Socrates

Juve truth on JoJo, Cavani & Verratti Oct 10, 2012 Juventus director general Giuseppe Marotta has revealed the transfer truths behind the club’s failure to sign Stevan Jovetic, Edinson Cavani and Marco Verratti in the summer. The Italian giants were linked with all three players, but the first two stayed at their respective clubs and Verratti left Pescara for Paris Saint-Germain. “We spoke to Fiorentina President Mario Cognigni and sporting director Daniele Prade about Jovetic,” he told the giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “Nevertheless, the player is no longer of any interest to us. “As for Cavani, we didn’t chase him in the summer because we already knew that Napoli wouldn’t have sold him to us. “Verratti? Juventus signed Paul Pogba on a free transfer and we are enhancing Luca Marrone, two excellent talents who we believe in a lot. “Unfortunately we couldn’t spend €12m on Verratti. It’s the same old story of financial restraints.” The Old Lady did hope to net a big name striker ahead of 2012-13, but they had to make do with a deadline day loan deal for Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner. “It’s hard to reinforce this side,” the official added. “We’ll have a look around, but a so-called top player will cost you €40m in terms of a fee and then another €10m net in wages. “Those figures can’t be supported by our game right now. The big Spanish and English clubs earn double what we do. As a result, we’ll just look for wise opportunities. “This is the most difficult phase as the squad is competitive and it is not easy to make it better,” he continued. “We are only at 60 per cent of our project. Last season paid us back for the investments that we made, but the Juve world can’t stop. We need to grow. And by some way.” Marotta was also asked for an opinion on boss Antonio Conte and Napoli’s Walter Mazzarri, two tacticians he has worked with, ahead of the Week 8 top of the table clash. “Conte and Mazzarri are two Coaches who influence how their sides play. But, with all due respect, our Coach has already won. And he’s younger. Let’s say he is already ahead.” Conte, however, won’t be on the touchline when Serie A resumes as his ban will not expire until December 8. “It has been a heavy absence,” Marotta continued. “At times it just needs a gesture from Antonio to resolve a game situation. But everyone has done well during this time.”

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Andrea Pirlo (14′) Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′) Claudio Marchisio (85′) Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Attendance: 15373 Zebes Crack a Tough Nut & DB Gets All Sentimental Oct 9, 2012 This was a result that could not have happened two seasons ago. Juventus dominated possession throughout the match (ESPN Soccernet says 29%-71%, which is as lopsided a statistic as I’ve seen outside a Barça match), and the Zebes looked consistently threatening. Sure enough, Andrea Pirlo scored an early goal off a free kick and after that, the ball somehow didn’t seem to get into the net. This was more of a concern than an actual problem during the remainder of the first half, at least until the Juve defense (still perfect of course, and always will be no matter what… um, probably… don’t hold me to that) headed off to the locker room about 30 seconds before the half technically ended, and Calaiò got a late equalizer. Antonio Conte was not impressed. Not, I’m sure, what the manager imagined when he returned to the scene of his supposed crime. Did the Zebes return from the half-time dressing room talk energized and rarin’ to go? Um, yes (remember the possession stat?) But still… THE. BOYS. COULD. NOT. GET. THE. BALL. IN. THE. BACK. OF. THE. NET. Until they did, and Juve won the match and they all lived happily ever after. Except for Dirtbunny, who hasn’t had a decent visit from her boyfriend in a long, long time. Oz is not convenient for a weekend hop across the pond the way Europe is. . Also, Margarita season is over, so the depth of my woes is nearly bottomless (well… not completely so; the black pants of the Zebes’ away kits may as well be a crotch burqa, but I still know how to work in a sad little dick joke… all is not lost). ★ ★ ★ Um, yeah. So we’re here to talk about a football match. Well, it started — as they do — with players taking the pitch with kids from the youth sector. Awww. Andrea Pirlo got a sweet little girl (I think) and Sebastian Giovinco‘s mascot looks like he’s going to trip on his own pants. ♥ I hoped they would wear the pink. I slept the night before in my pink Pirlo jersey in an attempt to exert some influence, and it worked! Speaking of Super-Seba, time for the Mirko Vucinic Gallery of Fail™! Not because he was bad (he wasn’t), and not because he had any actual fail (he didn’t… at least no more than any good player always has in every game… the shots — they do not all go in). But rather because of his Fail Face: That is a championship-caliber tantrum face. ♥ It’s even better than Maicon’s tantrum face because it’s real, whereas Maicon’s tantrums were invariably built on pure bullsh**. Geez, Felipe. Is that all you’ve got? You look almost as if you’re afraid to defend Seba, heh heh. Giorgio Chiellini came out hard and got a harsh early yellow. Later, when he really started committing fouls, he was lucky not to get sent off. My commentators wouldn’t call it “lucky”: they came this close to outright saying that Mr. Mazzoleni was bought. [Cuz THAT's the only possibility, right? If a referee makes a mistake it's NOT because he's a human being and error is human, but rather because he was bought by the other team, right? /end Referee rant — Ed.] After that, Siena tried to draw another card by crumpling to the floor any time Giorgione came within 2 meters of one of them, but Chiello settled down and kept it clean for the rest of the match, because he is a champion and not a dingbat. In place of Bunny’s Favorite Dingbat (suspended Leonardo Bonucci), Conte/Carrera started Luca Marrone (featuring above with some Luca Marrone belly). Ya know? Luca‘s a pretty decent center back. I wonder if Andy Carroll could be repurposed that way… [Take notes, Sam Allardyce — Ed.] ★ ★ ★ Aside from starting Marrone, the only notable squad rotation involved Paolo DeCeglie, one of my special favorites. He’s a soldier. Perhaps not the most effective soldier possible. Earnest good faith and hard work count for a lot but don’t