JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

Socrates · April 5, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Coppa Italia: Higuain ends Napoli hopes

215323253-c48053c7-b8f3-47c3-a187-d2ff46

http://www.football-italia.net/100705/coppa-higuain-ends-napoli-hopes

Apr 5, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Napoli won 3-2 on the night, but Gonzalo Higuain’s brace at the Stadio San Paolo sent Juventus through to the Coppa Italia Final 5-4 on aggregate.

These sides had already met here three days ago for a 1-1 Serie A draw, but this was the fight to see who’d take on Lazio for the Coppa Italia Final. The first leg ended 3-1 in Turin amid controversy, so the Partenopei needed a 2-0 win tonight to go through on away goals.

There were numerous changes from Sunday’s game, including the return of Pepe Reina from a calf injury, Arkadiusz Milik replacing Dries Mertens, Paulo Dybala and Juan Cuadrado stepped in with Mario Mandzukic unavailable.

In the opening stages it was wide open, as Leonardo Bonucci made a decisive last-ditch tackle after Lorenzo Insigne had already skipped past Dani Alves, then Reina rushed out to meet a risky Amadou Diawara back-pass.

On 12 minutes it would’ve been a stunning goal for Napoli, as Milik’s back-heel flick saw Insigne roll across for Jose Callejon, only to fire straight at Neto from point-blank range.

There was a double howler, as Vlad Chiriches rolled a terrible back-pass straight to Tomas Rincon, who did even worse by blasting over undisturbed from 12 yards.

Moments later, Juve did take the lead, as Higuain’s shot from 20 metres went through Chiriches’ legs and Reina got down very late as it squirmed into the near bottom corner. Pipita celebrated by turning to the stands and pointing to where Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis usually sits. Higuain had made the same gesture during the warm-up, seemingly telling the fans to blame the patron for his departure.

Napoli fought back, Marek Hamsik’s volley going wide, then Alex Sandro made a decisive interception as Callejon tried to control an Insigne chipped pass.

Kalidou Koulibaly nodded a free kick over the bar in stoppages. After the restart, Milik’s screamer from distance whistled just wide, then Neto got down to palm Milik’s header off the line.

Moments later Insigne’s pass ricocheted into the path of Hamsik just inside the box and he wasted no time drilling in at the near post to equalise.

Just as Napoli were pouring forward with shots from Insigne and Hamsik, Juve struck on the counter-attack. Cuadrado pulled back an intelligent pass and Higuain again got in front of Chiriches to sweep into the roof of the net from 12 yards, completing his double.

Sarri introduced Dries Mertens for Milik and the little Belgian scored with his first touch, pouncing on a terrible howler from Neto, who tried to control a throw-in with his feet. Mertens had been on the pitch for 10 seconds.

It sparked a reaction, as Callejon pulled back for Insigne to fire in at the base of the near post from seven yards and give Napoli the lead for the first time.

Mertens curled well over and Sarri threw on Leonardo Pavoletti, who harassed Neto into another error with his feet, but this time the goalkeeper got away with it.

A Mertens back-heel flick send Elseid Hysaj down the right and Andrea Barzagli crucially intercepted the pass for Pavoletti. Miralem Pjanic was booked and will be suspended for the Final, but Napoli were pouring forward and Pavoletti’s turn and strike was deflected just over the bar.

On the night Napoli won, but ultimately it wasn’t enough to stop Juventus reaching their third consecutive Coppa Italia Final.

Napoli 3-2 Juventus (4-5 agg)

Higuain 32, 58 (J), Hamsik 53 (N), Mertens 61 (N), Insigne 67 (N)

Napoli: Reina; Hysaj, Chiriches, Koulibaly, Ghoulam; Zielinski (Allan 81), Diawara, Hamsik (Pavoletti 75); Callejon, Milik (Mertens 61), Insigne

Juventus: Neto; Dani Alves, Bonucci, Benatia, Alex Sandro; Rincon (Pjanic 70), Khedira; Cuadrado, Dybala (Barzagli 75), Sturaro (Lemina 85); Higuain

Ref: Banti

Socrates · April 5, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Higuain Haunts Napoli To Fire Juventus Into Final

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https://forzaitalianfootball.com/2017/04/higuain-haunts-napoli-juventus-coppa-italia-final/

Apr 5, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Two goals from Napoli’s public enemy number one Gonzalo Higuain were enough to fire Juventus into the Coppa Italia at the expense of his former club with a 5-4 aggregate win.

Despite a 3-2 victory on the night at the Stadio San Paolo, it wasn’t enough for them to progress to the final as a 3-1 first leg loss and an old Partenopei hero did the damage.

In an ill-tempered affair, Juventus should have taken the lead through Tomas Rincon on 31 minutes but he blazed over, although Higuain made no such mistake when he found the bottom corner shortly afterwards with a low strike from range.

However, for the second time in as many games against Juve, it was Napoli captain Marek Hamsik who stepped up to the mark, sumptuously curling a low effort beyond a helpless Neto shortly after half-time.

Higuain popped up with another goal on 61 minutes but a howler from Neto allowed Dries Mertens to equalise and although Lorenzo Insigne grabbed the winner following good work from Jose Callejon, it proved to be in vain as the visitors advanced despite the defeat.

The Bianconeri will now face Lazio in the final, after they edged out city rivals Roma to book their place in the showpiece occasion.

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Barzagli: 'Napoli made Juve suffer'

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http://www.football-italia.net/100706/barzagli-napoli-made-juve-suffer

Apr 5, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Andrea Barzagli felt Juventus deserved to reach the Coppa Italia Final, although “we know you will always suffer away to Napoli.”

The 3-1 first leg result proved decisive, as the Partenopei won the second leg 3-2 this evening at the Stadio San Paolo.

“We ran a few risks, but we know you will always suffer away to Napoli,” Barzagli told Rai Sport.

This meeting came just three days after a 1-1 Serie A draw between the teams.

“I thought we had the game in hand, much better than on Sunday, but the moment you get distracted there will be punishment. The important thing is we qualified and I feel over the two legs we deserved it.”

Gonzalo Higuain bagged a brace for Juve against his former club at the Stadio San Paolo.

“Higuain is a real hitman, he scored two against Napoli, but he’ll be happy with the goals. It’s normal that people always talk about Juventus, whether positive or negative, but we ignore all that.”

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Allegri: 'Juve a top level club'

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http://www.football-italia.net/100708/allegri-juve-top-level-club

Apr 5, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Max Allegri was “not worried” by the 3-2 defeat to Napoli, as Juventus reach the Coppa Italia Final. “This is a top level club and there are few better.”

The Bianconeri were leading twice and lost 3-2 on the night, but go through to their third consecutive Coppa Italia Final 5-4 on aggregate.

They will now face Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on June 2.

“It’s a good result, especially after two very tough games. We played better compared to Sunday, then made life complicated for ourselves with the error for 2-2.

“We didn’t have the strength to pile forward anymore and I had no real substitutes left, but overall it was a good performance and we ran few risks after going 3-2 down. It was a game we could’ve won, but the objective was to reach the Final.

“Higuain had a good week of work on international duty and you can see how hard he trained, because he looked really sharp in front of goal.

“Today we played with intensity and did well on a technical level too. Our big challenge began today, which is to go all the way in three tournaments.

“We’ve got Barcelona coming up, we have to face that with confidence, balance and belief, as we want to keep raising the bar. We conceded three goals tonight because our concentration levels dropped and the second one was an accident. Overall it was a good performance and I am not worried, because we were the ones who let Napoli back into the game.

“On Sunday we weren’t forced to win, so we could approach it a different way. This evening we knew we needed a goal, so we approached it in another way. Besides, on Sunday we took the lead after eight minutes, so it’s not as if we defended a draw. We played badly and went too deep, that is true.”

Allegri was asked about his future and seemed more confident in his position than he had been in recent weeks.

“My intentions are to continue with Juventus, because I am happy here. I haven’t met with the club yet, as there are other priorities, but then we’ll sit down and evaluate things.

“This team has great potential, a mixture of experience and youth. Above all Juventus are a top level club and there are few out there who could be considered better.”

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Sarri: 'Napoli-Juve gap closing'

213430254-ddc59859-1170-4665-bccc-253cb4

http://www.football-italia.net/100709/sarri-napoli-juve-gap-closing

Apr 5, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Maurizio Sarri felt Napoli “can not only challenge Juventus, but beat them, as the quality gap is closing” after a 3-2 victory failed to find a Coppa Italia Final spot.

