Juventus Season 2015-2016

[Socrates 8984]

CARPI - JUVENTUS

2 - 3

Marco Borriello (15')

Mario Mandžukić (18')
Mario Mandžukić (41')
Paul Pogba (50')

Leonardo Bonucci (90'-own goal)

MATCHDAY 17
Sunday, December 20th, 2015 - 12:30 PM
Alberto Braglia Stadium, Modena
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

Mario Mandzukic Underlines Importance
to Juventus with Two Goals vs. Carpi

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2600930-mario-mandzukic-underlines-importance-to-juventus-with-two-goals-vs-carpi?

Dec 21, 2015

While it might not have looked that way early in the campaign, Juventus can head into Serie A’s winter break feeling good about their prospects for the second half of the season, thanks in part to Mario Mandzukic’s goals that helped to see off a spirited Carpi side this weekend.

Indeed, after winning just three of their opening 10 league games, the reigning champions have reeled off seven straight victories. That streak has seen them quickly climb the table, and they are currently sitting in fourth place after being as low as 14th before that run began.

The team has begun to gel over that period, with new signings like Alex Sandro, Sami Khedira and Juan Cuadrado each making telling contributions. Fellow summer arrival Paulo Dybala has been widely lauded too, with the former Palermo man weighing in with 10 goals and three assists in all competitions thus far.

Simone Zaza ended a spell on the sidelines with two goals in Juve’s midweek Coppa Italia triumph over Torino, but on Sunday, Mandzukic showed why he has quickly established himself as the ideal partner for Dybala in attack.

After the Bianconeri fell behind just 14 minutes into the game with Carpi, it was an instinctive finish from the Croatian that drew the sides level as he hooked the ball into the net following a goalmouth scramble.

He was not done there, however, and would continue to harass the opposition defence, working tirelessly to close them down whenever Juve lost possession. A second chance came his way before half-time, and Mandzukic made no mistake as he planted a firm header beyond goalkeeper Vid Belec.

OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo
2 - Mario Mandzukic has scored two goals with his only two touches in the opposite box in the first half. Lethal.

As the tweet above highlights, the brace came from Mandzukic’s only two touches in Carpi penalty area, showing just how deadly he can be when on form. It also saw him take his tally of goals to nine in all competitions, starting with a strike on his debut as he helped the Bianconeri lift the Supercoppa Italiana.

That shot against Lazio back in August began a sequence of vital contributions from the 29-year-old, who has since gone on to net match-winning goals in difficult encounters against Manchester City and Fiorentina.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri publicly recognised the striker’s contribution last month, speaking to reporters from TV stations Sky Italia and Mediaset Premium after Mandzukic opened the scoring in a 3-0 win over Palermo.

“He might not be the classiest player with the best technique, but he has characteristics that are useful for this team,” the Juve boss said (h/t Football Italia). “He gave his contribution, the numbers speak for him.

As the graphic in the tweet below shows, it was a similar story as he put Carpi to the sword at the Stadio Alberto Braglia. Netting with his only two shots on goal, Mandzukic’s other stats were relatively poor, completing just 29 of his 40 pass attempts but recovering the ball on three occasions.

Adam Digby @Adz77
Mario Mandžukić #CarpiJuve 2 shots, 2 goals, 29/40 pass attempts, 3 ball recoveries (via @StatsZone)

That last figure fits with his reputation as a hard-working player, with WhoScored.com showing he has averaged 1.2 tackles and 0.2 interceptions per game in 2015/16.

It is that defensive effort—as well as his accuracy in front of goal—which has seen him move ahead of Alvaro Morata in the pecking order for the Turin giants, with the latter now forced to settle for a place on the bench.

Perhaps the ultimate test for Mandzukic will come in the new year, as the Champions League draw sees him set to go against his former club just as his Spanish team-mate did last term.

Juventus now will hope “Super Mario” can replicate Morata’s impact against Real Madrid and help them eliminate Bayern Munich.
 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

CARPI - JUVENTUS

2 - 3

Marco Borriello (15')

Mario Mandžukić (18')
Mario Mandžukić (41')
Paul Pogba (50')

Leonardo Bonucci (90'-own goal)

MATCHDAY 17
Sunday, December 20th, 2015 - 12:30 PM
Alberto Braglia Stadium, Modena
Referee: Piero Giacomelli

THE BOSS HAS WEATHERED
THE STORM SUPERBLY…

http://www.juvefc.com/7999-2/?

Dec 21, 2015

I had planned on conjuring my analysis of the chaotic Carpi match from many pages of notes I made during the game. Yet all I find is the rabid rantings of a lunatic. Passages of writing which have no place on your screen which must be cast aside as some form of accident. I was drinking. Of Course. Still, the action remains fresh enough in my synapses to offer an outline for those who missed the game and points of discussion for those who witnessed the haphazard performance.

The match settled instantly into the hosts bedded into their own half, offering very little going forward, soaking up wave after wave of Juve possession. As is always the case when Cuadrado plays, we looked more 4-4-1-1 than 3-5-2 for he offers nothing defensively, and rarely tracks back to produce anything substantial in our back line. Carpi appeared awful. Bereft of creativity, technique and belief. Still…they were playing catenaccio, waiting to pounce.

Despite the early ascendency, it was the home side who took the lead. Cuadrado played a brilliant pass to the opponents when we had committed men forward in great numbers, which left us wide open for a swift counter-attack. In an split second, Carpi showed they could play. Bonucci was left with what seemed a simple blocking job against Borriello, who turned him and scored with a solid strike past Buffon.

The goal caused Juve to instantly move up the gears and within 3 minutes we were level. A rare piece of forward pressure from the largely absent Khedira releasing Cuadrado, whose ball in found the German, then Dybala and finally Mandzukic who turned brilliantly in the box before despatching the equaliser.

As we approached the half time whistle, Chellini found Evra on the left wing, who waited for support to appear centrally then chipped in a beautiful cross which Mandzukic attacked and powered an unstoppable header into the net for a deserved 1-2 lead.

Five minutes into the second half Marchisio spotted the run of Pogba and found the Frenchman in the box with a marvellous long ball from inside his own half which was slotted past the onrushing keeper for 1-3. And it looked like we had found our fourth on 62’ when Rugani stuck out a boot to poke a Cuadrado cross past over the line, yet it was rightly ruled out for offside.

Substitutions were made, the game was under our complete control with Carpi rarely trespassing into our rear-guard. And then…on 92’ Bonucci, under no real pressure, redirected a cross past Buffon for 2-3. Which led to a worrying final few minutes and Allegri rightly going berserk on the touchline.


Reasons to be bothered

Big Sami Khedira was virtually invisible throughout, other than his efforts for the equaliser. He is nowhere near match fitness, laboured with his running, barely showing in the final third, made few tackles and was carried by the team. This is not good enough for a central midfielder. He has to impose himself on the game, and if not fit, then don’t play. I was screaming for Sturaro to replace him, or Asamoah, anyone with some bite and tenacity, who loves to get involved. There is so much more to come from Big Sami, but this was his worst performance thus far in our colours.

Cuadrado is a right winger who can cross but do little else. He showed little flair, his dribbling was lame and as is always the case, he offered nothing defensively. Whilst he appeared a bright light in the dark days of earlier this season, I suspect that was more a case of others failing than wonderful play from the Colombian. He is a decent option as a right winger, yet has not at all done anywhere near enough to justify the reported 20m+ required to make his presence at the club permanent.

It has been a poor season for Leo Bonucci. His mind does not seem as focused, the passion in his belly less fearsome. As I have noted in recent times, the responsibility to bring the ball out of defence has moved to Chiellini, who is doing a fine job of that duty. Whereas Bonucci was an decent libero in recent seasons, so far this term, he has lost that ball playing focus, in fact his focus in general seems wayward. No surprise to see him score the own goal, which was poor and could of cost us more dearly than it proved.

As was our problem until the tide turned in November, we gave away cheap goals due solely to individual errors. These need to be addressed for we will be punished by stronger sides who will also offer more resistance to our attacking verve. As to how? The obvious suggestion is to drop from the side any players guilty of such errors. Give another player a chance to prosper and offer a rest, an opportunity to refocus for the error prone. This isn’t punishment, its simply a meritocracy. Those who perform well play more, those who don’t…play less. Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to rotate the CBs in this manner, for other than Rugani we have no seniors capable of stepping into the breach. I am assuming Caceres is to be moved on in January, and hope that in his place we bring in a CB. Or we could promote Romagna from the primavera…


Reasons to be cheerful

Mandzukic is improving game by game, showing now consistently why he was purchased. Not only his physicality and hard running but his touch and positioning in this game were both excellent. The Croatian is much more than merely a battering ram, although his brute strength is a major asset for the side. Pulling several defenders out of position whenever he strode forward and indomitable in the air. At this rate its going to be very tricky indeed for Morata to replace him in the starting line-up.

Pogba is slowly but surely returning to the heights he reached last year. His responsibilities are once again less cumbersome, which is in no small part due to the upsurge in form of Marchisio. His forward movement, link up play and goal all dripped with class. As for Il Principino…he was imperious, from start to finish, the fulcrum of the team. Close to the fabulous consistency of top drawer performances which made him by far, my player of the season for the last campaign. We missed him more than we could miss any other player during his injury bothers and its no surprise to see our fortunes dramatically improve soon after his return to the side.

Worth mentioning Rugani, who appeared in place of Barzagli, suffered a few nervy moments, but otherwise seemed solid. His second game in a week is surely great for his development and eagerness to find sharpness. I must add that Barzagli – especially when Cuadrado plays – is an odd CB/RB hybrid, covering both positions, which made Rugani’s job more tricky in this match. I’d like to see the youngster in the middle with Chellini and Barzagli either side. Where I feel he will be at his most comfortable.

This was our 7th league victory on the trot. A magnificent feat at any level for which Allegri and the players deserve praise. We are playing now like a side who expects to win, pounding opponents, applying constant pressure and finishing our chances. Many players are hitting full stride with more to catch up in the New Year. Whilst Dybala was tired and ineffective in this game, we must expect this at times given his age and his efforts during this most encouraging of runs have been phenomenal. We look a team to be feared, respected and ear-marked for glory.

Only the home game against Roma of our next 7 suggests any semblance of a worthy rival, which leads up perfectly to the Valentines Day massacre against Napoli…

Given the horrid start we had to the season, I believe that Allegri should be celebrated and applauded. Many others could have capitulated under the pressure. Yet the boss weathered the storm superbly, showed no signs of anything but belief that we would climb the table, encouraged and calmed the players and the results have come alongside improving performances. He is a very under-rated coach, even by our own fans, some of whom were calling for his head as recently as October! When you look around Europe at the top clubs, the top managers, Allegri is never mentioned. Yet he should be. We are fortunate to have him. And I have full faith in him to continue to drive this blossoming new Juve side onto bigger and better things.

