More pounce per ounce

By Paolo Menicucci

There has always been a bit of sarcasm behind Marcelo Zalayeta's nickname, 'Panterone' or 'Big Panther'. The Uruguayan was called Panther when he joined Juventus FC because of his elegant moves, but the qualifying adjective was then impishly added to stress that Zalayeta's pace and agility were anything but feline.

Joyous moment
However, with his panther roar against Real Madrid CF last week, Zalayeta has silenced all his critics. Zalayeta stroked the ball past Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas four minutes from the end of extra time as the Turin side won 2-1 on aggregate and qualified for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. "I will never forget this game and especially the eleventh minute of the second period of extra time," Zalayeta told Juventus's official website. "I cannot describe the joy and the feelings I had after that goal."

Loan spells
Born in Montevideo, the 26-year-old played for Danubio FC and CA Peñarol in Uruguay before joining Juventus in 1997. He had loan spells at Empoli FC in 1998/99, and two years at Sevilla FC from 1999 to 2001 before being recalled by the Bianconeri.

'Still thrilled'
Two years ago the Uruguayan scored a goal which helped Juventus to defeat another Spanish giant - FC Barcelona - again in extra time. He remembered: "I scored an equally important goal in the Champions League against Barcelona two years ago, but the game against Real Madrid was unique: the whole stadium standing and screaming together, the ball in the net, my team-mates running to hug me. I'm still thrilled when I think about that moment."

Redoubled efforts
Zalayeta, however, keeps his feet firmly on the ground. "It was an unforgettable night, but we must quickly forget this euphoria and start working hard again. This game must become the extra motivation to go on and try to win the Champions League and the Scudetto. I'm playing in a great side which can achieve great results."

Istanbul focus
Still the Uruguayan forward already has one game in his mind as he seeks to confirm his killer instinct, the Champions League final. "I hope that one day I will score a goal that can give me even more joy and excitement than the one I scored against Madrid," he said. "Maybe on 25 May in Istanbul."

Attacking trio
Zalayeta's goal was a great victory also for Fabio Capello. With David Trezeguet fit only to play a part of the game after recovering from flu, the Juventus coach started the game against Madrid with a three-pronged attack with Zalayeta deployed alongside Alessandro Del Piero and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Last word
Trezeguet came on in the 57th minute when Juve were struggling to wipe out Madrid's first-leg advantage. Surprisingly Capello took off captain and crowd favourite Del Piero keeping Zalayeta in the game. The Juve fans expressed their disappointment, but it was Capello, and Zalayeta, who had the last word.

Dangerous threesome
The Trezeguet-Ibrahimovic-Zalayeta formation was far more effective. With Juventus 15 minutes from elimination, Trezeguet equalised with an acrobatic bicycle-kick after a precise headed pass from Ibrahimovic, while Zalayeta had to wait until extra time for his big moment.

Reliable choice
"Zalayeta is one of those players who always trains very hard even when they don't play on a regular basis and I know that I can always count on him whenever I need to," said Capello after the game against Madrid. He may be Juventus's fourth choice in attack, but the 'Big Panther' is always ready to pounce.