Juventus 3-1 Catania: Bianconeri Overcome Elephants in Gripping Encounter

With both teams looking to reverse their recent negative trends (the Sicilians their poor away form, the Bianconeri a very bleak scoring record), Juventus vs. Catania looked very much like a ‘real’ match. That is certainly as much as ‘Elefanti’ coach Vincenzo Montella insisted on, and what transpired was a very open encounter with both teams fully committed to the attack. Catania pressed high up the pitch, looking for turnovers to convert on the counter while Juve, once again largely dominating possession, continually chipped away at their opponents looking for an opening. The Old Lady’s three goals largely came from mistakes from the Catania goalkeeper, and Pirlo, Chiellini, and Quagliarella did need to be asked twice to bury their chances. The morale-boosting win puts Juventus back in its “virtual” 1st place (they are still with a game in hand over Milan) and sets up a veritable showdown at the San Siro for next weekend. Aaron Giambattista brings you the after-action report of Saturday.
 

MATCH ANALYSIS      (by Aaron Giambattista)

After defeating AC Milan 2-1 in the Coppa Italia (the now-famous “Martin Cáceres” second coming), Juventus crashed back to Earth following a disappointing 0-0 draw vs. Parma in Serie A, a match which itself was the mirror image another encounter played just prior the Bianconeri’s night of glory at the San Siro: the 0-0 tie vs. Siena. Both matches were similar – Juve dominated possession, had several chances to score, but simply could not find the back of the net, the direct result of which was a veritable media storm surrounding the team this week, leading up to the Catania match.

The main debates in the press were two-fold: Juve’s inefficiency in front of net (something that has plagued the team all-year long, really) and valid penalties being denied in both games (ample coverage from us on that matter here). With comparisons made with Delneri, Ranieri, and Ferrara (and particularly their inability to break down smaller sides), a lot of the optimism surrounding the team had dissipated and for once, there was genuine worry in Conte’s camp. Or was there?

Having just drubbed Genoa 4-0 at home, Montella’s Catania arrived in Turin under decent circumstances, with the firm intention to change their woeful away scoring record. As we mentioned in our preview, the team had only won 2 of their last 9 games but had played very well in Udine (despite losing), and the coach insisted he would not be parking the bus, instead seeking to play a competitive three-point-stake encounter. He was true to his word, as the Sicilians lined up in their traditional 4-3-3 system and gave Juventus very little room to breathe for the majority of the match.

Antonio Conte has taught his team to play the ball to feet, including in defense, so this suited Catania’s game plans well. And no sooner had the game started that the Sicilians caught their adversaries cold. With Simone Padoin slack in possession (his pass was cut out by Sergio Almirón, who unleashed a blast at Buffon), the ball stayed in play and eventually ended at the feet of Pablo Barrientos, who curled a lovely ball (under no challenge, it must be said) into the bottom-right corner of Gigi Buffon’s net. It was the 4th minute, and it seemed a long game was in store for Juventus who, for the first time this season, had gone behind at Juventus Stadium.

Despite going up early, Catania did not clam up. They continued to play an open match, but this in turn surrendered more and more possession to Juve, who did not seem particularly troubled by their opponents’ early opener. Marco Borriello’s two good opportunities at goal (from two quality De Ceglie crosses) were the prelude to the Bianconeri’s equalizer in the 22nd minute, an excellent free kick from the on-field specialist, Andrea Pirlo. Il Pittore dribbled on the edge of Catania’s box, was fouled by his marker, and converted the set piece himself, curling it accurately into the bottom-right corner for his first ever goal in Bianconero colors. 1-1.

Both teams continued to push forward. The statistics may say Juve put a lot more shots while dominating possession, but like our 2-1 win vs. Internazionale, this could have easily gone either way. Fabio Quagliarella slammed a blast off the crossbar, only to be followed by Bergessio on the other end two minutes later. The match was thrilling, and the first 45 minute had given plenty of spectacle to stadium and TV spectators alike.

