Socrates

Serie A - 11^ Giornata - Andata - 3-11-2012 (ore 20:45) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Rigore) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Torino Arbitro: Paolo Tagliavento Spettatori: 38000 Serie A - L'Inter spegne la Juve e i veleni: 3-1 Il derby d'Italia va ai nerazzurri che diventano i primi a vincere allo Juventus Stadium e a battere i bianconeri dopo 49 partite d'imbattibiltà. Eurosport - Sabato, 3 novembre 2012 Serate come queste entrano nella storia. Un primo tempo con le polemiche innescate da un gol in fuorigioco convalidato alla Juventus dopo nemmeno venti secondi. E una ripresa epica, nella quale la forza dell’Inter si è sprigionata appieno. Frantumando la serie di 49 partite senza sconfitta dei bianconeri ed espugnando uno stadio in cui a vincere era stata soltanto la Vecchia Signora. Finisce 3-1, con doppietta di Diego Milito, ciliegina sulla torta di Rodrigo Palacio e -1 per i nerazzurri. Forse la migliore nottata dopo Madrid. Di certo la più buia dell’era Conte. GIOVINCO TITOLARE, CASSANO PURE - Formazione annunciata per Antonio Conte che conferma il tradizionale 3-5-2 e riporta nell'undici titolare Vidal e Marchisio ai fianchi di Pirlo. In attacco, l'unico reale dubbio, c'è Giovinco con Vucinic, mentre siedono in panchina Bendtner, Quagliarella e Matri. Sorprende invece Andrea Stramaccioni, che va a giocarsela a Torino con il tridente pesante composto da Cassano, Palacio e Milito. Soltanto panchina per Guarin, con Cambiasso affiancato da Gargano in mediana. Zanetti e Nagatomo sono gli esterni di centrocampo, con Juan Jesus che torna in difesa dopo la squalifica. VIDAL APRE - Pronti-via ed è subito polemica. Dopo una manciata di secondi Asamoah scatta a sinistra su appoggio di Vucinic. Il ghanese è in evidente fuorigioco, ma il guardalinee Preti (così come tutti gli altri elementi della squadra arbitrale) non se ne avvede. Palla al centro e gol di Vidal, 1-0 per la Juventus. Una mazzata pazzesca per i nerazzurri, che rischiano di perdere la testa nei primi minuti. Un miracolo di Handanovic su Marchisio all’8’, però, tiene in gara l’Inter. Al 10’ Cambiasso calcia alto da buona posizione, mentre due minuti dopo Palacio si vede annullare il pareggio per un fuorigioco millimetrico. Al 20’ ci prova anche Cassano dal limite, con la palla che esce di un soffio. I nerazzurri crescono, recuperano palla nella trequarti bianconera e mettono paura ai padroni di casa. Nel momento migliore degli ospiti, però, torna a incidere l’operato arbitrale. Perché al 30’ Lichtsteiner viene ammonito per un brutto intervento su Cambiasso e quattro minuti dopo lo svizzero fa altrettanto su Palacio. Tagliavento, però, lo assolve, tenendolo in campo. La coppia Conte-Alessio se ne avvede e lo rimpiazza subito con Caceres, mentre la partita si fa sempre più tesa. Il finale è tutto dei bianconeri. Che nel minuto di recupero spaventano ancora un impeccabile Handanovic con Vidal. MILITO GUIDA L’IMPRESA – Il secondo tempo è tutta un’altra storia. La Juventus perde subito Vucinic per problemi muscolari e lo rimpiazza con Bendtner. Scelta infausta, perché il danese toglie sfogo alle ripartenze bianconere, non aggiungendo nulla negli ultimi 15 metri. La partita, intanto, si fa sempre più dura, complice anche un arbitraggio sbagliato di Tagliavento che inizia a pendere dall’altra parte, quasi come se fosse necessario risarcire qualcosa agli ospiti. Diversi cartellini mancanti soprattutto per Cambiasso e Juan Jesus, qualche contrasto duro a centrocampo, insomma "compensazione". E, alla fine, l’episodio che cambia tutto. Al 58’ Marchisio trattiene Milito in modo troppo vistoso in area. È rigore. Dal dischetto va lo stesso Principe che batte Buffon con una sassata rabbiosa. La botta che fa cadere sulle ginocchia la Juventus. Stramaccioni vede la fatica nei suoi e negli altri e azzecca il cambio. Fuori un Cassano molto statico, dentro Guarin (68’). I padroni di casa faticano sempre di più a passare la trequarti, dove l’Inter alza la “maginot”. E arrivano ripartenze come se piovesse. Al 75’ quella decisiva. Guarin spacca in due la retroguardia e fa esplodere il destro in diagonale. Buffon ci arriva ma la devia soltanto, Milito arriva prima di tutti sulla respinta e la mette dentro. È il 2-1, suo settimo gol in campionato. La partita virtualmente finisce qui. Il duo Conte-Alessio mette Quagliarella per Caceres (78’), passando al 3-4-1-2 come mercoledì contro il Bologna. L’Inter, però, è decisamente più stabile e, oltre a un gran tiro di Quagliarella deviato da un Handanovic stratosferico, non concede nulla nell’assedio finale. Anzi, Guarin lancia un altro contropiede perfetto per Nagatomo, che rientra e appoggia per Palacio. È il tris, quello definitivo (89’). L’Inter stende la Juventus 3-1. Sará la svolta del campionato? UNA SVOLTA PER DUE? – Il retrogusto dell’anticipo serale dell’undicesima giornata di Serie A porta con sé questa domanda. Perché i numeri segnano una linea di tendenza non da poco. La Juventus della gestione Conte non solo non aveva mai perso prima di questa partita, ma non aveva mai subito tre gol se non nel 3-3 esterno sul campo del Napoli del 29 novembre 2011. Adesso sente il fiato sul collo dell’Inter, salita a -1 in classifica nonostante le nove vittorie nelle prime undici partite dei bianconeri. I nerazzurri hanno infilato il nono successo consecutivo tra tutte le competizioni, il settimo in campionato e il nono esterno (in trasferta hanno sempre e solo vinto). Il culmine del progetto di Stramaccioni è arrivato allo Juventus Stadium. Perché se prima c’erano i gol ma non l’equilibrio e poi sono arrivati i risultati ma non il gioco, ora, in questa magica serata, si sono uniti i due fattori per un mix micidiale. Per una serata è andata così. L’Inter, a differenza della Vecchia Signora, di qualità davanti ne ha parecchia. La Juventus è crollata dopo 49 partite d’imbattibilità, quando ormai vedeva il record del Milan di Fabio Capello (58 match) nel mirino. Mattia Fontana - Eurosport Juventus 1-3 Inter

Chiellini: Inter deserved to win The defender says Juventus did not do enough to continue their unbeaten run and paid tribute to the efforts of Andrea Stramaccioni's side. Nov 5, 2012 Giorgio Chiellini says Inter deserved their victory on Saturday, after they came from behind to beat the Bianconeri in Turin. The Serie A leaders went into the game hoping to extend their 49-match unbeaten streak in the league, but were beaten after a Diego Milito double and Rodrigo Palacio strike cancelled out Arturo Vidal's first minute opener. "In all honesty, I expected them to man-mark Andrea Pirlo, but wasn’t sure if it’d be Fredy Guarin or Palacio," Chiellini told reporters. "That’s how they approached Fiorentina with Coutinho coming back, but this time they seemed to alternate. “Inter are very strong on the counter and until we kept our balance to lock down those spaces, we were in control and had the chances to add a second goal. “As soon as we lost our unity and started to leave more spaces, Inter took advantage and deserved the victory.” And though disappointed to taste defeat in the league for the first time since the 2010/11 season, Chiellini remains confident of continuing what has been a strong start to the season. “Tomorrow we’ll analyse the game and try to work out the mistakes we made to ensure they don’t happen again," he stated. “We are still top of the table and in the Champions League, so we have a lot to give.”

