Socrates

Hamsik looks forward to Juve tie Oct 8, 2012 Marek Hamsik says his Napoli side will be ready to take on Juventus when Serie A returns after the international break. The two sides, joint top of Serie A with 19 points from the 21 on offer, will face up to each other in Turin on Saturday 20 October. “Lately, we like picking up victories when we suffer,” he stated following the 2-1 win over Udinese on Sunday night. “It was important that we won seeing as Juventus got the three points earlier in the day with a win at Siena. “We are a united squad and that is why we are in first place. “It’s too early to say that we are like Juventus, but we will be fired up to face the Bianconeri when the League returns.”

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 picks points over goal Oct 8, 2012 Claudio Marchisio netted his first goal of the campaign at Siena on Sunday, but he insists the victory was all that mattered. “Obtaining the three points is more important than scoring as far as I’m concerned,” the midfielder noted. “It’s important to win games like this encounter at Siena. Smaller sides are always very organised and they stuck to their game plan. “It’s good we’ve 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 started the afternoon as favourites for the three points, but the home team did cause them problems and Marchisio’s goal came with five minutes left. “It certainly wasn’t an easy afternoon,” added the 26-year-old. “Siena gave us great difficulty, they pressed and were organised in defence from the very off. “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.” The Italian international scored nine goals in 36 League games for the Old Lady last term. 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 Carrera: 'Juve lacked determination' Oct 7, 2012 Massimo Carrera concedes Juventus were fortunate to win in Siena. “We lacked determination today.” The Bianconeri needed a late Claudio Marchisio screamer to secure the 2-1 result 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,” said Antonio Conte’s stand-in. “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.” Siena Coach Serse Cosmi claimed Giorgio Chiellini should’ve had a second yellow card after half an hour. “The first booking seemed very harsh to me, while he was looking for the ball on the second foul, so that didn’t seem nasty either,” insisted Carrera. 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 Juventus lacked ruthlessness - Carrera The Old Lady's caretaker boss was not happy with the teams lack of a clinical edge and believed the side could have secured the win a lot earlier if they took their chances. Oct 7, 2012 Massimo Carrera spoke of how his Juventus side made life difficult for themselves during their 2-1 win over Siena at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday. The 48-year-old felt like the Bianconeri could have wrapped up the points early on but they had to wait until the 85th minute for Claudio Marchisio to score the winner for them. The win means Juve stretch their unbeaten run to 46 league games whilst continuing to set the pace at the top of Serie A but Carrera insists the result could have been a lot more comfortable had the Old Lady taken their chances. "Surely this game could have been won much earlier. We lacked a little ruthlessness, and for this we had to suffer until the end," Carrera told reporters after the match. "It is obvious that in some matches we may lack a clinical edge, but you cannot always win by four or five goals." The Juventus boss also denied claims that Giorgio Chiellini should have been sent off after the defender lunged in on Felipe when he had already been booked. He added: "The first did not seem like a foul worthy of a yellow card. The second, he was looking to win the ball and even that wasn't so bad." 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 Player Ratings: Siena 1-2 Juventus Goal.com runs the rule over everyone involved at the Artemio Franchi, after an absorbing encounter settled by a late strike from Bianconeri midfielder Claudio Marchisio. Oct 7, 2012 Siena Gianluca Pegolo - Was deceived by the ingenuity of Pirlo's free kick. In saying that, he got a hand on the ball and will be disappointed at having failed to keep it out. More than made amends by denying Marchisio with a stunning save just before half-time, and also did well to get something on Giovinco's attempted dink just after the restart. Was unlucky to be beaten for a second time at the death. Cristiano Del Grosso - His defending was neat and tidy throughout, and