Socrates

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/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Mirko Vucinic and Simone Pepe return for Juventus against Siena The Old Lady have reverted to their tried-and-tested against the Tuscan outfit, as four changes are made from the side that defeated Udinese 2-1 last weekend. Feb 5, 2012 Juventus have entrusted Mirko Vucinic, Alessandro Matri and Simone Pepe to lead the line for today's visit of Serie A rivals Siena. The trio will line up in a 4-3-3 system, as coach Antonio Conte has opted to end his 3-5-2 experiment and go back to the formation that has platformed the Bianconeri's success so far this season, which has seen them remain unbeaten after 20 league matches. Four changes have also been made from the XI that consigned Udinese to a 2-1 loss last week, as Leonardo Bonucci, Marcelo Estigarribia, Emanuele Giaccherini and Fabio Quagliarella have been replaced by fellow quartet Paolo De Ceglie, Claudio Marchisio, and duo Pepe and Vucinic. Meanwhile for Siena, two new personnel additions from the 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Fiorentina see Luigi Giorgi and Franco Brienza come into the fold at the expense of Emanuele Pesoli and Gaetano D'Agostino. The teams are as follows: Juventus (4-3-3): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Vucinic, Matri, Pepe Subs: Del Piero, Quagliarella, Borriello, Storari, Bonucci, Marrone, Giaccherini Siena (4-4-2): Pegolo; Vitiello, Rossettini, Terzi, Del Grosso; Giorgi, Vergassola, Gazzi, Brienza; Destro, Calaio Subs: D'Agostino, Farelli, Contini, Reginaldo, Parravicini, Rossi, Gonzalez. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Marcello Lippi: Juventus set to dominate Serie A once more The Turin club have taken a while to recover from 'Calciopoli' but the man who led them to five titles in two separate spells feels that they are now poised to reign supreme again. Feb 5, 2012 Former Juventus boss Marcello Lippi believes that the club are on the cusp of a new era of dominance. After successive seventh-placed finishes, the Bianconeri are currently flying high at the top of Serie A under new coach Antonio Conte, who arrived in Turin last summer. Juve have taken a while to recover from 'Calciopoli', the match-fixing scandal which resulted in them being relegated to Serie B, but the World Cup winner feels that they are now poised to re-establish themselves as the most powerful force in Italy. "Juventus will open a cycle because this team is only going to get better from here on," he told Tuttosport. "The new stadium has added a sense of pride, while Conte has given organisation and sense of belonging back to the club." Lippi coached Juve during two separate spells in 1994-99 and 2001-04, during which he led the club to five Serie A titles. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Sannino fired up for Juve Feb 5, 2012 Giuseppe Sannino believes Siena will have “exceptional motivation” in today’s trip to Juventus, especially as they are facing their old Coach Antonio Conte. “I am hardly the first to discover Juventus are a great side and therefore the team will have exceptional motivation in playing against the very best,” said Sannino. “A squad does not remain unbeaten for over half a season by accident. We are going into an extraordinary stadium against a very strong outfit. “We know that we have to seek safety points against every opponent in any arena, but to do it we need heart and passion.” January signing Erjon Bogdani is not yet ready to feature, while Zeljko Brkic and Francesco Bolzoni are injured. “This is the team from here to the end of the season and we must be as united as possible, becoming one with the fans and the city. This unity has to become our greatest strength, as it is the only way to survive in Serie A.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Juventus v Siena – Preview Feb 4, 2012 Serie A leaders Juventus welcome Siena to Turin on Sunday, hoping to maintain their unbeaten record and one point lead over second placed Milan. Siena’s last trip to face the Bianconeri ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw, however Giuseppe Sannino will find it much tougher to repeat history. Mirko Vucinic has returned to full fitness, while new signing Simone Padoin should be named on the bench. Antonio Conte saw his side’s clash with Parma postponed in mid-week, and with seven wins from their ten home games this season, he will be confident of continuing their good form. Siena also saw their game in mid-week postponed due to the weather, but have concerns over the availability of Zeljko Brkic and Francesco Bolzoni. Sannino’s men have collected just four points away from home all season, are without a victory in that time and have lost their last five on the road. The front pairing of Emannuel Calaio and Mattia Destro will be a tough test for the Juve backline, despite the Bianconeri possessing the strongest defence in Serie