Post by Salem6 on Apr 6, 2009 11:46:49 GMT
Serie A Week 30 - 5/4/09 (14.00 UK)
Juventus 3 - 3 Chievo
Pellissier 25, 43, 90 (C), Chiellini 34 (J), Morero og 53 (J), Iaquinta 79 (J)
Stadio Olimpico
Sergio Pellissier scored an incredible last-gasp hat-trick to hold Juventus to a shock 3-3 draw, but Olof Mellberg will not want to remember this game.
The Bianconeri were coming off five consecutive victories and chasing down leaders Inter, but knew Chievo were in great shape thanks to wins over Lazio and Palermo. The Flying Donkeys were defeated just once in 2009 and burst out of the drop zone, but missed Stephen Makinwa, Moro and Nicolas Frey. Their record against Juventus was disastrous, as in 11 meetings they managed one point, losing all five in Turin!
Juve welcomed back Mauro Camoranesi and Paolo De Ceglie from long lay-offs, but were still without Amauri, Momo Sissoko, Cristiano Zanetti, Nicola Legrottaglie and Alex Manninger. Gianluigi Buffon celebrated his 300th appearance in a Juventus shirt.
Gennaro Sardo was halted inside the box for an incorrect offside decision and Alessandro Del Piero's free kick was just over. Hasan Salihamidzic picked up a knock almost immediately and was replaced by Mauro Camoranesi.
Chievo were continually causing problems down the right flank and it was with a similar move they took a shock lead in Turin! Sergio Pellissier ran past Giorgio Chiellini to get on the end of a sweeping cross and waltzed round Buffon.
Pellissier could've had a second on the half-hour mark, but he was stopped one-on-one for an extremely tight offside decision. Mario Yepes intercepted Vincenzo Iaquinta's knockdown for Del Piero and Juventus equalised from the resulting corner.
It was Chiellini partly at fault for the first goal, so it was only right he scored a stunner to cancel it out. He was quickest to react to a Camoranesi backheel flick and smashed the left-foot strike in off the underside of the crossbar!
That goal changed the feel of the game, as the Bianconeri were now pouring forward with Stefano Sorrentino keeping out Claudio Marchisio and Tiago Mendes, while his palms were stung by Del Piero. Sebastian Giovinco's free kick flashed across the face of goal.
However, Chievo struck again on the counter-attack! This time Pellissier burst pace Olof Mellberg down that right Chievo flank and his snooker-shot rolled past Buffon's outstretched fingertips into the far bottom corner.
Claudio Ranieri completed his substitutions straight after the break by surprisingly replacing Del Piero and Grygera with David Trezeguet and Jonathan Zebina.
Juventus equalised almost by accident, as Camoranesi knocked back Molinaro's cross into the six-yard box, where Yepes and then Morero got touches to prod the ball into their own net.
Within 60 seconds Iaquinta's header had tested Sorrentino and Trezeguet's follow-up whistled wide. Chiellini also nodded just off target, while Sorrentino fumbled a cross into the path of Camoranesi and the Chievo defence managed to close him down.
Time was running out, but Juve took the lead for the first time in the match ith 11 minutes left on the clock. Camoranesi chipped up a cross for Iaquinta's towering header at the back post that looped over Sorrentino.
Yet Chievo threatened 3-3 in the final minute when Luca Rigoni trapped an Esposito chipped pass and fired it over the bar on the bounce.
It was only a warning, as in stoppages Pellissier completed his hat-trick! Antonio Langella robbed Mellberg down Chievo's left flank and crossed from the byline for Pellissier's towering header at the back post.
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Juventus: Buffon; Grygera (Zebina 46), Mellberg, Chiellini, Molinaro; Salihamidzic (Camoranesi 24), Marchisio, Tiago, Giovinco; Iaquinta, Del Piero (Trezeguet 46)
Chievo: Sorrentino; Sardo (Mandelli 70), Morero, Yepes, Mantovani; Luciano, Rigoni, Marcolini; (Langella 82) Pinzi; Bogdani (Esposito 65), Pellissier
Ref: Mazzoleni
www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0809/juv-chi.html