JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

It's always Napoli-Juve

 

 

This year's Napoli-Juventus will be particularly bitter, notes Andrea Tallarita,

but the two sides are too different to ever meet peacefully.

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100518/its-always-napoli-juve

 

Apr 1, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

A Napoli fan walks into a bar with his face all bashed and bruised, so the bartender asks: 'What happened to you?' The Azzurro says: 'I called Gonzalo Higuain a shameless mercenary.' So the barman says: 'Well, and what did he do?' And the fan: 'He hit me with his sack of gold ingots.'

The joke requires a little tweaking, but otherwise it's a remarkably accurate synopsis of the relationship between Napoli and Juventus this season. The club from Turin have indeed been slapping their southern rival in the face (and not them alone, really) with the clout of their financial resources.

Nor was the forceful purchase of the Partenopei champion and hero Higuain a one-off case. If anything, it is the perpetuation of a long tradition: from Dino Zoff and José Altafini in the 70s, all the way to Ciro Ferrara and Fabio Cannavaro in the 90s, fans in the South have had to watch as many of their champions ditched the blue and ended up in black and white.

Some did not get there directly, like Cannavaro, who played for Parma and Inter first. But the motor of the transition was always the same, even as the motivations differed. Juventus fans like to rationalise the anger of their rivals by talking about games and performances, but in truth, their club has been slapping the Vesuviani in the face with that sack of gold ingots for a very long time.

Similarly, Napoli fans talk of refereeing controversies and alleged corruption when asked why they dislike Juventus. But that too is linked to the lop-sided financial relationship between the two, which goes to the heart of the acrimony ahead of tonight's game.

From this particular perspective, the matter of the Scudetto race is in fact not very significant. Side-liners Roma are probably going to be the club most interested in the competitive implications (the difference may seem petty, but an eight-point gap at this stage of the season is a lot easier to negotiate than one of 10 points).

It will be a good fight for Napoli, the type that is always worth fighting, even should they play for nothing but their honour. The pitch alone is where a team can redeem the insult of a rival's financial supremacy, where they can fix that rigged fight on the market. It's the place where, if you can pull off a win, all of the other differences stop mattering.

And to throw more fuel on the fire, there's the return of Higuain, the new core 'ngrato (ungrateful heart). He picked up a few boos in the first leg of the game, especially after he scored the winner in that first leg in Turin. But the San Paolo will verily come down with blasphemous howls every single time he touches the ball. One can only hope the ball-boys are wearing earplugs.

Though this year the rivalry may be more incandescent than usual, there's reason to believe this wouldn't be a quiet game – much less a meaningless one – regardless of what had happened on the market or what difference there were in the standings.

The financial supremacy of Juventus isn't an accident, but an expression of the radical difference that underscores these two clubs. The Bianconeri are utterly global and self-sustaining: they are the owners of their own stadium, and they recently chose to be represented by a minimalistic, a-historical new logo. The Partenopei are utterly local, still rooted in their oldest icons and traditions, chronically entangled with the realities of their arcane city.

That Maurizio Sarri's club are able to compete at all whilst running on such an outdated football business model is a small miracle in and of itself (some, at this historical juncture, may call it a challenge to the establishment). In the same way that Turin and Naples are about as contrasting a pair of cities as you can find in Italy, so Juventus and Napoli are the opposite of each other in almost every way that matters.

Maybe this could be turned into a joke of its own, with the two clubs walking into a bar. One would be a pale, gangly, tall man in a dark suit who speaks in a low voice and orders the year's most fashionable cocktail from Dubai. The other would be a raucous, sun-struck chain-smoker who yells when he talks and demands two fingers of Elisir di Bacco Polito.

You can leave Higuain out of this one. You can drop the pretext of the anti-southern racism and the anti-northern conspiracy theories. You already know that the tall and the raucous man will be fighting outside in the street long before the joke reaches the punch-line, because conflict is the only dialogue they know. Not that a football game is ever a brawl. Except, of course, when it is.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Reina anxiety grows for Napoli

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100518/its-always-napoli-juve

 

Apr 1, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Pepe Reina’s fitness is a huge concern for Napoli ahead of Juventus, as again today he did not take part in the full training session.

 

It kicks off on Sunday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

 

Reina pulled out of international duty with Spain this week due to a calf problem.

 

At first it seemed as if this was only a slight issue and would heal quickly, but he is continuing to struggle.

 

Napoli announced this afternoon that Reina again did not take part in the full training session.

 

The official club radio station warned there was only a 65 per cent chance that Reina will be able to start on Sunday evening.

 

His replacement, Rafael, has not played in Serie A this season, making just one appearance in the Coppa Italia against Spal in January.

 

Lorenzo Tonelli and Emanuele Giaccherini also did not take part in the full training session today.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Napoli-Juventus tactical options

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100519/napoli-juventus-tactical-options

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

There are still massive doubts as to the Napoli and Juventus line-ups, as Pepe Reina needs a fitness test and Mario Lemina could start in a new role.

 

It kicks off on Sunday at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

 

This is not only a showdown between first and third, plus a long-standing bitter grudge match, but it is also the first time Gonzalo Higuain has returned to the Stadio San Paolo since pushing through a €90m move to Turin.

 

Pipita will no doubt be the centre of attention with Napoli fans pledging to jeer, whistle, chant insults or even perform a collective raspberry.

 

Both Coaches have some big issues to contend with and their starting XIs will remain in doubt to the last minute.

 

Maurizio Sarri expected Reina to have recovered from a calf injury by now, having left international duty with Spain early, but it is taking far longer to heal.

 

The official Napoli radio station reported on Saturday that he was only 65 per cent likely to start, which would give the gloves to either Rafael or Luigi Sepe.

 

Rafael is the favourite, even though he has only one game this season, a 3-1 Coppa Italia victory over Spezia in January.

 

Another option is Sepe, who returned last summer from a loan spell at Fiorentina and is from Torre del Greco, so practically a local boy.

 

However, he hasn’t played at all this term and his last Serie A match was for Empoli against Fiorentina in May 2015.

 

There are few doubts elsewhere in Sarri’s line-up, as Dries Mertens will be flanked by Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon with Marek Hamsik in midfield.

 

The only question mark is on the pairing in the middle, as Jorginho and Allan are the favourites ahead of Piotr Zielinski and Amadou Diawara.

 

Jorginho has been in very impressive form during training over the break for international duty and Sarri had more time to work with him.

 

Max Allegri has accustomed everyone to surprise risks in big games and he could well be pushed into another one at the San Paolo, because Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala are injury doubts.

 

It seems as if the Croatian, suffering from a knee inflammation, is more likely to start than the Argentine, mainly because they don’t want to risk a relapse for Dybala’s muscles with Barcelona on the horizon.

 

The trouble is that the natural replacements for the 4-2-3-1 system are also nowhere near fully fit. Marko Pjaca is out for the next six months after surgery on a torn anterior cruciate ligament, while Juan Cuadrado only returned from international duty with Colombia on Friday.

 

Unlike Dybala, Cuadrado did play in that World Cup qualifier and is fatigued.

 

There are many different alternatives for Allegri to choose from and it’s reported he’ll unleash Lemina in a new role with birthday boy Miralem Pjanic and Mandzukic.

 

This leaves Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio for a more rugged midfield pair, using Kwadwo Asamoah or Alex Sandro at left-back.

 

Stephan Lichtsteiner is the favourite ahead of Dani Alves on the right to provide more defensive cover for the Napoli wingers.

 

Or, Alex Sandro could be used in that supporting trio behind Higuain in place of Mandzukic.

 

However, there are other options too, as Sarri’s Napoli have shown a marked tendency to struggle against three-man defences.

 

This season the Partenopei lost only four Serie A games and three of them were against sides playing with three at the back (Juventus and Atalanta twice, Roma played with four).

 

Considering the shortage of players to make the 4-2-3-1 work, it’s entirely possible Allegri could revert back to the old 3-5-2 with Higuain supported by Cuadrado, Alex Sandro or Pjanic.

