JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

When Sevilla has played away from home over the last year, they’ve done anything but win. Seriously, in 19 away games in La Liga last season, they didn’t pick up three points one single time. It was that kind of season for them, one that again ended with them lifting the Europa League trophy.

And yet, Wednesday’s wasn’t one of Sevilla’s rare wins away from home. But it certainly wasn’t one where Juventus came away looking all that great as they opened a Champions League campaign where the bar is set as high as it has been in years.

Sevilla, under the direction of new manager Jorge Sampaoli and his extremely small polo shirts, came into Turin and mucked things up as much as you can muck things up. For the vast majority of Wednesday’s scoreless snoozer, Juventus had no real flow, no real rhythm to their play. There were scoring chances, sure. And some were better and brighter than others. But for all the expectations and reasons to be optimistic about Juventus’ Champions League opener, not much of anything truly came to fruition.

There will be frustration because that’s the kind of performance in which screaming obscenities at your favorite team was truly meant for. Juventus, on paper, are the best team in their group. By no means does that mean things are a cakewalk, but they’re surely the most talented squad of the four. On Wednesday, they hardly showed that. I’m not talking about glimpses or flashes of wonderful play. For the vast majority of the scoreless draw against Sevilla, it was a struggle with no real solution being brought until there wasn’t a whole lot of time left to be played.

This is a game to learn from, surely. From tactics to mindset to everything, Juventus’ first venture into European competition this season was pretty much a complete dud.

And then, right as the final whistle was sounding in Turin, this happened...

I need to break myself of the last two years. Every other SBN blog’s Twitter account was talking about their team scoring goals. Juventus were putting us on the brink of pulling our hair out. Yes, it was that kind of game.

If only Gonzalo Higuain’s header was a couple of centimeters lower instead of clanging off the crossbar. If only the shove in the back by Franco Vazquez on Marko Pjaca in the box was called a penalty instead of being completely waved off by the ref. If only Sergio Rico hadn’t made a great last-minute save on Alex Sandro.

Here’s the thing, though: Playing the “If only...” game means that things probably didn’t go your team’s way. And it’s safe to say that Juventus didn’t play well and instead have left us to wonder about what could have been compared to what actually happened.

The good thing is that this was the first game of the group stage. There’s five more group stage games to go. Let’s just hope that, unlike last season, the frustrating result against Sevilla is at the beginning of the group stage and not saved for November or December.

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17 - Juventus have never lost their opening game in the #UCLgroup stage: 10 wins and seven draws in 17 participations. Regular. #JuveSFC

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There’s that, I guess.

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

In the pre-game press conference, Sevilla said they were going to attack. How’d that go, folks?
Paulo Dybala was just fouled again as I was typing this sentence.
HACK HACK HACK HACK HACK
WhoScored says Dani Alves attempted 12 crosses against Sevilla. WhoScored says that seven of those crosses were accurate ones. This is nothing against WhoScored because they do fine work, but it definitely did not seem like Alves landed seven of his crosses.
This brings us to the point that if Alves isn’t contributing much offensively, what’s the use of playing him? Unlike Patrice Evra, it’s not like Alves is a good defender. They both have a huge amount of Champions League experience in their back pockets, but this is the bind that Juve have put themselves in with Alves being the only natural right back on the squad list.
I’m sure Max Allegri had his reasons to not start Miralem Pjanic. But when you look at the pace of the game before Pjanic came on and after, who’s to say that Allegri was right to wait so long to bring the Bosnian midfielder on? Allegri does a lot of things right, but this game definitely was not one of his best. Players definitely have to play, but with the way this game was going, Juve’s first change of the night shouldn’t have come with just over 20 minutes to go.
Allegri said at his own pre-match press conference that there was one decision to be made when it came to his starters in the midfield. That was probably the Pjanic-Kwadwo Asamoah pick. For as good as Asamoah was to begin the season, that definitely was not one of his better games on Wednesday night. Just like the vast majority of his teammates, there was just nothing really to write home about for the Ghanian.
Sevilla had three total shots and came away with a point. Amazing.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Juventus and Sevilla begin Champions

League campaign with goalless draw

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/uefa-champions-league/story/2950842/juventus

-and-sevilla-begin-champions-league-campaign-with-goalless-draw

Sep 14, 2016

Juventus were frustrated by a stubborn Sevilla side in Turin as the 2015 Champions League finalists started this year's campaign with a 0-0 draw.

Without the recently departed Alvaro Morata and Paul Pogba, two key figures in their run to the final in Berlin two seasons ago, Juve could not unlock the Spanish team that has won the previous three Europa League titles, the most recent of which ensured they went straight into the group stages this term.

Record signing Gonzalo Higuain came closest when he hit the crossbar, while Sami Khedira was wasteful with two clear openings in the first period.

The Italians would have been encouraged by how they got behind their Spanish opponents twice in the early exchanges, though Khedira should have done better on both counts.

The German midfielder, who has scored twice already in the league this year, screwed a first-time right-footed shot wide having been set up by Paulo Dybala, while the same player released Khedira to put an attempt straight at goalkeeper Sergio Rico as he lost his balance.

Just before the hour mark, former Napoli striker Higuain finally came alive and almost gave Juve the lead.

The Argentinian striker's movement to meet Dani Alves' cross was brilliant but he flicked his header against the woodwork with Rico only able to watch from a flat-footed position.

Ten minutes later boss Massimiliano Allegri made a double switch, replacing Kwadwo Asamoah and Patrice Evra with Alex Sandro and Miralem Pjanic, and the changes helped give the home side more urgency.

Alves' centre from the right was touched away from Dybala by Rico's outstretched hand while Pjanic's delivery from the same area of the pitch would have been turned in by Higuain had Nico Pareja not brilliantly read the danger to make a last-gasp block at the near post.

Juventus increasingly sensed it was going to be one of those nights and there was a hint of desperation when Marko Pjaca tried, in vain, to win a penalty when he felt Franco Vazquez's arm brush his back.

There was one final chance for the Serie A champions as Sandro raced in from the touchline and caught out Mariano with a back-post header which Rico did brilliantly to turn away in stoppage time.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Vazquez: 'I enjoy False 9 role'

http://www.football-italia.net/91460/vazquez-i-enjoy-false-9-role?

Sep 14, 2016

Franco Vazquez was not surprised by his role as Sevilla held Juventus to a 0-0 Champions League draw in Turin.

“I have played as a False 9 before and I do enjoy that position. The important thing is that I am on the pitch,” the ex-Palermo star told Mediaset Premium.

“Juventus had several chances to win it tonight, but this is an important point and we are glad to take it home.”

It was also a reunion with his former Palermo teammate and good friend Paulo Dybala.

“Paulo played well tonight and we both ran our socks off.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Allegri slams media 'euphoria'

http://www.football-italia.net/91462/allegri-slams-media-euphoria

Sep 14, 2016

Max Allegri was irritable in a Press conference after the 0-0 draw with Sevilla and warned “Juventus were never the Champions League favourites.”

The Bianconeri have been tipped by many to be among the contenders following a summer of big spending, but opened the campaign with a disappointing home stalemate.

“The performance was good,” insisted the Coach. “In the first half we struggled to get the ball back, but their pressing game inevitably fell away after the break.

“The 0-0 is only disappointing because some people were expecting us to win 3-0. In Europe we need to stay calm, as here some are flying from euphoria to depression. Sevilla didn’t have a single shot on target.

“Juve haven’t won the Champions League for 20 years. We did well on the market, but so did many clubs: it doesn’t mean we will win every single game.

“It is crazy to say Juventus are the absolute favourites to win the Champions League. That was never the case.

“Juve had seven chances to score and normally that’d be enough to win, as Sevilla did not have a single shot on target. The team should not feel disappointed with the performance.

“It’s the first time I haven’t won the opening game of a Champions League group phase, so maybe it’ll bring us luck.”

Allegri was criticised for his tactical and personnel choices, opting to introduce Miralem Pjanic and Alex Sandro only after the hour mark.

“I have a squad of great players and at times I need to change them. It was a choice and then I modified it because I thought I needed more quality close to the box.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Chiellini rues Juventus' wastefulness after Sevilla draw

The Serie A champions were thwarted by a fantastic performance from Sergio Rico

in goal, but the defender believes they should have taken three points.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2016/09/14/27535882/-?

Sep 14, 2016

Giorgio Chiellini bemoaned Juventus' inability to take their chances after the Italian champions were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Sevilla in the Champions League.

The Europa League holders appeared to set out with the sole intention of frustrating their hosts and that plan proved successful in the end, as Jorge Sampaoli's men claimed a commendable point.

