Socrates

Scudetto now a two-horse race between Juventus & AC Milan, but Roma could soon be challengers with a stronger defence While the top two continue to give each other a break, the country's most attacking outfit could be just a couple of signings away from becoming a real force. Feb 6, 2012 The 2011-12 Scudetto is fast becoming the title nobody wants to win. While AC Milan turned in a dour performance at home to Napoli, Juventus once more failed to take full advantage as they dropped another two points to lowly Siena. Inter’s thrashing at the hands of Roma ensured that the leading two are out on their own in the race for this year’s top spot, but it also proved that they could have a real fight on their hands come next season. Not even accounting for Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s red card, it was a bad afternoon for the champions. Against one of the more uncompromising defences in Italy, they looked lifeless for far too much of the game as Walter Mazzarri’s side held out with something to spare. Ibrahimovic’s petulant slap at Salvatore Aronica could well see him earn a three-match ban, but whereas one of their best performances of last season arrived in the 3-0 derby win over Inter while the Swede was suspended, this time around you have to fear for the Rossoneri without their talisman. Much has been said – both on these pages and elsewhere – about their over-reliance on Ibra this term, but yesterday only magnified that further. Robinho’s star continues to fall, with yet another ineffective display being turned in against the Azzurri, and it has now reached the point where Massimiliano Allegri has been left scratching his head. Maxi Lopez will likely come in as Ibra’s replacement, but his goal return of recent times will have to be improved over the next three games and beyond if the current signs are anything to go by. For while Robinho is struggling, they are also missing Kevin-Prince Boateng, Antonio Cassano and Alexandre Pato, leaving them short of options up top. It could prove particularly costly against Juve at the end of February, though the Bianconeri themselves showed a lack of cutting edge yesterday against Siena. Juve had all of the possession from start to finish, with the game almost entirely played out in the Siena half, yet they didn't create a single decent chance all game. Only in injury time did they really manage to open up the Robur, and on that occasion Emanuele Giaccherini curled over. Siena were comfortable throughout, and although they should have conceded a penalty for a blatant handball by Simone Vergassola right in front of the referee, they missed a sitter themselves when Alessandro Gazzi fired over with the goal at his mercy. For once, there appeared a chink in Antonio Conte’s armour, with his introduction of Marco Borriello in the second half coming at a time when Juve needed a game-changer of Alessandro Del Piero’s ilk to unlock a stubborn, organised Siena defence which stood firm deep into their own half. The result was a further tepidness about the Bianconeri’s attacking game as Del Piero was forced to sit and watch from the bench while Borriello turned in another awful performance. Again, it was a missed opportunity. Yes, they remain unbeaten after 21 games of the season, but Juventus are still very much in danger of repeating Perugia’s feat of 1978-79 in going an entire campaign without a defeat yet still missing out on the title. At this stage, Milan’s poor form is keeping them top more than their own performances are. Another team that have been struggling to put a string of wins together is Roma, but some of their displays this term have shown signs of a dominant attacking force in the making. And Sunday afternoon gave us the greatest example yet of their potential as they dismantled Inter from start to finish at the Olimpico. Even before they opened the scoring through Juan’s header, their supremacy was there for all to see. Fernando Gago’s delightful chipped pass found Fabio Borini racing in behind a square Nerazzurri backline in what was to become a common theme. Inter failed to learn their lesson, and were punished brutally by Serie A’s most attractive outfit. Maicon turned in perhaps his worst performance in an Inter shirt as first he failed to get anywhere near the jump of countryman Juan, then he twice found himself completely out of position as Borini broke through for goals either side of the break. The Brazilian wasn’t alone though, with Walter Samuel substituted at the interval after being turned inside and out as Roma’s star of the show made it 2-0 before the half-time whistle. Lucio will also have fingers pointed at him for his role in the two second-half goals. But more than anything, Inter were left