Category: <b>Match Reports</b><br><br>Juventus survived two and a half penalties, a red card and endless Gigi Buffon saves to win 3-2 at Cagliari in an epic battle.
Claudio Ranieri returned to face the club where his career began in Serie C1 back in 1988-89, taking them to two consecutive promotions. His Juventus side had a sparkling start to the campaign, thumping Livorno 5-1, but brace scorer Vincenzo Iaquinta was out following a stomach bug. Marco Marchionni, Alessandro Birindelli and Zdenek Grygera also sat out this trip.
Cagliari had a dream opening too, winning 2-0 away to Napoli, and were at last able to field Argentine Joaquin Larrivey after his international transfer came through.
Daniele Conti's free kick skimmed the near post and the home side had the better of the early play, but they horribly wasted two free kicks from promising positions with tactics so complex even the players didn't seem to know what they were meant to be doing.
Larrivey got in front of Domenico Criscito and thumped an angled drive across the face of goal, then Alessandro Matri nodded Foggia's cross over with a free header, as the problems in central defence continued for the Bianconeri.
Cagliari finally decided to take a normal free kick and Conti's effort was deflected inches wide off David Trezeguet's back.
Matri turned another header over, but it was Juventus who should have been ahead on the stroke of half-time. Alessandro Del Piero pounced on Parola's error, flicked the ball over goalkeeper Marco Fortin and incredibly fired over a totally open goal!
Nicola Legrottaglie replaced the disappointing Criscito, but Cagliari had another great chance straight after the restart when Larrivey's first touch let him down on another precise Foggia cross-field pass.
Hasan Salihamidzic pulled up with a suspected thigh strain, making way for Mauro Camoranesi, who is not 100 per cent fit.
Nonetheless, Juve took the lead against the run of play with that man Trezeguet. Camoranesi's deflected header looped into the path of Trezeguet, who volleyed in from six yards for his 99th Serie A career goal.
Cagliari were furious and hit right back with Gigi Buffon forced to parry a close-range strike. As the move continued, Legrottaglie held back Matri and the referee pointed to the spot. Foggia stepped up and, although Buffon got a hand to it, the ball ricocheted in off the inside of the upright.
There was chaos on 69 minutes when a penalty was awarded and then not assigned. Giorgio Chiellini tackled Conti in the box and the referee pointed to the spot, absolutely infuriating the Under-21 international. He was so incensed that Buffon had to hold him back with a hand over his mouth to prevent a red-card offence. The protests proved entirely justified, though, as the linesman reversed the decision by correctly pointing out Chiellini cleanly got the ball.
Buffon performed an astonishing save one minute later when a corner was not cleared effectively and Paolo Bianco was totally unmarked from four yards, but the goalkeeper still reacted to parry from point-blank range right on the line.
Then Foggia again poured forward and a low shot was charged down for a corner.
Once again, though, Juve took the lead when they were under the most pressure. Sergio Almiron's pass over the top of the defence was volleyed from a tight angle by Camoranesi over the 'keeper and Del Piero got the final touch practically on the line.
Buffon blocked a Larrivey glancing header, but the drama still wasn't over as Jonathan Zebina hauled down Larrivey and this time Foggia sent Buffon the wrong way with his second penalty. It was the first time two penalties were awarded against Juventus in Serie A since a game with Napoli in 1988!
To make matters worse, Zebina picked up a second booking for dissent and left Juve with 10 men. He faces a ban, as he also got into an argument with a member of the Cagliari staff on the sidelines and it almost got physical.
Cagliari also had a man sent off, as Del Grosso hauled back Camoranesi on the counter.
In the final minute of an exceptional match, Camoranesi's free kick sailed out to the back post for Chiellini's bullet header!
Serie A TIM 2007/08
2ª round
Cagliari, Sant’Elia stadium
Sunday 2nd of September 2007, 3.00 pm
CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 2-3 (0-0)
GOALS: 54' Trezeguet, 56' and 81' Foggia (penalty), 76' Del Piero, 90' Chiellini
CAGLIARI: Fortin; Pisano (74' Ferri), Lopez, Bianco, Del Grosso; Foggia, Conti, Parola, Fini (79' D’Agostino); Larrivey, Matri (65' Acquafresca)
Subs: Koprivec, Canini, Budel, Biondini
Coach: Giampaolo
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Zebina, Andrade, Criscito (46' Legrottaglie), Chiellini; Salihamidzic (49' Camoranesi), Zanetti, Almiron (87' Nocerino), Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet
Subs: Belardi, Molinaro, Tiago, Palladino
Coach: Ranieri.