However, it was by no means straightforward for the visitors, with Gonzalo Higuain striking the crossbar in the second half before both Nico Pareja and Sergio Rico had to be alert to deny Paulo Dybala and Alex Sandro respectively.

Chiellini rued Juve's failure to capitalise on the chances they created as well as urging his team-mates to improve their support to the attackers.

He told Mediaset: "We created a lot in the first half - it is a shame we were unable to score.

"We must do more and help our strikers with better service.

"The positive thing from the game is that we were compact and organised, so we didn't allow Sevilla any chances."

Dani Alves echoed the centre-back's call for improvement, while also suggesting Juve were not strong enough mentally during Wednesday's match.

He added: "In this competition you need to be strong psychologically and know how to make the most of every opportunity.

"We created several chances to score and played pretty well, but games don't always go the way you want them to."

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Juventus failed to convert clear

chances against Sevilla - Dani Alves

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/2950897/juventus

-must-convert-their-clear-chances-dani-alves

Sep 14, 2016

Juventus full-back Dani Alves has warned his side they cannot be so profligate in front of goal if they are to go far in this year's Champions League.

The 2015 finalists opened up the group stage with a 0-0 draw against Sevilla in Turin on Wednesday night as record signing Gonzalo Higuain hit the crossbar and Sami Khedira squandered two clear first-half openings.

It was a frustrating night for Juve and summer signing Alves, a three-time Champions League winner with Barcelona, knows they have to take their chances if they are to rival the continent's elite this term.

"Tonight we didn't get that break you sometimes require in matches," Alves said in quotes published on juventus.com.

"You need to be psychologically very strong in competitions like these and it's crucial to take advantage of every opening on goal.

"We created plenty of chances and imposed ourselves on the match, but you don't always get the rub of the green. After the break, we had even more opportunities, but Sevilla continued to make matters tough on the night."

Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri agreed with the Brazilian, saying: "We struggled to make any headway before the interval but we improved significantly as the match went on and arguably we should have won it with the chances we made.

"All that was missing was the final touch."

Allegri added: "For me we could have been better in the way we moved the ball and often the pass to split the defence was missing.

"I'm not too concerned, I'm confident we'll improve in the necessary areas in time."

Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico made a crucial late save down to his right in stoppage time to thwart Alex Sandro's header, though he diverted any individual praise onto the collective effort.

"It is true that with that stop we managed to maintain the result, but it's not my work, it's the great display that has made the team, which has competed at every moment," Rico said on Sevilla's official website.

"We know how difficult it is to get a good result here. It is important to stay focused for 90 minutes and I think we played a good game. It's very difficult, against a great opponent whose record speaks for itself."

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Pjanic, Sandro offer spark off the bench

as cautious Juventus struggle

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/2949581/juventus-player-ratings-

pjanic-sandro-offer-spark-off-the-bench-as-cautious-juventus-struggle-vs-sevilla

Sep 15, 2016

Juventus were supposed to start their Champions League campaign in style. Instead, they struggled to overcome a Sevilla side prepared to sacrifice and defend with might in a 0-0 draw.

Rather than assembling a squad full of pace and creativity, Massimiliano Allegri leaned towards a cautious starting XI, starving his forwards of genuine service and goal-scoring opportunities. With Sevilla focusing all of their efforts on breaking up play, especially in central areas, Juventus were incapable of bypassing the pressure.

The changes finally came, but the Bianconeri's woeful finishing combined with Sevilla's strong defending led to a goalless draw.

Positives

Hardly any to note, but considering Allegri's overly cautious choice in personnel, Juventus still created opportunities and should have won the game. Sadly, their finishing left a lot to be desired.

Negatives

Quite a few, primarily an inability to maintain precision when pressed aggressively. Surrendering possession far too cheaply, Juve were incapable of keeping the ball or delivering accurate passes forward as their opponents continuously sought to disrupt play by pressing high up the pitch and committing as many tackles as necessary. The Bianconeri must understand how to bypass the press, avoid panic and make better decisions when under pressure.

Manager rating out of 10

4 -- Far too cautious with his starting XI, Allegri left Alex Sandro and Miralem Pjanic out, stripping the side of both pace and creativity. A midfield bereft of ideas left the forwards starving for service and forced Paulo Dybala to continuously drop into midfield to create.

Allegri finally made the right changes but it was too late, only allowing the substitutes 20 or so minutes to overcome a determined Sevilla side that were devoted to defending. He should have played all his best attacking players from the start to secure a positive result.

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

GK Gianluigi Buffon, 6 -- Was barely called into action as Sevilla chose to defend for the entirety of the game.

DF Andrea Barzagli, 6 -- Can always be relied upon to perform his duties well. Rarely flustered by the opponent, he helped Dani Alves out and pushed up when he could.

DF Leonardo Bonucci, 5 -- Struggled to maintain his composure considering Sevilla pressed high up the pitch. Too often a player who surrenders to panic.

DF Giorgio Chiellini, 6 -- Nearly gave a penalty away, Chiellini also allowed Joaquin Correa to trick his way past him and almost score. Nonetheless, he did make several well-timed tackles and pushed forward effectively.

DF Dani Alves, 7 -- Especially brilliant in the second half when the wing-back pushed forward aggressively, offering his side an attacking outlet. Always positioned well, he delivered several accurate passes and crosses.

DF Patrice Evra, 6 -- Pushed forward well, utilising his experience and intelligence. Always on hand to close down and secure the backline. However, he does not have the energy to dominate the left lane in the same way that Sandro can.

Juventus Dybala action vs Sevilla 160914 — Paulo Dybala was the only creative spark for a frustrated Juventus against Sevilla.

MF Sami Khedira, 6 -- If the midfielder could finish, he would be irreplaceable. Always positioned well, timing his runs to perfection, Khedira was perhaps the most intelligent player on the pitch. If only he knew how to finish instead of squandering so many tantalising opportunities. Must improve.

MF Mario Lemina, 6 -- Talented and has the right ideas, but struggled to keep his composure and often lost possession in dangerous areas. Must focus on being more precise and maintaining calm.

MF Kwadwo Asamoah, 6 -- Always on hand to contribute to the attack and get back and defend with vigour. Isn't skilful enough to provide the quality needed in his role.

FW Paulo Dybala, 6 -- Often too cute when he should have been ruthless. Coming up against a side that played with physicality, Juventus had to rotate and release the ball quickly. Dybala often held on too long, eventually losing possession. Nonetheless, the only creative spark in the team.

FW Gonzalo Higuain, 6 -- Had a beautiful opportunity to win the game and should have done better to finish off his chance. Barring that, the Argentine worked hard to keep the team moving forward but was well defended against.

Substitutes

MF Miralem Pjanic, 7 -- Should have played from the start. Immediately offered the side the creativity they had lacked, delivering the forward passes they required.

DF Alex Sandro, 7 -- With Sevilla focusing their energy on defending the central areas, Sandro bossed the left lane and nearly scored a wonderful header. Should have also played from the start.

FW Marko Pjaca, N/A -- Bizarrely offered only a few minutes to try to make an impression.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Allegri: Only the final touch was missing for Juventus

The coach remains "confident" that the Italians will find the necessary resources

to make their way through the group stages, despite a setback to start.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champions-league/2016/09/15/27537232/-?

Sep 15, 2016

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri remains upbeat about his team's Champions League chances, reminding them they have time to recover from their 0-0 draw with Sevilla.

The Serie A champions had their chances but were unable to break through at home on Wednesday.

But Allegri called on his team to stay positive, despite failing to make a winning start in Group H.

"There are no easy ties in the Champions League so we must not be disheartened," he said, via the club's website.

"We're disappointed not to have got the three points but we still have plenty of time to recover and of course to reach the last 16."

Sevilla goalkeeper Sergio Rico earned the praise of coach Jorge Sampaoli for his display in the draw.

Allegri felt his team's performance improved in the second half – lamenting their inability to find a goal at Juventus Stadium.

"We struggled to make any headway before the interval but we improved significantly as the match went on and arguably we should have won it with the chances we made," he said.

"All that was missing was the final touch."

Allegri added: "For me we could have been better in the way we moved the ball and often the pass to split the defence was missing.

"I'm not too concerned, I'm confident we'll improve in the necessary areas in time."

Juventus' next European outing is a trip to Croatia to face Dinamo Zagreb on September 27.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Sampaoli pays tribute to Rico after Juve tie

The Andalucians were forced to hold on at times against the onslaught of the Bianconeri,

and their shot-stopper came up big with some key saves to seal a draw.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champions-league/2016/09/15/27537412/-?

Sep 15, 2016

Jorge Sampaoli paid tribute to Sergio Rico's performance after the goalkeeper played a key role in Sevilla's 0-0 Champions League draw at Juventus.

