Saturday March 2, 2013 Day 27 Stadio San Paolo

Countdown: -76 Days

  1. Italian Serie A - Juventus hold Napoli to stay six points clear

    Italian Serie A - Juventus hold Napoli to stay six points clear

    Napoli and Juventus battled to a 1-1 draw as Serie A's top two sides shared the spoils at the Stadio San Paolo. More

  • Live Commentary

    • - Thanks for joining me tonight - you can find me on Twitter @Reda_Eurosport if you have any questions about that entertaining clash. We'll be back with more Serie A tomorrow as Milan host Lazio, and Sunday as Catania face Internazionale.
    • 90+3 That's the final whistle, an entertaining 1-1 draw although the first half was the one to watch. Juve stay six points clear of second-placed Napoli with 11 matches left.
    • 90+2 Hamsik with a nice pass to release Armero down the left but he appears to stumble as he spoons his cross wide of goal.
    • 90+1 Two minutes added time being played as Napoli clear a Pirlo free-kick. And now they have one on the left after Cavani is brought down.
    • 90' Chiellini with a good interception as Dzemaili was set to run on to a long pass.
    • 89' Behrami with a rare error as Marchisio brings it away but Napoli's defence has regrouped and they clear.
    • 88' Cavani shoots but it's poor, well over.
    • 87' Insigne with a pass to Cavani, who is brought down on the edge of the box by Peluso. Booking - but why are those ignored in the box?
    • 86' JUVE SUB: Vucinic off for Pogba.
    • 85' Insigne's corner comes in but - hilariously given Chiellini has got away with it all game - Cavani is penalised for holding the defender. Celtic take note - it's not just you.
    • 84' Inler with another fierce drive but Buffon - who has been excellent - tips it over! Corner. That was Inler's last act - Armero replaces him.
    • 83' Almost a chance for Matri but it runs away from him in the box.
    • 82' Juve counter with Matri on the left but a superb covering tackle from Behrami slows him down. Matri does pick up the loose ball though, Juve swarming forward in support, but Lichtsteiner's low cross-shot is easy for De Sanctis.
    • 81' Inler and Hamsik are over the free-kick, which is positioned more for a cross than shot. They go for a routine as Hamsik runs over it and Inler slides a low pass into the box but it's deflected wide for a corner.
    • 80' Free-kick Napoli 30 yards out to the right, won by Campagnaro.
    • 79' Behrami has had a good game and he puts in another strong tackle in midfield.
    • 78' Best spell of the half for Juve this is, as Bonucci and Matri try to meet the second corner but the ball comes wide off the striker.
    • 77' Corner to Juve now, which is cleared behind for another.
    • 75' JUVE SUB: Giovinco comes off for the 'stickier' Matri. That is the ball is more inclined to stick to him.
    • 74' TERRIBLE MISS DZEMAILI! An open goal after Buffon could only parry Hamsik's shot into his path! What a miss!
    • 73' Cavani with a nice diagonal run and header but too close to Buffon. First real act of danger from him.
    • 72' Handball by Vucinic but I think the ref had his back turned as he is walking away from it.
    • 71' Free-kick to Juve around 30 yards out but Pirlo's delivery is poor for once.
    • 69' Buffon has to turn the ball behind as Hamsik has a pop from range. The corner is almost turned into his own net by Barzagli but straight at Buffon.
    • 68' Vucinic has a pop from range and De Sanctis can only parry, but Campagnaro gets to the loose ball first and hacks clear.
    • 67 Zuniga is booked; meanwhile Insigne replaces Pandev for Napoli.
    • 66' The second corner is even more hectic as Buffon and then Bonucci put in blocks on Maggio and Inler. Chiellini was manhandling Cavani again!
    • 66' That Zuniga corner causes all kinds of problems as wild clearances and attempted finishes all bounce away before Hamsik pokes one in that Buffon saves. Another corner.
    • 65' Corner to the hosts as Barzagli scrambles it behind.
    • 64' Inler with a crossfield pass to Campagnaro, who nods it down nicely for Hamsik but the Slovakian can't get control of it and Juve clear.
    • 63' Lichtsteiner is playing as a wingback and he tries to get a ball in to Giovinco, but Cavani is back tackling to clear.
    • 62' Giovinco is penalised for a tug on Britos and Napoli bring it clear through Inler, but he overruns it and Juve have it back.
    • 61' Hamsik gives chase to a long pass down the left but he runs out of pitch and it's a goal kick.
    • 60' For Juve Peluso hammers one from a long way out but it flies well over.
    • 59' Inler tries another long-range shot but this one is a daisy cutter that bounces into Buffon's arms.
