Matri strikes twice to rejuvenate Juventus
Reuters - Saturday 05 February 2011, 22:26
MILAN - Juventus's new striker Alessandro
Matri scored twice to give them a 3-1 win at Cagliari in Serie A
on Saturday only five days after joining the Turin side on loan
from their Sardinian opponents.
Substitute Luca Toni headed a third goal to lift Juve out of
their rut after Italy's best supported and most successful club
failed to win their previous four games in all competitions.
Matri had scored 11 goals for Cagliari this season but,
despite being jeered by the home fans from the outset, needed
only 20 minutes to score against them, wrong-footing goalkeeper
Michael Agazzi after being picked out by Milo Krasic's pass.
Cagliari levelled six minutes after the restart when Robert
Acquafresca side-footed home Andrea Cossu's cross at the far
post after being left unmarked by the Juve rearguard.
The hosts put Juve on the rack and looked more likely
winners until Matri struck again in the 75th minute, volleying
in from Giorgio Chiellini's cross at the far post.
Toni completed the win when Alessandro del Piero picked him
out on the edge of the area and he scored with a brilliant,
looping header from 15 metres.
Udinese striker Antonio Di Natale had earlier scored his
100th Serie A goal for the club as they climbed to fifth on 40
points with a 2-0 home win over struggling Sampdoria.
Udinese's Chile forward Alexis Sanchez, in fine form after
the north-eastern club fought off the advances of Inter Milan in
January, got the opener after 18 minutes before strike partner
Di Natale sealed the win five minutes before the break.
Sampdoria again looked toothless having let main forwards
Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini leave last month and they
are now 13th, a long way from a targeted European spot after a
third straight defeat.