 

 

Probable line-ups

 

Napoli (4-3-3): Reina (Rafael); Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Mertens, Insigne

 

Napoli bench: Rafael (Reina), Sepe, Chiriches, Maksimovic, Maggio, Strinic, Rog, Giaccherini, Zielinski, Diawara, Milik, Pavoletti

 

 

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Asamoah; Khedira, Marchisio; Lemina, Pjanic, Mandzukic (Alex Sandro); Higuain

 

Juventus bench: Neto, Audero, Benatia, Barzagli, Dani Alves, Rugani, Alex Sandro, Sturaro, Cuadrado, Rincon, Mandragora, Dybala

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Mandzukic ready, Reina doubts

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100529/mandzukic-ready-reina-doubts

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Mario Mandzukic is expected to start for Juventus this evening, but not Paulo Dybala, while Napoli anxiously await Pepe Reina news.

 

It kicks off at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

 

We outlined the various tactical and system alternatives for the two Coaches HERE.

 

Much depends on late fitness tests and the whispers emerging from the two camps suggest good news for Mandzukic.

 

The striker returned from international duty with Croatia suffering from an inflammation in his knee, but his condition appears to be improving and he should be able to start.

 

The same cannot be said of Dybala, who is still struggling with a muscular issue and Max Allegri won’t risk him ahead of such a crucial run of fixtures, including the Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona.

 

Tuttosport suggest Mario Lemina will start, either in a more advanced role as part of the trio supporting Gonzalo Higuain, or in a three-man midfield with Claudio Marchisio and Sami Khedira.

 

The players remain the same, but the system tweaked, as Miralem Pjanic could either be a trequartista behind Mandzukic and Higuain or part of that trio.

 

Juan Cuadrado is not considered in good enough shape to start, as he only returned from international duty with Colombia on Friday.

 

The big anxiety for Napoli is all about Reina, as the goalkeeper left international duty with Spain early due to a calf issue and has not recovered as quickly as expected.

 

It’ll be left to the very last minute and ultimately up to Reina to decide if he’s ready or not.

 

Failing that, Rafael is the next in line, having only made one appearance this season in the 3-1 Coppa Italia victory over Spezia in January.

 

The other doubt for Maurizio Sarri is in midfield, where Jorginho and Marek Hamsik seem certain to start, but there’s a third spot up for grabs.

 

Allan is the favourite, though Piotr Zielinski and even Marko Rog can try to push their way into the XI.

 

Rog is still perhaps a little rash and inexperienced, so while his determination is admirable, he might be a bit risky against such veteran opposition.

 

 

Napoli (4-3-3): Reina (Rafael); Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Allan (Zielinski), Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Mertens, Insigne

 

Napoli bench: Rafael (Reina), Sepe, Chiriches, Maksimovic, Maggio, Strinic, Rog, Giaccherini, Zielinski, Diawara, Milik, Pavoletti

 

 

Juventus (4-2-3-1): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Asamoah; Khedira, Marchisio; Lemina, Pjanic, Mandzukic; Higuain

 

Juventus bench: Neto, Audero, Benatia, Barzagli, Dani Alves, Rugani, Alex Sandro, Sturaro, Cuadrado, Rincon, Mandragora, Dybala

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Napoli-Juve: Few hopes for Reina

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100540/napoli-juve-few-hopes-reina

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Pepe Reina is almost certain to miss tonight’s showdown between Napoli and Juventus, so Rafael should go in goal.

 

It kicks off at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

 

The goalkeeper had to pull out of international duty with Spain due to a calf injury and it is taking far longer to heal than expected.

 

Coach Maurizio Sarri said he’d leave the decision up to Reina, but the whispers emerging from the Napoli camp are pessimistic.

 

It’s not just the injury that is causing problems for Reina, as it’s also reported he spent the night at the Fatebenefratelli Hospital where his wife Yolanda Ruiz was rushed to hospital for an emergency operation.

 

At this point, it’s almost certain that Reina won’t be ready to play in this massive grudge match against his former teammate Gonzalo Higuain.

 

Rafael is the favourite to take over, even though he only has one appearance this season, in a 3-1 Coppa Italia victory over Spezia in January.

 

Luigi Sepe is another option for the gloves, but he hasn’t played at all this term.

 

 

Napoli (probable): Rafael; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Mertens, Insigne

 

Napoli bench: Reina, Sepe, Chiriches, Maksimovic, Maggio, Strinic, Rog, Giaccherini, Zielinski, Diawara, Milik, Pavoletti

 

 

Juventus (probable): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Asamoah; Khedira, Marchisio; Lemina, Pjanic, Mandzukic; Higuain

 

Juventus bench: Neto, Audero, Benatia, Barzagli, Dani Alves, Rugani, Alex Sandro, Sturaro, Cuadrado, Rincon, Mandragora, Dybala

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Line-ups: Napoli-Juventus

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100557/line-ups-napoli-juventus

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gonzalo Higuain returns to Napoli with Mario Mandzukic and Miralem Pjanic, but Rafael stands in for injured Pepe Reina against Juventus.

 

It kicks off at the Stadio San Paolo at 20.45 CET - 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).

 

This is a huge game, as not only is it between third and first, plus a long-standing grudge match, it is also the first time Higuain returns to Naples after forcing through his €90m transfer to their hated Turin rivals.

 

He starts here tonight and thousands of blue whistles have been handed out to ensure Higuain can hear the fans’ displeasure.

 

Pepe Reina is injured and that is a huge blow for the Partenopei, because his replacement is 26-year-old Brazilian Rafael Cabral.

 

Rafael has just one other game this season, a 3-1 Coppa Italia victory over Spezia in January, and it’s his first Serie A appearance since a 3-1 defeat at Palermo on February 12, 2015.

 

Jorginho is chosen in midfield with Allan and Marek Hamsik, though Piotr Zielinski and Marko Rog were in the running for Allan’s spot.

 

Dries Mertens leads the trident attack with Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon.

 

There is a surprise at the back, where Ivan Strinic gets the nod rather than Faouzi Ghoulam.

 

Juventus have their own issues to deal with, as Mario Mandzukic and Paulo Dybala returned from international duty carrying injuries.

 

The Croatian has an inflammation of the knee, but is able to start, while Dybala is benched due to his muscular problems that have been dragging on for a few weeks.

 

Max Allegri maintains the 4-2-3-1 formation anyway, introducing Mario Lemina as a surprise extra figure with Miralem Pjanic bumped up into the supporting trio.

 

Sami Khedira and Claudio Marchisio are in midfield, with Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah the more defensive-minded full-backs.

 

Juventus have won their last three meetings with Napoli in all competition, but those were all in Turin.

 

When it comes to the Stadio San Paolo, the Bianconeri won just one of their last nine Serie A trips, a 3-1 result in January 2015.

 

That is the lone blemish in Napoli’s record of six victories and two draws.

 

Maurizio Sarri is notoriously superstitious and therefore sticks with Napoli’s white away kit, meaning Juventus are rather oddly playing here in blue.

 

 

Napoli: Rafael; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Strinic; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Mertens, Insigne

 

Napoli bench: Reina, Sepe, Chiriches, Maksimovic, Maggio, Ghoulam, Rog, Giaccherini, Zielinski, Diawara, Milik, Pavoletti

 

 

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Asamoah; Khedira, Marchisio; Lemina, Pjanic, Mandzukic; Higuain

 

Juventus bench: Neto, Audero, Benatia, Barzagli, Dani Alves, Rugani, Alex Sandro, Sturaro, Cuadrado, Rincon, Mandragora, Dybala

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Asamoah: 'Higuain seems fine'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100558/asamoah-higuain-seems-fine

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Kwadwo Asamoah said Juventus teammate Gonzalo Higuain “seems fine” as he returns to the Stadio San Paolo against old club Napoli.

 

 

“We are in good shape and we know full well that it’s very difficult to play in Naples, but we are ready for a tough performance,” the Ghanaian told Mediaset Premium.

 

“Napoli play really well. Jose Callejon is a danger down my flank, but he’s not the only one. If we’re not super concentrated, they can cause us real problems.”