Juventus created several fine opportunities and were unlucky not to secure all three points against a Sevilla side focusing on frustrating their hosts throughout.

Massimiliano Allegri's men almost capitalised on their superiority in stoppage time, but Rico produced a wonderful save to deny Alex Sandro and the Spain international's coach was impressed with him in general.

"Sergio Rico was comfortable with his feet too and made a fine save at the end. He really did well tonight," Sampaoli said.

"It was a huge effort and we ran some risks at the end. We had to defend in the air too and proved we were prepared for any attack.

"There was no difference between the teams; we were on the same level."

Despite being content with the result, the Argentine coach is adamant that he will be looking for an improvement against their other two Group H opponents in Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb.

"We need to grow and improve a great deal," Sampaoli added. "There will be different requirements in different games, but we also need to create more.

"Starting in Turin with a point is good for us. We'll have a lot of games coming up and it's a morale-booster.

"Many players showed no fear when pressing high up, [but] we need to improve in possession and start moves better."

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Juve legends talk Sevilla stalemate

http://www.football-italia.net/91466/juve-legends-talk-sevilla-stalemate

Sep 15, 2016

David Trezeguet felt Juventus "deserved" to beat Sevilla but "lacked speed of thought", while Alessandro Del Piero wanted to "turn the page".

Trezeguet and Del Piero worked as pundits on Wednesday night for Sky Sport Italia and Mediaset Premium respectively, and Juve’s former strike partners offered contrasting insights into the Bianconeri’s Champions League opener, which ended goalless.

“I saw a better Juve in the second half, but they lacked speed of thought,” said the Frenchman.

“Juventus deserved to win, but Sevilla earned a very good point and are also a great team.

“I’d like to see Dybala a few meters further forward, so he can be more dangerous.”

Del Piero, however, refused to comment on Juve’s performance and instead looked to the next match.

“If I was a Juventus player, I’d try to turn the page and think about the next game,” he added.

“There are still five games left, so nothing is lost. We have to work on what didn’t go [so well], but the confidence must stay the same.”

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Juventus vs. Sevilla 2016: Final score 0-0,

Bianconeri stumble in Champions League opener

So much excitement, so much anticipation, but it was ultimately for nothing

Juventus stumbled to a disappointing goalless draw against Sevilla.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/9/15/12922060/juventus-

sevilla-2016-champions-league-group-stage-final-score-recap-result

Sep 15, 2016

After many months of absence, the famous spine-tingling anthem of the Champions League returned to the Juventus Stadium. As we all know, this season is extra special after an eventful summer mercato brought bags of excitement and expectation to Turin.

But when it all comes down to it, the only thing that matters is what happens on the pitch.

Unfortunately, what did happen on the pitch last night was awfully anti-climactic.

My fans cheer, my time is finally here.

The past depart the present cause the future is near,

Anticipation, magnified my motivation

Great Expectations; Jurassic 5

It looked like it would be so much different, though, based on the opening few minutes. The game started at a wonderfully high tempo as the Bianconeri quickly got a few interceptions in and counterattacks going. Sami Khedira managed to get himself into great positions on two occasions: once driving a low right-footed shot wide and another time scuffing a tame left-footed shot into the hands of the grateful Sergio Rico, after Paulo Dybala had found the German with an amazing piece of skill while falling to the ground. Sevilla seemed a little flustered early on, but they managed to compose themselves quickly to calm the pace of the game.

They almost switched off again, though, as Rico’s awkward clearance fell to Mario Lemina, who quickly pinged the ball to Gonzalo Higuaín. The Argentine in turn managed to thread the ball to Dybala who couldn’t quite fashion a clear-cut chance for himself as Rico stormed off his line to make a dangerous, but fair, tackle to stop the danger. That was as close as it got in the first half as Sevilla stood resolute and gladly went to half-time with the score level at 0-0.

Juventus’ lack of attacking momentum in the 1st half wasn’t helped by the 14 fouls suffered…

The second half started in more positive fashion as the Bianconeri upped the tempo. Dani Alves, especially, saw much more of the ball compared to the first half and looked to offer an offensive outlet on the right wing. Even some of his crosses were remarkably poor, one cross was right on the money. Higuaín thought to have opened the scoring with a glancing header, only to see it crash off the inside of the bar and cleared.

It was the closest Juventus had — and would — come to a breakthrough all evening. Aside from a half-chance from a Khedira cross, again from the (inside) right channel, there was little else to shout about except for the introductions of Miralem Pjanic and Alex Sandro for Kwadwo Asamoah and Patrice Evra, respectively.

Juventus manager Max Allegri then looked to Marko Pjaca to add a breath of life and a last-gasp salvation to the game as he replaced Dybala. This salvation was desperately close to happening when Sandro forced an fantastic save from Sergio Rico with a low header after Khedira’s floated cross from deep, but it was not to be. Pjaca had a strong penalty shout waved away on after tumbling under a challenge, but referee Deniz Aytekin wasn’t interested despite the winger’s pleas.

The final whistle soon blew as Pjanic booted the ball away in frustration, aptly summing up the sentiments of Juventus players and fans alike.

Pagelle

BUFFON N/A. - Quite literally had nothing to do all game.

BARZAGLI 6,5 - Didn’t put a foot wrong all game, but wasn’t challenged all that much defensively anyway.

BONUCCI 6 - Couldn’t dictate the play from deep at all and was uncharacteristically sloppy with his passing a few times.

CHIELLINI 6,5 - Ditto as with Barzagli, but did show a few nice offensive forays in the 2nd half when Vitolo forgot to track him and N’Zonzi didn’t quite know how to deal with him.

Dani ALVES 5.5 - Strong defensively, but offensive output was quite poor. Although he was very involved in the second half, his crossing was really off the mark (except for the Higuaín header.

KHEDIRA 6.5 - I could downgrade him for scuffing those chances or I could upgrade him for getting into the position for those chances in the first place. I choose the latter. His cross for Sandro late on was also fantastic.

Almost all the action came from the right side

LEMINA 5.5 - Not spectacular, but protected the defense well. If there is one key aspect he needs to improve, it’s to figure out how to impact the game from deep when playing against super-congested sides/midfields.

ASAMOAH 5 - A bit ponderous on the ball and really struggled to escape his marker throughout the game. He’s supposed to offer offensive drive from midfield but eventually it was Khedira that did that dirty work for him. Disappointing.

EVRA 5,5 - Very little offensive output from the Frenchman and was very quiet throughout the game.

DYBALA 6.5 - Tried very hard to create something, through passing and a few dribbles, but it was just too congested in the middle of the park. Dropped increasingly deeper as well to pick up the ball.

HIGUAÍN 6 - Starved of service all game as he struggled to escape Rami’s attention. His header seemed to have rescued the game but it was inches too high.

Subs

SANDRO 6.5 - Almost won the game at the death and was very lively in possession.

PJANIC 6 - Didn’t have enough time to truly make his mark on the game. Will be raring to go vs. Inter though.

PJACA N/A - Showed a few flashes of life, but we’re all still waiting for him to get a real chance to dazzle us.

Manager

ALLEGRI 5,5 - Of course, people will point at the decision not to start Pjanic as the sole reason to crucify Max. The lack of a tactical shift during the game when things were clearly going nowhere was disappointing, though, and he didn’t quite know what to do to outsmart Jorge Sampaoli here.

Tactical Roundup: A tough nut to crack

The difficulty in building up play from the back, especially in the first half, was largely due to the Sevilla wingers, Pablo Sarabia and Vitolo, wandering around Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini in order to prevent them from playing simple balls into central midfield. Vázquez didn’t really bother himself greatly with pressing Leonardo Bonucci too much, but instead, like the aforementioned wingers, simply stood off the defenders, let them have the ball, and blocked their central passing options. Add to that the solid block of (the giant) Steven N’Zonzi, (the even bigger giant) Vicente Iborra, and Matias Kranevitter stifling play in said central midfield, and there was really little the BBC could do in possession other than mostly just play it between them. It’s no wonder that there were so few (successful) passes in that middle third zone, just from looking at Bonucci’s passing pattern.

Consequently, Alves and Evra were not really picked up as Gabriel Mercado and Sergio Escudero felt uncomfortable moving that high up the pitch to challenge them, but it mattered little because they could almost never be reached with a pass. When one of the wingbacks was reached, though, the right hand side with Alves seemed to be the far more offensively fruitful one than the left as showed in the earlier graphic. The Brazilian, and Khedira, managed to fashion the biggest chances from that side from Higuaín’s and Sandro’s headers.

Daniel Alves was awfully subdued in the first half...