make up for a lack of ability, as we learned from… *covers Marco Pantanella’s ears*… Molinaro. [Huh? Did someone say something? Something about Matteo Paro? — Ed.] Listen to me, complaining that PDC is not the world’s best left-back. Two seasons ago, we were crying for any competent left-back. Competent, he is, and more. I hope he’s happy. It’d be terribly sad to lose him to some crap team where he could play every week. Oh dear. I’m getting all soppy. Let’s just notice Claudio Marchisio in his traditional position on the pitch — Hiya Claudio! — and come back to him later. Andrea Pirlo. Oh My God. Let’s do him now. So, I told you in the PREVIEW‘s comments that Felipe was the worst defender in Serie A, right? Well, he is. He got a card for a foul on Seba and gave up a free kick on the edge of the area in the 13th. Pirlo lines up, looking unimpressed and perhaps even a little bored, as he tends to do (ADP always fiddled with his nose while he was waiting to take a FK). What do we normally think of when we think of a Pirlo free kick? I think of something with a beautiful curve that goes over the wall and tucks into the upper corner of goal. What did we get yesterday? A straight, squat groundball that went under the wall and splattered off the keeper and into the net. It was the Opposite of Pirlo. And it went in. Paci: “Oh crap! Dudes, it’s a low one! Try to un-jump or something!” You know what this means, don’t you? We already knew that Andrea was a Smooth Operator™… silky, tricky, slippery, and smarter than you. Well, guess what? Maybe you thought that a player could be one or the other, but now you know he can be both. Here, Pirlo receives his tribute from fellow BMF Giorgione. Wow. WE PAID NOTHING FOR HIM. MILAN THOUGHT HE WAS WASHED UP AND LET HIM GO FOR FREE! I know I’ve said that before, but I also said I may never stop laughing, and so far, I haven’t. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Moving along, Conte/Carrera started Arturo Vidal in his usual place as the “V” in the MVP midfield. I was a bit surprised. He looked tired and out of it against Shakhtar, and I thought he might get some rest. Yeah, I said tired. We love you Arturo, but you’re looking a bit fatigued and it showed in Europe (though you did fine yesterday). Now go home and get some sleep! ★ ★ ★ Mirko Vucinic started up front. He had a good match, but he could not get a goal. Why? It wasn’t for lack of trying. The Zebras had sixteen shots… eight on target. It wasn’t just Juve that couldn’t close the deal. Calaiò missed an absolute sitter. Seriously. My Grandma Buongiorne would have had time to step out from behind her walker and tap that one in. But of course, we don’t care much about that. What we do care about is why the Zebes had so much trouble. You know why. For some reason, when Juventus goes off into the provinces to play the smaller teams, the smaller teams’ second-rate goalkeepers get to work. Siena’s Gianluca Pegolo was no exception. Pretty baby made save after save after save. By the way is it a law that goalkeepers in Italy have to be shupa-sheckshee? Cuz there don’t seem to be very many exceptions. There are exceptions, of course coffcoffSebFreycoff and Salvatore Sirigu is banished for as long as he stays in France (I can understand having a desperate need to escape from the Palermo hellhole, but c’mon.) At any rate, Pegolo had a power breakfast, put on his savin’ boots and… well, I was going to say that he had the match of his life except I seem to remember that he did pretty much the same thing the last time Siena played Juventus. *looks it up* Yup. Six saves yesterday. Seven saves in last season’s ritorno. Lordy. What’s going on here? Does he get all jazzed up to face Juventus, The Mighty Opponent? Of is it that he thinks more people will see him against a bigger team and it could be his big chance to score a big contract at a bigger team? Dude only makes €250,000 a year, which is less than every single Zebra except Rubinho. He might as well have gone to law school. Carrera: Hey Pegolo! Boo. BOOOOOOO! Pegolo: If you don’t like it Old Man, then try to beat me. If you can. Carrera: Basta. You get in there Quags, and shut his mouth. And so Carrera did something really courageous. He took Marrone out of the game and put in Quagliarella in the 80th. He had already taken out Lichtsteiner and De Ceglie in favor of Giaccherini and Asamoah, so that left Juve with a *gulp* two-man defense (plus Asamoah tracking back to cover). Talk about balls out. Draws are for pussies: win big or lose big. So, yeah, that kind of substitution could never have happened two seasons ago. Most coaches would have gone defensive and played for the draw. But you know what else? Two years ago, if coach told his players in the 80th minute to buckle down and get the winner, the Boyz would have freaked out. But this year, this year, with this coach, the Boyz found something they didn’t used to have. Patience. And Grinta. To keep trying, trying, and trying, and never give up. And then… BOOOOM! It was half-glorious and half-hot mess. In the 85th, Giovinco swung a cross into the box from the left. Giorgione headed the ball away from goal — are you telling he me meant to do that? — and it fell into the path of Claudio Marchisio, who slammed it low and hard on the volley. ★ ★ ★ [sENTIMENTAL TANGENT TIME — Ed.] I didn’t cry at the time, but I’m starting to cry now just thinking about it, and I’m not much of a weeper. There’s something completely ridiculous about my JUVE-LOVE. It takes up time I could be spending, I don’t know, curing cancer, working to shut down animal agribusiness, writing the novel that’s in my head, refinishing the basement, or hell, just shaving my legs a bit more often. Fanhood doesn’t do anything. I can’t imagine it on my tombstone (“Here lies Dirtbunny, whore for goalkeepers.”) It’s completely useless. And expensive. All those extra cable channels and intraweb stuff cost actual money, and I burn some vacation time to watch midweek matches. That Luca Toni jersey from 2009-10, the ADP jersey from the 2008 Euros, the Giorgione and Gigi jerseys from World Cup 2010, and all the other jerseys and jackets and doodads that are too embarrassing to mention… well those ain’t cheap. I don’t technically need an audience for my silly fanlove and embarrassing sexual fantasies and imaginary boyfriends, and I may just be displaying my inner freak when I should be keeping it quiet like everyone else does with