The Partenopei won 3-2 on the night, but went out 5-4 on aggregate in the Coppa Italia semi-final, as Gonzalo Higuain’s brace and the 3-1 first leg result proved crucial.

“It was a great performance, we scored three goals against a side that usually concedes very few, but we were unable to overturn the first leg result,” Sarri told Rai Sport.

“There are some regrets, as at the end those 20 seconds in Turin where we could’ve gone 2-2 and instead went 3-1 down really made the difference. They made a big impact on the tie overall, naturally luck makes a difference in these situations.”

These sides also met in Serie A on Sunday, playing out a 1-1 draw at the Stadio San Paolo.

“The good thing about these two games is that we are slowly closing the quality gap on Juventus.”

Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis said after the game that he was proud of Napoli’s style of football compared to the “Catenaccio” tactics of Juve.

“Having made life difficult for Juventus in two games is something to be proud of. Over these two games, the sensation is not just that we can challenge them, but we can think about beating them in a one-off match.

“The team that has won the Scudetto for six years running went through, so they are certainly a great team, but over these head-to-head matches I don’t think we played any worse than Juve.”

Gonzalo Higuain bagged a brace at the Stadio San Paolo and seemed to point at President De Laurentiis in the stands during his celebration.

“It was the Higuain I saw for around 30 games last season. He scored from distance, he’s a great striker and when he gets fired up, he is a player who can make the difference.

“Juventus overall seemed more determined than they were on Sunday. Presumably being dominated like that at the weekend pricked their pride and they decided to take a different approach.”

Everyone praises Napoli for their style of football, but what are they lacking to actually win silverware?

“We need to finish the growth process in terms of character, maturity, tactics and concentration. It’s a team that overall seems to have grown a great deal already. On Sunday we caused huge problems for Juventus, tonight we changed six or seven players and still caused them problems. That’s positive.

“We had several players born in the 1990s and that too is positive. I think that over the course of this season, the team to have made life the most difficult for Juventus was us.”

Sarri was asked about Lorenzo Insigne and his improving performances for both Napoli and Italy.

“The lad is now at the right age to mature as a person and a player. He’s a pure talent, I think the most talented right now in Italian football. For one reason or another he had some peaks and troughs last season, but for five or six months he has been remarkably consistent.

“He is destined to become great and I hope he can become a symbol who spends his career at Napoli.”

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Gonzalo Higuain hits brace as Juventus edge past Napoli

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/report?gameId=473809

Apr 5, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Gonzalo Higuain silenced the Napoli fans with two goals as Juventus reached their third successive Coppa Italia final.

Marek Hamsik, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Inisgne gave Napoli a 3-2 win in the return leg of their semifinal, but Juve progressed 5-4 on aggregate and will face Lazio in the final.

Higuain's every touch was greeted with whistles and jeers by the home fans, as they were in Sunday's 1-1 draw in Serie A between the two sides.

The Argentina forward is now despised by Napoli fans following his move to Juve for €90 million after scoring 36 goals last season to break a 66-year-old Serie A record.

Higuain was largely anonymous on Sunday. But with his team leading 3-1 after the first leg, he fired Juventus into the lead on the night with a precise shot into the bottom left corner from outside the box in the 32nd minute.

Moments earlier, Tomas Rincon had blasted over the bar unmarked, failing to take advantage of a woeful backpass by Napoli defender Vlad Chiriches.

Napoli had their chances and levelled in the 53rd minute. Insigne found Arkadiusz Milik in the area and a rebound fell to Hamsik, who curled the ball into the right side of the net.

However, Higuain restored Juve's lead five minutes later after he was left unmarked to smash Juan Cuadrado's cross into the back of the net from the centre of the area.

Milik was replaced by Mertens on the hour and the Belgium international scored after just 11 seconds following a horrible mistake by Juventus reserve goalkeeper Neto, who failed to control a throw-in.

And Napoli took the lead for the first time in the match in the 67th minute when Jose Callejon dribbled into the right side of the area and pulled the ball back for Insigne to slot into the bottom right corner.

Neto almost gifted Napoli another goal 10 minutes later as he slipped when he attempted to clear the ball and it came off Napoli forward Leonardo Pavoletti but it rolled wide.

Napoli couldn't find any more goals, and Juve progress to the final.

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Gonzalo Higuain points finger at Napoli

president Aurelio De Laurentiis

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/3097486/gonzalo-

higuain-points-finger-at-napoli-president-aurelio-de-laurentiis

Apr 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Gonzalo Higuain pointed at Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis in his celebrations after scoring to help Juventus reach the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday.

Higuain joined Juve from Napoli in the summer for a Serie A record fee of €90 million, with his departure angering fans of his former club.

Shortly after moving to Turin, he said it was De Laurentiis "who pushed me into making" the decision.

He added: "I'd like to thank the fans and my teammates, but not De Laurentiis. I no longer had a relationship with him. I couldn't stand another minute with him."

He scored twice against Napoli in a 3-2 Coppa win and, after putting the Bianconeri in front, made a gesture towards the area where De Laurentiis was sitting.

His brother and agent Nicolas wrote on Twitter, in tweets that were later deleted but reported by Corriere dello Sport: "How much I love seeing your face, Aurelio De Laurentiis, each time that my bro scores.

"I'm loving this defeat. See you next time."

La Gazzetta dello Sport suggested Higuain was pointing at De Laurentiis to emphasise to Napoli fans that he was the only reason he had left the club.

Before leaving the field after his prematch warmup, Higuain applauded fans who were whistling him and repeatedly pointed toward the president.

De Laurentiis had accused the 29-year-old of betraying Napoli and their supporters by leaving.

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Juve do just enough

Napoli play beautiful football and dominate possession,

but Juventus have the winning edge, notes Tom Scholes.

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http://www.football-italia.net/100712/juve-do-just-enough

Apr 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

In the two recent games against Napoli, Juve just managed to sneak out the results that put them on the right track, staying at the top of Serie A and reaching the Coppa Italia Final without really having to get out of second gear.

It’s an incredible skill to be able to grind out results and succeed when things aren’t going in your favour at times, an ability that only a few teams across the continent have. These sides recognize that sometimes you just need to do the bare minimum to get the job done, and that’s a trait that this current Juventus has.

It may not be as entertaining as the free-flowing style of Napoli, for example, but it’s just as effective, if not more. Aurelio De Laurentiis calls the Juve approach “catenaccio” when in fact it really isn’t, there’s more to them than just soaking up pressure. Against Maurizio Sarri’s team, it’s key not to give them the chance to counter-attack and their front line have the pace to beat the defence of the Old Lady, so Max Allegri changed his plan slightly.

Instead of holding onto possession, he let Napoli have it and it pretty much worked to his team’s advantage. If Napoli had the ball, Juve wouldn’t be caught on the counter, and it was as simple as that. The Bianconeri inviting pressure onto themselves actually made for an incredibly entertaining two games over three days, but despite Napoli coming out unbeaten in the double-header, Juve will be the ones celebrating.

It really does show a different kind of mentality. Juventus players are aware that if they stick to a plan, they can get the job done. Yes, they’ll have less possession and face a barrage of shots, but in the end they’ll be the ones reaping the rewards.

This mind set and this mental strength is why Juventus have been so successful in recent years under Antonio Conte and now Max Allegri. Conte’s mentality has even rubbed off in the Premier League with his Chelsea doing just enough to get closer the title, just like his Juve sides would. Allegri has taken this one step further and implemented it time and time again.

Napoli dominated proceedings in the two games against Juventus, but they didn’t do enough to grind out the required result, yet their opponents did. That’s what sets Juventus apart from the rest. That is what makes them so successful.

It’s pivotal to a winning team and Napoli will not be a successful unit until they gain the ability to do the bare minimum when it truly matters. Despite their beautiful play, they don’t have the steel and resilience of Juventus.

Now, some will try and criticize Juventus for “scraping through” and playing negative football, but the truth is no one will care what kind of football they play if they end up winning the league and cup double, because it’s a champion’s way of thinking.

The bare minimum may not be entertaining for us neutrals, but it wins you games and delivers silverware to your club. It’s imperative to have this skill, and as these two games against Napoli have shown, Juve have it.