Serie A Team of the Week: Marvellous Milito & terrific Totti selected after historic weekend Goal.com looks at the star performers from the latest round of Italian league action at the weekend. Nov 5, 2012 It was a monumental Round 11 in Serie A, with Juventus' attempt to break national record for an unbeaten run brought to a halt by Inter, and both sides are among those represented in Goal.com's latest Team of the Week. While the Nerazzurri may well have had a stand-out hero at one end of the pitch scoring them a couple of goals, Samir Handanovic was busy providing just as big a problem for Juve at the other. His excellent performance between the sticks - particularly in keeping out a first-half effort by Claudio Marchisio - set the platform for Inter's win. Fiorentina's 4-1 victory over Cagliari was started by a goal for Gonzalo Rodriguez, who was also fantastic defensively, while Catania's shock demolition of Lazio came thanks in part to Nicola Legrottaglie's commanding display at the back. Meanwhile, Massimo Paci led the way for Siena, scoring the goal that did for Genoa at the Franchi Montepaschi Arena Across the middle, there were some very notable performances. Pablo Barrientos again provided the width when it mattered in Catania's 4-0 triumph, while Arturo Vidal may have been on the losing side in Serie A for the first time but his early goal had looked set to tee up another Juve win. Riccardo Montolivo gets a second straight call after another goal and another solid midfield performance as AC Milan put five past Chievo, and Giacomo Bonaventura's contribution to Atalanta's deserved 2-1 win at Sampdoria, including a second-minute opener, sees him make the team for the first time this season. In the forward line we have a trio of five-star performances. Francesco Totti picked Palermo apart at will in Roma's 4-1 win, grabbing a 208th Serie A goal in the process, and Alejandro Gomez was also instrumental in Catania's magnificent performance against Lazio, with two strikes to show for his efforts. But the last word lies with Diego Milito after his double against Juventus closed the gap in the title race to a single point. HANDANOVIC (Inter) RODRIGUEZ (Fiorentina) - LEGROTTAGLIE (Catania) - PACI (Siena) BARRIENTOS (Catania) - VIDAL (JUVENTUS) - MONTOLIVO (Milan) - BONAVENTURA (Atalanta) TOTTI (Roma) - MILITO (Inter) - GOMEZ (Catania)

What next for Juventus? How Capello's Milan, Arsenal's Invincibles & other legendary sides fared after losing their unbeaten runs After the Bianconeri's first league defeat since May 2011, they must bounce back and win a second straight Scudetto, but others have had mixed results after long sequences ended. Nov 5, 2012 ANALYSIS By Kris Voakes | Italian Football Writer The run is over. Finished. Thanks to Inter's 3-1 win in Turin on Saturday, Juventus will head for Pescara on Saturday knowing that a positive result will leave them with a one-game unbeaten run, rather than 51. Their 49-match streak is now a thing of the past and Antonio Conte's side need to get back on the horse in order to kick their Scudetto charge back into action. But is that easier said than done? The psychological effect that the loss of that sheen of invincibility can have should not be underestimated, and it is up to the Bianconeri to prove that they are a true champion outfit by casting aside the weekend's result and marching on regardless. They are far from the first side to be charged with the task of rebuilding their unbeatable reputation though. Goal.com takes a look at other teams who have seen long streaks without a loss ended, and studies how each club reacted to the disappointment. AJAX 1994-96 (52 games unbeaten) For the best part of two years, Ajax didn't just beat teams, they battered them. In their 52-game run from the beginning of the 1994-95 season to the opening game of 1996, Louis van Gaal's superstars scored 168 goals and conceded only 34. After scoring 33 times without reply over the first nine games of 1995-96, they reacted to falling 2-0 behind in the early stages of their trip to Feyenoord by taking the lead before half-time and eventually winning 4-2. No matter what the scenario, they looked untouchable. It was Willem II, who would eventually finish 12th in the Eredivisie, who surprised everyone by curtailing the Godenzonen's march through the league with a 1-0 win in Tilburg, and suddenly the whole of Netherlands found Ajax easier to score against. They would still add another Dutch title to their locker that season - a third in succession - despite a total of three defeats, but after losing the Champions League final to Juventus, their superstar team began to break up. Since their move to the Amsterdam ArenA that summer they have added just five more league championships in 16 years and after always finishing inside the top three for 31 successive years, they have since missed out on the podium in the Eredivisie on four occasions. ARSENAL 2003-04 (49 games unbeaten) Known as 'The Invincibles', Arsene Wenger's class of 2003-04 became the first team for over a century to go unbeaten throughout an entire season in the English top flight. And when Thierry Henry, Robert Pires et al continued to fire on all cylinders at the beginning of the following campaign, many had them down as surefire champions once more. But their hopes of stretching their unbeaten run to 50 were brought crashing down by an uncompromising Manchester United performance at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils coming out 2-0 winners. United would later complete a league double over the Gunners, who fell to five defeats overall and surrendered their title to Chelsea, though they would get revenge on Sir Alex Ferguson's side by beating them in the FA Cup final. That triumph in Cardiff, though, is Arsenal's most recent major trophy, with their seven-year drought having coincided with the repeated loss of top-name stars, and Wenger's current outfit are a shadow of the team that wowed the Premier League public on a weekly basis during the early part of the last decade. AC MILAN 1991-93 (58 games unbeaten) One of the finest football teams of all time, and - thanks to Inter's win at the weekend - still untouched as the holders of the longest unbeaten run in Italian league history, Fabio Capello's AC Milan side swept aside all comers at a time when Serie A was the most formidable competition in the game. Boasting the best defensive unit anyone cares to remember and the masterful Dutch trio of Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, winning became second nature to them between May 1991 and March 1993. Faustino Asprilla scored the only goal in Parma's visit to San Siro to stop them dead in their tracks, and they would win only one of their next 10 games too, yet still still managed to claim the Scudetto thanks to the massive lead they had built up during their record run. They did fall short in Europe, though, going down 1-0 to Olympique de Marseille in the inaugural Champions League final, but would bounce back the following season, winning both the Scudetto and the European title thanks to an astonishing 4-0 demolition of Barcelona's Dream Team. Unsurprisingly, the club has been unable to replicate such consistency of brilliance, winning only four of the last 18 league titles after Marcello Lippi's Juventus began to dominate, though they have added two further Champions League successes under the continued guidance of record-breaking president Silvio Berlusconi. PENAROL 1966-69 (56 games unbeaten) The Carboneros achieved success like never before in the 1960s - and they have never since matched their phenomenal record of that spell - winning seven titles in a decade. Towards the end of that magnificent run, they became simply unstoppable, with their back-to-back titles of 1967 and 1968 each coming with a zero in the loss column. It was on September 14, 1969 that they were finally beaten for the first time in three years, with Liverpool inflicting on them a 2-0 defeat which would be repeated a fortnight later by eventual champions Nacional, who would themselves record an unbeaten season. Penarol have added another 16 Uruguayan championships to their trophy room in the 43 years which have followed, but their continental and world successes of that period - they won three Copa Libertadores, two Intercontinental Cups and a Supercopa Sudamericana during the 1960s - haven't come at the same rate. They added another Intercontinental crown and two more Libertadores titles in 1982 and 1987 (above), but have fallen off the radar outside of Uruguay since then. STEAUA BUCHAREST 1986-89 (104 games unbeaten) While they were also making a name for themselves with unprecedented continental success in the late 1980s, Steaua Bucharest were building a dynasty in Romania unparalleled at the top of the game anywhere in the world. The unbeaten streak ran for 104 domestic league fixtures over a period of 39 months between June 1986 and September 1989, and though their mark has since been superseded by ASEC Mimosas' 108-match run of 1989 to 1994, it remains a European record unlikely to ever be broken. The Ros-Albastrii were eventually knocked off their perch by city rivals Dinamo, and that 3-0 home defeat would be the start of a downturn in form after the exits of several key players to western European clubs following the Romanian Revolution. They did bounce back in the mid-90s to equal a national record of six straight league titles, but have never been able to recover the form on the continent which saw them win the European Cup in 1986 and reach a further final and semi-final in the three years that followed, plus carry home the 1986 European Supercup. In the 23 years since their dominance ended, they have reached only one European semi-final, in the 2005-06 Uefa Cup. Beyond those memorable marks, Celtic's 1915-17 vintage, who recorded 62 games without a loss, have been succeeded by another century of glory, with the Hoops collecting a total of 43 Scottish league titles in their history, while world record-holders ASEC Mimosas followed their unequalled 108-match run with a further 12 Ivorian league crowns in the following 16 years. Boca Juniors' 40-game run of 1998-99 was actually only the start of the club's greatest ever era, winning three Copa Libertadores and two world crowns in the following four years, but Porto's 55-match streak of 2010-12 was notable for coming under the guidance of three different coaches as Jesualdo Ferreira, Andre Villas-Boas and Vitor Pereira combined to record a Portuguese record. Since that run was ended by Gil Vicente in January of this year, the Dragoes have claimed another domestic crown and are yet to be beaten again in 21 fixtures. So Juventus would not be the first side to suffer a flop following the end of a long unbeaten stretch, but likewise there are plenty of examples of sides recovering quickly to continue domestic dominance. Which category will Antonio Conte's men fall under? Only time will tell.

Marotta: Errors a part of game Nov 5, 2012 Director general at Juventus Beppe Marotta has reflected that refereeing errors from the game against Inter are a part of the game and do even out. Juve’s goal in their 3-1 defeat at home to Inter and Stephan Lichtsteiner not receiving a second yellow card were two contentious points of debate to Week 11’s key fixture. However, where Inter President Massimo Moratti suggested that they were unjustifiable errors with an element of intent, Marotta looked to quell the controversy. “There is so much bitterness for losing to a direct rival like Inter, but we have already closed that chapter,” he began, in reflecting on his side’s 49-League game unbeaten run coming to an end. “The refereeing errors? They are a component of the game, they have been and they continue to be, even the greatest referees commit errors. “The difference is that now you can dissect every detail on the television. First you have to exclude any possibility of bad faith, because in the long run the episodes in favour and against balance out in some way.”

Buffon: Run had to end Nov 5, 2012 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that the club's 3-1 loss to Inter at the weekend will not damage their confidence. The Nerazzurri defeated Antonio Conte's side to end their 49-match unbeaten run, but the 34-year-old shot-stopper is of the opinion that the Bianconeri can grow as a team because of the result. “I do not think losing means we will have lost our confidence,” he told La Stampa. “We have been growing as a team for over a year, and sooner or later the run had to come to an end. “The win will of course give Inter more self-belief, but I don't think it affects us too much. For the first quarter of the game we played well, looking for the second goal. “But we sat back a bit too much and defended with fear. I don't like losing, but my discomfort towards the result is only mild.”

