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December 6, 2011

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Juve reclaims Serie A lead

CLAUDIO Marchisio added another goal in the best season of his career so far and Arturo Vidal converted a controversial penalty as Juventus beat Cesena 2-0 on Sunday to reclaim the Italian league lead.

Cesena's 42-year-old goalkeeper Francesco Antonioli had kept Juventus in check until Marchisio fired in a long shot between two defenders with his weaker left foot in the 72nd minute at the Turin club's new stadium. It was Marchisio's sixth goal of the season, drawing him even closer to the player he is most often compared to former Juve midfielder Marco Tardelli, who scored eight goals in a campaign twice during the early 1980s and helped lead Italy to the 1982 World Cup title.

Marchisio was once a questionable selection for Italy's national team under former coach Marcello Lippi. But he has developed into a reliable presence in the center of the pitch for both the Azzurri and Juventus, having scored in Italy's 1-1 draw at Serbia in October.

"Marchisio did well," Cesena coach Daniele Arrigoni said. "We had played an orderly match but we hadn't constructed any chances. Then just when it seemed the match was headed (toward a draw) he scored."

In the 80th, Antonioli punched away a cross and then collided with Juventus forward Emanuele Giaccherini, receiving a red card that set up a penalty for Vidal despite vehement protests from Cesena.

Cesena had already used all three of its substitutions, so defender Guillerme Rodriguez had to put on Antonioli's jersey and gloves and step in goal for Vidal's penalty. They weren't of much use, though, as Rodriguez moved to his right and Vidal easily knocked the ball into the other corner of the net.

"The penalty took away our chance to come back in the last 10 minutes," Cesena coach Daniele Arrigoni said. "From the bench it didn't seem like a penalty or a red card to me. The problem is that now we lose our goalkeeper for the next match."

Juventus moved two points ahead of AC Milan and Udinese.

Juventus remains the only unbeaten team in Serie A and this win was all the more impressive since it came without key midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who was suspended.

Meanwhile, Fiorentina beat eight-man Roma 3-0 after goals from Stevan Jovetic, Alessandro Gamberini and Santiago Silva.

Roma was reduced to 10 men when Juan was shown a straight red card for pushing Jovetic down in the 15th, even though Jovetic appeared to be holding Juan's jersey. Jovetic converted the ensuing penalty.


 

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