Socrates

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000 Antonio Conte proud of 'brave' effort in Napoli draw The Turin side's head coach was very pleased with his team's performance in Tuesday's Serie A game at the San Paolo in which they recovered from twice being two goals behind. Nov 30, 2011 Juventus coach Antonio Conte has expressed his delight with the Turin giants' comeback in their 3-3 Serie A draw with Napoli on Tuesday evening. Goals from Marek Hamsik and Goran Pandev gave Napoli a 2-0 lead at half-time before Alessandro Matri pegged one back after the break. The hosts restored their two-goal lead shortly after, but Juve once again fought back and eventually salvaged a draw. "We struggled at the very beginning of the game, because we were not focused enough. Napoli, on the other hand, started with a special drive and scored twice," Conte told on the club's official website. "However, we rediscovered ourselves and were brave enough to overcome the obstacles with our great heart. I’m very proud to be Juventus coach. "I think that being two goals behind, especially at the San Paolo, would have struck down any team, but we fought back." Juventus remain on top of the Serie A table after the away draw, with 26 points from 12 games. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000 Simone Pepe: Napoli draw is worth as much as a victory The 28-year-old winger hailed his side's never-say-die attitude against the Naples outfit and admitted that he had a slice of good fortune with his equalising goal. Nov 30, 2011 Juventus midfielder Simone Pepe underlined the importance of his side's 3-3 stalemate at Napoli in Serie A on Tuesday evening. The Turin-based side saw themselves trailing by two goals with little more than 20 minutes left on the clock, but still managed to restore parity following strikes from Marcelo Estigarribia and Pepe. The draw in the rearranged clash sees Juventus increase the gap on second-placed sides AC Milan and Udinese to two points. "This draw is worth as much as a victory," Pepe told Sky Sport Italia. "Our group is united, we never give up. "I was comfortable playing as an inside midfielder, it is fun playing there. Credit is also goes to my midfield colleagues, [Arturo] Vidal and [Andrea] Pirlo, both of whom gave me cover. "I had a bit of luck in my goal, but you also want that in football." Antonio Conte's side, who have taken 26 points from 12 matches, will host 19th-placed Cesena on Sunday. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000 Conte: 'So proud of Juventus' Nov 29, 2011 Antonio Conte hailed the Juventus heart to come back from 3-1 down in Naples. “I am proud to coach these lads.” The Bianconeri were 2-0 under at half-time and losing 3-1 in the second half until Marcelo Estigarribia and Simone Pepe snatched a spectacular 3-3 draw. “There were some very strong responses in terms of character. Aside from the head, legs and tactics, without heart you cannot fight back and put a game like this back on track,” whispered Conte, who had lost his voice by shouting from the touchline. “It was a very difficult start and Napoli immediately played at a high tempo, but we seemed almost as if we were waiting for them to tire themselves out. There were a few distractions and we went 2-0 down, so that result, that performance and this atmosphere at the San Paolo would’ve broken any other team. “This is why I am so proud that my team showed such humility, passion and belief to fight back. Quite aside from their technical gifts, I am very happy to see this inner strength from the squad. I am proud to coach these lads.” Conte was without the suspended Claudio Marchisio and surprised everyone with a modified 3-5-2 system. “We tried to mirror Napoli, as Christian Maggio makes the difference for them and I wanted him to go head-to-head with Estigarribia, who had an extraordinary game. Pepe is a very intelligent player tactically and had a little trouble finding his position in the middle, but then became devastating. “We had prepared a match with Mirko Vucinic against Salvatore Aronica and Alessandro Matri on Paolo Cannavaro. We didn’t do well in the first half, as we often hesitated in giving them service. After the break the two strikers had much more of an impact.