... but far more involved in the 2nd half

Onwards and Upwards

As much as last night was terribly disappointing, and puts us a bit in a bother in terms of the group, we don’t have time to let this result get to our heads. With the always-massive Derby d’Italia on the horizon, we must cast our sights forwards and learn from the shortcomings of this group stage game. For all the hype that this summer’s mercato raised, this game was a humbling reality check to show that so much remains to be done and that, for the most part, we are the only ones hindering our path to success.

More! I can be so much more!

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 15, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Juventus Are Giants in Italy but Must Stop

Shrinking on Champions League Stage

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2663787-juventus-are-giants-

in-italy-but-must-stop-shrinking-on-champions-league-stage?

Sep 15, 2016

Juventus began their UEFA Champions League campaign on Wednesday evening, taking on a familiar opponent in Sevilla, who were paired with the Turin giants in the group stage last term.

While a pre-match storm passed over Juventus Stadium before kick-off, the performance was still something of a damp squib from the Bianconeri, unable to reproduce their sparkling domestic form in continental competition.

Despite the home side dominating for large portions of the match, it ended 0-0 on a frustrating evening for supporters of the Old Lady. Indeed, WhoScored.com statistics show she enjoyed 55.7 per cent of possession and took 16 shots to Sevilla’s total of three over the 90 minutes.

Follow

OptaPaolo

✔@OptaPaolo

21 - Prior to tonight’s 0-0 draw, Juventus had scored in 21 consecutive games at the Juventus Stadium (in all competitions). Stop. #JuveSFC

10:38 PM - 14 Sep 2016

17 Retweets

11 likes

It was a jarring display from a Juventus team that has brushed asideFiorentina (2-1), Lazio (1-0) and Sassuolo (3-1) to start the Serie A campaign. However, they did create numerous chances against their Andalucian visitors.

After getting the better of the early exchanges, some wonderful play from Leonardo Bonucci and Paulo Dybala released Sami Khedira, but the German—who has already scored twice this term—could only hit a tame effort at goalkeeper Sergio Rico.

That excellent piece of play deserved better, but it was a standout moment in a game that was largely dull overall, as both teams struggled to create many clear-cut scoring opportunities.

Follow

Lavolpismo @salehruba199

Bonucci as usual, a vertical pass to Dybala between the lines, Khedira's run .. great play but no luck!

3:52 AM - 15 Sep 2016

38 Retweets

61 likes

It was clearly part of Sevilla’s game plan, coach Jorge Sampaoli setting his team up to frustrate the Bianconeri. It worked, as Juve’s attacks were continually rebuffed by a well-drilled wall of yellow shirts.

However, coach Massimiliano Allegri’s men got the better of the Rojiblancos defence just before the hour mark, a superb cross from Dani Alves picking out Gonzalo Higuain. The striker dispatched his header toward goal, only to see it rebound off the crossbar with Rico beaten.

The Spain international may have been fortunate there, but he turned in an otherwise excellent display. “He really did well tonight," Sampaoli said of his goalkeeper at his post-match press conference.

As the clock ticked past the 90th minute, another cross from Alves was met by Alex Sandro, the latter doing everything right as he nodded the ball powerfully downward and on target, only to see the Sevilla stopper make a fantastic diving effort to palm it wide.

“Thank God I was able to help the team by making that late save,” Rico told beIN Sports (h/t Football Italia) as he left the stadium, but Juventus could rightly believe the match should have been won long before the 23-year-old's great save.

From the outset, it was destined a game that would be remembered for some strange choices from Allegri, the Juve boss opting to start Kwadwo Asamoah and Patrice Evra while dropping Sandro and Miralem Pjanic to the bench.

The two surprise choices delivered fairly average performances here, but the duo they replaced had previously been excellent. Sandro has played 90 minutes in all three Serie A fixtures to date, giving the side width, pace and a useful attacking outlet on the left flank.

Against the best opposition, Evra—while still defensively solid and a reliable veteran—is no longer able to deliver at both ends of the pitch, meaning the Bianconeri lose a valuable weapon when he is selected over the Brazil international.

View image on Twitter

Follow

OptaPaolo

✔@OptaPaolo

7 - Alex Sandro has created the most chances from open play (7) in the first 2 Serie A matchdays. Wing.

4:22 PM - 29 Aug 2016

83 Retweets

59 likes

However, perhaps the omission of Pjanic was the most baffling, the former AS Roma star having made an excellent debut in the victory over Sassuolo on Saturday. That performance was discussed in a previous post, but there is little doubt the team sorely missed his incisive passing and creativity against Sevilla.

Allegri explained his decision, telling Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) that he felt “Asamoah gave us something more when defending." But that mindset clearly hurt the Bianconeri here.

Yes, the side was once again solid, with ESPN FC showing that goalkeeper Gigi Buffon made just one save, continuing what has been a superb effort from the Juve defence to protect their captain.

According to Fox Soccer, the 38-year-old has made just three stops so far this term while facing just six shots across 270 minutes of action. But it is in attack where the side appears lacking, particularly during Champions League outings against opponents who appear content to play for a draw.

hi-res-dee5f13a9242f756f50723efd15f0c3d_

GIUSEPPE CACACE/Getty Images

Gigi Buffon has rarely been called into action this term

This was far from a one-off display from the Bianconeri, who have been held to a string of disappointing results at home since returning to the Champions League in 2012/13. The likes of Shakhtar Donetsk,Galatasaray and Borussia Monchengladbach have all escaped Turin with a share of the points.

Those matches were much more difficult than they should have been and are not in keeping with a team touted as potential winners of the competition this season along with traditional giants such as Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

“Tonight we must prove that we’re good with facts and not the many compliments we’ve received,” director general Beppe Marotta told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia). But the result did no such thing.

Elsewhere in Europe, their rivals were laying down markers of intent. Bayern Munich hammered FC Rostov 5-0, Barcelona knocked seven unanswered goals past Celtic, Borussia Dortmund won 6-0 away to Legia Warsaw and Manchester City emerged 4-0 victors against Gladbach.

View image on Twitter

Follow

Adam Digby

✔@Adz77

"Juve you deserved more" says today's @CorSport. No, no they didn't & that's the sad truth about the game last night

8:51 AM - 15 Sep 2016

8 Retweets

23 likes

“Juve you deserved more,” stated the front page of Thursday’s Corriere dello Sport (see tweet above), but the simple truth is they did not. The result against Sevilla, while frustrating and disappointing, was merely a reflection of the overcautious and negative mindset Allegri and his players must shed if they are to succeed in their quest for Champions League glory.

It must be noted that Sevilla, having won the Europa League in each of the last three seasons, are no minnows on this stage. Yet this summer, they endured the exit of coach Unai Emery and a number of key players, the new-look side clearly beatable on the form displayed on Wednesday in Turin.

For too long, the Bianconeri have sat and watched Europe’s other elite sides demolish such opponents while they have laboured in many games they should have comfortably won.

Follow

James Horncastle

✔@JamesHorncastle

So far so Nordsjaelland/Copenhagen for Juventus .0-0 with Malmo. Difference is their GKs had inspired games. Olsen hasn't had to

9:35 PM - 16 Sep 2014

7 Retweets

3 likes

Even during their run to the 2015 final, they struggled to see off Malmo FF in two hard-fought encounters, lost to Olympiakos and managed just one goal in two legs against AS Monaco in the quarter-finals.

Aside from eliminating Real Madrid in the semi-final, perhaps only the 3-0 away triumph against Borussia Dortmund stood out that season, a wonderful display of counter-attacking football that saw Allegri make some bold decisions.

Often in that season, the coach ditched the 3-5-2 formation that looks ineffective in Europe, benching Andrea Barzagli in order to play a 4-3-1-2 system that would also suit his current squad.

hi-res-bfa57d00e218123625e434d737ab761e_

Alessandro Di Marco/Associated Press

Max Allegri points the way

However, the tactics are far more important than the numbers used to annotate the lineup. What Juventus need is to begin to play in the proactive, aggressive manner they so often do in Serie A on the European stage.

The Champions League anthem brings the best from supporters, who pack the stadium and showcase some excellent choreography, but recently, it has seemed to weigh heavily on the players, who shy away from the spotlight rather than rising to the occasion.

Juventus are the champions of Italy. It is high time they showed the rest of Europe why.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 16, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Champions League Group stage Juventus 0 – 0 Seville

http://www.juvefc.com/champions-league-group-stage-juventus-0-0-seville/?

