Juventus 1-1 Lazio

Juventus' new coach Alberto Zaccheroni was denied an opening victory by Lazio's Stefano Mauri as the Bianconeri had to settle for a 1-1 Serie A draw in Turin.

Alessandro Del Piero's second half penalty looked set to give the new gaffer a dream start, but Mauri turned in Mauro Zarate's cross to level things up 12 minutes from time.

Lazio started with Julio Cruz in attack, with Tommaso Rocchi consigned to the bench, whilst coach Zaccheroni chose not to err from former coach Ciro Ferrara's 4-3-1-2 system.

It was a predictably nervous start from the two sides, with Lazio needing to put distance between themselves and the drop zone, whilst the Bianconeri were hoping to start their new era with improved form. The only real opportunity of the opening 10 minutes fell to Alessandro Del Piero, who fired straight at Muslera.

Del Piero then had a further opportunity when Antonio Candreva found him in space close to the bye-line on the right of goal, but his bullet shot flew over the bar from a narrow angle. That was part of a wave of pressure from the hosts, as they penned Lazio back for much of the opening stages.

Del Piero almost turned provider for Momo Sissoko when he played the second pass of a neat one-two for the Malian, who was dispossessed just in time by Stefan Radu. Sissoko then came close again when Diego fired in a meaty effort which Muslera parried and the midfielder narrowly failed to beat Guglielmo Stendardo to the rebound.

Lazio made their first real half-chance after half an hour, but after Mobido Diakite forced a free-kick from Felipe Melo, Aleksandar Kolarov drove the set piece disastrously high and wide. Moments later Diakite went on a similar burst forward and was brought down once more by Melo, who was shown a yellow card for his troubles.

Juventus had a dangerous looking free-kick of their own on 38 minutes, which Diego swung over the glancing head of Fabio Cannavaro and into the arms of a thankful Muslera. But Lazio immediately broke upfield and made a chance of their own, as Kolarov cut the ball back for the left foot of Stefano Mauri, whose shot was heading for the far bottom corner until Alex Manninger intervened with a smart diving save.

The first half had been a real story of set pieces, and it was from a left wing corner that Candreva could have given Juve the lead on the stroke of half-time. The flag-kick was half cleared, dropping for the new recruit 25 yards from goal, but his right footed effort cleared the crossbar and the teams went in level.

Lazio came out with more purpose in the early moments of the second period, and Sissoko's name was taken by referee Saccani after he brought down Kolarov in the middle of a fine solo run through the centre.

But it wasn't long before Juve were back on the attack, and Antonio Candreva unleashed a swinging 20-yard effort towards Muslera's bottom corner, which the Uruguayan did well to get down to and make the save.

The home side then produced the best moment of the match, and it was a piece of individual magic from Diego. With seemingly nothing on 20 yards from goal, the Brazilian fired in a left foot shot with little backlift which cannoned off the outside of Muslera's near post, leaving Lazio to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

The Bianconeri soon managed to build up a spell of pressure, and Paolo De Ceglie stood up an excellent cross for the head of Sissoko eight yards from goal, but the Malian couldn't direct his effort on target under pressure.

The breakthrough came in the 69th minute when Candreva chipped in a clever cross, Amauri flicked on and Del Piero turned superbly. But as the skipper shaped up to shoot left-footed he was brushed by Diakite, and the referee saw the contact fit enough to reward the Bianconeri a penalty. Del Piero picked himself up and fired low to Muslera's left, sending the keeper the wrong way and giving Juventus the lead.

As the two coaches looked to make changes and the pace seemingly gone from the game, proceedings suddenly came alive once more as Lazio scored a shock equaliser.

Roberto Baronio's right wing free-kick was half cleared by Amauri, but Zarate was able to chip the ball back into the box, and Mauri beat Zdenek Grygera to the ball on the slide and managed to poke the ball past Alex Manninger's dive.

Mauri picked up a head wound in celebrating his goal and was replaced by Sebastiano Siviglia as a result, with coach Davide Ballardini seemingly bracing his side for an Alamo-style attack from the home side.

The siege came thick and fast from the home side, but they just couldn't force a clear goalscoring opportunity, and their efforts became more and more frantic as time ran out.

Michele Paolucci was introduced by Zaccheroni in place of Del Piero late on, but he was unable to help his new boss picked up the much sought after three points.
(goal.com)

Alberto Zaccheroni Ready To 'Turn The Page' At Juventus

New Juventus coach Alberto Zaccheroni has been presented at the club following his first training session in command on Friday.