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Juventus Club Focus: Bianconeri blues Nov 4, 2012 It had to happen sometime. Even Fabio Capello’s great Milan side lost a match, eventually. After 49 matches of grinta, goals, Vidal tackles, Matri misses, Conte/Carrera/Alessio shouting, and some of the best defending that’s been seen in Europe over that time frame, Juventus have finally lost a Serie A match. To compound the bad news, the loss was to hated rivals Inter, and at Juventus Stadium. It was the first time the senior Juventus side has ever lost in their new home. Juventus were certainly the better team at first. Arturo Vidal’s goal, though offside, put the Italian champions on top with the whistle having been blown only seconds prior. We now know that Kwadwo Asamoah (who assisted the goal) was offside, but the goal was nonetheless counted. Juve continued to be the better side for a while, but the tides would eventually shift. Inter began to take advantage of Juve’s slip ups in possession, crafting attacking movements out of any time Juve lost the ball. Inter’s front three also succeeded at overpowering Juve’s backline, with the goals eventually flowing for Inter. Inter’s first goal was almost as controversial as Juve’s first goal. The “foul” that was called was not only rather harsh, but it was outside of the box. Nonetheless the referees continued with their error filled day, and Diego Milito converted the penalty to equalize 1-1. Had Juve scored on any of the many opportunities they created in the first twenty minutes this article may be reading much differently. Alas, Inter were the better side and recorded a 3-1 victory. It was a performance which featured some of Juve’s bad habits that the side sometimes falls into. The tendency to believe their lead would persist, an inability to finish scoring chances, and a consistent amount of small errors by individuals would all come together to ruin Juve’s day and their undefeated streak. Juve could very well have been up 4-0 before halftime, but they were not finishing their chances. Part of this is due to the lack of a “top striker” but at the same time this lack of clinical finishing has afflicted all of the team’s players at times. Even against Roma, a match where Juve won by a large margin, the Bianconeri left a number of chances on the table. It’s something which Conte will need to focus on in training, in addition to making sure his squad knows how to react to a loss, somethign that Juve have not really had to deal with under Conte. Sure they lost in the Coppa Italia final, but there wasn’t a crucial Champions League fixture three days after. This is a big test for Juventus, and for Conte. They are heading into a Champions League match which was already a must win, and now they need to recover from a loss as well. They failed to beat FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark, coming back from 1-0 down to tie 1-1. It was supposed to be an easy three points, and Shakhtar and Chelsea both easily dispatched the Danes. Juve need to win on Wednesday, and they need Shahktar to beat Chelsea again as well. Even then they will still be in the midst of a qualification fight. The silver lining for Juventini is that we are still in first, although Inter are only one point behind. We also now have a legitimate Scudetto rival, again in Inter. This promises to give us many stressful, scary, and anger inducing moments, but in the long run it will make the season more interesting. That’s a silver lining, right? Ok if that doesn’t work for you, then look forward to when Juve beats Inter at the San Siro in the Spring. And always remember the 49 games of invincibility. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Juventus 1-3 Inter: unbeaten run ends at 49 Nov 4, 2012 Juventus lost a Serie A game for the first time under Antonio Conte, and for the first time in their new stadium. Conte selected a partnership of Mirko Vucinic as the primary striker and Sebastian Giovinco just behind – the rest of the side was as expected. Antonio Stramaccioni slightly surprisingly selected his tridente rather than a more cautious 3-5-1-1 system, so Fredy Guarin was only on the bench. Juventus took the lead within twenty seconds, but Inter were the better side for the majority of the game. Formations / pressing It was anticipated that Stramaccioni would play a mirror image of Juventus’ formation, but in using a front three it prompted questions about how Inter would play high up the pitch. Would Stramaccioni instruct anyone to track Pirlo? Would the front three press? The answer to both questions was, well, sort of. In terms of dealing with Pirlo, Inter’s front three took it in turns to mark him. It was rarely Antonio Cassano, who stayed wide on the left and stretched the play, but Diego Milito and Rodrigo Palacio alternated between the central and right-sided positions and ensured one was goalside of Pirlo when Juventus had the ball. This only half-worked. Stopping Pirlo is the priority when facing Juventus, but it would be inaccurate to simply point to Inter’s victory and declare that their strategy for dealing with him was successful. Twice in the first half, Pirlo got space in midfield and dinked the all over the top of the defence for Claudio Marchisio to run onto – had either of those strikes found the net, we would be criticising Stramaccioni for the foolish decision to ignore Pirlo’s threat. As for pressing, Inter generally stood off in open play, but pressed at goal-kicks. Because they had a numerical disadvantage in midfield, 3 v 2, it meant being very brave with the positioning of the defenders – at one point, Juan Jesus advanced crazily high up the pitch to shut down Arturo Vidal – but this made sense, with Esteban Cambiasso pushing up on Pirlo. Juventus were already ahead by the time this situation had become clear, of course. Juve were fielding their most mobile front two, players who would drag around the ponderous Inter defence, and although the offside decision for the opener was questionable, it was Inter’s defence being drawn up the pitch that resulted in the space for midfield runners to burst through. Possession and wing-backs Inter recovered admirably from the initial setback, passing the ball nicely across the defence and quickly into the front three. This dominance was helped by Juve playing a reactive game with a one-nil lead, and it was surprising to see Conte’s side invite so much pressure. They had forward runners to play on the counter-attack, of course, but it helped Inter get the upper hand in the wing-back battles on the flanks. This was particularly obvious down the left, and while Cassano wasn’t hugely involved in a game that was arguably too quick for him, his tendency to stay wide on the left forced Stephane Lichtsteiner back towards his own goal, as Juve were nervous about leaving 3 v 3 at the back. With Lichtsteiner close to the defence, Yuto Nagatomo could move higher up and got space to himself. On the other side, the battle was more even – Kwadwo Asamoah made a couple of decent runs, but Javier Zanetti played higher up and increased the pressure upon Juve, who failed to break from defence quickly. Lichtsteiner was removed having committed a foul when on a yellow card, while at half-time, Nicklas Bendtner had to replace Vucinic through injury. Therefore, Juve were two subs down by the start of the second half, and considering how effectively they’d used the bench so far this season (for both tactical and fitness reasons) it was a great constraint, especially in such a high-tempo game. The formations after Guarin replaced Cassano Inter equalised through Milito, from a penalty following a set-piece, and then Juventus had to up the tempo and get back in the game. They did so rather clumsily – the wing-backs naturally positioned themselves higher, but the centre-backs often moved forward and were then caught out on the counter-attack. Guarin The first tactical substitution of the game came after 69 minutes, and was the game’s crucial change. Cassano was removed, with Guarin replacing him. Inter moved to more of a 3-4-1-2 system, with Guarin pressing Pirlo. This changed the shape of the game, and Inter’s crucial second goal came directly as a result of Guarin’s presence. He won the ball from Pirlo, then stormed past him in a quick attack, and the ball was eventually tucked away by Milito. Guarin’s contribution was decisive, minutes after his introduction. Juventus chucked on Fabio Quagliarella for Caceres, with Vidal going to right-wing-back, Giovinco becoming the number ten, and Juve more like 3-4-1-2. Stramaccioni responded by taking off Milito and introducing Gaby Mudingayi to sit in front of the defence close to Giovinco, with Inter now 3-5-1-1. Juve chucked men forward, but were exposed on the counter-attack by Nagatomo and Palacio, and Inter grabbed a third. Conclusion Stramaccioni had two possible strategies – using Guarin with two forwards, or using only two central midfielders with a trio up top. He’ll be praised for his bravery, but the reality is that Pirlo did have opportunities to create from deep, and Inter went ahead when Guarin was introduced to press him. Was that an inspired substitution, or was he simply reverting to the strategy he should have used from the start? Maybe a combination of the approaches was ideal – the front three forced Juventus to be conservative with the positioning of their wing-backs, and then Guarin brought renewed energy and counter-attacking ability and occupied Pirlo when the front three had tired. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Buffon blasts poor Juventus attitude The Old Lady lost their 49-match unbeaten streak in Turin and the goalkeeper was quick to question the performance of his colleagues, while complimenting Inter's conviction. Nov 4, 2012 Gianluigi Buffon says he was left puzzled by the attitude of his Juventus team-mates after they were beaten 3-1 on Saturday. The Bianconeri went ahead in the first minute through Arturo Vidal's strike, but three second-half goals saw the reigning champions beaten 3-1 in Turin, as Inter moved to within a point of the league leaders. "I did not like our attitude after we went 1-0 up," Buffon told reporters. "I don't understand why we dropped so deep, we invited Inter onto us. "Inter had more hunger to win the game, and they deserved the victory. We had forgotten what it felt like to lose, and it is not pleasant." The 34-year-old then admitted Andrea Stramaccioni's men are genuine title contenders and compared their display to that of his own side last season. "They have improved since last season, and with their coach they are becoming title opponents to us and Napoli," he praised. "They interpreted the game well, and with great conviction. So much so, that they reminded me of Juventus last season. "After the first 15 minutes we gave them the initiative, and they knew what they had to do to take three points." http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Juventus Fails To Make It 50 Unbeaten Games; Inter Milan Come Back Strong Under Cambiasso Nov 4, 2012 The headline for the Derby D’Italia was made within the first few minutes when Juventus took the lead, 18 seconds after the kick off, through a controversial goal, adding fuel to the fixing allegations by the conspiracy theorists in Serie A. Inter’s defence opened up when Mirko Vucinic rolled the ball towards an onrushing Asamoah. Although Asamoah looked offside in the