It's nights like tonight, which are for me, the whole point of European football. A big glamour Club from one of Europe's other elite leagues comes to Highbury
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Of course, as with any big game, it could all go wrong, but either way being
there is an enormous privilege. The chance to see if we are really up there with the big boys who've previously won the most prestigious club trophy in the world is not something you want to miss. Juventus is one of those magic names that makes the game something so much more than just another European tie. Tonight we'll be frightened to death for Taylor facing a Del Piero free kick; we'll be urging Patrick to prove he's bigger and better than Davids or Tudor. We'll want to judge for ourselves just how good Thuram, Nedved, Pessotto and Trezeguet really are, while hoping against hope that our stars can outshine them all. We'll also want to find out whether Arsene Wenger can outsmart Marcello Lippi. Don't ask me how the black and white stripes of Juve, the famous old lady of Italian football, are so much more glamorous than the black and white of Grimsby Town, just take my word for it, they just are.
Arsenal's line-up was the same as beat United and Ipswich – a brave decision by Arsene but in my opinion the correct one. Many would say that only a win would do for us and we could be pretty certain that Juve would gladly settle for a point. That would surely determine how the match would be played.
Except it didn't, granted Tudor played in midfield and is more of a holding player than Davids who remained on the bench, but Juve attacked us with almost everything they had for the first twenty minutes. We held firm. Juve fans were quite noisy and encouraged by early corners; they were even more encouraged when Del Piero cut inside from his berth wide left to bend a shot just inside the far post. Fortunately Taylor was having a dream start and slung himself full length to tip it round for a corner.
We were defending well though, Campbell and Upson work well together and despite Trezeguet being a threat in the air he wasn't having his own way. Cole was blocking and preventing at least one break but had time to make one brilliant run after some great interplay down our left and managed to get a powerful shot in that could only be blocked by the world's most expensive keeper Buffon. Arsenal were back in the game and a Parlour, Kanu, Henry move nearly worked, but Juve's counters look pretty good as well. There was another great save by Taylor before Trezeguet headed over.
Juve were not afraid to put it about, Tudor was a powerful giant of a player who was quite at home knocking over Kanu. Ljungberg headed over after a decent Arsenal attack. Freddie was very lively, knocking Nedved off the pitch on one occassion. Shortly after a poor corner from Pires we break on the right, Juve are back in numbers but Lauren beats two players and cuts inside. His cross is blocked but falls to Patrick who drives forward to the edge of the box, sells a dummy and shoots. Hs shot is blocked by Buffon but Freddie reacts quickest and clips it over the keeper to make it 1-0 with twenty minutes played. Great start and Juve immediately sub Tudor for Davids.
Now we start to play. Henry wins a free kick wide left. Pires plays a square ball to Ray outside the box whose fierce dipping volley is tipped over for a corner. A Kanu header nearly puts Henry through. We're playing with conviction if not complete control. Ljungberg, Lauren and Parlour work a fine move on the right, Kanu is felled again in midfield and then Pires is tripped not far outside the box as he is about to pull the trigger. It's to the left, a bit shorter than Beckham range, except we have Henry over the ball. All eleven Juve players are deep in their own area most of them seem to be in the wall. 18 minutes before the break and Henry hits the perfect free kick over the wall. The ball hits the net, almost perfect top corner, it's so much better seeing Thierry do this than United's number seven. 2-0 and our man has now scored 6 in 7 European appearances.
Davids plays well but is rattled, so he fouls Vieira who is taking control. Thierry is up for it now, he chests down a long Vieira pass and hits a first time dipping volley that lands on the roof of the net. Magic. Freddie goes close as the keeper saves following great play by Thierry and Kanu. We're looking good but Nedved goes down in our box, the Portuguese ref whistles, please not a penalty. But it's ok because Nedved gets a yellow for diving. Chants of ‘You're not very good' echo around Highbury, totally untrue but who cares. Kanu shoots over before another dangerous attack from Juve ends in a corner. Taylor swats it over for another corner, the next corner is held well by Stuart who is growing in stature.
Parlour to Kanu to Henry but he takes on too many. Birindelli earns a yellow for yet another foul, this one on Ray. Davids fouls Freddie after our number 8 battles well in midfield. Pires fires the free kick over. Vieira does Davids but they slap hands in appreciation of the competitive play. Lauen to Kanu and he gets a fine cross in which Freddie hits on the volley but it's saved. Del Piero fires in a far post cross at the other end. Juve are closing us well but we get that every week and our running is as good as it has ever been. Del Piero again but we clear. After four games together this defence are playing as a unit. Half time and I'm knackered, what must those on the pitch feel like. A worthy lead but will it be enough?
Thuram is doing well at the back while their forwards apply good early pressure. Davids once again escapes a yellow, this one for tripping Ray. Vieira wins a great header, finds Thierry whose juggling ends with a left footed shot well wide. Kanu down the right to Freddie who takes off like a runaway train and hits a fine cross. No one on the end of it. Then calamity as a cross shot from the Juve right is saved by Taylor, it runs to Trezeguet whose shot is cleared off the line by Sol, but it hits Stuart in the back and it's over the line. They've pulled it back with a jammy goal 2-1.
The play is pulsating, it's fast furious and frantic but there is still control and purposeful running from both teams. We start to apply the offside trap and catch them enough times to be effective. Zambrotta fells Ray but Kanu flicks a header to no-one from the free kick, there is less support forward as our wide men work back more this half. Sol clears, Ray concedes a corner, Kanu works back to prevent a corner. Davids trips Kanu but no yellow. Zambrotta shoots wide, good pressure from Matthew.
Henry is on the floor, I've no idea why but he's stretchered off. He's still off as Ray wins a corner. Parlour wins a clean ball but is penalised. Kanu gets a yellow for diving in, this after being battered all night. Great defending by Cole as Dennis comes on for Kanu with 21 long minutes to go. Good catch by Taylor and at the other end Pires shoots just wide after working an opening across the box left to right past four players. Nedved is replaced by Amoruso. Good Pires pressure wins a corner. At the other end two offside as Juve try to hit us on break. Another offside against Del Piero was very close, then Birindelli is caught offside. Nice one lads it's working well.
Great interplay by Dennis and Thierry ends with an off balance shot by Dennis with his left, on target but saved. We're having good possession now. Pessoto off Paramatti on - and his only contribution will be a horrible foul on Lauren that goes unpunished. Dennis cuts a good ball back and Ray hits a powerful shot into the side netting. A great moment for Ray follows as he steams out of midfield and shrugs off Davids but Henry shoots when he might have passed.
Six minutes to go plus stoppages, Henry is replaced by Gilles and Freddie moves further forward. What happened next is ball skills to die for - from Dennis. It was fast and dainty and I think it involved a drag back, a step over, a spin and a change of feet, all before flicking the ball over a player for Freddie to run onto. Freddie coolly chips over the keeper and it's 3-1. The game is over all bar the fat lady singing and it won't be in Italian tonight. Time still for Cole to get injured blocking a shot, Keown comes on and Matty moves to left back. Four minutes added time but we're in control and there is a bonus yet to come. Deportivo are beaten 3-0 in the other match.
Remember the date Tuesday 4th December a classic match – you had to be there because I can't remember us ever playing that well against such class opponents.
Brian
