Round 21 – Old Lady trips
By David, BettingExpert.com | Edited
Two games are recovered this Wednesday in Italy after having been postponed due to the snowy conditions that made it difficult to guarantee safety for supporters reaching the stadia and attending for the match. The home sides look in shape and ready to welcome guests considered stronger. It can turn ugly for Juve in a stadium where traditionally they suffer Parma’s, and Giovinco’s, pathological need to beat the Bianconeri.
Parma – Juventus
Diminutive Parma forward Giovinco has held a grudge for Juventus ever since they decided to let him go, misplacing their trust in other players who turned out to be less valuable than the youngster. Perhaps he would not have matured to this level had he not taste football in a much less publicized club like Parma. His stay there has been a success and with the chance to serve the Bianconeri with their first season defeat we ought to expect Giovinco to be in top shape tonight.
He will not be going this mission solo though. Donadoni has improved the Gialloblu with his tactical wisdom and gave them an approach that is less focused on defence alone. He likes to cover himself but not as much as his predecessor Colomba did. Now Parma know very well how to keep the ball in attack and serve the strikers well. The game is developed nicely on the flanks as well so they do not depend on Giovinco’s creativity in this 3-5-2 system of theirs.
Conte, as usual, will emulate his opponents’ system and will himself field a 3-5-2. Pepe, one of his best performers at the beginning of the season and definitely a player who could have come in handy in order to develop the game on the flanks, is ruled out through injury. Coupling this with the questionable form of players like Vucinic, Marchisio and Vidal, definitely in much better shape earlier this season, the Bianconeri do not seem to be homing in on this important fixture with enough confidence. Parma have plenty of that though and now that they are back from three games on away turf without getting beaten, well aware of their great records in the past against Juventus at the Tardini (6-8-5), this could be their chance to surprise the potential champions.
Verdict: Parma 0:0
Donadoni has admitted he’s going for the three points. Juventus do not seem very convincing of late so I’m trusting Parma, on the DNB, to inflict upon Juve the first defeat of the season. Donadoni to help his old club Milan.
Obscure Stat - Over the last 5 Serie A seasons, Parma have hosted clubs positioned in the top 3 of the table on 9 occasions, winning 3 times, including their last 2 by a combined 4 goals to 0.
Atalanta – Genoa
A first half well interpreted by Atalanta was not followed by an equally good second half against Lecce. Since they have been pulled down further into the match fixing scandal the Bergamaschi have failed to fully recover the form that had surprised all Serie A pundits since the start of the season. A season which for them had kicked off with the away match against Genoa. They had been the better side that day and as admitted by then Genoa manager Malesani the Grifoni were lucky to have come away with a point.
How do Atalanta enter this match then? Things have changed considerably. Masiello is still telling on the whole match fixing techniques and people involved in it. He has been out for almost a month now. Not to mention ex-captain Doni who has now been abandoned by his old fans as well.
For this game Colantuono recovers players from injury and suspension. That will give him a break from recent misfortune. Capelli is the only major absentee but he will not be back anytime soon for them. Carmona and Tiribocchi are to be sidelined for two weeks but they can be replaced more readily. Raimondi is suspended but there is abundance in defence now and with Cigarini having beaten his fever the team Colantuono can field is a solid eleven. The reserves will include a number of players who are not at their best though with Frezzolini, Bellini and Bonaventura not 100% fit.
Marino will have to do with an injury-ridden defence. Moretti and Kaladze are the starting centre backs. The Georgian is suspended for this match and Moretti is injured. Defenders Moretti, Bovo and Antonelli are also injured and Mesto is suspended. Gilardino, the striker upfront which gives a whole new dimension to Genoa’s game is still nursing and injury. Marino will therefore have to be a little creative with what few players remain at his disposal.
Verdict: Atalanta 0:0
Genoa on their travels have been very weak. Their defence has provided gaping holes even when at full strength. With none of the starters available at the back I can see Atalanta finally getting a home win after two defeats and a draw.
Obscure Stat - Over the last 5 Serie A seasons, when an away club has been on a streak of 4 straight away defeats, the match has ended under 2.5 goals in 63% of 54 matches played.
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