Socrates

Serie A Week 21 - 19/1/13 (8:45 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Luca Banti Guidolin 'proud' at reaching 500 games Jan 15, 2013 Udinese boss Francesco Guidolin has admitted he is 'excited and proud' at reaching 500 games as a Serie A Coach. The 49-year-old has been in charge of five clubs in Italy's top division since 1993 and has revealed that the game against Juventus on Saturday, where he will reach the milestone, will be a great achievement. “I am excited and very proud,” he told reporters. “To be alongside some of the great names is a real honour. “I am extremely happy – it is probably one of the most important moments in my career. “I am pleased with everything I have done.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Pirlo: 'Secret to my success' Jan 16, 2013 Andrea Pirlo was named in the UEFA Team of 2012 and revealed the secret to his success. “You need to know a bit of everything.” The Juventus veteran was the only Italian and Serie A representative in the Top XI voted for by readers of UEFA’s official website. “Well, you need to know a bit of everything,” he said when asked about the secret to his success. “You need to know how to defend, how to attack, how to direct the game, win the ball and score goals – a bit of everything. “I just try to give my best in training to be fit for the matches. The older you get it becomes more and more important to train well and focus on every single detail, just to stay in your best form as long as possible.”

Pirlo in UEFA Team of 2012 Jan 16, 2013 Juventus and Italy playmaker Andrea Pirlo has been named in UEFA.com’s Team of the Year by the site’s users. The midfielder, who led his club to the Scudetto last year and his country to the Final of 2012, was recognised by fans in a European based team which was predominantly made up of La Liga stars. Former Milan centre-back Thiago Silva, sold to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, was also voted into the fantasy XI. Team of the Year 2012: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid & Spain); Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid & Spain); Gerard Piqué (Barcelona & Spain); Thiago Silva (Milan/Paris Saint-Germain & Brazil); Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich & Germany); Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona & Spain), Xavi Hernández (Barcelona & Spain); Andrea Pirlo (Juventus & Italy); Mesut Özil (Real Madrid & Germany); Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina); Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid & Portugal).

Not so deadly Juventus? The Scudetto race has been blown wide open as Juventus again failed to win. Giancarlo Rinaldi wraps up the Week 20 action. Jan 15, 2013 A few weeks ago we were calling them Ammazza-campionato – the Championship Killers – such was the ruthless manner in which Juventus were dispatching their rivals. But that was before the trigger jammed against a seemingly stricken Sampdoria and a relatively routine hit at Parma went awry. Could the cold-hearted executioners of Serie A have suddenly gone soft? Of course, a mission to the Ennio Tardini is no easy one to put away these days. But, nonetheless, this Juve side has made a hallmark of smothering the life out of Italian football’s lesser lights with terrifying efficiency. Two successive failures to win after taking the lead are about as rare as Antonio Conte finishing a match with his voice intact. Last week it was baby-faced Mauro Icardi who turned the tables on the Bianconeri, this week it was 21-year-old Nicola Sansone who did the damage. All the goals have served to emphasise a Giorgio Chiellini-shaped hole in the Juventus defence. Gary Hooper and company at Celtic would do well to take note in the build up to their Champions League clash. There was also criticism for Mirko Vucinic after an ill-advised dummy played a part in setting up the goal which cancelled out a lead gained via a deflected Andrea Pirlo free-kick. However, his Coach stepped in to save his Montenegrin bacon by saying he had called on his player to leave the ball. It was either remarkable honesty on Conte’s part or a marvellous exercise in shielding a player from a bashing by fans and Press alike. A disappointing side-order to the game was trouble outside the ground when a group of Juve fans reportedly attacked a bar known as a meeting point for Parma supporters. A couple of people suffered minor injuries and there was widespread damage. Not a major incident, perhaps, but about as welcome as Luciano Moggi’s recent decision to enter the world of politics. That shouldn’t take the shine off the efforts of Roberto Donadoni’s men, the only side undefeated at home in Serie A. “Juve have been setting the standards for 18 months in Italy, so that speaks volumes about our performance,” glowed their boss. “Sansone is a boy who is growing, who is hungry to show what he is worth – that is why he works so hard. But that’s the spirit throughout the team.” “We were in control and I’m sorry to leave two points here,” lamented Conte. “I was disappointed with our display against Sampdoria, but not in this one.” The result allowed Lazio to narrow the gap to just three points at the table top, but only after Sergio Floccari did his best impression of Luis Suarez to break the deadlock with Atalanta. He clearly controlled the ball with his hand before thumping home the opener in a 2-0 triumph. The debate about whether it was deliberate proved – like a chewy chunk of Torrone – something for everyone to get their teeth stuck into. Lazio President Claudio Lotito, poured on the persecution complex. “Every time we win they say we were done a favour, nobody mentions our ability,” he said. “But whoever saw this game knows Lazio deserved to win.” “The handball changed the game because after that we lost our cool and started to pick up yellow cards and a red,” responded Atalanta boss Stefano Colantuono. “We were unlucky last year with the same referee in Florence when they got a goal thanks to a handball by Lorenzo De Silvestri. We also need to look at the touchline officials who are supposed to be there to help the referees.” A lot less contentious was Napoli’s win over struggling Palermo which moved them closer too. Their appeal against a two-point deduction and the loss of two players – Paolo Cannavaro and Gianluca Grava – to a match-betting sentence will be held later this week. If successful, they would join Lazio just three points adrift of Juve – a more welcome situation than a house-visit by San Gennaro. “We started off badly and I was getting angry, they could have scored,” admitted boss Walter Mazzarri. “But we sorted things out at the back. On our first or second attack we got a goal and that smoothed things out for us.” Also moving on up were Inter thanks to a Saturday night success against Pescara. “The team is starting to rediscover its character and its balance,” beamed Andrea Stramaccioni. “We’ve made a clear and big step forward in terms of our play, which had been a problem against sides which covered up well.” And he also played down Antonio Cassano’s apparent huff at being substituted as just part of how determined his player is to perform well for the club. It was Fiorentina and Roma who slipped up in the chasing pack, both sides regretting missed chances. The Viola had the lead in Udine before a contentious penalty, a touch-and-go offside goal and a dreadful goalkeeping slip-up turned the game. Roma, meanwhile, were undone by the magic of Papu Gomez in Catania after having their opportunities in the first half. That left a door open for Milan to make significant progress up the table at Sampdoria, but they slammed it in their own faces with a drab 0-0 draw. It was supposed to showcase the sparkling youth of the Rossoneri’s attack with Stephan El Shaarawy, Bojan Krkic and M’Baye Niang all starting. Instead, the game had all the vim and vigour of a pensioners’ party. “That was one ugly Milan,” grumbled Zvonimir Boban in the Sky Italia studio. The big moves at the bottom end of the table came from Bologna, Cagliari and Torino. The Rossoblu had a pretty straightforward stroll against Chievo, but the Sardinians had to come from behind at home to Genoa to get their victory. As for the Granata, they had old-boy Alessandro Rosina to thank for a missed penalty for Siena which ensured they won a gripping 3-2 clash. It left the Tuscans looking certainties for Serie B but, like Juve’s title hopes, maybe we shouldn’t be taking them for granted. