Applause from all angles for Del Piero
November 6th 2008 23:58
Juventus' national icon Alessandro Del Piero, has cast his magic despite being on the verge of his 34th birthday. His two goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Thursday emphasises why he remains the most popular member of a club which has been to hell and back during the last three years of competition.
Despite being on the outer of the Italian national team, Del Piero just keeps on coming up with the goods.
The package included a stunning two-goal performance against Real Madrid in the most talked-about Champions League match of the week.
It was the first time the 'bianconeri' defeated Real in Spain since 1962. Del Piero also netted a stunner against the Spanish champions during the teams’ match in Turin on Oct. 21.
Del Piero is now equal top scorer in the champion’s league with four goals from his last four matches.
But it's not just his potency as a striker that sets him out from most forwards in world football.
Del Piero takes the team on his shoulders and carries them forward. His rise to the captaincy has really garnered the Juventus icon with leadership skills now not easily matched throughout Europe.
His brace against Real Madrid (one a signature free kick) comes on the heels of another magical dead ball masterpiece he scored against AS Roma on Sunday in the Serie A.
Although the Italy management seem to care little for the substantial contributions that Del Piero has made in all forms of competition this season, at least the fans do, even those who fall victim to his lethal strikes.
After his grand performance in Madrid, the faithful at the Bernabeu gave Del Piero a standing ovation. They credited class with class.
Indeed the Madrid fans know a fine football player when they see one, and the 80,000 audience stood as one to applaud a match winner that had stabbed Madrid's qualification route from the group stages.
Regardless, Madrid coach Bernd Schuster was full of praise for the way his home fans conducted themselves.
“Del Piero is a great player and the Bernabeu public knows how to express that,” Schuster said.
| 41 |
| Vote |
Subscribe to this blog
