Category: <b>Match Reports</b><br><br>As a tribute to Alessio Ferramosca and Riccardo Neri, the two boys from the Berretti who tragically passed away last Friday, Juventus lined-up before kick-off in white shirts bearing their names.
In his press conference on Thursday, Didier Deschamps had admitted that “football counts for little” in times like these, but win or lose, the Bianconeri were determined to give their all for Alessio and Riccardo from first to last.
Bologna enjoyed a three point advantage over Juventus coming into the clash, but with a game in hand, a win tonight would give the Bianconeri a commanding position at the top of the table. Didier Deschamps welcomed back Zanetti and Del Piero to the starting line-up, while Chiellini moved into the centre of defence in place of Kovac. There was also a place for David Trezeguet on the bench, returning to the squad after more than three weeks on the sidelines.
Wearing black armbands in honour of Alessio and Riccardo, Juventus made a high-tempo start to the game. Balzaretti and Zebina surged forward during the early exchanges but it took a quarter of an hour for the Bianconeri to carve out their first chance of the game, Del Piero testing Antonioli with a powerful right-footed effort from the edge of the box. At the other end, Bellucci was finding his range and in the 25th minute he clipped the ball over his man and forced Buffon into a spectacular reflex save at his near post. Juventus’ reply was almost immediate with Antonioli diving across to deny Zalayeta a thirty-yard screamer seconds later. Some wayward defending by Brisochi gave Del Piero some shooting practice on the half hour mark, but the captain was unable to find the target with either set-piece. The captain came agonisingly close on 39 minutes, but he couldn’t apply a touch after Paro had found him free at the back post with a delightful first-time flick. The talisman made up for the missed chance with some incisive dribbling down the left wing but the half ended on a rather less positive note with Camoranesi forced to withdraw through injury a minute from the break. The winger was replaced by Birindelli and the substitute just had time to watch Del Piero curl another free-kick inches wide of Antonioli’s right post before referee Messina sent the teams into the tunnel for the interval.
As with the first half, the Bianconeri looked to boss possession early on but the Bologna back line held firm. Juventus did manage to pull the Rossoblù apart in the 56th minute, but Zanetti’s conclusion from outside the box was off-target. Bologna began to retreat and the Bianconeri came close again on 59 minutes, Zanetti latching onto the end of Zalayeta’s curling cross and angling a powerful header towards goal. The midfielder was only a fingertip away from breaking the deadlock as the outstretched Antonioli dived across to tip the ball over the bar. Boumsong came close from the resulting corner, but the Bologna goalkeeper was alert to the danger once more, saving on his goal-line as the Juventus strikers looked to pounce. The pressure was mounting and in the 71st minute, Deschamps threw on Trezeguet in place of Del Piero. Two minutes later and the Bianconeri took the lead. Balzaretti raced down the left wing and curled a deep cross into the area; Zalayeta burst into the box, chested the ball under control and smashed the ball into the back of the net off the underside of the bar (0-1). With ten minutes left on the clock, Ulivieri made a double-substitution and seconds later, Marchisio relieved Zanetti. As the game drew to a close the Rossoblù threw everyone forward in a desperate search for an equaliser, but Juventus weathered the storm to close out the game with their goal in tact.
GOALS: Zalayeta 73’
BOOKED: Brioschi 21’, Zalayeta 28’, Balzaretti 53’, Bellucci 73’, Palladino 77’, Della Rocca 90’, Zebina 90+2’
BOLOGNA: Antonioli; Brioschi, Castellini, Terzi; Filippini (Meghni 80’), Mingazzini, Amoroso, Smit; Zauli, Marazzina (Della Rocca 80’), Bellucci
Subs: Colombo, Daino, Mezzano, Morosini, Manfredini
Coach: Ulivieri
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Zebina, Boumsong, Chiellini, Balzaretti; Camoranesi (Birindelli 44’), Zanetti (Marchisio 81’), Paro, Palladino; Zalayeta, Del Piero (Trezeguet 71’)
Subs: Mirante, Kovac, Guzman, Bojinov
Coach: Deschamps
REFEREE: Messina (Bergamo) <br><br>Source: Juventus.com
In his press conference on Thursday, Didier Deschamps had admitted that “football counts for little” in times like these, but win or lose, the Bianconeri were determined to give their all for Alessio and Riccardo from first to last.
