Another game another win, this time the victims were none other than Cagliari, the hosts are currently not allowed to use their own stadium as it deemed unsafe, so the game was played out at the “Tardini –Parma”.
Cagliari took a fortunate lead in the first half, one really bad decision awarding the guests a spot kick in the 15th minute, in the 16th up steps Pinilla and blasts the ball into the back of the net to open the scoring, “it was a very well taken spot kick”. Juve dominated the game but could not break through; half time and Juve are behind. The second half starts Conte makes no changes; well not until the 61st when Matri replaces Quagliarella followed a minute later Paidon replacing Caceres, still no change, huge change in the game as three minutes later Astori receives a second Yellow and it game over for the player, but Juve try and try but no, even in the 72nd minute when Juve are awarded a spot kick but Mr. reliable Vidal missed but three minutes later after Cagliari’s keeper saved a thunder ball only to fall on the feet of Matri and its 1-1, finally that goal keeper is beaten and its game on, the game reaches the 90th minute it looks like a luckless night for the Bianconeri, in the 92nd bad clearance which hits Vidal ball drops at Matri’s feet and makes no mistake and Juve take a deserved lead 2-1, still three minutes to play as Cagliari try to level the game Juve use the extra man to their advantage, great play from Giovinco beats two defenders as the keeper moves out to close the gap “by his right post” Giovinco goes for goal hit the ball across the keeper and it’s on his way in but in the last meter Vucinic decides to help it on its way and as such he claims the goal, much to Giovinco’s annoyance. With this Juve currently move 10 points clear of the chasing pack of hungry wolves.
On Sunday lunchtime game sees Inter hosts Genoa a team who forgot how to win, you could be forgiven to say home win , but alas they ended all square1-1, the lunch time games Lazio went to Genoa to face Sampdoria and tok all three points home with a 1-0 win, whiles Fiorentina travelled to Sicily hosts to Palermo and left there with 3 points by winning 3-0, Napoli after having two points deducted are trying to stay with the group with Siena being their victims on the road with a late 2-0 victory, but the biggest game of the weekend was Roma hosting Milan, on the current form you’d be forgiven by saying that the guests would come away with another win on their race to attached themselves with the leaders, but how wrong you’d be as Roma pokered Milan in a very much unbalanced game, actually Roma went 4-0 but conceded two very late goals to make the score look a bit more respectable, football is a funny old game. Lazio’s win takes them to second spot 8 points behind Juve, Fiorentina into third 9 points behind who go above Inter on goal difference.
As I did not see the game here is a report I found.—– Mauricio Pinilla put the Sardinians in front in the 16th minute, but a brace from Alessandro Matri, after Arturo Vidal had missed a penalty, turned the game around. Mirko Vucinic added a third deep into stoppage time while Cagliari ended the game with 10 men with Davide Astori picking up two yellow cards. Cagliari were on their travels again, choosing Parma this time as their base for the final match of 2012 after their Is Arenas home was once again denied a safety certificate. The proximity to Turin, however, meant that the majority of the fans inside the Stadio Tardini were officially supporting the away team, which became particularly evident when a penalty was awarded to Cagliari in the 15th minute. Vidal fouled Marco Sau inside the penalty area, and after a moment of hesitation and consultation with the referee behind the goal, a penalty was given. Pinilla stepped up and sent his shot high into the top left-hand corner of the goal. At other end, a cross from Kwadwo Asamoah passed close in front of Fabio Quagliarella, who was not able to pounce from close range. Juventus had their own penalty claims, the first of which came in the 39th minute when Astori held Quagliarella, who went to ground. Their next appeal came in the 64th minute when Asamoah headed wide after receiving a nudge in the back, but again the referee said no. That chance came after Leonardo Bonucci hit the crossbar and Matri’s shot was saved by Michael Agazzi. A minute later, Astori was sent off for a second yellow card, but it still took the Bianconeri time to make their pressure count. They got the penalty they were looking for in the 71st minute when Dario Del Fabro tripped Sebastian Giovinco, but Vidal wasted the chance, blazing the ball over the crossbar for his second spot-kick failure this season. Juve finally drew level in the 75th minute through Matri, who pounced after Mirko Vucinic’s shot was only parried by Agazzi. Agazzi made a stunning one-handed stop to push Asamoah’s header onto the post and then kick the rebound clear in the 89th minute as it looked like 10-man Cagliari were going to hold on. However, two minutes into stoppage time, Matri scored his second when Vidal blocked Nene’s clearance and the ball fell kindly for the former Cagliari striker to slot in. Three minutes later, Vucinic made sure Giovinco’s bundled shot crossed the line to seal one more win for Juventus in 2012.
Conte’s transfer plans unchanged by Chiellini injury… Juventus’ transfer market spending spree will not change because of Bianconeri stopper Giorgio Chiellini’s injury. The Italian international could be out for as long as three months – something which the club will find difficult as Brazilian defender Lucio has just left for Sao Paulo. “Chiellini’s injury is a shame because he is a leader, but I’m convinced that he’ll return stronger than before,” the tactician said on Thursday morning.
“The injury doesn’t change our January market plans though. “We have clear ideas because, as well as the Chiellini injury, we’ll lose Kwadwo Asamoah to the African Cup of Nations and Lucio who has gone to Sao Paulo. “It’s sad that Lucio has left. I can only speak well of him because he demonstrated that he is a champion for the way he acted and for his work ethic. “Unfortunately we didn’t have the time to insert Lucio into our three-man defense mechanisms – a system he had never played in. And he then had three strong internationals ahead of him.”
“We didn’t know where we would be playing until yesterday afternoon, so we are the victims in this,” the boss added. “I hope this situation can be reflected on and brings the necessary improvements. “We have more points than we had last season and we are travelling at an extraordinary pace. There are opponents out there and they are strong. Our objective is to do better than last year.” Conte was also asked about the illness of Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova, Andrea Pirlo missing out on the Golden Ball and today’s Champions League draw. “I want to say good luck to Tito Vilanova, who has to face a much more important battle than football. I hope to see him back on the Barcelona bench as soon as possible.
“Pirlo would not have been out of place on the podium. But it is right that the Golden Ball goes to Messi, a world-class player. Someone who scores 90 goals in a year has to win it. But, had I voted, Pirlo would have been in the top three. “The last 16 of the Champions League? We don’t fear anyone, but we respect everyone.”