he used the ball smartly and effectively, always looking to work Rosina into decent attacking positions during the second-half. Also produced a sublime cross that the midfielder really should have buried. Neto - Was a little heavy handed in his defending at times, but was an influential figure at the back for Siena. Indeed, it was he who was on hand to clear after Giovinco had lifted the ball over Pegolo just after the break. Felipe - Struggled to contain Giovinco right from the off and was booked just 14 minutes in for bringing the diminutive forward down on the edge of the area, an indiscretion which was then further punished by Pirlo's subsequent conversion of the resultant free kick. Massimo Paci - Cannot fault his effort but was repeatedly made to look a little flat-footed and cumbersome by Giovinco and Vucinic. Mariano de Almeida Angelo - Signalled his attacking intent two minutes in by getting in behind De Ceglie down the left-hand side and then picking out Sestu, only to see the midfielder scuff his shot. Calaio made no mistake, though, after Angelo had used his pace and power to storm past De Ceglie for the umpteenth time just before the interval, before sending over a terrific cross to the back stick. His influence waned in the second-half, though, and he was hauled off on 68 minutes. Simone Vergassola - A spirited showing from the captain, best summed up by the way in which he won one duel - thus relieving the pressure on his side - by dispossessing Asamoah despite being on the floor. However, he was left chasing shadows during the second-half. R. Rodríguez - An energetic and aggressive presence in the middle of the park, the Uruguayan really put himself about and put in a number of crunching tackles, most notably on Pirlo, who was less than impressed by being on the receiving end of a couple of late challenges. Also went close to scoring with a header. Alessandro Rosina - A real livewire performance from Rosina, who was always keen to take the game to Juve. Squandered a great chance to open the scoring inside two minutes but he was involved in all of Siena's best attacking moves and De Ceglie's withdrawal at half-time was testament to that. However, his finishing let him down again in the second-half when he failed to connect with Del Grosso's cross. Emanuele Calaiò - Sparked the move which led to the early opening for Rosina but wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to make it 1-1 when he shot wide after being given a clear sight of goal by a sublime lay-off from Ze Eduardo. However, he made amends right on half-time by burying Angelo's cross from the right. Did not get another good chance thereafter, though. Zé Eduardo - Worked tirelessly and linked reasonably well with Calaio and had a number of nice touches, one of which really should have resulted in his centre forward drawing Siena level on 23-minutes. Stupidly talked himself into a booking after believing himself to have been fouled by Vidal and was ultimately brought off just after the break. Substitutions Francesco Bolzoni - Took over from Angelo midway through the second-half but was more solid than spectacular. Alessio Sestu - Thrown on in place of Ze Eduardo and while he was full of endeavour, put over some good crosses and got stuck in, he failed to make a significant impact on the proceedings. Reginaldo - Replaced Rosina in the closing stages, but did not make an impact. Juventus Gianluigi Buffon - Saved easily from Rosina early doors and did not actually have too many saves to make before Calaio left him with no chance with a close-range header. Did wonderfully well to tip Chiellini's attempted clearing header over the bar. Giorgio Chiellini - Looked unusually shaky early on and saw yellow for barging Rosina off the ball. Then ran the risk of being dismissed for a second bookable offence after crashing into Felipe. Very nearly put through his own goal during the second-half, but then played a key role in Marchisio's winner by nodding the ball back across the box. Paolo De Ceglie - Got forward on occasions and put over a couple of dangerous crosses from the left-hand side but, for the most part, he spent his time trying to contain Angelo and Rosina - with little success. Indeed, it was absolutely no surprise that Siena's equaliser came down De Ceglie's side as he had allowed Angelo to get in behind him as early as the second minute. Wisely replaced at the break. Andrea Barzagli - Caused some discomfort by Siena's neat link-up play every now and then, but, overall this was another composed performance