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000 Toothless Bianconeri Drop 2 More Points in Scudetto Race Jan 15, 2013 What the hell was that, ragazzi? POST-GAME REFLECTION Well, that was painful. I didn't want to write this game review immediately after the game and don't feel like it now either. I mean, could that have been a more brutal game to watch? It was almost like watching a training scrimmage between Carrarese and Barletta during pre-season in August. Pretty horrendous football. And to think people paid tickets for that! Now there's an injustice. The result is what it is - Juventus comes up short against a Parma team that was there for the taking and drops 2 more points to make it 1 out of possible 6 in the first two Serie A games of 2013. No, this won't be a 2,000-word rant about how we're about to lose the Scudetto because of the last two games. It's way to early to start going down that route and I certainly don't consider myself a drama queen. But it is a bit alarming that we've failed to play with the recognizable Juventus style that brought all the plaudits in 2012. Were we tired on Sunday? Yeah, but we also had some fresh legs on the field that played as horribly as anyone. Were we complacent? I don't see how we could've been since we just LOST our previous Serie A game, at home at that. So what happened? Well, we just failed to show up on the day with our usual intensity and we were made to pay for it. A couple key injuries/missing players plus the on-field players' inability to step up made it a game we'll look back on and regret not winning. For what it's worth, Parma did their best to look as bad or worse than we did. It's really up to the lads and the coach now to ensure this kind of play does not become a trend. Which we all know they can and hopefully will do. In the meantime, we'll quickly recap this game and get on with our lives. Doesn't that just get you pumped to read the rest of this article? (Please do...) GAME RECAP Sloppy. Tired. Bad technique. Terrible touches. Off passing. That's what characterized most of the game for both Juventus and Parma. Somewhere in between during those 90 minutes were sprinkled moments of decent link ups and defensive errors that allowed for a few good chances on both sides. Only one was converted, and with a very good finish at that, by Sansone in the 77 minute to equalize for Parma. Before him, Andrea Pirlo had made it 1-0 from a free kick that looked to be going wide but took a deflection off of Biabany and caught Mirante wrong-footed. If you look at the stats, Juventus had 18 shots, 9 of which were on target. Not too shabby, right? Wrong. 14 of those 18 shots were tame attempts from outside the box aimed straight at Mirante who had a good training session by the time the game was over. LE PAGELLE Buffon: 6.5 - Since Parma scored on the counter, you cannot really blame him for the goal. Other than that, he had a decent game though did look a bit shaky at times, just as the rest of our defense did as well. Can thank Lichtsteiner for a goal-saving block in the first half. Barzagli: 6.5 - An uncharacteristically tame game from Andrea. He didn't look his usual self and stumbled not only a couple passes but a few tackles as well. Had a couple good interceptions that could've led to dangerous Parma attacks. Bonucci: 7 - A bit of a mixed performance by Leonardo. In a few occasions he looked confused and failed to clear or tackle the ball when he's usually dependable, though he did make a potentially goal-saving block and had at least one key tackle that I can remember. In attack, most of his long passes were once again very accurate which helped us shift pressure from midfield straight in the attacking third. If only we had someone there to take advantage of all that. Caceres: 6.5 - Didn't really do anything that stood out other than the fact that he played with the most energy out of all 3 defenders on the night. Got beat by Sansone on the goal but the error was really in midfield and he was just made to pay for it defensively. Sometimes Parma players running at him caused him problems and he gave up a bit too much space for my liking. Lichtsteiner: 6.5 - A disappointing performance from Stephan along the right flank. Granted we focused our attacks more down the left-hand side (for some odd reason), Lichtsteiner had a couple opportunities where he could've taken a good shot or set up a striker for a tap in but failed to make them count. Vidal: 7.5 - If Pirlo hadn't scored the goal I would've given Vidal the man of match. He was a true warrior on the field as usual, but the absence of Marchisio really made his effort and contribution apparent in defense. Offensively he wasn't looking for runs or cuts nearly as much as he can, really wish he did. Pirlo: 7.5 - Most of Juventus' possession that we didn't give away within 2 seconds of obtaining was spent with the ball at Pirlo's feet. He controlled the game with his play that's for sure, though we once again sorely missed a player of Vucinic' ability to aid him in creating attacks through the middle (insert sarcastic joke on Mirko making the mistake for the equalizing goal). This led Andrea to attempt a lot of long balls though, most of which found their targets, just a bit too slow at times. Either way, the man looked tired yet still knocked in a free kick goal to give us the lead. I'll take it. Pogba: 6.5 - Started the game very lazy and his passing and defending was lackadaisical to say the least. Improved as the game and really played a more physically dominant second half with his tackling. Found space late on to make more of an impact offensively but couldn't help Juventus get the winning goal. Padoin: 6 - A bit of a surprise on that left flank, Simone is certainly becoming a shitty jack-of-all-trades-master-at-none type of player for Conte. A 6 may be harsh given that he really played with a lot of energy, but he gave the ball away often and made no real difference in any part of the game. Would've loved to see the still-young-and-promising-prospect-at-26 De Ceglie there from the start. Quagliarella: 6.5 - Had an EASY chance to score that came to him fortuitously but hit his shot straight at the on-rushing Mirante. Other than that, it was another game of tame shots on goal, failed attempts at the spectacular, and plenty examples of his inability to guard the ball for a pass. At least he had some shots on goal unlike... Giovinco: 6.5 - ...our little Giovinco! Sebastian spent 90 minutes on the pitch at Ennio Tardini without attempting a single shot, even off target. He tried to be more of a playmaker, which was evident in the beginning of the game, but really had a game to forget by the end of it. Subs: Vucinic: 6.5 - Apparently Conte yelled at him to leave the ball - a mistake which led to Parma's equalizing goal. Whatever, he should be better than that and make a better decision himself given his position on the field (right in the middle of the pitch leaving our defense exposed). In the 20 minutes he played, he did show how easier our side plays when he is able to be the connection between midfield and attack but it wasn't anything revolutionary from the Montenegrin. Failed to be the spark from the bench he was midweek against Milan. De Ceglie: sv Conte: 6.5 - Playing Parma away is not an easy task in Italy this year, and Conte wasn't able to overcome that. Made some questionable calls (Padoin on the left, telling Mirko to do the dummy), and then had the guts to say he saw a good performance from his side that deserved the win. I know he's the ultimate leader but c'mon man, what game was he watching? http://youtu.be/gjLeM8PXjKU http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Giorgio Chiellini Is Serie A's Most Underrated Player Jan 15, 2013 You know the old adage: You don't know what you've got until it's gone. Giorgio Chiellini tore his calf in training in late December, and Juventus hasn't been the same since. The report says it'll be three months before he's able to come back for the Bianconeri. By then, the hole might be a little too deep for Conte's men to dig out of. Frankly, the other Juve defenders are completely lost when filling in at Chiellini's left side on the back line. Their results without him tell the story. They won away at Cagliari only after Davide Astori was shown the red card. With the opposition down to ten men, Juventus was able to tally three goals in the final 15 minutes. After the Winter Break, things started to go downhill. Their shocking 2-1 loss to ten-man Sampdoria, their colossal struggle to overcome a sloppy AC Milan side in their Coppa Italia match on January 9, and then giving up a late goal against Parma en route to a draw? The two goals against Sampdoria and the one against Parma were caused by a lapse in defending on that left side. That's a tough stretch of results for the Old Lady, and the common denominator in the above fixtures: No Chiellini on the left. So far this season, he wins an average of three arial balls a game, and has a passing percentage of 89 percent. His player rating on the season is right around 7.7 according to whoscored.com. There will be plenty of you upset that a Juventus player is being characterized as underrated, the statement on it's face is egregious. But of all the huge names on that roster, who would have thought Chiellini's injury would derail what was another sure thing for Juventus in this season's Scudetto race? Sure, it hasn't happened yet. But the way things are going, it might be a lot closer a race than it should have been for the Italian giants.

