In the end it was up to Pavel Nedved to win the match, like in the good old days: a great right footer from just outside the penalty area and three golden points achieved against a good Atalanta side.
It wasn't an easy win; Atalanta again showed they're one of the teams most on form at the moment and that they fully deserve their position in the League. It was a nervous match, with the Bianconeri having trouble getting past the opponents' defence. In the first half Ranieri's men tried to use the wings (Molinaro was excellent) and Trezeguet's headers; Coppola's most difficult save was on a Nedved free kick. At the other end, Buffon saved on Floccari.
Del Piero and Marchionni came on in the second half. The Captain made his presence felt with a couple of dangerous free kicks. Juve's defence covered well and gave the guest team no chance for a counter-attack - both Legrottaglie and Chiellini were exceptional again today -, but it was hard to find space up front.
The decisive moment came after 85 minutes. Nedved got the ball, moved forward a couple of paces and exploded a perfect right foot low shot which ended in the bottom corner. The shot was worth three points, allowing Juventus to maintain third place on their own, recovering two points on Roma and especially three on Fiorentina. Against Lazio and Siena they'll have the chance to finish the year in the best possible way and spend a very happy Christmas.
www.juventus.com - 09 December 2007
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