A dream becomes a reality (1 Viewer)

Marty

tuz
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Jul 2, 2005
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11 September 2011 – 6 May 2012. A historic start and a triumphant finish. A resounding, powerful charge to the club’s first title in six years. An unforgettable nine months for Antonio Conte’s invincible side. A run relived right here - month by month, game by game.
September
Juventus began their championship season on Sunday 11 September, three days after the exhilarating opening ceremony which brought the club’s new home to life. The adrenaline from that magical night swept through into the first game, lifting Conte’s men to a resounding 4-1 victory over Parma. Lichtsteiner etched his name into the club’s history books with the first official goal at Juventus Stadium, while Pepe, Vidal and Marchisio also found the target to crown the dawn of a new era in style.
The following Sunday saw Matri’s strike prove enough to edge past a spirited Siena side in Tuscany. Vucinic then opened his account for the club three days later against Bologna. The night brought mixed emotions for the Montenegrin frontman, who received his marching orders shortly before the interval. Undeterred, the hosts continued to swarm forward in search of a second, only to be pegged back by a Rossoblu equaliser after the break.
The team’s next fixture, an away encounter in Catania, yielded the same outcome. This time it was Serbian winger Krasic who sealed a point with a low effort from outside the area.
October
October got underway with a mouth-watering clash between two Serie A giants, as Milan travelled to Turin for what would be the first of several titanic tussles contested throughout the season. The Bianconeri dominated proceedings and eventually saw off the defending champions with Marchisio’s last-gasp double.
Juve then played out two draws with Chievo (away) and Genoa (home) after the international break. Yet the disappointment at failing to claim all three points from both affairs only served to confirm the emergence of an exciting group of players oozing with drive and determination. And this determination was on full display in the next pair of long-awaited fixtures.
Goals from Bonucci and Matri helped Juve to a 2-1 home win over Fiorentina, before Inter were swept aside by a commanding performance at the San Siro. Vucinic and Marchisio sunk Ranieri’s men in another two-goal success.
November
A postponed fixture with Napoli, followed by another round of international fixtures, forced the Bianconeri to wait until Sunday 20 November before returning to action. But the wait was more than worth it as Palermo were confidently dispatched 3-0 at Juventus Stadium. Strikes from Pepe, Matri and Marchisio banished the ghosts of previous home struggles against the Rosanero.
The quiet start to the month was contrasted by two tough away fixtures against Lazio and Napoli in the space of three days. Juventus responded positively to the testing encounters, emerging unscathed from both the Olimpico and San Paolo. Pepe netted his second winner over the Biancocelesti in as many seasons, while a tremendous fightback in Naples – inspired by strikes from Estigarribia and another Pepe goal - enabled the Bianconeri to rescue a point after finding themselves 3-1 down.
December
The calendar year drew to a close in the best possible way as Juventus maintained their unbeaten run to end 2011 as league leaders. Both fixtures contested at Juventus Stadium – against relegation-threatened Cesena and Novara – resulted in 2-0 victories for the hosts.
Conte’s men also remained solid away from home, drawing two encounters against noteworthy opposition. Chiellini replied to De Rossi’s opener for Roma, while Buffon did the rest by producing a fine save from Totti’s penalty. A 0-0 shutout in Udine served as a further confirmation of the Bianconeri’s strength, becoming the first team to take a point off the Zebrette at the Stadio Friuli.
January
Juve saw in the New Year with a narrow away win over Lecce after Matri pounced at the Via del Mare to hand the visitors all three points.
Just two games stood in the way of Conte’s men clinching the title of Winter Champions. A plucky Cagliari outfit represented the first hurdle to be overcome at Juventus Stadium. Despite going in front through Vucinic, the hosts toiled to extend their advantage and were subsequently punished by a Rossoblu equaliser. Any frustrations at two points dropped were avenged by a solid 2-0 away victory over Atalanta. Lichtsteiner latched onto Pirlo’s pinpoint pass to put the Bianconeri in the driving seat, with Giaccherini wrapping things up late on after volleying home Marrone’s delicious through ball.
With the title of Winter Champions in the bag, the bandwagon continued to roll on courtesy of significant home victories over Roma and Udinese. The Giallorossi were dispatched 3-0 in the Coppa Italia (featuring a sensational Del Piero strike), while Matri’s double ensured the Zebrette were the next victims of the Bianconeri’s fine run.
