter keeper's head to nestle in the net. Antonio Cassano came close to a rapid equaliser with a daisycutter from distance but Gianluigi Buffon stood tall to punch the ball clear for a corner. The Italy keeper then found himself pulling off a stunning parry on Rodrigo Palacio's header as Inter pressed on. Matri was flagged for offside as Juve grew back into the game before Arturo Vidal fluffed a chance to make it 2-0 when one-on-one with Handanovic. It was the Bianconeri backline who would preserve their side's lead towards the break, however, with Andrea Barzagli sweeping the ball off Cassano's feet before closing down a rampant Palacio. Andrea Pirlo's improvised curler was contained by Handanovic and, with Buffon snaffling a Palacio header in the 44th minute, it was still game on heading into the interval. So it proved in the 54th minute as Palacio squeezed through a sleepy Juve defence to level.. That state of affairs did not suit the champions, however, and they wasted no time in wresting back control of the tie. Having scored the first Quagliarella was heavily involved in the second as he beat Andrea Ranocchia to cut the ball back to Matri, who clipped a measured right-footed shot beyond Handanovic's reach. The outcome might have been very different had referee Nicola Rizzoli had awarded either of two strong penalty calls for Inter around the 70-minute mark. First, Palacio went to ground after contact with Barzagli. Cassano then appealed in vain after clashing bodies with Giorgio Chiellini. The late introduction of Giovinco for Quagliarella was designed to produce one final goal for Juve and, although he did not score, he played a vital role in securing the result. He had been on the pitch for 10 minutes when Cambiasso saw red for an over-zealous challenge on the diminutive striker, leaving Inter a man short and thwarting their late bid to force an equaliser. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341‎ Juve win the Derby d'Italia! Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri gave Juventus a 2-1 victory away to Inter that seals the Derby d’Italia and possibly also the Scudetto. Mar 30, 2013 This remains a massive grudge match in any situation, but this time the Bianconeri were out for revenge after their 49-match unbeaten League run was ended in Turin. Juve also faced potential distraction from the upcoming Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich. Mirko Vucinic pulled out with flu symptoms, joining Mauricio Isla, Martin Caceres, Nicklas Bendtner and Simone Pepe on the treatment table. Juan Jesus was suspended, while Fredy Guarin arrived late back from international duty after missing his flight. Dejan Stankovic, Diego Milito, Luca Castellazzi, Joel Obi and Gaby Mudingayi missed out. Walter Samuel and Giorgio Chiellini were able to start despite injury concerns, as Inter switched to a three-man defence. Inter fans mocked their rivals’ post-Calciopoli slip into Serie B by pointing out in banner form they were the only side never to disappear from Serie A. It took under three minutes for Juventus to break the deadlock, as Fabio Quagliarella gathered from 20 metres and curled a wonderful effort under the bar with Samir Handanovic watching it go by. Leonardo Bonucci nodded over on the counter-attack from a poor Cassano corner, while Gigi Buffon was at full strength to fingertip a deflected Cassano angled drive round the far post. From that corner, Buffon performed a stunning reaction save to deny Rodrigo Palacio’s header at the back stick. Alessandro Matri had a great chance moments later on the counter, but his volley was so far off target it went out for a throw-in. Claudio Marchisio nodded the ball on to Javier Zanetti’s arm, so the referee waved play on. Juve were continually dangerous on the counter, but Matri was caught offside and Arturo Vidal trapped an Andrea Pirlo chipped pass, but hesitated and Handanovic smothered at his feet. Handanovic palmed away a fierce Pirlo shot from the edge of the area before half-time. Fredy Guarin replaced the anonymous Ricky Alvarez for the second half and Inter equalised after nine minutes. Pirlo gave the ball away in midfield to spark a counter and Cassano rolled through the middle to send Palacio clear with a delicate angled drive across Buffon into the far bottom corner. Simone Padoin stung Handanovic’s palms and moments later Juventus restored their advantage. Vidal’s through ball sent Quagliarella to the by-line and he just about kept it in, pulling back for Matri to tap in from a couple of yards at the near post. Inter protested and claimed the ball had gone out of play, but replays show it was clean. Cassano had too much time to chest down and volley a corner, which Buffon managed to block. There were protests in the build-up for Chiellini’s tackle on Mateo Kovacic. Inter also complained at Chiellini’s challenge on Cassano, but it was right under the eyes of the goal line official. There was controversy in the final kick of the game, as Esteban Cambiasso was shown a straight red card for taking down Sebastian Giovinco with a horrible leg-breaker tackle to the ankle. It