replays, the linesman wasn’t convinced. Asamoah’s cross was met by Vidal as Juventus raced to a lead even before spectators in Juventus stadium had settled down. Juventus having started the match at a frenetic pace, carving out clear-cut chances in the first ten minutes. Vucinic failed to capitalize on one occasion while the Pirlo-Claudio-Marchisio combination created two scoring opportunities in the space of few seconds. Marchisio’s first chance came after he perfectly sprung Inter’s offside trap to meet a chipped pass from Pirlo, but saw his volley saved by Handanovic. Inter struggled to cope with Juve’s pressing high up the pitch in the beginning, but gradually clawed their way back under Cambiasso. The Argentine peppered the Juventus goal with shots before seeing his assist to Palacio being chalked off for offside. After a scintillating start to the game, both teams found it difficult to create any real penetration and created few half chances throughout the first half. Stefan Lichtsteiner was lucky to have escaped a red card after a wild challenge on Palacio. Inter were the stronger side in second half. Juventus chose to introduce Nicklas Bendtner taking Vucinic off. The Nerazzuri pulled level when Diego Milito scored from spot. Yuta Nagatomo, possibly Inter’s best player on the night raked up a well deserved assist as Palacio killed off any chance of a late comeback. Inter’s second goal marked the difference in the end as Juventus was caught on the counter attack. Inter Tactics Inter started the match with a 3-4-3 formation and tried to negate the additional width wing-backs give Juventus in their 3-5-2 . Stramacionni’s tactics paid off partially as Nagatomo, time and again, stretched Juventus on the right-wing. Cambiasso brought on his big-match experience, holding up against Vidal and Pirlo in admirable fashion. Vidal’s early goal (and his goal last weekend) gave him greater impetus to push forward leaving gaps in the central midfield which was exploited by Cambiasso. With Marchisio pushing up as well, Pirlo was isolated in the middle having been pressed by the Inter midfield, resulting in a number of miss passes among Juventus midfielders as the match progressed. In final third Cassano was given a free role as he drifted in and out of the wings and tried to find gaps in a Juventus defence strongly led by Chiellini. Milito acted as the fulcrum upfront with Palacio and Cassano both dropping deeper as Inter often switched to a 3-4-2-1 in attack. In the second half, an important substitution came when a rapidly tiring Cassano was replaced by Guarin. The Colombian’s movement caused further problems to the Juventus defence which had to stretched, leaving gaps at the back, while pushing up for a second goal. It was Guarin’s shot that led to Inter’s second goal as Diego Milito scored a perfect poacher’s goal. Juventus Tactics Juventus’ 3-5-2 formation failed to impress against Inter because of numerous reasons. Mirko Vucinic had a complete off day – he didn’t get involved enough in the inter-play and was often the most static player when Juventus broke with some deadly one-touch attacking moves in the first few minutes. He was replaced by Bendtner in second half and Juve’s attack looked even more static. With the introduction of Bendtner, Juventus were more focused on lunching aerial balls in the opposition’s box. The lack of a good crosser in the team meant that most of the crosses were easily cleared by Walter Samuel while Bendtner’s lack of movement made the Bianconeri attack even less convincing than before. Also, with Lichtsteiner having a complete off-day, it helped Nagatomo grow stronger as the match progressed. The Japanese was a constant threat to the opposition defenders and even the introduction of Caceres couldn’t stop his forays into Juventus defence. Invariably, Juventus wing-play was extremely lopsided. Asamoah, who is not a natural wing-back, was the only source to provide width. Asamoah did cause some problems in first half but was gradually nullified by the immense experience of ever-green Zanetti. Paul Pogba could have acted as a positive catalyst but Inter’s second goal, before his introduction, meant Alessio had to modify his tactics. Despite scoring the goal, Vidal didn’t have the best of the games being unable to create any impending pressure on the Inter midfield, with pressing down on the players. As the match progressed Cambiasso and co. took control of the central midfield, a rarity in Juventus games since last season. Aftermath Inter’s win might have thrown Serie A wide open. The aura of invincibility that surrounded Juventus has now diminished. For the first time a team has come to the new Juventus stadium, scored three goals and taken away three points. For the Old Lady this match will give rise to a number of questions and Antonio Conte might need some introspection. Their biggest head-ache will be to find a solution for their regularly misfiring forward line. Sebastien Giovinco, Fabio Quagliarella and Mirko Vucinic have performed well in patches but none of them look good enough for a club looking to challenge for multiple titles. The squad rotation is also a matter of concern as the Marchisio-Vidal-Pirlo trident has often looked fatigued this season. This match can very well signal the beginning of a new era for Inter. Andrea Stramaccioni has shown tactical maturity beyond his years and Massimo Moratti should be wise to rely on him in long-term. Just like Juventus last season, Inter have established themselves as a title contender, out of the blue and can also afford to focus entirely on Serie A this season. With Sneijder coming back from injury, this Inter side can only become stronger and they can challenge the hegemony of Juventus in Conte era. Juventus Juventus In 1974 World Cup final, The Netherlands famously scored the opening goal before a West German player had touched the ball. The German fight back has now become a stuff of legends. Inter trailed similarly yesterday before clawing their way back. It remains to be seen if they can repeat the title success of that German team. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Marotta rues Juventus' lack of 'clinical striker' against Inter The general manager was disappointed with the Bianconeri's unbeaten run coming to an end at 49 games, and said that with an extra forward things may have been different. Nov 4, 2012 Giuseppe Marotta has hinted that Juventus are currently lacking a clinical finisher in attack after they succumbed to their first Serie A defeat in 18 months against Inter on Saturday. The Bianconeri scored inside 19 seconds thanks to Arturo Vidal's controversial opener, but Andrea Stramaccioni's men hit back in the second half thanks to a double from Diego Milito and Rodrigo Palacio's late strike to end the match in the visitors' favour. The general manager entertained the possibility that the result might have been different had the hosts possessed a better goal threat in their ranks, but insisted that the side were not at their best. "Was our attack light? Yes, maybe with a more clinical striker we might've had a different result." the 57-year-old told Tuttosport. "We knew that [inter] are among the contenders for the Scudetto, but we were not at our best. We were not able to maintain our intensity and we missed out on too many counterattacks. Marotta then reflected on the decision to sanction the Chilean midfielder's first goal, before admitting that Juve's participation in the Champions League is proving to be an added burden on the club's fortunes this season. "Maybe we're paying - more than others - a price for the high number of matches played this season," he added. "Was our goal affected by an offside? The phase of play was quick and the linesman was probably not positioned perfectly." Juventus resume their European campaign against Nordsjaelland midweek, as they strive to pick up a first win on the continent in 2012-13. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Buffon slams Juve attitude Nov 4, 2012 Gianluigi Buffon concedes “Inter deserved” their surprise Turin triumph and criticised the Juventus attitude. The goalkeeper spoke after the Bianconeri’s 49-match unbeaten Serie A run was concluded by a 3-1 defeat. “It is not a pleasant defeat,” acknowledged Buffon. “We weren’t used to losing anymore, even if we played well. “Inter played in an intelligent way and with so much hunger to win, so they deserved the victory. They interpreted the game well with great conviction, so much that they reminded me of Juventus last season. “They set aside the problems of the past and are now trying to begin again with their Coach to become the title opponents to us and Napoli. “I did not like our attitude after we went 1-0 up. I don’t understand why we sat there waiting for them outside our own box, we were far too carefree. “In my view we could’ve dealt with the game differently, but after 15 minutes we just left the initiative to them. “I think that overall Inter showed they have very clear ideas, knowing what they had to do to win and emerging from our stadium with three points.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Brave Inter Outplay Champions For 1st Defeat in 50 Serie A Games Nov 3, 2012 Keep your head up Juventini. It was time. POST-GAME REFLECTION It hurts. It definitely hurts. But in a weird way, it makes sense and it's good for us. This may not be what you wanted to hear, and nor will this be - Inter deserved the win. It would be a mistake to call this game a fluke - a one game misfortune, since it's more than that. At the same time, we should do everything but panic. And panic we won't. This is the time when leaders stay calm, reasonable, and learn from the team's collective mistakes to get better. Juventus has those leaders in our players and coaches. Remember last year when we drew way too many games and could not for the life of us get a solid winning streak? If you step back and look at the last few games we've played, we've been in a very similar funk, just this time we somehow managed to win those games. The problems are only slightly different this year - we have better players in some positions, we actually create more goal-scoring chances, but the goal drought is still there, and we struggle to put away games in which we already have the advantage. There is more than one solution to this problem and I have full faith our coaching staff and management will figure it out. Deep down inside, so do you. Looking at the 94 minutes that just transpired, what hurts the most is not that we lost to our biggest rival, but that we deserved to lose. TACTICAL THOUGHTS Inter - In a surprise move, Stramaccioni decided to play a 3-4-3 formation in the heart of Torino, which very few teams have the balls to do. Even more interestingly, Pirlo was left unmarked and Inter decided to try to break Juve down by collective pressing and intercepting passes early then going on the counter. The trident up front stretched Juve's defense and caused problems when our wing backs were late to slot back and help out. It was a risky set up by Stramaccioni which could've easily gone the wrong way if Juventus were a bit more decisive. However, given our recent performances that was hardly going to be the case. Another key thing that Inter bet on, and won, was the inability of our wing backs to make a difference in attack. This gave Zanetti and Nagatomo an easier job defensively and more space to push up on the counter. Juventus - Conte and Alessio changed little tactically and were made to pay for it. Juventus was the predictable team on the eve and thus easier to break down. Our very own hastiness and impatience in attack hurt us greatly, as Giovinco and Vucinic were rarely able to connect and put pressure on Inter's weak defense. At the end of the game Alessio went with a 3-4-3 himself with Giovinco behind Quagliarella and Bendtner but that turned out to be a fruitless attempt at scoring as well. MATCH RECAP It all happened way too fast right at the start of the game. Vucinic put Asamoah through on goal, whose wide shot fell perfectly for Vidal for the tap-in and opening goal. Inter didn't know what hit them - were they supposed to look at the linesman for offside or among themselves for the lackadaisical first 20 seconds? Turns out they should've stared down the ref on the side of the pitch, since he missed an offside on the pass to Asamoah. Instead, they looked on as the Juventus Stadium erupted, Vidal did his heart-shaped gesture, and Juve were off to an amazing start after just 18 seconds. Just like that it was 1-0. It was a risky decision, really, to play 3 at the back and 3 up front for Stramaccioni. A young, inexperienced coach decided to try something he was convinced would work, and it started crumbling in the first minute of the game. It continued on too. Juventus were encouraged by the early goal and created multiple opportunities in which they could have, and really should have, put the game away early. Marchisio most notably had the chance to be the hero once again. Twice he made a run in the box and twice he was set up perfectly by Pirlo for a second goal. Unfortunately, our Principino didn't capitalize, and Inter survived the early rush. Around the 15th minute you could see flashes of Inter's 3-4-3 formation coming back to life. The trident up front did well to overlap with the wingers on several occasions, winning corners and pushing Juve's defense back further. Cassano had the best chance of the half for the nerazzurri, but his curler was just wide off the rooted Buffon's far post. Then a rested Arturo Vidal started coming into his own offensively. After being an absolutely beast defensively throughout the first 30 minutes, he started linking up with our forwards a lot better and had a golden opportunity at the end of the first half to really give Juventus an edge going into the break. Unfortunately, his shot from the right side of the field was saved by Handanovic. In truth, he should've done a lot better and put Juventus up 2-0 especially after scuffing away a golden opportunity on the counter earlier, when he decided to dribble instead of take a one-time shot on goal with his left foot. Two different Juventus and Inter teams came out of the 15 minute break for the second half. Juventus was slower, almost complacent in midfield and started giving away possession more carelessly. The only actual chance early in the second half came from a cameo run by Bonucci, whose shot lacked just a little bit of accuracy to beat the Bosnian keeper. Inter had woken up completely and were on the attack, trying to equalize through solid possession and good build up play. It took them 14 minutes to do so, when Milito was fouled in the area after a free kick and he himself converted a spot kick. But Inter didn't stop there. Encouraged by the equalizer, Inter set up well defensively against the toothless Juventus attack now comprised of Giovinco and Bendtner and waited for its chance on the counter. That chance came on 75 minutes when Vidal gave away possession in midfield, giving Guarin a chance to run at Chiellini and shoot on goal. Buffon parried the shot but only to Milito's feet who pounced on the rebound for Inter's second. As expected, our Bianconeri pushed for a second goal but had no conviction in attack. Palacio was able to sneak away a third goal for Inter on a counter late in the game after a Nagatomo run. Game, set, match for Inter. LE PAGELLE Buffon: 6.5 - Was frustrated more today than in any match in recent history, and failed to be a difference-maker on the night with his performance. While you can't really blame him for any of the goals, you can't help but wish he would've been the Superman we needed on a couple of those occasion. To be fair to San Gigi, he anticipated the direction in which Palacio's shot was going to go and almost saved it, but ran out of luck there. Barzagli: 6.5 - He was an absolute beast in the first 30 minutes of the game, anticipating Inter's counter-attacks well and breaking them up. Played a bit shakier as the game went on and had some referee decisions go against him, which seemed to frustrate him even more. He was up for the challenge though, always closing down even further up the pitch when necessary. Bonucci: 6.5 - Left most of the hard work to Barzagli and Chiellini and played his usual game in the center of defense. Was in the right spot at the right time on several occasions in the first half. As the game went on and Inter gave us more trouble, he was tested a lot more. The fact that Chiellini and Barzagli were stretched out on his sides didn't help as he's used to having them to help out when necessary. It would've been lovely if he scored on that run of his - you see him blasting shots at goal in warmup before each game and you know he can hit them, just not sure if he's a "run with the ball and take a great shot" type of defender. Chiellini: 6.5 - I was going to give him a 6 with a heavy heart, but I'll be a bit generous. He had some key interceptions throughout the game and looked really up for it, but I think his negatives overwhelmed the positives. Was repeatedly beaten by Palacio on his side and even though Juventus played deep at the beginning he still managed to give Palacio space behind him. Didn't quite close down Guarin on the second goal and left him with an open shot at Buffon, plus he made some rash tackles (who could've really gone either way) to give Inter more momentum. A tough game for our defense in general, luckily no one incident was down to an individual's fault so they can all bounce back stronger in midweek. Lichtsteiner: 5.5 - Only played 38 minutes and almost got sent off in that time. If you ask me, that first yellow he received was not a yellow card, but he should've been booked for the high challenge on Palacio. He has the grinta and determination of a thousand Gods, but he needs to learn how to channel that into a composed yet effective performance in games like these. Pirlo: 6.5 - One thing that screamed at me as the game went on is this genius of a football player is tired. He's played a ton and keeps chucking away, but on a night where he isn't man-marked he usually puts in a lot of great balls that are difficult for the opposition's defense to handle. After setting up Marchisio brilliantly on a couple occasions, he faded a bit and deferred build up play to our wingers and attackers who were all off on the night. I know we have a crucial game against the Danes coming, but Conte will need to find a time to give him a breather. Marchisio: 6 - This may be harsh for our Principino, but he was really only visible offensively in the first 15 minutes. He's said it, his dad has said, we've all said it - Marchisio needs to score more on this team. Those 2 chances he had in the beginning should've resulted in at least one goal. After those, he ran a lot and covered great ground defensively, but was largely ineffective in the second half. Showed a flash of spirit late in the second 45 minutes on the left side with some great tackles in a row, but he seemed to be tired as well. Inter's midfield and attacking trio gave him a lot of headaches. People will blame him for the penalty and in honesty there was quite a bit of shirt pulling, but if that was a clear penalty then you can find one of those in every corner kick ever taken in Europe. Not a game to remember for Claudio, hoping he'll make more of a difference on Wednesday. Vidal: 6.5 - At halftime I had the most bittersweet feeling about Arturo - he scored and had a great first half, energetic and full of confidence on the field. But then, he scuffed a couple great opportunities to put the game away and I was seriously mad at him for not taking a shot on that counter attack and instead opting to dribble in the box. Still, he had a very positive first half. Then the second 45 minutes came and he struggled. You can almost directly blame him for Milito's second goal as his turnover cost us that counter attack. In all, it was good to see a rested Vidal back in the squad, but he'll kick himself for not making more of an impact in the second half. Asamoah: 6 - For the second game in a row he was more or less shot down on the left side, this time by the genius of Javier Zanetti. After his inadvertent assist on Vidal's goal his contribution waned and it took him a bit to realize cutting in is also an option when taking on Zanetti. In defense, his physicality helped us but the nature of Inter's play, on the counter, meant that he had little time to help out by the time he got back next to Chiellini. Giovinco: 6 - To be honest, I don't understand some of the rage directed at the tiny striker after the game. While blaming one player for this loss would be futile anyways, most of the verbal attacks I've seen on players have been aimed directly at Giovinco. From what I've read online there was plenty of verbal abuse aimed at the Atomic Ant from the fans at the stadium as well. To me, Giovinco's performance was a typicall for him as of late. Did a lot, ran a lot, tried many runs and link up plays, but his touch is just not there. Not only his finishing touch, but at times his first touch and passing timing as well. He's not performing the way we've hoped he would be and there's a reason the goals are lacking. I still maintain he just needs a break out game where he bangs a goal or two to feel better about himself. Should Conte put him in a trequartista role on Wednesday? Maybe, he's certainly showed that he can track back as well when necessary (something he was lacking earlier in his career). Either way, I don't blame him individually for the loss. Neither should you. Vucinic: 6 - In just 45 minutes, Mirko's only memorable contribution was the through ball to Asamoah for the opening goal. Other than that, nada. We could've used his best in the second half but he limped off with a tight calf at half time. Subs: Caceres: 6 - Alessio was smart to bring him in for the soon-to-be-sent-off Lichtsteiner, but then he was taken off in the second half for Quagliarella. Didn't attack his man on the right and was caught napping by the quick Nagatomo in defense on a couple occasions. Bendtner: 6 - Played 45 minutes but did nothing of value as well. Saw very few crosses in the box and was mostly played to feet, where he was too slow to make an impact. Quagliarella: sv - Conte/Alessio: 5.5 - It may be harsh, but Conte/Alessio got outcoached by Stramaccioni on the day. There's no other way to put it. They decided to stick with their "tried and tested" starting formation and line-up, while Inter switched things up and surprised our Bianconeri. Many have resorted to blaming Alessio for the lack of leadership on the sideline today, but I won't go down that route. Yes, Conte would've been better to have on the bench and we surely do miss him, but this team can and should do more without Conte to build them up at halftime of each game. It's time for