It is panic stations for Juventus as Ciro Ferrara risks the sack, according to some reports, if they don’t win at Bari.

What a difference a week makes. Last Saturday the Bianconeri were ecstatic, having conquered great rivals Inter and reopened the title race in one fell swoop.

Everything went so horribly wrong on Tuesday night however. Anything but a loss at home to Bayern Munich would have been enough for the Turin giants to progress to the knockout stage of the Champions League – instead they were routed in the most humiliating fashion.

The 4-1 defeat has blown the Old Lady’s plans for the season out the water and put question marks beside the names of Ferrara and big money signings Diego and Felipe Melo – both of whom were booed on Tuesday.

Club President Jean Claude-Blanc has come out in defence of his Coach, but reports in the Italian Press suggest the rest of the board aren’t quite so content. Whether Ferrara’s job is on the line or not, this is a very significant fixture. Juve must retain the impetus their Derby d’Italia win gave them and prove they have the consistency to challenge for the Scudetto.

Lying in wait is one of the surprise packages of the season. New boys Bari have excelled with a combination of experience on the bench and youth on the field. Veteran tactician Giampiero Ventura has placed his trust in young centre-backs Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Ranocchia, who have repaid him by making the Galletti backline the third strongest in Serie A.

Last week Napoli needed two sendings off and a late winner to snatch a 3-2 win off their fellow Southerners at the San Paolo.

The Stadio San Nicola holds a special significance for the visitors, as it was here that they clinched the 2005-06 Scudetto, which was later revoked and awarded to Inter – with a win over Reggina.
Bari have lost just once there this campaign.

The home side miss defenders Ranocchia and Alessandro Parisi after their sendings off in Naples, Mariano Donda, Matteo Paro, Vitali Kutuzov, Antonio Langella, Salvatore Masiello and Vladimir Koman are injured.

Some key figures, including Vincenzo Iaquinta, Giorgio Chiellini, Gigi Buffon and Momo Sissoko, are injury absentees for the visitors. Felipe Melo is suspended.

Keep an eye on: Claudio Marchisio (Juventus) – Maturing all the time, Marchisio is a wonderful prospect and thoroughly deserves a starting shirt. Previously considered a defensive midfielder, his sublime winner against Inter and his assist on Tuesday prove he is very capable going forward.

Last five in Serie A: Bari (D W L W L) Juventus (L W W L W)

Last season: Not played

Bari (probable): Gillet; A Masiello, Diamoutene, Bonucci, Stellini; Alvarez, Donati, Almiron, Allegretti; Meggiorini, Barreto

Juventus (probable): Manninger; Caceres, Legrotagglie, Cannavaro, Grosso; Camoranesi, Poulsen, Marchisio, Diego; Amauri, Del Piero

Ref: To follow...

Potentially a make or break match in our season, if we don't react after the disaster in Turin midweek then there is something seriously wrong with either the coaching and/or the players and changes are needed. It's as simple as this - it is not even close to being acceptable to put in a 100% performance and beat the bigger teams and then play at 60-70% and draw or get beat by the provincial sides. This is Juventus, it seems some players have forgotten or don't realise that fact.

Almiron to score the winner anyone?

1 Buffon
2 Caceres
5 Cannavaro
6 Grosso
7 Salihamidzic
8 Marchisio
10 Del Piero
11 Amauri
12 Chimenti
13 Manninger
15 Zebina
16 Camoranesi
17 Trezeguet
18 Poulsen
19 Molinaro
20 Giovinco
21 Grygera
28 Diego
29 De Ceglie
30 Tiago
33 Legrottaglie
39 Marrone

Buffon has remained with the squad during this difficult week to provide support and makes the squad, but it's not certain he will play. He undergoes his surgery on Sunday, when he should have had it already. I think Manninger is good enough.

