Late Trezeguet Goal Gives Juventus Narrow Win
TURIN, Italy (September 19, 2000 8:30 p.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - A David Trezeguet header
seven minutes from time gave Juventus a barely-deserved 2-1 win
over Panathinaikos in the Champions League group E on Tuesday.
Trezeguet, whose golden goal for France in the Euro 2000
final sunk Italy, will have been forgiven after his effort
spared Juventus from a second successive draw in the
competition.
But Panathinaikos can count themselves unfortunate to leave
the Delle Alpi without a point after they enjoyed the better of
the game.
Juventus coach Carlo Ancelotti was not fooled by the result.
I am not satisfied with that performance. We played well in
patches but it was not the level of play I expect. But we will
take the three points even though we did not play well and we
will improve.
The pattern of the game was set from the early stages as
Juventus struggled to impose themselves and were closed down
quickly in midfield. Panathinaikos looked dangerous when they
attacked on the break.
The Greek side had the first real effort on the half-hour
when Nikos Liberopoulos forced a good save out of Edwin Van der
Sar with a powerful low drive.
But five minutes later Juventus took the lead when a
long-range Alessio Tacchinardi volley bounced out off the bar
and struck the back of the helpless Greek 'keeper Antonis
Nikopolidis before crossing the line.
Panathinaikos levelled on the stroke of halftime through a
sweetly struck 25-metre drive from Ioannis Goumas which gave
Edwin Van der Sar no chance.
The Greeks looked bright again after the break and almost
took the lead on the hour when a scorching 30-metre drive from
Giorgos Karagounis whistled past Van der Sar's post.
But too many times Panithinaikos were reluctant to push men
forward in support of their lively forward duo of Liberopoulos
and veteran Pole Krzyzstof Warzycha.
With Zinedine Zidane largely subdued and Edgar Davids
strangely quiet, Juventus lacked creative inspiration in the
centre of the field.
In attack, Alessandro Del Piero again looked well short of
full form although he and his partner Filippo Inzaghi were
starved of any real service.
Ancelotti replaced Del Piero with Trezeguet in the 62nd
minute and the move paid off when the Frenchman outjumped
Leonidas Vokolos to firmly head home Jonathan Bachini's corner.
Trezeguet should have made it three in the 87th minute but
missed the target from point-blank range.