The New year will bring more than a chance to recover energies and find nourishment in the festive cheer. It will also deliver a gift wrapped Pereyra, who could still prove a huge player for us this season. His ability in the final third to connect the midfield and attack is a mouth watering prospect to find at our disposal in January.

Before closing the 2015 book, I must add that our primavera, still marshalled by Fabio Grosso, confirmed themselves as Winter champions in the league yesterday, with a dominant 2-0 victory over Genoa.

Its onwards and upwards, on all counts…

Buon Natale and forza juve.
 
 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Sarri: ‘Juventus Scudetto favourites’

http://www.football-italia.net/77457/sarri-%E2%80%98juventus-scudetto-favourites%E2%80%99?

Dec 22, 2015

Napoli Coach Maurizio Sarri sees Juventus as Scudetto favourites, but praises his own side.

The Bianconeri have won seven Serie A games in a row, putting themselves back into the title picture after a difficult start.

“I never thought they were out of it,” Sarri told Corriere dello Sport.

“If there was one thing I was certain about, it was that. They’ve revamped their play, they’re here again and they’re the favourites for the Scudetto.

“They’re used to experiencing this, and they know how to face certain challenges.

“Inter’s defeat? It’s proof that this is a very balanced League.”

Sarri did also take the time to praise his own side, who are two points clear of the Old Lady, and one point behind leaders Inter.

“The numbers tell you that we’ve gone through these four months in an exciting way.

“We’re just behind the leaders, we’ve scored a lot, for some time now we’ve given almost nothing away and we’ve made six real statements in the Europa League.

“The stats are on our side. We’ve always played good football, even in Bergamo [the 3-1 win over Atalanta], when it wasn’t easy, we were able to do the maximum against an opponent who made us work hard.

“The Scudetto? We read about that six or seven games ago, when for example Juventus hadn’t yet put together all those wins.

“I’m solid, realistic and remain certain of my own thinking. I never feel unbalanced, because we’re not in a position to feel that way.

“There’s still an entire half of the season to go, plus the two games which will be played when we return to the pitch.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

The Serie A season in numbers

The winter break is time for Vincent Van Genechten to dive into the statistics,
looking for the best, worst and most striking numbers of the season so far.

http://www.football-italia.net/77486/serie-season-numbers?

Dec 22, 2015


TEAMS

Let’s start with some interesting attendance numbers. Inter have played in front of the most fans, having sold almost 370,000 tickets. On average, 41,030 attended the Nerazzurri’s home matches this season. Napoli are second with 38,451, ahead of Milan (34,428), Juventus (32,830) and Roma (31,674). Frosinone are bottom with an average attendance of 5,779.

But Juve lead Serie A with an average attendance ratio of 80 per cent. The Old Lady has sold out two matches, the same amount as Inter, who have an average attendance ratio of 51 per cent. Udinese are second here with 73 per cent, than come Napoli (64 per cent), Atalanta (61 per cent) and Sassuolo/Genoa (58 per cent). Roma are at 43 per cent, Milan at 42 per cent and Lazio are dead last with just 26 per cent average filled seats at the Stadio Olimpico.

Three teams have scored more than 30 goals so far: Fiorentina (33), Napoli (32) and Roma (31). Only Juve are close with 28 goals. Verona are bottom with just 12.

There’s a big difference between the first three. The Viola (11) and Giallorossi (13) have scored a combined 23 goals from set pieces, while Napoli total just three. Fiorentina have scored seven penalties, with no one else topping three so far. Fiorentina and Napoli own the best goal difference with +18. Carpi have one of -18.

Inter have topped Serie A for a league-leading seven weeks. Fiorentina are second with five, ahead of Roma with two. Napoli, Chievo and Sampdoria were on top once. The Nerazzurri have kept a clean sheet 11 times, Fiorentina 10 times and Napoli nine times. Verona sit at just one clean sheet and haven’t won a single match all season.

Juventus have gained the most points (13) coming from behind. Torino have gained 10 points, while no other team tops seven. Four teams have gained just one point here: Palermo, Napoli, Inter and Fiorentina. Meanwhile, Inter are one of eight teams that haven’t lost a match when going ahead. The others are Juve, Roma, Milan, Sassuolo, Atalanta, Torino, Sampdoria and Palermo.

When it comes to aggression, Atalanta lead the league with 10 red cards. Only Genoa come close with eight dismissals, Inter sit at six. Palermo have received the most yellow cards (48). It’s intriguing to see midfielders have been booked more often than defenders: 346 vs. 332 total bookings, with 28 vs. 24 red cards.


PLAYERS

Only 10 players haven’t missed a single minute this season and seven of them are goalkeepers. The other three are Raul Albiol, Mario Rui and Diego Laxalt. Rui has been booked four times this season, which is half the yellow cards league leader Manuel Iturra has received so far. Four players have seen seven yellows, while only two players have seen a red card more than once - Felipe Melo and Gabriel Paletta.

Gonzalo Higuain is leading all players in the race for Capocannoniere. The Argentinian has scored 16 goals so far, having a six-goal lead over Nikola Kalinic and Eder. Higuain has scored 52 per cent of all Napoli goals. Eder is the only other player above 35 per cent.

Kalinic has proven to be the best transfer, also with four assists. Paulo Dybala comes in second with eight goals and four assists. Other impressive figures are Riccardo Saponara (five goals, six assists), Luis Muriel (four goals, four assists) and Carlos Bacca (eight goals, one assist).

Saponara is one of three players with six assists, joined by Giacomo Bonaventura and Riccardo Meggiorini. Miralem Pjanic, Lorenzo Insigne and Marek Hamsik have registered five assists so far, with five players at four. Franco Vazquez is one of them. The Palermo striker has also won a league leading 201 duels, with Simone Missiroli coming in second at…139, ahead of Paul Pogba with 121. Vazquez has also been fouled most, drawing 4.7 fouls per game. Only Perparim Hetemaj is close with 4.5 fouls per game.

Claudio Marchisio leads Serie A with an average passing success of 91.5 per cent (players with at least 10 appearances). Considering the Juventus midfielder plays a league leading 9.3 long balls per match, that’s pretty striking. Other players with an average passing success above 90 per cent are Kamil Glik, Jorginho and Facundo Roncaglia. Meanwhile, Meggiorini has one of only 62.1 per cent, Mattia Destro and Edin Dzeko one of 64 per cent.

 

To conclude, let’s look at some tables. There have been 415 goals scored so far in Serie A. Italians have scored most: 176. Followed by Argentinians (54), Croatians (24), French (21) and Colombians (20).

If only Italians goals counted, Sassuolo and Empoli would lead the league with 34 points, with Torino coming in at 32 points, followed by Chievo, Sampdoria and Bologna. Juventus would drop to 17th, Inter to 18th and Fiorentina to last place.

Juventus end the year 2015 with the most points (81) and the best goal difference (+35). Fiorentina gained 75 points, Napoli 71, Inter 70 and Roma 66. Excluding the relegated and promoted teams, Verona rank last with 37 points this year.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Juventus can beat Bayern in Champions League - Capello

The former Bianconeri coach feels the in-form Serie A champions have every
chance of knocking the Bundesliga side out of the second round of the competition.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2015/12/23/18637912/-?

Dec 23, 2015

Juventus have the quality to cause problems for Bayern Munich in the Champions League and are capable of beating them, former boss Fabio Capello has said.

The Serie A champions were drawn to face Pep Guardiola's side in the last 16 and Capello does not believe they should feel inferior going into the tie next year.

The Champions League winning coach has been impressed by Juve's recovery after a slow start to the season and thinks last season's semi-final victory over Real Madrid proves Massimiliano Allegri's side can compete against the very best.

"In the Champions League, Juve have a chance to do well against a really tough team," the 69-year-old told giornalaccio rosa dello Sport.

"If they are playing well, without any injuries, then they can do it. Juve can cause Bayern Munich problems just like they did with Real Madrid last season."

Juve are on a stunning run of form domestically, having won seven consecutive matches to move up to fourth in the table, and Capello believes Allegri's men are set for an epic title battle against league leaders Inter as they look to make it five titles in a row.

"The battle between Juventus and Inter is a great fight," he said.

"The Nerazzurri's results have allowed Roberto Mancini to work in a relaxed environment, but he has done well. He brought order to the team and has everyone working on the same side. That is a strong signal.

"Allegri has done well to get things back on track, though the other teams have allowed Juve to get back in the hunt.

"The loss of three key players hurt them but Allegri has integrated the new players. He was helped by the experienced players, but he has done well regardless."

Allegri has been criticised for not making close-season signing Paulo Dybala, who has started 12 of his team's 17 games, an automatic selection, with critics saying that Juve's poor opening to the campaign would have been avoided if he had done so.

But Capello feels the former AC Milan head coach was acting in his team's best interests and that new signings often need time to adapt.

He continued: "At the beginning Dybala needed time to settle, but the coach sees his players every day.

"He puts out the best team he can to win. I don't know coaches that think otherwise."

[Socrates 8984]

3 Christmas Wishes for Juventus Fans

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2601244-3-christmas-wishes-for-juventus-fans?

Dec 23, 2015

The Serie A winter break provides an ideal time to reflect on the progress of each club thus far, and for Juventus, there is much to look back on.

The reigning champions struggled as 2015/16 began, but they have rallied in the last two months to launch a genuine defence of their title.

Having won their last seven matches, the improvements have been in no small part due to the patience and decisions of Massimiliano Allegri. The impact of the coach was discussed previously here, but the man himself is under little doubt his side can improve, particularly after their difficult win over Carpi.

Conceding a goal in injury time that almost saw them throw the victory away, Allegri used his post-match interview to stress the importance of maintaining concentration when the season resumes in early January.

OptaPaolo ✔ @OptaPaolo
7 - Massimiliano Allegri has won seven consecutive league games for the first time in the Serie A. Confidence.

“What happened in the closing stages of the match will serve as a lesson for 2016, when we’ll need to maintain our focus better in the final minutes,” he said, per the club’s official website. “Now we've a well-deserved break, after which we need to keep working hard until 16 May.”

What follows is a look at what might help Italian football’s grand Old Lady achieve success in 2016, with three Christmas wishes for Juventus as they look to return to action in the best possible fashion.


Early-Season Defeats To Be Avenged

The Bianconeri dropped points to Udinese, Chievo, AS Roma, Frosinone, Napoli and Inter in their disappointing start to the season.

Juventus will enter the new year knowing they will face each of those sides before the end of February and will hope to notch six victories.

Avenging those performances would see the champions make giant strides towards retaining their title, something every fan of the club would love to see.


Pep Guardiola’s Future to Distract Bayern Munich

While Allegri has ensured his place on the Juventus bench, their next Champions League opponents have already announced a coaching change.