was an awful challenge for his first red card in 277 games for Inter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inter: Handanovic; Ranocchia (Cambiasso 66), Samuel, Chivu; Zanetti, Kovacic, Gargano (Rocchi 79), Pereira; Alvarez (Guarin 46); Palacio, Cassano Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Padoin, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah (Peluso 64); Quagliarella (Giovinco 83), Matri (Pogba 74) Ref: Rizzoli Sent off: Cambiasso 95 (I) http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 30 - 30-3-2013 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Fabio Quagliarella (3′) Rodrigo Palacio (54′) Alessandro Matri (60′) "Giuseppe Meazza" Stadium - Milan Referee: Nicola Rizzoli Attendance: 79341‎ Matri settles Derby d'Italia as Old Lady continue title march The former Cagliari man created the opener for Fabio Quagliarella with a sublime dummy before then popping up to net the winner, after Rodrigo Palacio had briefly levelled matters. Mar 30, 2013 Juventus took a significant step towards a second successive Scudetto by battling their way to a 2-1 victory over Inter in Saturday's Derby d'Italia at San Siro. Fabio Quagliarella opened the scoring in sensational fashion just three minutes in with a stunning strike from just outside the area, after Alessandro Matri had created space for him with an ingenious stepover. Rodrigo Palacio drew a game home side level shortly after half-time with an impressively composed finish but there was no containing the Bianconeri's front two, who combined to devastating effect again on the hour mark, with Matri applying the finishing touch this time in far more routing fashion to send Antonio Conte's men 12 points clear at the summit of Serie A. Juve would have been forgiven for having one eye on their midweek Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich, but the likes of Gianluigi Buffon spoke before the game of a burning desire for vengeance, having seen their 49-game undefeated run in Serie A ended by the Nerazzurri all the way back in October. Therefore, the way in which Juve tore into their hosts right from the first whistle really should have come as no surprise. That their early endeavour yielded a goal was not in the least bit shocking either - but the manner of the opener was most certainly spectacular, Quagliarella picking up possession some 25 yards out following a wonderful dummy from strike partner Matri before whipping the ball into the top right corner of Samir Handanovic’s goal. The reigning champions could have doubled their advantage moments later but Leonardo Bonucci headed over at the end of a breathtaking Bianconeri breakaway. This frustratingly brittle Inter side could easily have folded in the face of such an early onslaught but, credit to Andrea Stramaccioni’s side, they came storming back and Buffon was twice forced to come to the visitors’ rescue, tipping a low strike from Antonio Cassano around the post before then scrambling a Palacio header off the line. It was Juve who continued to carry the greater attacking threat, though, and only some alert goalkeeping from Handanovic prevent Arturo Vidal from getting a shot away after the Chilean had been put through by a characteristically sublime ball over the top from Andrea Pirlo. The latter then tested Handanovic himself shortly before the break with a stinging drive from distance. Inter responded with a tame downward header from Palacio, following more good work from Cassano, but, in truth, they home side were somewhat fortunate to go in just a goal in arrears at half-time. They looked a different side after the break, though, and deservedly drew level when Palacio, with the aid of the most exquisitely timed arrival into the area, took a measured pass from Cassano in his stride before casually rolling the ball past an exposed Buffon. However, the equaliser merely raised Juve from the interval-induced slumber and they reclaimed the lead on the hour mark. Again, the goal owed everything to the tremendous telepathy between their front two, Matri slotting home first time at the near post after being the recipient of a terrific cut-back from Quagliarella. Inter tried valiantly to rally but they were unable to secure even a point from the game, thus all but ending their hopes of a top-three finish. However, even that was no justification for the way in which their frustration spilled over right on full-time, with Esteban Cambiasso earning a fully-deserved straight red card for a dreadful foul on fellow second-half substitute Sebastian Giovinco. Even that, though, did not sour Juve's celebratory mood at the end of a game which has all but sealed the title. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

http://www.tifosibianconeri.com/forum/topic/448490-serie-a-tim-inter-juventus/

Abbiamo vinto.

Passaggio geniale di Cassano per Guarin in area.

Giovinco sembrava un bambino deluso.

Chiellini e Barzagli non ci saranno contro il Pescara.

Esce Quagliarella.

L'Inter a trazione anteriore e Conte fa entrare il veloce Giovinco per il contropiede.

Rocchi per Gargano. L'Inter si gioca il tutto per tutto.