A. Probable Line-ups: Juventus (4-3-3): Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Pepe, Matri, Vucinic Subs; Storari, Caceres, De Ceglie, Giaccherini, Padoin, Borriello, Quagliarella Siena (4-4-2): Pegolo, Vitiello, Rossettini, Contini, Del Grosso, Angelo, Vergassola, Gazzi, Brienza, Destro, Calaio Subs; Farelli, Pesoli, Terzi, Grossi, D’Agostino, Reginaldo, Gonzalez Form Guide: Juventus: -WWDWD 21/12/11 – Udinese 0-0 Juventus 08/01/12 – Lecce 0-1 Juventus 15/01/12 – Juventus 1-1 Cagliari 21/01/12 – Atalanta 0-2 Juventus 28/01/12 – Juventus 2-1 Udinese 31/01/12 – Parma PSTP Juventus Siena: LDLWD 20/12/11 – Siena 0-0 Fiorentina 07/01/12 – Siena 4-0 Lazio 15/01/12 – Parma 3-1 Siena 22/01/12 – Siena 1-1 Napoli 29/01/12 – Fiorentina 2-1 Siena 01/02/12 – Siena PSTP Catania Top Scorers: Juventus Matri – 9 Marchisio – 6 Siena Calaio – 9 Destro – 5 Assists: Juventus Pirlo – 5 Vucinic – 5 Siena D’Agostino – 3 Calaio – 2 http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Match Preview Serie A league leaders Juventus have an ideal opportunity to further distance themselves from their closest rivals when they entertain lowly Siena at the Juventus Stadium on Sunday. Feb 4, 2012 La Vecchia Signora are the odds on favourites to extend their impressive 20-game unbeaten run when they clash with relegation candidates Siena at the Juventus stadium on Sunday. Juventus, who had their midweek game with Parma postponed due to extreme weather conditions, will be hoping to get back into the swing of things against a vulnerable Siena outfit who have yet to win an away game in ten attempts this season. Although the Tuscan outfit will do their utmost to change this negative statistic it is likely to be an almost impossible ordeal, not only because Giuseppe Sannino's troops have suffered five straight defeats, but because their rivals boast the best defence in the league, after having conceded a mere 13 goals. Juventus, who reinforced their side with Marco Borriello, Ouasim Bouy, Simone Padoin and Martin Caceres following the winter transfer window, contain depth in every sector of the field, and the fact that they have scored at least a goal in each of their last fifteen games at their newly-built fortress, the Juventus Stadium, means that they will likely continue with their glorious run on Sunday. Antonio Conte, the coach of Juventus, will field a full-strength side for the game, with Paolo De Ceglie, Simone Pepe, Mirko Vucinic and Claudio Marchisio expected to start from the kick-off, as they did in the 2-1 win over Udinese. Juve idol, Alessandro del Piero, will wait anxiously for an opportunity from the substitute's bench to increase his career-high tally of twelve goals versus Siena. There is no team that Del Piero has converted more goals against than La Robur. Meanwhile, Sannino will maintain an almost identical formation as to the one that lost 2-1 to Fiorentina in the Tuscan derby. The news comes rather surprisingly, considering the fact that Siena face Napoli at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia on Thursday. Juventus have a favourable history over their rivals in the Serie A, after having obtained 13 wins, one draw and a single loss. Do you think Siena could pull off an upset? Prediction: Juventus 2-0 Siena http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Juventus v Siena: Preview Feb 4, 2012 Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini is warning his team not to be distracted by thoughts of winning the title as they prepare to host Siena tomorrow. The Turin giants are one point clear of AC Milan at the top of Serie A and have a game in hand after Tuesday's game at Parma was postponed due to heavy snow. "It's too early to feel favourites for the Scudetto,'' Chiellini said. "We have only started the second half of the season and just because Milan lost at Lazio in midweek, it doesn't change things. "We have so many games to play this month, including a clash at AC Milan (on February 25), and after that things will be more clear.'' Juventus remain unbeaten this season and have the best defence in the league with just 13 goals conceded in 20 games. Moreover, they have never lost against Siena at home. Siena coach Giuseppe Sannino is expecting a tough afternoon. The Tuscan outfit have struggled on their travels this season and head to Turin still searching for their first win on the road. Siena have collected just four points from a possible 30 away from home. "Juventus are a fantastic team,'' Sannino said. "We will be playing in a fantastic stadium against a great side. "We need to get points against every opponent in our battle to avoid the drop. "My players will need to show heart and passion to have a chance to win this game.'' Siena, whose midweek game against Catania was also postponed due to adverse weather conditions, go into the encounter on the back of last weekend's 2-1 loss at Fiorentina. The result left them in 17th place, three points clear of the drop zone. Juventus, coached by Antonio Conte, will be at full strength with midfielder Claudio Marchisio, winger Simone Pepe and forward Mirko Vucinic having all recovered from injury. