Serie B Tim - 19 Dec 2006 - 10:25 PM

Bologna - Juventus: 0-1

As a tribute to Alessio Ferramosca and Riccardo Neri, the two boys from the Berretti who tragically passed away last Friday, Juventus lined-up before kick-off in white shirts bearing their names.
In his press conference on Thursday, Didier Deschamps had admitted that “football counts for little” in times like these, but win or lose, the Bianconeri were determined to give their all for Alessio and Riccardo from first to last.

Bologna enjoyed a three point advantage over Juventus coming into the clash, but with a game in hand, a win tonight would give the Bianconeri a commanding position at the top of the table. Didier Deschamps welcomed back Zanetti and Del Piero to the starting line-up, while Chiellini moved into the centre of defence in place of Kovac. There was also a place for David Trezeguet on the bench, returning to the squad after more than three weeks on the sidelines.

Wearing black armbands in honour of Alessio and Riccardo, Juventus made a high-tempo start to the game. Balzaretti and Zebina surged forward during the early exchanges but it took a quarter of an hour for the Bianconeri to carve out their first chance of the game, Del Piero testing Antonioli with a powerful right-footed effort from the edge of the box. At the other end, Bellucci was finding his range and in the 25th minute he clipped the ball over his man and forced Buffon into a spectacular reflex save at his near post. Juventus’ reply was almost immediate with Antonioli diving across to deny Zalayeta a thirty-yard screamer seconds later. Some wayward defending by Brisochi gave Del Piero some shooting practice on the half hour mark, but the captain was unable to find the target with either set-piece. The captain came agonisingly close on 39 minutes, but he couldn’t apply a touch after Paro had found him free at the back post with a delightful first-time flick. The talisman made up for the missed chance with some incisive dribbling down the left wing but the half ended on a rather less positive note with Camoranesi forced to withdraw through injury a minute from the break. The winger was replaced by Birindelli and the substitute just had time to watch Del Piero curl another free-kick inches wide of Antonioli’s right post before referee Messina sent the teams into the tunnel for the interval.

As with the first half, the Bianconeri looked to boss possession early on but the Bologna back line held firm. Juventus did manage to pull the Rossoblù apart in the 56th minute, but Zanetti’s conclusion from outside the box was off-target. Bologna began to retreat and the Bianconeri came close again on 59 minutes, Zanetti latching onto the end of Zalayeta’s curling cross and angling a powerful header towards goal. The midfielder was only a fingertip away from breaking the deadlock as the outstretched Antonioli dived across to tip the ball over the bar. Boumsong came close from the resulting corner, but the Bologna goalkeeper was alert to the danger once more, saving on his goal-line as the Juventus strikers looked to pounce. The pressure was mounting and in the 71st minute, Deschamps threw on Trezeguet in place of Del Piero. Two minutes later and the Bianconeri took the lead. Balzaretti raced down the left wing and curled a deep cross into the area; Zalayeta burst into the box, chested the ball under control and smashed the ball into the back of the net off the underside of the bar (0-1). With ten minutes left on the clock, Ulivieri made a double-substitution and seconds later, Marchisio relieved Zanetti. As the game drew to a close the Rossoblù threw everyone forward in a desperate search for an equaliser, but Juventus weathered the storm to close out the game with their goal in tact.

GOALS: Zalayeta 73’

BOOKED: Brioschi 21’, Zalayeta 28’, Balzaretti 53’, Bellucci 73’, Palladino 77’, Della Rocca 90’, Zebina 90+2’

BOLOGNA: Antonioli; Brioschi, Castellini, Terzi; Filippini (Meghni 80’), Mingazzini, Amoroso, Smit; Zauli, Marazzina (Della Rocca 80’), Bellucci
Subs: Colombo, Daino, Mezzano, Morosini, Manfredini
Coach: Ulivieri

JUVENTUS: Buffon; Zebina, Boumsong, Chiellini, Balzaretti; Camoranesi (Birindelli 44’), Zanetti (Marchisio 81’), Paro, Palladino; Zalayeta, Del Piero (Trezeguet 71’)
Subs: Mirante, Kovac, Guzman, Bojinov
Coach: Deschamps

REFEREE: Messina (Bergamo)
Serie B Tim - 22 Dec 2006 - 10:44 PM

Juventus-Arezzo: 2-2

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

Scores and Tables Serie B Tim - Scores Serie B Tim - Table Tim Cup 16th of January, 04.00 pm - Serie B TIM Mantova - Juventus     23 Dec 12:03 AM - Palladino: “We lacked a bit of nastiness in attack” 12:02 AM - Marchisio: “Results don’t always reflect performances” 12:01 AM - Deschamps: “We must remain humble” 10:44 PM - Juventus-Arezzo: 2-2 9:30 PM - Livematch: Juventus - Arezzo 2-2 9:28 PM - Juventus - Arezzo: 0-0 10:45 AM - Press Release   All the news Juventus - Arezzo 2-2 Bologna - Juventus 0-1 Juventus - Verona 1-0 Genoa - Juventus 1-1 Juventus - Lecce 4-1 Albinoleffe – Juventus 1–1 Juventus - Pescara 2-0   All the latest galleries Subscribe our Newsletters and you'll receive all the updates

Serie B TIM - Table Pos  Team Pts P W D L F A 1  Rimini 33 18 9 6 3 31 15 2  Piacenza 33 18 10 3 5 21 16 3  Juventus 32 17 12 5 0 30 8 4  Napoli 32 18 8 8 2 19 11 5  Genoa 32 18 9 5 4 30 23 6  Bologna 32 18 10 2 6 24 17 7  Mantova 30 18 7 9 2 20 12 8  Bari 27 18 7 6 5 18 12 9  Albinoleffe 27 18 5 12 1 18 14 10  Cesena 25 17 6 7 4 26 25 11  Frosinone 25 18 7 4 7 21 22 12  Triestina 23 17 6 6 5 13 15 13  Brescia 22 18 5 7 6 17 20 14  Lecce 20 18 6 2 10 24 30 15  Treviso 19 18 4 7 7 20 23 16  Spezia 19 18 4 7 7 17 22 17  Modena 19 18 5 4 9 11 18 18  Crotone 16 17 3 7 7 15 24 19  Vicenza 15 18 3 6 9 16 20 20  Verona 11 18 2 5 11 6 19 21  Arezzo 7 18 2 7 9 9 19 22  Pescara 6 18 0 7 11 12 33 18th Round - 22/12/2007   Albinoleffe Pescara 0 - 0   Brescia Bologna 1 - 1   Crotone Triestina -   Genoa Bari 0 - 0   Juventus Arezzo 2 - 2   Lecce Vicenza 1 - 2   Modena Napoli 0 - 0   Piacenza Cesena 4 - 0   Rimini Spezia 2 - 1   Treviso Frosinone 3 - 0   Verona Mantova 0 - 3