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Napoli vs. Juventus 2017: Final score 3-2, Juve

progress to Coppa Italia final despite narrow loss

**The Bianconeri suffered a 3-2 loss at the San Paolo but edged**

Napoli 5-4 on aggregate to book a place in the final

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http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/6/15200406/napoli-juventus-

2017-coppa-italia-semifinal-leg-2-final-score-result-match-recap

Apr 6, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus headed straight back to the San Paolo stadium after quickly recovering in Turin after Sunday’s tense 1-1 draw (because who cares about carbon footprints, right?). The Bianconeri were defending a 3-1 lead coming into the second leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal with Lazio awaiting the winners in the final. Despite the tense buildup the game, Juventus were hoping to negotiate the last Napoli fixture of the season in positive fashion. On this occasion, the home side twice fought back from a goal down to win the game 3-2 on the evening but narrowly lost the tie 5-4 on aggregate. A lovely brace from Gonzalo Higuaín twice looked to have given Juventus a comfortable cruise on the evening, but comeback strikes by Marek Hamsik, Dries Mertens, and Lorenzo Insigne made the tie a nail-biting affair till the last second.

Juventus started the game with far more tranquility and control than they did on Sunday (despite the fast start on that occasion). There was more ball possession, better attacking passing play, and overall a far greater sense of composure to the visitors’ play. Although the always-tricky Insigne managed to threaten the Juventus backline on a few occasions, the back four held strong and Neto wasn’t called into action in the first ten minutes. That sense of calm was almost abruptly destroyed as Napoli came inches away to opening the scoreline in the 12th minute of play. Arkadiusz Milik, still struggling to regain his pre-injury form, played a delightful backheel into the path of Insigne, who then squared the ball to Callejón, free in acres of space in front of goal. The Spanish winger looked destined to bury his finish and bring some real tension to this second leg, but Neto pulled off a fantastic save to deny the Napoli player. Despite the missed chance, Napoli seemed to have gained some confidence as they started to come out of their shell and play more proactively. The game was fiercely contested though, with tackles flying in from both sides and some angry words being exchanged between both sets of players at multiple occasions.

The visitors knew that they were defending a two-goal lead from the first leg, so they weren’t entirely in a hurry to press forward as they waited for the right moment to strike.

That moment came first in the 31st minute when Napoli completely botched a routine goal kick and Tomas Rincón intercepted the pass right in front of goal but, due to a clear rush in adrenaline, skied the shot into Row Z. Then, just a minute later, Leonardo Bonucci played a cross-field ball to makeshift-winger Stefano Sturaro who controlled the ball expertly and played in Higuaín. The Argentine took a quick touch and released a brilliantly-placed ball into the bottom left corner of the goal to give Juve the lead on the night: 1-0! A much-needed goal to give Juve extra breathing space on the night and extend the aggregate lead to 4-1.

Who else but the ex-Napoli striker to do it, right?

The second half saw Napoli (as expected) begin with real fire under their bellies as they needed three goals to force to tie into extra-time. Milik unleashed a rasping drive towards Neto’s goal early in the second half, but it went narrowly wide of the target as the hosts reminded Juventus that the tie wasn’t over just yet. The equalizer came just after this courtesy of the captain Hamsik. Insigne buzzed around on the edge of the box and played in ~~the most irritating and utterly obnoxious prick of the evening~~ Jose Callejón, whose cross was diverted into the path of Hamsik by Alex Sandro. The Slovakian midfielder needed no invitation to bury his effort past Neto and restore parity on the night: 1-1.

The score wouldn’t stay level for long, however: Higuaín bagged his second goal of the evening after Paulo Dybala released the speedy Juan Cuadrado on the right wing to go through on goal. The winger unselfishly squared the ball for Higuaín who was left with the simple task of side-footing the ball past Pepe Reina and restore Juventus’ lead: 2-1!

The goals were flying in with remarkable pace now as just three minutes later, Napoli levelled the scores for the second time of the evening thanks to Mertens. The substitute, who had been on the pitch for possibly a mere 10 seconds, capitalized on an utterly calamitous mistake by Neto after he allowed a simple throw-in to roll under his foot and into the path of the Belgian, who was left with the embarrassingly simple task of tapping it into an empty net: 2-2. We barely had time to breathe after this flurry of goals as the ball was in the back of the net yet again just five minutes later. Mertens and Callejón exchanged some tidy passes in the Juventus penalty area, cleverly outwitting both Bonucci and Sandro in the process, which resulted in the latter squaring the ball for the onrushing Insigne, who side-footed the ball past the helpless Neto: 2-3.

Phew. After that goal rush of four strikes in 15 minutes, the fans finally had a second to breathe and digest the utterly absorbing contest at the San Paolo. As Napoli piled on the pressure, Juventus quickly realized that a fourth goal was not on the cards and thus resorted to bunkering down and stoutly defending the aggregate lead. Napoli needed only two more goals on the night to progress to the final and, just over 20 minutes to go and the momentum on their side, that was certainly not a foreign possibility.

Neto was certainly doing the best he could to give the home side the chance to get back in the game as he slipped while clearing a ball and almost gave substitute Leonardo Pavoletti another open-goal chance to score; thankfully, the ball only went out for a goal kick! The final chance of the game came, once again, courtesy of Pavoletti after a bit of pinball in the Juventus penalty area resulted in the striker’s deflected snapshot going narrowly over the bar. That was the best Napoli could conjure in the dying moments after a fiery, emotional, and often dramatic encounter at the San Paolo: Juventus progress to the final of the Coppa Italia to face Lazio!

Le Pagelle

NETO 4.5 – One mistake was duly punished by Mertens, while he got away with another one late in the second half. Despite his massive save in the first half from Callejón’s chance, it was a night to forget for the Brazilian deputy.

SANDRO 7 – I have to say, our left back situation is really fantastic with both Sandro and Asamoah in fantastic form. The Brazilian put in another solid display and was involved in the second goal as well.

BONUCCI 6.5 – Solid throughout the game, although he was outdone for the Insigne goal.

BENATIA 6.5 – Also dealt with Milik nicely, although Insigne’s central drifts often had him and Bonucci working a little harder than they would have liked.

DANI ALVES 5.5 – I appreciate Dani, I really do, he’s an elegant passer of the ball and interprets the game quite nicely. However, there are times where he seriously runs around like a headless chicken and/or thinks he can dribble past a host of players as… a right back. He had a heated argument with Allegri towards the end of the game, who might have been telling him something similar with slightly less polite words…

KHEDIRA 6.5 – Worked hard to protect the defense from Napoli’s sustained pressure throughout the game. I’m worried about fatigue for the German, though. He’s played an awful lot of minutes lately for both club and country.

RINCÓN 6.5 – Gritty, snappy performance by the battling Venezuelan midfielder. He did basically what we expected him to do: disrupt the play, make tough tackles, and help solidify the midfield. Dunno what on earth he was doing for that chance before the first goal, though…

STURARO 7 – Fantastic touch and assist for the first goal. He basically did the same that Mandzukic does on that wing, except that Sturaro is a little bit smaller and with a slightly less creepy smile.

DYBALA 6.5 – Subdued performance today, perhaps because Hamsik was on some inexplicable personal vendetta with La Joya, intent on picking a fight at every possible occasion. Linked up well with the midfield though.

CUADRADO 7 – Excellent awareness and presence-of-mind for the assist on the second goal and generally did well in the duel with Ghoulam. Confident display by the Colombian.

HIGUAÍN 8 – Fantastic brace for the ex-Napoli man. Covered a tremendous amount of ground and truly sweated blood for the team in such an intimidating encounter.

Subs

PJANIC 6 – It wasn’t really the time for him to show off his flair, given the heated atmosphere around the game and Napoli’s attacking momentum. Picked up a yellow card as well.

BARZAGLI 6 – Defended well in his short 15-minute cameo to solidify the defense and guide the team to the finish line.

LEMINA N/A – Lovely footwork in the last seconds of the game to bamboozle a few Napoli defenders, though!

Manager

ALLEGRI 6.5 – Much, much, much better performance of the team than on Sunday’s nervy encounter. The game really would have been just fine if it weren’t for Neto’s best attempts to bring some excitement to it for the neutral. Passing moves flowed much better and the team, quite surprisingly, seemed more comfortable than on Sunday. Off to the final then!

Tactical Analysis – More of the same

Given that I’ve analyzed two other Juventus v Napoli games this season, and the tactics from both teams on this occasion was basically identical to those from the previous encounters, I will gracefully skip the tactical analysis for this match and direct you to those games if you want to read about the tactical setups (here and here).

