Juventus slide continues at Livorno
Reuters - Saturday 06 February 2010, 22:04
MILAN - Juventus continued their awful run
with a 1-1 Serie A draw at modest Livorno on Saturday, leaving
the famous Turin club three points adrift of the fourth
Champions League qualifying spot.
Sixth-placed Juve, who have 15 games left, have now won just
once in eight league matches and rarely looked like taking three
points in Tuscany.
Alberto Zaccheroni, in his second game as Juve coach having
replaced the sacked Ciro Ferrara, changed tactics by opting for
three at the back but the old defensive frailties remained.
Livorno's Antonio Filippini was unmarked when he nodded in
Luigi Vitale's inviting cross midway through the first half.
Nicola Legrottaglie, only playing because of the switch to
three centre backs, equalised after 42 minutes when he headed
Diego's freekick past shaky new Livorno goalkeeper Rubinho.
"I'm not happy. We wanted to win," Italy's Legrottaglie told
Sky television.
"It's a shame. We could have done more but it's
a draw and bit by bit we are working on it."
Fabio Cannavaro added to Juve's long injury list by limping
off with a thigh problem before Felipe Melo was sent off for two
bookings late on.
Palermo in fifth moved two points above Juve and one behind
fourth-placed Napoli after Simplicio blasted in an 87th minute
winner to seize a 2-1 victory over Parma.
The Brazilian, who almost left for Inter Milan on Monday's
transfer deadline day, fired in from 12 metres after Fabrizio
Miccoli's clever pass.
Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani headed in Miccoli's free-kick
to hand the hosts the lead in the second half before Jonathan
Biabiany was allowed to equalise despite Cavani lying injured.