from the centre-half. Stephan Lichtsteiner - Threatened sporadically during the first-half, with his strong running and accurate deliveries into the box. Indeed, Giovinco should have converted one such ball into the box after being picked out by the Swiss just six yards out. However, he was not as menacing after the break and made way for Giaccherini midway through the second period. Claudio Marchisio - The most dynamic player on the pitch. Had his first sight of goal 11 minutes in but his 25-yard drive was always going over. However, he looked set to make it 2-0 to Juve just before the break but after killing a pass from Pirlo and then nimbly stepping inside Neto, his curling effort from the edge of the area was wonderfully kept out by Pegolo. Eventually - and deservedly - got on the scoresheet with five minutes to go by firing home after a trademark late arrival in the area. Andrea Pirlo - Influential as ever, the playmaker settled Juventus by netting the opener 14 minutes in, finding the bottom corner of the Siena goal with a low strike that took advantage of the players in the wall jumping to make themselves big. Created a fine opening for Giovinco with a terrific ball before going so close to doubling Juve's lead with a stunning set-piece on 39 minutes only to see his curling 25-yard effort crash off the bar. Arturo Vidal - By no means his best performance, the Chilean was sloppy in possession in the first-half and also mistimed a couple of tackles. Improved after the break, though, and called Pegolo into action at one point. Luca Marrone - Deployed at the back, Marrone's distribution was unsurprisingly accurate and Pirlo struck the bar with a free-kick that the midfield had earned with a strong surge out from the back. However, he looked uncomfortable at times, most notably when he flattened Rosina with a mistimed challenge. Mirko Vučinić - Linked well with Giovinco in the first-half, most memorably when he dropped deep to great effect, spinning his way past two players before releasing his strike partner. Very nearly found the bottom corner with a measured effort in the second period but was ultimately unable to get on the scoresheet. Sebastian Giovinco - Did not manage to get among the goals but he did play an integral role in both, winning the free kick that Pirlo fired home before producing the cross that led to Marchisio's late winner. Substitutions Kwadwo Asamoah - Replaced De Ceglie for the start of the second-half and was a far more reliable and assured presence on the left-hand side. Emanuele Giaccherini - Came on for Lichtsteiner but while he was full of running, the Bianconeri's utility man did not make a great difference down the right-hand side. Fabio Quagliarella - Saw a few minutes of game time at the end but there was to be no instant impact from the forward. 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 Late Marchisio volley secures victory for the Bianconeri Oct 7, 2012 A late Claudio Marchisio volley earned all three points for Antonio Conte’s men at a spirited Siena on Sunday afternoon in Serie A. Juventus took the lead through an Andrea Pirlo free kick which was won by Sebastian Giovinco after he was brought down by Siena defender Felipe. The talismanic midfielder out-smarted the five man Siena wall driving his effort low, underneath the jumping wall, catching goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo off guard. Pegolo scrambled across his line but only managed to get a hand to Pirlo’s driven shot and the visitors had taken the lead. Obviously frustrated by his team’s performance and a number of refereeing decisions Siena coach Serse Cosmi was banished to the stands for venting his frustrations towards the officials. By the time the whistle blew for half time however Cosmi would be in a far better frame of mind as some fine work from Angelo down the flank set up Emanuele Calaio who headed home to put the sides on terms heading into the break. Siena on numerous occasions went close to taking the lead and had Alessandro Rosina managed to steer a Cristiano Del Grosso cross on target perhaps the match outcome may have differed. As it was the champions continued to press and found the winner in the eighty fourth minute through an emphatic Claudio Marchisio volley from inside the area that left Pegolo rooted to the spot. Juventus were not at their best in this encounter but held out to secure the victory. 