Serie A - 1^ Giornata - Ritorno - 13-1-2013 (ore 15:00) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Stadio "Ennio Tardini" - Parma Arbitro: Andrea De Marco Spettatori: 14000 Serie A - Juventus beffata anche a Parma: è solo 1-1 Pirlo porta avanti i bianconeri con una punizione deviata da Biabiany, ma Sansone aggancia la Vecchia Signora al 78' e impone la legge del Tardini, dove nessuno passa da 15 partite. Il vantaggio sulla Lazio scende a soli 3 punti. Eurosport - Domenica, 13 gennaio 2013 Il primo successo in campionato del 2013 si fa ancora attendere. La Juventus, dopo il ko interno con la Sampdoria di una settimana fa, non va oltre l’1-1 al Tardini. Una partita equilibrata per larghi tratti ma apparentemente nelle mani della Vecchia Signora fino al 78’, quando il subentrato Nicola Sansone segna il gol del pareggio – unica azione dei padroni di casa nella ripresa – e impone il risultato “x”. Una beffa che riporta la Lazio a -3 dalla Juventus e riapre definitivamente il campionato alla prima giornata di ritorno, lanciando il Parma sempre più verso i sogni di gloria. AMAURI E QUAGLIARELLA TORNANO TITOLARI - Roberto Donadoni torna al 3-5-2 e rispolvera Zaccardo nell’undici titolare, schierandolo nel pacchetto difensivo che vede anche Santacroce titolare al posto dello squalificato Lucarelli (l’altro fermato dal giudice sportivo è Benalouane). Davanti, spazio alla coppia quasi inedita composta dalla rivelazione Belfodil e dall’ex Amauri, con Biabiany che parte largo sulla destra di centrocampo e Sansone inizialmente spedito in panchina. Gli altri indisponibili sono il lungodegente Galloppa e Arteaga, impegnato con il Venezuela nel Campionato Sudamericano Under 20. Antonio Conte conferma le indiscrezioni della vigilia e, nel tradizionale 3-5-2, conferma la difesa vista all’opera mercoledì contro il Milan: insieme a Bonucci e Barzagli c’è infatti Caceres e non Peluso, che va in panchina e lascia il posto di esterno sinistro all’altro ex atalantino Padoin. In attacco, ecco la coppia composta dall’ex Giovinco e Quagliarella, con Pogba schierato al posto dell’infortunato Marchisio a centrocampo. Gli altri indisponibili sono Chiellini, Rubinho, Pepe, Bendtner e Asamoah, partito per la Coppa d’Africa con il Ghana. UN PIACEVOLE EQUILIBRIO - Le due squadre si affrontano a viso aperto in un Tardini gelido. Il Parma approfitta della mancanza di pressing della Juventus e crea qualche buona occasione in avvio. Al 4’ Paletta spedisce alto un rimpallo sugli sviluppi di un corner, mentre al 14’ Gobbi non inquadra la porta dal limite dell’area. Intorno al quarto d’ora si accende anche Belfodil e diventa un’autentica mina vagante per la Juventus, specie in ripartenza. Al 19’ il francese si innesca in ripartenza, salta Bonucci e spara un destro in diagonale bloccato in due tempi da Buffon, mentre al 21’ si divora il gol dopo aver dribblato Caceres al limite dell’area. La Juventus capisce che così non può andare e alza la linea del pressing, mandando in confusione Valdés in cabina di regia. Pogba e Bonucci tra 29’ e 31’ spaventano Mirante con due siluri dalla lunga distanza che escono di poco, mentre al 36’ è Quagliarella a sprecare l’occasione più grande. L’attaccante si libera in area dopo un recupero di Barzagli ma Mirante esce perfettamente e lo blocca. Resta ancora il tempo per una gran punizione di Giovinco salvata dall’ottimo portiere di casa (39’), ma anche per una ripartenza bruciante di Biabiany che termina con una rovesciata alta di Amauri (34’). Una primo tempo equilibratissimo che si chiude sul punteggio più giusto: lo 0-0. PIRLO ILLUDE, SANSONE PUNISCE – La Juventus ritorna in campo con un altro piglio e schiaccia il Parma nella propria metà campo. Il gol è nell’aria e arriva puntuale al 52’. Punizione dal limite affidata a Pirlo e conclusione deviata da Biabiany per l’1-0. Per il regista bianconero si tratta dell’ottavo gol in carriera contro i ducali, del quinto in campionato e di una nuova marcatura su punizione che sblocca il match contro i gialloblù come già accaduto all’andata. Ma, questa volta, non finisce con un successo per la Juventus. Perché gli uomini di Conte dominano in lungo e in largo senza sfondare. Conte prova a chiuderla inserendo prima De Ceglie al posto di Padoin (65’) e poi Vucinic per Quagliarella (68’), mentre Donadoni azzecca la mossa rimpiazzando uno spento Amauri con Sansone (68’). E, proprio quest’ultimo, sfrutta l’unica azione del Parma della ripresa. L’episodio arriva al 78’. Paletta prende palla sulla trequarti e serve l’ex Bayern Monaco con uno splendido esterno destro. Caceres se lo perde e Sansone punisce Buffon per l’1-1 definitivo, un’azione simile al primo gol di Icardi una settimana fa. La Juventus si butta in avanti, ma non c’è modo di sfondare. Finisce in pari, il primo successo in campionato del 2013 deve attendere per la capolista. JUVE APPESANTITA, FORTINO TARDINI – La Vecchia Signora, imbottita di assenze importanti, si conferma non al top della forma. Oltre a qualche folata, infatti, gli uomini di Conte non sono andati probabilmente per colpa della preparazione invernale durissima effettuata a Vinovo. Sta di fatto che, nel giro di due partite, ha perso ben 4 punti di vantaggio sulla Lazio seconda a -3. Il Parma, invece, conferma l’imbattibilità interna in questo campionato (unica formazione con questo primato) e al Tardini non perde ormai da 15 partite (11 vittorie in questo lasso di tempo). Decisivo il quarto gol stagionale di Sansone. Che, dopo aver steso l’Inter, si conferma contro un’altra big. E il Parma, con quattro risultati utili di fila, si issa a quota 30 agganciando temporaneamente il Milan (settimo posto in coabitazione con l’Udinese). Sognare in grande non è più proibito. Mattia Fontana. http://it.soccerway....regular-season/

Marrone commits to Juventus Jan 15, 2013 Luca Marrone says he will remain at Juventus for the rest of the season despite having made only five League appearances. “I certainly won’t be on the move this month,” stated the 22-year-old. “Then, in June, we’ll evaluate the situation again. “I’ve spoken with the Coach and with the club,” he added. “We all believe that it is better for me to play 10 games for a big club like Juventus instead of 30 for another team. “Staying here will help me to grow in terms of dealing with certain types of pressure.” Marrone is a central midfield playmaker, but he’s been used as an alternative centre-back in the side’s three-man defence this season. “I’m a better midfielder than a vice-Leonardo Bonucci,” Marrone explained. “I need to become more ‘nasty’ in defence.”

