Genoa 1 : 0 Juventus - Antonini spoils Buffon's big night - 7M sport

Genoa 1 : 0 Juventus - Antonini spoils Buffon's big night



Posted Thursday, October 30, 2014 by PA

Luca Antonini scored deep into stoppage-time as Genoa spoiled Gianluigi Buffon's 500th appearance for Juventus with a 1-0 win at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

The 36-year-old goalkeeper was wearing a special armband to commemorate the milestone but was largely untroubled until Antonini bundled home at the death to hand the home side a dramatic victory and end Juve's unbeaten start to the Serie A season.

Angelo Ogbonna hit the post for Juve in the second half and substitute Alvaro Morata had two good late chances but the champions never hit full stride and were punished as Roma's win against Cesena saw their advantage at the summit disappear.

Juventus had most of the early possession and had the first real chance as a corner was cleared but only as far as Stephan Lichsteiner whose shot from distance took a deflection off Giovanni Marchese and dipped just over the bar.

Genoa were proving to be more than mere spectators, though, and had a chance of their own moments later when Andrea Bertolacci provided a diagonal ball into the box which a stretching Mauricio Pinilla just failed to get a foot to.

Juve were beginning to find their feet and Carlos Tevez tested Mattia Perin as he cut in from the left and unleashed a curling shot which the goalkeeper saw behind.

Moments later it was Fernando Llorente worrying the home side when he gathered the ball with his back to goal but did well to turn and beat his man and get a shot away which hit the outside of the post.

Paul Pogba, this week nominated for the Ballon d'Or, then unleashed a shot from all of 25 yards but it flew high and wide as the teams went into the break level.

The visitors continued to have more of the ball in the early stages of the second half but Genoa did well to stifle them and they were limited to two Leonardo Bonucci headers from corners that missed the target.

Buffon had had little to do on his big night but was alert to tip over a long-range half-volley before Juve found another gear.

First Tevez did well to wriggle free of his marker and fire a shot over before substitute Morata was brilliantly challenged by 17-year-old debutant Rolando Mandragora when he was about to pull the trigger from 12 yards.

And moments later they had the best chance of the lot as a dinked ball over the top found Ogbonna who was just onside but the centre-half saw his hook over Perin come back off the post.

Both sides looked to be struggling for inspiration as the game entered its final moments but with seven minutes remaining Morata burst down the left and brought a smart save out of Perin from a tight angle.

Morata had an even better chance two minutes from time as a Tevez backheel found him eight yards out but Perin made the save of the night to help set up a stunning finish.

Bertolacci's ball forward was gathered by Alessandro Matri and he squared for Antonini who bundled the ball over the line to send the home crowd into raptures.



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