The second half opened in a lively manner. The referee had let a lot of physical plays go in the first period, and the tackles were flying in rough & hard. With De Ceglie beating him again and again down on the left flank (delivering a multitude of dangerous crosses) Marco Motta was enduring a poor game: after being booked for a bad tackle from behind on Borriello, the Juve ex received a second one for a two-footed challenge on De Ceglie, duly earning his marching orders. It was hardly the return to Juventus Stadium Motta was looking for, as the crowd mercilessly jeered the player off under the tunnel.

Despite going down to 10 men, Catania very nearly took the lead almost immediately after. Sergio Almirón (enjoying a bright game in his return to Turin) was put through on goal and struck it low and hard: Gigi Buffon was attentive and performed an excellent save with his legs. Vincenzo Montella had started to close his team up to hold on for the draw, and had Catania gone 2-1 up it would have been a very difficult end of the match for Juve.

In the 74th minute, however, the home team earned back their lead. Another brilliant free kick from Andrea Pirlo was met by Giorgio Chiellini‘s head, as Catania’s goalkeeper Kosicky jumped for it and completely missed getting anything on the ball. Keyser Giorgio celebrated in his customary “Giorgio of the Jungle” manner, sending the Juventus Stadium crowd into raptures. 2-1 Juve.

Kosicky’s long night wasn’t over however, as a terrible clearance from the Catania keeper landed straight to Andrea Pirlo, who passed it to Fabio Quagliarella on the first touch. Eta Beta fired it in, the keepergot a touch on it, but the ball still went looping over him and into the net. At 3-1 in the 81st minute and the most definitive nail in the coffin for Catania.

Note that the celebrations for Fabio’s goal were probably the most bizarre thing we’ve seen in a while. During play, Catania players had accidentally injured their teammates TWICE (Marco Motta taking out Bellusci, who had to sit on the side for a few minutes before returning, and then later another player kneeing his teammate in the ribs attempting to clear a low cross from Giaccherini) but not to be outdone, reserve keeper Marco Storari managed to injure both Simone Pepe (cutting his nose) and Fabio Quagliarella (knock to the top of the head) while expressing his joy for the 3-1 tally!

Overall Juventus played another good, dominated game, but the victory was largely due to Marco Motta and Kosicky’s errors, mistakes which our own goalkeeper and fullbacks did not commit (anyone nostalgic for the Antonio Chimenti and Jonathan Zebina days? I think not). The scoreline flattered the Bianconeri a bit, as Catania very well could have gone 2-1 up on two separate occasions, denied by the crossbar and a monster-save from Gigi “Superman” Buffon. Nevertheless, Juventus deserved to win the 3 points.

One important thing to note was referee Christian Brighi’s performance. Under immense pressure to deliver a fair game given the controversy this week, the Cesena-born lawyer did an excellent job. It was a curious choice to pick him, as he had not yet refereed a Juventus match this season and had officiated several other games poorly this season, risking being axed from the Serie A ref list.

Brighi largely let physical play go on for much of the match, which resulted in a flowing game. Marco Borriello and Catania’s forward Barrientos can perhaps feel a bit aggrieved for the physical treatment they received, but it was equal on both sides of the pitch. The match official correctly called fouls when he saw them, thanks to his assistants made no mistakes on offside decisions, and had a positive game in which he delivered what Juventus asked for: equality.

On the “MOVIOLA” side of things, there was one penalty incident where Simone Padoin was pushed in the back in the area, and some (including the Gazzetta) have suggested it was a valid penalty. I have not personally reviewed the incident so I cannot make a firm statement, but it seemed like a half-penalty at the time. More importantly, it was important for Juventus to win without a penalty, no matter how clear of one. After all the complaints from the club this week, anti-Juventini suggested that Juve would receive a spot-kick in “compensation”.

