Report: Udinese 0 - Juventus 2
Sunday 4th March 2001
Both sides finished with ten men but Juventus ultimately maintained the pressure on Roma at the top with a comfortable victory over a disappointing Udinese side.
Gianluca Zambrotta put the visitors ahead six minutes before the break, firing home after Alessandro del Piero's free-kick had come back off the bar.
It was a lead the Bianconeri deserved - although the free-kick itself they probably didn't - after dominating the opening half. Alessandro Birindelli struck the bar with a header on nine minutes, and Zambrotta fired just over a minute later.
Del Piero was at the centre of most of Juve's attacks, and he drove into the side-netting after being picked out by Filippo Inzaghi three minutes later, before seeing a curling free-kick palmed away by Luigi Turci.
Zinedine Zidane also spurned two presentable opportunities as Juve maintained their control, with Alessio Tacchinardi and Birindelli breaking dangerously to join the attack.
Udinese threatened only fleetingly, an Stefano Fiore effort from range that flew just over being as close as they came.
The home side had the better of the early stages of the second half, but Juventus doubled their lead on 58 minutes with a controversial goal.
Alberto was clean through when he went down under challenge from Gianluca Pessotto. The referee, though, waved play on, and, as Udinese protested, Inzaghi touched home Del Piero's free-kick to make it 2-0.
The game degenerated into petty squabbles after that, but Juve continued their domination, Turci having to save from Inzaghi, and Zidane striking a post.
A fractious affair reached boiling point on 80 minutes as Del Piero was dismissed after receiving a second yellow card for handball, and Alberto followed him for his second yellow four minutes later.
Udinese: Turci, Zamboni, Sottil, Bertotto, Alberto, Giannichedda, Fiore, Jorgensen (Gaarde 86), Diaz, Margiotta (Helguera 67), Sosa
Juventus: Van der Saar, Pessotto, Tudor, Montera, Birindelli (Paramatti 66), Zambrotta, Tacchinardi, Davids, Zidane (Conte 85), Inzaghi (Trezeguet 86), Del Piero
Booked: Giannichedda, Alberto (Udinese); Del Piero (Juve)
Sent off: Alberto (Udinese); Del Piero (Juve)
Referee: De Santis (Tivoli)
Attendance: 30,000