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 spares Juve blushes at Siena Serie A champions Juventus needed a late winner from Claudio Marchisio to see off bottom team Siena at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Sunday afternoon. Oct 7, 2012 Andrea Pirlo gave the Bianconeri the lead with an early free-kick, but the league leaders were pegged back in first-half stoppage time by Emanuele Calaio's equaliser. However, the visitors refused to settle for the draw and secured all three points five minutes from time when Marchisio volleyed home the winner. Juve, under the interim guidance of technical director Massimo Carrera while coach Antonio Conte serves his suspension for failing to report match-fixing, headed into the game on a 45-match unbeaten run and did not take long to settle. They took the lead in the 14th minute when Italy playmaker Pirlo stepped up to despatch a low free-kick into the bottom-right corner. Siena goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out. Sebastian Giovinco passed up a fine chance to extend Juventus' advantage seven minutes later when he lashed over from close range. It was not all one-way traffic, though, as Calaio's left-footed shot midway through the first half skimmed the left post. The woodwork again played its part six minutes before the break when Pirlo was denied a second goal with another stunning free-kick, this time seeing his curling effort hit the bar. Pegolo came to Siena's rescue in the 44th minute, saving well from Marchisio's curling free-kick to keep the hosts only one down - and moments later they were level. Angelo provided the cross from the right wing and Calaio directed a neat header past Gianluigi Buffon to send the teams in at half-time all square. Juve started the second half strongly, Arturo Vidal's blast brilliantly kept out by Pegolo and Mirko Vucinic curling inches wide before Giovinco's effort was cleared off the line by Alessandro Rosina and Pegolo got down well to frustrate Vidal. Siena too had their chances, though. Rosina's right-wing cross was diverted wide from close range by Ribair Rodriguez while Calaio and Rosina also both nodded wide when well placed. Juve showed the hosts how it should be done in the 85th minute by ruthlessly snatching the victory, Giovinco's left-wing cross headed by Giorgio Chiellini to Marchisio, whose sweet right-footed volley gave Pegolo little chance. To their credit, Siena, who have picked up only two points all season, did not give up and could have grabbed a second equaliser in stoppage time, but Buffon was in the right place to keep out Massimo Paci's header from Alessio Sestu's right-wing cross. 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 rescues Juve Claudio Marchisio left it late to snatch a 2-1 Juventus victory at Siena after a few scares. Oct 7, 2012 Antonio Conte was in the stands and given a warm welcome by his former club, who he took to promotion from Serie B before quitting to follow his Juventus dream. This week the Coach saw his 10-month ban reduced to four on appeal, a suspension awarded due to the same betting investigation that cost Siena a six-point penalty. Leonardo Bonucci was suspended and Simone Pepe still injured, while the home side missed Gaetano D’Agostino and Matteo Contini. Luca Marrone stepped into the Juve defence, but despite expectations there was no first start for Nicklas Bendtner. Alessandro Rosina had a great start after two minutes, but scuffed his finish straight at Gigi Buffon. Juventus took the lead on 14 minutes with an Andrea Pirlo free kick. Sebastian Giovinco was brought down on the edge of the box and Pirlo kept his free kick daisy-cutter low to go under the jumping wall, surprising Gianluca Pegolo at the near post. Siena should’ve equalised on 22 minutes when Emanuele Calaio exchanged passes with Ze Eduardo, but the Italian pulled his angled drive wide from a very promising position. Giorgio Chiellini risked a second yellow card on the half-hour, but was given a warning. Mirko Vucinic toe-poked into the arms of Pegolo and Giovinco blasted over. Pirlo nearly got a second from one of his trademark free kicks, this time curling over the wall to smack against the crossbar. Pegolo flew to push a Claudio Marchisio screamer out of the far top corner with his trailing hand. Serse Cosmi was sent off from the touchline for dissent, but refused to leave and it took some time to convince the fiery Siena Coach. The red card meant both Cosmi and Conte watched the second half in the stands. In first half stoppages Siena got their equaliser to drive the Stadio Franchi crowd wild. Angelo surged forward down the right and crossed for Calaio’s cushioned header at the back