Sep 15, 2016

Our lead-up to this opening fixture of european competition was generally positive yet very much fragmented. Our victories had been deserved, with virtually zero threat of defeat, though we were clearly very much a work in progress. I pondered this as I researched Seville and my instinct was that we may well end up with a draw. Which would be fine, given the larval state of the campaign and my conviction that we will improve week by week, as the new and old players return from the various Summer endeavours and injury whilst Allegri works towards cohesion and momentum. Which is simply impossible to expect early doors given the renovation of the squad and lack of rest and fitness for many others.

Sampaoli is a quality coach who has performed very well indeed as boss man of Chile. He is renowned for instilling in his team a high octane approach to closing opponents down and also, encouraging aggression and a myriad of traditionally Italian methods of breaking momentum, wearing the opposition into frustration.

Still seeking his mojo, Asamoah…

It was an odd decision to greatly lessen our creative potency on the left flank, by replacing Pjanic and Sandro with Asamoah and Evra. Other than which, there were no surprises by Allegri.

We began well enough, and for the first 15 minutes seemed close to grabbing control of the game. Yet Khedira failed to make the most of his opening chance, which preceded a wretched move towards scrappiness. Seville had many players behind the ball, were warned for time wasting as early as the 34th minute and we struggled to break them down or to build any steam. This was the obvious plan of Sampaoli, and it worked a damn treat against our industrious midfield.

Khedira had two great chances, other than which there was little to cause excitement.

The second period continued in the same vein. Poor movement off the ball, high pressure from our opponents who refused to commit players forward. Yet…we did manage one gilt edged chance, with Alves set free down the right, who swung in a perfect cross for Higuain to head firmly against the bar. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be our night. Despite a flurry of half chances which came late on after the long overdue arrivals of Sandro, Pjanic and finally Pjaca. Sandro could and perhaps should have won it before the final whistle brought a welcome end to a forgettable encounter.

Player Ratings

Buffon – Nothing to report. 6

Chiellini – Slowly moving back to what we expect of the titan. His scything challenge was the highlight of the first half. 6.5

Barzagli – Rarely involved. 6

Bonucci – Attempted a few clever long balls, other than which fought hard, took a few knocks. 6

Evra – Failed miserably to penetrate and was rarely tested at the back. 5.5

Alves – Produced the best cross of the match, could have been booked for standing on a player’s thigh, and winged and whined appallingly when he fell to the ground…without being tackled. 6

Khedira – Found himself in two great goal scoring positions, yet failed to hit the target. Lacked support and pace. 6

Lemina – Ineffective, out-muscled, his distribution was poor. He is nowhere near ready to prove reliable at this level in a position which demands he imposes himself on the centre of the field, and ideally dominates. The effort was there, just not the quality. 5

Asamoah – He huffed and puffed, but looked rusty on the ball. Fights hard, makes himself felt by the opposition, yet still feeling his way back to a CM role. Which will take time. 6

Dybala – By far our liveliest attacking threat, young Paulo worked damn hard, consistently sought the ball, yet was undone by an ocean of yellow flooding all before him and was kicked around as much as the ball by the opponents. 6.5

Higuain – The service was lacking, yet he managed to find one brilliant chance. Alas, it was not to be…6

SUBS

Pjanic – Too late for him to effect the game considerably, though he created a chance or two for others and was unlucky with a header late on. 6

Sandro – He changed the dynamic of the game soon after his entrance, was on hand to defend when required and could well have won the tie in the latter stages with a header which was well saved. 7

Reasons to be cheerful

The strongest opponent in our group came to Turin to defend, to foul, to harass and never looked like scoring. When a team is time wasting from the first half hour onwards, committing endless niggling fouls and for the last 30 minutes deploying a 5-5-0 formation, we can do little but hope for a flash of genius, which nearly came.

We were not outplayed, nor outfoxed and I retain high hopes that we will top the group.

Despite the possession statistics, we were the only team making any attempt to score and we created enough chances to win the game. At this stage of the season, with players such as Pjanic, Pjaca, Higuain, Cuadrado and Lemina yet to find their rhythm in the side, the least I can expect is maximum effort and solidity at the back. This much was achieved. Nothing less, nothing more.

I doubt Seville will improve much, yet our potential is staggering. There is no need for concern. We have not returned to the Conte era when we approached Europe with fear and trepidation. We came up against an opponent well drilled and afforded too much by the officials in my opinion, who were restricted to perhaps two shots on goal, to our ten. I counted 6 clear chances for Juve, 0 for Seville.

Dybala continues to dazzle, even when faced with a brutish war of attrition.

Just try to ponder the aforementioned players yet to be integrated, as well as Marchisio, Mandragora, Benatia, Sturaro and Rugani match sharp, and the future remains bright and bountiful.

Reasons to be bothered

Twat

Sampaoli’s face and T-shirt and eyes and tattoos were putrid to witness. He appears eager to present himself a latino hitman or enforcer and clearly encourages his side to deploy the antithesis of sporting conduct.

Lemina was woeful. He is doing his best, yet has not the experience to provide the presence or mentality required of the role as fulcrum of the side. He will only learn through playing, though in hindsight, I suspect that the experience of Hernanes would have proven a wiser choice for this fixture. For whilst the Brazilian has his fair share of detractors, he knows where to position himself and is far more confident and composed in his passing. That role in our 3-5-2 is immensely important. And for the majority of the game we carried Lemina, who was either misplacing passes or a ghost.

When we come up against teams prepared to play the Gentile card, we have not one player prepared to offer the same in return. A player prepared to make a savage tackle, take a yellow for the team whilst making the opponents understand that we are not only superior in technical terms but jolly and eager to play dirty when need be. There was a tackle by Iborra late in the first half, which summed up my point. It may have been Lemina who had played the ball away, yet the Spanish prick kicked through him regardless, earning a yellow in the process.

When we are playing the likes of Munich or Bayern such spite is not required, yet against sides like Seville we let ourselves down in this vital area of the game. It is one of the reasons why I was so keen on Witsel. Not because he is a nutjob, but because he has quality on the ball and is never physically put in his place. Sturaro has this berserker zeal of which I speak. Yet who else?

It is a man’s game and part of the manliness required is to give as good as we get. I was crying out for someone to make a crunching tackle, take a yellow, risk a red, but rouse the spirit of the troops, demand they fight as we are being fought against. We lacked grinta. Which our opponents had in spades.

A former captain of a team in which I played always told the side before kick-off…

‘Make the first tackle count.’

By which he meant, go in hard, try to go in fair if possible, but set out your stall so your opponent knows you mean business. We lack this bite. We lack this fear factor. It comes solely from our technical prowess, not our physical, other than at the back. I do not want to see our players getting kicked all over the field. As much as I cringe to see Alves crying when he has fallen over his own feet and rolls around in mock agony as if he has been mangled by a steam roller.

We missed Lichtsteiner.

Conclusion

Essentially, we got what we deserved. A win would have been preferable, yet a 0-0 draw is acceptable. Allegri and the squad will have learned something from this bruising encounter. Seville made the game a street-fight and we had in answer, only pirouettes and technique on the ball, which was simply not enough. We must learn to fight fire with fire.

However, the bottom line is that we are yet to find anywhere near our ideal starting XI. Progress is the key and we remain favourites to win the group.

Our squad is brimming with talent. We must get everyone fit, adjusted to whatever system Allegri deems for the best and await the return of Marchisio. If we can continue to win domestically and improve incrementally in Europe, this season is one of great promise.

And we have the perfect opportunity this coming weekend to prove our mettle, for the response to what could be considered a set-back will provide an indication of where we presently find ourselves, in terms of spirit, in terms of grinta…

forza juve

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 16, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Tagliavento for Derby d’Italia

http://www.football-italia.net/91483/tagliavento-derby-d’italia

Sep 15, 2016

Paolo Tagliavento has been announced as the referee for the Derby d’Italia between Inter and Juventus.

The pair will meet at San Siro on Sunday evening, the 230th official meeting of the two sides, with the Bianconeri currently edging the head-to-head by 103 wins to 70.

Today it has been announced that Tagliavento will referee the encounter, having last refereed this fixture at Juventus Stadium in last season’s Coppa Italia, with the Old Lady winning 3-0.

However, the last time the whistler took charge of a Serie A match between the pair, the Nerazzurri triumphed 3-1 in Turin.

Elsewhere, Massimiliano Irrati will be the man in the middle as Sampdoria welcome Milan, while Roma’s trip to Fiorentina will be overseen by Nicola Rizzoli.

