SOCCER/EUROPA LEAGUE/Juventus 1 Shamrock Rovers 0 Juventus win 3-0 on aggregate:ALESSANDRO DEL Piero gave Juventus' fans a treat they've become accustomed to over the years as his wonder goal beat Shamrock Rovers in appalling conditions at the Stadio Braglia last night. As expected, it ended Rovers' interest in the Europa League, an adventure manager Michael O'Neill insisted they wouldn't have swapped for anything.
The result scarcely mattered to the 1,000 or so Rovers fans, absolutely saturated in the uncovered end of the ground, as they chanted continuously throughout, perhaps the choicest of which being “this is the best trip I’ve ever been on”.
While Juventus manager Luigi Del Neri went with an unchanged side from that which won 2-0 at Tallaght Stadium last week, Rovers, doubtless conscious of Sunday’s big derby with champions Bohemians, made four changes. Fullbacks Craig Sives and Enda Stevens, along with midfielders Chris Turner and Thomas Stewart, were dropped to the bench. In came Pat Flynn and Danny Murphy at the back while Paddy Kavanagh and Billy Dennehy returned on the flanks.
Heavy showers throughout the day and a torrential downpour shortly before the game raised questions over whether the game might actually have to be postponed. Greek referee Georgios Daloukas inspected the pitch a half hour before kick-off and declared it playable.
With the conditions something of a leveller, Rovers enjoyed some good early possession with Gary Twigg getting the first effort on goal on 12 minutes.
Juventus soon threatened, though, with Amauri, their two-goal star of the first leg, having a goal-bound shot blocked before heading wide from Marco Motta’s deep cross from the right.
The amount of rain on the pitch was such that passing the ball was a lottery, exemplified on 20 minutes when another Motta ball bounced badly past Flynn to put Davide Lanzafame in on goal. His shot, equally hindered by the surface, was wide across goal.
Perhaps the best chance of the first half fell to Rovers on 34 minutes. Flynn won a free-kick on the right which Bradley floated to the back post. Twigg and Dennehy, sliding in, both just failed to connect with skipper Dan Murray’s downward header.
Amauri remained the big threat at the other end, setting up Pepe who had a shot blocked before out-muscling Aidan Price from Motta’s free kick only to drill wide.
Del Piero (35) came on for the second and soon began to play his part in igniting a slow burner of a second half. Lanzafame initially brought a parry from Mannus before Del Piero set up Claudio Marchisio to force a save at full stretch. Amauri then planted a free header straight into the arms of Mannus from Del Piero’s corner. Then Murphy had to clear off the line after Mannus’s punch fell to Mohamed Sissoko.
But on 74 minutes there was no doubting the brilliance of Del Piero’s free-kick which arrowed directly into the roof of the net for a sublime strike.
JUVENTUS: Storari; Motta, Chiellini, Bonucci, De Ceglie; Pepe, Sissoko, Marchisio, Lanzafame; Diego (Del Piero, half-time), Amauri (Trezeguet, 81 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Flynn, Murray, Price, Murphy; Kavanagh (Stewart, half-time), Rice (Bayly, 59 mins), Bradley, Chambers (Turner, half-time), Dennehy; Twigg.
Referee: Georgios Daloukas (Greece).