post to beat Buffon. Kwadwo Asamoah replaced ex-Siena winger Paolo De Ceglie for the second half and Neto needed a goalline clearance to keep out Giovinco’s shot, which Pegolo had got his hand to. Buffon had to fingertip a wayward Chiellini header out from under the bar to prevent an own goal. A Mirko Vucinic angled drive skimmed the far post, then Giovinco sprung the offside trap and dribbled round the goalkeeper, but went too wide and his assist to Arturo Vidal was cleared by Cristian Del Grosso. Pegolo needed a great save to deny Vidal’s angled drive on the half-volley at the near post, practically from the by-line. Siena wasted a double opportunity to take the lead on 78 minutes, as first Calaio and then Rosina only glanced headers wide when undisturbed in the six-yard box. Juve laid siege to the Siena box and eventually broke through five minutes from time. Rodriguez cleared a corner to the edge of the box, where Marchisio thumped a scorching volley that left Pegolo rooted to the spot. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Siena: Pegolo; Neto, Paci, Felipe; Angelo (Bolzoni 68), Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso; Rosina (Reginaldo 81), Ze Eduardo (Sestu 54); Calaio Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone (Quagliarella 80), Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Giaccherini 67), Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie (Asamoah 46); Vucinic, Giovinco Ref: Mazzoleni 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 fires late winner as champions march on The Italy midfielder drove home with just over five minutes remaining to secure three points and ensure that the Bianconeri remain top of Serie A. Oct 7, 2012 Juventus made their second-half dominance pay with a late Claudio Marchisio strike securing a 2-1 win over a stubborn Siena side at the Artemio Franchi on Sunday afternoon. The Bianconeri took the lead 14 minutes in courtesy of a free kick from Andrea Pirlo, who struck the bar with another sublime set-piece later in the half. However, the two sides went in level at the interval, with Emanuel Calaió heading home just before the half-time whistle. Juventus bossed the second period but it seemed that their efforts would prove in vain. However, with just five minutes remaining, Marchisio came to their rescue to steal a win that keeps Antonio Conte's men top of the table. Juve had gone into the game on the back of a fortuitous draw at home to Champions League rivals Shakhtar Donetsk and the defensive frailty that was on show in Turin on Tuesday night was in evidence again at the Artemio Franchi. Indeed, Siena should have been ahead inside two minutes, but Alessandro Rosina, who was a constant thorn in Juve’s side during the first-half, miscued his first-time strike, after being picked out by Angelo’s pull-back, and the ball ended up bouncing harmlessly into the arms of Gianluigi Buffon. While the visitors looked vulnerable at the back, Sebastian Giovinco and Mirko Vucinic were causing problems every time they picked up possession at the other end of the field and it was no surprise that the pair played a key role in the Bianconeri’s opener. Vucinic left two Siena defenders trailing in his wake with a wonderful turn in midfield before slipping the ball wide to Giovinco, who ended up on the deck after bamboozling Felipe with his quick feet. Pirlo took the subsequent free kick and found the bottom corner by ingeniously firing the ball low underneath the feet of the players in the defensive wall, who had collectively jumped in an attempt to make the playmaker’s task more difficult. The goal unsurprisingly settled Juve and they could count themselves unfortunate not to have doubled their lead before the break, with Pirlo crashing another set-piece against the cross bar on 40 minutes before Claudio Marchisio drew a flying save out of Gianluca Pegolo moments later. However, Catania continued to threaten at the other end and Calaio squandered a gilt-edged opportunity to level matters midway through the opening period when he fired wide with the goal at his mercy, after being the recipient of a deft lay-off from Ze Eduardo. The veteran striker made amends, though, right on half-time, powering home a header at the far post after Angelo had beaten Paolo De Ceglie to the byline before whipping over the most inviting of crosses. Juve responded to that setback by replacing De Ceglie during the interval and they looked more defensively sound for the majority of the second-half. In saying that, Rosina had a tremendous chance