Serie A Week 4 referees:

Cagliari-Atalanta - Michael Fabbri
Crotone-Palermo - Domenico Celi
Fiorentina-Roma - Nicola Rizzoli
Inter-Juventus - Paolo Tagliavento
Lazio-Pescara - Fabio Maresca
Napoli-Bologna - Daniele Doveri
Sampdoria-Milan - Massimiliano Irrati
Sassuolo-Genoa - Claudio Gavillucci
Torino-Empoli - Daniele Chiffi
Udinese-Chievo - Luca Pairetto

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

Socrates · September 16, 2016

JUVENTUS - SEVILLA

0-0

MATCHDAY 1
Wednesday, September 14th, 2016 - 08:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Deniz Aytekin (Germany)

Juve too fearful in Europe

Juventus are aiming high, but still face a seemingly never ending fear factor in Europe, writes Vincent Van Genechten.

http://www.football-italia.net/91490/juve-too-fearful-europe?

Sep 15, 2016

Every new Juventus summer signing talked about the Champions League and how it was the Old Lady’s biggest objective this season. For some it was the biggest reason to come to Turin, as Juve are once again considered one of the favourites to lift the trophy with the big ears.

Starting the group stage with a home win against Sevilla was considered a must in order to show the football world that the Bianconeri are serious about their Champions League quest. However, Franco Vazquez and his teammates turned on their defensive power and earned a goalless draw at the Juventus Stadium.

Instead of relying on his squad’s own capabilities and fielding his best line-up, Max Allegri opted to play with a standard 3-5-2. He inexplicably placed the creative Miralem Pjanic on the bench in favour of the bruising Kwadwo Asamoah, and picked the experienced Patrice Evra over the talented Alex Sandro on the left wing.

Defence over offence and security over risk. That was Juve’s approach, and the result was correspondingly mediocre. For some reason, Allegri is unwilling to test his squad’s true power in Europe. He brought on Pjanic and Sandro with just 20 minutes left to play, seeing his team getting a technical boost immediately and pushing Sevilla to the edge.

“In the second half, we took control of the game and we were just missing a goal. It is more difficult in Europe,” said Allegri. This makes no sense. Yes, it’s more difficult to dominate a game and score in the Champions League, but why then bench two of your key players for the sake of defence? The answer lies somewhere between care and fear.

It’s true that Allegri would have received zero criticism if Juve had converted just one of their chances. Sami Khedira, Gonzalo Higuain and Alex Sandro came very close to scoring. Meanwhile, Gigi Buffon could have read a book as Sevilla created zero scoring opportunities in Turin.

However, offensively Juve looked predictable. The 3-5-2 works to perfection in Serie A, but not in Europe. Allegri deploying it in his first Champions League game this season makes you wonder if he has learned anything from the past two seasons. Juve reached the 2015 final playing a 4-3-1-2 formation and dominated at Bayern Munich last season with a 4-5-1 line-up.

“In Europe, you must stay calm,” Allegri said. True, and there’s little doubt that the Old Lady will win their group this time. But in Europe, there’s no winning it all by playing with fear. If Juventus are serious about lifting the trophy for the first time since 1996, Allegri has to change his approach.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/uefa-champions-league/10?ICID=MP_TN_167

Socrates · September 16, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Alves in doubt for Inter

http://www.football-italia.net/91491/alves-doubt-inter

Sep 15, 2016

Juventus full-back Dani Alves is a doubt for the Derby d’Italia with Inter, as he has a thigh injury.

The Brazilian played 90 minutes in the draw with Sevilla yesterday, but picked up an impact injury during the Champions League fixture.

“Dani Alves is set to be monitored in the coming days after a knock to the thigh sustained during last night’s game,” Juventus confirmed on their official website.

The Bianconeri travel to San Siro on Sunday evening to face the Nerazzurri, and Stephan Lichtsteiner or Juan Cuadrado may replace Alves.

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

Socrates · September 16, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

De Boer: 'Inter lost our heads'

http://www.football-italia.net/91522/de-boer-inter-lost-our-heads

Sep 15, 2016

Frank de Boer “can’t understand how we can lose our heads” after Inter’s 2-0 home defeat to Hapoel Beer-Sheva.

The Europa League opener was a surprise loss at San Siro, piling pressure on the Coach.

“We have to analyse this game. First of all I am very sorry for the fans who came to the stadium, because we didn’t win,” De Boer told Sky Sport Italia.

“We lost the ball many times too easily and were very sloppy. Eder hit the woodwork and in the second half we had total control, but on a free kick (Jeison) Murillo was out at that moment and they blocked us to create space for the goal.

“Much like at Pescara, we lost our heads a bit after going behind. We started playing well in the last 20 minutes and were confident we could score a goal.

“I don’t understand how we can lose our heads like that when we are just 1-0 down and there’s time to recover. We should continue working and not lose control like that.

“I am angry because I’m convinced we could’ve scored the first goal and had the chances to do it. That’s the way it went, I am confident we can improve.”

Inter host Juventus in the Derby d’Italia on Sunday evening in Serie A.

“We only didn’t play that well in the first 15 minutes, losing the ball too easily, but then we controlled the game. After the goal for eight minutes we lost our heads, but I am sure if we believe in ourselves, then we can hurt Juventus.”

There was a lot of squad rotation in the Europa League, partly because Joao Mario, Stevan Jovetic, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Gabigol aren’t on the UEFA list.

“I am convinced (Marcelo) Brozovic wanted to give his best, but also that he can do much better. He wants to give everything and I can’t say he didn’t, but he was unlucky on several occasions.

“We lost the ball cheaply too many times and I am convinced if we improve that, we can get more control of the game and create more chances.

“For periods in the second half I saw the football I wanted, but after conceding a goal on a set play – when we were out of position – we lost our heads.

“The lads tried to fight back and we created chances, controlling the game. The only thing we must not do is change our philosophy when we are under pressure.”

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

Socrates · September 16, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Bonucci warns Inter: Juventus hungrier

than ever for Derby d'Italia victory

The Bianconeri stalwart is eagerly anticipating a win in Sunday's clash with their arch

rivals as a means to bounce back from their disappointing Champions League outing.

http://www.goal.com/en/match/internazionale-vs-juventus/2305785/preview

Sep 15, 2016

Leonardo Bonucci has warned Inter that Juventus are hungrier than ever for Derby d'Italia victory this weekend following their disappointing 0-0 Champions League draw with Sevilla.

The Serie A champions are regarded as one of the outsiders to win European club football's elite competition on Wednesday, but they failed to get off to a winning start.

And Juve will be looking to return to winning ways against Inter this Sunday having started their bid for a sixth consecutive Scudetto with three straight victories.

"Sunday's match against Inter will be a tough test for us against a team in transition; no doubt they will be looking to prove to the home fans that they can compete at our level," Bonucci told the club's official website.

"Regardless, the Derby d'Italia is the Derby d'Italia and having missed out on the win on Wednesday, we'll be hungrier than ever to succeed this weekend.

"My dream has always been to win trophies with Juventus and if we keep our focus on all fronts this season, we can truly enter into legend.

"We've made some excellent signings of genuine match-winning quality. Guys like [Juan] Cuadrado, [Marko] Pjaca and [Miralem] Pjanic love to receive the ball between the lines and cause trouble.

"Their movement is such that it makes my job of finding them very easy."

OPTA FACTS

Juventus have alternated between a win and a draw in their last seven Serie A meetings with Inter – winning the most recent one (2-0).
The last Inter home win against Juventus in Serie A dates back to April 2010, with three draws and three Inter defeats since that game.
Inter have conceded goals in each of their last eight Serie A matches; their last clean sheet was in April against Napoli.
Juventus have faced only five shots on target so far, fewer than any other Serie A team.
The Bianconeri have won 29 of their last 31 Serie A matches (D1 L1).
Juventus have conceded two goals from corners in Serie A this season, as many as they did in the whole of 2015/16.
The three Inter goals in this Serie A campaign have all been netted by Mauro Icardi after the 70th minute.
Juventus are Icardi’s favourite opposition in Serie A, scoring six goals in seven clashes. Over the same period (since 12/13) no other player has scored more than three times against the Old Lady.
LAST FIVE MATCHES
Internazionale
- L
- W
- D
- L
- W
- 9/15/16
  
  INT
  0 - 2
  HBS
- 9/11/16
  
  PES
  1 - 2
  INT
- 8/28/16
  
  INT
  1 - 1
  PAL
- 8/21/16
  
  CHI
  2 - 0
  INT
- 8/13/16
  
  INT
  2 - 0
  CEL
Juventus
- D
- W
- W
- W
- W
- 9/14/16
  
  JUV
  0 - 0
  SEV
- 9/10/16
  
  JUV
  3 - 1
  SAS
- 8/27/16
  
  LAZ
  0 - 1
  JUV
- 8/20/16
  
  JUV
  2 - 1
  FIO
- 8/17/16
  
  JUV
  2 - 0
  JUV
HEAD TO HEAD

Internazionale

Juventus

Wins

0

1

4

Wins

Socrates · September 16, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Capello to replace De Boer at Inter?

http://www.football-italia.net/91528/capello-replace-de-boer-inter?

