Category: <b>Match Reports</b><br><br>Juventus returned to the Olimpico this evening for their final game of 2006. Under Deschamps the Bianconeri had enjoyed an 100% record at home this season, and with the winter break lying just around the corner, they were looking to avoid any slip ups. The Frenchman signalled his intentions with a starting line-up which included the attacking quartet of Palladino, Del Piero, Zalayeta and Trezeguet, while Chiellini retained his place at the heart of the defence alongside Boumsong.
Juventus made a confident start to the game but it was Arezzo who threatened first, Floro Flores working an opening on the edge of the box in the 3rd minute and firing inches wide of Buffon’s right post. The Bianconeri quickly set about dominating possession and by the ten minute mark, Arezzo were firmly pinned back into their own half. With 15 minutes on the clock, Juventus almost found the opening they were looking for. A rapid counter-attack left Balzaretti in acres of space on the left wing; the fullback feathered a diagonal ball into a crammed Arezzo penalty area but with Bremec stranded, Del Piero could only find the crossbar with his angled header. The pressure began to mount but as the home side ventured increasingly further into the Arezzo half, gaps opened up at the back. The Tuscans looked eager on the counter-attack but Chiellini and Boumsong maintained their focus to snuff out the danger. Juventus were looking to break forward at every opportunity and on 26 minutes, they came close once more. Del Piero broke down the left wing and played a sublime pass to Palladino on the far side with the outside of his boot; the ball skipped up off the wet playing surface as Palladino brought the pass under control and, with Bremec hurtling off his line to close him down, he sent his snap shot inches over the bar. The visitors rolled up their sleeves and began to edge their way back into the match, Bondi covering acres of ground in the midfield, but it was a dangerous tactic with Juventus so hungry for goals. Zalayeta, Boumsong and Paro all had efforts on a goal as the Bianconeri extinguished the Tuscan threat and took an iron grip on the game, but Bremec kept his cool in the Arezzo goal. On the stroke of half time, the impressive Palladino delivered another sublime cross in from the right wing; Zalayeta got there first, but with Bremec beaten, he couldn’t keep his glancing header under the bar. It was the last action of a pulsating first half.
The Bianconeri wheeled out the artillery once more as they looked to resume their assault on the Arezzo goal. Three minutes into the second half Palladino skipped past his marker and fired a low pass into the six yard box; Bremec spilled the ball under pressure at his near post and pawed the ball out for a corner with Trezeguet bearing down on the rebound. Juventus were in ruthless form, dominating across the park, and for large spells of the game Arezzo did not have a single player in the Bianconeri half. In the 57th minute Balzaretti presented Trezeguet with a golden opportunity, sending an inch-perfect cross in from the left; the Frenchman got his head to it but couldn’t direct the ball inside Bremec’ left post. A minute later he made amends. Birindelli curled the ball infield from out on the right and, freed up by a superb Palladino dummy, the Frenchman had time to pick his spot, thumping the ball home from the edge of the box (1-0). It took the Bianconeri just seven minutes to register their second. An exemplary team move finished with Trezeguet threading the ball out to an unmarked Palladino on the right; the winger touched the ball on and fired the ball into the far side of the goal past a helpless Bremec (2-0). Deschamps replaced Zanetti with Marchisio on 67 minutes, and Arezzo made some changes of their own, sending on Martinetti and Lombardi on in place of Volpato and Bondi. Juventus continued to hammer away and Trezeguet almost made it three in the 76th minute, chesting down Birindelli’s long ball inside the box and firing narrowly wide on the half-volley. It was a miss he would live to regret. The Bianconeri dropped the tempo to defend the lead and in doing so allowed Arezzo to advance increasingly forward. In the 80th minute Boumsong brought down Floro Flores in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. The substitute Martinetti made no mistake as the Tuscans clawed their way back into the match (2-1). On 83 minutes the unthinkable happened. Juventus had begun to attack in numbers once more and the space left open at the back was exploited in lethal fashion as Martinetti latched onto Croce’s cross and headed home the equaliser (2-2). Juventus rolled up their socks and threw everyone forward, hammering away for an elusive winner. The Tuscans defended bravely but in the 90th minute they were reduced to ten men as Terra saw red for an ugly challenge as the Bianconeri looked to move the ball quickly out of defence. As the game entered time added on, there was not a single player from either side in the Juve half, Buffon excluded. Juventus moved the ball left and right, desperately seeking a chink of light in the Arezzo area but referee Celi’s whistle came all too soon. Arezzo were going home with a precious point while the Bianconeri were left to rue what might have been.