 

This is above all the return of Higuain to the Stadio San Paolo and thousands of whistles were handed out to fans so they can deafen him every time he touches the ball.

 

“Higuain seems calm and he’s doing his work without worrying about the rest. I didn’t ask him how he feels, but he seems fine.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Hamsik: 'Not easy for Higuain...'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100559/hamsik-not-easy-higuain

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Marek Hamsik smiled when he said “it won’t be easy” for Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain as Napoli fans whistle and jeer his every move.

 

“We know that this is a game everyone cares about a great deal, but we cannot wait to get out there and play,” the captain told Mediaset Premium and Sky Sport Italia.

 

“We want to beat them and expect it to be a great game. Regardless of who scores, the important thing is that the team wins.

 

“We saw Roma got a result yesterday, so now it’s up to us. We’re not thinking about the Coppa Italia, as this is Serie A this evening and we’re focused on tonight.”

 

How will Higuain fare at the San Paolo in this atmosphere when thousands of whistles have been handed out to make maximum noise?

 

“It won’t be easy,” smiled Hamsik. "None of us are thinking about him, anyway."

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Buffon: 'Napoli play best football'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100560/buffon-napoli-play-best-football

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus captain Gigi Buffon feels Napoli “play some of the best football” in Europe and not just in Serie A.

 

“We face Napoli with the right tension and enthusiasm that a side like this deserves,” the goalkeeper told Sky Sport Italia.

 

“I think Napoli play some of the best football on an international level, not just in Serie A.”

 

The tension is sky high as Gonzalo Higuain returns to face his former club at the Stadio San Paolo.

 

“I hope that sport will win, that’s something we can all wish for.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Koulibaly: 'Napoli must focus'

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100561/koulibaly-napoli-must-focus

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Kalidou Koulibaly wants Napoli to ignore Gonzalo Higuain, but realises how important beating Juventus is “for us and for the city.”

 

“Higuain? I think we need to focus on our own football and what we do. We’ve got to do everything in order to win this game, because it’s important for us and for the city,” Koulibaly told Mediaset Premium.

 

“We know that Juventus are very strong, but also that we have caused them huge problems in the past.

 

“The important thing is to pick up points, then we’ll think about the Coppa Italia from tomorrow.”

 

These sides will meet again at the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday evening for the Coppa Italia semi-final.

 

The first leg ended 3-1 in Turin amid controversy.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Marotta: 'Higuain can handle it'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100562/marotta-higuain-can-handle-it

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus director Beppe Marotta is confident Gonzalo Higuain “won’t have a problem playing in such a hostile environment” as Napoli.

 

“I saw Higuain in good shape and for a player at his level it’s not a problem to play in such a hostile environment,” the director told Mediaset Premium.

 

“The Scudetto race was open even before Roma beat Empoli last night, as there are still so many points up for grabs and we need many victories yet.

 

“Napoli will play the game of their lives, but then we always hear that in every Serie A away fixture. We are ready, tactically, technically and in terms of motivation.

 

“When we built the squad, we considered injuries and international commitments, as every time there’s a break for international duty, almost everyone leaves.

 

“It’s a shame that these call-ups conditioned the line-up today, as some of the South Americans only returned to Turin on Friday.

 

“We are very happy to have a tour de force of fixtures coming up, just as we did two years ago when we reached the Champions League Final in Berlin.

 

“We’ve all got to do well, from the team to the club, when it comes to making the most of these difficult weeks.”

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

HT 0-1: Juventus lead at the San Paolo

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100563/ht-juventus-lead-san-paolo

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Sami Khedira has given Juventus the half-time lead over Napoli, but the San Paolo crowd only has eyes for Gonzalo Higuain.

 

This was not only third against first and a long-standing grudge match, but also the first time Gonzalo Higuain returned to the Stadio San Paolo since forcing through his €90m transfer to their hated Turin rivals. His every touch was greeted with jeers and noise from the thousands of whistles handed out in the stadium. Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado were not fully fit after international duty, but Mario Mandzukic started despite a knee inflammation. The hosts lost Pepe Reina to a calf strain, so Rafael got only his first appearance of the season – the other was a 3-1 Coppa Italia win over Spezia in January.

 

Juve had won just one of their last nine Serie A visits to Naples, 3-1 in January 2015, along with two draws and six defeats. Napoli had lost three competitive meetings on the bounce to the Bianconeri, though they were all in Turin.

 

Maurizio Sarri considers the white kit to be lucky, so Juventus had to wear their away strip, which just happened to be blue.

 

It took just seven minutes to break the deadlock, as Sami Khedira completed a give-and-go with Miralem Pjanic to burst into the box and placed his finish past an ineffective Rafael.

 

Dries Mertens chested down a cross for Marek Hamsik to scuff the finish wide from the edge of the box, then Giorgio Chiellini’s header stopped Jose Callejon getting on the end of a chipped Lorenzo Insigne pass.

 

Insigne had a shot charged down after good work from Elseid Hysaj and Hamsik blasted wide on the rebound. Mertens moved the ball from his right foot to the left to break into the box, but the finish was too central.

 

Insigne skipped through four defenders with the ball glued to his foot, only for the curling finish to go wide of the far post.

 

 

Napoli 0-1 Juventus (Half-Time)

Khedira 7 (J)

 

Napoli: Rafael; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Strinic; Allan, Jorginho, Hamsik; Callejon, Mertens, Insigne

 

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Asamoah; Khedira, Marchisio; Lemina, Pjanic, Mandzukic; Higuain

 

Ref: Orsato

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Napoli 1 Juventus 1: Hamsik cancels

out Khedira on Higuain's return

 

 

Juventus moved six points clear at the top of Serie A after drawing 1-1

at Napoli, Marek Hamsik equalising following Sami Khedira's opener.

 

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/match/napoli-vs-juventus/2306047/report

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Marek Hamsik cancelled out Sami Khedira's early opening goal as Napoli drew 1-1 with Serie A leaders Juventus on Gonzalo Higuain's first return to Stadio San Paolo.

 

Roma's 2-0 victory over Empoli on Saturday had cut the champions' advantage and a trip to third-placed Napoli was always likely to provide a stern test for Massimiliano Allegri's side.

 

But Juve took the lead after just six minutes, Khedira playing a one-two with Miralem Pjanic after a powerful run through midfield and beating goalkeeper Rafael from close range.

 

Hamsik levelled for Napoli by finishing off a Dries Mertens throughball and the Belgian almost put his side in front only to be denied by the post, with neither side able to find a winner.

 

The draw will be welcomed more by Juve, who move six points clear of Roma with eight league games remaining as they seek a sixth straight title, while Napoli are four points ahead of fourth-placed Lazio in the battle for Champions League qualification.

 

The two sides will meet again at Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday for the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final, with Juve holding a 3-1 lead from the first game in Turin.

 

 

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✔@OptaPaolo

9 - Juventus have scored nine league goals in the first 10 minutes of play this season, record in the Serie A 2016/17. Start. #NapoliJuve

8:58 PM - 2 Apr 2017

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Napoli were dealt a blow when Pepe Reina, who had started every league game this season, could not recover from a calf injury to take the gloves and replacement Rafael was beaten by the first shot of the match after six minutes.
 
Khedira collected a loose ball in midfield and burst through two weak Napoli challenges before swapping passes with Pjanic and slotting a low first-time shot through Rafael's grasp to score his fifth goal of the season.

 

View image on Twitter

 

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✔@juventusfcen

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9:02 PM - 2 Apr 2017

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Hamsik drilled a good chance off-target after Napoli pressure forced a loose Giorgio Chiellini pass and the midfielder lashed another clear opening wide of the post on the half-hour.

 

Napoli continued to press against a deep-lying Juve defence and Mertens should have done better after finding space in the box, the forward instead shooting straight at Gianluigi Buffon.

 

A rare Juve attack saw Mario Lemina lash an effort wide, before Lorenzo Insigne went close with a curling strike and Napoli had the ball in the net after 55 minutes but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside.

