3 vs 0
Played
April 1, 2012 7:45 PM BST
Juventus Stadium — Torino
Referee:‬ D. Orsato‎
Attendance:‬ 45666‎
 
 
75′ Arturo Vidal
 
 
Top of the Match
Arturo Vidal
Arturo Vidal
Juventus
Arturo Vidal
Arturo Vidal
Juventus
Flop of the Match
Edinson  Cavani
Edinson Cavani
Napoli
Marco Borriello
Marco Borriello
Juventus

Juventus 3-0 Napoli: Turin giants produce strong second-half display and close gap to leaders AC Milan to two points

Leonardo Bonucci, Arturo Vidal and Fabio Quagliarella were all on target as the in-form Bianconeri cranked up the pressure on the Rossoneri at the top of the table

By Mark Doyle

Juventus underlined their title credentials with an ultimately facile 3-0 victory over Napoli in Turin on Sunday night.

After a dour first half, the Bianconeri opened the scoring midway through the second period when Leonardo Bonucci deflected a short from Mirko Vucinic past a helpless Morgan De Sanctis.

Arturo Vidal scored a sublime second before substitute Fabio Quagliarella completed the rout with a late third.

Both sides initially appeared intent on picking up where they left off at the San Paolo in November, treating us to a wonderfully open start to the game.

The hosts looked particularly menacing and really should have taken the lead just four minutes in but Marco Borriello – surprisingly recalled to the Juventus starting lineup – inexplicably failed to get his head on the end of the most delicious delivery from Pirlo. Borriello did manage to connect with a Stephan Lichtsteiner cross moments later but the on-loan forward’s header flashed wide.

The Partenopei then gave Juve an almighty scare on 13 minutes when Hamsik found himself in on goal after a delightful one-two with Ezequiel Lavezzi but in trying to take the ball around the onrushing Gianluigi Buffon, the Slovakian knocked it too far ahead of himself and it rolled harmlessly out of play.

After such a promising opening, the game deteriorated rapidly thereafter, with Juve only threatening sporadically through set-pieces from Pirlo, while Napoli were restricted to nothing more than long-range strikes from the likes of Hamsik.

The second half continued in the same vain so the source of the game’s opening goal came as no surprise, Napoli failing to deal with a free-kick from Pirlo from the right-hand side which bobbled around in the box before Bonucci diverted a hopeful effort from Vucinic into the back of the net.

The visitors tried to rally but to absolutely no avail and Vidal deservedly doubled the home side’s advantage when he fired home after turning Hugo Campagnaro inside out.

The Bianconeri put the seal on a victory which draws them to within points of Serie A leaders AC Milan when De Sanctis somehow allowed a shot from Quagliarella to beat him at his near post.


Juventus

1
Gianluigi Buffon
Goalkeeper
0.00
3
0.00
11
Paolo De Ceglie
Defender
46′
0.00
15
Andrea Barzagli
Defender
53′
0.00
19
0.00
26
0.00
8
Claudio Marchisio
Midfielder
73′ 75′
0.00
21
Andrea Pirlo
Midfielder
0.00
23
Arturo Vidal
Midfielder
39′ 75′
0.00
9
0.00
22
0.00

Napoli

0.00
1
0.00
3
0.00
14
0.00
28
0.00
11
0.00
17
Marek Hamsik
Midfielder
71′
0.00
18
0.00
5
Walter Gargano
Midfielder
63′
0.00
88
Gökhan Inler
Midfielder
61′
0.00
7
0.00
21

Substitutes

30
Marco Storari
Goalkeeper
0.00
4
0.00
7
Simone Pepe
Midfielder
0.00
24
0.00
7
0.00
27
0.00
32
0.00

Substitutes

0.00
22
Antonio Rosati
Goalkeeper
0.00
38
0.00
17
0.00
5
0.00
20
0.00
8
0.00
19

Coach/Manager

-
0.00

Coach/Manager

0.00
-
 
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  • Yellow Card / Red Card
  • Red Card
  • Substitution IN
  • Substitution OUT
  • Injury
  • Goal.com Rating
  • Goal.com Man of the Match
  • Goal.com Flop of the Match
  • Top & Flop Global Ranking
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  • Fans' Flop of the Match
Results
 
Top Scorers
Player   Goals Penalties
Edinson  Cavani Edinson Cavani
Striker
Napoli
29 7
Antonio Di Natale Antonio Di Natale
Striker
Udinese
23 4
Pablo Daniel Osvaldo Pablo Daniel Osvaldo
Striker
Roma
16 2
Stephan El Shaarawy Stephan El Shaarawy
Midfielder
AC Milan
16 0
Germán Denis Germán Denis
Striker
Atalanta
15 5