The 56-year-old took over the reigns from Ciro Ferrara, who was let go following the Coppa Italia exit at the hands of Inter. The Bianconeri have performed below expectations this season, sitting sixth in Serie A and also being eliminated from the Champions League at the group stages.

"It's time to turn the page, but I recognise the previous work, because Juventus offer a winning [brand of] football," Zaccheroni said to the press, according to Il Corriere dello Sport.

"I like challenges, starting a new cycle. The staff is very important and I don't know how many teams are superior to Juve. I'll bring my expertise, but mostly I believe I will be able to meet this challenge."

The new man went said that the squad had been very accommodating and have given him a warm welcome.

"The welcome was good,” he said. “The first reaction of the team? Not a single player had a negative attitude."

It may be his first day on the job, but Zaccheroni is well aware of the size of the task he faces and what is expected of him.

"It's a major challenge for a club that has made football history in Italy and around the world and for me it's a real honour to be entrusted with the management of this situation. The objective is entering the top four in the league. The minimum target for this year is entry into the Champions League."

Juventus are currently in the midst of the worst sequence of results in the
club's history and Zaccheroni said his first task would be to instil a winning mentality back into the squad.

"I will try to intervene on the technical and tactical aspects, but at the moment the main issue is the psychological aspect," he said. "What we can do better? Why [Felipe] Melo and Diego are not playing as expected?"

Finally, the new coach added that he hoped to stay beyond the end of his short-term contract.

"I accepted the job with great enthusiasm. For me it's a source of pride to be here. Juventus are a top club. To coach and sit on the bench of Juventus is the best job around and I will try to convince them to keep me beyond June 30."

Zaccheroni's greatest success came at AC Milan, when he won the Scudetto in 1999. He has also had stints at Udinese, Lazio, Inter, and Torino among other clubs.

Inter 2-1 Juventus: Nerazzurri Come From Behind To Progress To Semi-Finals

Inter moved into the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia with a win over Juventus, but they had to come from behind after Diego had given the Bianconeri the lead. Goals from Lucio and Mario Balotelli in the second half gave the Nerazzurri a deserved win.

Balotelli threatened as he broke into the penalty area early on before Amauri tried to catch Francesco Toldo out with a shot from range in a lively start to the game.

The first goal of the evening game in the 10th minute when Toldo allowed a shot from Diego to squeeze past him after some fine build up play by Antonio Candreva and Momo Sissoko.


Inter looked to hit back immediately, pressing the Bianconeri defence back towards their own penalty area. Balotelli was energetic as the Nerazzurri looked for a quick fire equaliser, but he could not supply a good enough delivery after Javier Zanetti had weaved his way past three players.

The visitors had a few chances of their own and Toldo was looking shaky whenever a cross was put into the danger zone, encouraging Juventus' wide men to put the ball in towards lone striker Amauri.

Maicon could have equalised in the 20th minute but after playing a one-two on the edge of the box with Goran Pandev, he blazed his close-range shot over the bar.

Both sides' passing was letting them down in the middle of the pitch, particularly the visitors, as possession changed hands easily. As the half went on the Bianconeri were content to sit back and allow Inter to pass the ball among themselves, and the Nerazzurri hadn't really tested Buffon after half an hour. For once, the match seemed to be going in Ciro Ferrara's favour.

Giorgio Chiellini was keeping a close eye on Balotelli and was adjudged to have fouled the young striker just past the half hour mark, earning them a set piece in a promising position, but once again the Nerazzurri's finishing let them down as Maicon missed the target.

Nonetheless it was the hosts that were doing all the pressing, trying to force Juventus into a mistake. Wesley Sneijder whipped a dangerous free kick into the box with 10 minutes left but Buffon was able to punch it away. It appeared as though Felipe Melo also caught the ball with his hand in the penalty area in the dying minutes, but referee Damato chose not to award the penalty.

Half-time arrived with the score still at 1-0, although Jose Mourinho was seen questioning the referee's call minutes earlier when the Nerazzurri had been denied a penalty.

The hosts started the second half in the same vein as they had ended the first, with Sneijder testing Buffon with a shot barely two minutes in before Balotelli hit the side netting after good link up play with Pandev.

However Juventus were nearly two goals up in the 52nd minute when Diego flashed a shot just wide of Toldo's right hand post, with the veteran stopper nowhere near the effort. Minutes later, Chiellini powered a header that clipped the post before it went out for a goal kick.