But while we’re in the “referee-assessment area”, if there was a goat of the match today that was Mirko Vucinic. In a week following refereeing controversies and Juve’s complaints that valid penalties had not been assigned, Mirko Vucinic took a Boateng-vs-Siena dive in the box. Had it been awarded, Juventus would look terrible. Thankfully, the referee went straight to his pocket and booked the Montenegrin for simulation. Juventus should not be diving to win penalties, and especially this week with the media attention so focused on them.

LE PAGELLE      (by Aaron Giambattista)

Buffon 6.5 – Made a few good saves here and there. Perhaps could have done more on Catania’s opener, but more than made up for it when he tipped Bergessio’s howitzer into the crossbar and saved Sergio Almirón’s shot with his legs. In both circumstances, Juventus came very close to being 2-1 down.
 

Barzagli 6 – Probably the most we’ve seen Barzagli struggle in a while. He had his hands full with Gomez in the first half and had a few tricky moments, but as Catania’s attack petered out became more assured in his tackling.

Bonucci 6.5 – For the vast majority of the game, Leo was brilliant in marshaling the defense and playing the last man role. Perhaps could have done better on Catania’s opener and Bergessio’s crossbar-shot.

Chiellini 7 – Brilliant in his tackles and closing down opponents, Giorgio had a fantastic game. Capped it off with the goal to give Juve the lead, as he fought for the ball in the box despite the goalkeeper flying out.

Padoin 5 – Simone Padoin is a versatile player, but it left a lot of people (rightfully) puzzled when he was chosen in the lineup ahead of Stephan Lichtsteiner or Martin Cáceres. Struggled badly in defensive coverage and was beaten routinely by Gomez. Not his natural role, and it showed.

(60′) Pepe 6 – In a fairly like-for-like swap, Pepe came on to give a bit more assurance on the right flank. Did his job.

Giaccherini 6.5 – In the preview, I called for Giaccherini’s presence in midfield to provide the linkup to attack, and he did fantastic. His movement and hard work meant we had a man extra in both midfield and attack, his creativity and touches forced Catania to mark him in the final third. If he continues this way until the Summer, the ‘little goblin’ could be the dark horse Azzurri candidate for Euro 2012.

Pirlo 9 – Magical. I cannot remember the last time I gave a 9 rating, but if it was ever deserved, this was it. Two assists, a goal, and constant brilliance. Andrea carved Catania open over and over, and could have easily had a hat-trick of assists if not more. Absolutely sensational. If Juventus win the title this year, it will be due to Conte’s great work, but also Andrea Pirlo bringing the trophy with him from Milan this Summer. As Gigi Buffon said in the fall, watching Andrea Pirlo play, one can only say “God exists.”

Marchisio 5.5 – Without a real “battler” in midfield, Marchisio was left to the Vidal role of covering grass. Claudio played a tactical game and did a lot of running, but had few touches on the ball and never imposed himself. Perhaps simply a reflection of his different role.

De Ceglie 7 – If there was any doubt Paolino should be starting over Estigarribia, this match put them to rest. Constantly roasted Marco Motta with his pace, and yet again, every cross De Ceglie delivered was quality. Motta could simply not cope with him and, being reduced to fouls, lead to the Catania right-back’s dismissal. At last back to his Fall 2010 levels, De Ceglie just made a serious bid to be back in the starting XI for good.

(68′) Vucinic 5.5 – A strange substitution. I thought with Catania down to 10 men it’d better to play wide, though to be fair Mirko frequently drifts to the left wing anyway (and was perhaps told to do so even more today). All in all it was a a typical Vucinic performance: got into several great scoring occasions… and lacked finishing. Then he took a shameful dive in the box. Cross him off the starting list.

Borriello 6 – A few media outlets were not impressed with Marco’s performance, but I was. Extremely determined to be first to the ball, his movement and motivation is simply levels beyond Amauri (though his whining to the referee is very much on par). Borriello worked hard up top for the rest of the team, and if not against a very experienced central defender like Legrottaglie, probably would have gotten on the scoresheet as well.

