THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME-Chapter 486: Away Game Against AS Roma

At exactly 9:00 PM, the referee blew the whistle, and the highly anticipated Serie A battle between AS Roma and Juventus commenced.

Tévez kicked off the proceedings with a back pass into his midfield with a clear intent of finding Arturo Vidal. From there on, the Juventus players started passing the ball immaculately among themselves and showcased a hunger to dictate proceedings on the field.

The Old Lady players were brilliant on and off the ball. They played with conviction, covering spaces and closing down the opponents as if their lives were at stake. They thus dominated possession in the opening minutes, and it didn't take long for them to create their first real goal-scoring opportunity.

It all started with Roberto Pereyra, the freshly-introduced face in Juventus' midfield. Roberto won an aerial duel against the shorter Miralem Pjanic close to the border of the defensive third during the 13th minute. He towered over the AS Roma man and headed the ball to Andrea Pirlo, who was strategically positioned in an unmarked pocket of space close to the center circle.

Andrea Pirlo, on his part, was as brilliant as ever while connecting with the ball. He calmly controlled it while assessing the situation on the other side of the pitch. Then, before any of the opponents could close him down, he drew his leg back and unleashed a hell of a pass toward the other side of the pitch.

"Whoosh"

Tévez was akin to an unstoppable tempest as he cut through the pitch, chasing after the ball. His short strides covered yards of space within seconds, allowing him to connect with the long-range defense-splitting pass from Andrea Pirlo.

At that moment, Konstantinos Manolas and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, the two AS Roma defenders, were already closing him down, all guns blazing. They were trying to sandwich him and stop him from threatening their goal.

However, the action of the AS Roma center-backs didn't ruffle the experienced Argentine's feathers. After controlling the ball, Tévez skillfully faked going right before abruptly altering his center of gravity and whirling around toward the left. And before the two center-backs could react, he exploded with speed and rushed into the box with an indomitable impetus.

"Tévez! Tévez! Tévez..."

The traveling Juventus supporters in the stands behind the goal started chanting Tévez's name as he approached the goal at breakneck speed. Their cheers seemed to boost his confidence, and he rounded the keeper with a couple of deft touches. Before any of the opponents could close him down, he buried the ball into the back of the net to score Juventus' 1st goal for the night.

"Oh my goodness me!" The commentator's voice resounded across the stadium as Tévez ran off to celebrate the goal. "Juventus is flying again. Through the phenomenal Carlos Tévez, they've broken the deadlock. They have broken through AS Roma's tenacious defense and scored their first goal for the night during the 14th minute. What a wonderful start for the visitors!"

"It all began with Andrea Pirlo," the co-commentator chimed in. "The Italian Maestro looked sharp since the start of the game, and it didn't take him long to find an opportunity to punish the opponents. With a single unexpected and brilliant ball, he managed to take the entire AS Roma midfield out of the equation while also setting up Tévez for the goal. And Tévez, being the experienced striker he is, didn't waste the opportunity. He remained composed and skipped past the two center-backs before burying the ball into the back of the net. What an incredible game of football!"

"This Juventus team is in incredible shape," the commentator said. "Even without Zachary Bemba, their undisputed star player, they still manage to play brilliant football. They are totally destroying AS Roma, which by the way, is the second-placed team on the Serie A table."

"Indeed," the co-commentator agreed. "Coach Allegri's men have been in fine form ever since the start of the game. During the opening fourteen minutes, they dictated the proceedings on the field of play by utilizing their signature passing to dominate possession. I'm particularly impressed by Roberto Pereyra, the new face in Juventus' midfield. He was relentless in the middle of the pack and has won most of his aerial duels against the AS Roma midfielders. He's really doing great out there."

The commentator chuckled. "He should be really motivated. He has to utilize the opportunity to impress his coaches. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to make it back into the starting eleven, especially with phenomenal midfielders like Zachary, Vidal, Pirlo, and Marchisio present in the side."

"True," the co-commentator agreed. "Speaking of which, I wonder why Zachary is on the bench today. He scored those impressive three goals against Atlético Madrid during midweek. But Coach Allegri has decided not to include him in the starting eleven! Truly baffling!"

"It's a long season of football," the commentator said. "So, I'm guessing the coach is only rotating his squad to allow his star players some time to rest."

"That makes sense. But isn't Coach Allegri taking the Serie A lightly? How can he bench his star player when playing the second-placed team on the Serie A table?"