theirs. It takes hours to put these together. The editors need all the photos done just so and I understand why but it’s tedious and time-consuming to gather them and label them properly and then to figure out which ones to use and what to say. I have not yet seen El Clásico or the Milan derby because I’ve been working on this. Or eaten lunch. Or done my laundry. [Yup, blogging IS hard work. I haven't had lunch either... — Ed.] I’m not complaining. This isn’t always easy to do, for me, or for any of the JuventiKnows writers and editors. But I love it. I do it because I love the game and I love Juventus and all this Juve-stuff needs somewhere to go and it can’t be in real life because no one else has a clue. Mr. Dirtbunny comes close, but he likes Arsenal, so you can see there are certain impenetrable barriers there that hinder footie communication. I do it because I love connecting with other people who share the same goofy passions as me. Yeah some of you won’t want to admit that they’re the same, so you can regard them as similar or related (but without the icky sex stuff) and I promise not to mock you for the next 10 minutes. In fact, the posts and the matches are pretty much the same: SUFFERING and ARDENT LOVE. I love it all, even the sucky parts. I love the bitching and moaning and drama from the opposing players and coaches. Especially Serse Cosmi. He can really put on a show. I love the Juve players, even Kwadwo Asamoah whom I forgot to mention, and when I know them better, I end up loving them even more. I love the affection the players have for each other, or really, any sign that they have fun playing football. I love the ridiculous boots and I love Pirlo’s ripped socks. I love it when their socks are saggy and I love it when they jack their socks up over the knee. I love it when the players get pissy and grumpy, like Quags here. Or maybe you’d say he’s just been caught off-guard by a camera click. If that’s what’s going on here, then I love that too. Because it shows a moment where soccer players are real persons who aren’t used to having a camera on them 99.9% of the time, and who wish they had a little more personal space separating themselves from… umm… well, from us. I even love Simone Pepe (pictured here with his companion, the lovely and apparently normal Agnese Bizzarri) even though he’s a ham and a doofus and if he were actually here in my house goofing around, I’d probably have to kick him out. Come back soon, Simone. I miss you! *bawls* Thanks for listening. ★ ★ ★ Next match is after the international break, the big showdown against Napoli, at home, on October 20, a week from Saturday. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - 7^ Giornata - Andata - 7-10-2012 (ore 15:00) 1 - 2 Andrea Pirlo (14′) Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′) Claudio Marchisio (85′) Stadio Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena - Siena Arbitro: Paolo Mazzoleni Spettatori: 15373 Marchisio in extremis, la Juventus espugna Siena I campioni d’Italia passano 2-1 al Franchi con le reti del centrocampista (84’) e di Pirlo, che aveva aperto le danze al 14’ su punizione prima che pareggiasse Calaiò nel recupero del primo tempo. Gli uomini di Conte restano in vetta con 19 punti. Eurosport - Domenica, 7 ottobre 2012 Non sarà stata una vittoria facile come quella di una settimana fa contro la Roma, ma di certo non è un pareggino striminzito come quello di martedì con lo Shakhtar Donetsk. La Juventus, pur dimostrando di non essere nel momento più brillante della stagione, vince a Siena dimostrando la solita fame onnivora che ha fatto la differenza da un anno a questa parte. E, soprattutto, un centrocampo come sempre decisivo al momento che conta. Andrea Pirlo la apre, Claudio Marchisio la chiude. Al Franchi, nonostante il pareggio di Emanuele Calaiò all’ultimo secondo del primo tempo, arriva il sesto successo su sette partite di campionato per i campioni d’Italia. RODRIGUEZ IN REGIA, MARRONE TITOLARE - Serse Cosmi deve fare a meno di ben quattro squalificati (Terzi, Belmonte, Larrondo e Vitiello), oltre all’infortunato D’Agostino. Il modulo resta un 3-4-2-1 nel quale dietro alla prima punta Calaiò si muovo i talentuosi Rosina e Ze Eduardo. A centrocampo, invece, Rodriguez si pone al fianco di Vergassola. Il duo Conte-Carrera conferma il tradizionale 3-5-2 con un turnover ridotto all’osso. In difesa c’è Marrone al posto dello squalificato Bonucci, mentre a centrocampo si vede De Ceglie sulla corsia di sinistra con Asamoah che parte dalla panchina. In attacco, invece, partono titolari Giovinco e Vucinic. Ancora indisponibile Pepe. APRE PIRLO, CALAIO’ PAREGGIA - Il Siena parte bene, molto aggressivo a centrocampo e capace di concedere pochi spazi sulla propria trequarti. Al 2’, però, Rosina spreca una palla gol più che invitante servita da Angelo, che salta De Ceglie a destra e serve un rigore in movimento. La Juventus fatica a entrare nella partita, ma al 14’ Giovinco si guadagna una punizione pericolosa dal limite dell’area. A batterla va Pirlo che insacca con un meraviglioso destro rasoterra che passa sotto la barriera e sorprende Pegolo sul palo lungo. Il Siena fatica a rientrare in partita e rischia in un paio di occasioni. Al 21’ Giovinco manda alto dall’area piccola su assist di Vidal, mentre al 39’ Pirlo colpisce l’incrocio dei pali con una punizione dai 27 metri ancora più bella, se possibile, della prima. Al 44’, infine, Marchisio costringe Pegolo a un miracolo autentico con un destro a giro dal limite. Il Siena però continua a lottare, impedisce alla Juventus di fare gioco. E, mettendola sull’aggressività, riesce a imbrigliare la Vecchia Signora. Calaiò si divora un gol fatto al 23’, quando su sponda di Ze Eduardo la mette a lato di poco. Non mancano gli episodi da moviola, come al 29’, quando Chiellini già ammonito rischia il rosso per un intervento in ritardo su Felipe. Cosmi continua a protestare e al 42’ rimedia il rosso, rifiutandosi inizialmente di uscire dal campo e andandosene soltanto quando Rosina si decide a scortarlo fuori. Con le unghie e con i denti i padroni di casa restano in partita e all’ultimo secondo del recupero trovano il meritato pareggio. Angelo scappa a un colpevole De Ceglie sulla destra. Cross al centro, dove Lichtsteiner si fa sfilare dietro Calaiò che insacca di testa battendo Buffon per l’1-1 che manda le due squadre all’intervallo. ASSEDIO JUVENTINO, MARCHISIO FA 2-1 - Conte non perdona l’errore a De