 

Jose Callejon tapped the rebound home after Buffon blocked a Mertens shot with his legs and the attacker was clearly beyond the last defender, but Napoli would not be denied on the hour mark.

 

A neat reverse pass from Mertens freed Hamsik as the pair swapped passes and the captain made no mistake with a blasted finish into the roof of the net, giving Buffon no chance.

 

Napoli were then gifted a golden opportunity to take the lead when a poor Kwadwo Asamoah backpass sent Mertens through on goal, but the attacker could only hit the post from a tight angle after beating Buffon to the ball.

 

Higuain endured a quiet game and was whistled mercilessly by the unforgiving home supporters as his goalless run extended to five games, but the point is more useful to Juve than Napoli.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Stubborn Juventus Hold Napoli

To Hard-Earned Draw

 

 

In the first of two meetings in four days, Napoli and Juventus could not be

separated at the Stadio San Paolo, with their tense clash ending 1-1.

 

 

https://forzaitalianfootball.com/2017/04/stubborn-juventus-hold-napoli-to-hard-earned-draw/

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Sami Khedira took the sting out of a hostile Neapolitan reception by putting the visitors ahead within seven minutes, only for Marek Hamsik to step up when it mattered in the second half and draw the hosts level.

Napoli had barely found their feet by the time the champions took the lead. A clever exchange of passes between Khedira and Miralem Pjanic set the German free. Khedira opened up his body and shot low and across Rafael, who, despite getting his hand to the ball, was unable to prevent it from going in.

Now ahead, Juventus didn’t quite sit on their lead, but tightened defensively, almost building a wall in front of Gianluigi Buffon’s goal whenever the Partenopei advanced.

As a result, the hosts’ best chances fell for Hamsik from the edge of the box. On both occasions, the Napoli captain missed the target when he probably should have done better and forced Buffon into action.

Napoli continued to push forward, but never quite managed to get behind the Bianconeri backline, and Massimiliano Allegri’s side went in at the break with a one-goal advantage.

As the second half began, Maurizio Sarri’s intentions were clear. Napoli launched wave after wave of attacking moves, and thought they had drawn level when Jose Callejon tapped home from close range.

A lowly driven effort from Dries Mertens was parried by Buffon, leaving Callejon with the simplest of tasks to tap into an open goal. The Spaniard, however, was thwarted by the assistant referee’s flag, with replays showing the winger was yards offside.

Soon after, Napoli would have their equaliser. A patiently probing passing sequence on the edge of the Juventus box eventually resulted in a one-two between Hamsik and Mertens that played the former through on goal. In a move mirroring the one that gave Juve an early lead, Hamsik, as Khedira did, opened up his body but this time curled the ball high into Buffon’s goal.

Almost immediately after, Sarri’s side nearly had the lead themselves. Mertens and Buffon went for a 50/50, only for the ball to scramble towards the touchline. The Belgian got to his feet and got to the ball before it went out of play, but his effort from the tightest of angles bounced back off the upright.

With Napoli needing the points more than Juve, the visitors looked to take the pace out of the game for its remainder, allowing the hosts to dominate the ball but never really looking in danger of conceding another.

In the game’s dying minutes, Napoli did have one chance to clinch the win. A great ball over the top by Piotr Zielinski found Callejon who nodded the ball back across goal, where Mertens might have gambled on being; but it wasn’t to be.

The two will do battle at the San Paolo again on Wednesday evening in the second leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final, with Juventus currently holding a 3-1 aggregate lead.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Napoli peg Juventus back

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/SerieA/match/88120

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Marek Hamsik’s curler cancelled out an early Sami Khedira strike, as Napoli held Juventus on Gonzalo Higuain’s first return to the San Paolo.

 

Roma beat Empoli last night and therefore close the gap at the top of the table to just six points.

 

This was not only third against first and a long-standing grudge match, but also the first time Pipita came back since forcing through his €90m transfer to their hated Turin rivals. His every touch was greeted with jeers and noise from the thousands of whistles handed out in the stadium. Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado were not fully fit after international duty, but Mario Mandzukic started despite a knee inflammation. The hosts lost Pepe Reina to a calf strain, so Rafael got only his first appearance of the season – the other was a 3-1 Coppa Italia win over Spezia in January.

 

Juve have now won just one of their last 10 Serie A visits to Naples, 3-1 in January 2015, along with three draws and six defeats. Napoli had lost three competitive meetings on the bounce to the Bianconeri, though they were all in Turin.

 

Maurizio Sarri considers the white kit to be lucky, so Juventus had to wear their away strip, which just happened to be blue.

 

It took just seven minutes to break the deadlock, as Sami Khedira completed a give-and-go with Miralem Pjanic to burst into the box and placed his finish past an ineffective Rafael.

 

Dries Mertens chested down a cross for Marek Hamsik to scuff the finish wide from the edge of the box, then Giorgio Chiellini’s header stopped Jose Callejon getting on the end of a chipped Lorenzo Insigne pass.

 

Insigne had a shot charged down after good work from Elseid Hysaj and Hamsik blasted wide on the rebound. Mertens moved the ball from his right foot to the left to break into the box, but the finish was too central.

 

Insigne skipped through four defenders with the ball glued to his foot, only for the curling finish to go wide of the far post.

 

After the restart, a Mertens tackle from behind on Higuain sparked a counter-attack that saw Insigne curl inches past the far top corner.

 

Napoli had long passing moves trying to create a gap in that Juventus defence. When Callejon did have the ball in the net after Buffon got down to parry a Mertens strike, the Spaniard was clearly offside and the goal disallowed.

 

Soon after, Hamsik did spring the offside trap after combining with Mertens and swept a right-foot finish into the far bottom corner from 12 yards.

 

Napoli almost turned the game around completely moments later, as Mertens intercepted a poor Kwadwo Asamoah back-pass and got to it before Buffon, it was dribbling wide of the upright, but the Belgian sprinted back and hit the outside of the post from practically the by-line.

 

Mertens had another effort charged down in the box and Hamsik went off with a muscular problem. A decisive Leonardo Bonucci tackle stopped Mertens short on the counter.

 

In the final minute of regular time Callejon nodded a Piotr Zielinski pass back across the face of goal with nobody there to meet it.

 

---

 

Napoli: Rafael; Hysaj, Albiol, Koulibaly, Strinic (Ghoulam 79); Allan (Zielinski 68), Jorginho, Hamsik (Rog 76); Callejon, Mertens, Insigne

 

Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Asamoah; Khedira, Marchisio (Dybala 79); Lemina (Cuadrado 61), Pjanic (Rincon 86), Mandzukic; Higuain

 

Ref: Orsato

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Gonzalo Higuain jeered as first-

placed Juventus draw in Napoli

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/report?gameId=461006

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gonzalo Higuain failed to score on his long-awaited return to Napoli, where Serie A leaders Juventus were held to a 1-1 draw.

The Argentinian left Stadio San Paolo under a cloud in the summer, joining Napoli's title rivals Juve for €90 million on the back of a 36-goal season.

Higuain, who should be back in Naples again for a Coppa Italia semifinal showdown on Wednesday, was largely anonymous in the face of an extremely hostile reception from his former fan base.

Sami Khedira covered for Higuain's jitters by boosting Juve into a seventh-minute lead but Napoli were the better side throughout and managed to grab a deserved equaliser through Marek Hamsik on the hour mark.

The gap between the clubs remains 10 points, meaning Napoli stand little chance of catching the Bianconeri over the eight-game run-in. Only Roma retain an outside chance of denying Juve a sixth straight Scudetto.

Napoli poured forward and dominated from the first whistle and, come the break, it was hard to understand how they trailed their northern opponents.

Gianluigi Buffon had an early warning when Lorenzo Insigne crossed from deep to find Jose Callejon, but the veteran Juve goalkeeper smothered well.

From the ensuing counter-attack, Khedira scored a fabulous goal to give the champions the upper hand.

The Germany international did most of the hard work to get into a penetrative position and, after playing a one-two with Miralem Pjanic, he shot over Rafael's shoulders and found the back of the net.

