Real Madrid v Juventus [1-2]

Juve are through to the final of the pace cup after beating Real Madrid 2 – 1! Goals came at the beginning of each half with Cannavaro latching on to a Del Piero free kick to put Juventus one nil up. Madrid got a goal back at the end of the half after a rash tackle from Giorgio Chiellini downed Raul and Ronaldo stepped up to convert the penalty.

Juve were far from disheartened and within 8 minutes of the restart, Juve were 2-1 up as Brazzo was left unmarked to head in a Del Piero cross. Madrid tried their best to push forward and grab an equalizer bringing on Higuain and Negredo late on but the Juventus defence, marshalled by Gigi Buffon, was more than equal to the task.

Player Ratings

Buffon - 7.5/10. Kept Juventus in the game on more than one occasion by making some fantastic reaction saves and commanding his defence well.

Grygera- 6/10. Largely anonymous throughout the match and was run ragged by Royston Drenthe all night. His only real contribution came late on with a nasty tackle on Ronaldo that would have warranted a red card in a competitive game.

Cannavaro - 7.5/10. Rolled back the years by putting in a fantastic first half performance, reading the game as he used to, making some solid tackles, breaking up Madrid attacks and marking Karim Benzema out of the game. Scored a perfect header to put Juve in the lead with just 3 mins gone. A class act.

Chiellini - 6.5/10. Was solid for much of the game but conceded a poor penalty late on in the first half. Better in the second half, marking Ronaldo well and keeping the Madrid attack at bay.

Brazzo - 7.5/10. Ran up and down the left flank all night, creating chances and linking up well with the midfield. Didn’t neglect his defensive duties and scored a peach of a header early in the second half.

Melo - 6.5/10. Lost possession too many times in the first half but raised his performance as the game went on, sitting in front of the back four and giving Ronaldo something to think about.

Tiago- 7/10. Who is this player ? Certainly not the midfielder we’ve had to endure for the last two seasons ! He looked confident all night and  and picked out some inch perfect passes for the forwards. He’s definitely come on this season and looks set to feature in Ferrara’s first team

Camoranesi - 8/10. Left the Madrid defence in his wake as he darted in and out of the flanks, creating opportunities with every touch. Showed some deft touches and managed to defend very well despite the odd dodgy tackle. Has adapted perfectly to playing on the end of a 3 man midfield.

Giovinco- 7/10. Played just behind the forwards and showed some real spark by putting through Amauri on numerous occasions. A real asset to the team throughout the game  and he seems to be relishing his new role.

Del Piero - 7.5/10. Created both the Juve goals and shows no signs of slowing down despite his age. Could have scored a goal or two himself and tore the Madrid defence apart all night.

Amauri - 6.5/10. Kept running all night and showed why he’s Ciro’s first-choice striker. Looked lively in the first half but went MIA in the second.

Comments

About Author