Ceglie, che non rientra in campo dopo l’intervallo e viene rimpiazzato da Asamoah. La Juventus dà vita a un crescendo che non concede soste al Siena. Al 53’ Neto salva sulla linea dopo un tiro in diagonale di Giovinco, mentre al 64’ la Formica Atomica salta il portiere di casa senza trovare Vucinic e Vidal liberissimi in area piccola. I padroni di casa si chiudono sempre più con gli ingressi di Sestu per Ze Eduardo (54’), Bolzoni per Angelo (64’) e Reginaldo per Rosina (81’). Non mancano due grandi occasioni per il Siena, che al 57’ potrebbe passare in vantaggio con un retropassaggio maldestro di Chiellini per Buffon (il portiere però salva con un balzo) e al 77’, quando Calaiò prima e Rosina poi non trovano la porta di testa. Conte non se ne preoccupa e preme ancora di più sull’acceleratore. Al 68’ Lichtsteiner lascia il posto a Giaccherini, mentre all’80’ Marrone cede il posto a Quagliarella in quello che diventa un 4-3-3 iperoffensivo nel quale Barzagli e Chiellini sono gli unici due difensori di ruolo. La pressione della Juventus porta a un assedio vero e proprio. Quello che all’84’ produce la meritata rete del 2-1. Giovinco, sempre più incisivo nella ripresa, scappa a sinistra e crossa per Chiellini. Rodriguez lo anticipa, ma sulla palla vagante arriva Marchisio che, di controbalzo, insacca il primo gol stagionale. Quello che vale la sesta vittoria in campionato. La partita finisce qui. La Juventus, dopo il pareggio con lo Shakhtar Donetsk, riparte di slancio e resta in testa alla classifica comunque vada Napoli-Udinese. Il Siena lotta, ma alla fine paga dazio a una squadra troppo forte. E non solo per i toscani. IL FIATONE NON FRENA LA JUVE – La spia si era già accesa martedì in Champions League e anche la prova del Franchi sembra confermare che la Juventus risente della fatica dei tre impegni in una settimana. Chissà quanto potrà aiutare la sosta, calcolando l’alto numero di nazionali in rosa. Di certo, l’arma del turnover dovrà essere studiata al meglio per poter proseguire con questo passo micidiale. Sei vittorie su sette partite di campionato, per un totale di 46 match d’imbattibilità (29 successi e 17 pareggi nel bilancio). La vetta è ancora della Vecchia Signora, mentre il Siena resta in coda con due punti (ma sei lunghezze di penalizzazione sul groppone). Calcolando la qualità di gioco degli uomini di Cosmi e la distanza dalla salvezza ancora accessibile (3 punti dal quart’ultimo posto), mantenere la categoria potrebbe non essere impossibile, soprattutto se i toscani continueranno a lottare così. Mattia Fontana - Eurosport Siena 1-2 Juventus

How to Beat Antonio Conte’s Bianconeri? Oct 9, 2012 Even on a bad day they can’t be beat. Juventus disappointed what few fans were in Juventus Stadium on Tuesday, largely failing to show up for the match against Shahktar Donestk. The match ended 1-1, but Shahktar were by far the superior team. Even though their opponents out-classed them, Juventus still ended the match without losing. They haven’t lost a match at all since the Coppa Italia final in May, but that was without their best defender Giorgio Chiellini and it’s still their only loss in any competition dating back to May 2011. Even Chelsea, the reigning champions of Europe, couldn’t beat Juve in their own stadium after going up 2-0. Arturo Vidal and Fabio Quagliarella saw to it that Juventus didn’t lose, with their goals leading to a 2-2 draw. So how can this Juventus side be beaten? Well, there are a few weaknesses that other sides can look to exploit. First, Andrea Pirlo is the focus point of Juve’s attacking motion, and if left unmarked he will direct the game entirely as he wants to. While focusing on him opens up opportunities for Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio to create plays, the alternative of an unmarked Pirlo spells certain death for a side. Chelsea stumped Juventus (for 45 minutes) mostly due to Oscar successfully outmarking Juve of the match. A.C. Milan have had some mixed success against Juventus, and that’s only come via Max Allegri using one of his players (once, Urby Emanuelson) to cover Pirlo. There have also been times where Pirlo himself was not man-marked, but had a bad game for whatever reason, to the opposition’s favor. Of course as I said a moment ago, focusing on Pirlo opens up chances for Vidal and Marchisio. It’s fine to let them take up Pirlo’s play-making responsibilities, but you must not let them take shots on goal, especially if they have even a small breakaway. Marchisio scored in space in Siena’s 18 yard box this weekend, and there are few things the midfielder enjoys more. Vidal is the same, and his magnificent goals against Roma and Napoli last spring show this. Both players love to take longer efforts on goal, but those aren’t all that successful. The best way to try to somewhat off-set Vidal and Marchisio is to have one of your defenders push up in the midfield, this of course carries risks within itself. For a side looking to grit out a 0-0 draw or perhaps a 1-0 victory due to clinical finishing, it’s best to not worry about this and focus on shutting them down once they get into the final third. However, if you’re a big club trying to out play Juve, you need to get that extra man in the midfield. The second part of the beating Juve plan is almost as important as the first. Drop back, close up shop in your own half. Juventus are going to control possession, and unless you’re Vincenzo Montella’s Fiorentina, I don’t advise trying to out-possess Juve. So, sit back, wait for them to pass to the strikers (they’re not too good), and then regain possession. If you’re lucky Mirko Vucinic will be off his game and he will more or less give you the ball on several opportunities throughout the match. A quick note on formations – this is a tricky decision to make while playing against Juve. Obviously most teams cannot just pick a formation based totally on nullifying the opposition, as they need to use the tactics they know and that fit their team. However, it’s best to get a five man midfield, and ideally two strikers to mess with the backline three. Sounds like I’m telling you to mirror the 3-5-2, right? It’s because I am. Especially if you have one physical striker and one quick, clinical one. The big man can occupy the center backs, while the quick one plays off of him and tries to get a breakaway on Buffon, but more on that in a minute. This isn’t a deal breaker, as Chelsea weren’t using a 3-5-2, they had