Post by Salem6 on Oct 22, 2007 14:42:31 GMT
Serie A Week 8 - 21/10/07 (19.30 UK)
Juventus 1 - 0 Genoa
Del Piero 36 (J)
Stadio Olimpico
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Alessandro Del Piero celebrated his contract extension with the winner as Juventus defeated Genoa 1-0 to go clear in second place, but Claudio Ranieri and Pavel Nedved were sent off.
These two sides were promoted in the summer, but were already battling for the top spots. Juve needed a victory to keep up the pace set by leaders Inter, while Genoa were coming off three straight wins, but had not won in Turin since 1991.
Alessandro Del Piero played his first game since penning a new contract until 2010, but Vincenzo Iaquinta was out with a flu bug, joining Mauro Camoranesi, Jorge Andrade and Jean-Alain Boumsong on the sidelines. Former Juve hitman Marco Di Vaio led the line for the Grifone. Curiously, Del Piero had only ever scored against Genoa once, in 1994, the same game where he had one of two red cards in his entire career.
There were early efforts from Di Vaio and Giorgio Chiellini, but David Trezeguet had a header plucked off the line from Grygera's cross. The Frenchman also attempted a spectacular volley, but it didn't quite come off.
Del Piero sporting a new haircut went on a mazy run down the right flank and cut back for Pavel Nedved, but the ball was eventually closed down amid a crowd of Genoa bodies. As the move continued with Antonio Nocerino's header, Nedved tried to volley it when he should have left it for Trezeguet.
Del Piero was in sparkling form and dribbled past Konko to put the ball ito the centre, but Rubinho was at full stretch to push it away from danger and Nedved couldn't pounce.
Di Vaio was Genoa's most dangerous player and his half-volley flashed across the face of goal.
It was fitting that Del Piero should break the deadlock on his first match since extending his contract. His 219th official goal in a Juve jersey was a fine volley with the outside of his right foot from six yards, meeting Nedved's cross from the left.
Rubinho had to fly to fingertip a trademark Del Piero free kick out from under the crossbar as it dipped mercilessly over the defensive wall.
Di Vaio was the first to be substituted by Julio Cesar Leon and moments later Genoa nearly took the lead. Cristian Molinaro's error left Giuseppe Sculli clear on goal and Gigi Buffon performed a great save to keep it out. From the resulting corner Marco Borriello couldn't get enough contact on his header.
Leon curled a free kick over the bar, but Sculli slipped and suffered what appeared to be a groin strain. The Juventus youth product was stretchered off and replaced by Ndiaye Papa Waigo.
The substitute almost immediately put in a taut cross that Nicola Legrottaglie had to clear for a corner. From the corner Buffon fingertipped a looping Marco Borriello header over the bar.
The tension rose and Del Piero and Alessandro Lucarelli were booked for a scuffle. Perhaps also due to this - and the fact he is set to become a father any day now - he was rested for the final minutes in favour of Raffaele Palladino.
Just three minutes from time Ranieri lost his traditional cool head when the referee awarded a free kick for Palladino's contact on Cesare Bovo. The Coach was furious and was sent off for swearing at the official.
Genoa never stopped believing and in stoppages a corner kick found a glancing Papa Waigo header that looped into the air and was somehow cleared with some difficulty by the Bianconeri defence.
The tension rose further as an angry Nedved was booked for a sliding tackle on Omar Milanetto. The Czech was so livid that at the final whistle he appeared to elbow Abdoullay Konko and got a straight red card in addition to the yellow, so he'll face a lengthy ban and may be suspended for the showdown with Inter. Genoa clearly bring the worst out of Nedved, as last season in Serie B he received a five-match ban for an incident in this fixture.
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Juventus: Buffon; Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Salihamidzic, Nocerino, Zanetti (Almiron 80), Nedved; Del Piero (Palladino 79), Trezeguet
Genoa: Rubinho; Konko, Bovo, Lucarelli; Rossi (Fabiano 83), Milanetto, Juric, Danilo; Sculli (Papa Waigo 70), Borriello, Di Vaio (Leon 54)
Ref: Banti
Sent off: Nedved 93 (J)
www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0708/juv-gen.html
Pts P W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A
Inter 20 8 6 2 0 17 5 3 1 0 8 2 3 1 0 9 3
Juventus 17 8 5 2 1 17 7 3 0 1 10 2 2 2 0 7 5
Fiorentina 16 8 4 4 0 16 7 2 3 0 11 6 2 1 0 5 1
Roma 15 8 4 3 1 19 12 1 2 1 10 10 3 1 0 9 2
Genoa 12 8 3 3 2 8 8 2 1 1 6 6 1 2 1 2 2
Palermo 12 8 3 3 2 11 11 1 2 1 4 5 2 1 1 7 6
Udinese 12 8 3 3 2 9 11 2 1 1 5 7 1 2 1 4 4
Napoli 11 8 3 2 3 14 10 2 0 2 4 4 1 2 1 10 6
Sampdoria 11 8 3 2 3 8 7 2 2 0 6 0 1 0 3 2 7
Atalanta 11 8 2 5 1 10 10 2 2 0 6 3 0 3 1 4 7
Milan 10 8 2 4 2 13 8 0 3 1 3 4 2 1 1 10 4
Catania 10 8 2 4 2 6 7 2 1 1 2 1 0 3 1 4 6
Lazio 10 8 2 4 2 9 11 1 2 1 6 8 1 2 1 3 3
Torino 8 8 1 5 2 9 11 1 2 1 4 4 0 3 1 5 7
Cagliari 8 8 2 2 4 8 11 1 1 2 4 5 1 1 2 4 6
Empoli 8 8 2 2 4 5 10 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 3 2 7
Siena 6 8 1 3 4 7 12 1 2 1 6 4 0 1 3 1 8
Parma 6 8 1 3 4 7 14 1 2 1 5 6 0 1 3 2 8
Reggina 4 8 0 4 4 5 14 0 2 2 2 5 0 2 2 3 9
Livorno 2 8 0 2 6 6 18 0 1 3 4 10 0 1 3 2 8