chasing shadows. Roma’s superior passing ability and speed of movement left Claudio Ranieri’s men with far too much work to do simply to get hold of the ball. Even after bringing on Andrea Poli as an extra midfielder at the break, they simply couldn’t get close to Daniele De Rossi and Miralem Pjanic. The returning De Rossi was a masterful example of how a midfielder can dictate a game; harrying and harassing off the ball, nerveless and powerful on it. Alongside him, Pjanic made football look easy, completing 96 per cent of passes over the 90 minutes. They were the features of a superb team display, one which proved that Roma can take apart the best when they get the Luis Enrique philosophy right. They have shown similar signs in other games this term, but have been undone by their own defending. But yesterday proved that with a few tweaks at the back they can be as beautiful and as dangerous as almost any team in Europe. Their ability to hold on to the ball for long spells is reminiscent of Barcelona, and their latest performance bore all the hallmarks of a side who can be just as successful domestically in years to come. And Borini was the man who took advantage of the midfield supremacy, turning in his second magnificent performance against Inter this term. Whereas last time he deserved more than he got in the 0-0 draw at San Siro, here he produced a well-earned brace before substitute Bojan Krkic wrapped up the 4-0 win. In a country where few star talents have risen to the top in recent times, the former Swansea City and Chelsea man has turned in many top-class performances this term based on endeavour, vision and a cleverness which could well see him go on to become one of Italy’s greatest attacking hopes of the next few years. But while Roma are the team of the future, the present sees a head-to-head between the two most successful clubs in the Italian game as they are left to fight it out for the title. And rather than two prize fighters slugging it out, they are only lightly tapping at each other’s chins so far. The big moments in this scrap are still to come. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392 Gianluca Pegolo feels Giorgio Chiellini is Juventus' best attacker The Siena goalkeeper was not impressed with the Bianconeri's front line in the 0-0 draw between the sides at the weekend, and feels the powerful defender was their biggest threat. Feb 6, 2012 Siena shot stopper Gianluca Pegolo has voiced his belief that defender Giorgio Chiellini was Juventus' biggest attacking threat in Sunday's scoreless Serie A draw. The Bianconeri fielded attackers such as Mirko Vucinic, Alessandro Matri, Fabio Quagliarella, Emanuele Giaccherini and Marco Borriello in last weekend's encounter, but the goalkeeper was clearly not impressed with Antonio Conte's attacking options. "Juventus' most dangerous attacker? Giorgio Chiellini, no doubt about it," Pegolo was quoted as saying by La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. "He came really close to beating me on a number of occasions. "We did a good job though and we are very satisfied with the draw," the 30-year-old concluded. Despite the home draw against Siena, Juventus remain top of the table as fellow title candidates AC Milan, Udinese and Lazio all spilled points as well. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Beppe Marotta demands respect from referees after Siena draw Juventus director believes that the referee of Sunday's match lacks experience and did not have the courage to award his side a clear penalty. Feb 6, 2012 Juventus general director Beppe Marotta has launched a scathing attack on refereeing after Sunday's goalless draw against Siena. The Bianconeri had a penalty claim waved away by referee Sebastiano Peruzzo in dying stages of the match as Giorgio Chiellini's cross struck the arm of Simono Vergassola. "I would like to speak with [referee designator Stefano] Braschi, but since that is not possible, I will discuss the state of refeereing through the media," Marotta told Sky Sport Italia. "Today, we were clearly damaged as we were not awarded a clear penalty. Even though we are topping the table and we have the best attack, we are last when it comes to the number of penalties, with just one spot-kick received all season. "All we are asking for is respect for our team. It is only natural that the Serie A leaders should be assigned referees with international experience. But Peruzzo was afraid to award us a penalty. "If we see the penalty which Fiorentina received today, it was identical to the one that we were not given. We need more consistency in the referees' decisions." Juventus remain one point clear at the top of the Serie A table and still have one game in hand. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Juve cry foul over penalty decision Feb 5, 2012 Juventus were indignant on Sunday following their disappointing 0-0 draw at home to minnows Siena, insisting they should have been awarded a penalty after Simone Vergassola handled the ball. The incident occurred when a cross from Giorgio Chiellini hit Vergassola and the ball struck the Siena defender somewhere around the shoulder and upper arm area but even television replays failed to give a conclusive indication. Nonetheless, Juve coach Antonio Conte was furious. "It's counter-productive analysing individual incidents but the images are eloquent," said Conte. "I find it strange that in 21 matches we've only had one penalty for us and three against but then the refereeing was good," he added with more than a little irony. Juve general manager Giuseppe Marotta was far more outspoken in his condemnation of referee Sebastiano Peruzzo. "Peruzzo didn't see the incident, it's an important decision and I hope in future we get top level referees," he said. "It was a sacrosanct penalty, legitimate, transparent, everyone realised that. "Peruzzo's refereeing was insufficient, traditionally the top teams are given international level referees but instead we were given a young one." That was an unfortunate comment given Juventus's match-fixing history in which they were relegated to Serie B six years ago in the Calciopoli scandal in which they were ringing the Refereeing Commission to ask for specific referees to officate their games. Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon did at least admit his team could not blame the result on that one decision. Although dominating possession and territory, Juve created only one decent chance in the whole game and the best opportunity fell to Siena's Alessandro Gazzi late on. "Let's make something clear, if we didn't win the game it wasn't because of the referee," he said. "However, it's also clear that in certain situations, when maybe you don't manage to express yourself in the best way, an incident can change the flow of the game. "We created that incident and the referee, in a good position, didn't see it. "Sometimes winning or losing comes down to a moment of attention, it can condition a season and that would be a shame." http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Conte: 'Images are clear' Feb 5, 2012 Antonio Conte admits Juventus should’ve taken advantage of other results and noted the penalty incident “is clear for all to see.” The Bianconeri were held to a 0-0 draw by Siena, so none of the top five teams won this weekend. “It was a great opportunity and we should’ve made more of this round that seemed favourable for us,” said the Coach. “Unfortunately, we were unable to win, mainly thanks to a Siena side that defended very well. In the first half we were a little sluggish in terms of tempo and needed an individual moment of brilliance to break the deadlock. “We’ve got to take it one game at a time, aware of our limitations and our defects.” There was controversy in the final stages, as Giorgio Chiellini’s cross was charged down by Simone Vergassola’s arm. “The video images are clear for all to see, so there’s no need for me to say anything. All it requires is the intellectual honesty of those who watch the footage.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Juve 'want respect' from refs Feb 5, 2012 Juventus director general Beppe Marotta was furious with the referee and demanded “respect for our team.” The Bianconeri were held 0-0 by Siena this afternoon, but had strong penalty appeals for a Simone Vergassola handling offence. “I don’t want to be discussing this through the media, but seeing as clubs are not allowed to communicate with the refereeing designators, this is how it must be done,” said Marotta. “At times it is only right to make our voices heard so we can defend the club’s rights. Juventus deserve respect and today it would not be fair to speak only about the players. “Everyone could see we were denied a clear-cut penalty, but unfortunately this habit has been dragging on for a while. We’ve only received one spot-kick all season. “All we are asking for is respect for our team. It is natural that the Serie A leaders should be assigned a referee of international experience. “Juve do not like to recriminate, but in some cases it becomes inevitable, especially when you are not allowed to put away potentially decisive points in a campaign.