The Darkness Within Us

In closing, I don’t really want to talk about the football because at many times tonight, the game was not about the beautiful game. The match was littered with a worrying amount of foul, unpleasant play — constant bickering, lack of gamesmanship, players looking to get into arguments at almost every encounter, and niggly little fouls. This wasn’t just the ugliest possible side of football, it was the ugly side of us as human beings. It’s remarkable to see what we’ll do to win a game of football and how much of our positive traits we’re willing to sacrifice in the process. This wasn’t just the obscenely obnoxious and unbearable Callejón, but it was also Dybala at times and Alves at other times. Besides, we all know how Stephan Lichtsteiner can be the Master of the Dark Arts himself and how Dybala rolls around far too much when he’s fouled. Nevertheless, we’re in the final, but I grow increasingly worried of how far football players are willing to go to win a game…

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Allegri is happy at Juventus, intends to stay

The Manager’s comments after Bianconeri are through to Coppa Italia final

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http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/6/15201360/allegri-intends

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Apr 6, 2017

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Juventus lost 3-2 on the day, but qualified for the final of the Coppa Italia against Lazio after eliminating Napoli on aggregate over two legs. After the game, manager Massimiliano Allegri spoke with the media.

“It’s a good result, especially after two very tough games. We played better compared to Sunday, then made life complicated for ourselves with the error for 2-2.

“We didn’t have the strength to pile forward anymore and I had no real substitutes left, but overall it was a good performance and we ran few risks after going 3-2 down. It was a game we could’ve won, but the objective was to reach the Final.”

It took Gonzalo Higuain his second return to the San Paolo to score, but his brace today was invaluable.

“Higuain had a good week of work on international duty and you can see how hard he trained, because he looked really sharp in front of goal.

“Today we played with intensity and did well on a technical level too. Our big challenge began today, which is to go all the way in three tournaments.”

The difference between Sunday and today?

“We’ve got Barcelona coming up, we have to face that with confidence, balance and belief, as we want to keep raising the bar. We conceded three goals tonight because our concentration levels dropped and the second one was an accident. Overall it was a good performance and I am not worried, because we were the ones who let Napoli back into the game.

“On Sunday we weren’t forced to win, so we could approach it a different way. This evening we knew we needed a goal, so we approached it in another way. Besides, on Sunday we took the lead after eight minutes, so it’s not as if we defended a draw. We played badly and went too deep, that is true.”

Once again Allegri was asked about whether he would be signing an extensions at Juve.

“My intentions are to continue with Juventus, because I am happy here. I haven’t met with the club yet, as there are other priorities, but then we’ll sit down and evaluate things.

“This team has great potential, a mixture of experience and youth. Above all Juventus are a top level club and there are few out there who could be considered better.”

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Gonzalo Higuain masterclass takes

Juventus into Coppa Italia final

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http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3097374/gonzalo-

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Apr 6, 2017

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Forced to suffer, Juventus lost 3-2 to Napoli but won the overall tie to progress to the Coppa Italia final for the third year in a row.

Juventus came armed with ambition and the desire to score an away goal, and they produced a good first half of football despite the whistles at the Stadio San Paolo. Effective and precise, Gonzalo Higuain created an opportunity out of nothing and opened the scoring in response to the continual jeers.

Napoli equalised in sensational fashion, but a brilliant move by Juve, characterised by several good decisions by certain players, led to the Bianconeri's second goal. It was soon after that Massimiliano Allegri's men lost their grip on the game, falling deeper and deeper as they sought to hold off a resolute Napoli side desperate to score. The hosts managed another two but it wasn't enough to win the tie, and Juventus proceeded to yet another final.

Positives

Costing the club over €90 million, Higuain had not managed to score for Juventus in the month of March, seemingly losing his precision in front of goal. However, against Napoli on this night, the striker recovered his keen eye for goal, pouncing on every opportunity and scoring twice to restore calm. His confidence on the ball and efficient performance will have Juventus believing they can push for the treble.

Negatives

It is worrying that Juventus could concede three goals with such ease, dropping their concentration to allow Napoli to think a comeback was possible. Neto's mistake gave the opponent belief, but Juve must remain alert to danger and avoid dropping so deep when possession is lost, as that only invites more pressure.

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- Not many players available by way of attacking options to allow for interesting substitutes, but Allegri ensured Juventus played with more ambition than they showed on Sunday evening and approached the match with the clear intention of reaching the final.

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

GK Norbeto Neto, 5 -- A hero and a villain. Made a great save to deny Arkadiusz Milik, but his mistake allowed Dries Mertens to score Napoli's second goal.

DF Dani Alves, 5 -- Never the best at defending, but against Napoli, the player provided did little going forward as well.

DF Leonardo Bonucci, 6 -- Good at handling Milik, but the defender is not playing at his maximum level. Lacked a little composure and must learn to direct his teammates at the back better.

DF Medhi Benatia, 6 -- Good at winning the aerial duels but not a convincing presence at the back. Should be looked upon as the last option in the Juve squad.

DF Alex Sandro, 6 -- Good at commanding the left lane, especially when compared to Kwadwo Asamoah, but struggled in the second half when Napoli played with relentless ambition. Crucial in the move that led to the second goal for Juve.

r197030_1296x729_16-9.jpg&w=738&site=esp — Neto was up and down in goal for Juve, with a great save and a regrettable mistake.

MF Tomas Rincon, 6 -- Missed a sitter, and the lack of game time has resulted in him being somewhat clumsy, but he did intercept well.

MF Sami Khedira, 6 -- Good at recycling possession to keep Juventus moving, knowing where to position himself to deliver.

MF Juan Cuadrado, 7 -- He may be theatrical, exaggerating his every move, but his acceleration and pace made the difference. Made the right decision by delivering the perfect assist for Higuain's second rather than going for goal himself. Growing and progressing.

MF Paulo Dybala, 6 -- Heavily targeted by the opponent who consistently looked to foul him, but he directed the game well up top and always looked to occupy the right spaces. Not yet at his brilliant best.

MF Stefano Sturaro, 6 -- A warrior who is always up for a fight, he is growing tactically and provided the assist that led to the first goal.

FW Gonzalo Higuain, 8 -- Up against three defenders, Higuain scored the opening goal, worked hard to press the opponent and win possession and managed another just after half-time. The forward seems to have finally rediscovered his efficiency in front of goal.

Substitutes

MF Miralem Pjanic, 6 -- Earned himself a yellow card that will see him miss the Coppa Italia final. Tried to provide quality on the ball.

DF Andrea Barzagli, N/A -- Brought his experience to provide some relief at the back. Made two decisive interventions to ensure solidity.

MF Mario Lemina, N/A -- Barely had any time to make an impact.

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Juve beat Napoli to book Final spot

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http://www.sportinastorm.com/General-Football/

Serie-A/Allegri-targets-treble/X121Y1090Z2258661

Apr 6, 2017

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Massimiliano Allegri has set his sights on the treble after Juventus booked a Coppa Italia final spot by beating Napoli.

Leading 3-1 from the semi-final first leg, Juve did just enough to go through 5-4 on aggregate as Napoli took the honours on the night, winning 3-2.

Gonzalo Higuain scored twice against his former club and it means Juventus can add another date, June 2, to their diaries as they look to go all the way and win the final.

However, Allegri does not want to stop there and is hoping the final two months of the campaign will get even busier yet.

“This is the start of a huge challenge for us – to go all the way in every competition," Allegri said. "We want to fill up our diary for May and to do that, now that we're through to the Coppa Italia final, we need to beat Barcelona.

“We must move forward aware of our ability, with confidence and enthusiasm if we want to keep raising the bar.”

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Higuain-De Laurentiis row on Twitter

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Gonzalo Higuain’s brother insulted Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis via Twitter. “How much I enjoy seeing your face every time my brother scores.”

Pipita bagged a brace in this evening’s 3-2 defeat at the Stadio San Paolo, but Juventus went through to the Coppa Italia Final anyway 5-4 on aggregate.

"How much I enjoy seeing your face Aurelio De Laurentiis every time my brother scores,” wrote Nicola Higuain.

“I'm going to relish this defeat. Till next time."

He then deleted the tweet and rephrased it with “Hahaha!!!” on the end.

Later, Higuain posted a screengrab showing he had been blocked by De Laurentiis on Twitter.

“I’ve even been blocked! Imagine how important I am in your thoughts.”

Napoli fans pointed to another tweet written by Nicola Higuain in February 2016, when Napoli had just lost to Juventus in Serie A.

“If we play without a referee, then maybe we can win the Scudetto. Hugs to everyone and forza Napoli always.”