Juventus will not make any big signings in January, says Marotta The club's general director has all but ruled out any high-profile arrivals at the Serie A champions, and he remains optimistic about his side's title chances. Jan 14, 2013 Giuseppe Marotta has made it clear that Juventus do not plan to make any big signings in the January transfer window. The Turin side have been linked with a number of strikers in the past few weeks as they aim to add some more firepower to their squad, but Marotta has stressed that the right opportunity has yet to come along this winter. "I expect the January window to close without any big signings. The right opportunity has not presented itself to Juventus," the club's general director told Sky Sport Italia. "We are obviously looking around and evaluating the situation of certain players, but our main objective at the moment is to recuperate injured players and those who will play at the AFCON." Marotta also took the time to discuss Juventus' title chances following their recent loss against Sampdoria and draw versus Parma, and stressed that it's impossible to win all games. "There's no reason to be pessimistic. We should remain realistic. Serie A is a bit like the Giro d'Italia. You simply cannot win every stage. It's the final standings that really matter." Juventus currently hold a three-point lead over second-placed Lazio.

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000 Juventus must consider switching to a 4-3-3 or risk dropping more points The Bianconeri have dropped points in successive games to allow Lazio and Napoli to close in, suggesting that a change of shape could be the way forward for the Turin side. Jan 14, 2013 COMMENT By Kris Voakes | Italian Football Writer If the league season had started on January 1, Juventus would currently be sitting in 15th place, five points behind leaders Napoli. Thankfully for the Bianconeri, they began 2013 with a big advantage stockpiled from their excellent form in the opening half of the campaign, but the defeat to Sampdoria last weekend and Sunday’s draw at Parma have seen their eight-point lead crumble. And for the second time in successive weekends, the Old Lady had been in a winning position. Andrea Pirlo’s free kick, like Sebastian Giovinco’s penalty seven days previous, looked likely to take them on their way to three points, but instead they could not claim the maximum as defensive deficiencies shone through once more. Robbed of Kwadwo Asamoah, Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio, the left side of their formation is unrecognisable, leaving Juve playing with a significant limp. Just as Federico Peluso had been shown up down that channel by Mauro Icardi and Sampdoria, Martin Caceres was given the run-around by the Gialloblu at the Tardini, and it came as no surprise that Nicola Sansone’s 77th-minute leveller came from an attack down the Juventus left. Truth be told, Roberto Donadoni’s side deserved their point and perhaps could count themselves unfortunate not to have put the champions on the rack earlier, with their strong opening stretching Juve from the first minute. With Andrea Barzagli, Peluso and Caceres all having failed to fill the significant space left behind by Chiellini at various stages this season, it may well be the right time now for coach Antonio Conte to look at new ways to cover for the loss of Italy’s best defender. Throw in the continued lack of firepower in the forward line, and there is plenty of reason to believe that Juventus may be able to regain control of games by switching to a 4-3-3 formation. HOW JUVENTUS COULD LINE UP Gianluigi Buffon Stephan Lichtsteiner - Andrea Barzagli - Leonardo Bonucci - Paolo De Ceglie Arturo Vidal - Andrea Pirlo - Paul Pogba (Marchisio when fit) Fabio Quagliarella - Mirko Vucinic - Sebastian Giovinco Conte used the formation a lot during his early days in charge of the Turin side in late 2011, and the change to a three-man forward line bore fruit in the midweek Coppa Italia victory over AC Milan. Having an extra player in attack would allow Giovinco to play in the wide left slot in which he was infinitely more successful with Parma last season than he has been so far this term. He is currently on course to fall short of his 15-goal output of 2011-12, despite playing in a more dominant side which has had much more success in terms of possession and territory. Coming from the left, he looks far more comfortable in taking on full-backs and picking holes in defences. The switch to four in defence would help to make up for the loss of Asamoah as well as Chiellini. Though the Ghana international is not a natural defender, his influence down the left in a defensive capacity should not be underestimated. And without him on the flank, Juve have struggled to give Chiellini’s understudy the required assistance in closing out dangerous opposing attackers. If Conte were to employ an orthodox full-back such as Paolo De Ceglie, or even switch Stephan Lichtsteiner to the left with Caceres or Mauricio Isla employed on the right, centre-backs Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli would be provided with the extra support that is lacking right now. Bonucci has never excelled in a back four in the way that he has since Juve first switched to a 3-5-2, but with each passing game without Chiellini, the more opponents are able to exploit space behind the wing-backs, stretch the back three, and find holes from there. For now, this has to be the better option at a time when the Bianconeri are struggling to put together anything like the kind of performances that have become their trademark over the past 16 months. With the in-form Udinese to come to the Juventus Stadium next week, Conte must consider a change of formation. If the current run of bad form continues, then they could find themselves in a Scudetto race that seemed unlikely to ever exist only 10 days ago. ELSEWHERE... • Udinese head to Turin in eighth place after coming from behind to beat Fiorentina. The Friulani have become much maligned over the past couple of years after missing out on the Champions League proper at the last hurdle, but despite a summer which saw them shorn of big stars once more, Francesco Guidolin continues to upset the odds with his side. The north-east side have lost only four games all season, a record bettered only by Juventus, and with Antonio Di Natale bang on form once more and teams above them faltering, who would back against them making it to Europe once again for 2013-14? • Lazio continue to fly below the radar in second place and are now just three points off the top after beating Atalanta 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico. Most observers continue to regard Juve as runaway favourites for the Scudetto, well many more regard Napoli as their closest serious rivals for the title. However, Vladimir Petkovic's troops keep closing in, and while Anderson Hernanes and Miroslav Klose are given much of the credit for that, they must also be taken seriously thanks to a defence which has helped to make their anaemic attack good enough to challenge. They may only have the league's eighth-best finishing stats, but the third-best defensive record in Serie A makes them a real force to be reckoned with. • A Palermo side that was expected to improve once the January transfer window came around continues to struggle, with a pathetic showing against Napoli sending them to a second defeat in 2013. The 3-0 reverse at the San Paolo was notable for some atrocious defending, with new additions Salvatore Aronica and Andrea Dossena unable to help stop the rot against their old club. The inevitable question at La Favorita given the presence of trigger-happy president Maurizio Zamparini relates to the future of coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who is unlikely to last much longer if he cannot get his side working as a unit. Now in 19th place, one of the most well-regarded clubs in the top flight could become a Serie B side by May. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

‘Juventus won’t spend big’ Jan 14, 2013 Beppe Marotta has told Juventus fans to forget about any major signings before the end of this month. The Old Lady have been strongly linked with a possible bid for Shanghai Shenhua ace Didier Drogba, but the director general seems to have ruled out that option. “The transfer window will close without any major signings,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “The January market is not offering important names for Juventus. “We are looking around, evaluating, but in the meantime we want to recover those players who are absent with injury or participating at the African Cup of Nations. “We’re missing important elements like Claudio Marchisio, Giorgio Chiellini, Kwadwo Asamoah and Simone Pepe, while Mirko Vucinic is not playing continuously because of fitness issues.” Juventus were hot favourites to retain their Scudetto, but a run of just one point from the last two games has seen their lead at the top of the table cut to just three points. “January is perhaps a month where we don’t collect as many points as at other times of the year,” he said after the 1-1 draw at Parma. “If we compare it to last year, after the win at Lecce we won three and drew four in a row. “We’re calm, let’s distance the pessimism, we’re realists. The Championship can be likened to the tour of Italy, not Milano-Sanremo. “We are targeting the finishing line. Juventus are always obliged to win.”

