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Serie A Week 17 - 21/12/05 (19.30 UK)
Juventus 2 - 0 Siena
Cannavaro 13 (J), Trezeguet 54 (J)
Stadio Delle Alpi
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Juventus disposed of Siena with David Trezeguet netting for the ninth game in a row to crown them Winter Champions two rounds early.
The Bianconeri dropped points for only the second time this season in Saturday's draw at Lazio, but expected to shrug Siena aside at the Delle Alpi, especially with Emerson's return from injury. Adrian Mutu stepped in for the suspended Pavel Nedved. The visitors had won just one of their previous six games and the pressure was on Coach Gigi De Canio.
There were several familiar faces in the Tuscan squad, as Nicola Legrottaglie, Matteo Paro, Daniele Gastaldello, Antonio Mirante and Igor Tudor are all former Juve men. Paolo Negro, Gianluca Falsini, Roberto D'Aversa and the suspended Simone Vergassola were sidelined. Surprisingly, Enrico Chiesa was rested to begin with.
Siena had the first chance when Tomas Locatelli threaded through for Erjon Bogdani, but the Albanian's first touch let him down.
There was tension after eight minutes when Patrick Vieira and Alberto were pulled apart after a scuffle in midfield.
Juve took the lead from a corner kick, as Fabio Cannavaro rose above the Siena defenders to nod in Mauro Camoranesi's set-piece.
It was nearly 2-0 soon after, but Mirante performed a great save on Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the end of a fine duet with Mutu.
Paolo Foglio also wasted a good opportunity for the visitors, while Ibrahimovic drilled wide and Mirante was tested by a Gastaldello deflection.
Siena were by no means under excessive pressure in Turin and Matteo Paro's cross-shot only just failed to get a decisive touch off Igor Tudor.
Another free kick from Juve youth product Paro was pushed round the post by Christian Abbiati.
At the start of the second half, Siena really should've equalised. Locatelli set Bogdani up in a one-on-one situation with Abbiati, but the striker somehow failed to make the most of it by hesitating from seven yards.
However, Siena were made to pay for their errors, as Tudor kept David Trezeguet onside and the Frenchman waltzed round Mirante's ill-advised rush off his line to deposit into an empty net. Trez has now scored in the last nine consecutive games.
Enrico Chiesa and Alessandro Del Piero came on for the final half-hour and within seconds the Juve substitute had fired just wide of the near post.
A splendid Ibrahimovic flick left his marker behind, but Mutu failed to finish off the move thanks to a Mirante save.
There was controversy on 73 minutes, as Abbiati came out to anticipate Chiesa and handled the ball just outside the area. The Juventus goalkeeper tried valiantly to avoid taking it over the line, but the referee chose a curious solution and booked him instead of showing a straight red card.
From the resulting free kick, Chiesa thumped the far post with a fantastic curling shot and Abbiati did well to palm away Alberto's follow-up.
Mirante performed a good save to prevent Del Piero getting his goal, plucking the ball off his feet from six yards.
Gianluca Zambrotta was booked for a shocking challenge on Molinaro and will miss the game with Palermo.
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Juventus: Abbiati; Zambrotta, Thuram, Cannavaro, Chiellini; Camoranesi, Emerson, Vieira, Mutu; Ibrahimovic (Zalayeta 78), Trezeguet (Del Piero 59)
Siena: Mirante; Portanova, Legrottaglie (Colonnese 74), Tudor, Gastaldello (Chiesa 59); Alberto, Foglio (Mignani 88), Paro, Molinaro; Locatelli, Bogdani
Ref: De Santis