Alessandro Del Piero scored a stunning goal as injury-ravaged Juventus defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in a gripping Champions League Group H clash at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin.
Build-Up And Team NewsThe build-up to the most prestigious game in the 2008/09 Champions League group stages was completely overshadowed by the tragic death of two Juve fans who lost their lives earlier this afternoon after the bus they were travelling on from Switzerland crashed on its way to Turin, also leaving around 20 injured, some of them seriously.
The game went ahead as planned although, as a sign of respect, there was a minute's silence prior to kick-off.
Juventus came into the match in real crisis, having not won for five games, including successive Serie A defeats to Palermo and Genoa, which had seen them drop down to 12th in the Campionato, seven points off the pace. Coach Claudio Ranieri was on the brink of the sack and had a whole host of injuries to deal with, as Gigi Buffon, Mauro Camoranesi, Tiago, Cristiano Zanetti, Jonathan Zebina, David Trézéguet and Jorge Andrade were all out.
However, Nicola Legrottaglie, Olof Mellberg and Vicenzo Iaquinta were all available again. Legrottaglie immediately returned to the line-up alongside Giorgio Chiellini in defence. Ranieri went for an experienced starting XI, with Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri in attack, and Sebastian Giovinco only on the bench again.
Real Madrid, on the other hand, were in buoyant mood following their dramatic derby victory over Atletico at the weekend, sealed by Gonzalo Higuain's last gasp penalty.
With Zenit St Petersburg only drawing at home against BATE earlier this evening, leaving both sides on one and two points respectively in Group H, Madrid, who were already on a maximum of six points, knew that a win here would as good as qualify them for the knockout stages.
Coach Bernd Schuster was without the injured Mahamadou Diarrà, Guti and Miguel Torres though, while Míchel Salgado and Javier Saviola were overlooked for technical reasons. Arjen Robben returned from a hamstring problem and was on the bench, while Raul, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Higuain all played in an attacking 4-3-3 Madrid line-up. Italy national team captain and Calcio legend, Fabio Cannavaro, returned to play against his old team.
First Half
Juventus had the first chance of the game as Amauri lost his man inside the area, but his header from a right wing cross was weak and straight at Iker Casillas.
The Bianconeri were really fired up, and took the lead after just five minutes thanks to a stunning goal from Del Piero. A fine team move ended with Amauri playing the ball to Del Piero, and the 'Golden Boy' whipped a magnificent right footed curling effort into the top corner from 25 yards. Casillas did not move.
Madrid had their first attempt of the game on 10 minutes as Rafael Van der Vaart let fly with a ferocious left-footed effort from 30 yards that finished a couple of yards over.
It was a gripping match that you just could not take your eyes off. Del Piero almost threaded through for Pavel Nedved, while down the other end Van der Vaart forced Alex Manninger into his first save with a tame central effort.
The Dutchman was Madrid's most dangerous player in the early stages, and he had his third shot of the game on 21 minutes linking up well with Van Nistelrooy before firing wide from the edge of the area.
Another Oranje, Wesley Sneijder, also got in on the act, as he hashed the ball horribly over, while Amauri launched a counter-attack for Juve, but was cynically taken out by Sergio Ramos. Amauri then had a fine chance to make it two as he nipped in front of Pepe from Zdenek Grygera's cross, but headed wide.
Madrid were starting to enjoy more and more possession though, and Sergio Ramos wasted a great opening when he miscontrolled a cross from the right, allowing Manninger to rush off his line and dive onto the ball.
On 36 minutes Juventus received a big blow though as Claudio Marchisio was stretchered off the pitch in some distress after picking up an injury in the middle of the field. He was replaced by Hasan Salihamidzic, thus leaving Juve with a rather unfamiliar midfield line-up.
However, they preserved their lead comfortably for the remainder of the half as Real Madrid went in at half time having failed to create a single decent chance.
Second Half
If Juve's injury problems couldn't get any worse, at half time they lost yet another player as Legrottaglie, only just returning, was forced off with a muscular problem, and was replaced by Olof Mellberg, who himself had just exited the infirmary.
However, all these problems did not hold the Bianconeri back as they doubled their lead on 48 minutes as Nedved lifted the ball up to the back post, and Amauri rose high to head past Casillas, with the ball taking a deflection off Gabriel Heinze, who had turned his back.
Madrid tried to find a way back into the game, but they were decidedly off the pace. Van der Vaart sliced well over, before Schuster made his first change of the game, introducing Robben for Higuain.
On 55 minutes the Spaniards created their best chance of the match so far as Van der Vaart was left completely unmarked at the near post from Sneijder's left-field cross, but he headed disappointingly wide from six yards out.
Robben then also had an excellent headed opportunity from a left-wing free kick, and he glanced the ball a yard wide, with Manninger rooted to his goal line.
Madrid were really threatening now, and Manninger flung to his right to make a smart stop from Sneijder's 25-yard piledriver. Van Nistelrooy then saw a shot on the turn deflected weakly into the arms of the Austrian goalkeeper.
Schuster's men were raining in shots at Manninger's goal, and just past the hour mark Sneijder crashed a shot against the outside of the post with a rocket from distance.
On 65 minutes Van der Vaart forced another save out of Manninger from a free kick, but a Madrid goal was now inevitable. It arrived seconds later as Van Nistelorooy was left completely unmarked in the middle, and he headed clinically into the corner from Heinze's cross.
Juventus had their first attempt since Amauri's goal, on 68 minutes, as Casillas comfortably smothered Del Piero's daisycutter of a free kick. Amauri then did some brilliant hold-up play, and he laid the ball off to Nedved, whose left footed shot did not trouble Casillas.
Madrid continued to be on the front-foot, and Robben let fly from 35 yards, before Ranieri made his final substitution of the evening on 77 minutes, withdrawing Amauri for Iaquinta. Drenthe entered the fray for the visitors in place of Van der Vaart.
Salihamidzic ran rings around Sergio Ramos down the left, and appeared to be held back inside the area, but the referee waved play on and Madrid escaped.
The away side were no longer threatening now, and they barely looked like creating any problems in the last 15 minutes of the game. In injury time Sneijder had a free kick blocked, but Juve held on to win.
Ranieri saved his job, and Juventus now move to the top of Group H with seven points from three games, above Madrid who have six. BATE are in third with two points, and Zenit St Petersburg bottom with just one point.
Teams
Juventus: Manninger; Grygera, Legrottaglie (Mellberg 46), Chiellini, Molinaro; Marchionni, Sissoko, Marchisio (Salihamidzic 36), Nedved; Amauri (Iaquinta 77), Del Piero
Real Madrid: Casillas; Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Cannavaro, Heinze; Van der Vaart (Drenthe 75), Gago, Sneijder; Raul, Van Nistelrooy, Higuain (Robben 53)
Goals
Del Piero 4 (J)
Amauri 48 (J)
Van Nistelrooy 66 (RM)
Anthony Sormani
Goal.com
Match Pictures:
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