Both before and during the game, Gonzalo Higuain pointed to where De Laurentiis tends to sit in the stands and mouthed: "It's your fault."

The Argentina international implied the fans jeering him ought to be blaming the President for his €90m transfer to Juventus.

Socrates · April 6, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Rincon: ‘Treble is possible’

http://www.football-italia.net/100714/rincon-‘treble-possible’

Apr 6, 2017

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Juventus midfielder Tomas Rincón believes “the treble is possible” but is taking things “one step at a time”.

The Bianconeri reached the Coppa Italia final for a third year in a row last night, going through on aggregate despite a 3-2 defeat to Napoli.

“We knew how difficult the game would be and that we’d have to fight,” Rincón explained to JTV.

“Our goal was to score, we did it and now we’re in the final. Lazio got there on merit, we’ll prepare well to face them in the best way because the Coppa Italia is one of our objectives this season.

“The treble? One step at a time. Now we have to win on Saturday [against Chievo] to show our strength in the League, then comes the Champions League.

“The treble is possible, but right now we’re thinking of one thing at a time. It won’t be easy, but that’s our goal.”

Socrates · April 6, 2017

‘Juventus want revenge with Barca’

http://www.football-italia.net/100721/‘juventus-want-revenge-barca’

Apr 6, 2017

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John Elkann says Juventus “want to take revenge for Berlin” when they meet Barcelona in the Champions League.

The Bianconeri were beaten 3-1 by the Catalans in the 2015 Final, and will face them again in this season’s Quarter-Finals, with the first leg in Turin next week.

“With Barcelona, as with Bayern and Real Madrid it’s a match which is like the Champions League final,” Elkann, head of Juve’s holding company, Exor, told Premium Sport.

“It’s very difficult, beautiful and challenging, but we want to take revenge for Berlin. There are an incredible number of people who want to come and watch the match in Turin.

“The Coppa Italia? Very happy, also with the two goals from [Gonzalo] Higuain…”

Socrates · April 7, 2017

Lippi: 'Juve on Real and Barca level'

http://www.football-italia.net/100749/lippi-juve-real-and-barca-level

Apr 6, 2017

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Marcello Lippi believes Juventus are “on the same level as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich” in the Champions League.

The last Juve Coach to lift the Champions League trophy in 1996, Lippi also reached the Final in 1997 and 1998.

“This team has grown a great deal and now has a different self-belief. The improvement in Italy has been exceptional, but they have also grown on an international scale,” Lippi told Sky Sport Italia.

Max Allegri’s side will face off with Barcelona in the quarter-finals, as the first leg in Turin is on Tuesday.

“They are now on the same level as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, sides who are no longer the nightmare opponents they were two or three years ago.

“Juve’s improvement and the steps back at these other big clubs mean that Juve are on their level. On top of that, so far these other sides haven’t yet faced off against a team with the defensive capabilities of Juve.

“That’s not all, of course, as Juventus have improved in their attack with the new arrivals too.”

Lippi is currently the Coach of the China squad, having already worked there with Guangzhou Evergrande.

“It’s going to be pretty difficult for us to reach the World Cup. The level of the Chinese Super League has improved thanks to the many foreign players and important Coaches who arrived, but the national team is still a bit behind.

“The objective is to improve so that we can make our mark at the 2019 Asian Cup.”

Socrates · April 7, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Landmarks of Turin Awards:

Napoli vs. Juventus Edition

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http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/6/15204282/juventus-napoli-

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Apr 6, 2017

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On one hand, it would’ve been supremely enjoyable to win this game 2-0, 2-1, or hell even to draw it, and to walk out of Naples for the year with that being our last experience in the city. But there’s also something dramatically perfect about winning (“winning”) the Coppa semis the way we did: It was Gonzalo Higuain’s second goal, and only his second goal, that moved Juventus past Napoli.

All those defensive and goal shenanigans that let Napoli back into the game did nothing more than toy with them, like in Lion King when Scar is chillin’ in that cave and he’s got those mice for a little snack at his disposal and they’re just thinking they’re getting away but he’s got their tail under his paw. Given the second away goal, Napoli still had a lot of work to do, but after the PSG-Barca UCL fixture, it’s wise not to believe you’ve got the cat in the back until you hear the mew.

Aperitivi

A tantalizing collection of titillating tidbits.

More like Tomas Rinc-off, am I right? (I’ll show myself out.) But really, that was one of the more dreadful attempts at goal I’ve ever seen. The only bit of grace I’d be willing to extend is that it happened fast, and there were players closing in fast. But dude!
Stefano Sturaro was fine, but let’s not kid ourselves. If I’m honest, Chuks’ grade of a 7 (the same as Alex Sandro) seems a bit generous. Sturaro’s passing accuracy was woeful on just 22 touches throughout the night, and although he tallied an assist the first goal was due more to Higuain’s brilliance than especially wonderful distribution from Sturaro.
Goodness me that second Higuain goal was set up beautifully. Sandro presses forward from the left flank, sends a streaking pass through the middle of the field to La Joya, who spots Juan Cuadrado on the right flank and moves the ball forward for the Colombian, and then Cuadrado makes the right decision (!) not to try some ridiculously angled shot, and he finds Higuain in the middle who drills the shot home.
Then, .64 seconds later, Neto decides he’d rather the game be 2-2. Gigi Buffon’s expression/reaction to this goal will go down as one of humanity’s single greatest expressions/reactions to anything of all time, I think. I used to teach history so I should know, I think.
Neto is a fine backup keeper, but goodness I hope we’re planning on finding Gigi a worthy replacement. (Ahem, there’s a keeper at Milan who I hear is decent.)
Both Bonucci and Benatia beaten badly — yay, alliteration! — on Napoli’s third goal. It was worse for Benatia, as Bonucci simply made the decision to go for the dribbler rather than cover the back pass. It was a 50-50 one for him, but Benatia was just beaten on the dribble.
If Daniele Rugani doesn’t start against Chievo, c’mon.
There are still eight league games left, one against Roma. That’s far from comfortable for me. I know we’re (sort of) happy with the draw against Napoli earlier, but we need to take care of business against teams like Chievo and hope Roma gives us some help. A 7- or 9-point lead sounds a heck of a lot better.

Onto the awards, but not too many awards for this match because, well, I can’t say there were too many players who played award-worthy well:

Parco Valentino Award

For an urbane demeanor distributed amongst the squad.

Alex Sandro is very good at playing football. We should keep him at left back until he croaks, or until a team offers us 100 million big ones and we buy that midfielder from PSG (and sell twelve of our own midfielders since we collect them like Hannibal collects victims). But anyway, Sandro is good. He’s the best. He’s the reason we scored the second goal: a deadly feint to beat a defender, a perfectly precise pass to Paulo Dybala. He’s just so good, there’s not much else to say. I can’t think of a single thing that, as a defender, he doesn’t do extremely well. He crosses well, he tackles well or brilliantly, he even finishes well, dribbles well, tracks back well, moves forward well, and makes decisions well. Yay, Sandro!

Sidewalk of Turin Award

For a weak(ish) performance masked by other factors.

Dani Alves does a lot of things well, and I’m firmly on Team Alves as far as first choice at right back, but some of the time he finds himself in the most absurd places on the pitch. His yellow card yesterday was a yellow card, despite all his Italian-themed hand gestures at the referee, and Alves had no reason to be there in the first place. It was the exact center of the field, about two thirds the way up from Napoli’s goal to Neto’s, and Alves decides it’s a good idea to chase a pass into/through the defender.

Similar to what you get when you get Cuadrado, I think you’ve got to take both the good and the bad from Alves. It wasn’t his mistakes that cost us against Napoli, but also: What the hell, dude? You’re actually our right back.

House of Savoy Award

For the [worst] man of the match.

I think you know who this might be: Neto. More like, um, Net-no? Or Net-yes? Like, put the ball in the Net-yes?

I don’t know.

As I said above, in his current role Neto seems to be a very solid choice. Because Gigi is an old man — still so damn handsome, though, his age almost makes him more handsome, you know, like the silver fox thing — and because Juve play so many games, Neto plops himself between the posts with relative frequency. But is it time, maybe, to move on from this scenario? To find a clear replacement for Gigi, allow the new guy to be mentored, and also to get experience? Maybe.

Alex Meret, as we know, is on the management’s radar. Gigi Donnarumma is Gigi Donnarumma and I love him and he’s so good and I would probably (honestly) have one of my fingers chopped off for Juventus to acquire him (this is not a joke), but it seems like a long shot. If Juventus aren’t able to sign him one day, I hope one of the stupid English teams signs him so we can enjoy him from afar and root for him when the Italians play together.

