Juventus held after late Genoa leveller
Reuters - Saturday 22 October 2011, 21:53
Leaders Juventus were robbed of the
chance to go three points clear at the top of Serie A after a
late goal from Andrea Caracciolo earned Genoa a 2-2 draw in
Turin on Saturday.
Substitute Caracciolo poked home five minutes from time
after Alessandro Matri had twice given the Bianconeri the lead
in an entertaining match.
Matri opened the scoring with a close-range finish after six
minutes but skipper Marco Rossi headed Genoa level just after
the half-hour mark.
The Italian striker swept the home side ahead again on 58
minutes before Caracciolo's late strike.
Fiorentina also drew 2-2 at home with Catania, a result that
increases the pressure on Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.
Juventus coach Antonio Conte, who has won three and drawn
four of his first seven games in charge, said his side needed to
work harder to improve.
"It's disappointing to concede so late - we've lost two
points," he told Sky Sport channel. "We tried to control the
game but we need to be more attentive in the final stages.
"It might be better to have lost a couple of the draws and
won a couple but we're still unbeaten."
Genoa coach Alberto Malesani applauded the teams for trying
to attack after five goalless draws in Serie A last weekend.
"It's always been my philosophy to play the game in the
right way," Malesani, whose side move up to 10th, said. "The
boys tried their hearts out in an intimidating atmosphere. I do
this job with passion and I want my sides to play football."
Juventus, whose new stadium is being monitored by local
authorities for structural safety, played the now familiar
high-tempo pressing game of Conte and were soon in front.
Matri, restored to the starting line-up, deflected in
Claudio Marchisio's shot from the edge of the area, and he
almost grabbed a second on 25 minutes but his angled shot was
blocked by the legs of goalkeeper Sebastien Frey.
Genoa were far from overawed by the electric atmosphere and
equalised when Rossi escaped the marking of Giorgio Chiellini
before meeting Alexander Merkel's inch-perfect cross with a
downward header into the far corner.
The mercurial Mirko Vucinic, who was outstanding in the 2-0
win over AC Milan in Juve's last home match, was having a quiet
night and it was Genoa who came closest to taking the lead at
the start of the second half when the impressive Merkel's
back-heel shaved the post on 55 minutes.
Two minutes later the persistent Matri grabbed his second to
restore Juve's lead, calmly side-footing home from 12 metres
after Andrea Pirlo had sold the Rossoblu defence a dummy.
Merkel saw his powerful header from Rossi's cross bounce
back off the crossbar but the home side paid the price for
sitting back on their lead when Carraciolo nipped in front of
Chiellini at the near post to poke home Juraj Kucka's header.
Earlier on Saturday, a late goal from Maxi Lopez helped
Catania snatch a 2-2 draw against Fiorentina.
In a thrilling game in Florence, the Argentine striker fired
home on 83 minutes to give the Sicilians a richly deserved point
after brilliant Stevan Jovetic strikes had twice given the Viola
the lead.
The Montenegrin forward opened the scoring in the 20th
minute with a clean strike from the edge of the box before
bending a 20-metre effort high into the net after Gennaro
Delvecchio had equalised from a corner just before half-time.
Mihajlovic, who was jeered by home fans after being sent
from the bench for protesting, was given backing from president
Andrea Della Valle.
"The mood in the dressing room is low but that's normal," he
told Sky Sport channel. "The first to be disappointed are the
players and coach. I'm sorry for the fans but the coach's
position is not under discussion."