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HURT BUT NOT ASHAMED
Yesterday Juventus won Zenit in Turin in the first match of the Champions
League group stage 1-0.
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Photo: english.sport-express.ru
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The starting eleven of Zenit did not differ much from the
one that played with Terek in Makhachkala except for one predictable replacement:
Radek Sirl replaced Kim Dong Jin. Radek had to miss out on the match with
Terek because of the bust of yellow cards.
And in Juventus it was unclear whether Ranieri would let Del Piero play.
The head coach of the Italians was chased with that question all the time
before the game. It came to that the Claudio Ranieri publicly wished the
veteran of the team to go all way through the star of the club to its
president and entered him on the starting squad.
And at 22.40 Moscow time the historical event for the Zenit players has
happened: for the first time as the players of the club form St. Petersburg
or even for the first time in their lives they heard the anthem of the
Champions League while on the field.
We could have seen no particular agitation on their faces but the atmosphere
of solemnity reigned on the stadium. Moreover Zenit played in their happy
sky-blue outfit, the same in which they defeated Manchester United in
the match for the UEFA Super Cup.
At the beginning of the match nobody seemed to hurry with the exception
of Danni who twice tried to break through to the Italian goal but was
intercepted by the defenders.
Juventus attacked but that in no way frightened our players and they seemed
to get absolutely calm by the end of the first half.
After the break the team was perfectly balanced and inspired. Zenit started
to attack but failed to score. While the Italians were luckier and on
the 76th minute Del Piero scored a free kick.
Immediately after the goal Dick Advocaat substituted Zyryanov with Dominguez
so to say went for the brass ring as he let the fourth striker onto the
field. Zenit with reinforcement rushed to equalize and they almost managed
to score when Denisov's punch went next to the goalpost.
But then Juventus used all their experience and abilities to play pragmatic
football and did let the opponents nothing near their goal.
Sport
Express Daily, 18 Sep 2008
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