Set to face Bayern Munich in the last 16 of European football’s elite competition, the Italian side will do so knowing current boss Pep Guardiola has announced he will leave in the summer.

The German club also revealed last week that the former Barcelona coach will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti next season, per BBC Sport.

With their two-legged tie set to begin on February 23, Juventus will hope to take advantage of any distraction or disruption caused by the news of Guardiola’s exit.


The Real Alvaro Morata to stand up

While events at Bayern Munich may help the Bianconeri, they will also need their own players to be at their best if they are to capitalise on it.

As discussed here, Mario Mandzukic has found form of late, and he will be keen to impress when lining up against his former club at the Allianz Arena.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@AlvaroMorata matches Alessandro Del Piero's impressive feat of finding the net in five consecutive matches.

However, Allegri will also hope to see Alvaro Morata back among the goals before then, with the Spanish striker struggling so far this term.

The former Real Madrid man was crucial to Juve's Champions League run last term, but he has found the net just three times in 2015/16 and supporters will wish to see him shine once again soon.

Having struck in both legs of the semi-final and the final itself a year ago, Morata has the pedigree to fire the Old Lady to glory, and seeing him do so once again might be the greatest Christmas gift of all.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Serie A season so far: Twists and turns set up
thrilling title race as Inter lead

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/12/blog/post/2765892/serie-a-season-so-far-twists-set-up-thrilling-title-race

Dec 23, 2015

Not even Mario Kart provides as many twists and turns, thrills and spills as Serie A this season. There have been four different leaders, all of whom (probably with the exception of Roma) continue to believe they can win the Scudetto. Remarkably yet to take pole position but driving themselves back into serious contention are Juventus, the reigning champions who after a stalled start, are now flying up the standings.

It is compelling for the emotions as it is stirring -- Inter made their best start since 1966; Fiorentina went top for the first time since 1999; Napoli did too at the end of November for the first time in quarter of a century -- and that has made this title race too close to call. It's all so very exciting and hopes are high for a climax to rival the fairytale of '85 or the final day drama of 2002.


Best player: Gonzalo Higuain

Roberto Mancini put it best after watching Napoli's Higuain hammer his Inter side in a 2-1 win in late November: "In Italy Higuain is like Messi in Spain and the Champions League. In Serie A there's him and then there's the rest... behind him. He scores once or twice a game and can be decisive with every touch he makes."

Capocannoniere (Serie A's lead goal scorer) with 16 goals in 17 games, the Argentine has a point to prove after last season at Napoli and disappointments in World Cup and Copa America finals. As the best player in Italy, he has the ability to be the hinge on which the balance of power swings. His understanding with the excellent Lorenzo Insigne is so telepathic it's like they're one and the same player: "HiguaInsigne."


Most disappointing player: Edin Dzeko

A harsh assessment when you consider Dzeko has scored in wins against champions Juventus, the derby with Lazio and away in Barcelona, but remember the Bosnia and Herzegovina international was supposed to be to this Roma team what Gabriel Batistuta was to the 2000-01 vintage that last claimed the Scudetto.

More renowned for his misses than his goals, of which he has scored just three in the league, fans have taken to calling him "Edin Cieco." ("Cieco" means blind in Italian.) The former Manchester City striker hasn't quite flopped like Juventus' Hernanes nor Mario Suarez -- for whom Fiorentina paid Atletico Madrid €15 million in the summer -- but more was expected from him; as is the case with Geoffrey Kondogbia, who signed for Inter from Monaco for €30m in July.


Best signing: Miranda

Not since Walter Samuel and Lucio left have Inter had as authoritative a defender as Miranda. A backline that ranked ninth in Serie A last season is now the best. It must be said, credit for that is also due to goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and centre-back partner Jeison Murillo, but Brazil international Miranda has been outstanding. Eleven clean sheets tells a story.

Elsewhere, the bargain of the season has to be the €5.5m Fiorentina paid Europa League runners' up Dnipro for striker Nikola Kalinic. He has already scored 10 goals in Serie A. Then consider the business Torino did for Daniele Baselli. A €4.5m signing from Atalanta, the 23-year-old midfielder scored in the opening three games of the season and finally looks like fulfilling his potential. How Milan must rue not buying him when they could. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Paulo Dybala is living up to the hype that comes with costing €40m from Palermo and has admirably dealt with the pressure of replacing Carlos Tevez at Juve.


Biggest surprise: Where do we begin?

As a team, the most obvious one is Fiorentina. Few believed they could improve on three consecutive fourth place finishes after Vincenzo Montella was sacked, Paulo Sousa hired and the wage bill slashed by 30 percent. But they have. In Reggio Emilia, Sassuolo continue to get better and better every year under Eusebio Di Francesco. Atalanta have never had as many points at this stage of a season since three points were introduced for a win two decades ago. Marten de Roon, signed for €1.3m from Heerenveen, has been an absolute revelation in midfield. But take a look at Empoli! Somehow despite losing their guru Maurizio Sarri, star defender Daniele Rugani and playmaker Mirko Valdifiori, they have gone to another level. Riccardo Saponara, in particular, has been brilliant.


Best goal: Marco Benassi -- Torino 2-1 Palermo, Sept. 27, 2015

A volleyed finish from an acute angle reminiscent of Marco van Basten's goal for Netherlands in the final of Euro '88 against the Soviet Union. Torino's Benassi no longer goes by his old name. He is now known as "Marco van Benassi." "I had to decide whether to bring it down or shoot. I opted for the latter and it came off. It all happened in a fraction of a second," he said.


Best game: Napoli 2-1 Inter, Nov. 30, 2015

Even if the temptation is to bring up the Maccarone-Lasagna derby between Empoli and Carpi, it really can only be Napoli-Inter: A top-of-the-table clash that produced another twist in the title race. Napoli overtook Inter and seized pole position at this stage of the season for the first time since their last Scudetto a quarter of a century ago. Higuain put them in front after 64 seconds. Inter were then reduced to 10 men before the interval and looked down and out when Higuain doubled Napoli's advantage shortly after the hour mark. But Inter then scared the hell out of their hosts as Adem Ljajic pulled one back before Steven Jovetic and Miranda then hit the post within seconds of each other in stoppage time. Were it not for a save-of-the-season contender from goalkeeper Pepe Reina it would have been the honours even. A classic game, it left both believing they have what it takes to win the Scudetto.


Prediction for the rest of the season: A thrilling finish

Romantics would love to see Napoli win the title for the first time since the days of Maradona. They've played the best football so far this season and possess the league's best player. It would be refreshing for the Scudetto to move away from Turin and Milan, its residence since 2002 when Roma relinquished it, and many of the realists are forecasting a re-run of that thrilling season.

Juventus were six points behind Inter at Christmas then overtook them in dramatic circumstances on the final day. The gap is now down to three and it would provide an unpredictable season with a predictable finish -- Juventus' fifth straight title -- only, unlike the others, this would by no means be boring.

Retaining their title after making their worst start in 103 years would be an incredible achievement for the Old Lady. And belief is growing not least because Inter, Roma and Napoli all have to go to the Juventus Stadium in 2016. However, irrespective of Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Lazio -- when Felipe Melo conceded a penalty and was sent off -- Inter look resilient. Dogged in defence, a spluttering attack is beginning to fire and Roberto Mancini's track record speaks for itself. He has been there and done it before and Inter haven't posted numbers like these since they won the Treble in 2010.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Juventus Club Focus: Plenty To Be
Achieved Over Christmas

Thanks to a 3-2 win against Carpi, Juventus can go into the winter break
feeling content and optimistic about what the rest of the season will bring.

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/12/juventus-club-focus-plenty-to-be-achieved-over-christmas/?

Dec 23, 2015

Despite it being just a one-goal margin against a newly promoted side, the three points are all that matters and wins are all that counts in the race for the league title.

The Bianconeri have had a 100% record over their past seven games in Serie A, and the last round before the festive season has only made things look better.

The positives may not be directly associated with Massimiliano Allegri or his squad, although it is good to see that Mario Mandzukic hasn’t lost his scoring boots, but the general situation in the league can be seen as a welcome Christmas present for the Juventus faithful.

On Sunday night, league leaders Inter hosted Lazio and they could have cemented their four-point lead at the top, but they were defeated 2-1.

A loss at home for the so far unstoppable Nerazzurri potentially means the cracks are starting to show.#

The Bianconeri are now just three points off them in the table; they sit in fourth place in one of the closest Scudetto races in history on the peninsula.

Just four points separate the top five, and Juventus have as big a chance as anyone else to be at the top come May.

Ten wins, three draws and four losses from the first 17 games of the season is definitely not what would have been hoped, but given the struggle they had at the start of the campaign, it is a fantastic record.

The two weeks off over winter can help the squad recover after the hectic ride so far after losing three star men in Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal.

One other positive is that the next fortnight of rest can aid the recoveries of Hernanes and Sami Khedira, both of whom were signed in the summer and both of whom have been riddled with injury problems since moving to the Juventus Stadium.

German international Khedira showed what he was capable of in games against Sevilla in the Champions League and Bologna in Serie A, with his strong work ethic and game vision bringing success to the team.

He got a well deserved goal against Bologna for his efforts, too.

Recently returning from the sidelines, the 28-year-old can use the holiday period to fully prepare for the demands the Italian league will bring in the new year.

With regards to Hernanes, however, it’s fair to say he has been a bit of a flop.

The 30-year-old should have been used to what it’s like to play for a big club in Italy; he had stints at Lazio and Inter before moving to Juventus.

Granted that being seen as one of Andrea Pirlo’s replacements is not an easy title to hold, but the Brazilian international should use this break to fully heal his physical position and work on his game in the middle of the park.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Allegri’s attacking pieces are fitting

Paulo Dybala and Mario Mandzukic are the attacking partnership
to take Juventus through 2016, Luca Cetta believes.

http://www.football-italia.net/77541/allegri%E2%80%99s-attacking-pieces-are-fitting?

Dec 24, 2015

Juventus knew they had to go shopping. “We spoke to Carlos [Tevez] in January, and Carlos expressed his desire, if the conditions were right, to return to Argentina,” President Andrea Agnelli stated just days after the Champions League Final loss to Barcelona.

He would be difficult to replace, but Juve did their best attacking business early in the summer. Paulo Dybala had already finalised his move from Palermo to be a guest of the club in Berlin. Mario Mandzukic would also arrive before the end of June.

Yet by September it looked a considerably different strikeforce to three months earlier. Juventus were resigned to losing Tevez and Alessandro Matri was only a loan signing. By the time the window slammed shut just Alvaro Morata remained from 2014-15. Simone Zaza’s arrival meant there was little space for Fernando Llorente, who left for Sevilla. And despite starting the first two matches of the campaign, Kingsley Coman joined Bayern Munich. Massimiliano Allegri’s subsequent words hinted he wasn’t happy with the switch. Add these ingredients and it’s little wonder the Bianconeri netted just six goals in as many rounds to start the campaign.

