Quag leaves Chievo in the mire

Posted Saturday, September 22, 2012 by PA

Fabio Quagliarella's brace earned Juventus a comfortable 2-0 win against Chievo in Serie A.

The margin of victory might have been much greater for the defending champions if not for the heroics of Gialloblu goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino.

Fresh from registering Juve's vital equaliser at Chelsea in the Champions League, Quagliarella guaranteed Massimo Carrera's men a fourth straight league victory with two classy goals, Chievo failing to create any clear-cut chances to hit back.

Juventus piled on the pressure from the outset, Quagliarella introducing himself to Sorrentino with two solid efforts inside the first 10 minutes.

Claudio Marchisio skilfully dummied the ball through Paul Pogba, the ex-Manchester United prodigy clipping in a wayward shot, before Quagliarella nicked in to test Sorrentino again.

Mirko Vucinic had the ball in the back of the net on 26 minutes following good work from Mauricio Isla but the Montenegrin's goal was rightfully ruled out for offside.

Unruffled, Juve continued to pour forward and Sorrentino had to be at his best again to repel Emmanuele Giaccherini's low strike a few minutes later.

Former Udinese man Kwadwo Asamoah produced a wonderful dipping drive that Sorrentino pushed out, Marchisio soon letting rip from the edge of the box but missing the target.

Finally Chievo came alive and Perparim Hetemaj was unlucky not to rifle the ball home after Juve defender Lucio had lost control of the ball in a dangerous area.

But it was business as usual for the under-siege Sorrentino after the brief respite of half-time, the veteran keeper desperately repelling a deflected effort from Quagliarella.

The Flying Donkeys had Bostjan Cesar to thank in the 54th minute as he snatched the ball off Quagliarella's boot after a fine pull-back from Giaccherini.

Sorrentino denied Giorgio Chiellini from point-blank range before he finally allowed a Juve effort to beat him in the 64th minute.

Quagliarella arrived from deep to pull off a trademark swivelling volley and arrow the ball against Sorrentino's glove but into the top corner.

And four minutes later Sorrentino would get his fingertips to another lost cause as Quagliarella doubled up thanks to Asamoah's deft cut inside and accurate pass.

Juve were totally in control and, with 10 minutes remaining, it was time for on-loan Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner to make his debut from the bench.

Fellow substitute Arturo Vidal controlled a lofted through-ball from Vucinic, seeing his shot closed down before Bendtner arrived to rattle the rebound into a clutch of Chievo defenders.

Sorrentino was determined to limit further damage as time ticked away at the Juventus Stadium, raising a cheer from the travelling fans as he punched clear another Vucinic rocket.

The Montenegrin threatened to deliver the killer blow in stoppage time, but it was not to be his night as he drove hard and low beyond a post.

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