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000 Mazzarri: 'Glass half-empty' Nov 29, 2011 Walter Mazzarri couldn’t help but be disappointed after a 3-3 draw with Juventus. “I really thought we’d won it at 3-1.” Napoli dominated the first half in a 3-3 thriller at the Stadio San Paolo, but were pegged back in the final stages. “The glass is half-empty for me. We had a spectacular first half while our strength held out, but unfortunately we paid the price for the many fixtures. When the games notch up, you pay for it,” sighed Mazzarri. “I didn’t want the half-time break to come, as our enthusiasm could’ve kept us going for another 15 minutes. You could see we weren’t putting enough pressure on. “On the 3-1 with Goran Pandev’s goal, I honestly thought we had won it, even if we were struggling in terms of stamina. “Big teams with more experienced players like Andrea Pirlo know how to slow the tempo and cool things down. We’ve still got to learn how to do that. “It’s a shame, as we conceded the third goal with four players around Simone Pepe and he got a lucky deflection off one of ours. I really thought we’d won it. “When Hugo Campagnaro is sharp, he won’t let anything past, but when tired you can make silly mistakes. We had a similar problem against Manchester City, as we knew we were facing a top club and lost sharpness due to fatigue, so the fear of not getting the points sets in. “I always tell my players we can’t go at 1,000mph all the time, but it’s one thing to say and another to do. We must learn how to speed up at the right moment, otherwise we use up all our energy. “We were on the ropes in the second half, as our legs started to give way. We had put Juventus under such a lot of pressure in the first half and I could see that, the same way I could see we lost our stamina after the break.” Pandev had been disappointing so far this season, but bagged a well-taken brace in Edinson Cavani’s absence. “Pandev is a top quality player, he played for world champions Inter. We’ve been unlucky this season, as he got injured just as he was starting to get into gear. I only played him for 60 minutes on Saturday and now he knows why, as he had to grow slowly.” Napoli are nine points off leaders Juventus, but Mazzarri is setting no targets. “We will continue giving our best to go as far as we can, the same way we did last season.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000 Matri: 'That first half...' Nov 29, 2011 The Bianconeri were losing all the way against Napoli until finally making it 3-3 at the Stadio San Paolo. “There are both positive and negative aspects of this game,” said Matri, who was one of the goalscorers. “The result is good, considering how it started. We must always step on to the field convinced of our abilities, the way we did after the break. We must never repeat that first half again. “It was a strange match, as we conceded two goals during our best period of play. We did well to stay in the game.” As Claudio Marchisio was suspended, Matri’s goal makes him Juve’s top scorer for this season. “The important thing is that this goal helped the team to achieve a point.” http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000 Conte’s Juventus storm back from 2-0 down to draw 3-3 at Napoli Nov 29, 2011 The starting line-ups (with Napoli's front three rotating) One of the good things about a very tactical match is that the coaches are pressed for the reasons they made particular decisions at the post-match press conference. Antonio Conte’s approach away to Napoli was very surprising. Having started the season with a 4-4-2 often called a 4-2-4 and more recently moved to a 4-1-4-1, he switched to a 3-5-2 system. Giorgio Chiellini tucked in, Marcelo Estigarribia played on the left, and Simone Pepe moved inside to the centre of midfield, with Claudio Marchisio suspended. Walter Mazzarri, meanwhile, played his usual 3-4-3ish shape, though Juan Zuniga started rather than Andrea Dossena, and Edinson Cavani was injured so Goran Pandev played upfront. The front three switched around even more than usual, but one always made sure they dropped onto Andrea Pirlo and closed him down quickly. With the coaches outlining very interesting reasoning for their decisions, this article will be in two parts – a larger first looking at the coaches’ explanations, then a smaller part looking at how and why Juventus managed to turn it around in the second half. The quotes are all taken from the superb Football Italia website. Part 1 – quotes and analyis Conte’s starting line-up: Conte: “We tried to mirror Napoli, as Christian Maggio makes the difference for them and I wanted him to go head-to-head with Estigarribia, who had an extraordinary game. Conte’s openness about wanting to mirror Napoli is interesting. Presumably, since Juventus were 3-5-2ish and Napoli were 3-4-3, he means mirroring them with a back three and wing-backs, rather than in midfield. In basic terms, it’s quite unwise to try and beat an opponent at a particular style of football they excel at, and in the first half Napoli’s wing-backs were much more effective than Juventus’. Estigarribia has seen little Serie