Juventus have overcome their slow start to become serious Scudetto contenders following seven successive victories. And only now is Allegri’s attacking jigsaw falling into place.

It centres on Dybala. The 22-year-old leads the Juve scoring charts with ten goals in all competitions. Signing for a deal worth up to €40m, the Argentine has emerged as the attacking lynchpin. It took some weeks to adjust to his new surroundings, nor did Allegri want to burden La Joya with too much responsibility too soon. But Dybala responded to net spectacular and important goals.

And Dybala takes what he can from Carlitos. Speaking of his role earlier this term he stated: “It’s almost that of a trequartista. I play between the lines. The truth is I have been studying Tevez for a year. I watched all his games last season and when we train together for the national team I try to copy him as much as possible.”

The Argentina international didn’t net in the year-ending win at Carpi, but Mandzukic did. Twice. Proving his predatory instincts, the Croat netted with his only two touches inside the hosts’ penalty area in the first half. That took his season tally to nine, including six in the last seven games. Important goals too. Each of the half-dozen directly impacted a result, from the winner against Manchester City to wiping out leads for Empoli and Carpi.

If Dybala has the intrinsic technical ability and movement of Tevez, then Mandzukic provides the grunt. His former Wolfsburg Coach Felix Magath once said he’s fit enough to “play two back-to-back high tempo games without stopping even for a minute.” That’s reflected in his defensive work, with Mandzukic often harrying opposition defences.

Between them, Dybala and Mandzukic have netted half of Juve’s 28 Serie A goals. They are Allegri’s partnership of choice, starting the last five League matches. They’ve proved decisive too, either scoring or assisting in each. The combination is beginning to flourish.

What of Morata? Goals in Juve’s first two Champions League fixtures equalled Alessandro Del Piero’s club record of netting in five consecutive European outings, but he’s since lost his place. Morata made only six League starts to Christmas – plus five in Europe – and is without a goal since early October. That’s 15 appearances. The 23-year-old is lacking in confidence and will hope to resurface in the New Year as he did last term.

Then there’s Zaza. He has acknowledged the desire for more playing time – appearing for only 284 minutes in Serie A – but is willing to work for his spot. “I’d prefer to play more and score more goals, obviously, but I’ve never complained and I won’t start now,” Zaza said after netting at Palermo. “I am enjoying the moment and looking forward to the next.” He took his next chance, scoring a Coppa brace against Torino. With five goals in all competitions, the Italian is showing Allegri he is a willing and reliable option.

But there’s no looking past the current pairing. There will be chances for Morata and Zaza as Juve fight on three fronts. Yet after the upheaval in August, the attack is now bearing fruit, the pieces coming together for Allegri.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Cannavaro: ‘Juventus for Scudetto’

http://www.football-italia.net/77546/cannavaro-%E2%80%98juventus-scudetto%E2%80%99?

Dec 24, 2015

Fabio Cannavaro backs Juventus for the Scudetto, but isn’t ruling out Inter or Napoli.

The former centre-back played for all three clubs, and gave his thoughts on this year’s tight Scudetto race.

“The Scudetto race? I was expecting something different since the summer,” Cannavaro told Corriere dello Sport.

“Do I like Napoli? Yes, very much, but don’t forget Inter. For me though, the favourite at the moment is still Juve.

“All I’m saying is, among all the teams that are making this an interesting and exciting League I see Juve as favourites.

“Inter, Napoli, Roma, Juventus and Fiorentina are confirming what we thought about them, but to be honest I didn’t expect this negative period from Roma.

“As for Inter, although a lot of people don't like the way they play, they’re first and that’s all that matters. There’s not much to say, they’re a very solid team, difficult to deal with and to beat.

“And the more time passes, the more difficult it will be. At San Paolo against Napoli Inter played very well and were unfortunate.

“Jovetic hitting the post and Reina’s great save from Miranda’s header can’t be ignored.

“Fiorentina are the surprise of the leading group, they were already playing well under Montella, but this year they’ve been brilliant.

“They’re beautiful, but I still think they’re lacking that nasty edge.

“Napoli? If Fiorentina are beautiful, Napoli are gorgeous. At the moment they’re the most beautiful team of all.

“Sarri was smart to figure out the right time to change the formation, the former one didn’t make sense. Among other things, it seems to recall when Lippi was there.

“As for Juve, the squad is more competitive, they have confidence and solidity. Juve are Juve. They’re a team that give the best of themselves when they’re under pressure.

“When I went to Turin, I understood that Juve aren’t a team to be hated, they’re a team to be copied. You arrive there, and you realise playing isn’t the important thing: winning is.

“Roma? I repeat, I didn’t expect this period. I didn’t expect them to be so defeatist, though they’ve had injury problems and the Champions League hasn’t helped them.

“However, they’re a team based too much on the counter-attack. They don’t have much creativity and that makes it more difficult.

“I see the Scudetto as a fight between three teams: Inter, Napoli and Juventus, with Juve the favourite because in the end the squad makes the difference.

“For the Champions League places though I wouldn’t rule out Milan, they’re quietly climbing the table.

“The January transfer window will be important. If Napoli can bring in three international-class players then they’ll make that final leap. With three competitions you need a big squad.”

Cannavaro was also asked to name his Coach of the year, and perhaps unsurprisingly went for Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri.

“I’d say Sarri, for all he’s done with Empoli and Napoli. Best of all, he succeeded with Napoli, because he’d already been working for many years at Empoli and had a consistent project.

“I also want to mention Allegri, with the Scudetto and the Champions League final he could hardly not be mentioned.”

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Allegri, Dybala and Mandzukic recover from
slow start to put Juve in title race

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/2769132/allegri-dybala-mandzukic-recover-to-place-juve-in-title-race

Dec 24, 2015

What a wonderful year it has been for Juventus and all those associated with the club: from the highs of winning the double and reaching the Champions League final to the lows suffered at the start of this new season. Yet whatever turbulent times the Bianconeri have experienced, they have stayed faithful to their winning mentality, coming back stronger than ever to put themselves in a great position to target yet another league title.

Once Massimiliano Allegri chose to rotate less, the strength of the individuals began to emerge. As the players grew confident and more in tune with the needs of those around them, unity was recovered to allow for cohesive performances. That is the beauty of Allegri; he always finds his balance eventually, even if his sides must be willing to accept a poor start to the season. In better leagues, rivals may not be so forgiving so as to allow his teams to race up the table after such tedious starts.

Arriving at Cagliari in 2008, the tactician lost his first five games with the Sardinians before eventually finding his feet to lift the team to a midtable position. At Milan, in his first season, he boasted players such as Andrea Pirlo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva yet collected only three points from his opening four matches despite playing against two newly promoted teams. Yet the dismal start soon ended and the Rossoneri finished the season as Serie A Champions.

In the 2012-13 season, his Milan side picked up only eight points from their first seven matches yet still managed to qualify for the Champions League by finishing third. That team was far less capable than this current Juve; few would bet against Allegri and his Old Lady collecting another trophy, especially if he continues to show the passion he demonstrated on the sidelines in the Carpi match.

Losing Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo was always going to be tough, not only for what they produced on the pitch but for what they brought off it too: helping Allegri to focus on his strengths as a tactician.

Yet certain departures were necessary, and while management has been guilty of several mistakes, they did find young and intriguing replacements who have excelled after being shown a little patience. Allegri needed to prove he could handle new players and infect them with that desire to win all that lies before them, but where would he be without Gianluigi Buffon leading by example, Claudio Marchisio demanding wins from the new arrivals and Giorgio Chiellini playing like his life depended on it?

While the likes of Alex Sandro, Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado have delighted, Juventus owe much of their brilliance to their dressing-room leaders, the older stars who boast the fiercest desire. It is they, coupled with Allegri's tactics, who have helped relaunch a newly assembled Bianconeri side.

With a striking duo that now produces, the Turin giants are not only defensively sound thanks to their balanced 3-5-2 formation but offensively capable. While many hoped it would be Alvaro Morata alongside Dybala up top, leading Juve's line, it's been Mario Mandzukic who has been offered the opportunity to consistently start, developing in such a manner that his absence is keenly felt.

In the past five matches the Croatian has played, he has either scored or provided assists, putting in man-of-the-match performances against both Lazio and Carpi. Whether it be holding up the ball to deliver the perfect pass to Dybala or displaying his predatory nature to exploit every mistake committed by the opponent, Mandzukic consistently displays the hunger he's been renowned for, making him the perfect player for the Bianconeri.

It wasn't easy for the ex-Atletico Madrid man, who suffered to find his way in Allegri's tactical patterns. Struggling to get the service he required, Mandzukic was barely converting his opportunities, producing statistics far removed from what he managed during his time in Madrid and at Bayern Munich. However, since the Atalanta match, the player seems to have found his way, producing nine goals; that's one more than either Ibrahimovic or David Trezeguet managed at this point in any season of their respective journeys with Juve, according to Corriere dello sport.

With Dybala producing the magic and his teammate providing the stealth, Juventus have one of the best striking partnerships in Europe -- and one that is still in its infancy and will develop even more. More important, they now know how to dig deep to find the wins, coming back after conceding, while the midfield is sacrificing tirelessly to secure the points.

The second half of the season sees them play several of the big Serie A fixtures at home. Should they continue to demonstrate this desire and intensity, Inter may just have to accept a different outcome to what they may have hoped for this year.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Will the Winter Break Hand Juventus
an Edge in the Champions League?

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2601543-will-the-winter-break-hand-juventus-an-edge-in-the-champions-league?

Dec 24, 2015

Having returned to contention at the top of Serie A, Juventus will now enjoy a well-earned rest as the league takes its winter break. The Bianconeri—who have won their last seven games to move within three points of leaders Inter—will not return to action until their January 6 meeting with Hellas Verona.

The benefits of that time off have long been discussed, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Thiago Silva believing the Ligue 1 side will gain a major advantage in their forthcoming Champions League clash with Chelsea.

With the French club enjoying a three-week pause of their own, the defender discussed the matter at length in an interview with Omnisport (h/t Sam Long of the Evening Standard) earlier this month:

Chelsea are playing at Christmas and New Year and that must be a great effort for them, a very difficult moment both mentally and physically.

When it comes to the crucial moments of the season, the knockout stages of the Champions League and the end of the local leagues, they are more tired because they didn't have a winter break.

I hope we can take advantage of this situation, but in the Champions League you never know what is going to happen.

Indeed, with the Premier League side forced to contend with the traditional but congested fixture list over the festive period, they are almost certain to enter that tie much more fatigued than PSG.

