By Anna Italia
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53% Ball Possession NAPOLI and 47% Ball Possession JUVENTUS
Napoli 2- 0 Juventus 
37′ Jose Maria Callejon
81′ Dries Mertens
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Serie A Standing AFTER the game:
Napoli, 3rd position with 64 points and a positive goal difference of +27
Juventus, 1st position with 81 points and a positive goal difference of +45
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | Goals | Diff. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juventus | 31 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 67:22 | 45 | 81 |
| 3 | Napoli | 31 | 19 | 7 | 5 | 59:32 | 27 | 64 |
Disciplinary Situation: No suspended player for NAPOLI
1 suspended player for JUVENTUS: 10 Tevez (1)
Napoli demonstrating that Juventus are not invincible! Napoligoing against all odds surviving the pressure showing determination to the delight of the fans defeating Juventus at the San Paolo Stadium. Juve losing their 2nd game this season after 22 games when losing against Fiorentina in October 2013 at the Artemio Franchi Stadium. The gap with AS Roma is of 11 points. Roma still having a pending game. However, considering there are only 7 more games to end the season the Scudetto seeming a done deal for Juventus. If Roma defeat Parma the gap will be of 8 points.
Stats in favor of Juventus. Out of the 136 games Napoli vs Juventus in Serie A, Juventus with 61 wins, Napoli 28 wins. Juventus are unbeaten by Napoli in the last 6 games seeing 3 wins and 3 draws. Napoli scoring only 1 goal against Juventus in the last 4 games.
Napoli already sending the alert sign to Juventus goalkeeper Gigi Buffon in the 7th minute. The assist by forward Gonzalo Higuain to midfielder Marek Hamsik from close range defeating Buffon… oops, though, the linesman had lifted the flag indicating the offside and the goal in ruled out.
It seems Hamsik now motivated after the goal ruled out. In the 10th minute the assist by Henrique to Hamsik for the left footed shot only to be saved by goalkeeper Buffon in the top center.
Juventus reacting in the 26th minute with defender Stephan Lichtsteiner challenging Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina with a left footed shot saved in the center.
In the 29th minute, Napoli midfielder Jose Maria Callejon challenging goalkeeper Buffon with a right footed shot only to be saved in the center.
Referee Orsato giving the first yellow card of the match to Napoli midfielder Gokhan Inler after a foul on Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini in the 35th minute.
In the 37th minute, there you go…. GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL…. It is Napoli to take the lead! The action starting by forward Lorenzo Insigne providing the assist with a cross to midfielder Jose Maria Callejon this time nothing to do for goalkeeper Buffon defeated in the bottom left corner…. This is the 12th goal for Callejon this season.
First half ending 62% ball possession Napoli and 38% ball possession Juventus.
Juventus closer to the goal in the 47th minute. Not a luck for forward Pablo Osvaldo caught offside.
The first substitution for Juventus in the 53rd minute with midfielder Mauricio Isla replacing midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah.
Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner getting a yellow card after a foul on goalkeeper Pepe Reina in the 54th minute.
After the yellow card, Lichsteiner seeming inspired in the 56th minute, but goalkeeper Buffon saving his right footed shot in the bottom right corner.
Referee Orsato giving a yellow card to Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci in the 58th minute for a foul on Napoli midfielder Hamsik.
Juventus making a second substitution in the 70th minute with forward Mirko Vucinic replacing forward Pablo Osvaldo.
Napoli replacing forward Gonzalo Higuain with forward Goran Pandev in the 74th minute.
Pandev making his impact in the 78th minute providing an assist to midfielder Hamsik challenging Buffon with a right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.
In the 79th minute Coach Rafael Benitez replacing midfielder Marek Hamsik with forward Dries Mertens.