to edge Siena in front with just over 10 minutes remaining, but he inexplicably failed to get his head on the end of Cristiano Del Grosso's cross. In the end it was Juve who struck late, and deservedly so, with Pegolo having produced a succession of terrific saves to keep out Juventus, and Giovinco and Arturo Vidal in particular, while Vucinic had seen a measured strike from the edge of the area drift just wide of the post. Again Giovinco was key, the former Parma man jinking past a couple of players before crossing into the area. The ball was nodded back across the box by Giorgio Chiellini and Marchisio arrived right on cue to drive the ball through a crowd of players and past Pegolo, thus securing Juve their sixth win from seven outings this season. http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Line-ups: Siena-Juventus Oct 7, 2012 Despite expectations, Nicklas Bendtner does not get his first Juventus start against Antonio Conte’s old club Siena. The Stadio Artemio Franchi fixture kicks off at 14.00 BST and you can watch this and other Serie A games LIVE on your computer. Conte saw his 10-month ban reduced to four on appeal this week, but as part of the same investigation Siena have a six-point penalty. Leonardo Bonucci sits out a ban, so Luca Marrone takes over at centre-back rather than Lucio. Juve were expected to rest some of their stars and give Bendtner his first start, but it’s the usual line-up with Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, Mirko Vucinic and Sebastian Giovinco. Siena have to do without the injured Gaetano D’Agostino and Matteo Contini, forcing changes in midfield. Alessandro Rosina and Ze Eduardo support Emanuele Calaio'. Siena: Pegolo; Neto, Paci, Felipe; Angelo, Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso; Rosina, Ze Eduardo; Calaio' Siena bench: Farelli, Campagnolo, Dellafiore, Rubin, Reginaldo, Mannini, Verre, Sestu, Bolzoni, Paolucci, Bogdani, Valiani Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Vucinic, Giovinco Juventus bench: Storari, Rubinho, Lucio, Caceres, Isla, Padoin, Pogba, Giaccherini, Asamoah, Bendtner, Quagliarella, Matri http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Siena: 'Dear Conte...' Oct 7, 2012 Siena Vice-President Valentina Mezzaroma hope she can “play a trick on my old friend” Antonio Conte’s Juventus. Conte was in charge of Siena when he earned promotion from Serie B in 2010-11, but was released from his contract so he could make a dream come true and lead Juve. “What result do I predict? I would love to play a trick on my old friend Conte. I believe we can do it – I even have the symbol of victory tattooed on my arm,” 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 at Siena was like a smaller version of what he has implemented at Juventus. “We have respect, affection and friendship with Conte. He sent me a text message of congratulations when we beat Inter at San Siro. He celebrates when we win and of course will do everything to beat us too. That is normal in sport.” Conte is in the stands due to a touchline ban for failing to report a potential fix to the authorities while he was at Siena in 2010-11. That same investigation saw Robur begin the campaign from -6. “I know Conte and he is a winner in all things,” continued Mezzaroma. “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.” http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Boakye: Juventus star Kwadwo Asamoah is Africa's best player Oct 7, 2012 Italy-based striker Richmond Boakye Yiadom says Juventus star Kwadwo Asamoah must be named the 2012 African Player of the Year. Asamoah has been in an outstanding form since joining the Italian giants from rivals Udinese in the summer. He handed Juventus the Italian Super Cup when he scored in his debut for and has since been rated among the best in weekly matches in Europe. His performances have been noted by CAF who have named him among the 34 players nominated for the 2012 African Player of the Year. Boakye, who played with Asamoah at Juventus before he was loaned out to Serie B side Sassuolo, says Asamoah deserves to be named the best player in Africa. “If we talk about the five best players in Africa now I will definitely say Kwadwo is the best and there is no doubt about the talent he possesses,” Boakye said. “I know him really well and I can tell you for a fact that he is a player who is very much committed to his football. ”Ghana is lucky to have a player like Kwadwo and the Black Stars will go places with him.”Asamoah was named as Africa’s best young player by CAF.”