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000 Bonucci: Chiellini key, but… Jan 14, 2013 Leonardo Bonucci has failed to blame the absence of Giorgio Chiellini for Juventus’ stuttering start to 2013. After their shock loss at home to Sampdoria, the Old Lady only collected a 1-1 draw at Parma on Sunday afternoon. In both games, the goals conceded came from the area in which Italian international Chiellini would usually occupy. “Giorgio is an essential part of the team, but those who have deputised for him are doing a good job,” the former Bari man noted. “It’s just bad luck. Parma did well to hit us on the break on one occasion, whereas against Sampdoria, it happened twice…” While Bonucci was unhappy with the display against Doria, he was content with their performance at the Stadio Tardini. “We had the wrong approach in the second half against Samp and it was an important lesson for us,” he continued. “We were more careful against Parma, but that’s football for you – there are times when you don’t get the results and don’t come away with the points. “Now we have to concentrate more and rediscover our edge because Lazio and Napoli are on our heels. But we still have an advantage and require hunger and humility to increase the gap again.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Bonucci: Juventus must regain hunger & humility The Italy international feels that the Bianconeri need to show the right attitude again if they are to stay clear of their rivals in the Serie A table. Jan 14, 2013 Leonardo Bonucci has voiced his disappointment with Juventus' results in recent weeks and has urged his team-mates to show humility once more in order to get back on track. The reigning Serie A champions were beaten 2-1 by Sampdoria last week and had to settle for a 1-1 draw versus Parma on Sunday afternoon, allowing Lazio to close the gap in the Italian top tier table to three points. "We have to concentrate more and rediscover our edge because Lazio and Napoli are on our heels," Bonucci was quoted as saying on the club's official website. "We still have an advantage, but we require hunger and humility to increase the gap again. "Against Sampdoria we had the wrong approach in the second half and it was an important lesson for us. "Versus Parma, on the other hand, we were more careful. That’s football, though: there are times when you don’t get the results and don’t come away with the points."

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000 Conte: 'Goal was my fault' Jan 13, 2013 Antonio Conte has taken the blame for Parma’s equaliser at the Stadio Tardini. “Juventus deserved to win.” The Bianconeri were held to a 1-1 draw after Mirko Vucinic’s dummy was intercepted for a Nicola Sansone counter-attack. “The goal was my fault, because I called the dummy when Vucinic was on the one-on-one,” revealed Conte. “Juventus deserved to win considering everything we did today, but were playing against a tough side and give credit to Parma." With one point from the last two rounds, Juve's lead at the top has been sliced to just three points. “The season isn’t over yet, we must fight to the end and meet dangerous teams like Lazio and Milan. “I must say that if last Sunday I was angry about the performance against Sampdoria, today I am happy with the opportunities we created. “On some occasions we got the final pass wrong because we were a little frenetic. We always try to play constructive football and take risks, so it’s a shame we conceded that goal.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000 Donadoni on Parma and Milan links Jan 13, 2013 Roberto Donadoni believes Parma more than earned their point against Juventus and he shook off rumours of a future at Milan. The Ducali drew 1-1 with the Serie A leaders when Nicola Sansone wiped out a deflected Andrea Pirlo free kick. “We did well in the first half, creating important chances and allowing Juve only one shot,” said the Coach. “They found the goal with a heavy deflection, but we fought back and recovered with a great performance. “I have said it all season, we are not content with anything, as every Sunday we get closer to our first objective of safety and then after that will try to earn whatever comes next.” The equaliser was scored by Italy Under-21 international Sansone, who was born in Germany and grew up in the Bayern Munich youth academy. “Sansone has different characteristics to the others in the squad and is really improving. He is hungry for results and that means he never stops. The whole team has that spirit.” There have been reports this week that Donadoni is earmarked as the replacement for Massimiliano Allegri at Milan next season. “I want to end the season with Parma, then I have more years on my contract. My path here will tell me what the future says, but the present is Parma.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000 Player Ratings Goal.com rates those on show as a late strike from Nicola Sansone ensures Donadoni's men remain unbeaten at home this season, while the Bianconeri's league lead is cut. Jan 13, 2013 PARMA Antonio Mirante - Did well to beat Quagliarella to the ball in the first half and then kept out Pirlo with a top save minutes before half-time. He was unlucky to be beaten by a wicked deflection after a decent outing. Cristian Zaccardo - A competent afternoon from the centre-back. He stuck tight to Giovinco and ensured that the forward could not influence the game. A solid defence helped enable Parma steal a point from the league leaders. Fabiano Santacroce - The 26-year-old did not put a foot wrong as he followed Quagliarella and kept the striker away from the ball for much of the game. He was assured and effective at the back. Massimo Gobbi - Charged up and down the left flank relentlessly. He never stopped running, providing a positive outlet on the wings whilst also chasing back to help his team defend in the wide areas. Gabriel Paletta - Offered a bit too much space in the channels which Giovinco exploited in the early stages. An awful error almost gifted Juve a first-half goal but he more than made up for it with an excellent assist for Sansone's goal. Jaime Valdes - Passed the ball well but was unable to really dictate the game in what was a heavily contested midfield. Space was at a premium but he always looked composed, however he slowed the game down far too much. Marco Parolo - An average performance in the midfield from Parolo as he struggled to get involved in the action. However, his positioning was good and while he did not stand out it was by no means a bad display. Marco Marchionni - Used his experience in the midfield to try and direct Parma's play, but was unable to do so effectively. He was extremely combative and was not afraid of getting stuck in, at times a disadvantage. Jonathan Biabiany - Did not make the most of his raw pace as he rarely ran at defenders. He more than made up for that with his industry, through, regularly getting back to aid his defence. He should have done more at the other end though. Ishak Belfodil - The Algerian put in a classy display as he kept the Juve defence occupied throughout. He was confident when dribbling and always proved a threat. A goal would have been completely deserved. Amauri - The imposing striker was, by and large, extremely quiet. He failed to provide a focal point to the Parma attack and struggled to influence the game. He was outshone by his strike partner, Belfodil. Substitutions Afriyie Acquah - Came on for Marchionni in the 82nd minute and did not have time to influence the game. Nicola Sansone - Replaced the largely ineffectual Amauri in the 69th minute and had a brilliant impact. His energy was the bane of the Juve defence and he finished immaculately to earn his team a point. JUVENTUS Gianluigi Buffon - The Juventus icon only let one shot past him on the day, and fortunately he had Lichtsteiner covering to clear away. He claimed almost every ball that was floated into the area and commanded the defence well. Martín Cáceres - Looked shaky at times, particularly when he had Belfodil running at him. He allowed the Parma striker past him very easily a few times and was lucky his non-committal defending was not punished. Andrea Barzagli - Made some decent interceptions throughout the 90 minutes but also struggled to deal with the movement of Belfodil. The late goal will have disappointed the usually stout Juve defender. Leonardo Bonucci - A solid performance at the back from the Italy international as he was rarely beaten in a physical battle. He was not shy of venturing forwards either, but his efforts on goal never caused Mirante a problem. Stephan Lichtsteiner - The Swiss motored down the right wing but did not provide many convincing deliveries from the wide areas. However, one superb off-the-line block kept the scores level in the first half