Post by Salem6 on Nov 20, 2007 13:32:23 GMT
Serie A Week 11 - 4/11/07 (19.45 UK)
Juventus 1 - 1 Inter
Cruz 41 (I), Camoranesi 78 (J)
Stadio Olimpico
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Mauro Camoranesi cancelled out Julio Cruz's opener as Juventus held Inter to a 1-1 draw in a fiery Derby d'Italia.
The most eagerly anticipated match of the year saw the bitter rivals do battle for the first time since the Calciopoli scandal that demoted Juve and handed Inter the 2005-06 title. It was also a Scudetto showdown with the Bianconeri wearing a rare underdogs' tag and a fiery homecoming for former local hero Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Roberto Mancini had to reshuffle his midfield with Patrick Vieira, Dejan Stankovic and Luis Jimenez injured, joining Francesco Toldo and Marco Materazzi in the stands. Cristian Chivu went to left-back and Raffaele Palladino started on the right flank.
This fixture had not ended in a draw since 2001, while in the incriminated 2005-06 campaign Juve did the double over their rivals. Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes as Inter were stuck in traffic, but the Olimpico was packed out and the Juve fans unveiled a giant banner that read 'The pitch tells the truth.'
After four minutes Alessandro Del Piero had penalty appeals for an Ivan Cordoba shirt-tug as he tried to turn in the box and Cristiano Zanetti's follow-up was charged down for a corner. Antonio Nocerino was first into the book on nine minutes for a repeated foul on Javier Zanetti, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic disposessed Giorgio Chiellini for a smothered Julio Cruz effort.
Pavel Nedved cut back past Douglas Maicon on the edge of the area to drill wide of the near post, but Luis Figo was carded on his 35th birthday for tripping Chiellini. Nedved and Cristiano Zanetti blasted over from distance, but Julio Cesar was tested by a cheeky Del Piero free kick low at the near post from a tight angle.
Inter were repeatedly caught offside, but when they did break through the trap Gigi Buffon plucked a dangerous cross off the head of Ibra. Figo twice in quick succession held the ball too long and allowed the Juve defence to crowd around him.
Nedved again tried to blast it from distance and was well off target, infuriating David Trezeguet for not picking the pass. Del Piero's free kick whistled past the top corner, but Inter had a great chance when Figo's cross flashed across the face of goal with Cruz and Cesar sliding in unable to make contact.
A Cesar cross was deflected on to the side-netting, but Del Piero clashed with Chivu in the area and was told to get back up.
The Juventus offside trap was used very effectively, but it broke five minutes before half-time. Cesar's pass was chipped up and chested down by Cruz, who took a couple of steps and placed it past Buffon with the inside of his right foot. It was the sixth goal Il Jardinero has put past Buffon in his career.
Moments later Ibrahimovic also sprung the offside trap, but Chiellini stuck to his heels and managed to deflect it inches past the near post.
A marvellous Del Piero backheel sent Palladino clear only for him to be hacked down by Maicon. The referee blew the whistle for half-time with only six seconds of injury time played.
After the restart Trezeguet held up the ball for Del Piero's sharp half-volley that was charged down by Cordoba's thigh. Moments later the ball bobbled in front of Trezeguet and he snatched at the volley as defenders came sliding in.
There was a curious moment when Julio Cesar was booked for time-wasting, but the referee changed his mind when Ranieri and the Juve players defended him, pointing out the ball took a long time to reach him. Nedved was booked for a tackle on Figo and will be suspended for the next round.
Chiellini hauled down Ibrahimovic for a free kick just outside the D. Buffon only parried Chivu's effort into the path of Esteban Cambiasso, but the goal was disallowed for a correct - albeit incredibly tight - offside position.
Trezeguet couldn't quite reach a Palladino centre and Ranieri made his first change, throwing on striker Vincenzo Iaquinta for Nedved. Figo limped off with a calf problem to make way for Nicolas Burdisso and David Suazo replaced goalscorer Cruz.
Ibrahimovic had penalty appeals waved away for a Chiellini shoulder charge, but both seemed to collide mid-air as they went for the ball. There was controversy on 64 minutes as Iaquinta was flagged offside in the area, but replays show he was level.
Burdisso was booked for kicking the ball away, but Walter Samuel got a crucial touch to deny Trezeguet's header from eight yards. At the other end Suazo sprinted between three defenders and still managed to pass to the unmarked Ibrahimovic, but Buffon beat away his shot and gathered the second attempt too.
Maicon went on a slalom through the Juve back line and his cross-shot was deflected on to the side-netting by a determined Chiellini. Palladino horribly wasted a counter-attack with a terrible pass, but Del Piero was surprisingly substituted for the returning Mauro Camoranesi.
Within moments of coming on, Camoranesi created Juve's best chance yet. He dribbled through the Nerazzurri defence, set up Iaquinta for a cross that Cordoba accidentally flicked into the air as he anticipated Trezeguet and Julio Cesar was at full stretch to punch it out from under the crossbar.
Inter also had a great opportunity. A defensive error sent Ibra clear on the left and his low cross was met by a sliding Suazo, parried at point-blank range by Buffon. Moments later the goalkeeper also smothered a Suazo angle drive.
Chiellini's interception was decisive as Maicon won back the ball and crossed for Suazo in the D. The tempo in these final 20 minutes was at breakneck speed and Julio Cesar caught an Antonio Nocerino snapshot. Cesar attempted a backheel on the counter when a simpler move would have been beneficial.
Juventus snatched a deserved equaliser in this increasingly entertaining game 13 minutes from time. Palladino got past Maicon and Iaquinta held up the cros for Camoranesi's volley. It took a deflection off Samuel's shin to loop over the helpless Julio Cesar.
Iaquinta again held up the ball for Trezeguet and the shot was charged down, while a scuffle broke out briefly between Samuel and Iaquinta. Maicon went off with a bruised ribcage and Cesar was stopped on the counter for handling Iaquinta's pass and although he seemed to control with his chest, the shot was closed down anyway.
Chiellini was fortunate not to be carded for smashing into Ibrahimovic's neck in an increasingly ill-tempered and physical duel. Chiellini went down in the Juve area soon after in a scuffle with Burdisso. A poor Julio Cesar goal kick went straight to Juve and Jonathan Zebina's low cross found Iaquinta only for Samuel to dive in for a crucial block.
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Juventus: Buffon; Grygera (Zebina 79), Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro; Palladino, Nocerino, C Zanetti, Nedved (Iaquinta 61); Del Piero (Camoranesi 70), Trezeguet
Inter: Julio Cesar; Maicon (Dacourt 86), Cordoba, Samuel, Chivu; Figo (Burdisso 62), J Zanetti, Cambiasso, Cesar; Ibrahimovic, Cruz (Suazo 65)
Ref: Rocchi
www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0708/juv-int.html