Match Report: Verona - Juventus (30.11.2017)

Juventus would go into this fixture against Verona knowing that 3 points would be more important than usual, after Inter, Roma and Lazio drew their games to drop points in the title race. A win against Verona would see Juventus maintain a 1 point gap between themselves and league leaders Napoli, however an away trip to Verona would be anything but a guaranteed win, as Verona were unbeaten in their previous 3 home  meetings with the Bianconeri. Juventus would still be without Buffon for the evenings game, also absent would be Miralem Pjanic, Mattia De Sciglio, Juan Cuadrado and Benedikt Howedes.

It would take Juventus just 6 minutes to score the opening goal, First Higuain struck the post as Matuidi followed up to hit the rebound into the back of the net to make it 1-0. Minutes later Higuain would again  come close to getting his name on the scoresheet, running towards the Verona goal and finding no support around him, Higuain would have an effort on goal only for the keeper to save and prevent a second early goal for the Bianconeri. After two good efforts on goal Higuain would then try his luck from a set piece, going so close to scoring that Juventus fans in the stadium cheered for a goal that never was, as the ball instead hit the side-netting. 28 minutes played and it would be Verona’s turn for an attempt on goal, as Verde cut inside of Lichsteiner from the wing before curling an effort just outside the penalty area that ended wide of the Juventus goal

Half Time: Verona 0-1 Juventus

Juventus would pay for staying in first gear for spells in the first half as former player Martin Caceres would come back to haunt them, chaptalizing on a Matuidi error to make it 1-1 with a fortunate strike that saw him slip on the pitch after striking the ball, Szczesny could do little to prevent the ball going beyond his grasp and into the bottom corner. Juventus would continue to play poorly and looked rattled by the home sides goal in the opening stages of the second half, as Caceres found himself in the thick of the action again, releasing on-loan Juventus striker Mois Kean with a pass before a promising move was snuffed out by Chillini and Benatia.

With 72 minutes played Juventus would find a match winner a familiar face, Lichsteiner hitting a low cross from the by line into the Verona penalty box that would find Paulo Dybala 10 yards in front of goal to make it 2-1 with a clinical finish on his weaker left foot. However the move would come at a price for Lichtsteiner, who had his game prematurely ended in a collision with Caceres prior to his cross. Soon after restoring the lead for his side, Dybala would be at it again in front of goal, going on a driving run from midfield, dribbling between 4 Verona players and ending his run by smashing the ball beyond the Verona goal keeper making it 3 for Juventus and 2 for La Joya. With 6 minutes remaining Juventus would almost go 4-1 ahead from a Bernardeschi free kick, as his effort found its way into the net only to be disallowed for offside, as both Benatia and Higuain are caught offside and ruled to be interfering in play.

Thoughts: Juventus looked good in the early stages of the first half, taking the lead in the opening 6 minutes and playing the game to their own tempo, however towards half time they began to take their foot off the pedal and allowed Verona to have an effort on goal through Verdi that could have been more costly against better opposition, Higuain too really should have sent Juventus into the break with a 2-0 lead but uncharacteristically hit the ball straight at Verona keeper Nicolas. After the curse of playing against an ex player struck in the form of Caceres scoring to make it 1-1 their was a spell in play when it looked like a rattled Juventus might throw this game away completely, thankfully Dybala returned in style after starting the previous 3 league fixtures from the bench, any doubts in La Joya were put to rest with two clinical finishes to win the game for Juventus, particularly his second that included a run that was a joy to watch and showcased his dribbling abilities. If Dybala keeps up performances like this and returns to his early season goal scoring ways he wont be warming up the substitutes bench any time soon

Full Time: Verona 1-3 Juventus

Goal Scorers: Matuidi (6min) Caceres (59min) Dybala (72min) (77min)

Match Report: Bologna - Juventus (17.12.2017)

After Inter Milans surprise capitulation against Udinese the previous night, a 3-1 defeat at the San Siro, Juventus travelled to Bologna knowing a win would see them leap frog Inter to go 1 point behind Napoli, who once again took top spot in the SerieA league table after defeating Torino 3-1. Dybala would take his place on the substitutes bench for what Allegri reasoned as "tactical reasons". Its worth noting that Dybala, who has been out of form for some time, is also reportedly going through problems in his private life, splitting up with his girlfriend and legal action with a sponsor "Everyone has to deal with a private life and a career, that’s what being a professional is all about. I am a Coach, not a guard dog." said Allegri when pressed on the subject. First team regulars Buffon & Chiellini would sit out the game completely due to injury.

