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Chiesa, Danilo on target as wasteful Juventus win at Empoli
Goals from Danilo and Federico Chiesa earned Juventus a 2-0 victory at Empoli in Serie A on Sunday, with the visitors squandering several other chances, having two efforts disallowed and missing a penalty.
The victory maintains Juventus’s unbeaten start to the season, having earned seven points from their opening three games to sit two points behind leaders Inter Milan and AC Milan.
“It was a good performance against an Empoli side that is not easy to play against,” Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri told reporters.
“We allowed practically nothing at the back, but need to be calmer in the final third or with the final ball, as we were a bit too frenetic.”
Juventus captain Danilo thought he had given them an early advantage with a close-range header.
This was following a corner but the goal was ruled out due to a collision with keeper Etrit Berisha just before the strike.
He did not have to wait long for a goal however as he put the visitors ahead after 24 minutes, deftly sweeping the ball into the net following a scramble after a corner.
Dusan Vlahovic missed a penalty around the half-hour mark, after Youssef Maleh fouled Federico Gatti.
Juventus maintained their dominance in the second half, with Chiesa going close to scoring, sending the ball inches wide of the far post.
They had a second goal chalked off in the 66th minute when Paul Pogba found the net with an elegant volley.
The effort was however ruled out because Vlahovic, who had chested the ball down to him, was offside.
They did manage to double their lead, however, when Arkadiusz Milik’s pass sent Chiesa clear on goal.
Milik then skipped around Berisha’s challenge to slide the ball home and seal the win in the 82nd minute.
Milik nearly scored a third for Juventus in stoppage time, as his header struck the woodwork, while team mate Moise Kean also hit the post shortly after.
After the match, Pogba seemed to be in discomfort, touching the back of his thigh.
“We don’t know anything yet, he felt a twinge at the back, so we’ll see what the tests say,” said Allegri who praised Pogba for his performance.
When asked about Juventus’s ambitions the season, Allegri denied they were favourites for the league title.
“There are teams out there better equipped to win the Scudetto, such as Inter, Napoli and Milan,” he said.
“We must do well to stay as close to them as possible and finish in the top four.”
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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