Oh my , Lucio came VERY close to equalizing. Wonder how THAT would be like :undecide:
Anyhow,
Del Piero: "Felt no pain"
“Having played makes me confident and gives me proof of the esteem and consideration I enjoy”. Del Piero is back, he’s taken back the Captain’s armband and the fans’ love, who have cheered him long calling for him beneath the Curva at the end of the match, where Alex has improvised a strip-tease, taking off his shirt and shorts and throwing them to the crowd. “It’s right like this, they have supported me, calling my name loud for 5 minutes ceaselessly. It’s been something symbolic and very important for me. They know how hard I work for my team and that I give all one can and I always will.”
The pain caused by the tendon problem is only a memory: “I had no problem and felt no pain during the match. I’ve recovered at nearly 100 per cent. Being back in a match of this kind is certainly not easy but what really counts is that everything went well. When Italian teams meet German ones they never play great matches and this makes our victory even more important.”
Zambrotta and Blasi: “Let’s go on this way”
“During the first half we’ve created important scoring occasions but we have not been able to finish them. Luckily the goal scored by Nedved finally made us achieve a very important win. We’re on top of Group C but we’ve played only 3 matches. We still have to hold on tight.” Gianluca Zambrotta, although satisfied with the victory against Bayern Munich, doesn’t want to hear about an already conquered qualification, Manuele Blasi agrees that it’s still a long, although downhill, way ahead: “Having 9 points certainly makes us confident but it’s not over yet. We have to go on this way, without conceding goals and creating dangerous occasions. That’s what we’ve done so far, even against a giant like Bayern and cannot but be satisfied.”
Capello. “An intense match”
Fabio Capello comments on the victory against Bayern Munich: “It’s been a very intense match, hard for both sides. Enough said that Bayern has played with only one striker and has had a good ball control in the midfield being dangerous in the first half. Looking at the overall match, I can say that we have conceded them two scoring occasions due to distraction in defence but we have created more occasions.” He’s asked about Ibrahimovic, who’s improving, and Del Piero: “Zlatan is improving match after match, he works hard and so does the whole squad which I have liked a lot tonight. I expected Del Piero to play like he did, I knew he could have only played one hour and that’s when I’ve replaced him with Zalayeta”.
First place in the Group’s ranking at full score and with qualification around the corner, however Capello is still cautious: “Bayern has 6 points, Ajax has 3 after beating Maccabi and, if they win again in Tel Aviv, they may still be running for qualification. So, we must be careful.”
Journalists abroad are surprised by the 18,000 spectators for such a prestigious event and ask Capello why the Stadio Delle Alpi is attended by such a small crowd: “I do not know the reason why but I’m very sorry because matches of this kind would deserve a bigger attendance”.
Nedved’s comment
Pavel Nedved looks clearly satisfied when he comes out of the locker room at the Delle Alpi, after scoring the goal that gifted the Bianconeri with the win against Bayern Munich. He’s also willing to joke and when asked about the good relationship he has with Ibrahimovic he says: “Zlatan says that it is me who should help him score while tonight it was the other way round, as it was him who assisted me! In fact, my team-mates are very good at passing me the ball and so it happened last Saturday against Messina too.”
Winning goal by Nedved!
In front of 18,000 spectators, the Bianconeri beat Bayern Munich by 1-0 thanks to the goal scored by Nedved on the 30th minute in the second half. Juventus gains the leadership in its Group at full score, as well as the prestige of winning the first ever match against the titled German opponents.
Fabio Capello regains Del Piero and fields him from the very first minute by Ibrahimovic’s side. And it’s the very two of them who become dangerous, firstly on the 8’ when Zambrotta crosses for the head of the Swede, who fires it over the bar and then on the 13th when, on an assist by Zebina, a right-footed shot by the Captain’s is saved by Kahn. It’s Bayern Munich’s turn to hit back after 17 minutes when Frings goes for a long distance finish easily saved by Buffon. After 23 minutes, it’s Makaay who puts the home side to the test and Cannavaro successfully clears. The two teams are quite cautious in the first half and few are the attacks worth the note.
The dawn of the second half is marked by the Bianconeri. First it’s Del Piero who tries to take advantage of an uncertain move by Kahn. Afterwards, it’s Ibrahimovic’s attempt cleared by Kahn. After 14 minutes into the second half, it’s Capello’s first substitution: Del Piero, at his first match after the break caused by his tendon problems, makes way to Zalayeta, who was in the spotlight during the latest two Serie A matches scoring two goals. On the opponents’ side, a finish by Lucio, wide of the target, is worth the note. Juventus attacks get more constant and a tricky free kick by Camoranesi, which nobody takes advantage of, is the prelude to the winning goal scored by Nedved on the 30’: the Czech, assisted by Ibrahimovic, gets into the goal area and beats Kahn by a left-foot finish. Two minutes later it’s time for Bayern’s reaction but Buffon does well to counteract a drive by Schweinsteiger. The Bianconeri’s goalkeeper anticipates Hashemian in the box. In the last few minutes, Ibrahimovic nearly makes it 2-0 by lobbing slightly wide of the post. At the end of the match, Del Piero goes to the Curva to greet the fans who, as always, have supported and cheered him loudly.
JUVENTUS – BAYERN MUNICH 1-0
GOALS: 30’sh Nedved
JUVENTUS: Buffon, Zebina, Thuram, Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Camoranesi, Emerson,
Blasi, Nedved, Del Piero (14’sh Zalayeta), Ibrahimovic. Manager: Capello. Substitues: Bonnefoi, Ferrara, Tacchinardi, Pessotto, Kapo, Olivera, Zalayeta.
BAYERN MUNICH: Kahn, Kuffour (35’sh Hashemian), Lucio, Linke, Salihamidzic, Sagnol, Frings (41’sh Demichelis), Schweinsteiger, Ze Roberto, Ballack,
Makaay. Manager: Magath. Substitues: Rensing, Kovac, Demichelis, Hashemian, Rau, Jeremies, Gorlitz.
REFEREE: Mejuto Gonzalez (Spagna)
YELLOW CARDS: 28’ fh Zebina, 25’sh Zé Roberto
SPECTATORS: 18.089 (of which 3.310 guests)
PROCEEDS: 735.065
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