Report: Juventus 1 - Reggina 0
Sunday 11th March 2001 - onefootball.com
An Igor Tudor goal after 31 minutes ensured Juventus kept pace with leaders Roma on Sunday against a battling Reggina side who deserved a point from a tight match.
Juventus started brightly but were soon bogged down in midfield where Reggina, battling for Serie A survival, pressed and harried their title-chasing opponents with Jose Mamede and Esio Brevi sharing man-marking duties on Zinedine Zidane.
Despite their close attention, it was Zidane who had the first chance of the game off a pass from Gianluca Zambrotta, but the World Cup winner saw his shot saved by Reggina keeper Massimo Taibi.
Just a minute later, Edgar Davids sent a rasping shot just inches over the Reggina bar.
Reggina's best chance of the half came on seven minutes when Franseco Cozza broke down the right and crossed for Davide Dionigi who was thwarted by Juve defender Alessandro Birindelli.
Juventus pressed for much of the half but could not find a way through the five-man Reggina midfield whose numbers were increased by deep-lying forward Cozza.
With chances at a premium, it was not surprising that Juve took the lead off a deadball situation. On 31 minutes Zidane crossed from the right and Croatian defender Tudor leapt to head the ball into the right corner of Taibi's goal.
Another powerful shot from Davids almost doubled the home side's advantage before the break as Juve began to grow in confidence.
After the interval, however, Juve appeared content to hold onto their lead and invite Reggina to come at them.
On 55 minutes Giovanni Morabito's cross was flicked on by Dionigi in the Juventus area and only a superb intervention from Gianluca Pessoto prevented Cozza from getting a shot on goal.
Thirteen minutes later, Andrea Zanchetta broke into the Juventus area and forced keeper Edwin Van der Sar into a good save with his feet.
At the other end, a Zidane free kick grazed the bar, but Reggina were unlucky not to pick up the point their performance merited when Massimo Marazzina headed onto the crossbar in the final minute.
The win kept Juve within six points of leaders Roma and another clean sheet meant that Van der Sar and the Juventus defence have now not conceded a goal in 458 minutes.
Juventus: Van der Sar, Birindelli, Montero, Tudor, Pessotto, Zambrotta (Conte 58), Tacchinardi, Davids, Zidane (O'Neill 87), F Inzaghi, Kovacevic (Trezeguet 61)
Reggina: Taibi, Vargas, Caneira, Stovini, Vicari, Brevi (Mozart 79), Mamede, Zanchetta, Morabito (da Costa 69), Cozza (Marazzina 61), Dionigi
Booked: F Inzaghi (Juventus) Stovini, Vicari, Mamede, Brevi, Mozart (Reggina)
Referee: Nucini