(76′) Lichtsteiner 6 – Sent on the close out the game. Did his job.

Quagliarella 7 – A fantastic game from Fabio. Struck shots at goal, provided creativity and plenty of assists to his teammates. Pressured Catania high up and won several balls back and plenty of free kicks, thanks to the rough marking he endured. Looked like he was unfortunately going to finish goalless but his 2nd tally of the season (that’s only one fewer than Vucinic…) arrived at last, courtesy of a Catania giveaway.

 
Conte 6.5 – Opted for a heavily rotated lineup, perhaps to create more chances but also in light of the Milan match next weekend. Surprisingly went with a Borriello-Quagliarella front duo, but it paid off as the two looked to have very good chemistry together. Catania played dangerous, but Juventus cut them open over and over. This was the win Juve needed before traveling to San Siro.

BONUS: Storari 10 – To stop play & waste time (and with no care for the booking he would receive) Francesco Toldo used to throw balls on the pitch from the Inter bench. Well, Storari one-upped him. With his “flailing arms”-jump at Quagliarella and Pepe, the ex-Milan keeper created an even larger stoppage though amazingly avoided being sent off in the process. Grande Marco! [EDITOR'S NOTE: Don't kill our players next time though, please ]

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ANALYSIS WRAP-UP      (by Aaron Giambattista)

If Catania had come to Turin and simply closed up shop from the first minute (or the 4th, as it were) we might be speaking of another frustrating draw. Respect must go to them and Montella, for attempting to play their game in one of the most difficult away matches in Serie A. Kudos also for (some) of the ex-Juventini: Nicola Legrottaglie and Sergio Almirón showed traces of their potential and reasons why their playing curriculum includes the Old Lady, while Marco Motta… well, proved his name is Marco Motta.

Ultimately, the Sicilians played a great game: high pressing, turnovers, and quick counter-attacks gave Catania a number of scoring chances, and this is a tactic Juventus ought to perhaps explore (particularly the last aspect). The Bianconeri’s counter have simply not been efficient this season, as the team prefers to slow play down and build a fuller sequence of passes. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we should also occasionally look to strike on the break. Likewise despite great set piece specialists and tall players, Juventus have not made the most of dead-ball situations this season but Pirlo’s free kicks (goal and assist to Chiellini) won us the game today.

This was the perfect game for Juventus to play in the week before a potential “Scudetto showdown” at the San Siro. The Bianconeri scored several goals, came behind for the first time at home this season, and showed plenty of heart and grinta in the 3-1 victory. Some of the rotation was forced (Vidal was suspended for yellow card accumulation, Lichtsteiner was only one booking away from reaching that limit as well) but it all was for the better, as our creativity was left intact. It may just be the type of lineup Conte should field against the ‘smaller sides’, but ultimately what Catania’s win proved is that the formation (3-5-2 or 4-3-3) isn’t as crucial as player selection.

In Conte We Trust!

 
 
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	JUVENTUS-CATANIA 3-1
GOALSCORERS:4′ Barrientos (C), 22′ Pirlo (J), 74′ Chiellini (J), 81′ Quagliarella (J)
JUVENTUS (3-5-2): Buffon – Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini – Padoin (60′ Pepe), Marchisio, Pirlo, Giaccherini, De Ceglie (68′ Vucinic) – Borriello (76′ Lichtsteiner), Quagliarella. COACH: Conte. (UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Storari, Cáceres, Del Piero, Matri).
CATANIA (4-3-3): Kosicky – Motta, Bellusci, Legrottaglie, Marchese – Izco, Lodi (60′ Spolli), Almirón – Gomez (70′ Seymour), Bergessio, Barrientos. COACH: Montella. (UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Carrizo, Catellani, Ebaqua, Ricchiuti).