"Those are the advantages of having great depth in a squad. Coach Allegri can even field the second team, and it will still put on a competitive display against the second-placed AS Roma side."

AS Roma 0 : Juventus FC 1

The game continued after the goal celebrations, and as expected, the AS Roma players responded almost immediately. They utilized their highly-versatile 4-3-3 formation to launch waves of attacks on Juventus' defense. They were amazing on the offensive and came close to scoring on several occasions. However, the ever-brilliant Buffon came alive in goal and made several saves to deny AS Roma a chance to bag an equalizing goal. As a result, the score was still 0:1 in favor of Juventus when the referee blew the half-time whistle.

After a fifteen-minute break, the game recommenced, and the AS Roma players relaunched their offensive. With the words of Rudi Garcia, their passionate manager, doubtless still ringing in their ears, they were like a totally different team. They utilized high-pressing and wing-play tactics to outplay Juventus on the field of play. Then, when an opportunity would present itself, they would rely on their highly-agile wide players to send crosses into the box. They were obviously trying to link play with Francesco Totti, their star striker.

As an experienced player, Francesco Totti's movements off the ball were tricky and brilliant. During the 56th minute, he escaped the notice of the Juventus defenders and connected with an incoming cross from Gervinho. He leaped high and headed the ball toward the bottom left corner, with the clear intent to score the equalizer for AS Roma.

However, his efforts were once again fruitless due to the alertness of Buffon, the highly-experienced Juventus keeper. Buffon immediately executed a full-body dive and punched the ball out of play. His acrobatic effort saved Juventus from conceding a goal during the 56th minute.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and pointed to the corner spot. And without wasting much time, the AS Roma players quickly took the corner.

Miralem Pjanic, AS Roma's highly-tactical midfielder, sent forth a curling ball from the corner flag into the box. His delivery was spot-on, and he linked play with Seydou Keita, his counterpart in midfield.

Seydou Keita, on his part, was brilliant in the air. He towered over the players in the box before connecting with the corner ball and planting a header toward the goal from around the penalty spot. But fortunately for Juventus, Patrice Evra was present at the far post, and he managed to blast the ball away from the goal. And that timely clearance once again saved Juventus from conceding during the 58th minute.

"This can't go on."

Coach Allegri frowned after watching his side survive yet another attack from AS Roma. His players had looked sharp in the first half and even scored a goal. But during the second half, they were the opposite. They could only be described as second-best on the field of player since they were not giving their all to go out and take on the AS Roma players. They had decided to sit back and defend instead of attacking the opponent. For sure, they were not following the game plan.

"Damn it!"

Coach Allegri couldn't help but mumble a curse once again. He was frustrated after watching Álvaro Morata lose the ball close to the center circle. The Spaniard had just gifted AS Roma another chance to counter and launch another offensive against Juventus by pointlessly holding on to the ball a little longer than necessary.

"Terrible! Terrible..." Coach Allegri mumbled while following the proceedings on the field. He watched with bated breath as Miralem Pjanic, the AS Roma midfielder, picked up the loose ball and unleashed a grounded pass into the left wing to find Gervinho. And from there on, the counter was on, and the AS Roma players flew forward.

Gervinho was like the wind while cutting through the left flank. He skillfully exchanged a couple of one-twos with Seydou Keita, the AS Roma midfielder, before unleashing a cross toward Juventus' box.

"Whoosh"

Within the box, Francesco Totti responded and went into action once again. At just the right moment, he pounced forward and inched past Leonardo Bonucci with an explosion of speed.

Totti's positioning and movements were spot-on, and he connected with the incoming cross just close to the edge of the penalty box. He effortlessly outsmarted the defenders and headed home to guide the ball beyond the reach of the helpless Buffon. After that, he raced toward the sideline to celebrate AS Roma's 64th-minute equalizing goal against Juventus.

"Terrible!" Coach Allegri shook his head and immediately turned towards Maurizio Trombetta, his assistant. "We need to shake up things on the field to regain momentum. Otherwise, we'll lose this game."

"That's true," Coach Trombetta agreed. "So, what's your plan, boss?"

Coach Allegri smiled cryptically and said, "Let's summon the big guns and see if AS Roma can handle it. We must win this game."

Coach Trombetta smiled back. "Should I tell Zachary to warm up?"

"Yes." Coach Allegri nodded. "I want him ready to enter the pitch within five minutes. And let's also add Fernando Llorente into the mix. He's hungry to play. Maybe, he can also create a difference on the field of play."