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JUVENTUS - PARMA 1 - 0

Sunday 10 Dec 2000, kick-off 4:00PM CET

Juventus claim three invaluable points and jump to second place in the League thanks to a 13th minute goal from Ciro Ferrara.

Carlo Ancelotti opted for a back four with Alessandro Birindelli and Michele Paramatti operating as right and left backs respectively - and their frequent runs down the flanks put Parma’s back three in difficulties on more than one occasion. Ciro Ferrara and Igor Tudor operated as central defenders but always managed to get forward for set plays to provide the aerial threat.

The Gialloblù on the other hand were forced to do without the services of influential Frenchman Johan Micoud, who pulled out shortly before the start, making way for ex-Monaco midfielder Sabri Lamouchi to push up alongside Marcio Amoroso. Most of Parma’s attacking threats came from the combination of Sergio Concei‡ao and late runs off the back of the Juve defenders from Lamouchi.

In fact the first chance of the game fell to Lamouchi after the Portuguese winger had managed to carve out an opening and float in a dangerous cross from the right. Birindelli swung at the ball, mis-kicked it but the Frenchman knocked the ball over, saving Birindelli’s blushes. Edwin Van der Sar, however, should take much of the credit for shutting down the angles for the shot.

Nevertheless after the early scare the hosts began to take control of the game and controlled much of the possession, with Alex Del Piero playing a crucial link-up role between Zinedine Zidane and David Trezeguet.

In fact the mercurial number 10 played a pivotal role in Juve’s opener. He whipped in an inviting cross to the far post from a corner, which was met by Michele Paramatti who headed back across goal to find Ferrara climbing above everyone else to knock the ball into the back of the net on 13 minutes.

The goal stung the visitors into action and Parma nearly managed to draw level immediately. Matias Almeyda swung a ball in and captain Antonio Conte made a timely intervention ahead of Amoroso to keep the scores level.

The test for Carlo Ancelotti’s lads was always going to be how they were going to handle Parma’s impressive midfield, but Edgar Davids and Alessio Tacchinardi stood up well and battled for dominance across the whole of the centre of the pitch - and won it. The threat from the Bianconeri diminished after Del Piero was forced off with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Gianluca Zambrotta who moved to the left of midfield.

The Gialloblù struggled to create any serious goal scoring chances as they were often pegged back by Birindelli and Paramatti who put Parma’s central defenders at a numerical disadvantage, forcing Almeyda and Boghossian to double back and pull out wide to help, thereby leaving more space for Zizou and Del Piero in the centre.

In the second half the game became increasingly scrappy, as the visitors relied primarily on Concei‡ao’s set plays and Fabio Cannavaro’s late runs into the box from corners, while with the departure of Del Piero, Zidane was forced further forward and proved less influential in creating openings in the last third.

Malesani tried to enliven his team’s attacks by introducing Brazilian wing-back Junior and Patrick Mboma for Gianluca Falsini and Alain Boghossian respectively, although it was the Brazilian’s incisive runs and dribbles that proved to be a greater threat. Fortunately for the Bianconeri Parma’s attack seemed toothless, with Amoroso having little more than a handful of touches over the 90 minutes, let alone a meaningful shot on goal.

The 1-0 win rewards a solid rather than spectacular performance from the Bianconeri, but they won’t be complaining as they also have the satisfaction of bringing a run of four consecutive wins for the team from Emilia to an end.

Goals: 13' Ferrara
Cautions: 23' Zidane, 39' Conte, 41' Tudor, 45' Cannavaro, 67' Birindelli, 80' Almeyda
JUVENTUS (4-3-1-2): Van der Sar; Birindelli (70' Zanchi), Ferrara, Tudor, Paramatti; Conte, Tacchinardi, Davids; Zidane (75' Kovacevic); Del Piero (43' Zambrotta), Trezeguet. (Rampulla, Zanchi, Brighi, Bachini, Zambrotta, Kovacevic, Inzaghi).
PARMA (3-4-3): Buffon; Thuram, Torrisi, F.Cannavaro; Fuser (28 Sartor), Almeyda, Boghossian (70 Mboma), Falsini (59 Junior); Conceicao, Amoroso, Lamouchi. (Guardalben, Sartor, Benarrivo, Sensini, Appiah, Junior, Mboma).
Referee: Collina