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Juventus-Siena Preview: Round 7 — Tuscany Tango Juventus travel to Tuscany to face a Siena team that have jerseys with the same kind of colors. Bianconeri on bianconeri crime! Beware! Oct 6, 2012 It seems like we've been here before, doesn't it? A mid-week meh-fest followed up by the chance, on short rest, to put the previous result in the rear view mirror. Pretty sums the past two weeks, doesn't it? Just change a few jersey colors and viola! It's the same. Kinda, I guess. Juventus travel to Tuscany to face Siena in the final game before the latest and greatest international break. This tie doesn't have as much pizazz as it did a year ago when Antonio Conte returned to the team he lead to a Serie A promotion, but it's still the chance to right the wrongs of Tuesday's showing against Shakhtar and get some momentum going again. That's what happened against Roma. Now there's the chance to rinse and repeat and do the same thing against Siena. That would be fun. I mean, who doesn't like when Juventus scores more goals than the other team and play incredibly awesome in the process? (If you raised your hand while answering that, lol u.) LE CHIAVI Siena enters the pre-international break clash with total bag of mixed results. Example: Beat Inter 2-0. Then, one week later, lose to Lazio 2-1.See? Totally unpredictable. But then again, can't we say that for just about anything in the calcio world these days? Siena's biggest strength this season has been keeping the opposition from finding the back of the net — there's only three teams (Napoli, Juventus, and Torino) who have allowed fewer goals (6) in the first six games of the Serie A season. Then there's the whole starting the season at minus-6 because of the match-fixing nonsense that continues to occupy or minds, but we won't get into that. Although, if it wasn't for starting the season with the big penalty, Siena would be sitting comfortably in sixth instead of hanging out in the relegation zone. GOOD NEWS We're at 45 games unbeaten and counting. That's pretty awesome. BAD NEWS The fellas may be a wee bit tired, as a lot of you guys probably already know by now. When the Juventus squad takes the field tomorrow, it will be their fifth game in the span of 17 days. That's something we knew going in that would happen, but when you reach the end and look back on it, it's still pretty darn impressive. WHAT TO WATCH FOR 1. Squad rotation. It's been rumored for a couple days now, and I understand why. Conte has made it no secret that with all the extra fixtures this season, he's going to take advantage of his squad's depth. You can likely count on hand where Juventus' strongest XI has been fielded. There's usually at least one player getting rest every game, and that's fine with me. Hopefully Juventus are busy for a lot of the season, that means they've advanced a long way in the Champions League and Coppa Italia. 2. Strikers. I know I say it pretty much every game, but you're just gonna have to deal with it. The non-Vucinic rotation plan seems like it's a go once again. If it were my guess, Sebastian Giovinco would be the next one to get a ride of the Magical Mystery Striker Tour. I'm done with the expectation that anybody but Vucinic will hold down a regular starting spot while they all struggle to find some good form. That's kinda expected, though, so I won't get too upset about it. 3. Luca Marrone. Why do I mention Mr. Brown? Well, because he's the name being thrown about in the media as the guy to replace the suspended Leo Bonucci. And let me just say this: I'm in full support of it. Marrone was fantastic in the preseason as a makeshift center back. To be honest, it looked he had been playing there for years. While Bonucci is a good passer out of the back, Marrone is a step up, which should add something to a starting lineup that looks like it will be Pirlo-less on Sunday. 4. How Juventus do against a three-man defense. We saw it against Fiorentina last week. We've seen it a few times last season as well. For whatever the reason is, when Juventus face a team that also sports a 3-5-2 — or some kind of variation of it — they seem to struggle. Who knows whether Siena will pack the midfield like Fiorentina did in the scoreless draw in Florence. If they do, however, things might not be as much of a piece of cake as it could possibly be. My starting XI (3-5-2): Buffon; Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini; Isla, Vidal, Pogba, Marchisio, De Ceglie; Vucinic, Giovinco Siena probable (3-4-2-1): Pegolo; Neto, Paci, Felipe; Sestu, Vergassola, Rodriguez, Del Grosso; Rosina, Ze Eduardo; Calaió http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Serie A - Week 7 - 7-10-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Artemio Franchi - Montepaschi Arena Stadium - Siena Referee: Paolo Mazzoleni Siena vs. Juventus PREVIEW – Begin Countdown to Conte’s Return… Oct 6, 2012 Last week was quite a wild one for our beloved Bianconeri. First