Bari to win and Juve to get relegated at the end of the season

LOL, we probably have enough points to stay up already

Has Ferrara finally lost the plot? We'll find out soon enough...

oops well that didnt take long did it
juve really need this win
1-0 for BAri after 7 mins in

Trezeguet 1-1 at the 23rd min
now 37' min

just realized Bari are 3 pts off Roma and if they win by 2 goals or more they would surpass us
JUVE U BETTER FKN WIN THIS

Bari 2-1 HT
penalty

70th min
still Bari 2-1 Juventus

damn it i think Bari are gonna win this thing ffs
come on juve

fkn legrotaglie just missed a free header

Camoranesi just took a corner and put it straight out

this is embarrassing now for juve

Bari 3-1 juve

FT
Bari 3-1 Juventus

watched the last 15 min and juve were horrible, bayern game still in their heads for sure

and now Bari are above Roma by goal difference

Ferrara to get the sack now for sure.

Bet Ranieri's having a laugh now huh

hes gonna hit the strip club for celebration tonight

Terrible again. Bari could have scored 10, no exaggeration. Juve also missed a lot of chances. Juve missed a penalty from Diego, some Bari fan was shining a laser pen in his face before which didn't help. It's just getting worse and worse, we look like a pub team. I haven't seen it so bad for a long time, since the late 90s. Ferrara simply has to go, the club is being run from top to bottom by amateurs, all that was missing from todays game was Benny Hill music playing over the PA. Tiago is fucking useless, just useless. Ferrara fucked up selection big time. Marchisio fucked up on their first goal but the deflection was lucky. I feel sorry for Buffon having to stand behind such dross. Camo came on and then had to be subbed himself, so we miss another midfielder. It just went from bad to worse throughout the game, it's just mounting up and we are in a terrible rut. Ferrara was a gamble and our off the cuff style worked early on as teams couldn't understand us, but now it is easy for teams to score past us with little pressure and they stick two players on Diego, Ferrara hasn't shown he is good enough to get tough results. It's an imposter of Juve right now.

Buffon 7
Caceres 6
Cannavaro 5
Legrottaglie 5
Molinaro 5 (Grosso 6)
Tiago 4 (Camoranesi 5, Giovinco 6)
Poulsen 6
Marchisio 5
Diego 6
Trezeguet 6
Amauri 5

Why would he? He only comes in to a club to do a job, the same as what he is doing now at Roma - stabilise.

Serie A Week 16 - 12/12/09 (19.45 UK)

Bari 3-1 Juventus

Meggiorini 7 (B ), Trezeguet 23 (J), Barreto pen 44 (B ), Almiron 81 (B )

Stadio San Nicola


Diego completed a nightmare week for Juventus by ballooning a penalty over the bar in their 3-1 defeat at Bari.

The pressure was on the Bianconeri after the shock 4-1 home defeat to Bayern Munich that knocked them out of the Champions League midweek. All the enthusiasm from beating Inter had evaporated and Ciro Ferrara made tough decisions, benching Alessandro Del Piero and Mauro Camoranesi, but sticking with the disappointing Diego. Momo Sissoko, Giorgio Chiellini and the suspended Felipe Melo were out. Bari had to completely reshuffle their defence as Andrea Ranocchia and Alessandro Parisi sat out bans with Salvatore Masiello, Vitalii Kutuzov, Mariano Donda and Antonio Langella sidelined.

It was freezing in Bari and so sawdust was sprinkled on the goalmouths to stave off ice.

The home side took a shock lead just seven minutes in. They had been more aggressive from the start and Claudio Marchisio was dispossessed in the D by Riccardo Meggiorini, whose volley took a decisive deflection off Tiago Mendes to beat Gigi Buffon.

Coach Ventura was more furious than in the mood for celebrating, as Meggiorini took his shirt off and earned a yellow card.

Jean-Francois Gillet blocked a deflected Diego effort at the near post, then Marchisio combined with Amauri only for the Brazilian to scuff wide.

Bari could've gone 2-0 up on 22 minutes, as Leonardo Bonucci was allowed a free header from a set piece, but nodded over from seven yards.

