Cheivo Verona's Michael Bradley (Goal.com)It could be that more Americans were tuning in to watch Serie A and Chievo Verona this weekend after Michael Bradley's standout performance for the national team against the Azzurri this week. What they would have seen was in my mind pretty much a classic Italian away side performance from the Flying Donkeys.
Juventus took some sharp criticism for perhaps looking tired against AC Milan in their last match, particularly since Milan has been playing in Champions League and Juve isn't playing European football. Antonio Conte seems to have addressed that, because Juve came out with a hot hand in this one.
They nearly got on the board in the second minute. Paolo De Ceglie nearly got the job done as he squeezed a shot off on the Chievo goal, but got a little too fancy with it. This gave Chievo 'keeper Stefano Sorrentino a chance to size it up and turn it away.
De Ceglie got it right in the 18th minute though. Andrea Pirlo sent in one of his patent gorgeous free kicks. It was headed off the post and fell to De Ceglie, who put it in to give Juve the 1-0 lead. It was not without controversy though as replays showed he was offside. Still, the goal stood.
Juve would get one more good chance in the first half. Simone Padoin got a shot on goal in minute 40 that was saved, and the half ended with Juve holding the 1-0 lead.
Late in the second half the Flying Donkeys would make Juve pay for not adding that second goal. They hung in there all match long and just waited for their chance, which came in the 76th minute. Boukary Drame took a shot on goal for Chievo. Leonardo Bonucci tried to clear the ball off the line, but ended up actually helping it into the net to make it 1-1. The goal was awarded to Drame, and is his first Serie A goal. Chievo managed to hold on for the final 14 plus minutes and take a point off of Juve at home.
This could be critical as the result leaves Juve three points behind Milan for the top spot with a game in hand, they'll now have to win that game as the season continues to click towards it's climax. For their part, Milan thrashed Palermo 0-4.
No comments:
Post a Comment