A football, and when he has he hasn’t looked completely convincing, so it’s surprising Conte wanted to put him up against the man who he considered Juventus’ biggest threat. He doesn’t have many alternatives for that role, but perhaps Pepe could have played on the left and ex-Napoli star Michele Pazienza could have done a job in the centre. Did the approach to stop Maggio work? Not really – Maggio set up the first from a set-piece with a header across the six-yard box for Marek Hamsik, contributed the second by closing down Andrea Pirlo with the ball falling to Pandev, and crossed for the the third, Pandev’s cool finish. Granted, the first goal was from a free-kick and therefore not about formations and positioning in open play, and the second was an accidental assist that came from pressing, but you can’t say that Juve successfully nullified Maggio – although later they attacked him brilliantly. Napoli defence v Juventus attack: Conte: “We had prepared a match with Mirko Vucinic against Salvatore Aronica and Alessandro Matri on Paolo Cannavaro. We didn’t do well in the first half, as we often hesitated in giving them service. After the break the two strikers had much more of an impact.” The positioning here caused Napoli problems at the back. Ordinarily in 3 v 2 you’d want the central player, Cannavaro, sweeping up behind two others, Aronica and Hugo Campagnaro. But it meant that Campagnaro was the free man and spent the game leaving his zone and moving to the left of the pitch. Watch Juve’s first goal and you’ll find Campagnaro towards the left, leaving a huge amount of space for Matri. The second is almost identical, but more exaggerated and with Estigarribia free. It’s ironic that the one Napoli centre-back not mentioned by Conte was the only one mentioned by Mazzarri… Mazzarri: “When Hugo Campagnaro is sharp, he won’t let anything past, but when tired you can make silly mistakes.” Pepe Conte: “Pepe is a very intelligent player tactically and had a little trouble finding his position in the middle, but then became devastating.” Pepe: “I’m not a narrow midfielder, but I was able to go about my duties thanks to my teammates. I felt at ease and enjoyed myself when I found space, also because Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo protected me and granted me the freedom to go forward.” Pepe, who grabbed the equaliser, has become the versatile workman that Juventus have always been great at creating. In the mould of Moreno Torricelli, Angelo Di Livio, Alessandro Birindelli, Gianluca Zambrotta and Gianluca Pessotto, Pepe is a man for all seasons and all positions and his current goalscoring form (three goals in three for the first time in his career) underlines his contribution. Tiredness Conte: “It was a very difficult start and Napoli immediately played at a high tempo, but we seemed almost as if we were waiting for them to tire themselves out.” Mazzarri: “We had a spectacular first half while our strength held out, but unfortunately we paid the price for the many fixtures. When the games notch up, you pay for it… We had a similar problem against Manchester City, as we knew we were facing a top club and lost sharpness due to fatigue, so the fear of not getting the points sets in…I always tell my players we can’t go at 1,000mph all the time, but it’s one thing to say and another to do. We must learn how to speed up at the right moment, otherwise we use up all our energy. We were on the ropes in the second half, as our legs started to give way…I could see we lost our stamina after the break.” It’s fascinating that Mazzarri knew his side was vulnerable late on when fatigue set in, and Conte thought Napoli would tire too, which is probably why he didn’t make any substitutions until the game was at 3-3. Mazzarri isn’t blessed with the biggest squad, but his failure to rotate has been particularly obvious this season, probably not sustainable in the Champions League as well as the league. Last season Napoli were kings of the late winner, now opposition managers see them as vulnerable in the closing stages. The second half line-ups Part 2- the crucial change At 2-0 down, it was amazing that Conte emerged for the second half with the same XI that contested the first, but he did make a crucial change. Estigarribia was pushed higher up the pitch to become more like a left-winger and forcing back Maggio back to more like a right-back (a move that clearly benefited Juventus, both in basic territorial terms and because that puts Estigarribia into a position he’s more comfortable in, and Maggio into a position he’s less comfortable in). Lichsteiner wasn’t a force in the second half, but Chiellini was a cross between a left-sided centre-back and an attacking left-back, tucking in narrow without the ball but pushing on down the flank. All three Juventus goals were scored from a left-of-centre position, and Chiellini had another great chance in the 78th minute from that side of the pitch. It took some key position changes, but eventually Conte’s initial focus on the left side of the pitch worked. They needed to be more aggressive though – it wasn’t about stopping Maggio playing, it was about attacking him. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000‎ Week's trials prove Juventus is back Nov 29, 2011 “Are you mad?” was Gigi Buffon’s prickly response when La Repubblica asked him if Juventus could finally start talking about the Scudetto after their mightily impressive 1-0 victory away to Lazio on Saturday. The 33-year-old goalkeeper had given his best performance of the season so far, and it was from one of the saves he made off Tommaso Rocchi that Juventus sprung the lightning fast counter-attack, one which ended with Simone Pepe scoring in the 34th minute. True, they had ridden their luck at times. Hernanes had hit the post for Lazio and appeals for a penalty were also dismissed, but Juventus stayed positive, they kept playing their football and deserved to leave the Olimpico with the spoils. There was cause for celebration. Juventus were six points better off than they were at this stage last season and still unbeaten after their first 11 games in Serie A, a feat they last achieved under Marcello Lippi in 1997. And yet Buffon refused to believe the hype. “Yes, you’re right,” he snapped at La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “We’ve already won the Scudetto. We’ll easily beat Napoli on Tuesday. Is that what you want to hear?” Well, it was, sort of, yes. Antonio Conte had already exasperated reporters by insisting that he will never say the ‘S’ word. That led La Stampa to liken the Juventus coach to the Fonz from Happy Days, because just as he could not bring himself to say “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong”, so Conte won’t freely talk about the title. The caution and restraint Juventus were showing was understandable. Humbled after back-to-back seventh place finishes in Serie A, theirs is not superstition, nor false modesty. It’s genuine: A case of once bitten, twice shy. Juventus have been built up before, and on each occasion that has made the fall ever harder to take. In a series of interviews on Monday, Buffon revealed the scale to which he personally has been scarred by the disappointments of the recent past. He expressed a concern that “things have gone a little too well up until now”, that he doesn’t have any kind of certainty, “only hope” that this season will end differently to the last, and that there are “at least two teams better than us.” Most revealing of all was his preparedness to admit, “I dread that everything will go back to how it was some months ago.” Buffon then added, “I need to understand how we will behave when we are missing two or three fundamental players, whether we will manage to stay competitive and stick together in circumstances like that.” He got some answers on Tuesday when Juventus travelled to Naples. Juventus's base formation is a 4-1-4-1, seen here as it was set up to face Lazio on Saturday. With Claudio Marchisio out for Tuesday's match in Naples, Antonio Conte was forced into changes. While driving to the stadium their bus was attacked. Eggs were pelted, stones thrown and windows were smashed. No one was hurt, but it was clear that an intimidating atmosphere awaited the visitors. This was to be their biggest test yet. Would they pass? Would they fail? It was time to find out. Juventus had lost on each of their last four visits to the San Paolo, and though there were reasons aplenty to be positive - from the defeats they had inflicted on Milan and Inter earlier this season to the news filtering through that an ankle injury had consigned Napoli striker Edinson Cavani to the stands - at the end of the day they had to come to terms with the fact they were without the suspended Claudio Marchisio. The Italy international midfielder has proven himself to be fundamental to Juventus’s game-plan under Conte. He allows the team’s best player, Andrea Pirlo, to do what he does best. Think of it this way: If Pirlo is Juventus’s quarterback in their 4-1-4-1 formation, Marchisio is their left-tackle, protecting his blind side, blocking the pass-rush, preventing the sack. Until Tuesday, he was also Juventus’s joint top scorer with Alessandro Matri on five goals. So Conte needed to adjust his strategy. What he did came as a surprise. He opted to play a 3-5-2 system instead. Stephane Lichtsteiner and Marcelo