++ [ originally posted by Andy ] ++
Not a bad match today, however not a great one either. I would not say we dominated the match, however we did not look inferior by any stretch. The midfield and the defense looked very solid today, and the only way Atalanta was going to get a goal on the board was if we put the ball in our own net for them, which unfortunately happened. I am not that mad at Capello for the tactics he used, especially since we were without Nedved and Blasi, however Tacchinardi was solid and Olivera filled in nicely for Nedved. Actually no, Olivera's performance just as good as a Nedved performance today. The scoreline is obviously decieving, and it should have ended up 2-0, only if Buffon would have just picked the ball up. We still have work to do offensively though, and Capello will be working on this as we get closer to the Real Madrid match. Personally I see a form improvement from the team in the upcoming weeks before the titanic clash against Real.
Buffon did not have much to do, except punch a few incoming balls out of danger. That was one of his worst performances all season, allbeit because of that mistake. I wish he would have just picked the ball up...
Zebina looked good today, and did not make many mistakes. Hopefully he is getting better, but again it was the worst team in Serie A today...
Thuram was arguably our best player, and made a lot of good tackles and clearing headers. He keeps showing that he is one of the top three defenders in the world. I blame his own goal on Buffon because he should have picked up the ball; it was not an intentional back pass.
Cannavaro was solid as always, another good match.
Zambrotta made some very nice runs up the pitch, especially in the first half, and he combined well with Olivera. He was skipping past Atalanta defenders like they were high school players in some cases.
Camoranesi was alright, however he still gives the ball away too much for my liking. He does create lots of good opportunities, so in a way it makes up for his bad passes in the middle of the pitch. He needs to improve in that respect in time for the Real match.
Emerson was a beast in midfield, as always, and his passing is supurb for a midfield destoyer. He might be our most important player this season.
Tacchinardi was solid in midfield today, and looked good stepping in for Blasi. I would surely choose him over Appiah anyday of the week.
Olivera was our best player in the first half, no question. His touches were supub, his passing was good, and his link up play on the left was fantastic. His goal was from a man who does not lack confidence and is ready to take a major role in our team. I say it again, Olivera has a bright future with Juventus, and he deserves a starting role with the team.
Trezeguet did not do much except for a good shot in the first half, however he did seem to be moving a lot.
Zlatan did not do much either, however he held the ball up like always. He also showed great restraint in not retaliating against the Mike Tyson wannabe Natale. Good move by Capello taking him off and giving him a well-needed rest.
Del Piero did not do much, however he scored the penality which actually was the winning goal. Even though he did not do much apart from the pk, that's good enough for me today.
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I should see the match..
