New Delhi: Juventus have moved to the top of Serie A as goals from Zdenek Grygera, Amauri, Vincenzo Iaquinta and a Sokratis Papastathopoulos own goal led them to a somewhat flattering 4-1 thrashing of Genoa.
Build-up and team news
Juventus came into the game on a real roll, having won six on the bounce in all competitions, and they knew that another victory in this re-arranged fixture would see them move joint-top of Serie A alongside Inter.
However, once again they were crippled by injuries, with Andrade, Zanetti, Zebina, Trezeguet, Buffon, Poulsen, Knezevic and Salihamidzic all sidelined. Marco Marchionni was again preferred to the fit-again Mauro Camoranesi on the right wing, while Alessandro Del Piero and Amauri started up-front.
Genoa were also in fine form, having gone six games unbeaten, and were just one point behind Juve. The Rossoblu had a few missing players of their own as Paro, Milanetto, Mesto, and Modesto were all in the treatment room. Serie A top scorer Diego Milito launched a trident attack alongside Andrea Gasbarroni and ex-Bianconero Raffaele Palladino.
First half
Juventus attacked from the start, and a smart turn from Del Piero allowed Pavel Nedved to burst forward and blast the ball over from 20 yards.
After just five minutes Juve made the breakthrough. Zdenek Grygera took a quick throw-in down the right, received the ball back from Del Piero, before charging into the area and firing an angled drive into the far bottom corner.
Genoa tried to react, and Palladino skied the ball into Row Z from distance. On 12 minutes though, the away side were inches from getting back level as Matteo Ferrari rose unmarked from a corner to head agonizingly over.
Five minutes later Genoa went even closer to scoring. Milito did absolutely brilliantly to twist and turn his way past Nicola Legrottaglie and Giorgio Chiellini, before shooting centimetres past the post with just Alex Manninger to beat.
The visitors were now in charge of the game, and Domenico Criscito was the next to try his luck with a wayward long-shot. Tiago had a similar effort down the other end for Juve.
Despite not threatening at all since Grygera's opener, Juventus doubled their lead on 25 minutes. Grygera this time turned provider, crossing from the right for Amauri to power an unstoppable header past Rubinho.
The Old Lady was riding her luck a touch though, and did so again just past the half-hour mark as Andrea Gasbarroni's cross from the left took a deflection and crashed off the post, before the danger was cleared.
Juve had been incredibly clinical with their finishing, but they were less so on 37 minutes as some inspired play by Del Piero released Cristian Molinaro but, with just Rubinho to beat, he dragged his weak effort, and allowed Criscito to clear the ball.
Del Piero ambitiously let fly with a free kick from way out, but he slipped as he took it, and that was that for the first half action.
Second Half
Genoa made one change at the break, with former Juventino Giuseppe Sculli replacing the disappointing Gasbarroni.
The away side had an immediate chance to halve the deficit. Once again Milito was involved, cutting the ball back for Palladino, who missed his kick from six yards out. Milito then also lashed a volley over.
Amauri's aerial ability was evident again this evening, and he had another headed effort from a Del Piero free kick, but this time Rubinho was his equal. Meanwhile, Momo Sissoko volleyed the ball wildly over from long-range
Genoa refused to give up and continued to push forward. Sculli, who had been bright since coming on, was released in the right channel and fired into the sidenetting.
Midway through the half Camoranesi made his return following an injury lay-off, replacing Marchionni. Seconds later Del Piero curled a 30-yard free kick a yard over.
Into the last 15 minutes of the games and by now the tempo had dropped. Legrottaglie headed weakly at goal, before Del Piero squandered a fine chance as his well-placed shot from Amauri's lay-off lacked power, which allowed Rubinho to turn the ball around the post.
With six minutes remaining Amauri made way for Vincenzo Iaquinta. With virtually his first touch of the ball, Iaquinta had made it 3-0 as he latched onto Del Piero's flicked pass before sliding the ball past Rubinho.
A minute later though Genoa, and Milito, grabbed a deserved consolation. Legrottaglie was penalised for handling the ball in the area, and Milito comfortably dispatched his penalty past Manninger.
The goals had still not finished for the night though as, in the first minute of injury time, Juventus restored their three goal advantage. Camoranesi crossed from the right, and substitute Sokratis unluckily turned the ball into his own net from close range.
Genoa will feel hard done-by with a 4-1 scoreline, but Juventus won't mind as they move joint-top of Serie A alongside Inter, having played one game more.
Teams
Juventus: Manninger, Grygera, Legrottaglie, Chiellini, Molinaro, Marchionni (Camoranesi 68), Sissoko, Tiago, Nedved, Del Piero (Giovinco 87), Amauri (Iaquinta 84)
Genoa: Rubinho, Biava (Sokratis 79), Ferrari, Criscito, Rossi, Motta, Juric, Potenza (Bocchetti 60), Gasbarroni (Sculli 46), Milito, Palladino
Goals
Grygera 5 (J)
Amauri 25 (J)
Iaquinta 85 (J)
Milito pen 87 (G)
Sokratis og 91 (J)
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