 01-07-07, 05:53 PM | #169 (permalink) |
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 Torino - Juventus 2nd of December 2007 Stadio Olimpico, Turin Italian Serie A 2007/2008; Week 11     37'  Elvis Abbruscato, 53' Roberto Stellone - 17' Alessandro Del Piero  Match Highlights
Elvis Abbruscato was inspirational in Torino's convincing 2:1 win over Juventus in front of a full Stadio Olimpico.
Turin was in huge derby mood with Juventus and Torino meeting while being at the top of the Serie A. Just two points was between two sides, with Juventus leading the table. It was sure that Turin had got both of their teams back to the top of Italy, but now it was a battle for the title of the best club in town.
Tursk stated before the game that this game was important for the season because the result of it set the objectives for the rest of the season. Win meant title hunt and loss a fight for Champions League place.
Tursk, who returned from his one month sideline ban, made it offical before the game that attacking midfielder Alessandro Rosina will become the offical captain of the club with Giuseppe Pancaro falling to bench role. Meanwhile Silva was picked to start as Simone Barone's replacement.
Torino got the first good opportunity just minutes into the game as Elvis Abbruscato's shot was saved by brilliant Gianluigi Buffon.
At the other end, hate-figure for Torino fans, former captain of the team, full-back Federico Balzaretti banged over from 25 metres.
It was Juventus who took the lead just as it seemed like the game had calmed down. Silva made a bad back-pass and Alessandro Del Piero had no trouble converting the ball without no marker and Marcelo Grohe out of the goal, eventhough he had to do so from tough angle.
Stefano Fiore banged wide with a straight powerful shot from the edge of the area.
It was through fireworks show from both teams between 27th to 30th minute though. First Silva noticed that Gianluigi Buffon was out of his goal and tried to send a long-range lob over him, but it also flew over the goal.
At the other end Torino defence didn't show themselves to be good at handling the stars of Juventus, as Marcelo Grohe made an amazing triple save on powerful Alessandro Del Piero, Ruben Oliveira and Mauro Camoranesi shots. And few seconds later, Del Piero headed wide a Camoranesi cross from right wing.
Juventus had another chance as their free-kick took a deflection to the head of Igor Tudor, but his shot was saved by brilliant Grohe.
But it was Torino who probably had the best chance of the fireworks after half hour. First Alessandro Rosina's corner was headed againist the bar by Elvis Abbruscato, Roberto Stellone's follow-up was brilliantly saved by Buffon and then Nikola Lazetic's third try in few seconds took heavy deflections of defenders and Buffon did brilliantly to bunch it over the bar.
After that the game calmed down for few minutes, but Torino did get their equalizer on 37th minute. Nikola Lazetic and Elvis Abbruscato combined for the first to get a shot from the edge of the area, which was going to be easy for Buffon to get, but Abbruscato decided to re-direct the shot with his head and it flew into the goal without Buffon having a chance of reaching it.
Abbruscato got a one on one with Buffon again, but his shot was saved and it came out that there had been offside earlier on.
At half-time Stefano Fiore came off for Antonio Di Natale. The show continued at the start of the half aswell. David Trezeguet hit it over from 20 metres with a central shot, but minutes later Torino got the lead.
Silva won the ball in midfield and gave it to Elvis Abbruscato, who brilliantly noticed a Roberto Stellone run to free zone.
Eventhough Stellone didn't show much of speed and the pass wasn't that perfect, the striker still got it and past Robert Kovać to send it past hopeless Buffon.
 It was a great goal from Torino and Stellone
Juventus was having trouble with Torino's attacking players and they combined once more for Rosina having a shot blocked before blasting a powerful shot towards the near post, only to be denied by brilliant Buffon save.
Young Juve substitute Davide Chiumiento had a central shot curling over from edge of the area as Torino bringed in Lionel Mathis for Silva on 70th minute.
It was a short game for Mathis, getting injuried after just three minutes and coming off for Andrea Mei as Gabriel Tamas moved to midfield.
Tamas presence in midfield took the pace down for the game, but he did have a great free-kick was denied by Buffon and Chiumiento had the same fate with Grohe saving his try from 20 metres.
Final minutes were all Torino as Nikola Lazetic had a volley miles past the far post, before Rosina gave a great pass for an Abbruscato run, but Buffon closed down fine and blocked the shot.
Rosina gave similiar ball to Roberto Stellone just few seconds later, but Buffon grabbed it from the feet of the striker as Andrea Mei also felt the greatness of Juve goalkeeper when his shot from edge of the area was catched by the national team number one.
But despite that, Torino had won the derby and moved to the first place and it was all party for the Granata fans all over Italy.
Torino: 1-Marcelo Grohe; 4-Marco Andreolli, 5-Gabriel Tamas, 2-Raffaele Schiavi, 22-Iacopo Balestri; 7-Stefano Fiore (45' 13-Antonio Di Natale), 28-Silva (70' 24-Lionel Mathis) (74' 3-Andrea Mei), 17-Nikola Lazetic; 10-Alessandro Rosina; 11-Roberto Stellone, 19-Elvis Abbruscato
Cautioned  : None
Other Results
Napoli 3-1 Bologna
Inter 2-0 Lazio
Parma 3-0 Atalanta
Roma 3-0 Milan
Ascoli 0-2 Fiorentina
Torino Position: 1st
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