Post by Salem6 on Jan 15, 2007 6:47:39 GMT
The last time these two sides met was back in March 1972. The game finished 1-1 that day, and while Juventus went on to claim the title, Mantova were relegated to Serie B. Like the Bianconeri, the home side’s ambitions lie at the business end of the table this year, and this afternoon’s game promised to be a lively affair as a sell-out crowd lined up to watch the first championship engagement of 2007. Deschamps was without Boumsong, Chiellini, Zanetti and Palladino (all victims of the ill-fated clash at the San Siro last weekend) and went for a 4-3-1-2 line up, with Kovac and Zebina in the centre of defence and an attacking trio of Del Piero, Trezeguet and Zalayeta.
It was the home side who carved out the first chance of a tentative first ten minutes, Bernacci finding himself in space on the edge of the box in the 6th minute and dragging a rushed shot wide of Buffon’s right post. Despite their best endeavours, neither side were able to string together anything meaningful over the first quarter of an hour; a wayward header from Godeas was the pick of the home side’s efforts, while at the other end, Del Piero conducted the play for the Bianconeri with authority. In the 19th minute it was the captain himself who provided Trezeguet with the first chance of the game for Juventus, but the Frenchman failed to connect on the volley as the ball flashed across the box at pace. It was a scrappy affair, with possession changing hands regularly, but as the minutes ticked away, Mantova began to ask questions of the Bianconeri defence. Zebina needed to stay alert on 23 minutes, clearing a dangerous Godeas cross from danger, and it took a vital intervention from Balzaretti in the 38th minute to divert Bernacci’s effort over the bar after some neat play from Caridi out on the right. Del Piero tested Brivio with a long-range effort on the stroke of half time but there was no way through. 0-0 at the break.
There were no changes from either side at the interval but the inertia didn’t last for long as the home side took the lead on 53 minutes. Caridi angled a high ball into the box from deep and, under pressure from two Bianconeri defenders, Bernacci brought the ball under control and poked a low effort past Buffon to open the scoring (1-0). Deschamps played his first tactical move of the afternoon four minutes later, taking off Piccolo and replacing him with Camoranesi. The substitution had an immediate impact as Juventus began to take the game by the scruff of the neck. On 61 minutes Camoranesi latched onto a Zalayeta cross and flicked the ball across goal with the back of his heel. Del Piero raced in at the far post but the Mantova defender got there just in time. Two minutes later, the captain was involved once again, rolling the ball through to Trezeguet deep in the home side’s area; the Frenchman rounded Brivio with his first touch but having left himself with the narrowest of angles, he was unable to direct the ball between the sticks. Mantova were forced to make a change on 68 minutes, the injured Sommese making way for Tarana. With twenty minutes to go, it took some good defending from Kovac to glance the ball away from Bernacci in the danger area, and on 72 minutes, Godeas showed immaculate technique to slam a bicycle-kick against Buffon’s bar from fifteen yards out. The tempo increased dramatically as the game entered its closing stages. On 73 minutes, Camoranesi served Trezeguet in the area and it took some desperate defending from Mantova to hack away the Frenchman’s header on the goal line. Buffon was forced to withdraw though injury and was replaced by Mirante in the 79th minute as the Bianconeri poured numbers forward. Caridi made way for Spinale on 82 minutes as Di Carlo made his final change of the afternoon (Noselli had replaced Bernacci in the 76th minute), introducing another set of fresh legs to break down the Juventus wave of attacks. The Bianconeri piled on the pressure but Mantova maintained their concentration at the back, sweeping up the danger. Deschamps threw on De Ceglie for Birindelli in the dying minutes and with only seconds left on the clock, Paro found Del Piero free in the box with a curling cross; the captain made space for himself with his first touch but with the whole goal to aim at, he fired the ball inches over Brivios’ bar. It was the last throw of the dice for the Bianconeri as seconds later, referee Giannoccaro brought proceedings to a halt. 1-0 to Mantova.
GOALS: Bernacci 53’
BOOKED: Birindelli 69’, Notari 75’, Spinale 88’
MANTOVA: Brivio; Sacchetti, Notari, Cristante, Mezzanotti; Sommese (Tarana 68’), Grauso, Doga, Caridi (Spinale 82’); Bernacci (Noselli 76’), Godeas
Subs: Bellodi, Di Cesare, Altinier, Brambilla
Coach: Di Carlo
JUVENTUS: Buffon (Mirante 79’); Birindelli, Kovac, Zebina, Balzaretti; Piccolo (Camoranesi 57’), Paro, Marchisio; Del Piero, Trezeguet, Zalayeta
Subs: Urbano, De Ceglie, Venitucci, Guzman, Bojinov
Coach: Deschamps
REFEREE: Giannoccaro
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