Bologna defended well against Juventus attacks early on, frustrating the Bianconeri as they pressed forward in search of 3 points. Juventus would control possession whilst dictating the tempo of the game, however the opening goal would not arrive until almost half an hour of play. Pjanic demonstrating not for the first time, how lethal he is when it comes to set pieces, beautifully curling the ball into the top corner of Mirante's net from the edge of the 18 yard box, leaving the Bologna goalkeeper helpless to prevent the afternoons first goal. Prior to the goal Pjanic would motion to his team mates that a cross was coming from the set piece, when all along there was only one thing on his mind, a shot on goal, genius. It didn't take long for the visitors to double their lead, Pjanic once again involved, this time as the provider, assisting Mandzukic with a wonderful cross, as the Croatian controlled the ball with his chest outside the Bologna penalty box before unleashing a volley that Mirante had little chance of stopping

HALF TIME: Bologna 0 - 2 Juventus

Juventus would continue putting pressure on Bologna despite the two goal cushion, the third goal arriving after 65 minutes, Matuidi latching onto the end of a poor clearance from Bologna to strike a powerful volley into the bottom corner, scoring his first Serie A goal. Ten minutes later and Dybala would enter the game in place of Mandzukic. It didnt take long for Dybala to make an impression on the game, linking up well with Higuain as both players charged towards the Bologna goal, Dybala  however deciding to have an effort wide from goal outside the box when perhaps the better option was to pass to Higuain in the centre, who would have been in a 1 v 1 situation with Mirante. 

TALKING POINTS: Whisper it, but for the third consecutive match, Juventus did not miss Buffon. Although Szczesny had little to do during today's match, he has made some great saves since deputising for the injured Buffon, ending all 3 matches with clean sheets. Benatia also once again had a great performance, something that is becoming a regular trend. Pjanic was absolutely faultless in midfield, scoring a beautiful free kick and setting up the second goal as well, brilliant stuff. Douglas Costa once more put in good performance as his runs and blistering pace caused Bologna problems throughout the match. Not so brilliant however was Dybala, who continues to look a shadow of the player we saw during the early stages of the season, Dybala scored 8 goals in the opening 4 SerieA fixtures but has not scored in the league since the 3-2 defeat away to Sampdoria on the 19th of November (4 weeks ago) and has yet to score a single goal in the champions league, hopefully for La Joya he can recover from whatever off field issues he is going through and return to playing like the player fans know he can be. Next up for Juventus is a home fixture against Roma, who currently sit 4th in the Scudetto race, and only 2 points behind Juventus. 

FULL TIME: Bologna 0-3 Juventus

GOAL SCORERS: Pjanic (26), Mandzukic (36), Matuidi (64)

Match Report: Juventus - Inter (09.12.2017)

Just over a week since defeating Napoli, Juventus had the chance to record 3 points against another title challenger, league leaders Inter who began the night 2 points ahead of Juventus and undefeated. Allegri would raise more than a few eyebrows when the Juventus starting 11 was confirmed for the derby d’Italia, Paulo Dybala the most notable name to start from the substitutes bench alongside Douglas Costa, Claudio Marchisio and Alex Sandro (a player off form and surrounded by speculation of imminent departure). Also missing out would be Gianluigi Buffon and Stephan Lichtsteiner through injury.

Inter would begin the game controlling most of the possession but it would be the home side who would have the first real chance in front of goal, Cuadrado crossing the ball into Inter's penalty area to find Mandzukic on the volley, Handanovic would prevent the ball but could only rebound the ball back into the direction of Mandzukic who again came close to scoring with a headed effort, if not for a Miranda clearance. Juventus would sit off Inter for spells in the first half, willingly waiting for a mistake to capitalise on. Juventus would have another wonderful chance to score as the first half came to a close, Mandzukic again at the centre of the action, getting on the end of another cross from Cuadrado only for his header to be denied by the cross bar, whilst Inter ended the first half without a single effort on goal

Juventus would come out with a purpose for the second half, pressing forward in search of the opening goal and increasing the pressure on Inter, Handanovic saving efforts from Mandzukic and Higuain early on. With an hour played Juventus would again come close to breaking the deadlock, Higuain playing an over head ball as Cuadrado ran down on goal, however Perisic intercepted, heading the ball towards Handanovic who tipped the on coming ball over his goal and out of play for a Juventus corner. Ten minutes later Asamoah would try his luck in front of goal, finding the path clear of any Inter shirt for a straight shot on goal, Handanovic again preventing the opening goal. 75 minutes played and Dybala finally entered the fray in place of Khedira for the remaining 15 minutes of the derby d’Italia, Mandzukic would have another chance to finally score before the night was over, but the Croatians footing would let him down after controlling the ball with his chest inside Inter’s penalty area, ending up flat on his face after slipping on the pitch. Despite pressure from Juventus for most of the second half and hitting the cross bar prior to the half time whistle, the match would end goalless for both sides, Juventus failing to score a goal for the first time in 45 matches.