Juventus survived that scare and immediately afterwards scored the equaliser. Gillet was at full stretch to get his palm to a Diego snapshot, but Trezeguet was there to tap in the loose ball from close range.

Moments later Diego pounced on a poor Diamoutene clearance, but Gillet parried it and caught the Amauri follow-up. Meggiorini drilled wide at the other end and Martin Caceres was fortunate his slip did not allow Rivas to score.

Rivas spread the ball for Meggiorini's shot straight at Buffon, while Amauri soared above the crowd and still couldn't quite get a firm header, then as the move continued Marchisio flashed his effort over the bar.

Just shy of half-time Barreto burst into the box down the left and fell over Fabio Cannavaro's leg, but replays suggest it's very difficult to tell whether the Bari player ran on to the leg or was tripped. The referee pointed to the spot and Barreto sent Buffon the wrong way, having missed two penalties this season.

Straight after the restart Bari had a series of shots charged down in the box, but at the other end another woeful Diamoutene clearance set up Trezeguet from six yards, the strike parried by Gillet's legs at the near post.

There was chaos in the Juve box in this end-to-end match, as an Edgar Alvarez cross found Rivas slip at the back post, then the clearance turned into almost an own goal with deflections until Buffon gathered.

Rivas horribly wasted a counter when it was four Bari players against three defenders, putting the through ball where nobody was ready to make the most of it.

Poulsen smashed wide from distance, then Amauri only glanced his header from Trezeguet's cross. Barreto sprung the offside trap to go totally clear on goal, but Buffon came tearing 20 metres out of his box for a sliding tackle.

Trezeguet knocked down the ball for the unmarked Tiago Mendes to flash a volley across the face of goal. The Portuguese midfielder wasted another golden opportunity by nodding over at the near post. Fabio Grosso replaced Molinaro, who had a right knee problem.

Buffon needed a tricky save to deny a Meggiorini free header from the penalty spot after great work from Kamata.

Within 120 seconds of stepping on to the field, Grosso had earned a penalty for Sergio Almiron's clumsy sliding tackle. That was the first spot-kick Juventus have been awarded in Serie A this season and Diego ballooned it over the bar! It was a horrible effort from the Brazilian who tried to put it into the top corner and completely missed.

The Juventus bench complained to the fourth official that a laser pen from the stands was aimed towards Diego's eyes as he was taking the penalty. Replays do show a green flash across his face.

Mauro Camoranesi replaced Tiago and Nicola Legrottaglie headed a corner inches over the bar. Kamata went on the counter with three against two, but again Bari fumbled the opportunity.

However, from the corner Almiron hit a daisy-cutter that took a deflection along the way to beat Buffon and slip into the far bottom corner of the net. Almiron is a former Juventus player and the corner came out to 20 metres, but the shot hit Amauri along the way.

Moments later Gillet flew to fingertip a Poulsen volley out from under the crossbar, as Juve did not give in. From the corner Amauri nodded over, but to make matters worse Camoranesi pulled up with a suspected thigh strain.

Substitute Sebastian Giovinco tested Gillet a couple of times late on and Amauri's head whistled wide, but Kamata also went close for Bari on the counter.

It should've been 4-1 at the 93rd minute when Kamata went forward and crossed for Alvarez to volley over from six yards at the back post.

Bari: Gillet; A Masiello, Diamoutene, Bonucci, Stellini; Alvarez, Donati, Almiron, Rivas (Kamata 62); Meggiorini (Gazzi 70), Barreto (Greco 61)

Juventus: Buffon; Caceres, Legrottaglie, Cannavaro, Molinaro (Grosso 65); Tiago (Camoranesi 74) (Giovinco 85), Poulsen, Marchisio; Diego; Trezeguet, Amauri

Ref: Tagliavento

Missed penalty: Diego 68 (J)

Horrible, horrible game. A catalogue of errors really, almost every Juventus player making embarassing mistakes. Buffon and Caceres were the only ones who seemed to have any determination, Giovinco finally gave Juve attacking threat after he came on and Grosso was a big improvement on Molinaro. Amauri and Tiago were really awful. Diego disappeared after missing the penalty.

