Juve completely dominated the first half, missing a whole host of chances, with Marco Marchionni firing over an open goal, and David Trezeguet hitting the post and having an effort cleared off the line. Sampdoria also hit the woodwork through Cristian Maggio against the run of play.
Claudio Ranieri then made a simply disastrous decision, opting to replace Alessandro Del Piero at half time with Vincenzo Iaquinta, and the Bianconeri badly missed the link-up play that the Golden Boy brings. Juve failed to create a single chance after the interval and the game finished goalless.
Juventus came into this game with a host of injury problems, particularly in defence. Giorgio Chiellini, Jonathan Zebina, Mauro Camoranesi and long-term absentee Jorge Andrade were all sidelined, while Antonio Nocerino was suspended.
Sampdoria received a huge blow when Antonio Cassano was forced out with a minor problem, and they were also minus the injured Vincenzo Montella. Midfielder Sergio Volpi was relegated to the bench after a mid-week fallout with boss Walter Mazzarri.
Samp had the first attempt of the game as Claudio Bellucci curled a free-kick over the wall but it comfortably cleared the bar.
Down the other end Cristian Molinaro burst forward brilliantly from left back, nutmegging his man and firing in a cross that was cleared away. Juve started to up the tempo and Marco Marchionni threatened after going on a mazy run inside the area.
The ex-Parma man was then guilty of a simply astonishing miss on 11 minutes. Pavel Nedved did brilliantly down the left on the counter-attack and put the ball across the six-yard box, but Marchionni somehow contrived to put the ball over of an open-goal. It will undoubtedly go down as a contender for miss of the season.
Sampdoria received a blow halfway through the first period when Paolo Sammarco was forced off with injury and was replaced by Gennaro Delvecchio.
Juve were completely dominating possession and were camped inside their opponents half. On 29 minutes they were so close to taking the lead as David Trezeguet darted in front of his marker at the near-post to flick on a Molinaro cross, but the ball finished inches wide of Luca Castellazzi’s post.
Molinaro was in inspired form and was causing Samp all sorts of problems with his raids down the left flank.
On 33 minutes there was another incredible escape for the Blucerchaiti. First Marchionni was denied by Castellazzi amid chaotic scenes inside the area, before Trezeguet has his close-range effort brilliantly cleared off the line by Pietro Accardi. The Frenchman claimed that the ball was over the line but replays showed that the officials made the correct decision.
Juve were laying siege to the Sampdoria goal and two minutes later Trezeguet was desperately unlucky again not to score. The prolific hitman connected with a cross from the left but his volleyed effort into the ground cannoned off the crossbar!!
As the game approached half-time Claudio Ranieri must have been wondering how his team were not ahead. The Tinkerman’s luck could have got even worse as Sampdoria almost stole the lead on 41 minutes.
Maggio lost his man at a corner and thumped in a header which slammed off the post and went wide, with Buffon beaten.
Despite Juve’s first half dominance Ranieri decided to replace Del Piero at half-time for Vincenzo Iaquinta, possibly in a bid to add some extra pace and height to the attack.
Juve seemed to react badly to the change and Palombo hit a ferocious, dipping attempt for the away side from 30 yards that just cleared the bar.
On 57 minutes the home side called for a penalty following an alleged handball from Mirko Pieri but the referee waved away the appeals.
Palombo was competing well in midfield and he fired in another long-range effort but scuffed the ball well wide.
The Bianconeri were really struggling since Ranieri’s half-time changes and with Del Piero off the pitch there was no link-up play between the midfield and attack.
Palombo was competing well in midfield and he fired in another long-range effort but scuffed the ball well wide.
Nedved was looking like the only player capable of finding Juve a winner. The Czech veteran was working tirelessly and he was upended right on the edge of the area but the referee didn’t award a free-kick.
Juve then cried for a penalty twice in quick succession around the 75 minute mark. First Marchionni went down under a challenge from Franceschini, then Trezeguet was floored following a coming together with his marker. On both occasions the referee waved away the appeals.
The dreadfully disappointing Iaquinta destroyed a promising opening for Juve down the left with a very poor cross, before Nedved burst forward and fired in a dangerous left-footed shot that was cleared away by the increasingly deep Sampdoria defence.
Juventus were simply awful in the second-half and it was all too easy for the impressive Samp centre-backs Accardi, Daniele Galstadello and Hugo Campagnaro.
In the 89th Trezeguet got in front of his marker and powered in a header but the ball drifted well wide.
Substitute Sergio Almiron also had a headed attempt from a corner, before Trezeguet found a bit of space in the last minute of stoppage time but lashed a volley well over the bar.
The game finished goalless and although the Sampdoria defence deserve great credit for holding the Bianconeri, it is inevitable that Claudio Ranieri will receive all the criticism for his ill-fated decision to replace Del Piero with Iaquinta at half time.
Juventus: Buffon, Birindelli (Almiron 82), Grygera, Legrottaglie, Molinaro, Marchionni (Palladino 73), Nedved, Salihamidzic, Zanetti, Del Piero (Iaquinta 45), Trezeguet
Sampdoria: Castellazzi, Accardi, Maggio, Campagnaro, Pieri, Palombo, Franceschini, Sammarco (Delvecchio 21), Bellucci, Bonazzoli (Volpi 79)
Carlo Garganese
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