It may have taken nearly an entire half for the ball to land in the back of the net, but the first forty minutes between Juventus and Udinese certainly weren't boring. Instead, fans of Serie A were treated to a battle of the goalkeepers. Samir Handanovic managed two absolutely fantastic saves to keep the visiting bianconeri level, while birthday boy Gigi Buffon did a great job fighting off a spell of Udinese pressure to keep the hosts firmly in the match.
Amidst the flying flakes swirling about Turin, you could just about see it: this match was going to end a 0-0 draw. A fun 0-0 draw, but one that would only benefit AC Milan.
Then up stepped Alessandro Matri, that of the failed first touch. The cross came in from Marcelo Estigarribia, with Fabio Quagliarella getting his head on it, forcing Handanovic into a save. The Udinese couldn't quite smother the ball, however, and it fell to Matri's feet. The striker needed just one touch and this time, he had it spot-on: a lovely little flick to send the ball into the back of the net, and Juventus into halftime carrying a lead.
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