Sadly for Juventus, the draw for Europe’s elite competition has not pitted them against an English side and instead sees them paired with Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga takes an even longer break than the continent’s other divisions, not returning until January 22, which hands its clubs a significant edge.

That was a belief Arsene Wenger endorsed when his Arsenal side were paired with the Bavarian giants back in 2013, explaining the benefits of a month off to the club’s official website, as he told them:

What people forget with a long winter break is during that break the international players get real rest as well, which is not the case in the summer.

In the summer your players only sometimes get two or three weeks off because they play in the big tournaments, you have to get them back and they do start the new season without being completely rested.

If you have a big winter break, because the national teams don't play during that break, the international players who are the most exposed to severe physical stress have a real rest as well in winter, and that is a massive advantage.

With the Juventus and Bayern tie scheduled to take place on February 23 and March 16, the Bundesliga side will have time to shake off the rust and get back into the incredible form they have displayed thus far in 2015/16.

Pep Guardiola’s men have lost just one domestic fixture this term, also taking 15 points from their six Champions League group-stage games, meaning they pose a formidable threat to Juve’s hopes of progress.

Despite their recent resurgence, the Bianconeri know they face a tough challenge if they are to overcome Bayern. Perhaps the announcement that Guardiola is to quit his coaching role—per BBC Sport—will see them lose focus, but that is unlikely given the sheer depth of quality within their squad.

Taking on that star-studded lineup when they are well-rested will negate any advantage Juventus earn from their own winter break, and they will need to be at their best to earn a place in the quarter-finals.

[Socrates 8984]

Serie A Team Of The Season So Far

The Serie A season so far had no shortage of twists and turns, thrills and spills as the resurgence of Inter,
Napoli and Fiorentina have coincided with a stuttering start for defending champions Juventus.

http://www.thehardtackle.com/2015/serie-a-team-of-the-season-so-far/?

Dec 27, 2015

There have been four different leaders since the start of the season and all of them are realistic contenders for the Scudetto. Remarkably Juventus are yet to reach the summit although they have bounced back strongly after a horrible start. With teams like Empoli, Torino and Sassuolo playing attractive football while traditional giants like Roma and AC Milan struggle in patches, the contest in the peninsula has captured the imagination so far. Inter Milan have made their best start since 1966, Fiorentina were at the top of the table for the first time since 1999, Napoli did the same for the first time in quarter of a century, and that has made the title race fascinatingly unpredictable.

With some bigger names failing to make an impact, making up the team of the season therefore throws up some surprises lining up in a 4-3-1-2 formation.


Samir Handanović (Inter Milan)

Inter Milan are top of the table going into the new year, largely thanks to their impregnable defence. However, despite their improvement in defensive organisation from previous years, the presence of Samir Handanovic has been vital this season. Only three goalkeepers in this division have made more saves than the giant Slovenian.

Inter owe much of their defensive solidity to this man who has made some stunning interventions like the triple save in their win against Roma and the decisive stop to deny Mattia Destro in the dying minutes to preserve Inter’s single goal lead against Bologna. His shot to save ratio of 84.5% is the highest in the league.


Šime Vrsaljko (Sassuolo)

Linked with Barcelona and Juventus, the Croatian is enjoying a great season on the right flank for Sassuolo. Like his club, Vrsaljko is going from strength to strength this season and has created numerous chances for his teammates. He is robust and pacy and is a safe defender. His overlapping runs from the back are a source of constant threat for the opposition, and he ended the year with three consecutive assists. It is quite easy to see why he is attracting so much attention Only Marcos Alonso of Fiorentina has the same number of assists as the fullback.


Miranda (Inter Milan)

Of all the players signed by Inter this summer, Miranda definitely has had the most decisive impact so far. The Brazilian has adapted seamlessly to Italian football and has formed a solid partnership with Colombian Jeison Murillo. A backline that was shaky last season is now statistically one of the best in Europe. Ever since Lucio and Walter Samuel left, Inter’s defence has lacked steel and leadership. But this season has been a different story altogether, and while credit should be given to Handanovic and Murillo, it is the Brazilian Miranda who has showcased a masterclass in defence so far this season without doing anything extravagant.


Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)

It has been a remarkable turnaround for Napoli this season. Maurizio Sarri might have inspired them to play some of the best football in Europe, but his biggest achievement has been to get a synchronised backline playing so confidently. What was once an Achilles’ heel for Rafa Benitez’s Napoli is now one of the main reasons why Napoli are in such a strong position to challenge for the title. Perhaps the biggest change individually has been noticed in Kalidou Koulibaly who has stepped up from being a nervous defender to a leader in the back four. He has looked calm and assured while his distribution from the back has been excellent. The Senegalese has stepped out of the defence with conviction and his performances have been compared to Lilian Thuram.


Marcos Alonso (Fiorentina)

One of the brightest prospects in the league and a breath of fresh air this season, Marcos Alonso has impressed at left-back for Paulo Sousa’s Fiorentina. Alonso is one of the tallest full-backs around and his long strides enable him to cover a great deal of ground rapidly. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Alonso is called up by Spain for the Euro 2016.

He has been one of the principal beneficiaries of Sousa’s attacking philosophies and his forays down the left flank has had devastating effects so far. No fullback has created more chances [20] in Serie A than Alonso this season. His freekick against AC Milan in the first game this season had class written all over it.


Milan Badelj (Fiorentina)

Fiorentina are genuine contenders for the Scudetto with the team playing some eye-catching football under the guidance of new manager Paulo Sousa. While Borja Valero, Federico Bernardeschi and Nikola Kalinic have rightly earned rave reviews for their displays, one simply cannot overlook the contributions of Milan Badelj in the middle of the park. When Mario Suarez was signed from Atletico Madrid this summer it was not clear how much playing time the Croatian would get but he has been irreplaceable so far for Fiorentina. Badelj features heavily in Fiorentia’s possession based game, spreading the play while having the ability to break the play in the middle of the park as well. An assured tackler, Badelj is one of the prime reasons behind Fiorentina’s flying start this campaign.


Jorginho (Napoli)

Restored to the role in which he made his name in Verona, Jorginho is the orchestrator directing the entire team. Maurizio Sarri was expected to use the Pirlo of the Provinces, Mirko Valdifiori, in this role for Napoli this campaign but Jorginho has quickly secured the role. Everything goes through him and when he finds his rhythm Napoli are a joy to watch. Jorginho touched the ball 212 times against Hellas Verona — once every 24.2 seconds — the most in Europe’s top 5 leagues this season. Jorginho is the regista for Sarri and his fantastic form recently earned him a new contract till 2020.


Giacomo Bonaventura (Milan)

Bonaventura could have been placed anywhere in this team, such has been his versatility. He is truly a ‘jack’ of all trades featuring in multiple roles this season as Sinisa Mihajlovic struggles to find his best system. Bonaventura was the best outfield player for Milan last season, and he has continued that this year too in spite of the heavy investment by Milan this summer. He has eight assists to his name with Marek Hamsik only matching the number of opportunities set up for teammates. Playing in a team lacking ideas and imagination, Bonaventura is the only player who has performed consistently.

He has added deadly freekicks and perfect corner kicks to his repertoire which has resulted in crucial goals for Milan. Bonaventura often starts out wide, but is comfortable coming inside once in possession. Four goals and eight assists has been a brilliant return so far this season in a breakout year for the former Atalanta star.


Riccardo Saponara (Empoli)

Despite losing key figures Maurizio Sarri and Daniele Rugani this summer, Empoli have continued their impressive displays this season with evergreen striker Massimo Maccarone scoring for fun. One man who has been vital to the Tuscany side is Riccardo Saponara, his creativity and imagination has opened up opposition defences with ease. He has already notched five goals and six assists this season, and is well on course to reach double figures for both. He has been at the heart of everything impressive for Empoli this term in the trequartista role. Maintaining this form to help Empoli sustain their place in the top half of the table and securing his place in the Azzurri’s Euro 2016 squad will be his primary goal for the remainder of the season.


Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

The young Argentine was under huge pressure at the beginning of the season to justify the €40m price tag and to carry on the legacy of Carlos Tevez at Juventus. On top of that he had to handle the pressure of a big club while adapting to a new system and new teammates. Max Allegri was criticised from all corners as Dybala was used marginally, but as the season progressed everyone realised how vital it was for the Argentine’s development.

He gradually introduced Dybala, picked his moments to build up his confidence and got him to gain muscles. He has already matched Tevez’s first season at Juventus for goals and assists, Dybala’s numbers are also as good as they were at Palermo a year ago although he has played half as many minutes contributing ten goals and three assists to help Max Allegri’s new side storm back into the title race.


Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli)

The best player in the league without a shadow of a doubt. Finding the net 16 times in 17 Serie A outings means Gonzalo Higuain is undoubtedly the league’s most in-form striker, also weighing in with two goals in the Europa League. Roberto Mancini recently claimed that Higuain is as decisive as Lionel Messi in Serie A. A visit to the dietitian and the man management of Sarri has worked brilliantly for Higuain so far this season. He is playing like a man with a point to prove after his last season at Napoli and disappointments in World Cup and Copa America finals. No one since Luca Toni won the Golden Boot in 2005-06 has scored 16 goals in the opening 17 games of the season.

As the best player in Serie A, Higuain has all the qualities to decide the title race in Napoli’s favor this season. His understanding with Lorenzo Insigne is so telepathic that Napoli fans refer to them as a single player : ‘HiguaInsigne’. Higuain seems intent on emulating compatriot Diego Maradona by bringing the Scudetto to Southern Italy and becoming a God in Naples.


Coach: Maurizio Sarri (Napoli)

Watching Sarri’s Napoli is like listening to an orchestra. They play in perfect harmony, defending and attacking as a single unit. They are a triumph of his excellent coaching. Using drone technology to improve the defence has clicked as well with Koulibaly as his leader in the backline. The start of the season saw Napoli icon Diego Maradona raise concerns about Sarri, believing he will lead Napoli to the second division. However Sarri reacted in the best way possible and Maradona had to withdraw his comments few months later. There is renewed enthusiasm at Napoli with Higuain and Insigne leading from the front. There were concerns as to how he would command the dressing room in Naples and whether Sarri could get the players to follow him and make sacrifices, but these concerns have been dismissed quickly as Napoli look like the strongest unit in this title race. Considering the winning experience in this team — they’re the only club other than Juventus to win any silverware in Italy in the past four years — Napoli are more than mere outsiders. Maurizio Sarri deserves a lot of credit and respect for that.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

The Highs and Lows for Juventus in 2015

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2602343-the-highs-and-lows-for-juventus-in-2015?

Dec 28, 2015

There is little doubt that the last 12 months have been fantastic for Juventus, the Italian giants arguably enjoying one of the best spells in the club’s long history.

