Juventus 2 - Napoli 3: A reason to love Serie A.
Por Stanley Croyance
Análise de jogo
One of the best games of the season, and this comes days after the epic Inter Milan 5 - Palermo 3, Serie A may not get much exposure, but trust me, this league is still very exciting  to watch. The tactical and technical battles on show today is everything football at the highest level should be about.

Juventus coming off a resounding thumping of 5-1 Sampdoria in their new 4-2-3-1 scheme, however for this clash they were without powerhouse Mo Sissoko, in came in Poulsen. Napoli had taken 7 out of 9 points, including a late come back against Milan to draw 2-2 mid week,  as new trainer Walter Mazzarri continues to stamp his identity on this expensively assembled squad (second highest spenders in Serie A this summer) and they lined up in Mazzarri's preferred 3-5-2.

Juventus started brightly, protagonists Giovinco and Camoranesi stamping their class on the game, although Napoli had chances from Denis and Aronica, all at close range. On the 35th minute, Grygera floated a cross in, for Trezeguet to move across his marker and bury his header to make it 1-0. The Juventus scheme was starngling the space for Napoli, and gobbling up Lavezzi and Hamsik who found no space. Come the second half, Giovinco tapped home a cross from Trezeguet to make it 2-0. At the Olimpico, Juventus looked on cruise control, and knowing their proud history, once Juventus go ahead, they won't allow you back in.

Walter Mazzarri showed his experience however, changing his 3-5-2 to a 3-4-3, pushing Lavezzi and Datolo (who came on for Campagnaro) wide and then having Hamsik through the middle as a 'crash striker'  behind Denis and to go for glory. Immediately, Datolo broke down the left, went past Grygera and crossed low for Hamsik to tap home, game on. This new scheme confused Juventus, with 2 holding players and 2 central defenders, they couldn't pick up Hamsik in the lines and were stretched by Lavezzi and Datolo out wide. A more experienced trainer would have seen this, but Ciro Ferrara is still young and he never reacted to this new tactical reality. Datolo then scored a second and this opened the game up entirely as Juventus were now obliged to come and play ball.

Mazzarri then added another tactical problem for Juventus, throwing on the more mobile Quagliarella, thus allowing Napoli to have more variety in attack. Ciro Ferrara under pressure from the baying crowd changed his system, bringing on Amauri for Poulsen and reverting to his favoured 4-3-1-2 system. However this never helped, and Napoli stole a dramatic winner, Lavezzi ran most of the pitch, played in Datolo, his cross wasn't perfect, but should have been cleared by Tiago in the box. Instead he cut the cross and it landed straight at the feet of Hamsik who slammed the ball from the penalty spot into the net.

There was a fracas at the end as Amauri 'kicked' De Sanctis in the head, although replays showed Amauri never connected, in any case, it earned the Brazilian a straight red.

Juventus have thrown away 3 points, and with Inter playing on Sunday, a win for them will put them 7 points clear, Ciro Ferrara is starting to feel the pressure. Napoli look vindicated in relieving Donadoni of his duties as Mazzarri has taken now 12 points out of 12, and all from big teams like Milan-Fiorentina and Juventus. Napoli will be a force if they continue like this.


3  Comentários
Por  CCCPPlus
01.11.2009 19:16
yup. good reason to watch serie a. and i love it that napoli got one over juve
Por  dank
02.11.2009 09:56
dude, napoli come from 2-0 down to storm a 3-2 win, Hamsik gets 2 goals himself and yet you only give him a "7"? hehe. you are a tough marker! sounds like it was a cracking match, and not like the boring Serie A i used to watch...
Por  SCroyance
03.11.2009 00:13
Haha, I'm a tough grader, that said, in the first half, he was shut down by Melo and Poulsen, but the second half, what a performance. If any club is thinking of getting an attacking midfielder who scores, they better get a deal done before May, because with the World Cup coming up, his value may increase if he hits the heights, really good player.
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