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo MATCH PREVIEW Feb 4, 2012 The last time Juventus hosted Siena in Serie A, the minnows came from three goals down to net their first ever point in Turin. It was March 2010 and two goals from Alessandro Del Piero and a strike by Antonio Candreva put the Old Lady into a formidable position just 10 minutes into the game. But by the final whistle, Alberto Malesani’s Tuscan outfit picked up a 3-3 with goals from Massimo Maccarone and an Abdel Ghezzal brace. This is a very different Juve though. Of the 14 players who Alberto Zaccheroni used on that afternoon, only Paolo De Ceglie, Claudio Marchisio and Alex Del Piero remain in the present squad. The Old Lady, unlike back then, are now serious Scudetto contenders given that they lead the standings by a point over Milan and they have a game in hand. Both Juventus and Siena saw their midweek commitments postponed because of the arctic conditions to have hit Italy over the last few days, but those cancelled games didn’t affect their League positions. If anything it strengthened the Old Lady’s, while Siena are still three points above the drop zone. Juve boss Antonio Conte, who led Siena to promotion last term, has recovered Mirko Vucinic from injury. He’ll either use a 3-5-2 or a 4-3-3 on Sunday, while Giuseppe Sannino will respond with a 4-4-2 that Conte used to such great effect last term. Conte will have to decide whether to field Giorgio Chiellini in the middle or as a left-back, while Stephan Lichtsteiner should start given that he was expected to be rested in midweek. Juve have won seven of their 10 home games this term, but they can be stopped as draws with Bologna, Genoa and Cagliari illustrate. Siena, who have concerns about Zeljko Brkic and Francesco Bolzoni, don’t travel well though. They have picked up just four points on the road all season, they have no win and have lost their last five away from home. Their last away win was at Grosseto in April. Siena may be hard to breakdown though as they have the sixth best defensive record in the land. Keep an eye on: Mattia Destro (Siena) – Believed to be on Juve’s wish-list for the summer, the Under-21 international will be keen to catch the eye of the Bianconeri. He has five goals in 13 Serie A games so far this term. Last time in Serie A: Juventus 3-3 Siena – Alex Del Piero scored his 300th and 301st career goals in that tie. Form guide: Juventus (W W W D W) Siena (L W D L W) Stat fact: There have been just six Serie A games in Turin between Juventus and Siena. The Old Lady have five wins and there has been one draw. Del Piero has featured in all of them, scoring eight goals in the process. Juventus (probable): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Ceglie; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pepe, Matri, Vucinic Siena (probable): Pegolo; Vitiello, Rossettini, Contini, Del Grosso; Angelo, Vergassola, Gazzi, Brienza; Destro, Calaió http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Serie A Preview The Old Lady could distance themselves from their league rivals at the summit of Serie A with a positive performance against the free-falling Tuscan outfit on Sunday. Feb 4, 2012 PROBABLE LINE-UPS JUVENTUS Buffon Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini, De Ceglie Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio Pepe, Matri, Vucinic SIENA Pegolo Vitiello, Rossettini, Terzi, Del Grosso Angelo, Vergassola, Gazzi, Brienza Destro, Calaió Juventus coach Antonio Conte looks set to revert to his tried-and-tested 4-3-3 formation for the visit of Siena, with an arguably full-strength XI ready to be named despite his 3-5-2 experiment proving successful during the 2-1 win over Udinese last week. As a result, Leonardo Bonucci, Marcelo Estigarribia, Emanuele Giaccherini and Fabio Quagliarella are to be ousted in favour of Paolo De Ceglie, Claudio Marchisio, Simone Pepe and Mirko Vucinic. Meanwhile, for Siena, Giuseppe Sannino is likely to make just the two changes from the 2-1 reverse to arch-rivals Fiorentina, as midfield pair Angelo and Franco Brienza are expected to replace Gaetano D'Agostino and Emanuele Pesoli. However, there will be no place in the squad for goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic and midfielder Francesco Bolzoni, both whom find themselves on the sidelines with injury. DID YOU KNOW? •Juventus still remain the only side unbeaten amongst the 'top five' European leagues this season. •The Bianconeri also boast the best defence in Serie A, conceding only 13 goals to date. •The Old Lady have also scored in each of their last 15 games on home soil. •Erstwhile, Siena have won just one of their last 11 league games. •Away from home, Sannino's men are on a run of five straight defeats and are without a win in their