Most talk will be of a missed opportunity to take Inter off top spot, wrong decision's and questionable choice of personnel when it came to the starting 11, but Juventus nullified Inter hit-man Mauro Icardi, a player who usually finds a way to score against Juventus and currently leading the way when it comes to goal scorers in Serie A. Juventus also did it without ‘parking the bus’ looking particularly dangerous in the second half, creating chances and over all looking the better side of the two. The simple truth being had it not been for Inter keeper Handanovic, Mandzukic having some what of an off night in front of goal, Juventus could well have won this game. Whilst sharing a point with inter is not ideal, ending back to back games against Juventus two main title challengers with 4 points is far from the worst thought scenario when looking at the fixtures against Napoli and Inter just a few short weeks ago. Allegri made some big decisions prior to kick off leaving some big names out of the starting 11 and it almost paid off.

Full Time Result: Juventus 0-0 Inter

Match Report: Napoli - Juventus (01.12.17)

Juventus went into this fixture sitting in 3rd place and 4 points behind their rivals Napoli, who began the night undefeated domestically this season after 14 games. Juventus would be without Mario Mandzukic, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Benedikt Howedes, but could rely on the former Napoli man Gonzalo Higuain, who would insist on playing despite having hand surgery 4 days prior to tonight's clash. It was a fixture billed as a potential title decider and it did not disappoint, as both sides attacked early on in the opening minutes of the game. It would be Juventus who struck first, hitting Napoli with a quick counter attack resulting in Higuain hitting the back of the net from a Dybala assist 13 minutes in. Not so long after the opening goal, Hamsik tried his luck from range against Buffon, but was denied equaling Diego Maradonna's club record goal tally by the hand of Buffon. Napoli for the most part controlled possession through out the night but would remain vulnerable to Juventus counters, particularly when the pace of Douglas Costa was involved. On the half hour mark Napoli again would have the opportunity to bring the score line level, after Insigne managed to flick the ball on from a corner kick into Buffon.

The second half began with Napoli continuing to have most of the possesion, yet still failing to score the all important goal. Juventus solid defending preventing Napoli from looking like their much lauded free scoring self. 64 minutes in and the game had its first big moment for the referee, as Mertens went down to ground when under pressure inside the Juventus penalty box, a quick silent  VAR check confirmed the referees initial decision and no penalty was given. Moments later Juventus almost doubled their lead, as Blase Matuidi had his point blank range effort brilliantly saved by Reina to prevent the goal. With the game fast approaching the last remaining 20 minutes Insigne would go close to finally scoring the goal Napoli desperately wanted, firing wide from a tight angled shot. Minutes later Insigne would leave the pitch in signs of discomfort after accidentally colliding with Buffon, being replaced by Adam Ounas for the remaining 15 minutes of the game. Napoli would continue maintaining possession of the ball as they had done for most of the second half, having 66% of possession at one stage, but ultimately fail to break through Juventus fine defensive display as the night ended 1-0 for Juventus to go within 1 point of the league leaders

Talking Points: Buffon, like the defence in front of him, was rock solid, stopping every Napoli attack that came his way with several saves. Douglas Costa had a brilliant night, troubling Napoli with his blistering pace in attack, as well as contributing in defence too, most notably his impressive challenge on Mario Rui inside the Juventus penalty area. After all the will he, wont he play speculation prior to the game, Higuain did indeed play, and boy did he play his part in a big way, scoring the only goal of the night with his first clear cut chance on goal, Higuain controlled the pass from Dybala brilliantly and had no hesitation when one on one against Reina. Overall A big 3 points taken away from a tough venue, a venue that Juventus had only taken one win from the previous 13 attempts., and a Juventus that looked much like the side most fans remember when it comes to being defensively solid.

Full Time Result: Napoli 0-1 Juventus

Goal Scorers: Higuain (13)