three attacking midfielders though, something that gave them some liberty to adjust their shape according to Juve’s. Then there’s the backline trio of Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli. Barzagli is a bit old and a bit slow, and Bonucci is sometimes prone to momentary lapses of concentration. Taking advantage of those can give the side it’s only true opportunities to score in a match. Genoa sort of scored like this, with Ciro Immobile catching the Juve defense out of their preferred shape. Siena sort of did this too, with Emanuele Calaio scoring off an unmarked header at point blank range from Buffon. There were defenders in the box, but they hadn’t had the chance to organize themselves properly and Calaio accelerated into space to meet the ball. There’s also countless example of breakaways that would have been successful had it not been for poor finishing by strikers throughout this season and last season. Finally, there’s one last refuge for teams trying to beat Juventus – individual brilliance. It’s how Chelsea scored twice against Juve, with both goals coming from Oscar’s ridiculous display of technique, vision, and finishing. It’s how Cavani scored in the SuperCoppa after his original one on one with Buffon ended in Gigi’s favor. Cavani retrieved the ball that Buffon had punched away (it only went a few yards) and finished the ball excellently. Of course, most teams can’t rely on that one phenomenal players, as most teams don’t have that type of player. It’s not easy, and no one team has put all the necessary steps together, but Antonio Conte’s Juventus can be beaten. Will Napoli do so after the international break? We won’t know until the match happens, but they’re certainly the team best suited to do so.

Juventus are clear title favourites, says Gianluigi Buffon Oct 9, 2012 Italy and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon says he will offer his compliments to Napoli if the southern club maintain their early season form and go on to win this season's scudetto. But just over a week before their top-of-the-table clash, the Juve captain believes his side remain clear favourites for a second successive Serie A title. "Juventus are strong," Buffon said on the fringes of an Italy training camp ahead of Friday's World Cup qualifier in Armenia. "If Napoli were to win the scudetto then they would have my compliments. But I think my side are the clear favourites." Leaders Juventus and Napoli are the only two unbeaten teams in Serie A after seven games and with 19 points apiece hold a four-point lead on both Lazio and fourth-placed Inter. The sides clash in Turin in a little over 10 days time, when Lazio also play host to Milan. But despite the ongoing demands of the Champions League, Buffon believes Juventus will remain the title favourites irrespective of the result of their October 20 clash in Turin. "This match won't be decisive, we're still at the start of the season," he added. "It's true that Napoli don't have the Champions League, as opposed to us, but we remain the title favourites." Italian Cup holders Napoli last won the title in 1990, thanks in part to the 16 league goals scored by Argentine great Diego Maradona, and this season are flying thanks to the goalscoring talents of Uruguayan Edinson Cavani. Juventus won their 28th scudetto in 2012, their first in nine years although they were stripped of the titles they won in 2005 and 2006 due to their role in the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.

Buffon: Atmosphere in camp fine Oct 9, 2012 Gianluigi Buffon has denied that Daniele De Rossi's exclusion from the Roma starting XI on Sunday has caused a rift in the national team. The Azzurri travel to Armenia on Friday for their third World Cup qualifier, and the Juventus goalkeeper has quashed rumours that the Giallorossi midfielder's rejection at the weekend has resulted in an uneasy tension in camp. “The atmosphere is normal,” he told a Press conference today. “There is nothing complicated about it – it just so happened that on Sunday, the Coach decided to not play Daniele. “You do not know the real reasons. But regardless, his value and contribution to our team go way above any problems he has [at Roma]. “We have him, we are all close and we are happy he is in our squad. Players bring their club worries to the national team all the time – that is commonplace. But the national team is immune from all this negativity.” The 34-year-old shot-stopper also commented on Cesare Prandelli's ideas for Italy ahead of the 2014 World Cup, as well as remarking on Mario Balotelli, and Antonio Cassano being left out of the squad. “We are trying to carry out a project with fresh faces,” he said. “Young players who are being given a chance on the biggest of stages. “Hopefully these players will grow quickly on a technical level, because Brazil 2014 is not so far away. “We all know Mario's value. We expect him to produce the quality he is capable of on the field, and help us win games. He has that ability. “The exclusion of Cassano? I am not surprised. These are the choices the Coach has to make. I do not think, however, that the Coach has closed the door in his face.” The former Parma man also spoke about the pride he feels representing the national side, and Juventus' prospects of retaining the Scudetto. “You cannot say that the national team is a nuisance. It should always be a source of pride at any time of the season to play for your country. “Juve are continuing the journey we started 18 months ago. The management has strengthened the side, and it is fair to say that we will challenge for the title until May. “Napoli have a great Coach and are playing a type of football that means they are remaining at a competitive level. The fact that they are not playing in the Champions League will help them, I think. “Lazio, also, are doing great things. They have a smart Coach who is in step with the times. Inter have also rejuvenated their team and are on the right track. They could be up there come the end of the season.” Buffon concluded by praising Roma boss Zdenek Zeman, who has come under pressure for his side's inconsistent start to the season. “He has proven to be a consistent Coach. He has his own ideas of how his team's should play, and has done extraordinary things with the sides he has been in charge of. There are always risks, and sometimes it doesn’t work. But other times, he exceeds all expectations.” :|

OK, Alessandro!