BOOKED: 33' Zanetti, 36' Del Grosso, 44' Zebina, 62' Nedved, 73' Conti, 78' Legrottaglie
SENT OUT: 81' Zebina, 83' Del Grosso
REFEREE: Tagliavento (Terni)
ASSISTANTS: Pugiotto and Cariolato
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Palanca<br><br>Source: Football Italia & Juventus.com
Claudio Ranieri returned to face the club where his career began in Serie C1 back in 1988-89, taking them to two consecutive promotions. His Juventus side had a sparkling start to the campaign, thumping Livorno 5-1, but brace scorer Vincenzo Iaquinta was out following a stomach bug. Marco Marchionni, Alessandro Birindelli and Zdenek Grygera also sat out this trip.
Cagliari had a dream opening too, winning 2-0 away to Napoli, and were at last able to field Argentine Joaquin Larrivey after his international transfer came through.
Daniele Conti's free kick skimmed the near post and the home side had the better of the early play, but they horribly wasted two free kicks from promising positions with tactics so complex even the players didn't seem to know what they were meant to be doing.
Larrivey got in front of Domenico Criscito and thumped an angled drive across the face of goal, then Alessandro Matri nodded Foggia's cross over with a free header, as the problems in central defence continued for the Bianconeri.
Cagliari finally decided to take a normal free kick and Conti's effort was deflected inches wide off David Trezeguet's back.
Matri turned another header over, but it was Juventus who should have been ahead on the stroke of half-time. Alessandro Del Piero pounced on Parola's error, flicked the ball over goalkeeper Marco Fortin and incredibly fired over a totally open goal!
Nicola Legrottaglie replaced the disappointing Criscito, but Cagliari had another great chance straight after the restart when Larrivey's first touch let him down on another precise Foggia cross-field pass.
Hasan Salihamidzic pulled up with a suspected thigh strain, making way for Mauro Camoranesi, who is not 100 per cent fit.
Nonetheless, Juve took the lead against the run of play with that man Trezeguet. Camoranesi's deflected header looped into the path of Trezeguet, who volleyed in from six yards for his 99th Serie A career goal.
Cagliari were furious and hit right back with Gigi Buffon forced to parry a close-range strike. As the move continued, Legrottaglie held back Matri and the referee pointed to the spot. Foggia stepped up and, although Buffon got a hand to it, the ball ricocheted in off the inside of the upright.
There was chaos on 69 minutes when a penalty was awarded and then not assigned. Giorgio Chiellini tackled Conti in the box and the referee pointed to the spot, absolutely infuriating the Under-21 international. He was so incensed that Buffon had to hold him back with a hand over his mouth to prevent a red-card offence. The protests proved entirely justified, though, as the linesman reversed the decision by correctly pointing out Chiellini cleanly got the ball.
Buffon performed an astonishing save one minute later when a corner was not cleared effectively and Paolo Bianco was totally unmarked from four yards, but the goalkeeper still reacted to parry from point-blank range right on the line.
Then Foggia again poured forward and a low shot was charged down for a corner.
Once again, though, Juve took the lead when they were under the most pressure. Sergio Almiron's pass over the top of the defence was volleyed from a tight angle by Camoranesi over the 'keeper and Del Piero got the final touch practically on the line.
Buffon blocked a Larrivey glancing header, but the drama still wasn't over as Jonathan Zebina hauled down Larrivey and this time Foggia sent Buffon the wrong way with his second penalty. It was the first time two penalties were awarded against Juventus in Serie A since a game with Napoli in 1988!
To make matters worse, Zebina picked up a second booking for dissent and left Juve with 10 men. He faces a ban, as he also got into an argument with a member of the Cagliari staff on the sidelines and it almost got physical.
Cagliari also had a man sent off, as Del Grosso hauled back Camoranesi on the counter.
In the final minute of an exceptional match, Camoranesi's free kick sailed out to the back post for Chiellini's bullet header!
Serie A TIM 2007/08
2ª round
Cagliari, Sant’Elia stadium
Sunday 2nd of September 2007, 3.00 pm
CAGLIARI - JUVENTUS 2-3 (0-0)
GOALS: 54' Trezeguet, 56' and 81' Foggia (penalty), 76' Del Piero, 90' Chiellini
CAGLIARI: Fortin; Pisano (74' Ferri), Lopez, Bianco, Del Grosso; Foggia, Conti, Parola, Fini (79' D’Agostino); Larrivey, Matri (65' Acquafresca)
Subs: Koprivec, Canini, Budel, Biondini
Coach: Giampaolo
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Zebina, Andrade, Criscito (46' Legrottaglie), Chiellini; Salihamidzic (49' Camoranesi), Zanetti, Almiron (87' Nocerino), Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet
Subs: Belardi, Molinaro, Tiago, Palladino
Coach: Ranieri.
BOOKED: 33' Zanetti, 36' Del Grosso, 44' Zebina, 62' Nedved, 73' Conti, 78' Legrottaglie
SENT OUT: 81' Zebina, 83' Del Grosso
REFEREE: Tagliavento (Terni)
ASSISTANTS: Pugiotto and Cariolato
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Palanca<br><br>Source: Football Italia & Juventus.com
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