new things at Juventus. Maybe a 3-4-3 of our own with Giovinco as a trequartista as has been rumored for a while now? Whatever it is, we'll need a change of pace and mentality going into Wednesday's game. THINGS I THINK I THINK On the controversy - I wrote about this extensively in my last match recap so I won't repeat myself, but I've been proud to be a Juventino today in light of all the class I've seen from our fans throughout the interwebs. Yes the first goal was offside but I doubt the ref even had time to check Asamoah's position so early in the game. Tagliavento today was, and this is the nicest I could've put it, absolute shit of a referee. The conversation that referee's mistakes should spark is not one about fixing matches or fabricating calciopoli scandals to hurt each other as teams. It's about the low quality of refereeing in Serie A that is evident day in and day out. There are many instances where referees are human and miss things, and I think we above all understand that. However, the level of calling Serie A games is so low that there are tons of mistakes every game and some fans (heck even some team presidents) need only a few to latch onto and use it as a spark. Thousands of words can be written about the goals Juventus scored in the last 2 games as well as the penalties Inter received in the same time span. It's not about that. While there may be corruption in Italy on some level, I would argue that no one is ducking in tunnels in stadiums or calling referees or paying them bags of money to influence a game one way or another. We need better referees in Serie A, period. No excuses - This is why I love being a bianconero. When we lose a game on the pitch, we admit it. We don't blame it on referees or quality of the pitch or schedule congestion. Some may do, and they may have arguments to support either one on both sides (Inter's and Juventus'), but mostly it's about looking through all that bullshit and saying yes, Inter beat Juventus on the pitch today. And that actually makes me look forward to the return leg at San Siro even more, cause we are coming! Did you see the fans chanting even after 90 minutes? Did you see the coreagrafia at the start? We'll be ready, and we're coming! Time for a change - I alluded to this in the beginning so I'll end my game recap with it - this defeat is ultimately good for Juventus. I would've never picked a worse team to lose the streak to than m***a, but if it had to happen, I am glad it's happening it now. This team needs to wake up. These players (and coaches) need to take a long look at themselves. Juventus is lacking the pace, grinta, and determination we've set as a standard throughout the last 49 Serie A games. The run we had has been absolutely magnificent and none of us takes that for granted. It's time for another one, a different one, maybe a shorter one but a more holistic one. Get that striker, work harder in training, start defending even better and score more goals. Cause we can do it, we have to do it. This is Juventus ladies and gentlemen, and noi non molliamo mai! http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Inter End Juventus' Unbeaten League Run in Emphatic Fashion Nov 3, 2012 After 49 unbeaten matches in the Italian Serie A, Juventus have been brought back down to reality after being defeated 3-1 at the Juventus Stadium by archrivals Inter Milan. The victory sees Inter close the gap at the top of the league to just one point. Juventus began proceedings in the best possible way, sending the home fans into a frenzy in the very first minute. Kwadwo Asamoah was cleverly released down the left wing by Mirko Vucinic. The Ghanaian then played a delightful ball across into the Inter penalty area where a rampant Arturo Vidal slotted home: 1-0 Juventus. It wasn't long until the Bianconeri were on the attack again. This time, Andrea Pirlo orchestrated some nice interplay on the edge of the Inter penalty area before finding Marchisio unmarked in the box. The Italian international was unable to get the better of Handanovic who tipped the ball around for a corner. As the match wore on Inter began to retain possession of the ball but left little to the imagination as they were unable to get an equaliser. Cambiasso fired over the bar twice in quick succession as they pressed forward. Just minutes later, however, it was Inter who thought they had netted a goal. A quickly taken free kick from Cambiasso was met by Palacio in the box. An unprepared Buffon was left planted as the ball found its way into the net. Amidst celebration, the goal was overturned by an offside ruling: A warning sign of what was to come. With space opening up, Cassano drove wide after being left unmarked on the edge of the Juve penalty area. Elsewhere, Giovinco continued to make a nuisance of himself weaving in and out of Inter defenders as Juventus pushed to build on their lead. Inter were almost caught napping on the stroke of halftime, when a Mirko Vucinic ball across the edge of the Inter box was left by the Inter defence. It fell to none other than Arturo Vidal, whose driven shot was well saved by Handanovic. The first half finished 1-0. Juventus by this point, sitting seven points ahead at the top of the Serie A. The Italian champions picked up where they left off after the break, Giovinco yet again causing trouble up front. However, it was Inter who were looking the more dangerous as they continued to break on the counter. First, it was Palacio who took one touch too many to allow Buffon just enough time to tip his shot over the bar; then, Nagatomo evaded a Caceres and Barzagli challenge to break into the area and shoot directly at Buffon. Just minutes later, Inter's persistence paid off when they were awarded a penalty—Marchisio, the Juventus culprit. Cue Il'Principe, Diego Milito fired home much to the dismay of the Juventus faithful. It was 1-1. Game on. The goal seemingly gave the Nerazzurri a new lease on life. Andrea Stramaccioni was determined to push forward and exploit the tiring Juventus backline. As such he replaced Cassano for Fredy Guarin. A move which would prove instrumental just minutes later. Juventus continued to hold possession within the Inter half, Pirlo unsurprisingly pulling all the strings. However, a dispossession on the halfway line to the newly introduced Guarin, saw the Colombian International drive deep into the Juventus half to unleash a fierce shot along the ground. Buffon was only able to parry the ball, and as the ball fell to Diego Milito the Argentinian made no mistake in putting Inter ahead with just 15 minutes remaining. At 2-1 Inter, Juventus were on the brink of their first league defeat in the Juventus Stadium. Quagliarella was brought on by Angelo Alessio as Juventus adopted an all-out attacking formation. Andre Pirlo attempted a long range shot, but Handanovic was determined to keep Juventus at bay. Quagliarella followed suit, but he was unable to get his left footed attempt on target. It was inevitable that as Juventus pushed forward, space would open up in behind, and when Nagatomo broke on the counter, Rodrigo Palacio was left unmarked in the penalty area. Buffon stood no chance one on one and could only watch as Palacio's shot trickled by, sealing the fate of the Bianconeri. Now they were 3-1 and out of reach. Inter Milan's victory in Turin has rekindled the title race in Italy, with just one point separating the Nerazzurri from the Bianconeri. For Juventus, the defeat sees them fall short of AC Milan's 58-game unbeaten streak in the Serie A by just nine games. They will look to make amends when they face FC Nordsjælland in the Champions League Midweek. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Moratti 'feared the worst' Nov 3, 2012 President Massimo Moratti admits he thought the worst after Juventus scored, but Inter “reacted to the injustice.” Arturo Vidal netted in the opening minute of the Derby d’Italia, though Kwadwo Asamoah was clearly offside in the build-up. “After 17 seconds I was worried that we were off to a bad start,” revealed Moratti on Premium Calcio. The Nerazzurri went on to win 3-1 at the Juventus Stadium, ending a 49-match unbeaten run for the Bianconeri. Coach Andrea Stramaccioni surprised many with his 3-4-3 system, especially after declaring he would not risk the trident. “Stramaccioni does not need to be compared to Jose Mourinho – he is good and that’s all you need to say. “I knew for three days that he was going to use the trident. Now I am happy, as a season that seemed to be a transitional one is now getting interesting. Let’s wait before talking about targeting the Scudetto, though.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Zanetti: 'An historic victory' Nov 3, 2012 Inter captain Javier Zanetti hailed “an historic victory” to terminate the 49-match unbeaten Juventus run in Serie A. “Yes, it is a historic victory, above all for the strength of our opponents. We knew Juventus were unbeaten in a long time and deserved to be top of the table,” he said of the 3-1 result. “We started on a path and have slowly gone along it. We came here to play our game with pride, heart and determination. “We aim to become a great team and I believe the path we are on is the right one. We are a new squad who want to be fighting for the Scudetto come the end of the season.” “We knew that we had to face this game with great character, even when things do not go your way. The victory was deserved.” Andrea Stramaccioni surprised many with his 3-4-3 system at the Juventus Stadium. “We had prepared this system and knew that with our three strikers it requires sacrifice from the midfield, but we are happy to do that because they can take their chances so well. “Football has moments and last season things went badly, so most of the criticism was aimed at me and Esteban Cambiasso. Maybe it’s because we’re older. I have always run hard and will continue to do so until I can’t do it anymore. “The club knows the moment I realise that the team doesn’t need me or that I cannot help them, then I will step aside. I am proud to wear the captain’s armband and my teammates make me feel important to them.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Chiellini: 'Inter deserved it' Nov 3, 2012 Giorgio Chiellini admits he was surprised by the tactical approach Inter took at the Juventus Stadium. “They deserved the victory.” The Nerazzurri adopted a 3-4-3 system with Rodrigo Palacio, Diego Milito and Antonio Cassano upfront. “In all honesty, I expected them to man-mark Andrea Pirlo but wasn’t sure if it’d be Fredy Guarin or Palacio. That’s how they approached Fiorentina with Coutinho coming back, but this time they seemed to alternate,” he said after the 3-1 defeat. “Inter are very strong on the counter and until we kept our balance to lock down those spaces, we were in control and had the chances to add a second goal. “As soon as we lost our unity and started to leave more spaces, Inter took advantage and deserved the victory.” Arturo Vidal had given Juve the lead after 18 seconds, but it should’ve been ruled offside. “At half-time we were thinking of other things and not whether the goal was offside. In the second half Inter were able to stretch us out and that created the space they needed to score. The most dangerous moment is when we are open and lose possession. “All their goals were created by these situations where we were open by going forward and caught on the counter when losing possession. “I don’t know whether Inter have the best strike force, as I think of Napoli, Roma and Milan, but obviously when those three work together then they are impressive.” Juventus have lost their unbeaten Serie A record under Antonio Conte after 49 games and go into a must-win Champions League match with Nordsjaelland. “It was better not to lose, but when you do then it is always better to get straight back out there. Tomorrow we’ll analyse the game and try to work out the mistakes we made to ensure they don’t happen again. “We are still top of the table and in the Champions League, so we have a lot to give.