last 16. •Alessandro Del Piero has scored 12 goals against Siena; more than against any other Serie A opponent. •In 13 top-flight meetings between these sides, Juventus have won 11 of them, while Siena's only win came in May 2008 - a 1-0 victory. Head to Head Serie A - Sep 18, 2011 - Siena 0 - Juventus 1 Serie A ‎- Mar 14, 2010 - Juventus 3 - Siena 3 Serie A ‎- Oct 25, 2009 - Siena 0 - Juventus 1 Serie A - May 24, 2009 - Siena 0 - Juventus 3 Serie A ‎- Jan 11, 2009 - Juventus 1 - Siena 0 Last Five Matches Juventus Jan 28, 2012 - Juventus 2 - Udinese 1 - Serie A Jan 24, 2012 - Juventus 3 - Roma 0 - Coppa Italia Jan 21, 2012 - Atalanta 0 - Juventus 2 - Serie A Jan 15, 2012 - Juventus 1 - Cagliari 1 - Serie A Jan 8, 2012 - Lecce 0 - Juventus 1 - Serie A Siena Jan 29, 2012 - Fiorentina 2 - Siena 1 - Serie A Jan 25, 2012 - Chievo 0 - Siena 1 - Coppa Italia Jan 22, 2012 - Siena 1 - SSC Napoli 1 - Serie A Jan 15, 2012 - Parma 3 - Siena 1 - Serie A Jan 7, 2012 - Siena 4 - Lazio 0 - Serie A Players to Watch Alessandro Matri A triumphant return to form last week saw the hitman score a crucial brace to hand Juventus all three points on offer against Udinese, after a run of just one goal in his previous seven matches. However, with his shooting boots seemingly back on, he'll be sure to pose Siena all sorts of problems as he aims to add to his tally of nine for the season. Emanuele Calaiò The former Napoli forward has hit a rich vein of form in recent weeks, scoring an impressive four goals in his past four matches, including a memorable brace in the 4-0 demolition of Lazio. However, having fired blanks in six previous matches, the pressure is on for Calaio to sustain his midas touch against Gianluigi Buffon. Prediction A comprehensive home win should be in the pipeline, as Juventus are expected to stroll past their Tuscan counterparts and make it an impressive 21 games unbeaten in Serie A, while piling further misery on the new boys. Editor's Prediction Juventus 3 - 0 Siena http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Juve looking to make light of the weather in Serie A Feb 4, 2012 The weather has been playing havoc with football fixtures in Italy all week but Serie A leaders Juventus have survived the big freeze and managed to cement their grip on the standings, without even playing. Juve's game at Parma was called off leaving them an anxious 24-hour wait to see if they would lose the league leadership. But AC Milan crashed 2-0 at Lazio meaning Juve held on to top spot ahead of the visit of Siena this weekend. "The midweek games provided a table that still makes us smile," said Juve captain Alessandro Del Piero. "With a one-point advantage (over Milan) and a game in hand we have to take advantage of the opportunity to escape, even though it's still too soon to stop and look at the table." There is still almost half the season to go but there's a feeling that things are falling into Juve's lap. However, with temperatures of up to minus 10 Celsius expected in the north this weekend, the weather promises to have yet more of a say. Many of Italy's stadiums are mostly old and out-dated with poor facilities and no contingency plans for icy conditions Already three scheduled evening games have had to be brought forward to the afternoon to give them a better chance of going ahead. What this has done is reopen a raging debate in Italy about the state of stadia in the country. Juve are the only club to own their custom-built stadium while everyone else rents theirs from the local council. Those other stadiums are mostly old and out-dated with poor facilities and no contingency plans for icy conditions. When games are called off in Italy it is rarely because the pitch is frozen but because the areas around the ground used by fans are deemed too dangerous. And while Turin is one of the worst affected areas in the country, the Juventus Stadium has held up well to the snow. Juve are the only club to own their custom-built stadium while everyone else rents theirs from the local council. "We're first in the table but we're already concentrating on the next match on Sunday against Siena at the Juventus Stadium," added Del Piero. "Last Saturday we gave a great demonstration of efficiency (in dealing with the weather conditions), so thanks to the people who worked hard to allow us to play and the fans to enjoy a great spectacle." The efficient stadium is indicative of a well-oiled Juve machine that remains unbeaten this season and has proved beyond doubt now that they are capable of putting successive, miserable, seventh-placed finishes behind them and challenging for the title. And if anything, their rivals seem to be facilitating affairs. Lazio had previously slipped away by losing at Inter Milan, who were on a seven-game winning run until the last week where one point from six has dropped them eight points behind Juve having played a game more. But Lazio then threw a spanner in Milan's works, leaving their coach