Looking back now as the year comes to a close, it seems to be the perfect time to reflect on what happened to the Bianconeri in 2015.

While the Turin-based side celebrated some epic moments that will be remembered fondly for decades, the grand Old Lady also endured some tough periods and those should be equally noted.

What follows is a look back at the calendar year, breaking it down into the best and worst moments of the year as we recall the highs and the lows of Juve’s 2015.


High: A Fourth Consecutive League Title

Juve’s first order of business this year was to retain their Serie A crown, a competition they have dominated since moving to their new stadium in the summer of 2011. Indeed, the Bianconeri had won the title in each of the previous three seasons, but last term was expected to be their most difficult task yet.

Losing coach Antonio Conte while the likes of AS Roma and Napoli strengthened their squads, it was expected that Juve would be pushed all the way in 2015/16. Yet those challenges never truly arose, allowing new boss Massimiliano Allegri and his players to enjoy what became a procession to the Scudetto.

Claiming top spot by a staggering 17 points, the Turin giants exerted total dominance over the competition, never truly looking worried as the year wore on and pulling away whenever a rival drew close.


High: First Coppa Italia Win in 20 Years

Having retained their title, Juventus marked 2015 as a truly special year by adding victory in the Coppa Italia, a trophy they had not won in two decades.

Wins over Verona, Parma and Fiorentina saw them clinch their place in the final, where they would go head-to-head with an impressive-looking Lazio.

They would see off the Rome-based club in extra time, though, running out 2-1 winners thanks to goals from Giorgio Chiellini and Alessandro Matri.

It was the 10th time the Bianconeri had lifted the trophy, and it also marked only the third league-and-cup double in the club’s 118-year history.


High: Reaching the Champions League Final

Not content with completely dominating Italian football, 2015 also saw the Bianconeri return to prominence on the European stage.

After struggling through a group containing Atletico Madrid, Olympiakos and Malmo, few expected Juventus to make any real impression on the Champions League.

But the knockout phase would see Allegri’s side emerge as genuine contenders, despatching Borussia Dortmund, Monaco and Real Madrid to earn a place in the final for the first time since 2003.

Lionel Messi and Barcelona would prove to be a class apart in Berlin, but Juventus showed throughout the earlier rounds that they were a force to be reckoned with once again in UEFA’s elite competition.


Low: Losing Three Key Players

Having come so close to the ultimate prize, a number of key figures would then call an end to their time in Turin as Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal all moved on.

Vidal requested a move to Bayern Munich, while Pirlo decided to try his hand in MLS with a surprising switch to New York City FC.

There was something inevitable about Tevez’s decision to head back to Boca Juniors, with the Argentinian striker always destined to represent his childhood club again before the end of his career.

Juventus opted to not stand in his way, but the trio of departures meant a very different-looking team would start the new season once it got under way.


High: Reclaiming the Supercoppa

Last December, Juventus travelled to Doha to contest the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana, ultimately losing on penalties to Coppa Italia winners Napoli.

Determined to reclaim the trophy this time around, they would take on Lazio at the Shanghai Stadium in China before the campaign truly began.

Facing a side they had handily despatched in that aforementioned Italian Cup showpiece, the Bianconeri would once again triumph, running out 2-0 winners in a contest they dominated from whistle-to-whistle.

Goals from new signings Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala saw Gigi Buffon raise yet another piece of silverware aloft, and it seemed 2015/16 would be yet another good season for the reigning Serie A champions.


Low: A Horrendous Start to 2015/16

While the Supercoppa meeting with Lazio appeared to signify that Juventus would continue to retain their place atop the Serie A standings, the new season would quickly prove that things were not quite that simple.

An opening-day loss to Udinese caught many by surprise, but the vastly altered side would also lose to AS Roma, Napoli and Sassuolo while being held to draws by Chievo, Frosinone and Inter in the following weeks.

With a staggering 12 points separating them from first place, it seemed the hopes of adding a fifth consecutive title were all but over as questions began to be asked about the future of the team.


High: Three Points Away from Top Spot

This season's poor run of form meant the Bianconeri had won just two of their opening eight matches, slumping to 14th place in the table as Torino visited Juventus Stadium for the Derby della Mole.

A 2-1 victory over their city cousins on Halloween marked a sudden turnaround, with Juventus then going on to win their last seven league games of 2015.

It is a streak which has shot them back into contention, now just three points behind leaders Inter and very much in contention for another Scudetto.

Allegri summed the situation up perfectly as he spoke to the Corriere della Sera last week, the coach reflecting on the year and looking to the future as he told them (h/t Football Italia):

We have room for improvement, but we can have a great season. We started with 10 new players, and with some uncertainty having lost some guarantees. After the [supercoppa] success in Shanghai we started disastrously.

Now the team is consistent. We have to continue like this, the team is growing and we mustn’t stop. Maintaining our position does not exist.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Di Canio: Serie A Title Race Between Juventus And Napoli

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2015/12/di-canio-serie-a-title-race-between-juventus-and-napoli/?

Dec 28, 2015

Former Lazio striker Paolo Di Canio has stated that the Serie A title race this season will be contested between Juventus and Napoli.

The Partenopei currently sit in third in the table with 35 points, whilst reigning champions Juve are two points behind them in fourth following a difficult start to the season.

“In the end, the title will be contested between Juventus and Napoli,” Di Canio told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport. “Inter are convincing, but they could have unexplained blips like Lazio [a 2-1 home loss].

“Roma, on the other hand, are extremely inconsistent.”

Di Canio also spoke about former Roma and Inter boss Claudio Ranieri, who is currently top of the English Premier League as coach of Leicester City.

“It’s a fantastic story that makes me proud to be Italian,” he said. “Ranieri gave Leicester the best things Italian football have to offer: organisation and tactics.”

Inter currently lead the Serie A table with 36 points from 17 games, two points off both Fiorentina and Napoli, who occupy second and third place respectively.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Juventus' 2016 new year's resolutions

Happy New Year!

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/1/1/10692606/juventus-resolutions-for-2016-happy-new-year

Jan 1, 2016

With the curtains closing on the year 2015, we welcome 2016 with hopes and wishes for another successful season for Juventus on multiple fronts.

We asked the writers at your favorite Juve site (BWRAO, of course!) to answer the following question:


"Pick one Juventino (player/manager/Board), and what should his New Year's resolution be?"

Jose R.
Mr. Marotta. Give the coach what he wants or don't get it at all. Don't get me wrong, he is a great DS, but when Anotnio Conte was around he could not bring wingers for the life of him (Elia?). Now that Conte is gone, Juve have wingers. Max Allegri wanted a good trequartista, and he got Hernanes. Hamsik was a great idea, but if it didn't pan out better save the cash, he knows full well that something else will come up soon.

Aaron
I'm picking Giorgio Chiellini, and pleading with him to make a resolution not to make more than one (1) rash challenge a game. Get it out of the way early in a non-vital area of the field, please, King Kong. Otherwise, you're perfect.

Tudor
Paulo Dybala. Train, learn, grow and become the modern Juventus legend who led the club to multiple Scudetti and a Champions League trophy. Do argue with this if you want, but the kid can do it.

Jose A.
For Paul Pogba, "Win the Ballon d' Or 2016". The kid is awesome, He'll play the Euros at home and Juventus is looking like a juggernaut right now. Why not?

Danny
For Sami Khedira: To say healthy. Why? Because we've seen how effective Juventus' midfield can be when he teams with Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba. It may be a stretch at this point â no pun intended! â for Khedira to stay healthy for extended periods of time at this point of his career with everything that has happened in the past, but a boy can dream, right?

Calvin
Claudio Marchisio - to resolve to play every single minute of every single important game of 2016. The side is much better off with his calming influence, and we will need him at his best to even get close to the tripletta.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

Juventus Club Focus – Mid-Season
Review: The Story So Far…

The 2015-16 Serie A season has been a rollercoaster ride for the Juventus faithful so far.

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/01/juventus-club-focus-mid-season-review-the-story-so-far/?

Jan 1, 2016

One win out of their first six league games meant they sat in a poor 15th place in the league table after six weeks, and they remained out of the top 10 until round 11.

That particular week proved to be a turning point in the season for Massimiliano Allegri and his side, with a 1-0 loss to Sassuolo evidently being the final straw.

What followed, just three days later, was a 2-1 victory over bitter rivals Torino and, since then, Juventus have won all six of their Serie A matches, as well as qualification in the Coppa Italia and the Champions League.

Whether it was a sudden realisation that the league title was slipping out of their grasp, or if this comeback was planned all along, fans of La Vecchia Signora can be certain that they are back in the Scudetto challenge.

 

Best Player

Firstly, the whole squad should be praised for their recovery after losing all three of Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal in the summer transfer window before the season even began.

The front line of Juventus has really begun to show itself over the past few weeks, with the three new signings of Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza bringing energy and determination back into the side.

Argentine Dybala has got 10 goals this term, while Croatian Mandzukic has scored nine times and Italian Zaza has five goals to his name. Those statistics show the tight competition there is for best player of the season so far, and Dybala deserves to be on top.

His 22-year-old enthusiasm has been of further help to the rest of the squad with his four assists along with his own goals, and without him the side would have had a far less comfortable run up to Christmas.


Highlight so far

The aforementioned victory over Torino is probably the highlight of the campaign so far.

The strong determination to stop the poor run of form and the changes in the club in the transfer market both had their own say to claim the three points.

It was Juan Cuadrado, who came to the Juventus Stadium from Chelsea in the summer, who got the winning goal deep in injury time.

That win put the side into 10th place in the Serie A league table, and their results have only been positive since then.


Biggest disappointment

The loss to Sevilla in the Champions League is the low of the campaign so far.

Despite the Italians gaining qualification to the knockout stages of the European club competition, they have given themselves a hugely tough task against Bayern Munich in the next round, thanks to the defeat by Sevilla.

The Spaniards hosted Juventus in the final round of group stage matches, and a draw was all that was needed to seal top spot in Group D and have an easier route to the final.

Instead, it was former Juventus man Fernando Llorente himself who punished the Serie A champions, thus giving Manchester City top spot. The English side got Dynamo Kiev in the next round.


Transfer hit and flop

The transfer hit goes to Paulo Dybala, for his excellent adjustment to the demands that Juventus brings compared to those of lower-placed Palermo.

Meanwhile, the transfer flop is a close race between Hernanes and Sami Khedira.

Despite being riddled with injury issues, Brazilian international Hernanes claims this award.

German international Khedira has at least managed to score a goal and assist a further two this year in a black and white shirt, while Hernanes has done neither.


What next?

If this question was asked ten weeks ago, the answer would be very different to what it is now.

For that reason, the next 17 games in Serie A should be treated completely differently to the first 17.