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Gianluigi Buffon feels Siena draw is a missed opportunity for Juventus The goalkeeper has expressed his disappointmen with the Bianconeri's draw, and feels they missed a chance to extend their lead over fellow title-challengers AC Milan. Feb 5, 2012 Juventus shot stopper Gianluigi Buffon has voiced his discontent with his side's scoreless Serie A draw at home against Siena on Sunday. Title rivals AC Milan, Udinese and Lazio all spilled points at the weekend, but Juventus were unable to take advantage as they had to settle for one point themselves, much to the dismay of Buffon. "It was a missed opportunity. We didn't put in our best performance, but it’s not guaranteed that you always win by playing well," Buffon was quoted as saying on the club's official website. "The game didn’t go as we’d hoped, but we’re fine and there’s conviction in our means. We don’t feel pressure, because we’ve managed to carve out an unexpected role as key contenders - and being top of the league can only be a boost." Buffon then reflected on the situation where Siena defender Simone Vergassola seemed to handle the ball, and felt Juventus should have been awarded a spot kick: "Sometimes you can also win a game from a one-off situation. And we had one right at the end of the game, but it wasn’t spotted." Juventus sit atop of the Serie A table at the moment with 45 points from 21 games. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Player Ratings Goal.com analyses the players on show at Juventus Stadium on Sunday, as the visitors forced the Old Lady to settle for a goalless draw and a disappointing point at home. Feb 5, 2012 Juventus Gianluigi Buffon 6.0 - Had a field day for most part of the match, bar a late slip-up which almost gifted Gazzi with the winner near the end. Giorgio Chiellini 7.0 - Strong showing from the Italy stopper, who kept his place at centre-back. Rarely troubled by Siena's attackers and offered a commanding presence at the back. Paolo De Ceglie 6.5 - Despite an uncertain beginning, he eventually had an easy match against Luigi Giorgi, and tried his best to infiltrate Siena's half, albeit without much success. Andrea Barzagli 6.5 - Was given the runaround by Destro in the early stages, but then got to grips with the forward and forced Siena into substituting him, along with Calaió. Very comfortable. Stephan Lichtsteiner 6.5 - Once more he defended aptly against Brienza, although his support play could have been better for his standards. Nevertheless, his work rate could not be faulted. Simone Pepe 5.0 - Saw his game cut short with injury and was replaced by Giaccherini after 35 minutes. Claudio Marchisio 5.5 - Average display from the combative performer, who despite being lively, failed to provide much cutting-edge from midfield and could not find a route beyond Siena's wall-like back line. Andrea Pirlo 7.5 - Single-handedly carried his team in midfield, where his team-mates constantly looked towards him for inspiration. Sprayed the ball around with ease and threaded frequent through passes, although sadly none of his colleagues were on his wavelength. Arturo Vidal Pardo 6.0 - A solid if not spectacular performance from the Chilean, who was tireless as ever but was not able to assert his authority like he has done recently. Mirko Vučinić 5.0 - A promising opening to the match, which saw him get in a few good positions, ended in failure as his shooting left a lot to be desired. Found himself replaced by Borriello in the second half. Alessandro Matri 5.5 - Another mediocre display from the hitman, who struggled to hold the ball up for the team-mates effectively enough and did not pose much of a goal threat. Replaced by Quagliarella • Substitutions Emanuele Giaccherini 6.0 - Showed glimpses of agility down the flank, but failed to truly examine the capabilities of Del Grosso. Fabio Quagliarella 5.5 - Late cameo from the masked attacker, who did not have enough time to make a telling impact. Marco Borriello 5.0 - Did not contribute anything to the Juventus cause, bar two penalty appeals which were quickly dismissed by the referee. Siena Gianluca Pegolo 7.5 - Fine goalkeeping display from the shot-stopper, who produced several important saves to earn Siena a point. Roberto Vitiello 6.0 - Found it hard initially to deal with De Ceglie's youthful exuberance, but eventually settled into the game well and had a comfortable afternoon. Cristiano Del Grosso 6.0 - Occasionally had the odd blip against Giaccherini in the second half, but his overlaps with Brienza were an eye-catching feat. Luca Rossettini 7.0 - Got the better of Matri and Co. as he helped his side prevent Juventus from getting the better of his fellow comrades. Claudio Terzi 6.5 - Did not drop concentration for the entirety of the contest, and continues to grow in stature in the top-flight. Luigi Giorgi 6.5 - Impressive performance from the second-string winger, who forced Juventus' defenders out of position in the early stages but was eventually figured