when Buffon was beaten. Paul Pogba - A powerful performance from the Frenchman as he challenged for every ball and came out on top more often than not. He policed the middle of the park well to help keep possession in their hands. Simone Padoin - It was an average afternoon for Padoin as he became extremely isolated in the wide areas and failed to combine with his team-mates. One bright moment earned the free kick which Pirlo scored from. Andrea Pirlo - Made a number of brilliant passes to switch the play and he also mucked-in physically. Kept off the scoresheet in the first half by a great Mirante save, but found the net with a deflected free kick after the break. Arturo Vidal - A bullish performance in the centre of the park from the Chilean, but he did not show the attacking drive which has seen him net five goals in the league so far this season. He needed to support the strikers more. Sebastian Giovinco - He was extremely lively in the early stages as his bright dribbling and close control caused Parma some problems. Yet his influence waned throughout the rest of the game and he failed to test Mirante. Fabio Quagliarella - Not afraid to shoot early on, Quagliarella looked like he was going to be a nuisance all afternoon. He lacked service in the latter stages and was beaten to the ball by Mirante when one-on-one in the first half. Substitutions Paolo De Ceglie - Came on for Padoin in the 65th minute and helped sure up the left flank for the visitors. Mirko Vučinić - Replaced Quagliarella in the 69th minute but was unable to test Mirante as the Parma defence stayed strong in the closing stages. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000 Juve slip again Jan 13, 2013 Juventus saw their lead at the top of Serie A cut to just three points as a fine individual goal from Nicola Sansone kept Parma's lengthy unbeaten home run intact. Antonio Conte's Juve were desperate to atone for last weekend's surprise defeat to Sampdoria, a result which saw Lazio close to within five points of the league leaders. Andrea Pirlo threatened to hand Parma a first home defeat since March with his fortuitous free-kick just after the break, but Sansone danced behind the Juve backline to level the tie and rescue a deserved point. With Lazio cruising to a 2-0 victory over Atalanta, and Napoli staying in touch with a 3-0 win against Palermo, Juve are under pressure to beat Udinese next week. Local hero Sebastian Giovinco received a warm reception on his return to the Tardini, but he dictated much of Juve's ominous forward play in the early exchanges. Parma enjoyed the first tangible chance, though, Massimo Gobbi and Amauri combining to test Buffon before the Bianconeri wrested control back from their hosts. After a long period of possession, Fabio Quagliarella found himself in good space to test Antonio Mirante with a hard and low left-footed drive. The Gialloblu reasserted their dominance, Martin Caceres forced to snatch the ball from Ishak Belfodil's feet following good work from Jonathan Biabiany. Paul Pogba fired just wide at the other end and Leonardo Bonucci's wayward long-range effort inspired Conte to bellow in disgust from the touchline. Parma continued to keep the Bianconeri under the cosh with a fast-paced passing game and Conte had Stephan Lichtsteiner to thank when he cleared Belfodil's strike off the line. The Swiss then wriggled free down the right wing to pick out Quagliarella in the box, the ex-Palermo man's header coming up short when Pogba had been lurking nearby. Mirante would pull off a miraculous save in the 36th minute as Andrea Barzagli picked out his man in the box, only for Quagliarella's shot to be snaffled by the Parma keeper. Pirlo sent Mirante sprawling across his goalmouth to keep out a swerving free-kick, but it was Juventus who were lucky to reach the break level. There was a touch of fortune about Juve's goal, too, as another Pirlo set-piece beat Mirante in the 52nd minute, courtesy of a heavy deflection off Biabiany. Juve remained on top, but Biabany went some way to atoning for his role in the opener by breaking up a dangerous move between Pogba and Arturo Vidal. Roberto Donadoni removed the largely ineffectual Amauri for Sansone in the 77th minute and soon the home fans had something to sing about. Paletta's quick pass arrived at Sansone's feet, the Germany-born forward promptly streaking past Caceres to beat Buffon and level the match. Juve began to press hard but substitute Mirko Vucinic could only summon up the weakest of shots, with Lichtsteiner's dangerous ball failing to find a Bianconeri shirt. Another disappointing result may have hit Conte's men hard, but they were lucky to hold onto a solitary point as Belfodil arrived inches short of Afriyie Acquah's cross to the back post. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000 Juve hit Tardini brick wall Juventus failed to end Parma’s unbeaten home record, as Nicola Sansone cancelled out an Andrea Pirlo free kick. Jan 13, 2013 The Bianconeri suffered a shock home defeat to 10-man Sampdoria last week and were pushed to extra time in the Coppa Italia by Milan on Wednesday, so they were far from confident going to face the only team with an unbeaten home record this season. Claudio Marchisio, Giorgio Chiellini, Nicklas Bendtner and Simone Pepe were out injured, Kwadwo Asamoah on African Cup of Nations duty, while Parma had Alessandro Lucarelli and Yohan Benalouane banned. Amauri and Sebastian Giovinco started against their former clubs. Gabriel Paletta fired over early on from a poor clearance, as did Massimo Gobbi after a give-and-go with Amauri. Gigi Buffon parried an Ishak Belfodil attempt and the French talent curled another effort just off target, as Parma dominated the early stages. Paul Pogba’s strike was wide from distance, but it was all Parma, as Belfodil’s shot on the counter was charged down in the box and Amauri turned the rebound over. Stephan Lichtsteiner went close at the other end, but his effort was deflected out for a corner at the near post. From that poorly-cleared set piece Antonio Mirante came sprinting out to clear from Fabio Quagliarella. Parma went straight on the counter and Buffon made a hash of punching away the ball, eventually scrambling clear. Mirante flew to fingertip a classic Andrea Pirlo free kick out from under the crossbar. Juventus took the lead after the restart when another Pirlo free kick took a huge deflection off Jonathan Biabiany in the wall to completely wrong-foot Mirante. Quagliarella attempted a lob from midfield, but it was just over the bar. However, Juve were caught out with a classic counter-attack when Gabriel Paletta intercepted a Mirko Vucinic dummy in midfield. Nicola Sansone used his pace to burst past Martin Caceres and kept his cool for an angled drive across Buffon. Vucinic tried to make up for it with an angled drive that bounced in front of Mirante, but the goalkeeper got it under control. Belfodil nodded over his own goal, while at the other end the same player came sliding in and just failed to redirect a wayward Afriyie Acquah strike. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parma: Mirante; Zaccardo, Paletta, Santacroce; Biabiany, Marchionni (Acquah 82), Valdes, Parolo, Gobbi; Amauri (Sansone 69), Belfodil Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Caceres; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Padoin (De Ceglie 65); Giovinco, Quagliarella (Vucinic 68) Ref: De Marco http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 1 Andrea Pirlo (52') Nicola Sansone (78′) Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Attendance: 14000‎ Sansone strike sees Bianconeri stumble again The second-half substitute cancelled out Andrea Pirlo's free kick in the closing stages as the Old Lady's advantage at the top of Serie A shrunk by three points. Jan 13, 2013 Parma retained their unbeaten home record this season by securing a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Juventus at the Ennio Tardini. After an extremely stretched first half that saw no goals, seven minutes after the restart Andrea Pirlo fired home his eighth career goal against Parma, more than he has netted against any other Serie A outfit. The Bianconeri sat back and attempted to see the game out but the Crociati kept their heads up and found a late equaliser through Nicola Sansone to rescue a point. Despite a boisterous atmosphere, both sides began fairly pensively. Juventus looked the more dangerous of the pair but two Fabio Quagliarella efforts that bounced wide of the goal were all they could muster in the opening 10 minutes. As time passed the game became increasingly open, with Parma playing a more attacking role. Ishak Belfodil almost netted a goal to remember in the 21st minute as he beat Martin Caceres inside the area, but failed to curl the ball in at the far corner. Possession