From that point forward, though, it was all Napoli, and captain Hamsik fluffed an excellent chance to level when teed up with a chest bounce from 20-goal winger Dries Mertens.

Still the Azzurri kept coming and Giorgio Chiellini did brilliantly to deny Callejon a certain goal from another Insigne assist.

Higuain, at this point, was struggling to make an impact as every time he got forward he was assaulted by a wall of whistles from his erstwhile supporters.

In the 24th minute he took receipt of a cutting Mario Lemina pass but appeared to be overwhelmed by the negativity from the home fans.

Napoli took heart from his discomfort and four quick chances to equalise arrived before the break.

First Insigne's sighter was repelled before Hamsik took an inaccurate swipe at it, then Mertens controlled the ball in the box only for Buffon to claim the weak finish.

The 39-year-old keeper then stopped Chiellini heading into his own net before Insigne swiped over the bar with a shot on the turn.

Eleven minutes into the second half Napoli had the ball in Juve's goal, but Callejon's follow-up of a saved Mertens attempt was ruled out for offside.

Not remotely dissuaded, Mertens promptly exchanged deft touches with Hamsik, who burst into the area to beat Leonardo Bonucci and Buffon for 1-1.

Napoli quickly regained their composure after celebrating and, in the 64th minute, Mertens clattered a post when Kwadwo Asamoah made a defensive error.

Juve were encouraged when Slovakian playmaker Hamsik went off early, and Allegri's response was to replace a midfielder with an attacker in the shape of Paulo Dybala.

But the last real opportunity fell to Napoli, with Piotr Zielinski picking out Callejon at the far post, where a powerful header failed to meet its intended target.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Allegri: 'Juve more defensive at Napoli'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100566/allegri-juve-more-defensive-napoli

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Max Allegri said Juventus had “no shame” in being more defensive during their 1-1 draw away to Napoli and the Coppa Italia semi-final is “more important.”

 

Sami Khedira opened the scoring after seven minutes, but Marek Hamsik curled in the equaliser after some great build-up play with Dries Mertens.

 

It cuts the gap at the top of the table from Roma to just six points.

 

“At the start we had played well, moving it from side to side, but once we took the lead, we allowed Napoli to take control and in my view we weren’t sharp enough in possession,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

 

“I had expected there to be difficulties. You win titles with games like these, by picking up difficult points on your travels.

 

“We’ve got four games at home now, four away, so we need to do well. On Wednesday we can get our place in the Final, know we’re facing Napoli again and can prepare with great calm.”

 

Will it be a different Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-final, as they have a 3-1 first leg lead to protect?

 

“Paulo Dybala barely trained for 12 days and tonight I didn’t want to play him at all. Juan Cuadrado only returned on Friday, so I didn’t want to risk them.

 

“I have to compliment my players, because you can’t always dominate games and especially not against this Napoli. We allowed a few shots in the first half and in the second had lowered Pjanic to the midfield, creating some good opportunities.

 

“There is absolutely no shame, as the important thing is to bring home the result. We weren’t at our best tonight, it certainly was not an easy night considering everything around the match, but the lads handled it very well.”

 

It was Gonzalo Higuain’s first game at the San Paolo since leaving last summer and he was jeered loudly at every touch.

 

“Higuain had a good performance, especially in the first half. I’m happy with what he did. He is grateful to Napoli, just as Napoli should be grateful to him. They can take separate professional paths, but that’s natural in this business.”

 

Mario Lemina was a surprise starter in the 4-2-3-1 system, in a more advanced role behind the striker.

 

“We have two games this week, Cuadrado returned on Friday, so this was a very important game for us, but not as important as Wednesday.

 

“Kwadwo Asamoah had a good game, at times a bit too busy, as he Jose Callejon is very difficult to mark. He can squirm away at any moment.”

 

Juventus are trying to focus on the current situation and not think about the Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona.

 

“There are 10 days to go, it’s a long way off. Besides, it’s easy to prepare for Barcelona in terms of motivation. Barcelona fear us and we have great respect for them, that’s normal. We’ll do everything to get through to the semi-finals, but the important thing is being there.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Juventus 1 - Napoli 1: Initial reaction

and random observations

 

 

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/2/15154864/juventus-

napoli-2017-serie-a-round-30-final-score-result-initial-reaction

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

It seems to be a pattern from Juventus over the last handful of games. They get a goal, be it early on or at some point in the second half, and then they seemingly just drop back into their shell and try to put things on cruise control. That’s fine enough — especially when it works and you’re able to claim all three points as a result.

And Juve did the same thing at the San Paolo on Sunday night. Sami Khedira gave Juventus a 1-0 lead all of six minutes in and the plan quickly became apparent — sit back and try to absorb Napoli’s pressure as well as you possibly can. Basically, Max Allegri had Juventus try to ride their defense to victory after getting an early lead.

Except it didn’t always work. And Juve didn’t come away with all three points.

For much of the 90 minutes, Juve’s defense was able to bend and not break. But for one moment, as Marek Hamsik went in on goal completely unmarked down Juve’s right side of the 18-yard box, the defense did break. Hamsik, Napoli’s mohawk’d captain, pulled his team even and it turned out to be the only other goal celebration we would see, as the two bitter rivals shared the points in the first of their two meetings within four days of one another.

As much as you would have thought Juventus might want to add onto its lead considering how well Napoli were playing, that never happened. Napoli had far and away more possession, far and away more scoring chances. Gonzalo Higuain’s first trip back to the San Paolo as a Juventus player will be remembered more for how isolated up front he was rather than the chances he had to score a goal against his former team.

The only stat where Juve had far and away the bigger — and maybe not better — number was in clearances, but that’s only because they were sitting back and defending so much that it was bound to happen.

You could say that Juve walked a fine line with how they approached the game after Khedira’s goal — and they did. You could say that they pretty much got what they deserved with how they approached the game after Khedira’s goal — and they did. And you could also say that with the way Juve played that coming away with one point in a place where they haven’t played all that well over the years isn’t a really all that bad.

In the end, was it a bad result? No, not really.

But was it a relatively bad and poor performance? Absolutely.

So when we see Allegri saying that the Coppa Italia semifinal on Wednesday against this same Napoli team is the more important fixture of the two, I guess we can believe him. Seems as though conserving some energy was the name of the game on Sunday.

 

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

 

• Pre-game thought: “Mario Lemina playing as a right winger, huh?”
• Post-game thought: “Mario Lemina playing as a right winger wasn’t as bad as I thought it might end up being.”
• RIP.
• Miralem Pjanic’s performance on his 27th birthday ... not great.
• Although, I gotta admit, the combination play between Khedira and Pjanic on Juve’s goal was pretty nice. It’s too bad that it turned out to be one of the best things Pjanic did all game, though.
• I have no idea how healthy Mario Mandzukic is. But when he took a knock in the second half and stayed on the field the rest of the game, I can’t be the only person that was sitting there watching the game and scratching their head.
• I think I lost count of how many bad turnovers there were in Juve’s defensive third. This was not the model game when it came to passing out of the back. Some of the passes that Giorgio Chiellini and Kwadwo Asamoah played out of the back were more like they were playing with fire. Not good.
• This was really a bag of mixed results kind of game for Chiellini. He made some really odd plays and got shook out of his boots a couple of times by Napoli players. But he also made some crucial clearances on dangerous crosses. Some good, some not so good. So, yeah, a lot like the team as a whole.
• If there was one player who I really liked how they played against Napoli it probably would have been Claudio Marchisio. As Napoli really started to turn up the pressure as the first half went on, he was one of the more stable performers. He was almost like the calm in the center of the midfield as the storm was rolling in.
• Khedira was also pretty good. I would like to see more of that combination.
• One final post-game thought: “Oh, we gotta do this again with Napoli on Wednesday?”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Sarri: 'Napoli made Juve struggle'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100567/sarri-napoli-made-juve-struggle

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Maurizio Sarri believes Napoli deserve credit because “rarely in Italy have we seen Juventus struggle so much” in their 1-1 draw, but injuries limited his choices.

