Juventus take home the eighth consecutive win in the championship and equal their own record, thanks to a sound 3-0 over Lecce. Ibrahimovic unblocks himself scoring his first goal in this season and Mutu and Zalayeta seal the result in the second half.
At Lecce, Capello lines up Del Piero and Ibrahimovic in attack supported by Mutu and with Zambrotta and Chiellini on the flanks. The Bianconeri take immediately up the reins of the game and take the advantage on their first attempt: after 9 minutes, Ibrahimovic breaks away and,once into the area, drives a cross shot that flashes past Sicignano into the bottom corner on his right. Lecce seem bemused by the goal conceded and manage to react only 10 minutes later. Ledesma hits a corner shot from the right and serves Konan on the edge of the box but the striker’s left-footed shot ends high over the crossbar. After 22 minutes, it’s Konan again, but his low cross-shot is not intercepted by Vucinic. On 27’ minutes, Cassetti kicks a cross shot from the right, Abbiati hits the ball with the flat of the hand, the ball arrives to Ledesma who pulls it back in the middle but none of his teammates can reach it. One minute later, Nedved engages Sicignano with a tricky finish from outside the box. On 38’ minutes, Juventus get close to doubling the score: a fine pass between Del Piero and Nedved, the Czech assists Mutu on the edge of the area, a powerful right-footed shot gets hit back by Sicignano, the ball bounces back to Ibrahimovic who, however, misses the target and the ball gets high over the bar.
Two minutes later, the protagonist is Nedved again: the Czech grabs the ball on the edge of the box and sends Ibrahimovic in but the pass is too long and Sicignano successfully anticipate the Swedish forward. On 44’ minutes, Mutu receives the ball from Chiellini in the midfield, drives down to Lecce’s side and tries a right-footed shot but it ends high, while on 46’ minutes, in the extra time, Del Piero earns a free kick from an interesting position; it’s the very captain who shoots but Sicignano manages to clear the last attack of the first half.
In the second half, Capello replaces Ibrahimovic with Zalayeta and the very him, after only 1 minute, heads the ball high over the bar, following Chiellini’s fine cross shot from the flank, while after 8’ he cuts in but his finish is cleared by Sicignano. The match goes on at a quite low pace, also because of the playground made heavy by the rain. Lecce try to fight back with Cassetti, who comes out with a great shot from the distance, deflected into the corner by the Bianconeri defence and three minutes later with Valdes who eventually gets anticipated by Abbiati’s courageous coming out. And it’s just because of this action that the Bianconeri’s goalkeeper has to replaced by Chimenti, while one minute earlier Del Piero had been substituted Camoranesi. Abbiati has only the time to sit down on the bench before celebrating Juventus’s second goal: on 36’ minutes, Mutu receives the ball from Zalayeta and, from outside the box, he drives a powerful left-footed shot that, maybe deflected by Pecorari, slides in behind Sicignano’s back. Lecce get dangerous again on 41’ minutes with a great left-footed cross by Cozzolino, saved by Chimenti, then the ball gets back to Abruzzese but his header ends high over the crossbar. On 46’ minutes, Mutu has the chance to double his personal score but his finish, served by a fine pass from Zalayeta, is cleared by Sicignano. The extra time offers more thrills: on 48’ minutes, Cozzolino intercepts a wandering ball in the box and shoots at goal but Chimenti is very good at clearing, while one minute later Zalayeta is served in the area and scores the third goal for the Bianconeri. It’s the end of the match: Juventus equal their own record of eight consecutive wins in the championship.
LECCE vs JUVENTUS 0-3
GOALS: 9’ f.h. Ibrahimovic, 36’ s.h. Mutu, 49’ s.h. Zalayeta
LECCE: Sicignano; Cassetti, Pecorari, Stovini, Diamoutene; Marianini (30’ s.h. Valdes), Ledesma, Konan, Del Vecchio, Camorani (36’ f.h. Cozzolino); Vucinic.
Substitutes: Benussi, Angelo, Abruzzese, Eremenko, Pellè.
Coach: Baldini
JUVENTUS: Abbiati (35’ s.h. Chimenti); Zambrotta, Kovac, Cannavaro, Chiellini; Emerson, Giannichedda, Nedved Mutu; Del Piero(34’ s.h. Camoranesi), Ibraimovich (1’ s.h. Zalayeta)
Substitutes: Pessotto, Gladstone, Blasi, Trezeguet.
Coach: Capello
YELLOW CARD: 10’ s.h. Cassetti
REFEREE: Racalbuto
ASSISTANT REFEREES : Rosomando, Alvino
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Dattilo
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