February
February began with the arrival of three new players to bolster the options available to Conte. Borriello, Padoin and Caceres signed on the dotted line during the transfer widow, completing the club’s business for the 2011/12 campaign. All three got off to a positive start in the Coppa Italia semi-final first leg win over Milan at the San Siro. The Uruguayan defender netted a double, while the midfielder and striker had a hand in both goals.
But the championship was where the main focus of the team’s attentions lay. Goalless draws against Siena and Parma made the visit of Catania a fundamental game. It represented a true test of character for the Bianconeri, now lagging behind Milan after Allegri’s men had capitalised on postponed fixtures to go top of the championship. The test was passed with flying colours, with Juve coming back from a shock Barrientos opener to put the result beyond doubt through goals from Pirlo, Chiellini and Quagliarella.
Next up was the much heralded ‘Scudetto showdown’ with Milan at the San Siro. The Rossoneri, still smarting after the two previous defeats, gave their visitors a torrid time in the first half. But Conte’s men regained their momentum to snatch a late equaliser through Matri’s well-taken finish, keeping the title race wide open.
March
The destiny of the Scudetto appeared to tilt in the direction of Milan in the first two weeks of March. Juventus continued to perform admirably, but were unable to make their possession and dominance count in three consecutive draws against Chievo, Bologna and Genoa.
These draws were inevitably reflected in the table, with the Bianconeri trailing Milan by seven points by the time they ran out at the Artemio Franchi on Saturday 17 March. Some had already begun to celebrate a Rossoneri title success, but Juve refused to give in, seeing their persistence rewarded by a thumping 5-0 victory in Florence following goals from Vucinic, Vidal, Marchisio, Pirlo and Padoin. Another three points then arrived in a 2-0 win over Inter (Caceres and Del Piero) four days after Conte’s men had booked their place in the Coppa Italia final courtesy of Vucinic’s wonder strike in the 2-2 draw against Milan.
April
The Bianconeri, who by now had reduced the gap on Milan to four points, commenced the month by taking on Coppa Italia finalists Napoli at Juventus Stadium. Mazzarri’s men had no answer to the sensational football played by the hosts, succumbing to a 3-0 defeat secured through strikes from Bonucci, Vidal and former Partenopei frontman Quagliarella.
Amauri’s shock winner for Fiorentina at the San Siro then presented Juventus with a golden opportunity to regain their spot at the summit of Serie A. Conte’s side seized it with both hands, triumphing 2-0 over Palermo after Bonucci’s header was followed up by Quagliarella’s tidy finish.
Galvanised by their lofty league position, the Bianconeri got off to a tremendous start after Pepe established the advantage against Champions League chasing Lazio. Yet despite having several chances to extend the lead, it was Mauri popped up on the stroke of half time to put the visitors level. It took the introduction of Del Piero to settle the encounter, with the captain lashing home a tremendous 35-yard free-kick to send the home support into delirium.
Roma were then subjected to a footballing lesson as Juventus played with a swagger and confidence that evoked memories of previous glories. Pirlo and Marchisio added to Vidal’s early double to wrap up a 4-0 win.
The belief sweeping around Turin increased even further when maximum points followed in away encounters against Cesena (Borriello) and Novara (Vucinic (2), Borriello and Vidal), maintaining the lead over the Rossoneri.
May
It took just six days and two games for the Scudetto to finally return to its rightful home. The visit of Lecce saw the hosts enjoy heavy periods of dominance and take the lead thanks to Marchisio’s early strike. But with the clock ticking down towards the final whistle, a rare blunder from Buffon granted the Giallorossi an equaliser which cut the gap at the top to just a single point.
Yet any anxiety surrounding the club lasted just three days. Sunday 6 May provided the moment of truth. Juventus were in action against Cagliari, while Milan met inter-city rivals Inter. Conte’s men stuck to their task by beating the Rossoblu through Vucinic’s strike and an own goal from Canini. Meanwhile, over at the San Siro, Inter extinguished Milan’s title hopes with a resounding 4-2 success. Scenes of joy from Trieste were beamed out to the millions of Bianconeri fans across the world. Juventus confirmed as champions for the 30th time in the club’s history. The incredible dream becomes a reality.


Source: Juventus.com
 

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