Estigarribia became wing-backs and were told to stop Juan Camilo Zuniga and Christian Maggio bombing forward. Simone Pepe then moved from the right-wing where he had played so well against Lazio on Saturday to Marchisio’s inside left position, in front of Pirlo. With numerical superiority in midfield it was thought that Juventus would be able to dominate and put pressure on Napoli's central midfield: Walter Gargano and Gökhan Inler. Juventus changed their shape in the absence of midfielder Claudio Marchisio. Instead, for the first 45 minutes they looked confused. The precise tactical identity that had been one of Juventus’s biggest strengths throughout the season was abandoned. Too many changes had been made in one fell swoop and soon after kick off it became apparent they were in trouble. Pirlo, in particular, had a torrid time. This was his first bad showing in a Juventus shirt. He brought down Ezequiel Lavezzi on the edge of penalty area after quarter of an hour and the referee pointed to the spot. Marek Hamsik scored, but the referee ordered a re-take that he blasted over the bar. Redemption came five minutes later when he nodded in a free-kick to give Napoli the lead. They doubled their advantage before the break, as a clearance attempted by Pirlo rebounded off Maggio and fell to Goran Pandev. The opportunity was too good to pass up, and Pandev duly obliged, sweeping the ball past Buffon and into the bottom left-hand corner. Juventus were now up against it. Questions were being asked. How would they react? What were they really made of? Were they about to lie down and take a beating or stand up and fight? All was to be revealed when they came out of the dressing room at half-time. Estigarribia later lifted the lid on what Conte had said. “Kill or be killed.” And Juventus went for the jugular. Within three minutes of the re-start, Matri had got one back for his team, chasing down an exquisite through-ball from Arturo Vidal and sliding it past Morgan De Sanctis. When Pandev restored Napoli’s two-goal cushion, trapping a cross from Maggio with his back to goal and hitting it superbly on the turn, Juventus’s heads didn’t go down. They kept fighting. Conte stuck to his guns. He showed courage in his tactical convictions. Everyone expected wholesale changes after the break, but the 3-5-2 remained in place. With time, Conte knew that Napoli would tire and start to fade. They had to. After all, this was their third game in a week between Champions League and Serie A, and when they did, the fresher Juventus with an extra-man in the midfield zone would be able to take advantage. Estigarribia became Esti-Garrincha exploiting the space on the left-hand side where he found himself open to prod a shot under De Sanctis. Then, with 11 minutes remaining, Pepe found the equalizer after his mazy run, which looked like it had reached a dead-end, started up again after he got a fortuitous bounce allowing him to curl one into the corner, tying things up at 3-3. It was a remarkable game as a spectacle but also ultimately for what it told us about Juventus. “In football we always talk about tactics, stats and things like that,” Conte said. “But I want to talk about the mentality of my lads. I am proud of them. It’s not easy not to lose games like these. The team gave a show of force, humility, professionalism and I got important answers from a mental perspective.” La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport agreed, calling Juventus indestructible. “Conte’s band have sent a message that’s greater in its strength than a victory,” wrote Luigi Garlando, “because if you get the strategy wrong, if you go down by two goals on two occasions against the Man City-killing Napoli, if your defense which has conceded seven goals in 11 games lets in three in one-go, if you are missing Marchisio and Pirlo has his first bad game, if despite all this in the end you escape and survive a 4-3 defeat in a game that was worthy of a film, then it means that in this Juve’s locker there are many technical and mental resources – an infinite spirit.” Like José Mourinho at Inter, Conte’s greatest contribution to Juventus is intangible. It’s the resolve, the indomitability, the sense that, no matter what the circumstances, they are never beaten. Will Tuesday night’s performance have laid Buffon’s doubts to rest? In all honesty, probably not. Juventus have to face an in-form Cesena this weekend, and while they are at home, they will also be without Pirlo, who is due to serve a ban for picking up too many yellow cards. It’s another challenge, and nothing will be taken for granted. So for now the ‘S’ word is still off-limits. Make no mistake about it, that’s hard when there’s Pepe within Juventus’s ranks, a player with the nickname Er Chiacchiera – The Chatterbox. But the debate goes on: Is the Old Lady finally back? It certainly looks she is. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000‎ Second Half Soldiers Nov 29, 2011 Excuse me while I try to catch my breath and wrap my head around what we all saw take place. That match was complete crap after 45 minutes. Juve were playing like crap. The formation Antonio Conte rolled out there — something like a 3-5-2 or 4-1-4-1 depending on who you ask —to begin things was crap as he looked to fill the void left by Claudio Marchisio’s suspension. The ref was crap. You name it and it was probably crap. But whatever it was — chair throwing in the locker room, screaming like a complete mad man, etc. — that Conte did at the break, it worked. Juventus came out a totally different team in the second half. They came back from two-goal deficits not once, but twice. Conte never let his men give up and they responded perfectly, getting a much-deserved draw at the San Paolo. This is the perfect example of the new Juventus, Conte’s Juventus. If this were a season or two ago, it would have been a 3-1 kind of loss without a doubt. But not Conte’s Juve. This team had its starters on the field for the first 85 minutes of the match. Conte, for as much as it frustrated us at times, didn’t make any changes. He stuck with the same 11 and it worked. Hell, the boys would be returning to Torino with three points instead of just one if one of those numerous chances were converted. LE PAGELLE: Buffon: 6 – Not going to fault him for any of the goals. If I did, I’d probably have my goalkeeping card revoked within a second. Sure, it’ll say that he allowed three goals, but when you look at how the defense was playing at times, you could understand why. He did well when he was called upon. Another sign his getting back to being his normal self. Lichtsteiner: 5.5 – His first sub-par game in a Juve shirt. Zuniga’s pace definitely gave him trouble down the flank. To see Stephan gasping for air in the middle of the second half was surprising considering how he seems to be able to run for days. Barzagli: 6 – Not his best game, but not his worst either. Looked to be the one guy in the back that wasn’t completely rattled by the atmosphere at the San Paolo. Put in a good shift for the most part and tried his best to pick up the slack with his partner in center defense have a complete clunker. Bonucci: 4.5 – Oof. Where to begin. Leo struggled with the pace of Napoli’s attack all night. He never looked confident out there at all. Played a part in all of Napoli’s goals. Just a game to forget for a guy who had been playing well since Conte put him in the starting lineup. Chiellini: 5.5 – Giorgio definitely wasn’t his usual beastly self. He wasn’t as poor as Bonucci, but he wasn’t all that impressive. Did a terrible job of preventing the cross on Napoli’s third goal. Had a glorious chance to score a potential game-winner late in the second half but couldn’t finish it. Pirlo: 5.5 – Definitely a tale of two halves for Andrea. The first was highlighted by giving away a penalty — which was the right call — when he tackled Lavezzi just inside of the box. He improved in the second half, but didn’t completely get back to the kind of game we’ve seen from him just about every time out since his move from Milan. Vidal: 6.5 – A typical Arturo Vidal kind of game. He had an impact on the offensive end with a great assist on Matri’s goal and did his usual dirty work on the defensive end. He definitely had to shoulder the load in the center of the park with Marchisio being suspended and Pirlo having an off night. Estigarribia: 6.5 – The more I see him play, the more I like him. He was involved in the attack and did a quality job getting back in defense and supporting Chiellini. Showing signs that he deserves to be in the lineup a lot more often. Pepe 7 – Pepe never really got into the match like he has been in the past couple of weeks. Conte playing him in more of a central role in the first half didn’t help at all. That being said, he didn’t do a whole hell of a lot in the second half before he scored the equalizer. His game-tying goal — aided by a lucky bounce — was one hell of a run and why he gets such a high rating. He’s now scored in three consecutive games, something none of us probably thought we’d see. Matri: 7 – We talk about how well Marchisio is playing right now, but Matri’s performances have been right up there. His team-leading sixth goal of the season was wonderfully taken, slotting it past an on-rushing De Sanctis just after halftime. He’s the best Italian prima punta the country has at the moment (sorry, Pazzo) and