From the goal kick, Inter raced up the pitch and Balotelli cut the ball back for Pandev, but the shot was deflected wide and Inter couldn't make anything of the corner.

The Nerazzurri were starting to twist the screw and exploit Juventus' fragility, and Paolo De Ceglie demonstrated their defensive weakness when his clearance fell straight to Sneijder, but the Dutchman's shot was blazed over the bar.

Mourinho looked to change his side's fortunes by bringing on prolific Argentine Diego Milito for Esteban Cambiasso, and he was immediately involved in the play but was flagged offside after Sneijder played him through.

With a third of the game to go, Inter were beginning to show signs of desperation. Balotelli threw himself to the ground after Chiellini eased him off the ball in the penalty area, but moments later he forced Buffon into a smart save after finding himself in all sorts of space on the left side of the penalty area.

Felipe Melo then picked up a yellow card for a foul on Maicon on the edge of the area, and it proved to be a costly one. Sneijder stepped up to take the free kick and Lucio stabbed the ball past Buffon for the equaliser.

Maicon was pleading for another penalty when his ball hit Sissoko's outstretched arm, but once again the referee ignored the home side's claims. Juventus were living dangerously at the back and rarely had the opportunity to venture out of their own half, such was the pressure from the Nerazzurri.

The visitors conceded another free kick on the edge of the box with seven minutes to go when, not for the first time, Chiellini brought down Balotelli. Buffon pulled off an excellent save before Milito went down under pressure from Chiellini, but the striker was looking for the penalty and the referee waved play on.

As the clock ticked towards full-time, Inter grabbed a deserved winner as Juventus played for extra-time. Thiago Motta's shot was saved by Buffon, and Balotelli pounced on the loose ball to put the Nerazzurri ahead in the 89th minute.

It was enough to see Inter through to the semi-finals and to place Ciro Ferrara's position in even greater threat.(goal.com)

Juventus Captain Alessandro Del Piero Ruled Out Of Inter Clash

Serie A giants Juventus will have to make do without inspirational captain Alessandro Del Piero when they pay visit to Inter in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia tonight.

The club’s official website explains that the 35-year-old has withdrawn from the squad after coming down with a severe bout of viral gastroenteritis earlier this week.

And boss Ciro Ferrara has also lost Bosnian midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic for what is expected to be his last game in charge of the Turin side.

The former Bayern Munich man pulled up with a muscle problem during Tuesday’s training session at Vinovo and medical tests have revealed he will spend at least 20 days in the treatment room.

Salihamidzic’s setback took Juve’s injury tally for the season to an astonishing 44 and Ferrara was forced to include three youth players, Filippo Boniperti, Luca Marrone and Manuel Giandonato, in his squad for the trip to Milan.
(Goal.com)

Samuel Eto'o Back In Inter Squad For Juventus Clash

Inter coach Jose Mourinho has included Samuel Eto'o in his call-ups for the Coppa Italia match against Juventus on Thursday.

Eto'o had been participating the African Cup of Nations with Cameroon, but the Indomitable Lions were dumped in the quarter-finals, after losing 3-1 in extra-time to Egypt.


Therefore, the former Barcelona goal-scorer is once again available to his club side and could feature from the start against the struggling Bianconeri, according to Inter's official website, inter.it.

The Coppa Italia quarter-finals are only one leg, so both sides may play their best line-ups in a bid to advance in the cup competition.

Inter are still without Dejan Stankovic and Cristian Chivu due to injury. Below is a list of all 21 players selected by Mourinho.

Goalkeepers: 1 Francesco Toldo, 12 Julio Cesar, 21 Paolo Orlandoni;

Defenders: 2 Ivan Cordoba, 4 Javier Zanetti, 6 Lucio, 13 Maicon, 23 Marco Materazzi, 25 Walter Samuel, 39 Davide Santon;

Midfielders: 7 Ricardo Quaresma, 8 Thiago Motta, 10 Wesley Sneijder, 11 Sulley Muntari, 19 Esteban Cambiasso, 48 Lorenzo Crisetig;

Forwards: 9 Samuel Eto'o, 22 Diego Milito, 27 Goran Pandev, 45 Mario Balotelli, 89 Marko Arnautovic.
From Goal.com

Milan 0-1 Udinese: Gokhan Inler Sends The Rossoneri Packing From Coppa Italia

Udinese joined Fiorentina and Roma in the last four of the Coppa Italia with a surprise 1-0 quarter-final win over Milan at San Siro.

