| PALERMO,
February 5 (Serie A) - The puncture that threatens to derail
the Juventus title bandwagon is in urgent need of repair after
a second defeat in four days for the Turin giants, this time
at the hands of Palermo.
Last Wednesday morning, Juventus were eight points clear
of AC Milan and 15 clear of third-placed Internazionale
and looking unstoppable in the race for the Scudetto.
However, following Wednesday night's defeat at home to
Sampdoria and Saturday's slip-up at Palermo, thanks to a
Franco Brienza strike, the Milan clubs will both consider
themselves back in the race.
AC Milan will trim the lead to two points if they beat
Lazio on Sunday evening while third-placed Internazionale
could move within nine points by defeating Parma earlier
in the day.
Juve coach Fabio Capello will be eager to stop the rot
next week in what could be a tough home fixture with Udinese.
The Sicilians started the match well and after 12 minutes
they scored what would prove to be the only goal.
Eugenio Corini took a free-kick which was punched out by
Gianluigi Buffon to Brienza, who fired home from the edge
of the box.
After 26 minutes Juve threatened for the first time but
Palermo goalkeeper Matteo Guardalben saved well from Ruben
Olivera's deflected free-kick.
After 31 minutes, the visitors from Turin appealed in vain
for a penalty after Gianluca Zambrotta tumbled under a challenge
from Massimo Mutarelli.
Palermo hit back and four minutes later Andrea Barzagli
headed a Corini free-kick wide of the mark.
Just before the interval, Olivera fired another free-kick
just over the bar.
In the second half Juventus were first to threaten when
Emerson found his former Roma team-mate Jonathan Zebina
whose shot was wide of the mark.
At the other end Buffon had to be on top of his game after
57 minutes when he saved well from a diagonal shot from
Fabio Grosso.
A goalmouth scramble at the other end almost saw Juventus
equalise after an hour but Guardalben made a reflex save
from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The impressive Brienza could have got another just a minute
later when he beat two Juventus players but watched his
shot well blocked by Buffon.
The ball rebounded to Simone Barone who could only fire
into the sidenetting.
Sixteen minutes from the end Palermo almost gifted Juve
an equaliser when Corini mis-hit his clearance from a Marcelo
Zalayeta cross but Guardalben managed to tip the ball over.
Five minutes later, Stefano Morrono created a chance for
Mario Alberto Santana who lobbed Buffon but watched the
ball go wide.
Ibrahimovic was lucky to escape a red card for an awful
foul on Santana but four minutes from the end Juve nearly
equalised when Manuele Blasi shot from the edge of the area
only for a deflection to spare the Palermo goal.
Palermo managed to hang on for the three points that lifted
them to sixth - a creditable position for Francesco Guidolin's
side who are back in Serie A for the first time since the
1970s.
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