    • 58' GREAT SAVE BUFFON! From nothing Hamsik digs out a ferocious dipping drive that the Juve keeper flies down to tip behind!
    • 56' Cannavaro is booked for a two-footed slide on Lichtsteiner, even though he got the ball. The Juve man, to be fair, shook hands and expressed surprise at the booking.
    • 55' Pirlo swings it towards the top left corner and it almost creeps in but De Sanctis has it covered as he watches the ball sail wide.
    • 54' Firecrackers going off all night. Puts the fear in me to be honest. Corner Juve on the left....
    • 53' Another good cross from Lichtsteiner bounces away from a sliding Giovinco.
    • 52' Vidal lives, but he may be speaking a higher pitch of Italian later on.
    • 51' Vidal is down in some pain after going down in his own half. He blocked a Dzemaili effort with a part of his body one usually seeks to protect. Ow ow ow.
    • 50' Vucinic almost reaches Lichtsteiner's fizzing low cross but Britos does really well to ease him out of the way.
    • 49' After that barnstorming first half the fans are whistling as Juve stroke it about the back.
    • 48' A slightly cagier start to this second half as both sides defend deeper than previously.
    • 46' The second half is underway!
    • - Hearing that Chiellini was NOT booked for that tussle with Cavani. I thought he had but it has not been submitted by the match officials.
    • - If you're in the UK you won't be able to watch this match on the box, but UK readers can engage with me with any questions about it, unless you're being sneaky and watching it on some hooky feed. On Twitter @Reda_Eurosport.
    • 45+4 Half-time and it's 1-1. Cracker of a match so far.
    • 45+3 Chiellini has also been booked, for the hair pull. Good refereeing I suppose but I would have sent both off. He's still lying on the deck though after that forearm smash. I can see both getting banned retrospectively.
    • 45+2 Well the replay shows Cavani elbowed Chiellini in the face! The ref speaks to the assistant, who saw it, and shows a yellow card! Should have been red! The second replay shows that Cavani was provoked - his hair was pulled by Chiellini!
    • 45+1 Pandev takes the corner, it almost takes a touch to go in but is scrambled clear. Inler has a pop but that is blocked! All Napoli now! Play is stopped as a Juve player is down on the ground...
    • 45' Inler wide to Campagnaro, he takes on Peluso and earns a corner for the hosts, which is met by a roar of fan approval.
    • 44' The replay shows it took a deflection off the head of Bonucci - meanwhile Vidal has been booked for a trip on the goalscorer Inler. First of the match - Cannavaro got off earlier, it transpires.
    • 43' GOAL NAPOLI! INLER WITH A WONDERGOAL! He picks it up 30 yards out, takes a touch and fires a rasping drive into the top right! 1-1!
    • 42' Giovinco goes on a mazy run but Vucinic gets in his way. Giovinco still has the ball but it's hooked away by Cannavaro.
    • 40' Napoli clear the second corner but Juve have it back and come again through Marchisio... Vidal now and some nice one-touch passing as Pirlo sends Marchisio through but he's offside!
    • 39' The initial corner has to be retaken as the referee wanted to stop play to speak to various jostling players.
    • 38' Vucinic with a dangerous cross from the left which is blocked behind for a corner.
    • 36' Napoli are looking more likely now, but Juve are immense at the back and even more dangerous when soaking up pressure.
    • 35' Hamsik digs out a shot from 12 yards but it takes a heavy deflection that kills the power and drops nicely for Buffon.
    • 34' It's taken short and ends up gping all the way back to the defence - but a Britos long ball almost lands for a Cavani volley, but it's poked behind for another corner.
    • 33' Corner to Napoli as a long shot from Zuniga is blocked by Chiellini.
    • 32' Vucinic's control lets him down as he was sent clean through by Giovinco following an error from Inler! Again the Montenegro man should have scored!
    • 31' Britos is on his feet now. It didn't look good for a minute. Dzemaili is warming up in case he needs to make an entrance.
    • 30' It's Britos who was knocked cold, he flew into the back of Inler's head as the Swiss midfielder headed a ball clear. Took his eye off the play the Uruguayan, but he's moving now...
    • 29' We have a serious problem here as Inler collided with a team-mate. Not sure who it is but it's a head injury and both sets of players are waving the medics on!
    • 28' Campagnaro is getting forward a lot down the right, winning a throw for Napoli. But Peluso gets it clear.
    • 27' Maggio with a great low ball into the box but Hamsik again mis-kicks it while trying to finish! Up in the air and away!
