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Italy: Serie A Preview- Juventus v Ascoli [Sat Sep 17th, 2005]
After an exciting midweek UEFA Champions League tie, its back to Serie A for Juventus as they prepare to face newly-promoted Ascoli.
Little Ascoli will hope that Juve’s European encounter will have left them at less than 100%, especially if they are to gain anything from this daunting encounter.
BACKGROUND
Juventus come into this match after facing Club Bruges on Wednesday in their opening fixture in the group. The Turin side created a seemingly endless number of scoring chances yet amazingly only won 2-1.
The result was mostly due to the expert performance of Bruges keeper Stijnen, who kept the Bianconeri at bay for long periods of the game with a string of stunning saves. Despite some poor finishing, Juventus looked impressive in Belgium, carving out a number of good scoring chances during the tie.
The movement of Trezeguet was especially notable as the Frenchman scored an exquisite winning goal moving his tally to 100 goals for the club. In doing so David Trezeguet has become the 13th all-time top-scorer for the Bianconeri as he reached his scoring milestone, just four goals behind another French Juventus legend: Michel Platini.
With the partnership of Ibrahimovic and Trezeguet looking so potent, few would bet against the Bianconeri breaching Ascoli’s defence on Sunday.
Ascoli found their inclusion in Serie A as something of a surprise after the scandals that rocked Italian football in the summer.
With little time to prepare their squad, Ascoli’s roster remains much the same as the side that failed to clench promotion via their league position last term.
No real purchases were made as the club’s inclusion in Serie A was only confirmed on August the 16th. Ascoli have a good blend of youth and experience, and the likes of Marco Ferrante will be vital in their bid to survive this season.
TEAM NEWS
Juventus
Much to Capello’s annoyance, Thuram is injured following his decision to return to international football with France. Robert Kovac steps in to fill the void and will be joined by Balzaretti who missed the midweek game after the birth of his daughter.
Ascoli
The side that faced Milan should be more or less unchanged, as the manager plots an unlikely away win at the Stadio Delle Alpi.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Juventus
Trezeguet looked to be at his majestic best on Wednesday and will be a handful in this vein of form. The Frenchman is lethal in the air and on the ground with an eye fo goal that is almost unparalleled in World football.
Ascoli
With such a young squad full of new players, the veteran’s guile and experience will be needed to withstand the pressure from a formidable Juventus outfit. Ferrante’s physical presence could be a problem for Juventus if they don’t keep their concentration.
PROBABLE STARTING XIs
Juventus (4-4-2):
Abiatti - Balzaretti, Kovac, F.Cannavaro, Zambrotta - Camoranesi, Vieira, Emerson, Nedved - Trezeguet, Ibrahimovic
Ascoli (4-4-2):
Coppola; Cudini, Del Grosso, Domizzi, Carbone; Foggia, Parola, Cristiano, Fini; Quagliarella, Ferrante
Jamie Obertelli
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