GOALS: Trezeguet 58’, Palladino 65’, Martinetti (pen.) 80’ 83’
BOOKED: Del Piero 39’, Floro Flores 40’, Ranocchia 59’
SENT-OFF: Terra 90’
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Birindelli, Boumsong, Chiellini, Balzaretti; Palladino, Paro, Zanetti (Marchisio 67’), Del Piero; Trezeguet, Zalayeta
Subs: Mirante, Piccolo, Zebina, De Ceglie, Guzman, Bojinov
Coach: Deschamps
AREZZO: Bremec; Barbagli, Ranocchia, Terra, Capelli (Conte 82’); Rosselli, Croce, Bondi (Lombardi 67’), Di Donato; Floro Flores, Volpato (Martinetti 67’)
Subs: Marconato, Goretti, Chiappara, Simonetta
Coach: Sarri
REFEREE: Celi
ASSISTANTS: Masotti, Chiocchi
4TH OFFICIAL: Vivenzi
<br><br>Source: Juventus.com
Juventus made a confident start to the game but it was Arezzo who threatened first, Floro Flores working an opening on the edge of the box in the 3rd minute and firing inches wide of Buffon’s right post. The Bianconeri quickly set about dominating possession and by the ten minute mark, Arezzo were firmly pinned back into their own half. With 15 minutes on the clock, Juventus almost found the opening they were looking for. A rapid counter-attack left Balzaretti in acres of space on the left wing; the fullback feathered a diagonal ball into a crammed Arezzo penalty area but with Bremec stranded, Del Piero could only find the crossbar with his angled header. The pressure began to mount but as the home side ventured increasingly further into the Arezzo half, gaps opened up at the back. The Tuscans looked eager on the counter-attack but Chiellini and Boumsong maintained their focus to snuff out the danger. Juventus were looking to break forward at every opportunity and on 26 minutes, they came close once more. Del Piero broke down the left wing and played a sublime pass to Palladino on the far side with the outside of his boot; the ball skipped up off the wet playing surface as Palladino brought the pass under control and, with Bremec hurtling off his line to close him down, he sent his snap shot inches over the bar. The visitors rolled up their sleeves and began to edge their way back into the match, Bondi covering acres of ground in the midfield, but it was a dangerous tactic with Juventus so hungry for goals. Zalayeta, Boumsong and Paro all had efforts on a goal as the Bianconeri extinguished the Tuscan threat and took an iron grip on the game, but Bremec kept his cool in the Arezzo goal. On the stroke of half time, the impressive Palladino delivered another sublime cross in from the right wing; Zalayeta got there first, but with Bremec beaten, he couldn’t keep his glancing header under the bar. It was the last action of a pulsating first half.
The Bianconeri wheeled out the artillery once more as they looked to resume their assault on the Arezzo goal. Three minutes into the second half Palladino skipped past his marker and fired a low pass into the six yard box; Bremec spilled the ball under pressure at his near post and pawed the ball out for a corner with Trezeguet bearing down on the rebound. Juventus were in ruthless form, dominating across the park, and for large spells of the game Arezzo did not have a single player in the Bianconeri half. In the 57th minute Balzaretti presented Trezeguet with a golden opportunity, sending an inch-perfect cross in from the left; the Frenchman got his head to it but couldn’t direct the ball inside Bremec’ left post. A minute later he made amends. Birindelli curled the ball infield from out on the right and, freed up by a superb Palladino dummy, the Frenchman had time to pick his spot, thumping the ball home from the edge of the box (1-0). It took the Bianconeri just seven minutes to register their second. An exemplary team move finished with Trezeguet threading the ball out to an unmarked Palladino on the right; the winger touched the ball on and fired the ball into the far side of the goal past a helpless Bremec (2-0). Deschamps replaced Zanetti with Marchisio on 67 minutes, and Arezzo made some changes of their own, sending on Martinetti and Lombardi on in place of Volpato and Bondi. Juventus continued to hammer away and Trezeguet almost made it three in the 76th minute, chesting down Birindelli’s long ball inside the box and firing narrowly wide on the half-volley. It was a miss he would live to regret. The Bianconeri dropped the tempo to defend the lead and in doing so allowed Arezzo to advance increasingly forward. In the 80th minute Boumsong brought down Floro Flores in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. The substitute Martinetti made no mistake as the Tuscans clawed their way back into the match (2-1). On 83 minutes the unthinkable happened. Juventus had begun to attack in numbers once more and the space left open at the back was exploited in lethal fashion as Martinetti latched onto Croce’s cross and headed home the equaliser (2-2). Juventus rolled up their socks and threw everyone forward, hammering away for an elusive winner. The Tuscans defended bravely but in the 90th minute they were reduced to ten men as Terra saw red for an ugly challenge as the Bianconeri looked to move the ball quickly out of defence. As the game entered time added on, there was not a single player from either side in the Juve half, Buffon excluded. Juventus moved the ball left and right, desperately seeking a chink of light in the Arezzo area but referee Celi’s whistle came all too soon. Arezzo were going home with a precious point while the Bianconeri were left to rue what might have been.
GOALS: Trezeguet 58’, Palladino 65’, Martinetti (pen.) 80’ 83’
BOOKED: Del Piero 39’, Floro Flores 40’, Ranocchia 59’
SENT-OFF: Terra 90’
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Birindelli, Boumsong, Chiellini, Balzaretti; Palladino, Paro, Zanetti (Marchisio 67’), Del Piero; Trezeguet, Zalayeta
Subs: Mirante, Piccolo, Zebina, De Ceglie, Guzman, Bojinov
Coach: Deschamps
AREZZO: Bremec; Barbagli, Ranocchia, Terra, Capelli (Conte 82’); Rosselli, Croce, Bondi (Lombardi 67’), Di Donato; Floro Flores, Volpato (Martinetti 67’)
Subs: Marconato, Goretti, Chiappara, Simonetta
Coach: Sarri
REFEREE: Celi
ASSISTANTS: Masotti, Chiocchi
4TH OFFICIAL: Vivenzi
<br><br>Source: Juventus.com
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