Juventus downs Victory

Italian giant Juventus has proven too slick for the Melbourne Victory in their friendly match at Telstra Dome, prevailing 4-1 in front of a crowd of over 43,000.

Fans of the most successful club in Italian football were treated to a typically disciplined performance from a side at the end of both a long season and a post-season tour. Nicola Legrottaglie scored early in the match and while Carlos Hernandez was able to equalise early in the second half, Rafaelle Palladino sealed the deal with two goals while Marco Marchionni added another.

Juventus had a 1-0 lead within six minutes after the Victory defence failed to clear effectively and the ball was well crossed in for an unmarked Legrottaglie to hammer into the net with his head.

That set the scene for a first half which saw the visitors dominate, with the home side forced to sit back and absorb the pressure and try to open Juventus up on the counter attack. But without its first choice strikers, Victory created little going forward.

Matthew Kemp broke into the box but was probably too generous looking to pass of rather than finish while Alessandro Birendelli intervened when Hernandez's low cross looked destined for Tom Pondeljak.

Up the other end, Jonathan Zebina squandered an excellent chance after a superb set-up from Paladino. The chances dried up as the half wore on and the Italian side held the edge at the break.

Archie Thompson came on in the second half and just missed a connection with Kemp's cross which would have caused Juve's Australian goalkeeper Jess Vanstrattan a few headaches. Marchionni could have made it 2-0 when Palladino laid on a pass, but the midfielder push his chance wide of the post.

Hernandez then lit up the match with a superbly taken equaliser on 56 minutes. The Victory had surged forward through Billy Celeski and when the Juventus defence intervened, the ball fell to the Costa Rican, who unleashed a right foot shot which Vanstrattan had no chance of stopping.

But an ill-advised lunge from Sebastian Ryall on Marchionni saw referee Ben Williams point to the spot and a calm penalty kick from Palladino restored Juventus' one-goal advantage on 64 minutes.

Marchionni produced an athletic leap over Kemp from Palladino's cross on 89 minutes, topping that off with a headed goal and then Palladino collected his brace deep in injury time, slotting a late goal with his foot to put the full stop on the result.

Melbourne Victory 1 (Hernandez 56)
Juventus 4 (Legrottaglie 6, Palladino 64, 92, Marchionni 89)
Crowd: 43,357