Oh oh… say what? Mertens with only 2 minutes in the pitch and is scoring!!!! yep, Mertens punishing Juventus goalkeeper Buffon with a right footed shot in the bottom left corner. The assist by Pandev, surely, both substitutions not disappointing Benitez. The party at the San Paolo Stadium now…. Juventus falling…
Here is NAPOLI official starting lineup by coach Rafael Benitez:
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Reina; Henrique, Fernández,
Albiol, Ghoulam; Inler, Jorginho; Insigne, Hamšík, Callejón; Higuaín.
Here is JUVENTUS official starting lineup by coach Antonio Conte:
Juventus (3-5-2): Buffon; Cáceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Llorente, Osvaldo.
Click here to watch live Soccer Serie A Games
Stats AFTER the game. Top scorer for NAPOLI: Forward Gonzalo Higuain with 14 goals
Top scorer for JUVENTUS: Forward Carlos Tevez with 18 goals
| Napoli | Goals | Goals | Juventus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higuain, Gonzalo | 14 | 18 | Tevez, Carlos |
| Callejon | 12 | 11 | Vidal, Arturo |
| Mertens, Dries | 6 | 11 | Llorente, Fernando |
| Hamsik, Marek | 6 | 6 | Pogba, Paul |
| Pandev, Goran | 6 | 4 | Pirlo, Andrea |
Here are the last 3 games of NAPOLI: 1 win, 1 draw, 1 lost
| 26/03/14 | SA | Catania – Napoli |
2:4 | Round 30 |
| 23/03/14 | SA | Napoli – Fiorentina |
0:1 | Round 29 |
| 20/03/14 | UELK | Napoli – Porto |
2:2 | Round 1/8 |
Here are the last 3 games of JUVENTUS: 3 wins
| 26/03/14 | SA | Juventus – Parma |
2:1 | Round 30 |
| 23/03/14 | SA | Catania – Juventus |
0:1 | Round 29 |
| 20/03/14 | UELK | Fiorentina – Juventus |
0:1 | Round 1/8 |
Click the video to watch the highlights of the game, NAPOLI vs JUVENTUS, Sunday 30 March 2014, San Paolo Stadium, Naples, Italy, Serie A Week 31
Click the video to watch the commentaries from DIRETTA STADIO by Paolino on Napoli – Juventus.
Click the video for the Radiocronaca by Raffaele Auriemma on Napoli – Juventus
Photo juventus.com
Photo sscnapoli.it
Napoli coach Raffaele Benitez with great satisfaction after defeating Juventus at the San Paolo Stadium
Italian Serie A Week 31
Napoli 2 – 0 Juventus
Sunday 30 March 2014
San Paolo Stadium
Naples, Italy
20:45
Referee: ORSATO
Assistants: TONOLINI – MANGANELLI
Fourth Official: DI LIBERATORE
ADD1: BERGONZI
Goals: 37′ Jose Maria Callejon (N)
Official formations – lineups:
Napoli (4-2-3-1): Reina; Henrique, Fernández,
Albiol, Ghoulam; Inler, Jorginho; Insigne, Hamšík, Callejón; Higuaín.
Subs: Doblas, Colombo, Mesto, Réveillère, Britos, Behrami, Džemaili,
Radošević, Bariti, Mertens, Pandev, Zapata.
Coach: Benítez.
Juventus (3-5-2): Buffon; Cáceres, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Asamoah; Llorente, Osvaldo.
Subs: Storari, Rubinho, Penna, Marchisio, Padoin, Isla, Mattiello, Vučinić, Giovinco.
Coach: Conte.
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20:45 Referee: Orsato |
||
| Napoli | Match Stats |
Juventus |
| 2 | Goals | 0 |
| 13 (7) | Shots (on goal) | 9 (2) |
| 9 | Fouls | 11 |
| 7 | Corner kicks | 4 |
| 2 | Offsides | 5 |
| 53% | Ball Possession | 47% |
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 3 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 |
| 2 | Saves | 5 |
What do you think of the results? Which players surprised you or disappointed you and why?