Massimiliano Allegri insisting that Juve and not the champions are now the title favourites. They also face a much tougher weekend game as they host Napoli, themselves beset by problems an inconsistency. Napoli have been highly impressive when playing supposed big teams, beating both Milans and Manchester City. But their continued inability to put lesser teams to the sword—they have drawn nine games in the league—has seen them fall right out of title and probably Champions League contention. However, it would be no surprise if the giant-killing Napoli turn up on Sunday. Heavy snowfall in Rome has forced the postponement of the AS Roma v Inter Milan match this weekend, city officials announced on Friday. Officials in Forli, who govern the region of Cesena, added that the Cesena v Catania match—also scheduled for 1500 on Saturday—risked being called off because of adverse weather conditions. It has been decided that all of the weekend's remaining matches will kick off at 1500, although the Genoa v Lazio fixture will start as scheduled at 1230. Fixtures Saturday Cesena v Catania (TBC) Sunday Genoa v Lazio (1130 GMT), Chievo v Parma, Fiorentina v Udinese, Juventus v Siena, Lecce v Bologna, Novara v Cagliari, Palermo v Atalanta, AC Milan v Napoli, Roma v Inter Milan. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 22 - 5-2-2012 (3:00 p.m.) - Juventus Stadium - Turin Referee: Sebastiano Peruzzo Round 22 (21): In Conte we trust Feb 4, 2012 This was a bit of a crazy week. The transfer window came and went, and many people are rating our past market as good one. And, thank God — Secco approves. I was nervous for a minute. Anyway, even if the moves weren’t exactly what we had thought they would be or hoped for, they all made sense. Depth was added, dead weight was lifted and, of course, we remain unbeaten. The curious cases of Reto Ziegler and to varying other extents Milos Krasic and Eljero Elia prove that Conte will not have any player imposed on him which he doesn’t feel fits his system. In fact, despite Tuesday’s game against Parma being snowed out, Conte is such a badass that he was able to keep us in first place (I know, everyone else has been making the exact same joke, but I don’t care). To this I say onward, with trust in the Count. Siena has not had a good run of things since promotion and poaching of their coach by us. Their most recent win was a 1-0 victory in the Coppa against Chievo, as they remain just out of the relegation zone 19 points, 3 more than Lecce with a game in hand. They travel to Turin to meet their old friend in his new home, with a rested squad. Good news: It appears as if Vucinic is available, as well as any other players who may have been questionable with a knock, such as Lichtsteiner – who wasn’t actually reaching into his crotch against Udinese to warm up his hands after all. Despite Conte’s complaints, a snowout against Parma was perhaps not the worst thing that could’ve happened. Now the full squad is presumably available to try and keep the ball rolling and make it 4 wins in a row (counting the Coppa win against Roma). Our old/new friend Martin Caceres is now available as his paperwork is finally through, as is NKOTB Simone Padoin. My Dutch mancrush Elia has also been included with the squad, so he can watch the game from a close vantage point, maybe even on the bench this time! Also, Siena has a midfielder named Gazzi. It makes me laugh every time I think about that. Bad news: Well, Siena is rested too, as the snow messed up a lot of fixtures. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem, right? Also of note is that Milos Krasic has been left off of the squad. Oh yea, and the Russian transfer window is open until February 24. Not looking good, Meelosh. My starting XI: (4-3-3) Gigi; Kelso, Giorgio, Dre, Marty; Principino, Bon Pirlo, King Arthur; Dutchie, Matri, Vooch. Alright, I’m not really mental. Caceres surely shouldn’t start just yet, especially ahead of Lichtsteiner. But maybe poor Steve-o could use a break, and plus, I am really, really excited to see Martin back on the pitch. I also know Elia isn’t going to play and frankly, I’m over it. I just feel like I need to remain consistent to keep my street cred up. Siena probable: (4-4-2) Pegolo; Vitiello, Rossettini, Contini, Del Grosso; Angelo, Vergassola, Gazzi, Brienza; Destro, Calaió. Bench: Farelli, Pesoli, Terzi, Grossi, D’Agostino, Reginaldo, Gonzalez. Remember when Gaetano D’Agostino was so sought after by us, but Udinese was playing hardball with us, pricing us out of the market? Yea, that was crazy. Thank God that transfer didn’t work out. Oh wait, that pushed Secco to sign Felipe Melo to play out of position as a regista. Nevermind. Juventus probable: Buffon; De Ceglie, Chiellini, Barzagli, Lichtsteiner; Marchisio, Pirlo, Vidal; Vucinic, Matri, Pepe. Bench: Storari, Bonucci, Estigarribia, Giaccherini, Del Piero, Quagliarella. Have at it, folks. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/