by Tarun Sat Oct 27, 2007 9:29 pm
Serie A Week 9 - 27/10/07 (19.30 UK)
Napoli 3 - 1 Juventus
Del Piero 46 (J), Gargano 49 (N), Domizzi pens 62, 70 (N)
Stadio San Paolo
Napoli defeated Juventus 3-1 in a spectacular game at the San Paolo, but it was extremely controversial with two terrible penalty decisions.
This fixture returned to the top flight after seven years and the San Paolo was packed out for the atmosphere of a truly big game. Both sides made the step up from Serie B in the summer and have impressed since, but Juve needed a victory to keep up with leaders Inter.
Pavel Nedved was suspended and Sergio Almiron picked ahead of Cristiano Zanetti, while Napoli maintained the same XI that held Roma to an epic 4-4 draw last week. It was also a return for Claudio Ranieri, who coached Napoli from 1991 to '93, but he was in the stands due to a touchline ban. He tested out a new 3-4-1-2 system with Christian Molinaro more advanced.
Within seconds Ezequiel Lavezzi had wreaked havoc in the Bianconeri defence, then Gigi Buffon plucked a powerful Maurizio Domizzi header off the line from a corner kick.
There was a flurry of activity on 15 minutes in the Napoli area with crosses raining in from all angles. Alessandro Del Piero gathered from Raffaele Palladino only to have his shot charged down, then Sergio Almiron's strike stung Gennaro Iezzo's palms.
Lavezzi's penalty appeals were waved away as he went shoulder-to-shoulder with Giorgio Chiellini and Iezzo parried a sudden David Trezeguet left-foot snapshot as he pounced on ex-Juve man Manuele Blasi's error.
Trezeguet hit the back of the net, but it was correctly disallowed for an offside position.
At the other end Paolo Cannavaro won back the ball and threaded through immediately for Marcelo Zalayeta, whose first touch let him down from eight yards.
Just 38 seconds after the restart, Juventus took the lead at a stunned Stadio San Paolo. Palladino exchanged passes with Trezeguet outside the box and cut across for Del Piero to shoot with the inside of his right foot. Iezzo got a hand on it, but could not keep the ball out from six yards. It was a fine way to celebrate the birth of son Tobias this week.
Moments later ex-Juventus striker Zalayeta nearly equalised, as he chested down the ball and the lob was just off target.
The lead didn't last long, as Walter Gargano went on a spectacular mazy run through the entire Bianconeri defence. He picked the ball up in midfield from Lavezzi and shook off three tackles to smash a left-foot angled drive across Buffon into the far bottom corner.
There was more bad news for Juve, as Zdenek Grygera clashed heads with Zalayeta and was left with a bloody nose, although he was able to continue. Yet they should have gone 2-1 up moments later, as Trezeguet nodded Palladino's cross on to the post and Del Piero volleyed the ricochet well over an open goal from point-blank range!
Iezzo blocked another Trezeguet header from Palladino, this time on the left flank, but on the hour mark the referee pointed to the spot. Zalayeta flicked back for Lavezzi and Chiellini performed a fantastic tackle to pluck the ball off his foot. However, the referee insisted it was a penalty and Domizzi buried the kick by sending Buffon the wrong way, putting Napoli 2-1 up with a terrible refereeing decision.
Juve readjusted to a 4-4-2, but referee Bergonzi awarded another penalty against them. Zalayeta blatantly dived over former teammate Buffon, who came sliding out to close him down, but once again the official made the wrong decision and Domizzi converted in a similar fashion in the far corner.
Buffon did well to block a Lavezzi curler at full stretch and Marco Marchionni replaced Grygera for his first appearance since fracturing a bone in his foot on August 2, while Vincenzo Iaquinta replaced Palladino. Lavezzi was given a standing ovation as he made way for Emanuele Calaio'.
Hasan Salihamidzic volleyed a Del Piero corner wide of the near post, but Chiellini went into the book for kicking the ball away and will be suspended for the next match. Napoli effectively played stoppages with 10 men, as Blasi went off injured after all the substitutions had been completed.
Home
and if the FIGC thought Inter's banners were a bit naughty, then Moratti's going to splutter over his breakfast when he sees what the Neapolitans and the Gobbi are going to shout at each other 
Is this the new begining or just a false dawn... his stupid ignore on Mancio's high five when he was substituted suggests that he still has to mature a lot as a person!!