I digress...

Giuseppe Garibaldi Award

For the man of the match.

Gonzalo Higuain hasn’t been Gonzalo Higuain lately. We — meaning BWRAO — have conjectured on why this is the case. Is it exhaustion? Maybe. Juventus have played like three billion games per week since January, and this happens to coincide with a switch in formation that includes having four designated attackers, and Juventus don’t actually have many true attackers (due to a strange midfielder fetish; I’m sort of a Rincon fan, as much as that can be true, and of course hindsight is 20-20 but it would’ve been nice to spend that cash on a utility attacker rather than another central midfielder), all of which means Higuain has been logging a lot of minutes.

In the league draw against Napoli, Higuain did absolutely nothing, and it wasn’t his fault. Juventus seemed to clearly be playing for a draw — Allegri more or less admitted it — and was also playing sans Dybala, which, for that match, apparently also meant sans midfield-attacking third connection.

For the Coppa semifinal, Higuain morphed back into himself. The first finish was sheer awareness. It’s amazing that he’s able to hold that kind of attention in a game where he wasn’t getting much service. A single pass from Sturaro to Higuain, who was flanked by three (!) defenders, and he managed to know exactly where he was on the pitch, exactly where the defenders were, and exactly where the keeper was. Had Dybala gotten the ball here — and y’all know I love Dybala — he would’ve tried some sort of black dribbler magic to get out of the conundrum, and he may have well succeeded, but Higuain does what you need your no. 9 to do, which is not think, not try black magic, do whatever cold motherf—— deed you need to do to get the orb in the back of the net against the team for whom you used to play and then you send a death stare with greater death power than the Death Star to your team’s old president who looks like he is having digestion problems, and then you score again because you’re Gonzalo freaking Higuain and nobody is going to stop you.

Socrates · April 7, 2017

Real Madrid rise to No. 1 in Power Rankings,

Juve No. 2, Barca up to No. 4

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/blog/espn-fc-united-blog/68/post/3097825/real-madrid

-rise-to-top-spot-in-shaka-hislop-power-rankings-with-barcelona-up-to-fourth-place

Apr 6, 2017

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We're back from the international break with a vengeance as Europe's top teams made up for lost time with two games this week. Juventus are still cruising, but the surge of Spanish giants Real Madrid can't be ignored as they rise to the top.

1. Real Madrid (+2)

Just when Zinedine Zidane's side seem to be flagging, they find another burst of energy. And it couldn't be coming at a better time given that the Champions League is up next. Real beat Alaves 3-0 despite not playing particularly well and then held on to defeat tiny Leganes 4-2 in midweek. Gareth Bale is fully fit and in form again. Alvaro Morata (hat trick vs. Leganes) and Karim Benzema are scoring. And the defence looks reasonably robust. They're two points clear of Barca with the Clasico in just three weeks.

2. Juventus (-1)

Max Allegri's side are cruising to the Serie A title, six points ahead of Roma with eight games to play, yet a pair of gutsy performances against Napoli caused Juventus to drop to second in the Power Rankings. Sunday's 1-1 draw in Naples was the result of a more conservative performance, while the midweek 3-2 Coppa Italia defeat didn't matter much as Juve went through on aggregate. There's little for Juve to fear at this point, though facing Barcelona next week in the Champions League will require maximum effort.

3. Bayern Munich (-1)

Robert Lewandowski scored three and set up two in the 6-0 thrashing of Augsburg, but the Bundesliga champions-elect were tripped up four days later. Despite taking 21 shots at Hoffenheim, Bayern could not find the net and were beaten 1-0.

4. Barcelona (+2)

Luis Enrique announced on March 1 that he'll step down as Barca manager after this season, and his team have responded with four wins in five La Liga games to remain within two points of Real at the top. It's a remarkable late-season surge that sees them in fine form heading into Champions League action. A 4-0 rout of Granada and 3-1 win over Jorge Sampaoli's Sevilla this week are testament to that.

5. Chelsea (no change)

Chelsea's march to the Premier League title seemingly can't be stopped: Though the Blues lost 2-1 at home to Crystal Palace at the weekend, a game in which they had plenty of shots and couldn't equalise, they took a 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola's Man City in which Sergio Aguero & Co. were unable to prevail. Chelsea's resiliency under Antonio Conte is a major factor in their success.

6. Atletico Madrid (+3)

Wins over Malaga and Real Sociedad mean that Atletico have now claimed five straight victories in La Liga. That run, as well as Sevilla's failure to win in their last five matches, mean Diego Simeone's side are now third in the Spanish standings.

7. Tottenham (+1)

Don't count Spurs out yet! Though they're seven points behind Chelsea with eight games remaining, there's plenty of fight left in Mauricio Pochettino's side even without the injured Harry Kane. The 2-0 win at Burnley over the weekend came with a goal from Heung-Min Son, Kane's deputy, while a remarkable turnaround at Swansea saw Spurs score three times after the 87th minute to win 3-1. Few teams can match their spirit and self-belief at present.

8. AS Roma (new)

Roma may not be thinking of the title, given Juve's indomitable form, but their bigger battle is locking up second place -- and with it, the final automatic spot in the Champions League group stage. Roma's 2-0 win over Empoli at the weekend was standard fare for Luciano Spalletti's side, with Edin Dzeko scoring both goals to take his league tally to 23 goals in 30 appearances. Losing 3-2 to city rivals Lazio and being eliminated from the Coppa Italia on Tuesday was a bitter blow, but it doesn't threaten their ultimate objective.

9. Borussia Dortmund (-2)

After Thomas Tuchel's men were denied a Revierderby win by Schalke's equaliser in a 1-1 draw, Dortmund eased to a 3-0 win vs. Hamburg. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored in both games and now has 25 Bundesliga goals this season.

10. Monaco (-6)

There were mixed fortunes in cup competitions for the French league leaders last week. First, Monaco fell 4-1 to Paris Saint-Germain in the league cup final, but then rebounded to beat Lille 2-1 and claim a place in the French cup semifinals.

Dropping out: Feyenoord.

Socrates · April 8, 2017

Juve's lesson learned

Juventus and Max Allegri should relish the experience of

losing the 2015 Final to Barcelona, writes Chloe Beresford.

http://www.football-italia.net/100756/juves-lesson-learned

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

With Leicester City and Monaco potential quarter-final opponents in the Champions League draw last month, the hearts of Juventus fans sank when Ian Rush pulled Barcelona out of the hat. It was just two years ago – in the 2015 Final – when the Bianconeri last met the Catalan giants, and it didn’t end well.

At the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Barca took an early lead when Ivan Rakitic fired in from close range. Juve didn’t allow the Blaugrana to capitalise on their lead however, holding their adversaries to 1-0 when the sides went in at the break.

Buoyed by Coach Max Allegri’s half-time team talk, Juventus found an equaliser when Alvaro Morata pounced on the rebound from a Carlos Tevez shot, sending the Bianconeri faithful into delirium. But such belief was to be cruelly short-lived when Luis Suarez restored the lead just 13 minutes later, and Neymar compounded their misery when he scored from a Barca counter-attack in the final minute of the game.

After such a sound beating, it is understandable that such a rematch would strike fear into the hearts of the Old Lady’s fans, but not all is lost.

Whilst Allegri will know what to expect from an opponent whose line-up has remained largely the same since that ill-fated final, Juventus are a completely different side. Only five of their starting eleven from that night in 2015 remain in the club, the past two years having seen Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo, Patrice Evra, Arturo Vidal, Morata and Tevez move on to pastures new.

However despite losing such talented players, the Bianconeri have continued to grow, strengthening their side with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala and Miralem Pjanic. The Juve boss finds himself in a perfect position to outfox his opponents now, having already experienced their comparatively settled line-up in the past.

But knowing how such a talented side play is not enough to stop them, as PSG proved in the round of 16. This two-legged tie provided Allegri with a perfect demonstration of how his side cannot afford to relax over 180-plus minutes of football, not even for a single second.

Even at 4-0 down going into the second leg at Camp Nou, Barca never gave up and the Ligue 1 side lacked the mental strength to keep them out, succumbing in the last minute of the breath-taking encounter. Juventus will surely know that no matter what happens at the fortress J-Stadium, they must be defensively sound when they play the return leg in Catalonia just a week later.

