Preparing for Juventus-Messina
Mood:  chillin'
Topic: General
After the break for World Cup qualifications, Juventus are back to the Delle Alpi to meet last year’s revelation, Messina, who ended the 2004/2005 season seventh-ranked. A winning group must not be changed, that’s why Bortolo Mutti’s squad is virtually like last season’s. The only one missing is goalkeeper Eleftheropoulos, now with AS Roma. The man in charge of making goals is still Zampagna, supported by attacking midfielders Giampa, D’Agostino and Iliev.

Unlike last year, though, the Sicilians have had some difficulties at the start of the season. They earned only three points in the first six matchdays, as a result of three draws, and they’re now ranked at the last but one place side by side with Cagliari and Reggina. If not in attack – they have scored six goals as a whole – the problem seems to be in defence: with the 12 goals conceded, Messina’s defence is the weakest in the championship.

We’ll see a head-to-tail match at the Delle Alpi: the team who has always won, Juventus, against one of those who has not so far, Messina. It’s unlikely that Mutti’s squad manages to earn the three points in the very Turin, since Capello’s side has kicked it off winning every single match they’ve played, in the championship as well as in Champions League. In the latest match against Mancini’s Inter, the Bianconeri played a fantastic match, showing great solidity and practicalness in the midfield and defence, and incisiveness in attack.

This is a top quality mixture that allowed the 2005/2006 Juventus to win the first six matches of the championship, which is a real record since the three-point rule for wins has been introduced. Precedents are clearly on Juventus’s side: in fact, the Bianconeri have won every match played at the Delle Alpi against the Sicilians, who will come to Turin with a desperate need of points. In the past, Mutti’s squad has given their utmost against top clubs and was able, last year, to beat Milan at San Siro and Roma and Inter at home. However, Capello’s lads are always hungry for wins and against Messina they’ll be willing to continue the wonderful series of victories.