Juve deny Buffon rumours

Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has dismissed reports Manchester United are working on a deal to sign Gianluigi Buffon.

United are currently in the process of identifying a successor to Edwin van der Sar, who turns 40 this month, and have recently spent time scouting Atletico Madrid youngster David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard of Aalesunds.

Reports have suggested that Sir Alex Ferguson may have made a move for Italy goalkeeper Buffon, 32, but Marotta insists no talks have taken place over a deal.

"I deny any negotiation with United. Buffon is a Juventus player," he told Tuttosport.

Buffon's agent, Silvano Martina, added: "These transfer rumours make no sense. Buffon has been sidelined for three months so who would want an injured player? Moreover, it seems to me that the best player at United so far has been Van der Sar."

Buffon will be out of action for the rest of the year after suffering a back problem during the World Cup.

source: ESPN

AC Milan sink dismal Juventus in Turin

Milan moved to within eight points of Serie A leaders and city rivals Internazionale with a 3-0 away win at Juventus.

Three corners provided the Rossoneri's three goals. Alessandro Nesta prodded home Andrea Pirlo's cross at the far post in the first half, while Ronaldinho clinched the three points with 20 minutes to go with a glancing header, again from a Pirlo corner.

The Brazilian made it three in the closing stages, chesting down David Beckham's cross and finishing superbly past Juve 'keeper Alex Manninger.

The result keeps Milan in second, and underlines their status as the likeliest challengers to Jose Mourinho's Inter. Juve remain third, 12 points behind Inter, and four behind Milan.

Juventus had the better of a disjointed first half hour, in which misplaced passes dominated. Brazilian playmaker Diego was the only man who looked capable of providing the spark that would bring the match to life, and that almost proved the case as he cut in from the left, wrongfooting Gennaro Gattuso, before curling a right-foot effort just past the far post.

Uncharacteristically poor delivery from David Beckham meant nothing came from a series of Milan corners, though Andrea Pirlo's first corner of a game brought about the game's opening goal on the half-hour mark.

The Milan playmaker's cross should have been routinely booted clear at the near post by Felipe Melo at the near post, but he somehow missed the ball, allowing Nesta to pounce at the far post.

With the Rossoneri keeping the ball beautifully at the start of the second half, Juve coach Ciro Ferrara threw on Alessandro del Piero on 60 minutes in place of the anonymous Hasan Salihamdizic, while Christian Poulsen was almost immediately stretchered off and replaced by de Ceglie.

A free-kick blazed wastefully over the bar was the sum total of Del Piero's impact, and though Milan looked rather toothless in open play, they doubled their lead through another Pirlo set-piece with 20 minutes to go. Ronaldinho met Pirlo's corner at the near post with a glancing header, though it took another small but vital deflection off De Ceglie on its way in.

source: Eurosport (www.yahoo.com)