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Marotta: 'I complimented Strama' Nov 3, 2012 Juventus director Beppe Marotta denies he was sarcastic or lacking in respect after Andrea Stramaccioni’s angry response. Inter Coach Stramaccioni was very irritated after the 3-1 win in Turin at the ‘sarcastic’ comments from Marotta regarding his ‘carefree tactics.’ “If he wants to cause controversy, that’s his problem. It was a compliment, as it means he had courage coming to Turin with three strikers,” insisted Marotta. “I said two excellent teams would go head-to-head today, so I cannot be clearer than that. If Stramaccioni wants to turn anything into a headline, then he’s free to do so. “Not everyone comes to Turin with three forwards, so it really was a compliment. “We certainly did not underestimate Inter, who have some great individual players and I considered them to be one of the Scudetto contenders even before this match. “Perhaps we were not at our best. We certainly had more chances in the first half, though perhaps with the tempo not as high as usual. “The squad is keeping up with constant commitments at domestic, European and international level, so that does take a lot out of you in physical and psychological terms. “Let us not forget we still have the strongest attack and defence in Serie A. Our characteristics are that the group allows individuals to have scoring opportunities. Perhaps having a more clinical hitman would’ve brought us some advantages.” Marotta also commented on the controversial incidents, as Arturo Vidal’s opener should’ve been ruled offside. “They are mistakes, I don’t know whether grave or not. I think the goal was so fast that the assistant was not even in position and didn’t see.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Strama: 'We beat Juve on the pitch' Nov 3, 2012 Andrea Stramaccioni reveals his grand plan to defeat Juventus worked and slammed the Bianconeri’s “lack of respect” for Inter. The Coach was in fiery mood after a 3-1 victory in Turin ended the 49-match unbeaten run. “I tried to prepare the game in the best way possible and it’s also annoying to hear sarcasm from Juve before the match on Inter’s tactical approach. At the final whistle perhaps Marotta might think differently. I just want respect. “They were sarcastic comments about how I was ‘tactically carefree’ – we prepare games in every detail during training. “Inter forced Juventus into real problems, who had dominated Italian football for the last two years. We won regardless of incidents, which I promised I won’t talk about, so I think we deserve some respect.” Stramaccioni said in his Press conference on Friday that he did not know which system he’d use and surprised everyone with a 3-4-3. “It was not a coup de theatre, but rather the best way of stopping Juve dominating for the whole 90 minutes. I think Inter did that, as we remained dangerous with the trident and caused them constant problems, which gave no reference points to the Juve defenders. “That’s the way I prepared and read the game. We could’ve lost of course, but that’s just the way I chose to approach it. “I knew full well I’d play 3-4-3. I thought Juventus would have an advantage by knowing our tactics beforehand, so why should I make it easier for them? Our strength is that we are versatile and have a basic approach that can then be adjusted for each individual situation.” “When I told the strikers I wanted to play this way, it perhaps surprised them too, but became an enormously motivating force and everyone stepped up. By lowering their right winger to control our trident, which is what we wanted, it created more space for us to cause them trouble down the left and fortunately we achieved it.” Arturo Vidal scored after 18 seconds with a goal that should’ve been ruled offside, then Stephan Lichtsteiner got away with a second bookable offence. “Inter conceded this goal when I had barely even got on to the bench and that turns the tide, but over time we grew and I have to say this is the first time I have seen Juve under such pressure on their own turf. Having said that, Juventus remain on top of the table and are still the Serie A leaders. “The greatest day of my career? That was when President Massimo Moratti chose me to lead Inter. This result will send a signal, as we came here to the Juventus Stadium against a team unbeaten in 49 rounds and attacked them with a trident. “At half-time I was certain we’d get the game back on track and even win it, because I saw the way it was going. The whole team had belief and was fired up during the break. Inter are growing and that is the important thing.” Stramaccioni concluded on Sky Sport Italia by hitting Juventus on their motto about the two Scudetti stripped by Calciopoli: ‘30 on the pitch.’ “Juve keep talking about what happened on the pitch, on the pitch, on the pitch – well, Inter beat them on the pitch.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Alessio: 'Still proud of Juve' Nov 3, 2012 Juventus assistant manager Angelo Alessio remains “proud” of their efforts and rues missed opportunities in the defeat to Inter. This 3-1 result was their first League loss since Antonio Conte took over and the first ever official defeat at the Juventus Stadium. “Unfortunately we lost after 49 games, but Inter took their chances and we didn’t. The fact it was against Inter won’t leave any scars, as we played well and had several opportunities to double our lead in the first half,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “We struggled a little from the penalty onwards, but remain proud of these players who were unbeaten in 49 and it’s just a pity about this game. We must look forward. We have to thank our fans for applauding right to the end and I’m sure there will be no psychological blowback. “We have always played the same way and had three chances to score in the opening 10 minutes with Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal. I only recall Antonio Cassano’s shot wide in the first half. “We did not underestimate Inter. We were ready for them to play with a trident or a 3-5-2. We were prepared and did not make the most of our opportunities, then ran into difficulties after the break. “Inter did not create much in the first half. Clearly if one of Marchisio’s chances had gone in then we’d be talking about a different match. “Inter will certainly be in the Scudetto race to the end. We accept this defeat, but will certainly not make a drama out of it.” Alessio reiterated that Juventus are still top of the table, but playing in the Champions League this season is making a difference. “Playing every three days it’s not easy to maintain that intensity. We have to take our chances or will be made to pay against an excellent side like Inter. “We misplaced too many passes and the interceptions saw them cause problems for us on the counter-attack. “Clearly the forwards were too hasty in the first half when able to combine. Regardless of that, the team took the initiative and failed to score a second goal, so Inter eventually emerged.” Mirko Vucinic limped off with a calf problem at half-time, so is in doubt to face Nordsjaelland. “We are already looking forward to a very important Champions League game. We want to keep going and absolutely must win. Vucinic got a knock to his calf and the muscle hardened, so he had to go off. We’ll see what his condition is tomorrow.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 I was complimenting Stramaccioni, insists Marotta The Inter coach was angered by comments concerning his tactics before Saturday's clash in Turin, but the Bianconeri director has dismissed suggestions his remarks were derogatory. Nov 3, 2012 Beppe Marotta has denied showing a lack of respect to Andrea Stramaccioni, insisting his pre-match assessment was in fact complimentary. The Inter coach was furious at comments made by the Juventus director concerning his tactics in the build-up to the game, but Marotta has moved to play down suggestions he was sarcastic in his appraisal of his management. “If he wants to cause controversy, that’s his problem. It was a compliment, as it means he had courage coming to Turin with three strikers,” Marotta told reporters. “I said two excellent teams would go head-to-head today, so I cannot be clearer than that. If Stramaccioni wants to turn anything into a headline, then he’s free to do so. “Not everyone comes to Turin with three forwards, so it really was a compliment." The Nerazzurri recovered from conceding a first minute Arturo Vidal goal to win the match 3-1, ending Juventus' 49-game unbeaten run in Serie A in the process. Marotta insisted his side did not underestimate the task at hand on Saturday evening, but hinted the Bianconeri's busy fixture list has left the team short of their best. “We certainly did not underestimate Inter, who have some great individual players and I considered them to be one of the Scudetto contenders even before this match," he continued. “Perhaps we were not at our best. We certainly had more chances in the first-half, though perhaps with the tempo not as high as usual. “The squad is keeping up with constant commitments at domestic, European and international level, so that does take a lot out of you in physical and psychological terms. “Let us not forget we still have the strongest attack and defence in Serie A. Our characteristics are that the group allows individuals to have scoring opportunities. Perhaps having a more clinical hitman would’ve brought us some advantages.” Marotta also commented on the controversy surrounding Vidal's opener, which should have been ruled out due to a clear offside. “They are mistakes, I don’t know whether grave or not. I think the goal was so fast that the assistant was not even in position and didn’t see. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000 Stramaccioni slams Juventus for 'lack of respect' Inter boss was thrilled with his side for ending the Bianconeri's 49-match unbeaten run, but was riled by pre-match comments from Saturday's opponents regarding his tactics. Nov 3, 2012 Andrea Stramaccioni has slammed Juventus for showing him a "lack of respect" after Inter blew the Serie A title race wide open with a 3-1 win over the reigning champions in Turin. Despite falling behind to Arturo Vidal's opener, two goals from Diego Milito and a Rodrigo Palacio strike stunned the Old Lady and marked the Nerazzurri out as serious title contenders. “I tried to prepare for the game in the best way possible and it is also annoying to hear sarcasm from Juve before the match on Inter’s tactical approach," he told reporters after the game. "At the final whistle perhaps [Juventus sporting director] Beppe Marotta might think differently. I just want respect. They were sarcastic comments about how I was 'tactically carefree’ – we prepare for games in every detail during training." After much speculation before the game, the 36-year-old opted for an adventurous 3-4-3 formation and believes the result is cast-iron proof that his tactics were spot on. “I knew full well I'd play 3-4-3," he added. "Inter forced Juventus, who have dominated Italian football for the last two years, into real problems. We won regardless of incidents, which I promised I will not talk about, so I think we deserve some respect." The result leaves Stramaccioni's side in second place and one one point behind the Old Lady, and he believes the manner of their success will have made the rest of Italy sit up and take notice. "This result will send a signal, as we came here to the Juventus Stadium against a team unbeaten in 49 rounds and attacked them with a trident," the Italian continued. “Juve keep talking about what happened on the pitch, on the pitch, on the pitch – well, Inter beat them on the pitch. Inter are growing and that is the important thing.