Serie A Team of the Week: Samuel's 10 out of 10 performance stands out from the crowd Goal.com looks at the star performers from the latest round of Italian league action at the weekend. Oct 8, 2012 Another week of Serie A football, and inevitably came another cocktail of drama, quality and controversy. The Milan derby took centre stage on Sunday night, but Goal.com had already had its eye across a whole host of excellent performances worthy of recognition in our Team of the Week. Maarten Stekelenburg may have displayed some moments of uncertainty this season, but he was key to Roma's win over Atalanta, as the visitors' early onslaught was made to count for nothing. Federico Fernandez staked a claim for a regular starting spot at Napoli with a commanding performance in the victory over Udinese, while Davide Astori was one of the major reasons behind Cagliari's first win of the season, away to Torino. And then there was Mr. 10 out of 10, Walter Samuel, whose winner in the Milan derby continued his perfect streak in an Inter shirt against the old enemy. Juventus continued their unbeaten run in Serie A, and clinched top spot ahead of the break thanks to Claudio Marchisio's late winner, and Antonio Candreva was also on the winning side as Lazio took three points from Pescara after a barnstorming first half in which the wide man was prevalent. Andrea Pirlo scored another wonderful free-kick in the win at Siena, while Marek Hamsik chalked up yet another Team of the Week appearance thanks to his goal and general contribution in Napoli's sixth win in seven against Udinese. Francesco Totti's return to form continued to be the bright spot of Roma's season as he helped drag the Giallorossi through a tough start to beat Atalanta, but city rivals Lazio again had the goals of Miroslav Klose to thank as they saw off plucky Pescara thanks to the German's brace. Finally, Pablo Barrientos gets further recognition for his displays after his contribution against Parma helped to propel Catania back up to seventh. STEKELENBURG (Roma) FERNANDEZ (Napoli) - ASTORI (Cagliari) - SAMUEL (Inter) MARCHISIO (JUVENTUS) - CANDREVA (Lazio) - PIRLO (JUVENTUS) - HAMSIK (Napoli) TOTTI (Roma) - KLOSE (Lazio) - BARRIENTOS (Catania) http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A Round 7 Results: Roma and Lazio emerge victorious, Napoli keep up pace at summit In other matters on the peninsula, Fiorentina ended their recent winless run with a single-goal win over Bologna, but the same could not be said for Sampdoria, who lost at Chievo. Oct 8, 2012 Serie A Round 7 Results League Table CHIEVO 2 - 1 SAMPDORIA Chievo got off the mark under new coach and former captain Eugenio Corini thanks to a late 2-1 victory over Sampdoria on Saturday. The Flying Donkeys, who sacked Domenico Di Carlo earlier in the week, took the lead on the stroke of half-time through Cyril Thereau. The Frenchman broke through the middle of the visitors' defence and side-footed the finish home. However, just 15 minutes later, Enzo Maresca bent home a free kick over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Stefano Sorrentino helpless. It may have come against the run of play, but it provided a welcome respite for Sampdoria. Yet justice would eventually prevail, albeit with a touch of fortune, as, with stoppage time nearing, Chievo new boy David Di Michele saw his speculative long-range drive mishandled by Sergio Romeo. The home side move 16th in the Serie A table after ending a run of five consecutive defeats, but Sampdoria fall to eighth following a fourth disappointing result on the bounce. GENOA 1 - 1 PALERMO Marco Borriello saved Genoa's skin once more after the former Roma striker netted for a point in a 1-1 draw with Palermo on Saturday to ruin Gian Piero Gasperini's return to the Marassi. The Rosanero opened the scoring 14 minutes in. Josip Ilicic's cross was met by Luigi Giorgi, who peeled off his marker Andreas Granqvist and glanced a header past Sebastian Frey. However, early in the second half, the Ligurian side drew level from a corner. Cristobal Jorquera hooked the ball back into the box, giving Borriello the chance to nod home for a share of the spoils. Genoa are now ninth, while Palermo hover dangerously near the relegation zone in 17th place. ROMA 2 - 0 ATALANTA Zdenek Zeman was vindicated in his decision to drop key players such as Daniele De Rossi for the visit of Atalanta on Sunday, as they ploughed to a 2-0 success. Both sides went into the match on the back of considerable thumpings, as the Giallorossi went down 4-1 at Juventus, while the Bergamese outfit were thrashed 5-1 by newly-promoted Torino. However, they had to ride their luck as Atalanta missed a string of chances in the first half. Yet, that did not stop Erik Lamela from linking up with Francesco Totti and dinking the ball home on 17 minutes. The points were then secured on the hour mark as Andrea Consigli's attempt to stop Mattia Destro's strike fell straight to Michael Bradley on the rebound, capping off an impressive return from injury. Roma now move fifth in the table, but Atalanta drop to 19th as their two-point deduction continues to hinder them. CATANIA 2 - 0 PARMA Catania are slowly improving under the leadership of Rolando Maran following an inconsistent start to the campaign, highlighted by their 2-0 win over Parma on Sunday. And just 80 seconds into play at the Angelo Massimino, the Elefanti took the initiative. Pablo Barrientos conjured up an inch-perfect through ball for Alejandro Gomez, who finished off with aplomb. The points were in the bag on the 80-minute mark, as Mariano Izco's cut-back was tapped home by Gonzalo Bergessio. The Argentine connection in Sicily made all the difference it seemed, although Yohan Benalouane's silly red card certainly made life easier. They now join Roma and Fiorentina in seventh position, tied on 11 points. Parma, however, fall down to 15th in the top-flight table. FIORENTINA 1 - 0 BOLOGNA Fiorentina will have been relieved to have come out of their match against Bologna with a 1-0 victory to their name, after wasting numerous chances in Tuscany. Nonetheless, they found the deciding goal just seven minutes into the action at the Artemio Franchi, as a corner was nodded onto the flailing boot of Stevan Jovetic, thus continuing his hot start to the season. Luca Toni was handed his first start and thought he had scored from a set-piece, but his header was adjuged to be offside. The Viola move level on points with Roma in sixth, while Bologna drop to 12th place. PESCARA 0 - 3 LAZIO Lazio made it three wins on the bounce on Sunday, after they trounced Pescara 3-0 to end the hosts' recent good run of form. Hernanes proved the catalyst once more, bending home a fabulous free kick from 25 yards out with only five minutes on the clock. The Biancocelesti soon doubled