Gokhan Inler scored the only goal of the game early in the second half, but in truth Udinese should have won far more comfortably.

Christian Abbiati made his return from injury after a long layoff in a second string Milan line-up. Gianluca Zambrotta also made his way back, while Pippo Inzaghi and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar started in attack.

Udinese fielded a strong team, with a trident frontline of Antonio Di Natale, Alexis Sanchez and Antonio Floro Flores.

The away side started the better, and Gokhan Inler threatened Abbiati on 10 minutes.

On 20 minutes Abbiati came to the rescue again, pushing the ball out for a corner from Di Natale, who had been set up perfectly by Sanchez.

It was all Udinese, and Sanchez was guilty of squandering a sensational opportunity soon after as he ran through one-on-one with the goalkeeper and fired against the post.

It took until the 27th minute for Milan to finally make an impact as Samir Handanovic saved a long shot from Marek Jankulovski. Handanovic also pushed away a Flamini effort from distance.

There was no doubting who was man of the match so far, and Abbiati twice saved Milan again within the space of a few minutes. First the Italian denied Di Natale in two attempts, then he produced a miracle to prevent Floro Flores from scoring.

Into the second half, and Milan were the first to signal their intent as Handanovic closed down Huntelaar. Davide Di Gennaro was substituted in his farewell game before joining Livorno, to be replaced by Andrea Pirlo.

On 56 minutes the deadlock was broken, and it was Udinese who silenced the San Siro. Luca Antonini made a terrible blunder, and Sanchez supplied Inler who swept diagonally past Abbiati.

Leonardo summoned Marco Borriello for Huntelaar, but on the hour mark it was almost 2-0. Floro Flores lost Bonera and shot just wide at the near post.

Udinese continued to control proceedings and Sanchez was guilty of another miss on 76 minutes when he had an open net to lob into.

The Zebrette continued to be profligate in front of goal, and Paolo Sammarco fluffed his lines after a dribble.

Udinese ran out 1-0 winners, and they will face Roma in the semi-final.

Napoli Striker Ezequiel Lavezzi Wants To Return Against Inter

Napoli hitman Ezequiel Lavezzi may have signed to stay on at the Partenopei until 2015 a few weeks ago, but he is on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

The Argentine, though, is setting his sights on a return to first-team action against league-leaders Inter, on February 14.


"My national team wants to see how I am progressing," 'Pocho' declared to Ole. "I will continue to receive treatment there and I want to make my return against Inter."

The Azzurri sit in fourth place, on 37 points, 12 points behind the Nerazzurri. They take on Genoa this weekend.

Juventus Line Up Alberto Zaccheroni To Replace Ciro Ferrara

Speculation is rife that Juventus are seeking a coach to replace Ciro Ferrara.
With Guus Hiddink and Rafael Benitez seemingly out of the race for the Bianconeri job, circulating rumours are linking former Udinese and Milan tactician Alberto Zaccheroni to the position, according to ANSA.

Zaccheroni is expected to give a response within the next few days, as to whether he would be interested in taking hold of the reigns at the Turin-based outfit.

The website claims that the coaching position would run until the end of the season, when the club would re-evaluate its options.

Ferrara has not had a good season to date, seeing the Bianconeri tumble out of the Champions League at the group stage, and slump to eight defeats in the domestic league.

The Bianconeri sit in sixth place, on 33 points.

Juventus Make New Offer To Guus Hiddink - Report

Juventus have made a fresh offer to Guus Hiddink as they narrow down their search for a new coach to replace Ciro Ferrara should he be sacked.


Russian website Sports Life claims Juve have raised the stakes and they are now offering the coach €5 million per season in wages to take on the role at Vinovo. It represents a €1.5m increase compared to the offer they reportedly made two weeks ago. Back then, reports claimed Hiddink rejected the approach as he demanded nothing less than €7m.

The report goes on to suggest that Bianconeri directors have run out of patience with Ferrara and they want a quick-fix solution.

It is said figures at the Russian FA are open to the idea as they want to bring in a coach who will accept inferior wages to Hiddink. A source close to the Italian side is quoted as saying "the Hiddink option is the most realistic".

Speculative reports are conflicting, as reports being floated around in Italy suggest that the club are deliberating on whether to bring in someone for the short-term until June, or offer a two-year role.

Names being touted by Sky Sport Italia for the 24-month option are Dino Zoff, and Giovanni Trapattoni. As for the immediate solution, Hiddink is the only one being mentioned.