Bari weren't even very good but had a few chances at the end to make it a second 4-1 defeat in a week. Alvarez and Kamata caused a lot of problems.

Wow. Jay I feel your pain but I am wondering if your assessment of Ferrara right now is overly negative?

I mean, the way you talk about him it's as if he is worse than Steve McClaren.

what is going on with Juve?

No, he made selection choices in a crucial match that only an idiot would have made. As Tobinho pointed out, Grosso came in and was far better than Molinaro, Tiago wasted two glorious chances and Giovinco came on far too late for even his magic to make a difference. We don't know how good Ferrara is going to be in the future but only the present matters, and whilst people might think we should all give him loads of time because he was a legendary player for us it doesn't work like that. It is now another season totally down the drain because he is trying different formations and systems all the time, partly down to injury, but generally down to trying to keep everyone happy. Who the hell does that? What am I being overly negative about? Being out of the CL at the first group stage to two average teams or being no closer to catching Inter and even behind a Milan side who started the season terribly? If Parma beat Bologna today, as expected, they will be two points behind Juventus, it's embarassing. Perhaps we should resign ourselves to be a CL team at best, sorry, for our previous finishes and the money we spent this summer anything but a realistic title challenge is simply unacceptable. The title was there to be won this year and might still be if there is a drastic change in results one way or another.

I thought Diego had a good game and it was a shame he missed the penalty, I didn't have confidence with him taking it as he is feeling most of the criticism even though he hasn't played badly aside from the Bayern game recently. I think even though Bari could have had 4 or 5 by the time that penalty came, if Diego had scored then Juve would have gone on to win as it was a makeshift Bari defence and Juve were on top by then. Amauri just misses chance after chance, he doesn't have any composure at all. But we never look control, we could literally end up with either 0, 1 or 3 points in every game because it is just random crap throughout. Who knows what is going to happen, right now it is fucking embarassing to be a Juve fan. There are high standards here which many just don't appreciate. If the club looked like it was going forwards and coming together then most wouldn't have a problem, it just looks terrible in most games.

Reading the comments coming from Ferrara and Blanc, it just reaffirms the unrealistic way in which they look at performances and results.

Ferrara said he saw nothing wrong with the performance, well that is simply ludicrous. It's actually insulting the fans to suggest as such.

Blanc said that it was the same team that beat Inter. Well frankly, if the team had played anything like it did against Inter every week, showing that same determination and solidity, then we wouldn't be talking about another loss against a provincial side. Herein lies the problem. The Inter match was a one-off for the fans, as I already said, it meant nothing in terms of the season. I thought the players tried pretty hard in Bari and tried to play some good stuff, but the problem is the fucking solidity of the team for crying out loud. We look like conceding every fucking attack. Christ, can these people not see the problems? The coach thinks it is acceptable to get ass-raped in defence by everyone from Cagliari up to Bayern as long as we look like scoring ourselves? Sorry, is this actually Juventus? What kind of philosophy is that?!?!

Looks like Ferrara will be falling back on the Inter game for a while, not that our French volleyball director president knows what he is doing anyway. Next game is Catania and well, if Juve lose then there is a whole Xmas break to mull over and Ferrara surely won't survive. Probably the worst thing that could happen is that we put in another terrible performance and scrape a win, this would just paper over the cracks yet again.

it was a painful game to watch, i swear it was like watching some kids playing football


i think i'll crawl into a hole & stay there until things get better

Tell me what to do now, we both are easily recognized by the nicknames...

lol @ nicks, hey dont look at me im a milan fan lalala

anyway jokes aside, the result's so disappointhing... never thought we'd be loosing to the likes of bari.. sigh

Well the good times will come back soon. For a club like Juve this is a really bad time but we are quite lucky really. At least there is (just about) stuff to play for, like the Coppa

Bari have been fined €10,000 for the fan shining the laser pen in Diego's face. I'd rather have the point

Atalanta were fined the same amount after someone did it to Milito.