we trounced Roma, most importantly humbling the always (for lack of a better adjective) douchey Zdenek Zeman who’s trademark kamikaze tactics proved to be even less effective than whatever psychological effects anyone would hope to achieve over an opponent with words. Several days later and playing the team’s fourth game in right around a fortnight, Juventus hosted Shakhtar Donetsk at home. That much more closely resembled the midweek trip to Florence before hosting Roma, and with little fan support at home due in part to the high ticket prices, a 1-1 draw and a single point was all that could be mustered from the first UCL game in Turin since 2009 (and first-ever at the Juventus Stadium). This Sunday, Juventus will travel South-East to face that other team in black & white stripes from Northern Italy (no, not Udinese). Rather poetically, the Siena trip is coming off the heels of the TNAS court reducing Antonio’s Conte ban for actions which allegedly occurred (or rather did not occur) while he was in charge at that very same club. Alanis Morissette might consider this ironic, if not for the fact that it bears too close of a resemblance to actual “irony”, but I digress. At any rate, our manager will return to active matchday duty on December 8, 2012, aka right before the away trip to Palermo. SIENA Siena, which has been docked six points from the start of the season for their alleged involvement in the Calcioscommesse scandal, have been in impressive form for a provinciale. Last month saw them rack up impressive wins against Bologna and Inter Milan (which we were all grateful for over here), before falling 2-1 to Lazio last week. Yet, they rest at 19th in the table currently with a paltry 2 points due to the aforementioned penalty. Likely to line up in a 3-4-2-1 to counter what has become a predictable 3-5-2, coach Serse Cosmi will likely try to exploit wide play and close down the midfield, thus neutralizing Juve’s biggest asset. Juventus meanwhile will hope to end the week on a high note, before the international break continues to toy with my emotions and delivers some much needed rest to some of the squad. Oh wait… SIENA (3-4-2-1) Pegolo Neto, Paci, Felipe Sestu, Vergassola, R.Rodriguez, Del Grosso Rosina, Zé Eduardo Calaiò BENCH: Farelli, Campagnolo, Dellafiore, Rubin, M.Martínez, Scoppola, Verre, Angelo, Bolzoni, Paolucci, Bogdani, Valiani Starting %: Sestu 60-40% Angelo Injured: D’Agostino (matchday #9), Contini (#9) Suspended: Larrondo (24 Nov 2012), Belmonte (9 Feb 2013), Terzi (9 Feb 2016), Vitiello (9 Sep 2016) JUVENTUS Juventus will undoubtedly look to tinker with their lineup a bit. Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal are looking a bit tired these days. Pirlo, meanwhile, is certain to feature in Prandelli’s plans for the upcoming qualifiers against Armenia and Denmark whether or not his presence is actually necessary. I would not be surprised to see youngster Paul Pogba earn another start. Meanwhile, Leonardo Bonucci is banned due to yellow card accumulation, so Lúcio, Martín Cáceres or even Luca Marrone — the young midfielder who deputized surprisingly well as a center-back during the summer friendlies — should all be ready to dust off their boots, the latter for either of two positions. Additionally, reports seem to indicate that Mauricio Isla may earn his first second Serie A start in Bianconero (no, I mean Juve Bianconero, not… oh, never mind). JUVENTUS (3-5-2) Buffon Barzagli, Marrone, Chiellini Isla, Giaccherini, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah Giovinco, Vucinic BENCH: Storari, Rubinho, Lúcio, Lichtsteiner, De Ceglie, Vidal, Pogba, Padoin, Isla, Bendtner, Quagliarella, Matri Starting %: Barzagli 60-40% Lúcio, Isla 60-40% Cáceres, Asamoah 60-40% De Ceglie Injured: Pepe (matchday #8), Conte (8 Dec 2012) Suspended: Bonucci (1) Here is where the depth of the squad is going to come in handy, as it will many times throughout the course of this triple-front season. Juve’s ability to patch together a starting XI stronger than most other Serie A teams out of a combination of A, B, and C teamers, should undoubtedly give them an edge. Siena do have a penchant for the occasional upset (and know Conte and his tactics well — and vice-versa), but despite the fact the Juve manager won’t on the bench again, Massimo Carrera has been deputizing and passing on the man’s word to pretty good effect so far. I am a big believer in numbers and odds and Juventus have to lose again in Serie A some time. However, I don’t believe it will be this time, even away from home. Vincere è l’unica cosa che… CONTE! http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/20122013/regular-season/

Il goal di Marchisio era maturo.

Forse solo un nostalgico.

Triadeforever é sparito. Ma il suo nick me lo sono segnato per la prossima volta.

GOAL DI MARCHISIO DEDICATO A TRIADEFOREVER!

Ti vedo un pó nervoso amico!

No, é Buffon che para, o no?

Speriamo di no.

Esce l'ex bovino

Quasi goal del Siena

Asamoah tremendo.