Bologna enjoyed a three point advantage over Juventus coming into the clash, but with a game in hand, a win tonight would give the Bianconeri a commanding position at the top of the table. Didier Deschamps welcomed back Zanetti and Del Piero to the starting line-up, while Chiellini moved into the centre of defence in place of Kovac. There was also a place for David Trezeguet on the bench, returning to the squad after more than three weeks on the sidelines.
Wearing black armbands in honour of Alessio and Riccardo, Juventus made a high-tempo start to the game. Balzaretti and Zebina surged forward during the early exchanges but it took a quarter of an hour for the Bianconeri to carve out their first chance of the game, Del Piero testing Antonioli with a powerful right-footed effort from the edge of the box. At the other end, Bellucci was finding his range and in the 25th minute he clipped the ball over his man and forced Buffon into a spectacular reflex save at his near post. Juventus’ reply was almost immediate with Antonioli diving across to deny Zalayeta a thirty-yard screamer seconds later. Some wayward defending by Brisochi gave Del Piero some shooting practice on the half hour mark, but the captain was unable to find the target with either set-piece. The captain came agonisingly close on 39 minutes, but he couldn’t apply a touch after Paro had found him free at the back post with a delightful first-time flick. The talisman made up for the missed chance with some incisive dribbling down the left wing but the half ended on a rather less positive note with Camoranesi forced to withdraw through injury a minute from the break. The winger was replaced by Birindelli and the substitute just had time to watch Del Piero curl another free-kick inches wide of Antonioli’s right post before referee Messina sent the teams into the tunnel for the interval.
As with the first half, the Bianconeri looked to boss possession early on but the Bologna back line held firm. Juventus did manage to pull the Rossoblù apart in the 56th minute, but Zanetti’s conclusion from outside the box was off-target. Bologna began to retreat and the Bianconeri came close again on 59 minutes, Zanetti latching onto the end of Zalayeta’s curling cross and angling a powerful header towards goal. The midfielder was only a fingertip away from breaking the deadlock as the outstretched Antonioli dived across to tip the ball over the bar. Boumsong came close from the resulting corner, but the Bologna goalkeeper was alert to the danger once more, saving on his goal-line as the Juventus strikers looked to pounce. The pressure was mounting and in the 71st minute, Deschamps threw on Trezeguet in place of Del Piero. Two minutes later and the Bianconeri took the lead. Balzaretti raced down the left wing and curled a deep cross into the area; Zalayeta burst into the box, chested the ball under control and smashed the ball into the back of the net off the underside of the bar (0-1). With ten minutes left on the clock, Ulivieri made a double-substitution and seconds later, Marchisio relieved Zanetti. As the game drew to a close the Rossoblù threw everyone forward in a desperate search for an equaliser, but Juventus weathered the storm to close out the game with their goal in tact.
GOALS: Zalayeta 73’
BOOKED: Brioschi 21’, Zalayeta 28’, Balzaretti 53’, Bellucci 73’, Palladino 77’, Della Rocca 90’, Zebina 90+2’
BOLOGNA: Antonioli; Brioschi, Castellini, Terzi; Filippini (Meghni 80’), Mingazzini, Amoroso, Smit; Zauli, Marazzina (Della Rocca 80’), Bellucci
Subs: Colombo, Daino, Mezzano, Morosini, Manfredini
Coach: Ulivieri
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Zebina, Boumsong, Chiellini, Balzaretti; Camoranesi (Birindelli 44’), Zanetti (Marchisio 81’), Paro, Palladino; Zalayeta, Del Piero (Trezeguet 71’)
Subs: Mirante, Kovac, Guzman, Bojinov
Coach: Deschamps
REFEREE: Messina (Bergamo) <br><br>Source: Juventus.com
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