was being given away far too easily, and one of the most reckless moments came courtesy of Gabriel Paletta. His loose ball fell straight to Paul Pogba 20 yards from goal but the Frenchman missed the target when he should really have done better. But the Bianconeri were by no means in control as Parma gave as good as they got, with the confident Belfodil causing most of the problems. With 34 minutes on the clock the Algerian finally managed to beat Gianluigi Buffon, but Stephan Lichtsteiner was back on the line to keep the ball out. The rebound fell to Amauri but his attempted overhead kick sailed well over the bar. The end-to-end football continued as four minutes later Pirlo's brilliant free kick looked destined for the top corner but a great save from Antonio Mirante kept the ball out. Seven minutes into the second half, though, Mirante could not emulate his first-half heroics. From the top of the box, Pirlo opted to shoot inside of the wall and a deflection off of Jonathan Biabiany guided the ball past the despairing keeper. The second half proved a different story for the hosts as they struggled to retain the ball. Service to the strikers had slowed enabling momentum to remain with Antonio Conte's men. Juve, clearly growing in confidence in the latter stages, were in no rush to get another goal. A speculative 45-yard effort from Quagliarella had Mirante backpedalling but the goalkeeper's blushes were spared as the ball dropped just behind the goal. That lack of urgency proved costly in the 78th minute as a brilliant pass from Paletta caught Caceres out of position. Sansone made the most of it, latching onto the pass and firing a low shot past Buffon and into the far corner. Roberto Donadoni remains without as a coach against Juventus, but will no doubt be pleased with the draw against the reigning champions who see their lead at the top of Serie A cut to three points. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) - Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Line-ups: Parma-Juventus Jan 13, 2013 Parma are the only side with an unbeaten home record and they welcome leaders Juventus fresh from a shock defeat. The Ducali have a remarkable run of results at the Stadio Tardini, winning six of their last nine in front of their own fans. Yohan Benalouane and Alessandro Lucarelli are suspended, but Jaime Valdes returns from a one-match ban. Amauri takes on his old teammates, partnered by youngster Ishak Belfodil. Juventus were shocked 2-1 by 10-man Sampdoria last week and taken to extra time by Milan in the Coppa Italia quarter-final on Wednesday night, so fatigue could also be an issue. Claudio Marchisio, Giorgio Chiellini, Simone Pepe and Nicklas Bendtner are injured with Kwadwo Asamoah on African Cup of Nations duty. Sebastian Giovinco starts against his former club with Fabio Quagliarella, while Paul Pogba is given a chance in midfield. There is a long-standing rivalry between these sides and reports of scuffles outside the stadium caused by Juventus ultras before the game. PARMA: Mirante; Zaccardo, Paletta, Santacroce; Biabiany, Marchionni, Valdes, Parolo, Gobbi; Amauri, Belfodil Parma bench: Pavarini, De Angelis, Morrone, Palladino, Musacci, Acquah, Sansone, Fideleff, Ninis, Rosi, Pabon JUVENTUS: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Caceres; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Padoin; Giovinco, Quagliarella Juventus bench: Storari, Branescu, Vucinic, De Ceglie, Peluso, Giaccherini, Matri, Isla, Beltrame, Marrone http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Juventus disliking us is a compliment, says Mazzarri The Napoli boss has insisted that Claudio Marchisio's distaste for his club should be taken as a compliment as it shows that the Bianconeri take them seriously as rivals. Jan 13, 2013 Walter Mazzarri has suggested that Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio paid Napoli a big compliment after publicly revealing his dislike for the club. The Italy international revealed this week that he is extra-motivated to beat the Partenopei due to his antipathy towards the San Paolo club. Bianconeri coach Antonio Conte claimed that Napoli should take the player's comments as a sign that they feared by big clubs, a view which Mazzarri shares. "In our environment, everyone wants to win," the 51-year-old Italian was quoted by La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "Marchisio gave us a nice compliment because those in this world who are nice are not considered a threat by anyone. As a result, the match against Palermo is an opportunity to demonstrate that we really are 'dislikeable'."

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) - Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Juventus squad for Parma Jan 12, 2013 Juventus named their squad for Sunday’s trip to Parma, as Claudio Marchisio and Giorgio Chiellini miss out, but Stephan Lichtsteiner returns. Marchisio is out of action after bruising his knee during last week’s 2-1 home defeat to Sampdoria, joining long-term absentees Chiellini, Nicklas Bendtner and Simone Pepe. Lichtsteiner is back after missing the Samp game due to a one-match ban. Mirko Vucinic is also included, though could be left on the bench if has not fully recovered from a recurring ankle injury. Kwadwo Asamoah is on African Cup of Nations duty. Juventus squad for Parma: 1 Buffon, 4 Caceres, 6 Pogba, 9 Vucinic, 11 De Ceglie, 12 Giovinco, 13 Peluso, 15 Barzagli, 19 Bonucci, 20 Padoin, 21 Pirlo, 23 Vidal, 24 Giaccherini, 26 Lichtsteiner, 27 Quagliarella, 30 Storari, 31 Branescu, 32 Matri, 33 Isla, 35 Beltrame, 39 Marrone http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) - Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Parma v Juventus – Team News, Tactics, Line-ups & Prediction Jan 12, 2013 The New Year has begun with a stutter for the Italian champions. Juventus slumped to an unexpected loss at home against Sampdoria last weekend and followed it up with a not too convincing win against AC Milan in Coppa Italia quarter-final. Parma on the other hand didn’t have a mid-week fixture and will be fresher of the two sides. They have also won their last three Serie A matches and are now in with a good shot of qualifying for Europe next season. Parma are currently placed eighth in the table, one point behind AC Milan. Team News and Tactical Brief PARMA The Ducali have been solid under the tutelage of former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni. Parma have been especially strong at home and are the only team in Serie A which has an unbeaten home record till now. They have won six out of their nine home matches, scoring 17 goals and conceding just 7 times, an impressive record by any standards. The former UEFA Cup champions are likely to start in a 4-3-3 formation. Their excellent defensive record at home (joint best with Juventus) can largely be attributed to the consistent showing of 26 year old Argentine Gabriel Paletta in central defence. With 3.4 successful tackles and 2.5 successful interceptions per match, Paletta will be the biggest roadblock against a Juventus attack which has often struggled to put their chances away. Veteran Christian Zaccardo is likely to partner Paletta in central defence with Massimo Gobbi and Aleandro Rosi on the flanks. Juventus have looked weak on their left flank in past two fixtures and Donadoni will be looking toward a former Juventus player to exploit this weakness – Marco Marchionni. Marchionni, a winger for most of his career is being used in a more centralized position of Parma’s three man midfield and will be looking to drift to wider areas and take advantage of Paolo De Ceglie’s often erratic showings. Marco Parolo has been inspirational for Parma as a defensive midfielder. With 2 goals, 1 assist and 2.5 successful tackles per match, Parolo needs to have a good game to shut down the best midfield in the peninsula. Just like Marchionni, veteran Jaime Valdes has also been used in a central position and has excelled as a regista this season. Summer signing Ishak Belfodil has undoubtedly been the peak of Parma attackers and is currently their top scorer with 6 goals and 3 assists in 17 appearances. Parma’s offensive trident is likely to have a youthful outlook with the 21 year old Belfodil being flanked by 21 year old Nicola Sansone on left-wing and 24 year old Jonathan Biabiany on right. The outcome of this match can very well be decided on how Juventus deals with the Biabiany – Marchionni combination on the left-wing. Former Juventus striker Amauri’s late goal secured three points for Parma in last round and he can make another appearance from the bench against his old club. Possible Starting XI (4-3-3): Pavarini; Rosi, Paletta, Zaccardo, Gobbi; Marchionni, Parolo, Valdes; Biabiany, Belfodil, Sansone JUVENTUS Everything that could have wrong went