Post by Salem6 on Oct 9, 2006 5:17:08 GMT
On a warm summer’s evening in late July, Didier Deschamps led his men to the ‘Moccagatta’ stadium for his first game at the helm of Juventus, a convincing victory over a local representative side from Alessandria. More than two months on and the Bianconeri were back in town tonight for a deluxe friendly with Sampdoria, currently lying mid-table in Serie A. With a large
portion of his squad away on international duty, Deschamps called upon eight youngsters from the Primavera for the game with the Ligurians and handed the captain’s armband back to Alessandro Birindelli, who had led his team out on the field last time round. In the stands for the clash were chairman Cobolli-Gigli, CEO and director general Jean-Claude Blanc, sporting director Alessio Secco and Ciro Ferrara, head of the Bianconeri’s youth set up.Juventus started brightly, Zanetti firing a warning shot in the first minute with a vicious half-volley from outside the area, but it was Sampdoria who drew first blood, Flachi firing in the opening goal just one minute later. Receiving a long ball out on the right, the Sampdoria captain cut inside, raced into the box and deftly slotted the ball home past Mirante (0-1). Juventus rolled up their sleeves and began pressing hard for the equaliser,
carving out space in the midfield with some clever one touch passing. In the 11th minute, Marchionni looped a pinpoint cross into the area, Zalayeta had time and space but couldn’t manage a header on goal. The little winger continued to look lively, kipping past defenders and creating all sorts of problems for the Sampdoria defence, but the Ligurians were posing a threat
of their own on the counter-attack and doubled their lead after 20 minutes. Olivera floated a diagonal ball towards the back post from just outside the box, Franceschini hurtled in at pace and cut the ball back to Bazzani, leaving the striker with a simple finish from five yards out (0-2). Marchionni and De Ceglie continued to threaten down the flanks but the Sampdoria back line held firm. In the 32nd minute, Juve carved out another opening, but there was no one there to supply a finish to Marchionni’s
teasing cross from the left wing. Despite the Bianconeri’s best efforts, there were no further changes to the score line before alf-time.
Deschamps rang the changes at the break, bringing on Belardi, Pisani and Giovinco in place of Mirante, Urbano and Rizza, and the game picked up where it had left off, with Juventus threatening from the start. In the 54th minute, Zanetti broke with pace from midfield, and with his opposite man backing off, he unleashed a right footed drive from distance which stung the
palms of Berti and earned his side a corner. On the hour mark, Marchionni yet again sent a dangerous cross into the middle, but the box was empty and Sampdoria emerged unscathed. The young Giovinco impressed with his movement up front, although the Ligurians were working increasingly hard to close Juventus down in the final third. Marchisio replaced Zanetti midway through the second period as the pace of the game began to drop, Sampdoria having made five substitutions of their own. Neither side seemed able to stamp their authority on the game but in the 76th minute, the men from Liguria added a third, Quagliarella spinning his marker on the edge of the box and launching a powerful effort across Belardi’s goal and into the back of the net (0-3). In the 80th minute, Zalayeta nodded the ball back to Marchisio on the edge of the area, the midfielder ran onto the ball with speed but lashed his effort high and wide. Paro made way for Venitucci seconds later, and then, in the 81st minute, Sampdoria netted goal number four of the night, Fontes da Mota converting Bastrini’s lethal cross from the right with a simple finish (0-4). Deschamps gave Marchionni a rest in the 82nd minute, sending on Rodriguez in his place as the Bianconeri looked to close out the remaining minutes. De Ceglie raced up the left wing in the 87th minute, dribbled his way into the box and cut the ball back to Marchisio running in from deep, but the midfielder’s effort was again off target. In the closing seconds Juventus tried again for a consolation goal, Giovinco swinging in a dangerous free-kick from out on the right, but the Sampdoria defence headed clear to secure victory by four goals to nil.
GOALS: Flachi 2’, Bazzani 20’, Quagliarella 76’, Fontes da Mota 81’
BOOKED: Palombo 63’, Accardi 90’
JUVENTUS: Mirante (Belardi 46’); Birindelli (capt.), Legrottaglie, Urbano (Pisani 46’), Rizza (Giovinco 46’); Marchionni (Rodriguez 82’), Zanetti (Marchisio 65’), Paro (Venitucci 80’), De Ceglie; Zalayeta, Guzman Subs: Maniero, Bianco, Lanzafame. Coach: Deschamps
SAMPDORIA: Berti; Zivanovic (Bastrini 65’), Falcone, Sala (Pieri 46’), Accardi; Olivera (Fontes da Mota 73’), Bonanni, Palombo (Castellazzi P. 82’), Franceschini (Soddimo 58’); Bazzani (Foti 69’), Flachi (capt.) (Quagliarella 46’) Subs: Castellazzi L.Coach: Novellino
REFEREE: Orsato (Schio)
ASSISTANTS: Biasutto (Vicenza), Viazzi (Imperia)
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