    • 26' Now it's Napoli's turn to lay camp in Juve's box. Surely Cavani will get a sniff at some point?
    • 25' Slight miscommunication it seems in the Juve box as one defender falls while another hacks a ball clear that Buffon appeared to have called for. Buffon sees the funny side.
    • 23' Juve clear that set piece but Napoli are doing quite well following the breather.
    • 22' Behrami takes on Chiellini a couple of times to win a corner, which the visitors dispute.
    • 21' That extreme start has taken some puff out of both sides, so we have a slightly scrappy, energy-conserving spell.
    • 19' Napoli clear that latest Juve corner, but the Bianconeri - who are more 'neri' than 'bianco' tonight - come again...
    • 18' SHOCKING MISS BY VUCINIC! The Napoli offside trap was torn in two by a Pirlo pass, Giovinco raced away and instead of finishing rolled it to Vucinic for the tap-in but he somehow fired it against De Sanctis's arm. A good save for sure, but he hadn't closed down Vucinic, who had to score! Corner.
    • 17' Pirlo dithers on the ball, Behrami robs him and Napoli could be in, but Bonucci beats Cavani to it and clears.
    • 16' Chiellini hauls Pandev down and tries to claim the foul as his own. No chance.
    • 15' JUST WIDE FROM VUCINIC! A flying header from the Montenegrin after a fine cross by Giovinco. It came off the side of his head and bounced diagonal and wide.
    • 14' Cavani and Pandev combine in the Juve box but the visitors survive as neither Napoli forward gets a shot away.
    • 13' Inler appears to shove Lichtsteiner in the back and the Swiss wingback hits the deck with a flourish, it's in the area and after a close look the ref turns away! A penalty or a dive, one or the other but he bottles it!
    • 12' Cannavaro gets away with an arm across Vidal's face. I saw he gets away with it because the ref missed it - there will likely be retribution.
    • 11' Napoli with a half-chance immediately as Zuniga mis-hits his volley after a flick on from Cavani. And now Cannavaro is booked for a foul on Giovinco.
    • 10' GOAL JUVENTUS! Chiellini with a bullet header from Pirlo's left-wing cross after his initial corner was cleared. No chance De Sanctis, but Britos was beaten too easily to the header.
    • 9' Pirlo then, 35 yards out, he lofts it flat into the box where Bonucci attacks but it comes off Campagnaro. Corner.
    • 8' After a shaky start Juve have really taken hold of the early stages of this match. Napoli barely getting a touch now as Giovinco releases Vucinic, whose shot is blocked. Giovinco was fouled while releasing the ball and Juve have a free-kick around 30-35 yards out. Pirlo to take.
    • 7' Foul on Peluso on the Juve left and, all in black, Conte's boys launch into another attack. Vucinic sends Giovinco through and he has a crack, De Sanctis only able to punch it and the little fella flies in but heads weakly over!
    • 6' This is much better from Juve as they send Lichtsteiner through on the right but his low cross is cleared by Cannavaro.
    • 5' A long ball almost releases Giovinco again but it rolls away from him to the keeper.
    • 4' Maggio gets around Peluso on the Napoli right but the Napoli man gets the last touch and it's a goal kick to Juve.
    • 3' Vucinic lofts a ball for Giovinco, but the diminutive Italian fails to control it and De Sanctis gathers.
    • 2' Napoli have stated well, Juve not getting a sniff as Vucinic is easily dispossessed.
    • 1' Immediate chance for Napoli as Hamsik blasts over from 12 yards! It came to him quickly but he mis-hit that, was a real opportunity!
    • 1' The first half is underway!
    • 19:43 Juve, meanwhile, bring Giorgio Chiellini back into defence for Federico Peluso, who moves into midfield at the expense of Kwadwo Asamoah, while Paul Pogba drops out for Arturo Vidal.
    • 19:40 Napoli elect to start with Goran Pandev alongside Edinson Cavani after Lorenzo Insigne misfired against Udinese last time out. Christian Maggio and Juan Zuniga also come in, with midfield duo Pablo Armero and Giandomenico Mesto dropping to the bench.
    • 19:35 TEAMS - Napoli: De Sanctis, Campagnaro, Cannavaro, Britos, Maggio, Behrami, Inler, Zuniga, Hamsik, Cavani, Pandev; Subs: Rosati, Rolando, Gamberini, Mesto, Donadel, Dzemaili, Armero, Insigne, Calaio /// Juventus: Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Peluso, Vucinic, Giovinco; Subs: Storari, Rubinho, Asamoah, Marrone, Pogba, Padoin, Giaccherini, Isla, Matri, Quagliarella
    • 19:30 Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of tonight's big match in Serie A, as second-placed Napoli host leaders Juventus in a Serie A clash of the titans. Kick off at 7.45pm UK time!

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