Before Juventus played Napoli in the league last Sunday, Allegri revealed his belief that Maurizio Sarri’s side play in a similar way to Barcelona, admitting that was important test. After scoring an early goal, the Bianconeri sat back, playing in an uncharacteristically defensive manner.

With such a large lead at the top of the standings, it appears the Coach took his chance to test a style of play that his side wouldn’t normally have to adopt against domestic opponents. It worked.

Despite second half pressure from the Partenopei, Juve held their opponents to a 1-1 draw. This means that their learning exercise at the San Paolo could be vital, if paired with lessons gleaned back in 2015.

Nobody would be surprised if Allegri’s side take the victory on home soil and – if they can deploy their defensive solidity against the MSN frontline at Camp Nou – then they might just be in with a chance.

Socrates · April 8, 2017

NAPOLI - JUVENTUS

3-2

Aggregate 4-5

Gonzalo Higuaín 32'

Marek Hamsik 53'

Gonzalo Higuaín 58'

Dries Mertens 61'

Lorenzo Insigne 67'

TIM CUP - SEMIFINAL

Wednesday, April 5th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
San Paolo Stadium, Naples
Referee: Luca Banti

Napoli fined €35,000

http://www.football-italia.net/100781/napoli-fined-€35000

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Napoli have been fined €35,000 after a supporter invaded the pitch in their Coppa Italia win over Juventus.

Maurizio Sarri’s side won 3-2 at Stadio San Paolo, but were eliminated on aggregate, with the Old Lady going through to face Lazio.

A fan ran onto the pitch and appeared to be trying to put a Partenopei scarf on Bianconeri striker Gonzalo Higuain, but he was stopped by security.

Today the Lega Serie A has released its disciplinary report, and the club has been fined €35,000 under strict liability rules.

Napoli were fined for “failing to prevent one of its own supporters from entering the field of play, causing the suspension of the game for about 40 seconds”.

It was also found that fans “launched some plastic bottles filled with water” at the Juve players and the officials “one of which struck the chest of a player from the opposing team”.

In terms of on the pitch matters, it has been confirmed that Miralem Pjanic will miss the final, while Amadou Diawara will miss Napoli’s first Coppa match next season.

Socrates · April 8, 2017

March’s Monthly Juventus Thoughts:

Talkin’ louder, but sayin’ nothin!

The season’s climax is almost upon us, but there’s still much to do as

Juventus negotiated the short but interesting month of March!

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/7/15143312/juventus-march-

2017-in-review-serie-a-coppa-italia-paulo-dybala-marko-pjaca

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

March was short and sweet with four Juve games packed into two weeks, with the international break taking up the rest of the month. That said, there’s always something interesting to talk about if you dig deep enough. Let’s get talkin’ then!

Like a dull knife

Just ain't cutting

Smooth Sailing?

The ship continues to sail steadily forward. The wins aren’t pretty, but the team continues to demonstrate its ruthless efficiency in getting the three points in nearly every occasion. The Udinese game was almost a costly hiccup — it very well could, and perhaps should, have ended in a loss — but the team got the message and largely put things back into place after that. The injuries have mostly subsided (more on that later) and, quite interestingly, Juventus seems to be one of the most stable teams in Europe at moments in terms of form. You wouldn’t think it based on occasional doom and gloom we see on the blog, but it can be useful to cast your eyes above to take a look at our counterparts in other leagues. The season is coming to a close and, for the most part, the team is in decent shape. Still much to do though…

Just talking loud

Then saying nothing!

Controversy

Being a Juventus fan can be one of the most entertaining affairs in the world. I’ve learned so much about the Italian language, culture, and ‘dubious’ habits in all the years that I’ve supported La Vecchia Signora. There are parts I love about the Italian people — the passion, the pure energy and life in their voices, the curious elegance of their culture. However, if there’s one part that I absolutely detest, it’s the nonsensical love affair that Italians have with controversy. It’s extraordinary how much Italians love to talk and talk and talk and talk about controversy. If it’s not there, they’ll find a way to create it.

Why am I bringing this up? Surely it’s obvious.

The absolute shitstorm that ensued after the Napoli and Milan games was truly a sight to behold. I was amazed to see just how incensed our opponents were after (particularly) the Napoli game and the dramatic 2-1 victory against Milan. With regards to the Napoli game, I didn’t give a damn about the whiny losers that disgracefully slandered the officials. However, the Milan game had me in two minds. I hate winning like this and I especially hate winning like this when there’s such a terribly sour taste to it all. It’s extraordinarily unpleasant. Every penalty we get now has me wincing in discomfort.

That aside, there is a more concerning, human aspect to this debate. This disrespectful practice of incessantly questioning the integrity of the referee must stop. It’s one thing to question the validity of a referee’s decision, it’s a whole different thing to question the integrity of a human being. The allegations thrown at these referees are absurd and can lead to a fundamental break of trust in the system.

“The problem with this world is that the intelligent people are so full of doubt and the stupid people so full of confidence.”

Charles Bukowski

To see just how easily this kind of persistent disrespect for referees can escalate, just look at the recent referee strike in the Mexican league. They were sick and tired of handling this constant verbal (and physical?) abuse from players and managers and thus choose to draw a line to it. Huge credit to them for taking such a brave, and justified, stance and to stand up for themselves.

The problem is that this is all gonna sound like privileged nonsense coming from me because, hey, I’m a Juventino so of course I’m gonna be saying this... right? Well, I can’t do much to change any skepticism or apprehension; I can only assure you that I say this as a human being without any ulterior motive whatsoever. These are human-fucking-beings, people. Human beings that want to be respected, feel safe, and that try to do their jobs the best they can. The type of abuse they suffer, not just in Italy, but also in cases such as the recent Barca-PSG game, the United v Chelsea FA Cup semifinal, and elsewhere has to stop.

“It would be inadmissible if I would vent my opinion publicly. Not only could I harm the artist concerned seriously because people have so much respect for me and believe in me because of my musical accomplishments. And I could also antagonize people against me, because everyone has his own taste. We all make music, people can choose from that what they like. Every musician likes his own music the best, man. I don't want to attack that. I don't mind criticism, I can handle it, but most people can't"

– Fela Kuti

Broken

The most depressing news of the month was, of course, the devastating notice that our golden boy Marko Pjaca suffered an ACL injury while on international duty with Croatia. It’s horrible news for the young player who finally seemed to have found his feet in a new environment, league, and country.

Pjaca is a wonderful player who can become a valuable part of the Juve setup. After gathering a decent sample size of his playing time, I have begun to understand him more as a player. I think he’s a useful and different tactical option for the team because of his extremely direct nature, remarkable pace, and impressive physique. He’s a breath of fresh air when he comes on and when he starts a game.

But after 50-60 minutes of play ... he fades away. The novelty of his trickery wears off and he seems to run out of ideas. Thus, he’s seems to be one of those “sub off in minute 60” guys. This is not meant as criticism; the poor kid has only been here for less than a year. But clearly, he still has a long way to go until he’s trusted with the big games against the big boys. That makes the timing of this injury all the more painful. Who knows the person he’ll be after he comes back; will he be the same bright kid as before (or will he be as broken as Avatar Korra was after her traumatic experiences)? Who knows…

When we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change – Avatar Aang

Rollin, rollin, rollin

Paulo Dybala is a mesmerizing player. A brilliantly creative mind who has dazzled us with his free-kicks, fantastic goals, and remarkable dribbles. The one thing, however, that he has not impressed me with of late is his infuriating, irritating play-acting antics and excessive rolling after being fouled. I love the guy, but I have to say outright that I find it utterly deplorable and completely unnecessary behavior.

It covers him in very bad light and is just terrible to witness. I understand that he’s a small player and gets affected by touches more easily, but if he has won a foul, isn’t that enough? Why the need to roll and roll and roll? I really do hope that Allegri has a word with him about this because if he sustains this type of behavior, it will undoubtedly haunt him like a plague in the future. Look at how someone like Neymar is (probably harshly) chastised for his reactions and/or “unsportsmanlike antics” every game. This behavior primes/biases referees and opposing defenders negatively against Dybala: “ooh here he goes again, the little @#!$”

We care about you deeply, Joya, so please show us only the beautiful side to your play. It’s more than enough to get the better of opponents.

Socrates · April 8, 2017

Ter Stegen: 'Juve learned from 2015'

http://www.football-italia.net/100765/ter-stegen-juve-learned-2015

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen warns quarter-final opponents Juventus 'have learned from the 2015 final'.