 

Marek Hamsik cancelled out an early Sami Khedira strike with his curler into the far top corner, though the Partenopei had more possession and many more chances.

 

The opener was partly the fault of goalkeeper Rafael, who made his first Serie A appearance of the season due to Pepe Reina’s calf injury.

 

“When a team plays the way Napoli did tonight, a Coach can go home a little cross for the result, but certainly not disappointed. Rarely in Italy have we seen Juventus struggle so much,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

 

“The game started really badly, as going behind after seven minutes to a side like Juventus who defend so well could’ve really caused huge problems.

 

“However, we did very well to avoid allowing Juventus any other real chances or counter-attacks.”

 

Rafael was in goal, but Hamsik and Ivan Strinic also went off with muscular problems.

 

“Unfortunately, my choices were forced upon me. Two players requested substitutions, so they were not tactical decisions. Now we are in good shape.

 

What did Sarri make of Higuain’s return to the Stadio San Paolo and the loud jeers at his every touch?

 

“We saw each other at the end of the game, but that’s normal. The stadium was extraordinary tonight, a wonderful atmosphere, but as always the Neapolitan fans showed themselves to be very sporting.

 

“The jeers were inevitable for Gonzalo, they will pass with time. I am only disappointed I didn’t make these fans happy tonight, so we’ll try again on Wednesday.”

 

The teams will meet again at the San Paolo in the Coppa Italia semi-final after Juve won the first leg 3-1 in Turin.

 

“Going behind to a side like Juventus could’ve knocked the wind out of our sails, but instead we continued to play with quality, character and style. It means this team is on the right track and if we adjust those little details, we can be great.

 

“I like to think Juve’s approach was also down to us, because we forced them to be defensive, we pressed them the moment we lost possession and made sure their first pass was never clean or simple. We deserve credit for that.”

 

Considering the number of crosses into the box, should Arkadiusz Milik not have been involved?

 

“Milik was going to come on, but we were forced into two changes in the last 20 minutes. We’ll evaluate until Wednesday morning and see how everyone is.

 

“With Milik we’d have more presence in the box, but we’d also have fewer of those quick passing moves. That’s the thing with characteristics, you gain in one area and lose in another.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Chiellini: 'Napoli fans very sporting'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100570/chiellini-napoli-fans-very-sporting

 

Apr 2, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Giorgio Chiellini admits Juventus weren’t impressive in the 1-1 draw, “but showed our practical side and Napoli fans were sporting.”

 

Sami Khedira had opened the scoring after just seven minutes at the Stadio San Paolo, but Marek Hamsik curled the equaliser into the far top corner.

 

“We knew how important this game was to keep Roma behind us and Napoli 10 points away,” Chiellini told Mediaset Premium.

 

“We’re well aware this wasn’t our best performance of the year, but we showed our practical side. Let’s be objective, we should’ve done more, but at least we didn’t allow Napoli many chances, despite them being very strong on home turf.

 

“Our midfielders were incredible tonight, though we could’ve done better in possession. Unfortunately we were missing some of the players who can light up a match, for instance Paulo Dybala.”

 

There were fears surrounding the trip for Juventus and above all Gonzalo Higuain, who returned to the Stadio San Paolo for the first time since his €90m transfer.

 

While the hotel was in lockdown and Higuain accompanied by a bodyguard when leaving the team bus, there were no incidents other than some very loud jeering.

 

“This was Juve’s calmest trip in 12 years of coming to Naples,” assured Chiellini.

 

“We have to compliment the police, but also remember that the Napoli fans jeered us, but they were sporting and nothing bad happened.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Allegri: You win titles with games like these

 

 

Manager’s post-match comments after Juve held at Napoli

 

 

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/3/15156288/allegri-you-win

-titles-with-games-like-these-juventus-napoli-recap-april-2017

 

Apr 3, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus scored early at Napoli and managed to hold on to that lead for nearly an hour, but ended up drawing 1-1. The Bianconeri lead at the top of the table is not down to six points ahead of second-placed Roma, with Napoli a further four points adrift.

After the game, here is what manager Massimiliano Allegri had to say.

“At the start we had played well, moving it from side to side, but once we took the lead, we allowed Napoli to take control and in my view we weren’t sharp enough in possession.

“I had expected there to be difficulties. You win titles with games like these, by picking up difficult points on your travels.

“We’ve got four games at home now, four away, so we need to do well. On Wednesday we can get our place in the Final, know we’re facing Napoli again and can prepare with great calm.”

How will Wednesday be different, when Juve return to Naples for the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinals with a 3-1 lead in hand?

“Paulo Dybala barely trained for 12 days and tonight I didn’t want to play him at all. Juan Cuadrado only returned on Friday, so I didn’t want to risk them.

“I have to compliment my players, because you can’t always dominate games and especially not against this Napoli. We allowed a few shots in the first half and in the second had lowered Pjanic to the midfield, creating some good opportunities.

“There is absolutely no shame, as the important thing is to bring home the result. We weren’t at our best tonight, it certainly was not an easy night considering everything around the match, but the lads handled it very well.”

How did he feel Gonzalo Higuain did in his first game back at the San Paolo stadium, with his every touch whistled loudly by fans happily using the team-provided whistles.

“Higuain had a good performance, especially in the first half. I’m happy with what he did. He is grateful to Napoli, just as Napoli should be grateful to him. They can take separate professional paths, but that’s natural in this business.”

What was his thinking behind giving Mario Lemina the start in the role behind the striker?

“We have two games this week, Cuadrado returned on Friday, so this was a very important game for us, but not as important as Wednesday.

“Kwadwo Asamoah had a good game, at times a bit too busy, as Jose Callejon is very difficult to mark. He can squirm away at any moment.”

Any thoughts yet of the Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona?

“There are 10 days to go, it’s a long way off. Besides, it’s easy to prepare for Barcelona in terms of motivation. Barcelona fear us and we have great respect for them, that’s normal. We’ll do everything to get through to the semi-finals, but the important thing is being there.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Napoli should be grateful to

Gonzalo Higuain - Massimiliano Allegri

 

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/3094805/napoli-should

-be-grateful-to-gonzalo-higuain-massimiliano-allegri

 

Apr 3, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri insisted Gonzalo Higuain played well despite the Argentinian failing to fire on his return to Napoli.

The €90 million striker hit just one shot on target and took no touches inside the Napoli box as the Azzurri held Serie A leaders Juve to a 1-1 draw.

It was instead Sami Khedira who scored for the Bianconeri, with Napoli captain Marek Hamsik earning the hosts their share of the points.

After full-time Allegri gave his backing to Higuain, who was subjected to a hostile reception from the supporters he entertained with 36 league goals last term.

The boss told juventus.com: "Higuain played a good game, especially in the first half and at the beginning of the second.

"He should be grateful to Napoli, as much as Napoli must be to him, because professional roads often take you elsewhere -- I think that's just part of life.''

On the result, which protected Juve's 10-point lead over Napoli, Allegri added: "Titles are won when you take home important points from games like this.

"Napoli had a good game and we must congratulate our opponents. Sometimes we weren't very bright in possession but we anticipated the difficulties this match might throw our way and so it was a major achievement.

"It was not an easy night for us, and the boys went into it calmly, defending in an organised manner.''

Juve must return to the Stadio San Paolo on Wednesday night for a Coppa Italia semifinal second-leg showdown with Napoli, and Allegri will not entertain thoughts of marching on towards a sixth straight Scudetto -- or getting past Barcelona in the Champions League -- until that obstacle has been hurdled.

"We have a six-point lead [over Roma] and we have eight games left to play, four of which are at home,'' he said. "It's clear that we are aiming to win the league, but now we must focus all our energy on getting to the Coppa Italia final in Rome.''

On the Barca match, he added: "Once you get to the quarterfinals you know you must fear your opponent, and they will be scared of us too, because you must have great respect for your opponent. We will do everything we can to get through.''

