Post by Salem6 on Apr 14, 2009 11:20:59 GMT
Serie A Week 31 - 11/4/09 (19.30 UK)
Genoa 3 - 2 Juventus
Thiago Motta 29, 48 (G), Del Piero pen 45 (J), Iaquinta 84 (J), Palladino 88 (G)
Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Juventus wasted the chance to catch up to Inter, losing 3-2 at Genoa in a controversial game after Mauro Camoranesi's red card. This result leaves them 10 points adrift of the leaders despite Inter's 2-2 home stalemate with Palermo earlier this afternoon.
This was the worst possible fixture to have, as Genoa were chasing fourth place and also needed the victory, although Diego Milito was injured. Juve remained decimated with Amauri, Momo Sissoko, Cristiano Zanetti, Hasan Salihamidzic, Zdenek Grygera and Alex Manninger out.
Surprisingle, Ruben Olivera was benched for Bosko Jankovic in a new centre-forward role. Genoa had a very strong start and were passing the ball around beautifully. After six minutes Raffaele Palladino had chested down to go clear at the back post and his angled drive beat Gigi Buffon, but not Nicola Legrottaglie on the line.
Moments later Vincenzo Iaquinta was halted after going round the goalkeeper for a very tight, possibly incorrect, offside decision. Thiago Motta wanted a penalty when his shot was charged down by Legrottaglie's arm, but the two players were very close together.
Thiago Motta did very well to stop Alex Del Piero's slalom in the box, but Buffon was at full stretch to block Giuseppe Sculli's strike. Pavel Nedved was furious when he dispossessed Salvatore Bocchetti and fell as they went shoulder-to-shoulder towards the area, but the referee waved play on.
Genoa's pressure eventually paid off after 29 minutes. Giandomenico Mesto cut across the edge of the box and seemed to be brought down, but Thiago Motta picked up the loose ball and fired a low finish into the near bottom corner. There was controversy, though, as Juventus claimed the referee had blown the whistle for the foul before Thiago Motta's strike. The television replays with audio track suggest the whistle came almost simultaneously, but if anything a split second beforehand.
The referee made a terrible mistake just before half-time, as Mesto collided mid-air with Nedved and was covered in blood, but play was allowed to continue. He later needed 15 stitches and was replaced by Rossi.
The tension escalated further when Del Piero pounced on a defensive error and Matteo Ferrari came sliding in for a perfect tackle to take the ball off his foot. However, the referee after consulting with his linesman awarded a penalty. Del Piero kept his cool in front of the baying Marassi crowd to roll past Rubinho.
In stoppages there was another incident, as Camoranesi ran on to a ball over the top and was cut off by Ferrari, who both protected it for Rubinho and barged into the World Cup winner's shoulder, but this time the referee waved play on.
There were no arguments over the goal that ended the first half, as Thiago Motta was allowed a free header from a corner kick that looped into the far top corner with Buffon rooted to the spot.
Straight after the restart Molinaro accidentally clashed heads with teammate Chiellini, but he was able to continue after treatment. Iaquinta chested down a long Christian Poulsen pass to get away from his marker and Rubinho smothered the angled drive.
Juve should've equalised with two great chances in quick succession. Frirst Iaquinta opted to nod back for a Nedved shot that was cleared off the line by Giuseppe Biava, then the move continued and the Czech veteran drilled just over the bar.
The tension rose again when Camoranesi was shown a straight red card for a terrible high tackle on Sculli. He seemed to realise the mistake in going studs up on the opponents' thigh and apologised before walking off. This means Juve had to fight back with 10 men for the final 25 minutes and Camoranesi will be suspended for next week's Scudetto showdown with Inter.
Genoa tried to take advantage of the extra man and Sculli fired wide, but Del Piero came so close to an equaliser as he dribbled past Biava at the byline and tested Rubinho at the near post when he perhaps should've passed to Iaquinta.
Buffon - a lifelong Genoa fan - performed an astounding save on Sculli's header from point-blank range! From the resulting corner Jankovic beat Buffon but not the outside edge of the upright!
Claudio Ranieri made a double change and switched to a three-man defence. It did the trick, as substitute Zdenek Grygera set up the equaliser! Juve fought their way through the Genoa defence until Nedved threaded through for Iaquinta's delicate chip over the on-rushing 'keeper.
However, Genoa restored their advantage with a classic counter-attack. Rossi sprung the offside trap half-way up the field and ran forward undisturbed, but smartly rolled across to Palladino for the easiest of finishes.
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Genoa: Rubinho; Biava, Ferrari, Bocchetti; Mesto (Rossi 42), Thiago Motta, Juric, Criscito; Sculli (Papastathopoulos 79), Jankovic (Olivera 79), Palladino
Juventus: Buffon; Zebina (Grygera 73), Legrottaglie (Marchionni 73), Chiellini, Molinaro; Camoranesi, Marchisio, Poulsen, Nedved; Iaquinta, Del Piero
Ref: Rocchi
Sent off: Camoranesi 66 (J)
www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0809/gen-juv.html