Sep 15, 2016

There are already reports Inter could sack Frank de Boer and bring in Fabio Capello if he loses to Juventus on Sunday.

The Coach was only drafted in two weeks before the start of the season when Roberto Mancini parted company by mutual consent due to disagreements with the club hierarchy.

De Boer has managed one victory in four games, a last-gasp 2-1 result at Pescara last weekend.

His position was put under huge pressure after this evening’s shock 2-0 home defeat to Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the Europa League.

Inter were jeered off the pitch at San Siro and, according to calciomercato.com, De Boer is already at a crossroads on Sunday against Juventus.

If he loses the Derby d’Italia in an embarrassing fashion, then De Boer could be sacked to make way for Capello.

The same reports also suggest that there is a clause in De Boer’s contract allowing Inter to terminate early by paying him just €1.5m.

There are many concerns at the club regarding De Boer’s tenure, above all that they have scored just three goals in four games – all of them by Mauro Icardi.

Inter have also been in a leading situation for just one minute this season, the period between Icardi’s winner and the final whistle at Pescara.

De Boer's comments this evening after the defeat to Hapoel also caused confusion, as he claimed that "for periods in the second half I saw the football I wanted."

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

Socrates · September 16, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Eder keen to move on from 'ugly' defeat

With Inter's poor start to the season continuing - this time with a loss at home to Hapoel

Be'er Sheva in the Europa League - the forward has urged his side to respond.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/166/europa-league/2016/09/16/27574892/-?

Sep 16, 2016

Eder accepts Inter suffered an "ugly" Europa League home defeat to Hapoel Be'er Sheva that has knocked their confidence but seeks a rebound against Juventus.

Frank de Boer's men won in Serie A at the third time of asking against Pescara last weekend, but they were deserved 2-0 losers as the Israeli champions bossed Thursday's game at San Siro.

Italy forward Eder spoke of his frustration on another testing evening for De Boer in Milan, adding that his team must now move on from this disappointment.

"In football there are no easy games anymore," Eder told Sky Sport Italia after the match. "In the first half we made opportunities and unfortunately we could not take the lead.

"In the second half, after their goal, we also fell on a mental level and did not have a reaction. It was an ugly defeat.

"It is a shame because a victory here after the one in Pescara would have given us so much confidence, but we have to work."

Inter's next test is a vital league clash with Serie A champions Juventus on Sunday as they seek a first home win of the season.

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

Socrates · September 17, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Derby of Venom

Ahead of Sunday’s Derby d’Italia, Luca Cetta chronicles a history

of hate between Juventus and Inter, intensified by a string of incidents.

http://www.football-italia.net/91531/derby-venom?

Sep 16, 2016

A decade on and the fallout remains headline news. Just last week, Calciopoli was again a topic of discussion as Juventus saw their appeal for €444m in damages from the FIGC and CONI thrown out by the TAR court. The scandal which rocked Italian football in 2006 continues to be a contentious subject.

An event which intensified the hatred between Juventus and Inter, the news acts a precursor to this Sunday’s San Siro meeting. It’s hard to think of it as a normal rivalry born out of sporting competition. It once was, a long time ago. For years it has been so much more, with sniping, accusations and spite spewed back and forth. The feeling remains to this day.

It all started in 1961. The Turin meeting on April 16 was dubbed the ‘Game of the Year’, with both in Scudetto contention. Overcrowding in the stands saw some spectators spill on to the benches and pitchside. The match was abandoned and Inter handed the two points.

But a Juventus appeal was declared successful on June 4 – hours before the last round and the famous ‘Clamoroso al Cibali’ victory for Catania over Inter. Six days later the match was replayed. Furious Inter staged a protest by fielding their Primavera side. Men against boys. The men, by now already champions, eased to a 9-1 win.

La Grande Inter then took Europe by storm, but subsequent supremacy belonged to Juventus. By now the rivalry was known as the Derby d’Italia. Yet by the mid-1990s it was Juventus against Milan which captured the imagination, as both enjoyed success at home and abroad. Inter lurked in the shadows.

That was until 1997. Massimo Moratti spent big on a squad designed to end the six-season Juve-Milan Scudetto homogeny. The pair went toe-to-toe as Juve led by a point heading into the final stretch. Leading the charge were Alessandro Del Piero and Ronaldo. When the teams clashed on yet another decisive April Sunday afternoon in Turin, they were central to the drama which reignited the rivalry.

Del Piero opened the scoring. The game remained tense until the second half, but exploded past the hour mark. Ronaldo was floored by Mark Iuliano inside the penalty area. Play on. Juventus took the ball down the other end and were awarded a penalty. Cue pandemonium. Del Piero was denied, but the damage was done.

The decision even sparked a fight in parliament days later. Inter felt the Scudetto was snatched from their grasp. Referee Piero Ceccarini said he made a mistake, but should have awarded an indirect free-kick and not a spot-kick. He told La Gazzetta dello Sport in 2009 his initial reaction was Ronaldo had run into Iuliano, not that it could ease Nerazzurri pain. This was a heavy blow. And in 2002 they would take another hit to the stomach.

Inter led another season-long duel between the pair with Roma joining in, yet faltered in the closing weeks. If Hector Cuper’s side could beat Lazio they would be champions, but they threw it away on the final day in a now infamous 4-2 defeat as both the Old Lady and Roma won. Inter felt it was another instance of strange forces at play. Others wondered how they fumbled a six-point deficit with five matches remaining. Juve fans supposed they were trying to cover up their shortcomings despite Moratti’s millions. The image remained of Ronaldo sobbing on the bench while the game was still going.

When the tornado known as Calciopoli swept through calcio in 2006, Inter sensed vindication. The rivalry would never be the same again.

Inter’s staunchly anti-Juve Vice-President Peppino Prisco, who died in 2001, best summed up the Nerazzurri feeling toward the Turin giants. “After shaking hands with a Milan supporter, I run to wash my hand. After shaking hands with a Juventus fan, I count how many fingers I have left.”

To Inter, taking on Juventus was more than facing 11 players. Yet Christian Vieri, Nerazzurri striker from 1999 to 2005, saw things differently.“Calciopoli? Juventus and Milan were always stronger. Our big chance was in 2002.”

As Juve suffered the ignominy of a first ever relegation, Inter took charge. The controversial awarding of the 2006 Scudetto kick-started an era of dominance capped by their 2010 Champions League triumph. Juve refer to the 2006 title as a Cardboard Scudetto, Moratti calls it a Scudetto of Honesty.

It remains a sore point with Juventus, who still count the two Calciopoli-stripped championships as part of their trophy haul. They felt harshly treated in the original trial thanks to new evidence which has come to light, hence the recent appeal. Despite the way some see it, Juventus were never even charged with match-fixing, let alone convicted. The accusation was an inappropriate rapport with the refereeing designators aimed at getting ‘preferred’ officials assigned to specific matches.

They were stunned by the punishment. The rattled Bianconeri took time to recover, but have done so in a big way to win the past five Scudetti.

Not once in the past decade has the pair been strong at parallel intervals, at least to mount a serious Scudetto challenge. That hasn’t diminished the hatred, but rather made for intense meetings. In Juve’s 2007 Serie A return a victory at Inter was the most celebrated of the campaign, while the Nerazzurri ended the Old Lady’s monstrous 49-game unbeaten streak in 2012.

This Sunday will see the latest chapter of this storied and vitriolic rivalry. It remains a match both hate to lose.

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

Socrates · September 17, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Derby d'Italia shows the massive gap

between Juventus and Inter Milan

h http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/12/blog/post/2951747/inter-limp-

into-derby-vs-juventus-as-european-struggles-show-their-flaws

Sep 16, 2016

Alessandro Del Piero expects Sunday's Derby d'Italia to be "one of the best we have seen in recent years." Inter got their first win of the season at the weekend and clearly made an impression on the former Juventus captain.

"They're improving," he said, "and showed, particularly in the second half against Pescara, that they're compact, have character and strength in depth." But as became startlingly clear on Thursday night, Del Piero (bless him) was maybe overrating them as Inter shockingly lost their Europa League curtain raiser 2-0 to Hapoel Be'er Sheva at the San Siro.

The only people it didn't come as a complete surprise to were Milan fans. Andriy "Sheva" Shevchenko, the all-time top scorer in the Derby della Madonnina, was Inter's nemesis for years. Just his name must have spread the fear of God into them. As a joke, it got a laugh. As an explanation for the defeat, however, it obviously wasn't sufficient and intense scrutiny is understandable after one of the lowest moments in Inter's history.