only seems like he’s getting better. Vucinic: 6.5 – How the hell did that Mirko show up after the one we saw in the first half? It was like night and day. I was incredibly surprised that he went from that absent to that involved in the second half. He was vital in Juve’s comeback and almost had a goal himself, forcing a quality save out of De Sanctis. Hopefully he can bring that kind of effort to the party more often than not going forward. Conte: 6.5 – Got it wrong in the first half, got it right in the second half (as I’ll get to below). The thing that impressed me most is how the squad responded immediately after the break. The first half was utter crap and they completely turned it around in the second 45 minutes. If Conte screamed until his face turned blue in the locker room, good for him. The team needed a kick in the backside and they definitely played like the Mister wanted them to afterwards. But hey, still unbeaten and now two points up. Can’t complain about that. Subs: Quagliarella: sv Del Piero: sv – 700th appearance for Il Capitano lasts all of about three minutes. Pazienza: sv Things I think I think #1: Conte totally got the tactics wrong in the first half — Going into the San Paolo with a totally new formation? Yeah, try again, Antonio. Whether it was playing centrally or not just doing a straight swap of Pazienza for Marchisio, Conte’s choice of formation was the wrong one to go with. Pepe drifting into the middle was a complete head scratcher. #2: Conte got things right after halftime — A completely different team. My god, to go from dreadful to awesome was incredible to watch from Juventus, and obviously Conte had a huge amount to do with it. The man continues to show the signs of a great manager. In Conte We Trust. #3: MOAR QUAGS — I hate to sound like a broken record, but can we get Fabio more than five or so minutes of playing time, please? #4: The refereeing made no sense…at all — It’s easy to play armchair ref. Anybody can do it. With that being said, how craptastic was that display from Tagliavento and Co.? The penalty call was right, but it was just downhill from there. #5: It’ll be nice to have Claudio back this weekend. That is all. THE JUVENTUS OFFSIDE SHITLIST: - Krasic: The only thing we saw Meelosh doing against Napoli was running on the sidelines. Oh well. I’ve always been a fan and I really do hope Conte gives him a chance, but how much longer will be okay with sitting on the bench? - Zebina: (lifetime award) - Amauri: (almost lifetime award status) #IBlameAmauri http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000‎ Juventus rally for point Nov 29, 2011 Serie A leaders Juventus rescued a point - and their unbeaten record - against Napoli in a thrilling six-goal encounter at Stadio San Paolo. Marek Hamsik had a lively night, scoring the opener for Napoli after earlier missing a retaken penalty, while Goran Pandev scored the first of two goals to put the hosts two up by half-time. Alessandro Matri pulled one back for Juve three minutes into the second half and Pandev's second restored the two-goal lead before Marcelo Estigarribia and Simone Pepe earned Juve a draw with goals in the last 18 minutes. In-form Napoli striker Edinson Cavani failed a fitness test before the match but there was no shortage of attacking action in a match where chances came at regular intervals. Pepe had the first of them in the third minute, but could not find the target from the edge of the box. He missed from further out soon after, with Andrea Pirlo also failing to draw a save with a 10th-minute free-kick. Ezequiel Lavezzi was fouled by Pirlo after 13 minutes to win a penalty for the hosts, with Hamsik converting. The referee ordered a retake for an infringement and this time Hamsik lifted his spot-kick over the crossbar. He took only 10 minutes cancelling out his debt, though, finding room in a crowded area to nod home from close range. Napoli were dominating the pace-setters at this stage, with Pandev and Lavezzi both presented with good chances to make it 2-0. The former took his second opportunity five minutes from the interval, taking advantage of Pirlo's error before wrong-footing Giorgio Chiellini and slotting past Gianluigi Buffon. Juve were on the scoresheet three minutes into the second half, Matri converting following some fine work by Arturo Vidal. Mirko Vucinic and Lavezzi exchanged chances before Napoli's third goal arrived in the 67th minute. Pandev was again the scorer after defender Leonardo Bonucci hesitated under pressure. That left Juve struggling to avoid defeat for the 12th time in the league season, but they found a way. Estigarribia made it 3-2 when he latched on to Matri's headed pass in the 72nd minute and beat Morgan de Sanctis with his right-footed effort. Six minutes later the night's scoring was ended, Juve breaking quickly after Walter Gargano lost the ball in midfield and Pepe winning his one-on-one with De Sanctis. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Serie A Week 11 - 29-11-2011 (8:45 p.m.) 3 - 3 Marek Hamsik (23') Goran Pandev (41') Alessandro Matri (48') Goran Pandev (68') Marcelo Estigarribia (72') Simone Pepe (80') San Paolo Stadium - Naples Referee: Paolo Tagliavento Attendance: 48000 Pepe and Estigarribia drag table-toppers back from 3-1 down to clinch point in San Paolo classic Goran Pandev looked set to hog the headlines after striking twice for the Partenopei in the absence of Edinson Cavani but the visitors snatched a draw with a stunning fightback. Nov 29, 2011 Juventus preserved their unbeaten record in Serie A by coming from two goals down to claim a 3-3 draw with Napoli after a thrilling encounter at the San Paolo on Tuesday evening. After Marek Hamsik had missed a retaken penalty, the Slovak gave the hosts the lead with a header before Goran Pandev made it 2-0 just before the interval. Alessandro Matri pulled one back for Juve at the start of the second period but Pandev seemingly sealed the points for Napoli when he restored his side’s two-goal cushion on 68 minutes. However, the visitors weren’t done and they posted a swift reply through Marcelo Estigarribia before deservedly claiming a share of the spoils when Simone Pepe fired home with 10 minutes to go. Juventus had the better of a lively opening to the game, with Mirko Vucinic dragging a right-footed shot across the face of the Napoli goal after finding himself unmarked in the box. However, it was the hosts who should have taken lead 13 minutes in. The Partenopei thought they had done, too, with Hamsik firing home clinically from the penalty spot after Andrea Pirlo had stupidly dived in on Ezequiel Lavezzi – with predictably disastrous consequences for the veteran Italian midfielder. However, the referee ordered a retake because of encroachment from Gokhan Inler, among others, and Hamsik blazed his second attempt from 12 yards out high over the bar. The Slovakian, though, made amends for his horror miss less than 10 minutes later by finding the bottom left corner with a downward header, after the ball had dropped to him in the six-yard box following a free-kick from Lavezzi from the left hand side. Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon then got down well to save a low drive from outside the box from Pandev, but the Italy captain was powerless to stop the on-loan Inter forward from doubling the home side’s advantage just before the break. There was an element of luck about the goal as Pirlo’s attempted clearance ricocheted into Pandev’s path, but there was nothing fortuitous about the Macedonia’s precise finish into the far corner. At 2-0 down at half-time, Juve were in real danger of losing their unblemished record in the league but they dragged themselves right back into the game just four minutes after the restart, Matri calmly slotting home after being the recipient of a wonderfully disguised through ball from Arturo Vidal. Now reinvigorated, Juventus began to dominate proceedings and Vucinic drew a save from Morgan De Sanctis in the 54th minute with a decent strike after a rampaging run. However, Napoli landed one of their classic sucker punches midway through the second half, Pandev controlling Christian Maggio’s cross from the right wing with his left foot, then teeing it up for himself with his left knee before volleying the ball home via the right post. Juve refused to give up, though, and hauled themselves back to within a goal for a second time four minutes later, when an unmarked Estigarribia prodded past De Sanctis after Vucinic’s cross from the left had found its way to the unmarked Paraguayan. Juve then snatched a point when Pepe found the bottom corner following a mazy run, after the ball had deflected back into his path. The draw means Juve now top the table by two points from AC Milan, while Napoli climb to sixth, but the home side will be distraught that they were unable to convert their winning positions into a victory. http://www.soccerway...regular-season/

Conte al microfono completamente senza voce.

Grande squadra, grande personalitá. Facciamo festa fratelli bianconeri.

Un pareggio che vale una vittoria!

Fuorigioco di Alex

ALEX IN CAMPO

Quagliarella contro il San Paolo

Cross sbagliato di Vucinic

Sembra Italia - Germania 4-3 dei mondiali 1970 ....

Ma come gioca la Juve ora!

Mazzarri ha paura

STRAORDINARIO PEPE!!!!!!

Chiellini non é un attaccante e si vede.

Serata (?) storta per Bonny ....