Juventus devastate FC Nordsjaelland 4-0 in UEFA Champions League

Monitoring Desk

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) November 8, 2012: Juventus registered their first UEFA Champions League win of the season after a comfortable 4-0 victory over FC Nordsjaelland, the official FIFA website reported.

First-half strikes from Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco, plus a second-half header from Fabio Quagliarella were enough to see off the Norwegian champions as the Italians finally tasted victory after three successive draws.

For the hosts, Mauricio Isla came in for Stephan Lichtsteiner who was injured in their 3-1 loss to Inter at the weekend, while Alessandro Matri replaced Mirko Vucinic. The visitors made two changes from the team who won 2-1 at Sonderjyske, with Soren Christensen and Morten Nordstrand making way for Andreas Laudrup and Nicolai Stokholm.

After Chelsea's late win over Shakhtar Donetsk left the defending champions in second place one point ahead of the Italians, assistant Juve coach Angelo Alessio admitted his side's clash at home to the English side will be crucial.

"We must beat Chelsea at home in the next game if we are to earn our place in the next round," Alessio told Sky Sport. "We wanted to go out there with the right degree of intensity and the lads got it right for this type of performance."

Marchisio admitted Juventus's defeat to Inter had put the fire back in Juve's bellies. "After our defeat to Inter there was a lot of talk, but someone forgot to mention we hadn't been beat for over a year," said the Italian. "We could have suffered a psychological blow, but we didn't let that happen."

Juventus were thankful for a Vucinic strike nine minutes from time to spare the Serie A champion's blushes when the two teams met a fortnight ago. However, it took them just six minutes to get on the scoresheet this night as Isla's low cross from the right was converted by Marchisio from six yards out.

And they were two up after 23 minutes as Vidal capitalised on hesitant Nordsjaelland defending to slide in and divert the ball past Jesper Hansen. The home side then almost grabbed a third just three minutes later as Andrea Pirlo's corner was headed onto the crossbar from six yards out by Matri.

The visitors were struggling and needed a fine save from Hansen just after the half-hour mark, with the stopper tipping Marchisio's shot from the edge of the area round the post. Juve made it 3-0 ten minutes before the break as Sebastian Giovinco curled an effort from just inside the box into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The visitors did not manage a shot on goal during the opening 45 minutes and 20 minutes into the second half forced Gigi Buffon into action for the first time, with the Italian No1 parrying Patrick Mtiliga's 25-yard effort.

Juventus rounded off the win in the 75th minute through substitute Quagliarella.

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Inter Milan halt Juventus winning spree at unconquered venue

Diego Milito strikes twice for Inter Milan in a crucial away match

Monitoring Desk

ROME, Italy (TheSportsNEXT) November 4, 2012: Inter Milan halted Juventus’ 49-game unbeaten streak in Serie A with a 3-1 victory at the Juventus Stadium, where I Bianconeri had never lost a game before.

Arturo Vidal's goal after 19 seconds served only to inspire Inter, who turned the game around in the second half to move to within a point of Juve at the top of the table.

Diego Milito was on target twice for Andrea Stramaccioni's side before Rodrigo Palacio sealed Inter's seventh win in a row in the last minute.

Juve needed just 19 seconds to go ahead against I Nerazzurri although, like at Catania a fortnight ago, questions will be asked of an absent linesman's flag.

Kwadwo Asamoah was beyond the last Inter defender when he received the ball from Claudio Marchisio's touch, and it was his low cross which was met by Vidal at the far post to put the home team in front

Juve tried to provide justification for their lead, with Marchisio twice being denied by Samir Handanovic after delightful passes from Andrea Pirlo picked him out inside the penalty area.

The linesman's flag was raised at the other end of the field to rule out Palacio's headed goal after he met Esteban Cambiasso's quickly taken free-kick in the 12th minute.

Antonio Cassano then curled a shot just inches wide of the post as Inter pushed for an equaliser, but it was the home team who almost grabbed a second before the break when Vidal pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the area, but his low shot was saved by Handanovic.

Inter came out fighting at the start of the second half, with Palacio shooting into the side-netting from a tight angle having rounded Gianluigi Buffon.

A well-worked free-kick caught Juve out in the 59th minute, with Marchisio resorting to tugging the shirt of Milito to prevent him from getting in a shot, but by doing so he gave away a penalty. Milito stepped up to the spot to bring Inter level with a shot just beyond the reach of Buffon.

Inter took the lead in the 75th minute when substitute Fredy Guarin's shot was parried by Buffon to Milito, who beat the despairing lunge of Leonardo Bonucci to score his and Inter's second.

I Bianconeri sent everybody forward in search of an equaliser, but Nicklas Bendtner curled a shot from the goalline beyond the far post of an open goal. Palacio then finished Juve off, completing a swift counter-attack after the hosts committed too many men forward to end their unbeaten run.

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