Allegri's Napoli counterpart Maurizio Sarri thought it was "inevitable'' that Higuain would be subjected to a wall of angry whistles from his former fan base.

He told the Gazzetta dello Sport: "Higuain came to say hello to me and he seemed fine.

"The fans were extraordinary, as always, and they gave us great support on a big night.

"The whistles for Higuain were inevitable -- hopefully with time all that will change.''

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Khedira gets Juventus off to fast start

but conservative game plan yields draw

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3094843/khedira-gets

-juventus-off-to-fast-start-but-conservative-game-plan-yields-draw

 

Apr 3, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Achieving an important point in a hostile stadium, Juventus were not at their best but still managed a 1-1 result at Napoli.

Quick goals have become the norm for Juve but it's a shame that as soon as Sami Khedira scored, the team retreated to playing a passive game, allowing Napoli to take the initiative. Despite demonstrating great discipline -- sacrificing in unison to ensure defensive safety -- Juve showed very little desire to get forward and cause danger.

The Partenopei struggled to play through the lines and were consistently forced out wide, hindered from producing their best football. Juve, despite the lack of verve, looked relatively comfortable and in control. That control somewhat disappeared in the second half when Napoli's attacking ambition and pressing game resulted in an equaliser and several more opportunities for goal.

However, Juventus regained their composure near the end and slowed down the tempo to ensure a point away from home.

Positives

Juventus are used to controlling the game and being the ones opponents try to halt, but on this occasion the champions proved they can also defend as a disciplined unit: tight, concentrated and in unison. Juventus had good off-the-ball movements to ensure safety at the back. This ability will come in handy in the upcoming match against Barcelona.

Negatives

The Bianconeri have to improve when in possession and learn how to evade the press and impose their game intelligently. Too often Juve lost possession cheaply or had problems playing their way out of danger. That skill must be developed.

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- Forced to leave out certain players, Massimiliano Allegri didn't have a squad at its best. This was a winnable game and more risks should have been taken going forward, but the team's off-the-ball movement proved impressive.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Gianluigi Buffon, 6 -- Dealt with Kwadwo Asamoah's back pass well, remained concentrated and alert and was not at fault for the goal.

DF Stephan Lichtsteiner, 5 -- Not the best performance from the player who can be clumsy when defending and provided little going forward.

DF Leonardo Bonucci, 6 -- Some good tackling but the defender was dragged out of position for Napoli's equaliser. He made up for his errors with some excellent blocks and did well to hinder Dries Mertens.

DF Giorgio Chiellini, 6 -- A rugged performance from the player who started poorly but redeemed himself well. He cleared danger effectively and won his aerial duels.

DF Kwadwo Asamoah, 5 -- A poor performance from the player who struggled to create any danger going forward and to defend effectively. He did recover possession well, but his clumsy back pass nearly resulted in a goal.

Sami Khedira managed Juventus' only goal in the 1-1 draw against Napoli.

MF Sami Khedira, 7 -- An excellent performance from the confident player who finished his opportunity beautifully to give Juve the lead. Provided balance by making timely runs forward and ensuring security at the back. Trailed off at the end.

MF Claudio Marchisio, 6 -- Did better in the first half when his tactical brain helped close off Napoli's avenues. He struggled to keep control in the second half and evade the pressure to push Juve forward.

MF Mario Lemina, 5 -- Good to watch when he's taking players on but he must improve his overall control and decision making. Shows great desire but not at the level needed to play for Juve.

MF Miralem Pjanic, 7 -- A good performance from the player who produced the perfect assist when played higher up the pitch. Created chances for goal, demonstrated excellent vision but most impressively, recovered the ball more times than any other player on the pitch. He proved better when he played in a deeper position.

MF Mario Mandzukic, 5 -- Forced into defending more than he should have been, but the forward is clearly not in the best of conditions and barely produced the type of attacking performance required. Struggled too much against Elseid Hysaj.

FW Gonzalo Higuain, 6 -- Didn't look too disturbed by the hostile reception, but the player was not provided with the right type of service to produce in front of goal. Practically disappeared in the second half except for the exchange with Lemina.

Substitutes

MF Juan Cuadrado, 5 -- Looked out of sorts, and conceded possession cheaply and made no impact going forward.

FW Paulo Dybala, N/A -- Barely on long enough to make an impact.

MF Tomas Rincon, N/A -- Only came on in the final minutes of the game.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Napoli vs. Juventus 2017: Final score 1-1,

Juventus escape the San Paolo with a point

 

 

In a tense game with Napoli, the bianconeri managed

a 1-1 draw but are lucky it wasn’t worse.

 

 

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/3/15155920/napoli

-juventus-2017-serie-a-round-30-final-score-recap-result

 

Apr 3, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus arrived for their game against Napoli on Sunday with so many subplots swirling that the match itself almost seemed secondary to the drama.

It was Gonzalo Higuain’s first trip to the Stadio San Paolo after his €90 million move this summer. The last meeting between these two teams — a 3-1 Juve win in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal in Turin — saw controversy over penalty calls that left the partenopei furious. Furthermore, it was a game that Napoli needed to win in order to have any whisper of a hope of a prayer of making a late-season title challenge.

With so much drama coming in, it was certain that the San Paolo would be a cauldron. In addition to the hostile atmosphere, the bianconeri were dealing with a selection crisis.

And despite all this, it only took seven minutes for Juventus to break the deadlock. Even with an underpowered lineup, the Old Lady of Italian football looked like they were again going to make a statement and reinforce their stranglehold on the league.

Then Massimiliano Allegri did what Massimiliano Allegri does far too often. He took that one goal and tried to take it to the bank. His players sank deep into their own end and started soaking up pressure, breaking when they could but clearly attempting to take a 1-0 win to the bank for 83 minutes against one of Italy’s most dangerous attacking teams.

The fact that it didn’t work isn’t a surprise. Napoli missed several good chances in the first half and had a goal disallowed for offside before they equalized on the hour mark, and Juve were unable or unwilling to muster a response. They managed to avoid a defeat that would have potentially blown the Scudetto race open again, but make no mistake: This was two points dropped by Napoli rather than a point gained by Juve.

Both teams had selection issues pregame. Napoli were sweating the fitness of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who had picked up a calf injury in training while on international duty with Spain. He didn’t pass fit, so Rafael Cabral, whose only game action this year was in the Coppa Italia Round of 16 against Spezia, took his place.

As for Juve, their depth was severely compromised. Forward Marko Pjaca is out for the year after tearing his ACL in Croatia’s friendly with Estonia. Dani Alves and Juan Cuadrado had only returned from South American qualifiers on Friday, and Paulo Dybala was still nursing the thigh injury he suffered against Sampdoria just before the international break.

That saw Allegri alter his lineup. Mario Lemina played out of position on the right wing, while Miralem Pjanic moved up to Dybala’s trequartista position. Claudio Marchisio partnered with Sami Khedira in central midfield and Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah manned the flanks.

The game’s opening minutes saw the two teams poke and prod each other until the fifth minute, when Lorenzo Insigne tried to pick out Jose Callejon on a run to the far post. Gianluigi Buffon claimed the ball easily, but the first salvo had been fired.

Two minutes later Juve were in front. A long ball from Marchisio was met by a defender, but the clearance only went as far as Pjanic, who tapped it back to Khedira. A quick one two with the Bosnian later, Khedira slipped the ball past Rafael, and Juve had a quick lead and had quieted a raucous Neapolitan crowd.

The warning signs came almost immediately. Barely 60 seconds after Khedira’s goal Insigne cut inside from the right wing and fired a shot directly at Buffon. By the 15-minute mark Buffon had punched away a pair of corners, claimed a cross, and seen Giorgio Chiellini make a good play to keep another cross away from Callejon.

All these came as a test for the first real Napoli chance of the game on 10 minutes, when Chiellini’s attempt at a clearance was intercepted by Allan, whose ball into the middle was chested down for Marek Hamsik by Dries Mertens. The Napoli captain shanked it wide, but it was the first real alarm bell that things could go south if the bianconeri didn’t pick things up.

