Post by maxell on Sept 19, 2006 15:43:02 GMT -5
A sell out crowd packed into Crotone’s ‘Ezio Scida’ stadium tonight to witness the home side take on the Bianconeri on match day three of the 2006/07 Serie B championship. Juventus were looking to build on Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Vicenza but after suffering an inflammation to his left Achilles tendon earlier this week, captain Del Piero was sidelined for the clash. With strike partner Trezeguet also rested, Deschamps paired Bojinov and Zalayeta in attack. Balzaretti and Camoranesi were making their first starts of the campaign, while Giannichedda returned to the centre of the Bianconeri midfield in place of Paro.
Juventus started well, controlling possession and taking a patient approach. Camoranesi looked bright from the start, covering acres of ground in both defence and attack, but the home side were not there to make up the numbers, picking up two early bookings as they looked to interrupt the Bianconeri rhythm. The game was a physical affair as Crotone chased down every ball, Juventus’ first chance falling to Zalayeta after an intense 12 minutes; Zanetti floated a long ball into the box but the Uruguayan failed to make a connection with his ambitious first time volley attempt. The Bianconeri had to wait half an hour for the breakthrough, Bojinov converting a great team move to put his side in front. Camoranesi played a floated ball in behind the Crotone defence, Zalayeta collected and cut the ball back to the Bulgarian on the edge of the six yard box. With his back to goal, the young striker swivelled and let off a powerful left-footed shot which skidded under the keeper and into the back of the net (0-1). Zalayeta looked to add a second just two minutes later, unleashing a powerful shot across goal after another inventive pass by Camoranesi; the effort travelled wide but Juventus did not stop there, Bojinov winning a corner out on the left after beating his man with lightning acceleration. Camoranesi curled the resulting set-piece right into the danger zone and Boumsong rose highest to head in Juve’s second goal of the night, the Frenchman’s first for his new club (0-2). Crotone answered back with some tenacious attacking play, first Nanni with a spectacular overhead-kick and then Veron with a venomous long range drive, but Juventus were well organised at the back and more than equal to the task, soaking up the pressure to take a two goal lead into the interval.
With no changes from either side at the break, the game picked up where it had left off at the end of the first half. Juve looked hungry for a third but Gentile gave them a wake-up call in the 48th minute, forcing a fine reflex save from Buffon with a quickly taken free-kick. The Bianconeri reorganised at the back and were immediately back on the front foot, Bojinov wriggling through on the byeline and cutting back to the edge of the six yard box. The pass was a dangerous one but there was no one there to supply the finish. Nedved received a lay-off from the Bulgarian in the 53rd minute but his snap shot travelled wide of Soviero’s right post, and five minutes later Deschamps made his first change of the night, Paro coming on for Zanetti in midfield. Giannichedda headed wide from another Camoranesi corner on the hour mark, unaware that Bojinov was in a better position behind him, but the two goal lead never looked under threat at the other end. As the minutes ticked by, Deschamps sent on Palladino and Marchionni in place of Nedved and Camoranesi, but Juventus were not done there. In the 77th minute, Bojinov grabbed his second, racing on to Balzaretti’s incisive first time pass and coolly slipping the ball past the helpless Soviero from twenty yards out (3-0); the Crotone defence had no answer to the speed and precision of the Juve attack. The pace of the game dropped as the result began to look beyond doubt, and after a calm final ten minutes, referee De Marco did indeed bring the game to an end with the Bianconeri victorious by three goals to nil.
CROTONE – JUVENTUS: 0-3
GOALS: Bojinov 30’, Boumsong 36’, Bojinov 77’
BOOKED: Nanni 7’, Alioui 8’, Birindelli 20’, Zanetti 22’, Veron 45’, Balzaretti 80’, Galardo 83’
CROTONE: Soviero; Alioui (Fusco 84’), Rossi, Maietta, Bonomi; Gentile (Sedivec 64’), Cardinale, Veron; Galardo, Nanni (Cariello 64’), Lopez
Subs: Padelli, Borghetti, Petrilli, Plasmati
Coach: Gustinetti
JUVENTUS: Buffon; Birindelli, Kovac, Boumsong, Balzaretti; Camoranesi (Marchionni 71’), Giannichedda, Zanetti (Paro 58’), Nedved (Palladino 67’); Zalayeta, Bojinov
Subs: Mirante, Chiellini, Zebina, Trezeguet
Coach: Deschamps
REFEREE: De Marco
ASSISTANTS: Carrer, Liberti
4TH OFFICIAL: Guerriero
