Serie A Week 8 - 22/10/2011 (08:45 p.m.)
2 - 2 Alessandro Matri (6')
Marco Rossi (31')
Alessandro Matri (58')
Andrea Caracciolo (85')
Juventus Arena - Turin
Referee: A. Romeo
Attendance: 42000
Genoa snatch Juve point
Alessandro Matri twice put Juventus in front,
but Andrea Caracciolo's late goal snatched Genoa's 2-2 draw in Turin..
Oct 22, 2011
The Bianconeri had to do without Gigi Buffon, Arturo Vidal and Emanuele Giaccherini, so Coach Antonio Conte made some changes. He re-introduced the 4-2-4 system with Mirko Vucinic, Alessandro Matri, Simone Pepe and Marcelo Estigarribia leading the way. Marco Storari had his first appearance of the campaign. Genoa had Ze Eduardo injured and Kakha Kaladze starting a four-match ban for insulting the referee, so Emiliano Moretti stepped in. Alexander Merkel and Bosko Jankovic were the surprise starters behind Rodrigo Palacio.
Genoa had lost their last five consecutive visits to Turin, not even picking up a point since their 1-1 in December 1994.
Juventus took the lead with their first real chance at the sixth minute. Andrea Pirlo pulled a cross to the edge of the box for Claudio Marchisio's effort, which Matri toe-poked to redirect past a stunned Sebastien Frey.
Genoa also threatened from a corner, as it came to Dario Dainelli at the back post, but he couldn't get enough power on to the finish and Storari smothered.
A free kick was touched on for Jankovic, whose effort clipped the edge of the defensive wall.
Matri went on a powerful run and forced a difficult save out of Frey at the near post. From that corner, Giorgio Chiellini's free header was off target.
Genoa did draw level on the half-hour mark with captain Marco Rossi. Merkel got down the left and whipped a cross to the back post for Rossi's header down across the goalkeeper to equalise.
Simone Pepe drifted into the centre and chested down a Pirlo pass, but then slipped at the crucial moment.
There was a double howler on 41 minutes, as Genoa gave the ball away in midfield with a pass straight to Mirko Vucinic, but then the Juventus striker hammered it into Frey's body in a one-on-one.
Giandomenico Mesto attempted a spectacular overhead kick that was off target from another Merkel cross.
Straight after the restart Dario Dainelli was booked after two late tackles during the same move to stop Vucinic going down the left flank. The Pirlo free kick was not dealt with and Andrea Barzagli eventually poked it into Frey's arms.
Matri put the ball in the back of the net following a lovely give-and-go with Vucinic, but was offside. Matri and Pepe combined down the right and the ex-Cagliari striker's angled drive stung Frey's palms at the near post.
Genoa went extremely close, as a free kick was flicked by Merkel with the outside of his right foot and only skimmed the woodwork in what would've been a sensational goal.
Pirlo's corner found Chiellini for another free header inches over the bar.
Juve wasted so many chances to restore their lead, but did so moments later with Matri. Pirlo's dummy allowed a Vucinic angled pass through for Matri on the penalty spot, who placed it past Frey with the inside of his left foot.
However, Genoa went incredibly close to drawing level for the second time on 63 minutes. Rossi's cross from the right found Merkel for a cushioned header that thumped the crossbar with Storari well beaten.
Vucinic pounced on a poor pass to rush towards goal, only to fire well wide. Chiellini's cross was a little too high for Matri in the centre, then the striker aimed a chip over the bar.
Just as Juventus seemed to be cruising towards victory, substitute Andrea Caracciolo snatched an equaliser. Juraj Kucka nodded down a cross-field pass that Caracciolo flicked round both Leonardo Bonucci and Storari at the near post.
Mesto flashed an angled pass across the face of goal with Merkel just a little too late to get the tap-in.
Conte threw on Alessandro Del Piero for the six minutes of injury time in Turin, but it was wide open and Pirlo cleared a dangerous Miguel Veloso corner at the near stick.
Storari had to fly in order to palm an absolute screamer from Cristobal Jorquera out for a corner. From that set play, Caracciolo flicked over the bar with his heel from six yards.
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Juventus: Storari; Chiellini, Barzagli, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner; Marchisio, Pirlo; Pepe (Del Piero 89), Matri, Vucinic (Krasic 83), Estigarribia (Pazienza 67)
Genoa: Frey; Mesto, Dainelli, Moretti, Antonelli; Rossi (Jorquera 81), Seymour (Kucka 71), Veloso; Merkel; Jankovic (Caracciolo 62), Palacio
Ref: Romeo
http://www.soccerway.com/national/italy/serie-a/2011-2012/regular-season/
