Post by Salem6 on May 8, 2012 13:47:57 GMT
Juventus have been crowned champions of Italy for the 30th time in the club’s history following a pulsating 2-0 win over Cagliari in Trieste.
The Bianconeri - who emerged victorious thanks to Vucinic’s early strike and Canini’s second half own goal - were kept constantly abreast of breaking developments at the San Siro, where Inter’s 4-2 win over Milan enabled Antonio Conte’s men to race four points clear and clinch the title with a game to spare.
The final whistle sparked scenes of celebration, with the numerous travelling supporters gathering on the pitch to hail the extraordinary feat achieved by their magnificent unbeaten team.
Just two changes were made from the 1-1 midweek draw with Lecce. De Ceglie, substituted in the opening stages of Wednesday’s fixture, missed out with a thigh strain and was replaced by Pepe. Former Cagliari striker Matri partnered Vucinic up front.
Juventus burst out the traps at a ferocious pace and saw their fine start rewarded with just six minutes on the clock. Bonucci was heavily involved in the build-up, springing the offside trap to perfection with a glorious pass from deep, and Vucinic did the rest by maintaining his composure to tuck a low drive under Agazzi.
And things got even better as news of Inter’s opener at the San Siro was conveyed to the players via a deafening roar that echoed around the Nereo Rocco. Undeterred, the Bianconeri remained focused and went close to doubling their lead when Pepe’s fierce drive was beaten away by Agazzi.
Conte was forced into a change midway through the first half after Lichtsteiner came off worse following a clash of heads with Rossoblu top scorer Pinilla. The defender left the action on a stretcher and was replaced by Caceres.
Cagliari, who had their top-flight status mathematically confirmed in midweek, lacked killer instinct in front of goal, with Pinilla’s thunderous attempt from range the closest they went to troubling Buffon in the first half.
And the Bianconeri almost established a two-goal cushion when Pepe lashed a low angled effort which flashed narrowly wide of Agazzi’s far post.
The second half was a scrappy, fractious affair littered with free-kicks and stoppages. But the visitors held their nerve and nullified any threat posed by the fresh legs of Cossu and Larrivey. Conte also opted to inject fresh impetus by replacing Vidal and Matri with Giaccherini and Borriello respectively.
Any lingering doubts concerning the final outcome were put to bed sixteen minutes from time when Caceres’ cross from the right-hand side drifted towards Borriello and caused panic in the Rossoblu rearguard, forcing Canini to stretch out a foot and accidentally divert the ball past Agazzi.
As the minutes ticked down towards the end of the game, confirmation of Inter’s fourth goal arrived from Milan shortly before the final whistle, prompting Conte to wave to the fans and begin celebrations alongside his playing staff.
The Scudetto triumph completes a sensational season for everyone concerned with the club. The Agnelli revolution has reaped instant rewards and brought Italy’s finest football team back to being a dominant force on all fronts.
And with a thriving youth policy, Champions League football, a tremendous new stadium and the best supporters in the world... the sky is truly the limit.
Fino alla fine...
CAGLIARI 0-2 JUVENTUS
GOALS: Vucinic 6, Canini (own goal) 74
CAGLIARI
Agazzi; Canini, Ariaudo, Astori, Pisano; Ekdal, Conti, Nainggolan; Ibarbo (Larrivey 62), Pinilla, Thiago Ribeiro (Cossu 50).
Substitutes not used: Avramov, Gozzi, Perico, Dessena, Nené.
Manager: Ficcadenti
JUVENTUS
Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner (Caceres 25), Vidal (Giaccherini 53), Pirlo, Marchisio, Pepe; Matri (Borriello 71), Vucinic
Substitutes not used: Storari, Estigarribia, Del Piero, Quagliarella.
Manager: Conte
REFEREE: Orsato
ASSISTANTS: Manganelli, Padovan
FOURTH OFFICIAL: Celi
BOOKINGS: Vidal 9, Nainggolan 17, Pisano 40, Chiellini 48, Cossu 52, Pepe 54
www.juventus.com/juve/en/news/6maggio2012_scudetto_eng