their lead through Miroslav Klose, who latched onto Antonio Candreva's slide-rule pass. The German striker then rounded Mattia Perin and made it 2-0, and Klose was then at it again soon after via a free header. The result keeps Lazio flying high in third place. Pescara, meanwhile, are now 13th. SIENA 1 - 2 JUVENTUS Match Report - Player Ratings TORINO 0 - 1 CAGLIARI Like Chievo, Cagliari also enjoyed the benefits of the managerial honeymoon period as they earned their first win of the season - a 1-0 success over Torino. Ivo Pulga was installed as the Sardinians' coach following the dismissal of Massimo Ficcadenti earlier in the week, and his appointment was complemented with that of former fans' favourite Diego Lopez as his assistant. The winning goal was debatable, however, as Kamil Glik was penalised for a handball offence in the box, despite his protests that he was guarding his face. Still, Nene scored the resulting penalty to seal all three points. Cagliari go up to 18th in the Serie A table but Torino are now 10th after they failed to carry over last week's heroics. AC MILAN 0 - 1 INTER Match Report - Player Ratings NAPOLI 2 - 1 UDINESE Napoli successfully kept the pressure on leaders Juventus in the last of the weekend's matches thanks to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Udinese. On the half-hour mark, a splendid move from the Partenopei saw Edinson Cavani's flick allow Christian Maggio the opportunity to send in a ball for Marek Hamsik to guide past Zeljko Brkic. However, Udinese hit back with a counterattack of their own on the cusp of half-time, as Maicosuel found Giampiero Pinzi, who left fly a stinging drive past Morgan De Sanctis. Yet for Walter Mazzarri's charges, they did not throw in the towel and were soon rewarded for their efforts as Goran Pandev turned and rifled in the winner in stoppage time of the first period. The result leaves Napoli level at the top of Serie A. Udinese, on the other hand, languish in 14th place with only six points out of a possible 21. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Andrea Pirlo (14′) Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′) Claudio Marchisio (85′) Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Attendance: 15373 Marchisio Gets His First & Dons Savior Cape Again… Oct 8, 2012 While the eyes of Europe were focused on the ‘Derby della Madonnina’ and Spain’s ‘El Clásico’ this past weekend, Juventus travelled to Siena Sunday afternoon looking to consolidate their position atop of Serie A and preserve their 45-match unbeaten run, an ongoing record which makes facing Conte’s men one of the most daunting prospects on any team’s fixture list. Though dominating most of the proceedings, it would be a lie to say the Bianconeri did not struggle during this match, taking an early lead thanks to a clever Pirlo free-kick but then conceding right before the stroke of half-time. It took a goal from Claudio Marchisio to pull Juve’s chestnuts out of the fire, ‘Principino’ choosing an ideal time to score his first tally of the season for the Old Lady. Adam, Marco, and Aaron bring you the week-end’s after-action report. MATCH ANALYSIS Returning to the club where he is alleged to have been aware of the match-fixing incident which led to his recently reduced ban, the Antonio Conte was the subject of much of the pre-match build-up. Siena vice-president Valentina Mezzaroma spoke of him in glowing terms as she told Tuttosport: Conte will receive a very warm welcome from the Siena fans. He is loved here, as he brought us back into Serie A and made all the right choices. His time here at the club was like a smaller version of what he has implemented at Juventus. I know Conte and he is a winner in all things. To think he was working with betting syndicates or any kind of match-fixing is just completely illogical. You just had to see how angry his face was when Juve ran into a series of draws. I believe the investigation needed a big name to draw attention from the public.” However for much of this encounter it seemed that winning mentality and unbeaten streak were going to be broken by a resolute Robur team, who became the latest club to adopt the pseudo-Catenaccio that has so often frustrated the Bianconeri. Indeed, after Andrea Pirlo gave Juve the lead by hitting a free kick under the Siena wall, the home side looked the better team for much of the opening 45 minutes. Emanuele Calaiò wasted a gilt-edged chance to equalise just minutes after the bearded genius stroked the dead-ball home, while Giorgio Chiellini was fortunate not to be sent off after half an hour, receiving a verbal warning when a second yellow card seemed most appropriate. Juventus did make two good chances as Pirlo rattled the crossbar with another free kic, and Gianluca Pegolo did well to deny Claudio Marchisio from mid-range. Principino‘s shot seemed to spark a reaction from Siena with Serse Cosmi getting himself sent off for excessive dissent, just moments before Calaiò atoned for his earlier miss with a well-taken header past Gigi Buffon to draw the sides level just before the half-time break. Conte looked on frustrated in the stands, but whatever Massimo Carrera said during the interval appeared to make all the difference as Juventus looked transformed in the second half, starting with Kwadawo Asamoah coming on for a disappointing Paolo De Ceglie. Separate chances from Giovinco, Vucinic, and Vidal almost put the Bianconeri back in front. It would take one more bold move from Carrera to change the game however, with the stand-in coach’s decision to take Marrone off and replace him with Quagliarella, thus switching Giaccherini & Asamoah to act as wing-backs in a far more potent 4-3-3 formation. With redoubled impetus, Claudio Marchisio rescued the Old Lady yet again with another superbly-taken and crucial strike with just five minutes remaining. As the saying goes “a Scudetto is won against the minnows”, and by struggling — yet winning — against a determined Siena side this weekend, Juve laid an early but important brick towards retaining their Serie A crown in May. LE PAGELLE Buffon 6.5 – Most of Siena’s shots (with the exception of Calaiò’s goal) were directed straight at Gigi today. It’s funny that the only one for which the Juve goalkeeper had to put the full extent of his skills at work, actually came from a teammate! Fortunately for Juve, Buffon rescued Chiellini from some rather embarrassing post-match interviews… Barzagli 5.5 – Even though most of the blame lies on De Ceglie for the Siena goal, Andrea left Calaiò rather undisturbed to head the ball in. Too undisturbed. Marrone 6 – Deputized for Bonucci in his typical cool-headed & controlling way, making full use of his midfielder ball-playing skills, though needs to improve on aerial balls perhaps. Was taken out near the end because