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000‎ Inter end Juventus' 49-match unbeaten run to blow Scudetto race wide open The Nerazzurri put a stop to the Bianconeri's fabulous 18-month streak and ensured they are now taken seriously as title contenders. Nov 3, 2012 COMMENT By Kris Voakes | Italian Football Writer The half-century beckoned for Juventus, but they could not quite get over the line. After 49 games unbeaten it was their big rivals Inter, of all teams, that brought their dreams of a record streak to an end. But more than that, the Nerazzurri appear to have opened up what was threatening to be a one-horse race for this season’s Scudetto. With easily their most impressive win under Andrea Stramaccioni, and the one that puts down a marker like no other since their Champions League success in Madrid in May 2010, Inter are now just a point behind Juve and are real title hopefuls once more. On a night when they could have bowed their heads and cried foul after feeling the rough end of a big offside call just a quarter of a minute into the game, they instead fought back like tigers to get the result they deserved. Arturo Vidal’s opener just 18 seconds into the game should undoubtedly have been ruled out after Kwadwo Asamoah strayed offside, but the very fact the Ghanaian was allowed so much space immediately from the kick-off suggested it may be a long night for the Nerazzurri defence. And, as the Old Lady constantly threatened to extend their lead over the next 10 minutes, a landslide home win could easily have been on the cards. But that is where Stramaccioni has built a very different kind of Inter side. This Beneamata is one which makes the most of what it has. And by midway through the first-half they were arguably the better side. They again seemed to be shortchanged as Stephan Lichtsteiner – already booked – went in late and high on Rodrigo Palacio, but received nothing by way of reprimand. Once again they stood strong and continued the fight, and in the second-half they dominated large spells of the game. First, Claudio Marchisio pulled back Diego Milito as he moved to mop up Esteban Cambiasso’s miskick from a free-kick, with referee Paolo Tagliavento quickly pointing to the spot. Milito’s conversion levelled the scores, and soon after he was celebrating again. Substitute Fredy Guarin ran powerfully into space left behind by Giorgio Chiellini and sent in a fierce shot which Gianluigi Buffon could only palm to the onrushing Argentine, who finished with deadly aplomb. The game was so stretched by the end that Juve looked likely to be punished as they sought to preserve their magnificent 18-month-old record, and when Rodrigo Palacio made the most of a breakaway that Yuto Nagatomo somehow managed to keep alive, it was party time for the visiting supporters. It is Inter’s ninth successive win in all competitions, a club record bettered only by the Nerazzurri of Roberto Mancini’s era, but it also shows that Stramaccioni’s men mean business. They have a very flexible squad, creative movement up front, and a resilience as a unit that few in Serie A can match. Juventus are still top of Serie A tonight, and rightly remain favourites to carry away the title at the end of the season. But Inter have ensured that a Scudetto race is on the cards this season, and if they continue to put in performances like the one at Juventus Stadium tonight, they could well become champions this term. It is game on now. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 3/11/2012 (08:45 p.m.) 1 - 3 Arturo Vidal (1′) Diego Alberto Milito (59′-Penalty) Diego Alberto Milito (76′) Rodrigo Palacio (89′) Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 38000‎ Player Ratings Goal.com evaluates the performances of everyone involved in the crunch clash in Turin, after a game in which the visitors came from behind to end the Bianconeri's unbeaten run. Nov 3, 2012 Juventus Gianluigi Buffon - Wasn't actually called into action that often during the first half but was grateful to the linesman for intervening after he had been beaten by a well-placed header from Palacio. However, there was to be no reprieve after he was comfortably beaten from the spot by Milito. Giorgio Chiellini - A typically reliable presence at the back for the Bianconeri, he made a couple of fantastically well-timed tackles. However, the undoubted highlight of the Italy international's contribution was undeniably a storming run out of the defence which sparked a counterattack that he very nearly got on the end of. Andrea Barzagli - A no-nonsense performance at the back from the experienced defender. Leonardo Bonucci - A solid enough display from the defender, though he was caught flat-footed by Milito midway through the second half and was ultimately booked for felling the forward. Stephan Lichtsteiner - Subbed before he was sent off. Frustrated at being unable to play as offensively as usual because of Nagatomo's regular forays down the Juventus right, the Swiss was booked for needlessly throwing himself into Cambiasso as the Argentine jumped to head the ball wide to Nagatomo. He was then incredibly fortunate to stay on the field after a reckless tackle on Palacio. Wisely removed from the proceedings on 38 minutes. Claudio Marchisio - As ever, always looking to get beyond his front two. Had already narrowly failed to get on the end of a cross from Giovinco when he brilliantly sprung the Inter offside trap only to slice his volley, thus allowing Handanovic to parry wide. Went close again moments later but ultimately cost his side two points by stupidly pulling back Milito in the area. Andrea Pirlo - Always probing and picking passes, the veteran playmaker split the Inter defence with a sublime chip over the top that Marchisio probably should have scored from. Repeated the feat moments later but again his midfield partner was denied by Handanovic. Kwadwo Asamoah - Made a sensational early impact, latching onto a pass from Vucinic before unleashing a shot-cum-cross which Vidal was on hand to divert into the net. Continued to threaten down the left flank thereafter but sometimes took the wrong option. Arturo Vidal - Under pressure after a couple of lacklustre performances and the fine form of Paul Pogba, the Chilean wasted little time in justifying his inclusion by cleverly charging forward in support of Asamoah and then getting his reward for doing so when the ball arrived at his feet in front of what was effectively an open goal. Nearly scored again just before the break. Sebastian Giovinco - Played his part in Vidal's goal with a neat one-two with Vucinic before putting over a most inviting cross that Marchisio only just failed to connect with. With his quick feet and pace, he was a constant threat to the Inter back three. Mirko Vučinić - Looked lively enough early on and it was Vucinic's through-ball which put Asamoah away in the lead-up to the opening goal. However, the Montenegrin struggled badly thereafter to impose himself on the proceedings and he was hauled off at half time. Substitutions Martín Cáceres - Dropped to the bench after starting the midweek win over Bologna, the Uruguayan was thrown on shortly before half time because his replacement, Lichtsteiner, was running the risk of being sent off. Did well enough despite struggling to contain Nagatomo at times. Nicklas Bendtner - Came on for Vucinic for the start of the second half but made no impact whatsoever. FC Internazionale Samir Handanoviç - Had one very nervy moment when he made a mess of a throw, but deserves credit for keeping Inter in the game by saving Marchisio's volley at point-blank range. Javier Adelmar Zanetti - Predictably committed display from the captain (as per usual), with his poise and passion best illustrated by the way in which he dispossessed Giovinco just as the forward was threatening to walk the ball into the net, before then charging out of defence and eventually earning his side a free. Andrea Ranocchia - Was given problems by the elusive Giovinco but kept battling. Also created a terrific opening for Palacio with a fine ball over the top. Walter Adrian Samuel - Booked for a mistimed challenge on Giovinco, whom he later shepherded off the ball extremely well after the diminutive forward had jinked his way into the area. Also put Handanovic under pressure with a poor back-pass but, for the most part, Samuel defended well. Juan - Back in the side after suspension, the Brazilian made some incredibly vital interventions, most notably when he cut out Giovinco's attempted through-ball for Vucinic before then stripping Vidal of possession on the edge of the area just as the Chilean was looking to get a shot away. Yuto Nagatomo - A terrific outlet for Inter down the left-hand side, the Japanese put the equally attack-minded Lichsteiner on the back foot and very nearly scored in the second half with a well-struck drive after cutting into the area. Esteban Matias Cambiasso - Did more than anyone to get Inter back on track after such a dreadful start, putting in a number of crunching tackles as well as getting forward to threaten Buffon's goal. Also provided the ball that Palacio headed home only to then be flagged offside. Later denied a tap-in by a fine last-ditch tackle from Caceres. Walter Gargano - The Uruguayan was an industrious presence in the middle of the park, regularly winning the ball back for his side. Rodrigo Palacio - So unlucky to get flagged offside after nodding Cambiasso's free kick past Buffon - particularly given the nature of Vidal's opener. Should have at least hit the target when put in on goal by Ranocchia but he made no mistake after being slipped through by Nagatomo in the dying seconds. The goal was just reward for Inter's liveliest attacker. Diego Alberto Milito - Very subdued during an opening period in which he was never presented with a clear sight of goal and was forced to drift wide in order to get on the ball. However, like all great strikers, he took his chances when they came, firing home from the spot after he himself had been fouled in the area, before then deciding the game with an equally composed finish after Buffon could only parry Guarin's shot. Antonio Cassano - Quiet enough early on but then very nearly drew Inter level with a sublime curling effort from the edge of the box which deserved a goal. However, despite playing some incisive passes here and there, his influence waned the longer the game went on and he was replaced with just over 20 minutes remaining. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/