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Serie A Preview: Juventus - Catania
Ciro Ferrara has been given one more chance to rescue the Old Lady from sinking further into the ocean of mediocrity.....
| Bet: | Returns: | Milan £22.00 | Draw £31.00 | Juventus £31.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Milan £22.00 | Draw £32.00 | Juventus £34.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Milan £22.00 | Draw £32.00 | Juventus £32.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Milan £22.00 | Draw £32.50 | Juventus £33.00 |
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| Bet: | Returns: | Milan £22.00 | Draw £31.00 | Juventus £31.00 |
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Dec 18, 2009 3:00:00 PM
Kick Off: Sunday, December 20, 2009, 15:00 CET.
Stadio Olimpico di Torino, Turin.
Stadio Olimpico di Torino, Turin.
Stay Of Execution
It would probably have come as a surprise to many that Juventus have retained coach Ciro Ferrara going into Week 17 of Serie A. The Italian was supposedly given last weekend's game against Bari as the final opportunity to prove himself but the Bianconeri collapsed 3-1 in that match. Many thought that Ferrara would be relieved of his duties as the Juve coach after that humiliation but apparently the Juve board have decided to give the former Juve defender another bite at the cherry,
Juventus have lost four of their last five games in all competitions, conceding 12 goals in the process, and are certainly in crisis. They were knocked out of the Champions League last week and have fallen six points behind leaders and their most loathed rivals Inter. Ferrara's coaching abilities and tactical expertise have come under scrutiny as a number of key players, including Diego and Felipe Melo, have failed to perform consistently.
The positive for Juventus is that this weekend they take on bottom side Catania and in spite of Juve's recent debacle, the Bianconeri will be expected to garner maximum points from this game, especially as the game is in Turin.
New Coach, Old Results
Catania confronted fellow relegation candidates Livorno in a mid-season relegation six-pointer at the Stadio Angelo Massimino last weekend and suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat. That result combined with Siena's sudden resurgence and ability to grind out their second successive league win pushed them from second-bottom to bottom in the standings with just nine points from 16 matches.
The match against Livorno was also coach Sinisa Mihajlovic's first game in charge and, as evident, things haven't started well for the Serbian. It could get worse for the Sicilians as they travel to Turin to take on Juventus, who themselves are struggling for points and are desperate for a victory of any kind.
Catania have collected just three points on their travels this campaign and have yet to win away from home. Given that Juve have lost only once at home in Serie A, Catania would be extremely fortunate to pick up maximum points from this fixture.
FORM GUIDE
Juventus
December 12 v Bari (A) - LOST 3-1 (Serie A)
December 8 v Bayern Munich (H) - LOST 4-1 (Champions League)
December 5 v Inter (H) - WON 2-1 (Serie A)
November 29 v Cagliari (A) – LOST 2-0 (Serie A)
Catania
December 13 v Livorno (H) - LOST 1-0 (Serie A)
December 6 v Siena (A) - LOST 3-2 (Serie A)
December 2 v Empoli (H) - WON 2-0 (Coppa Italia)
November 29 v Milan (H) - LOST 2-0 (Serie A)
November 22 v Palermo (A) - DREW 1-1 (Serie A)
TEAM NEWS
Juventus
The Bianconeri will be without Iaquinta, Chiellini, Sissoko, Camoranesi
and Buffon for the match against Catania while injury doubts hover
around Grygera, Legrottaglie, Amauri and Cannavaro. Diego will be
featuring in the trequartista role while David Trezeguet and Alessandro
Del Piero will be the two strikers upfront.
Probable Lineup (4-3-1-2): Manninger, Caceres, Legrottaglie, Cannavaro, Grosso; Salihamidzic, Felipe Melo, Marchisio; Diego; Trezeguet, Del Piero
Catania
The Sicilians have injury problems of their own as Barrientos, Sciacca,
Delvecchio, Marchese, Pesce and Potenza will not travel to Turin while
there are fitness doubts on Delvecchio, Andujar, Carboni, Spolli,
Martinez and Ledesma. Mascara is suspended.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Andujar, Alvarez, Terlizzi, Silvestre, Capuano; Carboni, Biagianti; Martinez, Ricchiuti, Llama; Morimito
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Diego (Juventus)
The Brazilian playmaker has come under harsh criticism for his
lacklustre form of late and has been blamed for his side's lack of
attacking edge upfront. Diego, though, is hugely talented and he could
turn out to be the matchwinner against Catania on Sunday especially as
this is a very important match for the Old Lady and for coach Ciro
Ferrara.
Jorge Martinez (Catania)
Jorge Martinez's poor form is one of the reasons why Catania are at the foot of the table. He scored
twice against Siena and the Juve defenders have to be wary of him.
PREDICTION
A win against the bottom club wouldn't be difficult for Juventus but
given their recent run of results, the Bianconeri shouldn't get
complacent. It could be a cagey opening 15 or so minutes and the first
goal is going to be crucial. But it would be a surprise if the visitors
get anything from this match.
Juventus 2-0 Catania
Subhankar Mondal, Goal.com
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