Juve were pushing for a goal and needed an extra midfielder/winger. (80′) Quagliarella s.v. – Didn’t have much time to make of an impact, but his presence did add one extra striker for the Siena defenders to mark, which eventually lead to Marchisio hitting the ball home relatively undisturbed. Chiellini 6 – Up until his “assist” for Marchisio, this had been a rather difficult game for Keyser Giorgio. Picked up a yellow (albeit undeserved) and nearly followed it up with a second one. Then he almost scored into his own net, and looked somewhat shaky on a few aerial balls. Thankfully his physical presence contributed to Claudio’s equalizer. Lichtsteiner 5.5 – Lots of running, but unfortunately not a lot of quality balls from the Swiss right-back in this game. (68′) Giaccherini s.v. – Was inserted to provide more offensive options on the right wing, but actually ended up tucking into the middle a lot. Not a coincidence that Juve’s 2-1 goal didn’t come from his wing, but rather the opposite side. Vidal 6 – Arturo’s last performance wasn’t exactly stellar, but Capitan Uncino improved today. Some better dribbling, tackling, and energy on display, still coupled with the occasional bad pass unfortunately. Pirlo 7 – Andrea’s free kick is a great example of furbizia & skill combining to produce a goal. Just like against Roma, il Maestro opted for the low option and got fully rewarded. But just to prove a point he can still kick ‘em regular-style, his massive shot onto the crossbar should continue to keep opposing goalkeepers guessing. Marchisio 7 – Claudio couldn’t have picked a better time to score his first of the season. Even though he’s not as prolific in the goalscoring department as he was this time last year, Principino‘s movements on & off the ball remain capital for Juve’s passing game and offensive options. Came very near to scoring in the first half as well. De Ceglie 4.5 – Until his brainfart (the footballing equivalent of presenting Angelo with a red carpet and associated free cross/assist), Paolino had been having a pretty good game. He made good runs, displayed lovely ball-control skills (especially on Pirlo’s high balls), and gave Juve some good crossing options on that left wing. And then… (46′) Asamoah 6.5 – Offensively, offered a little bit more than PDC particularly thanks to his ability to accelerate past opponents. Defensively, a MASSIVE improvement on the young Italian, so evident is Asamoah’s physical superiority on 50/50 challenges. Irreplaceable. Giovinco 6.5 – Lively, energetic, inspired. A constant thorn in the backside for Siena defenders, and ultimately responsible for starting the play leading to Juve’s match-winning goal. Vucinic 5.5 – Not Mirko’s day. His biggest contributions of the match were a very good turn in the 1st half (that eventually lead — through Giovinco — to the free kick scored by Pirlo), a shot narrowly wide of the post, and some useful timewasting near the end of the game, keeping the ball close to the corner flag. Aside from that, didn’t really have much of an impact. Conte/Carrera 7.5 – Playing tactically-disciplined/defensive Siena was always going to be difficult. The coaches cannot be faulted for the starting XI, as some players needed a rest and others a chance on the field, but when it was time to make some changes Conte/Carrera played all their cards right. They inserted Asamoah to fortify the left side, put on Giaccherini when they needed a dribbler, and shifted the 3-5-2 into a 4-3-3 to open up Siena on the wings. The tactical switch was ultimately the determining factor: it allowed Juve maintain momentum, and continue to pummel their opponents until the ball finally went in! http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Andrea Pirlo (14′) Emanuele Calai

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Andrea Pirlo (14′) Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′) Claudio Marchisio (85′) Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Attendance: 15373 Juventus were fortunate to beat Siena, claims Carrera Oct 8, 2012 Juventus caretaker coach Massimo Carrera feels his side were somewhat lucky to escape Siena with a victory. The Old Lady had to rely on an 85th minute Claudio Marchisio goal to earn themselves a 2-1 win in Tuscany. “We should’ve won this game much earlier, but lacked determination today and this is why we had to suffer until the end,” Carrera told reporters. “Sebastian Giovinco did very well and Mirko Vucinic performed the tasks we requested. We do not have a classic centre-forward, so the midfielders have to push forward in order to score. Anyone who has seen Juve play this season knows that. “It’s true that playing every three days does weigh on the squad, but at the end of the day this Juve is showing itself to be a great team. “We are unbeaten in 46 rounds and this season won six out of seven. Obviously we can be lacking some sharpness at times, but you cannot win 4-0 every time. “We knew Siena were strong on the counter-attack, so we had to play in their midfield and make sure not to give away the ball. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Hai perfettamente ragione. Ho solo reso invisibili alcuni messaggi per questa volta. Ma alla prossima che si critica Alex qui dentro partono i provvedimenti.

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 1 - 2 Andrea Pirlo (14′) Emanuele Calaiò (45+2′) Claudio Marchisio (85′) Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Attendance: 15373 Marchisio: Winning more important than scoring The Juventus midfielder has stressed that victory is all that matters for him, and is quite pleased with his side's recent run of good results. Oct 8, 2012 Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has insisted that he is not too concerned with individual highlights as his primary focus is collective success. The Italy international found the net on Sunday to help the Old Lady to a hard-fought 2-1 away win over Siena, but he was more delighted with the victory than with his match-winning goal. "Obtaining the three points is more important than scoring as far as I’m concerned," Marchisio was quoted as saying on the club's official website. "It certainly was not an easy game against Siena. They gave us great difficulty. We managed to break the deadlock, only for them to find an equaliser. "Then, we upped the ante in the second half and came away with all three points. It is important to win games like this. Smaller sides are always very organised and Siena stuck to their game plan. "It’s good that we have managed to end this heavy run of fixtures with a victory. If we had to provide an assessment of this recent spell, it would be very positive." Juventus resume Serie A action after the international break at home against Napoli. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/