Juventus had a tough start to the year and it was never going to be an easy task to recover from the busy transfer window they had while also keeping an eye on their Champions League progress. However, the way that the side have battled through those problems and how they now sit fourth in the league table shows the potential of what could be achieved achieved come May.

Scudetto winners might be too big a prediction for now given the close race at the top of the table, but Juventus are guaranteed to be up there and in with a chance towards the end of the 2015-16 campaign.

In terms of the Champions League, it is probably too much of an ask to get to the final and do well in the league, especially with Bayern Munich waiting for them in the next round, so European hopes shouldn’t be too high for the moment.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

CAN JUVENTUS WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE THIS SEASON?

http://www.juvefc.com/can-juventus-win-the-champions-league-this-season/?

Jan 1, 2016

After reaching the final of the Champions League last season, Juventus may be aiming to go one better and win Europe’s elite club competition in 2016. Massimiliano Allegri’s men secured their place in the last-16 stage of the competition but face a difficult two-legged clash with Bayern Munich in the first knockout round of matches. Bayern are one of the best teams in Europe and will be incredibly difficult to beat. Pep Guardiola’s men are expected to reach the latter stages of the tournament and Juve will be hard pressed to emulate last season’s run to the final – especially if the German side are in top form. However, based on recent performances, the Italian side are capable of beating Bayern and neutrals will be eagerly anticipating February’s first leg.

Juventus struggled in the early stages of the season and were languishing towards the lower end of the Serie A table. In recent weeks, their form in the domestic game has completely switched around and Allegri’s side have gone on a winning run. Juve are looking ominous and the Christmas break may help them to freshen up ahead of a gruelling January. If Juventus maintain their current form throughout the duration of the campaign, there’s absolutely no reason why they cannot win Serie A for a fifth successive year. However, their supporters and players will both be gunning for success in the Champions League – which is widely regarded as the greatest prize in club football.

Unfortunately for Juve, their resurgence in the league has come at the expense of their European form. Earlier in the season, Juventus were sitting pretty at the top of their group but were pipped by Manchester City after the final round of matches. The Italian giants were complacent in Europe’s elite club competition and you can ill afford to do that against the best teams on the continent. While they performed well against City, they struggled against Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach. These were results that ultimately decided their fate in the next round of the competition. At the time of writing, 32Red price Juventus at 29/10 to win the first leg on home soil. This is something they must do if they are to stand any chance of advancing to the quarter-finals.

Juventus can take inspiration from their group stage victories against Manchester City and have every chance of beating Bayern if they can replicate their impressive performances against Manuel Pellegrini’s men. Juve won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium and could have defeated City by a greater margin had Joe Hart not been at the top of his game. Meanwhile, they secured a 1-0 victory in Italy – a result that many believed would secure top spot in Group D. On their day, Juventus can give anybody a game and the Serie A champions will be desperate to avenge their defeat to Barcelona in last season’s final. If they perform at their very best, Juventus could defy the odds at places like 32Red, 888Sport and others and advance to the next round. From there, who knows?

For Juventus to beat Bayern Munich, they must remain solid defensively – especially on home soil. The Italians cannot afford to head into the second leg on the back foot and Allegri will need all of his tactical nous and intelligence to thwart Guardiola’s men. The Bayern boss announced that he is leaving the Allianz Arena at the end of the current campaign and the Bavarians will be desperate to get their hands on the Champions League trophy in Guardiola’s final season at the club. Both managers are among the greatest in the sport and Allegri will be quietly confident of getting one over on the Bayern manager in this tactical battle. Allegri has revealed that Juventus will attack Bayern, however, the Italian knows the importance of keeping a clean sheet in European football.

Can Juventus win the competition? If they can beat Bayern, they can beat anybody. It’s unfortunate that they were paired up with the Bavarians this early in the tournament but to be the best, you have to beat the best. If Allegri gets his tactics right and with a bit of luck, there’s absolutely no reason why Juve cannot advance to the next round and go one better and lift the trophy at the end of May.

[Socrates 8984]

3 Targets for Juventus to Hit in 2016

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2602365-3-targets-for-juventus-to-hit-in-2016?

Jan 2, 2016

Now firmly back in title contention, Juventus enter the new year looking to build on their good form and continue the success they have enjoyed over the past four seasons. The Bianconeri have put their poor start behind them and will certainly be seeking more silverware to add to their impressive 2015 haul.

With the club’s first league and cup double in two decades secured last summer, coach Massimiliano Allegri believes his side must strive to get even better, as he told the Corriere della Sera in a recent interview.

"We have room for improvement, but we can have a great season," he said (h/t Football Italia). "We have to continue like this, the team is growing and we mustn’t stop. Maintaining our position does not exist."

Given his previous success with Italian football’s grand Old Lady, it is difficult to argue with Allegri’s judgment, and what follows is a look at three targets for Juventus—and their impressive coach—to hit in 2016.


Retain Their Status as Champions

After eight weeks of 2015/16, the Bianconeri had won just two matches and sat as low as 14th in the Serie A standings, a staggering 12 points behind the early leaders.

Now, just nine games later, they have narrowed that gap to a mere three points and must firmly feel they can win yet another Scudetto this coming year.

Indeed, despite his own side being top of the table, Inter boss Roberto Mancini counted Juventus among the favourites for the title at a recent press conference. Undoubtedly looking to take the pressure off his own players after a poor result against Lazio, his comments will fuel the belief of La Madama.

If they are able to clinch a fifth consecutive title, it would be a remarkable accomplishment by Allegri and his players given their earlier weakened position.


Defend Their Coppa Italia Crown

Lifting another league title would be impressive, but a follow-up victory in the Coppa Italia would be a nice punctuation mark as the club has not recorded back-to-back wins in that competition since 1960.

Furthermore, having watched AS Roma, Fiorentina and Sampdoria crash out in the last round, the cup suddenly looks much more straightforward with a repeat of last year’s showpiece waiting in the quarter-finals.

Victory against Lazio would put the Bianconeri into a last-four clash with either Inter or Napoli, with the other side of the draw drastically weakened by those surprising exits.


Challenge Bayern Munich

While their domestic credentials need no introduction, Juventus—despite major victories over Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid en route to the Champions League final last term—still have much to prove in Europe.

Indeed, while they recorded two wins over Manchester City in this season’s group stage, poor performances against Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach saw them finish second in their pool.

That has seen the Bianconeri paired with Bayern Munich in the last 16, a daunting prospect given the form Pep Guardiola’s men are in thus far in 2015/16. Losing just two games in all competitions, the Bundesliga outfit will provide a stern test, one to which Juve must rise if they are to be seen as genuine contenders.

"Bayern are one of the best teams in the world," Allegri noted at a recent press conference, adding, however, that "getting past them would make us one of the favourites for the Champions League."

That is undoubtedly true, and laying down a marker in Munich should be a major target for Juventus when they return to action in 2016.

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Toni: 'Retirement undecided'

http://www.football-italia.net/77748/toni-retirement-undecided?

Jan 2, 2016

Luca Toni admits he “hasn’t decided yet” whether to retire at the end of the season and looks back over Juventus regrets.

He will turn 39 in May, but the Verona hitman is still as potent as ever, finishing joint Capocannoniere last term with Mauro Icardi on 22 Serie A goals.

“Everyone says I signed on to become a director of Verona, but the truth is I am still a football player and I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll retire in June or in 2017,” he told Tuttosport newspaper.

“I’ve been supposed to quit for the last four years and I’ll make a decision in the spring. A lot will depend on how the season goes and how I’m feeling, so whether I want to keep challenging myself all over again.

“Would I become a Coach? No, it’s far too stressful. I’ve seen some of my ex-teammates get wiped out so fast.”

Verona face Juventus on Wednesday, one of Toni’s many former clubs.

“It’s better we face them now after the Christmas break, so hopefully some will still be distracted. Juve are clearly stronger, but we can cause them problems.

“I like Mario Mandzukic, as like me he’s an old-school centre-forward. Now the fashion is for the ‘False 9,’ but when the team is struggling, a big striker knows how to help out. He might not be great to watch, but between goals, assists and hard work for the team, he does more than anyone.

“I think to be considered a great striker you need to net 20 goals for at least four or five seasons. I prefer someone who trips up on the ball and scores 20 rather than a player who pirouettes three times with a back-heel flick and scores 10.

“It’s true I have regrets about Juventus, because I was at a big club and would’ve gladly stayed longer, as I still have a strong rapport with the old guard there.

“When Antonio Conte arrived, he had different ideas and I opted for a change of scenery. It’s a pity, as I never got the chance to prove what I could do with him, but a Coach can prefer different styles.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus - Verona
MATCH PREVIEW

http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/preview/69993

Jan 3, 2016

Basement boys Hellas Verona travel to a revitalized Juventus as this could prove vital in the title race and the hunt for survival.

The doom and gloom for the Bianconeri faithful is now over. Seven successive Serie A wins following progression from a tough-looking Champions League group has the Old Lady looking like their old self again.

Paulo Dybala's breathtaking performances have filled a Carlos Tevez shaped hole in the front line and the commanding Giorgio Chiellini is back to his best. With the January transfer window officially open, the search for a trequartista can continue, meaning Max Allegri can return to his favored 4-1-2-1-2 shape.

Verona meanwhile couldn't be in worse condition. Still winless after 17 rounds, bottom of the table and in the midst of an injury crisis, a trip to a very real Scudetto contender could get very ugly very quickly.

Luca Toni will be approaching full fitness, but the morale boost of having the club's all time leading goalscorer and last season's Capocannoniere may not be enough to oust Serie A's strongest squad. Although only a few weeks into the job, Luigi Del Neri must turn things around quickly to avoid the axe, but with vast Serie A experience and time spent as a former Juve Coach, the ex-Roma man will know just how big of a mountain Verona must climb to stand a chance.

Expect Allegri to lead Juventus out in a pressing 3-5-2 formation to try and break Verona down early and seal all three points in the first half. Roberto Pereyra and Kwadwo Asamoah remain long-term absentees, but on the plus side, Mario Mandzukic appears to be growing into his role as a Juventino after an inconsistent start.

Expect Dybala to play in the hole between midfield and attack, while Sami Khedira and Paul Pogba do the legwork beside Claudio Marchisio. Giorgio Chiellini will marshal a back three consisting of himself, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, while Gianluigi Buffon is on course to make his 608th Serie A appearance, and number 440 in a Juve shirt.

Del Neri will likely set up a defensive 4-2-3-1 formation in attempt to crowd the midfield and spark quick counter-attacks via the wings. With only two points taken from their last five games, Verona have found themselves in an early relegation battle.