wrong for Juventus last weekend. Conte’s side looked all set for three points as the first half ended 1-0 in their favour with Sampdoria reduced to 10 men. Things turned radically in second half as Sampdoria came back stronger in second half and things were compounded by an unlikely error from Gigi Buffon. Juventus strikers also missed some gilt edged chances with Mirko Vucinic being the biggest culprit. Antonio Conte’s biggest headache will be how to shore up the left side of his defence. The consistent performances of Kwadwo Asamoah and Giorgio Chiellini ensured that Juventus had almost zero problems on the left flank but now the former is away on International duty while the Italian is out with an injury. Peluso had a nightmare debut against Sampdoria and Paolo De Ceglie is likely to make his way back as starting left-wing back. Martin Caceres was impressive against AC Milan and is likely to form the three man defence with Bonucci and Barzagli. Claudio Marchisio will sit out after picking up an injury last week and Paul Pogba is likely to replace him. It will be intriguing to see how Pogba adopts to the Marchisio-role. The French youngster doesn’t have Marchisio’s tactical intelligence but has the ability to make late runs into opposition penalty box like the Juventus academy product. Andrea Pirlo didn’t start against AC Milan in midweek but will come back into starting XI along with Arturo Vidal. Just like last season, Mirko Vucinic once again struck the all important goal to knock AC Milan out of Coppa Italia. The Montenegrin has struggled with an ankle injury in past few weeks but has proved time and again that he is the only Juventus striker with game changing ability. Alessandro Matri had a decent outing in general against Milan but he looks completely bereft of confidence in front of the goal. It is likely that Vucinic will pair-up with Sebastien Giovinco upfront. Possible Starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Caceres; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, De Ceglie; Vucinic, Giovinco Players To Watch Out For Gabriel Paletta (Parma) With three man of the match awards till now the Argentine has undoubtedly been Parma’s star man as well as one of the most consistent defenders in current Serie A season. Juventus have the joint best scoring record away from home and Donodani’s best bet in keeping out the Bianconeri will be a solid performance from the former Boca Juniors defender. Arturo Vidal (Juventus) The Chilean didn’t feature against Sampdoria last weekend and his absence was felt badly as Juventus were over-run in midfield during the second half. Vidal started against Milan and was one of best players on the pitch. He would need to maintain his consistency against Parma midfield which has done extremely well this season. Prediction Parma 1 – 1 Juventus Parma have been especially strong at home and their unbeaten record is unlikely to be threatened by Juventus’ current form. Both teams have strong midfield and it is possible that the midfields will cancel each other out. Blast From The Past http://youtu.be/m_hVIDyQe1I http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) - Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco Parma v Juventus: Preview Jan 12, 2013 Sebastian Giovinco admits he has a lot to be thankful for ahead of his return to Parma, but the diminutive forward is now fully committed to the Juventus cause. Seven years ago, Juve academy graduate Giovinco was being touted as one of the future stars of Serie A, but his sporadic appearances and inconsistent form saw him loaned out to Empoli and then Parma. Giovinco became a firm fan favourite during his two-year spell at the Stadio Ennio Tardini, leading Parma's scoring charts last season to secure an eighth-placed finish before Juve re-signed him for 11million euros. The 25-year-old has excelled on his return to Turin, scoring 10 goals, and is prepared to complete the transition by ending Parma's lengthy unbeaten home run tomorrow. He told Sport Mediaset: "I owe Parma a lot because they believed in me and relaunched my career. We became a very tight unit under Donadoni, one that was difficult to beat. "We need to kick on after the defeat to Sampdoria and we will do everything we can to come out on top in a tough challenge." The Bianconeri are contesting the Scudetto, the Champions League and the Coppa Italia and Giovinco is wary of the pitfalls of such a busy schedule. "We will face nine games in 35 days," he added. "The most delicate stage of the season is on its way, with a lot of important matches that are close together. "This, however, is a good thing as it means we are in the running for all the trophies." Juve are determined to avenge a shock 2-1 loss to Samp by claiming all three points at Parma, something they have not achieved since January 2010 and an outcome that would see Parma lose at home for the first time since March 2012. Federico Peluso endured a difficult debut against Samp but the ex-Atalanta defender will continue at left-back in the absence of injured vice-captain Giorgio Chiellini. Scans revealed heavy bruising to Claudio Marchisio's knee rather than a broken leg but the midfielder faces a late fitness test, with Simone Pepe and Nicklas Bendtner unable to feature. Parma boss Donadoni, who has now overseen three consecutive victories, is not frightened of a wounded Juve side. "We can't pay attention to what Juve have done," he said. "On Sunday, apart from the strategy we will adopt, it is essential that we approach the game with a ferocious determination. "The tactics aren't important, if the team all stick together and concentrate on playing a certain type of game then nothing will scare us. "Juve are very strong, but we have to face up to them as best as we can otherwise it will be a very difficult match." http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 20 - 13/1/13 (3:00 p.m.) - Ennio Tardini Stadium - Parma Referee: Andrea De Marco MATCH PREVIEW Jan 12, 2013 Parma put their unbeaten home record on the line when they welcome League leaders and away supremos Juventus to the Stadio Tardini. The Ducali were involved in a nail-biting finale against Palermo last weekend. Chasing a third straight victory, Parma led through Ishak Belfodil’s goal just past the hour. Igor Budan looked to have snatched a point for the visitors with five minutes remaining, but Francesco Benussi’s error gifted Amauri the winner against his former club. That result - coupled with Fiorentina’s shock loss to Pescara - means Roberto Donadoni’s team are the only ones unbeaten at their own stadium. They have won six of nine Tardini tussles and last dropped home points on November 11, in a scoreless draw with Siena. Daniele Galloppa remains sidelined through injury and is joined by suspended defensive duo Yohan Benalouane and Alessandro Lucarelli. Jaime Valdes returns from a one-match ban and Cristian Zaccardo is on the bench after an injury. Juventus saw their eight-point lead reduced after a shock loss to Sampdoria. The hosts took the lead through Sebastian Giovinco’s penalty and seemed in command when Samp went down to 10 men. But they were stunned by two second-half Mauro Icardi strikes. Juve responded with a dramatic 2-1 Coppa Italia success over Milan on Wednesday, which went to extra time. While Parma are strong at home, Juventus are unmatched on the road. The Bianconeri have won seven of nine road trips, benefit from the equal-most prolific attack with 20 goals and boast the meanest defence with just six conceded. Claudio Marchisio was the latest injury casualty, to join Giorgio Chiellini, Simone Pepe and Nicklas Bendtner in the treatment room. Kwadwo Asamoah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, but Stephan Lichtsteiner returns from suspension. Last season’s goalless draw was the ninth stalemate contested between the pair and doused in controversy. Meanwhile, Parma slightly hold historical dominance with six wins to five. Keep an eye on: Martin Caceres (Juventus) – Dropped in favour of Federico Peluso last weekend, the Uruguayan put in a strong Coppa Italia performance. Caceres will look to cement his spot in the back three during Chiellini’s absence with another impressive showing. Form guide: Parma (L L W W W) Juventus (W W W W L) Last season: Parma 0-0 Juventus Stat fact: Juventus were Parma’s very first Serie A opponent. The Gialloblu’s maiden appearance back in 1990-91 ended in a 2-1 Juve win, including a debut Bianconeri goal for Roberto Baggio. PROBABLE LINE-UPS PARMA: Pavarini; Rosi, Paletta, Santacroce, Gobbi; Marchionni, Valdes, Parolo; Biabiany, Belfodil, Sansone JUVENTUS: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Caceres; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, De Ceglie; Giovinco, Quagliarella http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/