Spoiler alert: They didn’t.

Juventus didn’t have a shot for the last half hour of the first half. They managed a few quick breaks, but were so far in their own half when they started that no one could arrive in support before Napoli was able to get numbers back to defend. In the meantime. Hamsik was set up at the top of the box a second time and again blasted wide, while Mertens and Insigne slalomed through the defense in order to put shots right at Buffon and far wide, respectively.

The first minutes of the second half looked like the bianconeri may have charged up their batteries at halftime. Pjanic chested down a long pass for Higuain, whose early shot from distance was blocked by Kalidou Koulibaly. A minute later the Argentinian set Lemina loose on a counterattack. The Gabon international had Mario Mandzukic open coming down the left side but chose to crack a shot from distance and an angle. It went to Mars.

That shot was notable because it was Juve’s last one of the day. On the day, according to WhoScored.com, the bianconeri were outshot 17-4 and ceded 60.6 percent of possession. Against Napoli, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Napoli absolutely dominated the second half. In the 50th minute, Insigne curled one just wide. Six minutes later, Buffon was called into action to stop the first really dangerous shot that Napoli had put on target when Mertens fired from distance. Callejon jumped on his parry and put it into the net, but he was well offside when the initial shot was taken.

It was the last warning sign. On the hour, Hamsik somehow managed to find a 10-yard halo of space down the right channel. Mertens found him easily. He didn’t miss a third time, curling the ball cooly past a helpless Buffon to tie the score.

Allegri looked to make a quick response. Cuadrado, who had been set to come on just before the goal, replaced Lemina. Unfortunately the hoped-for infusion of energy never came. Cuadrado’s play was, frankly, awful. According to WhoScored, he only completed 70 percent of his passes and didn’t even attempt a cross. In half an hour he managed 15 touches, most of which involved him trying to draw a whistle and failing. He ended up committing more fouls (two) than he drew (one).

His introduction did nothing to change the one-way traffic. When Asamoah’s awful back pass was intercepted by Mertens it looked like Napoli would have the lead. Buffon quickly tried to intervene. Mertens got it past him, but Buffon did just enough to hold him up that by the time he got to the ball the angle was incredibly tight. It was the kind of goal you would expect the Belgian to score easily given his form this season, but he somehow struck the bar with it.

The game began to peter out after about 70 minutes. Hamsik was withdrawn, taking a big part of Napoli’s attack with him. Dybala came on for the last 10 minutes to see if any sort of spark could be found, but he only managed six touches. Just as stoppage time began substitute Pitor Zielinski found Callejon on one of the patented far-post runs that he’s already scored on twice against Juve this season, but the Spaniard only managed to put the ball across the mouth of the goal.

It was easily one of Juve’s worst performances of the year. Not quite as bad as the losses to Genoa and Fiorentina or the draw against Udinese, but definitely not anywhere close to good.

Photo by Maurizio Lagana/Getty Images

LE PAGELLE

Gianluigi Buffon - 7. Claimed pretty much every cross that came his way and made a good save when Mertens took his chance from distance. Could do nothing about the goal.

Stephan Lichtsteiner - 4.5. Was totally bamboozled on multiple occasions by Insigne. Couldn’t support Lemina in the attack at all.

Leonardo Bonucci - 6. A little shaky at times, but overall a good day. Made one particularly important tackle to stop Insigne from going on a solo run in the 64th minute.

Giorgio Chiellini - 7. Dealt with cross after cross. A bit shaky in his passing but his monster day in the box mitigates that.

Kwadwo Asamoah - 4.5. Had a tough time with Callejon and nearly gifted Napoli the lead with that awful back pass.

Claudio Marchisio - 6. Did well enough to keep things settled in defense but wasn’t able to transition Juve into the attack.

Sami Khedira - 7. One of Juve’s best players on the field. Excellent on the goal but couldn’t roam forward as much as he’d like for the rest of the game.

Mario Lemina - 5. Started out OK and had one or two interesting dribbles, but faded as the game went on. Could be intriguing on the right wing if he were to have more time in the attacking third, but not in this game.

Miralem Pjanic - 6. The assist was excellent but he did little for the rest of the game.

Mario Mandzukic - 4.5. Like Lemina had little to work with on the wings. Wasn’t his usual self tracking back either.

Gonzalo Higuain - 5. Had almost nothing to work with.

SUBSTITUTES

Juan Cuadrado - 3.5. Did absolutely nothing to turn the tide after coming on. Possibly his worst game of the year.

Paulo Dybala - NR. Saw little of the ball during his 10 minutes on the field.

Tomas Rincon - NR. On just to see out the match.

Manager: 5. His team selection was unorthodox, but between late arrivals from the international break and injuries he had to think outside the box. A little surprising that Alex Sandro, who wasn’t called up by Brazil, didn’t end up on the field at some point. What brings down his grade is the way he approached the game on the field, which brings us to...

TACTICAL ANALYSIS

One of Allegri’s biggest weaknesses as a manager is his tendency to retreat into a shell after scoring a goal. That’s exactly what he did after Khedira scored, but it was never going to work. Not for 83 minutes against a team like Napoli on the road. Allegri totally surrendered the initiative as soon as his team took the lead, and he paid for it.

The formation itself was actually quite interesting. Allegri likes his formations to morph as they transition from defense to attack, and today the 4-2-3-1 that he has used since the loss to Fiorentina would turn into a 4-4-2 in defense, with Pjanic joining Higuain as a de facto seconda punta. It would’ve been an interesting wrinkle if Juve had had any attacking impetus whatsoever after Khedira scored.

But they didn’t, and that comes down to Allegri’s decision to cede the initiative. Having just potted an early goal and quieted a raucous San Paolo crowd, Juve should have pressed their advantage and and sought a second goal to get some breathing room. Instead, they retracted into a shell that was never going to stay intact.

Same Bat-time, Same Bat-channel...

On Wednesday, Juve will find themselves right back at the San Paolo for the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal. They come in holding a 3-1 aggregate lead, and Allegri looks to be placing a priority on that game. He said as much in his post-match press conference, telling reporters “this was a very important game for us, but not as important as Wednesday.”

Important as Wednesday’s game is, this result has left Juve with a shrinking margin of error. Roma have closed to within six points after their win over Empoli on Saturday. The good news is that between now and the Derby della Mole on May 7 they will be the heavy favorites in every league game.

But with the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Barcelona looming 10 days from now, this team needs to improve, and fast. If Allegri cedes the initiative to the Catalans the way he did today, Juve will be quickly and efficiently dismissed from Europe. Juve must up their game — fast.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 7971]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

 

      1-1

 

 

Sami Khedira 7'

Marek Hamsik 60'

 

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 30

 

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Daniele Orsato

 

 

 

Capello: 'Napoli missed their chance'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/100580/capello-napoli-missed-their-chance

 

Apr 3, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Former Juventus Coach Fabio Capello rues Napoli's failure to win against the Bianconeri, believing 'they had a great chance but did not exploit it'.

 

The Partenopei drew 1-1 with the league leaders on Sunday evening, with many feeling that they could have gone on to win the game.

 

"Serie A is recovering a little bit," Capello told Radio Anch'io Sport. "I congratulate [referee Daniele] Orsato for Napoli-Juventus yesterday.

 

"When I talk about competitiveness I mean competitive spirit and physical strength, and not rewarding those who fall to the ground.

Refereeing like yesterday gives a hand to the league.

 

"Napoli have expended a lot of energy and in the Italian Cup could pay through fatigue, but Wednesday evening will be a beautiful game regardless.

 

"Napoli had a great chance but they did not exploit it. I did not like Juventus yesterday, they were too soft and too much difficulty on the ball. Napoli did well to press them."

 

Juve face Barcelona in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals a week on Tuesday, so how does the veteran Coach think they will fare?

 

"With Barcelona it will not be easy, even if they do not know how to defend. Juve must not ever relax.

 

"Messi on the wane? You must joking, he is the football Pavarotti, he never fails to enchant and will entertain us much longer."

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110