Although only two points separate the Mastini from 19th placed Carpi, they currently lie eight points from safety and the crisis bells are ringing. The young Pierluigi Gollini will likely hold his place in goal while the back four will be missing star player Jacopo Sala, but with the experience of Eros Pisano, Vangelis Moras and Samuel Souprayen can keep the young Matteo Bianchetti in check.


Keep an eye on: Paulo Dybala (Juventus) - Signed from Palermo for a reported €42m last summer, the young Argentine has yet to disappoint. Often deployed behind Mandzukic or Alvaro Morata in the Francesco Totti role, he has notched eight goals and three assists in 16 league appearances, and is slowly becoming the Bianconeri's most important player. With a special Centenario Copa America taking place in the USA over the summer, and strikers such as Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez to compete with, the former Palermo man must be at his best for the remainder of the season to stand a chance, and it looks like he's up for the challenge.


Form Guide: Juventus (W W W W W) Hellas Verona (L L L D D)

Last season: Juventus 4-0 Verona

Stat Fact: In 15 attempts Hellas Verona have only managed one victory against Juventus in Serie A history. The solitary win came in April 2000 when a young Fabrizio Cammarata grabbed a brace to down Juventus and hand the title to Lazio.


Juventus (Probable):
Buffon; Barzagli, Chiellini, Bonucci; Cuadrado, Pogba, Khedira, Marchisio, Evra; Dybala, Mandzukic

Suspended: None


Verona (Probable):
Gollini; Pisano, Bianchetti, Moras, Souprayen; Viviani, Hallfredsson; Wszolek, Ionita, Siligardi; Toni

Suspended: Sala

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Del Neri: 'I didn't fail at Juve'

http://www.football-italia.net/77802/del-neri-i-didnt-fail-juve?

Jan 3, 2016

Current Verona boss Gigi Del Neri faces Juventus for the first time since he was sacked, but insists “I didn’t fail.”

Serie A resumes for 2016 and on Wednesday Hellas visit Turin at 14.00 GMT. Click here for a match preview.

This will be his first encounter with the Bianconeri since the ill-fated 2010-11 campaign, when Juve finished seventh, failed to qualify for Europe and were knocked out of the Europa League and Coppa Italia relatively early.

“And yet, in the autumn we had beaten Max Allegri’s Milan at San Siro, who went on to win the Scudetto, and were second in mid-December,” he told La giornalaccio rosa dello Sport.

“What ruined us was the 4-1 defeat to Parma after Christmas. Felipe Melo was sent off and got a three-match ban, plus Leonardo Bonucci and Fabio Quagliarella were injured. Quagliarella was particularly crucial for my style of football. With a bit more luck we could’ve finished at least fourth.”

That was also a turning point in Del Neri’s career, as he left Sampdoria ahead of the Champions League preliminary round to take the Juve job. Does he regret that?

“In hindsight I wouldn’t do it again, but at the time absolutely, because it’s impossible to turn Juve down. No, I have no regrets. I did what I had to do.

“I don’t think that I failed at Juve and still have an excellent rapport with Andrea Agnelli, Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici. Every now and then we talk on the phone and I’ll be happy to see them at the Juventus Stadium.

“I left Turin with sadness and disappointment, but time has changed certain memories and today I feel neither anger nor absurd desire for revenge. It was an honour to be Coach of Juventus.

“As for my rapport with the fans, it was so brief that we never really got to know each other. You can say the work I did laid the groundwork for Antonio Conte, but of course he also had new players like Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Stephan Lichtsteiner.”

Back to the present day, how can bottom of the table Verona hope to get a result in Turin?

“With aggression and temperament, but ultimately we can only do what Juve allow us to. If we are often defending, it won’t be our choice, but because we are forced to. It is not in my nature to field remissive teams.

“Will Luca Toni and Giampaolo Pazzini start together? Perhaps, perhaps… They are a great battle pairing who could potentially score 40 goals between them, but I’d be happy with half that. They remind me of the Toni-Matri duo I used at Juventus.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Week 18 referees announced

http://www.football-italia.net/77810/week-18-referees-announced

Jan 3, 2016

Paolo Valeri gets the Genoa-Sampdoria derby as the other Serie A referees enjoy an unusual lull.

The referees for Week 18 of the Italian league have been announced. While the Derby della Lanterna will provide Valeri with plenty to negotiate, the rest of the championship looks relatively calm.

Antonio Damato deals with Palermo-Fiorentina, which is probably the closest match after the Genoa derby, while Juventus, Napoli, Inter, Milan and Roma do not cross paths with each other.


Week 18 referees

MASSIMILIANO IRRATI – CHIEVO-ROMA

DOMENICO CELI - EMPOLI-INTER

PAOLO VALERI – GENOA-SAMPDORIA

GIANPAOLO CALVARESE – JUVENTUS-VERONA

CARMINE RUSSO - LAZIO-CARPI

DAVIDE MASSA – MILAN-BOLOGNA

MARCO DI BELLO – NAPOLI-TORINO

ANTONIO DAMATO – PALERMO-FIORENTINA

LUCA PAIRETTO – SASSUOLO-FROSINONE

ANGELO CERVELLERA – UDINESE-ATALANTA

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Cuadrado: ‘Difficult game with Verona’

http://www.football-italia.net/77850/cuadrado-%E2%80%98difficult-game-verona%E2%80%99

Jan 4, 2016

Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado expects “a more difficult game” against Verona on Wednesday.

The Bianconeri have won seven Serie A fixtures in a row, closing the gap at the top of the table to three points, and take on the winless Butei this midweek.

“It’s a more difficult game, because it comes after the winter break,” Cuadrado explained to Mediaset.

“But we know we have to get three important points. We always try to win, in the Coppa Italia and Champions League too.

“We’re Juventus, and we have to fight for the top spots even though it’s not easy because there are other teams fighting for the Scudetto.

“Over the break we’ve worked hard because we don’t have much time and we have to do everything we can to prepare for the next five months.

“We’re a great group, a great family, and we’re all pulling in the same direction.”

After a difficult start, Cuadrado’s late winner in the derby with Torino is seen by many as a turning point for the Old Lady, and the Colombian shares that assessment.

“For me personally it was very important, as it came after a long drought. And a goal like that gives you a boost and faith.

“For Juve it was a turning point, we knew we had to win that game and we believed until the end.

“Since then we’ve achieved a lot, and hopefully we can go on playing every game like a final.

“My goal against Fiorentina? It was a bit lucky, but it was important because we equalised straight away and then we played a great match and got a deserved victory.”

Finally, the on-loan Chelsea man gave his thoughts on the Champions League Last 16 tie with Bayern Munich.

“Any team can be beaten, but it will be difficult,” Cuadrado admitted.

“We’ll have to go into it with great intelligence, as if it were the World Cup final. We still have time to prepare for the game, and get to 100 per cent or even 200 per cent.”

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

[Socrates 8984]

JUVENTUS - HELLAS VERONA

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MATCHDAY 18
Wednesday, January 6th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Gianpaolo Calvarese

Juventus v Verona Preview: Champions back
in action after winter break

Despite a poor start to the season Massimiliano Allegri's side are back
in the title chase as they kick off the second half of their campaign.

http://www.goal.com/en/match/juventus-vs-hellas-verona/2120549/preview

Jan 4, 2016

Sami Khedira says tactical improvements have spread confidence throughout Juventus' ranks as they approach a return to Serie A action against Verona on Wednesday.

Following the departures of key players such as Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez, the defending champions endured a sluggish start to the season, winning just three of their opening 10 fixtures and sitting 11 points off Roma in pole position.

However, a run of seven straight victories has put Massimiliano Allegri's side back in the hunt for a fifth successive Scudetto.

They start the year in fourth position, just three points adrift of leaders Inter, and Khedira believes increased solidity has been key to restoring Juve's self-esteem and making them a formidable opponent once again.

"The most important thing now is that the team keeps pushing on to win more matches," he told Juventus' official website.

"As we have seen in recent games in the league, we are all playing with more confidence, we're set up better tactically, we score more goals and concede less.

"I think it's normal that we took a bit of time to get going, after changing so many players, but now we've all settled in, we're performing well and getting results regardless of who is on the pitch."

"We've trained very hard since returning from our holidays. We've done a lot of running and tactical work which will stand us in good stead for the second part of the season.

"On Wednesday we have a tough match, as it's the first one after the Christmas break, but it's one which we need to win in order to keep up the pressure on Inter at the top of the table.

"We're also at home which perhaps makes victory even more important, but we've had a good week's training, we're very focused on the task at hand and so I'm optimistic about our chances of taking maximum points."

Verona are still winless in the top flight this season with Luigi Delneri's only victory since replacing Andrea Mandorlini in December coming in the last-gasp 1-0 triumph over Pavia in the Coppa Italia.

Historically, Verona have struggled at Juventus, failing to beat them in 26 Serie A trips to Turin.

They have been boosted by forward Juanito Gomez's return to training after he missed the 1-1 draw with Sassuolo last time out, but Jacopo Sala will be absent as the midfielder serves a suspension.

Juventus duo Mario Mandzukic and Andrea Barzagli are lacking fitness, while Leonardo Bonucci trained separately from the group on Sunday after overcoming an illness.


OPTA FACTS

Juventus are unbeaten in their last eight league games against Verona, but were held to a draw by Hellas in two of the last three.

Verona have never won at Juve’s ground in the top-flight (L22 D4).

Hellas have never scored more than two goals in a game at Juve’s ground in Serie A.

Juve ended 2015 with seven consecutive wins in the league – that’s the best run for Allegri as a manager.

Meanwhile, Verona are yet to win their first game of the season (D8 L9).

Verona have drawn four games from leading positions – more than any other Serie A side this term.

The Old Lady has a record of a win, a draw and a loss on their first game of the New Year over the last three seasons.

Juventus have already used 27 players in this campaign – more than any other team.


LAST FIVE MATCHES

Juventus W W W L W

12/20/15 - Carpi 2 - 3 Juventus
12/16/15 - Juventus 4 - 0 Torino
12/13/15 - Juventus 3 - 1 Fiorentina
12/8/15 - Sevilla 1 - 0 Juventus
12/4/15 - Lazio 0 - 2 Juventus


Hellas Verona D L D L W

12/20/15 - Hellas Verona 1 - 1 Sassuolo
12/16/15 - Napoli 3 - 0 Hellas Verona
12/13/15 - AC Milan 1 - 1 Hellas Verona
12/6/15 - Hellas Verona 0 - 1 Empoli
12/2/15 - Hellas Verona 1 - 0 Pavia


HEAD TO HEAD

5/30/15 - Hellas Verona 2 - 2 Juventus
1/18/15 - Juventus 4 - 0 Hellas Verona
1/15/15 - Juventus 6 - 1 Hellas Verona
2/9/14 - Hellas Verona 2 - 2 Juventus
9/22/13 - Juventus 2 - 1 Hellas Verona

 

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127