out. Encouraging nonetheless. Simone Vergassola 6.0 - The captain could not get near the majestic Pirlo, but was very professional in his approach and helped marshall his team-mates. Alessandro Carlo Gazzi 5.5 - Blew a glorious chance to win the match for his team against the odds, after ballooning his effort high and wide with three minutes to go. Emanuele Calaiò 5.0 - Looked isolated in attack, but made little effort to drop deep and help support his team-mates. Aptly subbed off for Gonzalez. Mattia Destro 6.0 - His shooting ability was not showcased enough, but still made a impact with a couple of promising snapshots at Buffon. Replaced by Parravicini as Siena held out for a point. Franco Brienza 6.5 - Juventus' overriding possession meant he had to sacrifice his pacy wing play in favour of a more disciplined role, but he gave his all and worked hard down the flank. • Substitutions Francesco Parravicini 5.0 - Late cameo from the steely midfielder. Pablo González 6.0 - Looked lively in the latter stages of the encounter, but was then forced into helping his team defend their point. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Juventus and Milan fire blanks Juventus remain a point clear in Serie A despite a 0-0 draw with AC Siena, closest rivals AC Milan also failing to score as Zlatan Ibrahimović saw red in their meeting with SSC Napoli. Feb 5, 2012 Juventus preserved their slender Serie A lead despite a goalless stalemate with AC Siena as closest rivals AC Milan also drew a blank, Zlatan Ibrahimović seeing red in their 0-0 draw with SSC Napoli. Frontrunners Juve remain undefeated this season but were unable to find the net on home soil against 17th-placed Siena, the club Bianconeri coach Antonio Conte led to promotion last term. That opened the door for Milan for take over at the summit, yet the Rossoneri lost Ibrahimović after he lashed out at Salvatore Aronica on 64 minutes and remain a point back. Three points shy of Milan, third-placed Udinese Calcio succumbed 3-2 at ACF Fiorentina despite a 16th goal of the season from Antonio Di Natale, Stevan Jovetić burying a penalty winner six minutes from time. In fourth, S.S. Lazio also lost 3-2, Boško Janković striking twice for hosts Genoa CFC. The win of the day belonged to AS Roma, however, the capital side dispatching FC Internazionale Milano 4-0 in their rearranged fixture thanks in part to a Fabio Borini double. Unable to play on Saturday due to a snowstorm, sixth-placed Roma now lie two points shy of Inter. Elsewhere, Parma FC and US Città di Palermo claimed 2-1 victories, against AC Chievo Verona and Atalanta BC respectively, and the matches between US Lecce and Bologna FC, and Novara Calcio and Cagliari Calcio, ended goalless. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Juventus Frustrated in Ugly 0-0 Draw to Siena at Home Feb 5, 2012 After a brief fling against Udinese with his mistress 3-5-2, Juventus manager Antonio Conte returned to his faithful 4-3-3 formation today against Siena. The formation and player selection was almost identical to the usual starting XI that Conte uses, with one exception. Giorgio Chiellini, situational left-back, was shifted back to central defense. Paolo De Ceglie came in at left-back, while my beloved Leonardo Bonucci was sent to the bench. Bonucci has suffered a dip in form of late, as I have discussed, and while I may have supported his benching, it appears now that it may have had a calamitous effect on Juve's fortunes. It's well known that one of Leo Bonucci's best skill on the pitch is his ball-handling ability. He's known as a defender who can carry the ball and help start movements from a team's own half. He played this role at Bari, and he has played this role at Juventus under Antonio Conte. Of course, today he was on the bench. While he was on the bench, Juve's attack languished. They had only seven shots on target, and of those only two were truly dangerous attempts on goal. Conte seemed to think this was the fault of the forwards, as he subbed off all three of his starting forwards. Granted, Simone Pepe came off due to injury, and not for tactical reasons. Of the other two, Alessandro Matri and Mirko Vucinic, only one deserved to be taken off. Vucinic had a lousy game from the start. He couldn't find a rhythm, and he was frequently turning the ball over or being dispossessed. He later came off for Marco Borriello. On the other hand, Ale Matri did pretty well with what he was given. Matri is a poacher, and lately (before the Udinese match) his problems had been in finishing. Today, he was not given very many chances to finish anything. Matri only had one shot on target, though there was one impressive play where he spun around a defender to service Mirko Vucinic with a cross. The cross was received by Mirko, but he sent it straight over goal. Indeed, chances like that made up most of Juve's scoring opportunities today. This is because Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio turned into black holes today. The entire midfield area truly was a black hole. That is, of course, not including Andrea Pirlo, who had a magnificent game despite the team's general struggle. Pirlo took up the lion's share of those missing Bonucci long balls. Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini also increased their output of long balls, but neither was as successful in either quantitative or quantifiable terms as Pirlo was. Pirlo went 21-of-23 in long-ball attempts, and his passing accuracy rate was 90 percent today. Chiellini and Barzagli were both in double digits for both long balls attempted and completed, but they both lacked Bonucci's effectiveness. Thankfully, Barzagli and Chiellini were much more effective in defense than they were while attacking. Barzagli started off a bit slow, with a pair of noticeable errors, his first of the season. The first one came when Alessandro Gazzi had the ball in Juve's half. Barzagli went at Gazzi with a lousy challenge and ended up fouling Gazzi. Like I said, it was Barzagli's first noticeable error of the season, or at least it seemed that way. The next mistake came when Mattia Destro received a pass in Juve's half. Barzagli's challenge attempt totally failed, and Destro continued on. The rest of his game was up to the usual Barzagli standard, but if that had been Bonucci, the haters would be screaming for blood. The one Juventus player who was truly great today was Andrea Pirlo. His long balls were the only thing that kept the Juve attack alive, and it seemed that the most dangerous scoring opportunities always had something to do with Pirlo. Thirty-three minutes into the game, Pirlo sent forward a beautiful pass to Stephan Lichtsteiner, who was alone in front of goal. The pass was dead-on accurate, and Lichsteiner leaped up to kick it in. His kick sent the ball over the cross bar, but it didn't take away from Pirlo's skill and vision. The substitutes, Marco Borriello, Fabio Quagliarella and Emanuele Giaccherrini, didn't do much to spur scoring, either. Giaccherini was lively, as he tends to be, but it wasn't enough to tip the scales. Quags was only on for a little bit, but his influence was extremely small. Perhaps Conte should have instead put Alessandro Del Piero in, especially as Del Piero has a strong scoring record against Siena. Borriello was on for a good amount of time, and he showed great passion. Unfortunately, that passion came out in the form of arguments with Siena players and the referee, who gave Borriello a yellow card for arguing. I would have liked Borriello to turn his aggression into goals and not dust-ups, but he does what he wants. Borriello's foil, the referee, had as bad a game as the Juventus attack. His most egregious error came when he ignored a Siena handball in the box. Chiellini fired the ball into the box, and it was met with a Siena defender's forearm. The ref made no call, and Juve were not given the penalty kick they deserved. That said, Siena played well. Their defense, one of the top in the league, obviously had a part in shutting Juve down. Their offense wasn't too dangerous, but they can still be proud of a tough 0-0 draw away to Juventus. Siena has struggled on the road, and Juve has been excellent at home. Today marked the first-ever home shutout against Juve. They had scored in all the games in the new Juventus Stadium before today. They are still undefeated in the stadium and the league. Juve now has three days until their big Coppa Italia semifinal leg against A.C. Milan on Wednesday. Milan also drew today, against Napoli, and their star striker (and money-loving mercenary) Zlatan Ibrahimovic was given a red card for slapping another player. It was an unsurprising, if eventful, day for Zlatan. The red card means that he will probably be suspended for three Serie A games, meaning he will miss the league match against Juventus. He will also miss a match against Udinese. The suspension should not affect his eligibility for the Coppa match on Wednesday. Juve's disappointing result today is brightened by big losses by Inter (4-0 to Roma) and Udinese (3-2 to Fiorentina. The Milan draw, plus the losses by Inter and Udinese, mean that Juve's status at the top of the table is unchanged and even strengthened a little bit. Juventus need to put this performance behind them, as a big game against Milan starts off a period jam-packed with games. In a 10-day span, they have the Milan game, a match against Bologna, the makeup game against Parma, and one final game against Catania. The week after that Catania game, they face A.C. Milan in a Serie A match. It seems that they will not have to worry about Ibra, but after today I think Juventus needs to worry more about their own offense. Praise Conte, and Forza Juve. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Leaders fail to break through Feb 5, 2012 Juventus were frustrated in front of their own fans by a Siena side who were good value for a 0-0 draw in Piedmont. Juve did all of the attacking in a one-sided game, but they failed to create any major chances as the Tuscans defended resolutely. Siena almost stole a win late on when Alessandro Gazzi missed their best chance of the game, but Giuseppe Sannino's side arrived with a game-plan which they enforced perfectly to earn the point which keeps them three points above the relegation zone. Despite being held at home, Juve remain at the top of the table with rivals AC Milan also failing to win. Juventus coach Antonio Conte was facing his former side for the first time since leading them into Serie A last season. His recent history with the Tuscan club may be one of the reasons why they seemed to know precisely how to limit the Bianconeri's attacking potential. Indeed, Siena rarely looked in any danger of conceding in the first half as they defended in numbers, but above all, with organisation. The only time Juve really managed to get into a position to shoot was when Stephan Lichtsteiner's volley was pushed over by Gianluca Pegolo in the 34th minute. Juve had even more of the possession in the second half, yet the situation did not change as Siena harried and hassled them. Alessandro Matri tested Pegolo with a header, which the Siena goalkeeper pushed over the crossbar. Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo both tested Pegolo with weak shots before the visitors nearly stole the show late on. Pablo Gonzalez's shot was saved by Gianluigi Buffon, but the ball fell to Gazzi, who sent the potential match-winning shot over the crossbar from close range. Deep in stoppage time, Pegolo saved the result for Siena as he denied Giorgio Chiellini's shot on the turn. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ Juve upset at Siena stalemate Feb 5, 2012 Juventus were unable to break down Siena in Turin, but can complain about a penalty decision. The battle of the Bianconeri also saw Antonio Conte come face to face with the club he took to promotion last season. Juve were still unbeaten and also refreshed, as Tuesday’s game with Parma was snowed off. Siena missed Zeljko Brkic and Francesco Bolzoni, while their midweek round was also postponed due to the weather. The Tuscans had managed just four points on their travels all season, losing their last five away from home. Juve needed 15 minutes to get into gear, when Arturo Vidal’s screamer squirmed off Gianluca Pegolo’s palms. Moments later, Mattia Destro placed his daisy-cutter just wide of the near post. Mirko Vucinic made his comeback after a month out, but horribly scuffed from seven yards, kicking it on to his own shin. Stephan Lichtsteiner sprung the offside trap on an inspired Andrea Pirlo ball over the top and volleyed with the inside of his left foot, but Pegolo flew for a spectacular save. Simone Pepe was not 100 per cent fit and came off before the break for Emanuele Giaccherini. Vucinic ballooned another good chance over the bar and Claudio Marchisio’s deflected angled drive dribbled just wide of the upright. Pegolo flew to flap a Pirlo free kick out of the far top corner, then the goalkeeper did the same on Matri’s header. Marco Borriello came off the bench to nod wide and there was controversy when Andrea Barzagli was carded for a foul just outside the box, although replays suggest he got the ball cleanly. Gigi Buffon had to flap at the resulting set piece. The Juventus Stadium was livid five minutes from time, as Vergassola charged down a Chiellini cross in the box with his arm, but the referee waved play on. At the other end, Buffon spilled a Reginaldo snapshot and Alessandro Gazzi’s follow-up was just over the bar. Borriello and Giaccherini combined, the former Cesena player curling over the bar from a tight angle. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Vucinic (Borriello 61), Matri (Quagliarella 76), Pepe (Giaccherini 38) Siena: Pegolo; Vitiello, Rossettini, Terzi, Del Grosso; Giorgi (Reginaldo 69), Vergassola, Gazzi, Brienza; Destro (Parravicini 73), Calaiò (Gonzalez 56) Ref:Peruzzo http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) 0 - 0 Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Attendance: 35392‎ League leaders dominant but fail to break down resilient visitors Gianluca Pegolo was in inspired form for the visitors to deny the Old Lady their thirteenth win of the season and earn his side a valuable point in the process. Feb 5, 2012 Juventus laboured and could only muster a 0-0 draw at Juventus Arena against a rock-solid Siena side in Sunday's Serie A action. It was a stuttering performance from the Old Lady in what was a fairly scrappy game. Juve took 30 minutes to warm up but Gianluca Pegolo was in top form as he denied them on multiple occasions to earn the visitors a valuable and unexpected point. Juventus were far too sloppy on the ball and they struggled to break down a resilient Siena in the opening stages. Chances were limited in an extremely scrappy game and though Juve threatened down the wings, the movement of the strikers in the box was poor and they rarely tested Pegolo in the first 45 minutes. The Siena keeper’s first save came in the 16th minute when he flapped at a swerving effort from distance by Arturo Vidal, but managed to clear the ball away. Siena then took the ball straight up the other end and after Emanuele Calaio found space by cutting inside of Giorgio Chiellini, he screwed his shot into the side netting just one minute later. Juventus were becoming ever more dangerous as the half drew on. In the 34th minute Andrea Pirlo spotted Stephan Lichtsteiner’s darting run in the box and clipped a beautiful diagonal ball to the right-back. He helped it on with his first touch but Pegolo made a fantastic save, getting his fingers to it and tipping it over. Antonio Conte could not have been happy with his side’s first half display. Mirko Vucinic looked extremely rusty and Alessandro Matri was hardly involved in the game at all. Siena sought a goal on the break but were not committing enough players to stretch the hosts. Siena continued to have an answer for everything that Juve threw at them in the second half, their close pressing and tackling inspiring but they were allowing Pirlo too much time and space. Pegolo produced another fantastic save on the hour mark when he clawed away Pirlo’s beautifully placed free kick that was destined for the top corner. Just two minutes later he produced another remarkable stop when he got a hand to Matri’s header to keep the scores level. With 15 minutes remaining Siena enjoyed a decent spell of pressure after a quick break saw Gonzalez brought down close to the area by Andrea Barzagli. From the resultant free kick Buffon cleared the ball away and the visitors failed to get an effort on target. The stadium became a cauldron of frustration as the home side still struggled to find a way past their opposition. They had a penalty claim denied in the final moments when Giorgio Chiellini’s cross struck the arm of Simone Vergassola but the referee saw nothing wrong. Siena almost won it at the death when Buffon spilled Reginaldo’s effort, and Gazzi stormed in to finish it off but he blazed his effort high and wide from the corner of the six-yard box. Emanuele Giaccherini spurned a great opening in stoppage time to score the winner but his cross-goal effort had too much height and sailed just over Pegolo's bar. The result means Juve cling to top spot while Siena widen the gap between them and the drop zone to four points, effectively giving them a one-game cushion. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Siamo in testa nonostante lo 0-0 in casa con il catenacciaro Siena e con una partita in meno. Se non é il nostro anno questo!

Meno male che non ha espulso Chiellini

Giaccherini

0-0 con il Siena ... sarebbe un'altra occasione persa

'sti Gazzi .....

Non dobbiamo pareggiare con il Siena

A noi mai rigori

Catenaccio puro.

Partita stregata.

Siena in campo col modulo 10 - 0 - 0. Come giá si sapeva.

'Sti gazzi ....

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Line-ups: Juventus-Siena Feb 5, 2012 Juventus look to a trident of Mirko Vucinic, Alessandro Matri and Simone Pepe as they welcome Antonio Conte’s old club Siena. Conte took the Tuscans to promotion last season before resigning when he received the prestigious call from Turin. He has a full squad to choose from and opts for the 4-3-3 formation with Vucinic returning from injury. Paolo De Ceglie is picked at left-back, allowing Giorgio Chiellini to play in central defence. Siena miss Zeljko Brkic and Francesco Bolzoni for this trip to the Juventus Stadium, but have Mattia Destro as a partner for Emanuele Calaiò. Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Vucinic, Matri, Pepe Juventus bench: Storari, Bonucci, Giaccherini, Marrone, Del Piero, Quagliarella, Borriello Siena: Pegolo; Vitiello, Rossettini, Terzi, Del Grosso; Giorgi, Vergassola, Gazzi, Brienza; Destro, Calaiò Siena bench: Farelli, Rossi, Contini, Parravicini, D’Agostino, Reginaldo, Gonzalez. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/