This embarrassment enters straight into the Nerazzurri Hall of Shame and rivals the losses to TPS Turku in 1987, Malmo in 1989, Helsingborg in 2000 and Alaves in 2001. Judging by the front-page of Il Corriere dello Sport on Friday morning, it transcends even those upsets. "A Korea" is how the Rome paper defined it, harking all the way back to 1966 when a North Korean dentist, Pak Doo-ik, eliminated Italy from the World Cup. "Are you not ashamed?" asked La Gazzetta dello Sport.

It wasn't even a fluke. Be'er Sheva thoroughly deserved their famous win, which is even more damning when you recall how of all the ties involving Italian teams in Europe this week, Inter's was considered the easiest.

Blame for their humiliation was placed on Frank de Boer's apparently excessive rotation. He made seven changes to the team that beat Pescara four days earlier. However, his reasons were sound. Inter play six times in 18 days. There's the Derby d'Italia coming up on Sunday and Inter's stars need to be fresh for that.

r126380_1296x729_16-9.jpg&w=738&site=esp — Frank de Boer's not entirely to blame considering how little time he has had in the job.

Compounding matters are the squad restrictions imposed by UEFA after Inter strayed from the parameters of Financial Fair Play. Some of their big signings from this summer and last -- Joao Mario, Gabriel Barbosa, Geoffrey Kondogbia and Stevan Jovetic -- are not in the squad. It would be a legitimate excuse if Joao Mario wasn't the only one among them to miss the Be'er Sheva game after starting against Pescara at the weekend.

That win at the Adriatico last Sunday perhaps gave a false impression of the depth Del Piero claimed to see. Trailing by a goal to the newly promoted side, de Boer made a triple substitution and switched to a 4-2-4 in an desperate throw of the dice to get Inter back into the game and it worked. Inter equalised a couple of minutes later and Mauro Icardi then clinched victory in stoppage time. This perceived depth -- which, in my opinion, is inferior to Napoli's or at the very least least must be considered less evenly spread -- is one of the reasons some pundits in Italy believe Inter are best placed to challenge Juventus.

The Be'er Sheva game will make them think again. Inter have got quantity rather than quality in reserve. It's frankly alarming that the squad is so thin despite €220 million worth of (gross) investment over the past year. In some respects, it's remarkable that Andrea Ranocchia and Yuto Nagatomo, popular characters in the dressing room and nice guys, have lasted as long as they have at Inter. Let's not get started on the hard-working and well-intentioned pair, Danilo D'Ambrosio and Felipe Melo.

All in all, Thursday night put things into perspective. If Juventus registered their B team in Serie A, the received wisdom is that they would probably finish in the Champions League places. Inter can't even beat the Israeli champions (no disrespect).

Inevitably, de Boer and some of his decisions have come in for criticism. The 3-5-2 he deployed in the defeat against Chievo was theoretically sound considering the opponent. In the end, however, it confused his own players more than it did the opposition. Playing Melo and Gary Medel only repeats the mistakes made by Roberto Mancini as neither player is able to build the play.

Still, there is sympathy for the Dutchman. After all, he was appointed only 10 days before the start of the season and inherited a team that had spent more time travelling than working on its fitness in the summer. It was incomplete, too. For all the justifiable hype generated by the signings of Joao Mario, Antonio Candreva, Gabigol and Ever Banega, there are still holes in this Inter team. Last year they signed a full-back, Martin Montoya, but gave up on him after three appearances. This summer another one, Caner Erkin, was bought and sent back to Turkey before the season had even started.

Then there's Jeison Murillo. Impeccable over the first half of last season, he was was error-prone down the stretch. Finding a more reliable partner for Miranda might have been an idea and with these defensive deficiencies in mind is it any wonder Inter have fallen behind in every game this season?

A deep-lying playmaker wouldn't exactly have gone amiss, either, considering that Banega, who many thought would occupy that role, is playing as a No.10 instead. Meanwhile the alternatives to Icardi up front continue to disappoint. Icardi has scored all of Inter's goals this season and their dependence on him was evident as de Boer felt compelled to throw him on against Be'er Sheva.

r126386_1296x729_16-9.jpg&w=738&site=esp — Juventus didn't exactly thrill in a 0-0 draw vs. Sevilla but they are still favoured vs. Inter.

The club has a lot to answer for and it's in this regard where the contrast with Juventus is most felt. A difference was also noticeable in the reaction to Juve's stalemate with Sevilla on Wednesday. You could be forgiven for thinking they had come close to losing to Be'er Sheva as well. Criticised for not starting Miralem Pjanic, Juventus still created five clear-cut chances, didn't concede any and perhaps should have had a penalty. "After 20 minutes there was already some grumbling," complained Leonardo Bonucci. "I was disappointed by the attitude of the fans."

This is how far Juventus have come. In addition to meeting expectation, Max Allegri's biggest job this year will be managing it. For all he insists that the club's priority is to become the first team in Serie A history to win a sixth straight league title, you don't spend €90m on a striker just to deliver anotherScudetto.

That said, Allegri's problems look minor compared with de Boer's. The one positive spin on Thursday's defeat was that it can't possibly get any worse for Inter but with Juventus up next, don't bet on it.

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

Socrates · September 17, 2016

INTER - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 4
Sunday, September 18th, 2016 - 6:00 PM
Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, Milan
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento

Match Preview: Inter - Juventus

Sunday’s Derby d’Italia comes off a disappointing European

week for two of Calcio’s most storied clubs, Inter and Juventus.

http://www.football-italia.net/91528/capello-replace-de-boer-inter?

Sep 16, 2016

The key difference, however, is that the Bianconeri drew with a poised, talented and defensive Sevilla side in Turin. Inter, for their part, somehow conjured up a 2-0 home defeat to Hapoel Be'er Sheva, the same side that lost to Celtic 5-2. Guess how the Scots did in midweek?

While Juventus boast a perfect record, the Nerazzurri have huffed and puffed their way to four points against three regulars in the relegation dogfight. While the Bianconeri convincingly despatched a dangerous Sassuolo, contained Lazio and overcame Fiorentina’s stout resistance, Inter looked horribly exposed against Pescara and Chievo, and were lucky to come away from the Adriatico with three points.

Judging from their so-so start to the season, it seems like former Coach Roberto Mancini did a decent job of hiding the Beneamata’s weaknesses for so long.

The contrast couldn’t be more stark. While last season began with a string of solid defensive displays, the Biscione’s recent attempts at playing passing football have cruelly exposed just how sub-par full-backs Yuto Nagatomo and Danilo D’Ambrosio are, and left centre-backs Joao Miranda and Jeison Murillo fighting off counters with one hand tied behind their backs.

Recent reports have Inter’s players holding a private face-to-face with newcomer Frank De Boer, and insisting upon a return to 4-3-2-1, after the Dutchman tested a 3-5-2 in their 2-0 loss to Chievo. Will they also ask for a more pragmatic approach, or does the former Ajax man have a surprise up his sleeve?

For all of Gonzalo Higuain’s - understandable - early teething problems and Juventus’ tendency to give the ball away cheaply in midfield, it is frankly difficult to expect Inter to surprise everyone and pull off a result. As promising as Ever Banega has looked, the Nerazzurri’s American tour has left some players looking tired (Ivan Perisic may skip this one because of a muscle strain), while others (Geoffrey Kondogbia, Gary Medel) have shown all their limitations.

Keep an eye on: Kwadwo Asamoah and Miralem Pjanic (Juventus) — If Inter’s previous games are anything to go by, creative central midfielders and fast box-to-box players will thrive on the counter. Both players had contrasting games against Sevilla, but the Ghanaian’s struggles in Europe are contrasted by his thunderous runs in Calcio.

Pjanic, for his part, nearly turned Wednesday’s draw on its head, and easily possesses the artistry to pick Inter apart.

Form Guide: Inter (L D W - -) Juventus (W W W - -)

Last season: Inter 0-0 Juventus

Stat fact: Inter last won this game in 2012, and their previous success came during the Treble season, in which Juventus had a player sent off. This game reflects the opposite directions these teams have gone in over the last few seasons. One would be forgiven in thinking that Calciopoli had happened to Inter, not Juventus.

Top tip: Under 2.5 goals

Inter (probable): Handanovic; D’Ambrosio, Miranda, Murillo, Nagatomo; Joao Mario, Medel, Banega; Candreva, Icardi, Perisic

Suspended: None

Juventus (probable): Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Khedira, Pjanic, Asamoah, Alex Sandro; Dybala, Higuain

Suspended: None

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

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