Serie A Week 28 - 16/3/08 (19.30 UK)

Juventus - Napoli

Stadio Olimpico

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As the battle for a place in next season’s Champions League hots up, third placed Juventus host Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico in Week 28. It will be a classic encounter which should offer plenty of goals and drama.

Despite being defeated by Napoli in the first part of the season, the Bianconeri are still favourites for victory and cannot afford to drop points since Fiorentina and Milan are just behind them. Napoli instead are in a mid-table position with no real ambitions at this stage of the season. However, when the Azzurri face the Old Lady it is always going to be special.

Last weekend Juve won away at Genoa while the Campani suffered a home defeat to Roma. The trip to Turin has always been a difficult one for the Azzurri. They have been successful on only six occasions in 61 ties and their last Serie A meeting ended 3-0 for the Piemontesi.

Juve boss Claudio Ranieri is convinced his men can beat Napoli on Sunday night. The Tinkerman’s bench has been shaking recently, but he will keep his job at the Olimpico as long as the Bianconeri qualify for Europe. Meanwhile, Azzurri boss Edy Reja may be leaving in June.

Ranieri will be without several important pieces of his team. Jonathan Zebina, Mauro Camoranesi and Nicola Legrottaglie are all suspended while Cristiano Zanetti is out injured for about three weeks. This means that there will be a mini-revolution in the Bianconeri starting line-up, but despite so many absentees Portuguese midfielder Tiago Mendes should be, once again, sitting on the bench.

Zlatan Grygera was outstanding against Genoa last Sunday, scoring one and setting up David Trezeguet for the second, and he will be reconfirmed. Guglielmo Stendardo will play centrally while Cristian Molinaro will return to the left-back spot after illness. Antonio Nocerino and Momo Sissoko will start in the midfield with Hasan Salihamidzic on the right side. The attacking duo will be formed by Alessandro Del Piero and Trezeguet.

Daniele Mannini and former Juve player Manuele Blasi are suspended, but the bad news for Napoli is that Marcelo Zalayeta is sidelined for the rest of the season. This is indeed a massive blow for the visitors, and El Panteron was looking forward to taking on his former team. Mariano Bogliacino should start while Emanuele Calaiò will replace the Uruguayan striker.

Keep an eye on: Alessando Del Piero (Juventus) – The Bianconeri legend gets hot when he plays against the Azzurri and he will be looking to net his 12th goal of the season.

Form guide: Juventus (W L D L W) Napoli (L W L W L)

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Juventus (probable): Buffon; Grygera, Stendardo, Chiellini, Molinaro; Salihamidzic, Nocerino, Sissoko, Nedved; Del Piero, Trezeguet

Napoli (probable): Gianello; Santacroce, Cannavaro, Contini; Garics, Gargano, Bogliacino, Hamsik, Domizzi; Calaiò, Lavezzi

Ref: To follow...

http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_ita...08/juv-nap.html

I'm going to this game

Bit of a manic weekend in store but it's my birthday on Sunday so I'm flying out at 5am so I can go out with some family on Saturday night, stopping to get some sleep then off to the game, I probably won't be back on first thing on Monday, we'll see. We best win anyway

Juve are missing a few particularly in defence but so are Napoli in midfield and attack so it'll be quite even in that sense, but we owe them for the joke at the San Paolo so we'll be fired up, and Ale always scores past them. We need to keep the pace going at the top.

Juve 3-1.

As always a win would be nice, but I see us having a hard time without Camoranesi. He was our best player last week. We may see a start for Tiago with Zanetti out for a month. Napoli only have 1 win and 4 losses in there last 5 games.

Emotions will take over this game, so luckly there will be no Napoli fans there.

With Fiorentina tired from a mid week game, and Milan likely to drop points in Rome a win hear might seal out CL place.

You lucky dog! Pics, please.

I agree with your prediction.

Trezeguet, crap challenge.

Napoli had the best of the opening 10 minutes, now Juventus are looking more dangerous...

Sissoko takes a very robust, but fair, challenge from Pazienza on his standing leg and goes off temporarily.

0-0 in 25th

Buffon saves well from Hamsik at the near post.

Good chance Nedved from 9 yards, he blasts it well over.

Cannavaro had his arm raised when he was in a wall (inside the area) defending a free-kick, very silly and Del Piero wants a penalty, but the ball actually came off Hamsik's head, luckily for Cannavaro...

Pazienza for a second late challenge on Nedved.

Juve go close following a Del Piero free-kick. Stendardo didn't get enough on it at the back post.

santacroce

this Cannavaro is also very good

Juve players are dropping like flies,with very little contact

freekick for Juve in a dangerous position

DP puts it just over the bar

what a miss by Napoli,missed a sitter

0-0 at HT

Extraordinary chance for Garics and Lavezzi! WTF was Garics trying to do?? Shocking mess-up. That's the last action of the half and Garics walks away with his shirt over his head, and rightly so.

0-0 HT.

2nd half about to start

great opportunity for Juve, for freekick,excellent position

DP misses again,normally he puts away these opportunities

corner for Napoli

Juve on the counter

Juve putting a lotta pressure

Napoli defending very well

Trez heads right at the keeper after some nice play

Nedved shot is saved by the keeper

trez blows a nice ball from thiago,puts it way up high

some nice passing from Napoli

another good fk opportunity,foul by Santacroce

Juve makes 2 subs

Molianro out

DP put the fk way up high,he missed 3 good ones

Cannavaro brings DP down in the midfield,picks up a

nice save by Napoli keeper

nice shot by thiago,goes over the bar

Juve were denied a clear corner

nice shot by Napoli, buffons easily grabs it

DP misses another great chance.

corner for Juve

0-0 @ 72nd

Juve appealing for penalty,replay shows,it was not

Not much of a game for Jay

Napoli defense are very good,but how long they hold Juve,

players just dropped on his knees,it was a clean tackle

Santacroce is a good player

Savini out
Contini in for Napoli