The Bianconeri lost 3-1 that day, and after having praised counterpart Gianluigi Buffon, the goalkeeper also addressed claims that his side were aided by refereeing decisions in the previous round.

"This does not interest me," the German told Tuttosport. "Anyone who saw the game knows that we scored six goals and this didn’t happen because of the referee.

"It was a historic game that we must just enjoy, reminding us that not only in this season, but also in the coming years we can accomplish a unique feat.

"The first leg with PSG was very complicated for several reasons. however, we do not want to repeat this situation. It's a matter of mentality. Now we have possibilities, like Juve, to continue in the Champions League and we will give everything to succeed.

"Do not think we're going to concede four goals in the first leg. I do not want this. We already know what we need to do. We must continue to win in order to stay on top against Juventus."

What does the goalkeeper think about the threat of Juventus forward Paulo Dybala?

"I have not yet faced him directly but above all, these judgments and decisions are not up to me. But it remains a fact: if he was not a great player Dybala would not be at Juventus.

"[Sami] Khedira? Yes, I know him well. I know exactly how he will be able to make a difference, like all of the Juve starters. I saw that he scored a goal against Napoli. But we are focused only on ourselves.

"A message for Sami? We'll see, we talked a lot after the draw was made. We joked a bit, underlining the fact that our respective teams have everything it takes to go through."

Would the German ever consider a future in Italy?

"Absolutely: but for now would say that I am very happy with the decision I made three years ago.

"I am very happy at Barca and I hope that we will have continued success together, I’m not thinking about other teams.

"The Bianconeri have learned a lot compared with two years ago when we played the final together in Berlin.

"Now we will prepare thoroughly, they have new players, and we all know what they are capable of.

"They will find a Lionel Messi in form, however. He did not play against Granada through suspension, but then you have seen him against Sevilla, no?

"For the match with Juve, he will be in perfect condition."

Socrates · April 8, 2017

Threats forming to Juventus’ dominance

Barring a miracle - or a disaster if you’re on the other side - Juventus

will retain the Scudetto. But next year might be different…

http://www.football-italia.net/100769/threats-forming-juventus’-dominance

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus’ progression to a sixth-straight Serie A title should continue unimpeded when Chievo visit Turin this weekend, but are there signs that next season could see more of a challenge to the Old Lady?

Whisper it but after years of Bianconeri dominance, in which Juventus have finished on average 11 points clear of whoever ends in second place, the peninsula’s also-rans are getting their acts together. That, combined with uncertainty starting to shroud the champions, points to a more competitive season to come.

Roma and Napoli are this year vying for second place and the gap currently stands at six points between the leaders and their challengers from the capital. The Lupi could this summer appoint Sevilla’s transfer guru Monchi, and a summer of his magic could produce a shift in bet365’s Serie A betting markets. Napoli should remain strong next year too and Chinese money could yet propel Inter and Milan back towards former glories.

Massimiliano Allegri’s future remains uncertain. The Coach has been strongly linked with the imminent vacancy at Barcelona and the potential one at Arsenal, the success of Claudio Ranieri at Leicester City and Antonio Conte at Chelsea doing wonders for the reputation of Italian trainers in the Premier League. Money, and the chance to prove himself outside Italy, could talk for the restless Allegri.

Replacing Allegri would not be straightforward. Do the Juve hierarchy go for an experienced hand, someone who can go medal-for-medal with the trophy-laden squad they would inherit? Or a young, hungry up-and-comer, eager to prove they have what it takes to thrive at the level of Scudetto wins and Champions League challenges? There’d be no shortage of interested parties. But the veteran who has enjoyed success before risks being set in his ways, and the tyro could lack authority in a dressing room that knows its own mind.

If Allegri stays, what about Paulo Dybala? La Joya is one of the most in-demand players in the world and La Liga’s big boys are said to be sizing him up. Juventus have let key players leave before and remained ahead of the chasing pack, often thanks to intelligent replacements, but there’s no guarantee Dybala would be adequately replaced if he did move on. No club gets it right every time. Juventus get it right more often than others, but they’re not infallible.

The Champions League is another factor to consider. Given perhaps the most difficult possible draw in this year’s Quarter-Finals, elimination to Barcelona would make it 21 years and counting without lifting the big-eared Cup. Desire can quickly become obsession. Juventus wouldn’t be the first to put all their eggs in one basket. Would a third European Cup be worth sacrificing a year of domestic supremacy? So far, Juventus have been unable to sustain an attack both fronts, falling painfully short against Barca in 2015.

Threats are forming to Juventus’ record-breaking run. Be it from rivals at home, with Roma, Napoli, Milan and Inter aiming to smash the Turin hegemony, the possibility of a coaching upheaval, the loss of a star player or distractions elsewhere, Juventus’ grip on the title might be loosening just a little.

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Fabbri to ref Juve-Chievo

h http://www.football-italia.net/100724/irrati-ref-lazio-napoli

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Michael Fabbri will referee Juventus-Chievo, as the officials are announced for Week 31 of Serie A.

Today the AIA has announced that Fabbri will be the man in the middle for the match.

Elsewhere, Antonio Damato has been assigned to Roma’s trip to Bologna, while Lazio-Napoli will be refereed by Massimiliano Irrati.

Serie A Week 31 referees:

Atalanta-Sassuolo - Nicola Rizzoli
Bologna-Roma - Antonio Damato
Cagliari-Torino - Gianluca Rocchi
Crotone-Inter - Marco Guida
Empoli-Pescara - Paolo Tagliavento
Juventus-Chievo - Michael Fabbri
Lazio-Napoli - Massimiliano Irrati
Milan-Palermo - Marco Di Bello
Sampdoria-Fiorentina - Carmine Russo
Udinese-Genoa - Pierpaolo Mariani

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

Socrates · April 8, 2017

JUVENTUS - CHIEVO

MATCHDAY 31

Saturday, April 8th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Michael Fabbri

Allegri: 'My future least of our worries'

http://www.football-italia.net/100771/allegri-my-future-least-our-worries

Apr 7, 2017

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri stresses that his contract situation is 'the least of the club's worries' as they compete on three fronts.

After emphasising the importance of staying focussed for Saturday's match, the Bianconeri Coach was quizzed about his future.

"First I’d like to thank John Elkann for his words, and for the work done by the team and by the club," Allegri told reporters at his pre-match Press conference. "I think this is a source of pride and satisfaction.

"As for the aims of the team, whether it will be an extraordinary season or not, we will take it one step at a time. Firstly, we have have reached the Coppa Italia final for the third time in a row.

"This is down to the players, they're doing some really amazing things, especially because they have great technical quality, of this I have no doubts. But above all they have the moral qualities that lead them to get the results even in difficult times.

"So, it is difficult, we have to work to try to win all three competitions. It is not easy, we know, it is already difficult to win the league, and even more difficult to win a final, because finals are always difficult to win.

"The business focuses all we have on the Champions League which is an extraordinary competition and this is why I say that this moment should be lived with great energy and great enthusiasm.

"And above all to have the confidence to go all the way, then raise the bar of what we must do and absolutely can do. This team is able to do this, but above all to think you can do it will make a difference."

What are the chances the boss will remain at the club, after links with Arsenal and Barcelona?

"At the moment 100%, because I have a contract until 2018, I believe, yes, 2018.

"But at this time, the problem of the Coach does not exist, and must not exist, for one simple reason: because we're at the crucial moment of the season.

"I think this is the least of our problems, both on my part, and from the club’s point of view. This is also because there have never been any problems between myself and the club, we go forward by mutual agreement, so you have to stay focused because at the moment we have not yet won anything.

"And tomorrow will be very important for winning the league. I repeat, the more we go on, the more the games become important.

"But when I spoke of negativity, maybe it's a word that was too excessive, because we drew in Naples with the third team. But the team defended well. Football is not only about the offensive phase.

"There are times when you adopt a different strategy, some games are are played in one way and other matches must be played in another. The important thing is at the end is you reach the targets, that is the reason why I am here at Juventus, to try to achieve them.

"I try to help the guys, because they are the ones who help us win, but when we lose, we lose together."

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

Accedi

JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

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The Bianconeri suffered a 3-2 loss at the San Paolo but edged

Napoli 5-4 on aggregate to book a place in the final

Tactical Analysis – More of the same

The Darkness Within Us

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The Manager’s comments after Bianconeri are through to Coppa Italia final

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**The Bianconeri suffered a 3-2 loss at the San Paolo but edged**