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Buon compleanno Penna Bianca (57 anni)!

Juventus player ratings vs Pafos: McKennie’s wand saves the Old Lady At the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Juventus earned their second Champions League win in a row at the expense of Pafos. The Bianconeri were slow and sloppy in the first half, as they were lucky to escape unscathed with the Cypriots harrying them on the counter. Nevertheless, a tactical change to four at the back did the trick in the second period. The Serie A giants became more dominant and eventually managed to break the deadlock through Weston McKennie, before adding a second thanks to Jonathan David. ............ Juventus XI (3-4-2-1) Michele Di Gregorio – 6.5 The Italian shot-stopper made some important saves in the first half to earn his clean sheet. Pierre Kalulu – 6.5 ............ Lloyd Kelly – 7 The Englishman was a rock at the back for Juventus, pulling off a string of vital interceptions. Teun Koopmeiners – 6 ............ Weston McKennie – 7.5 The Texan broke the deadlock with a vicious shot to the top corner that left the goalkeeper with no chance. He also made crucial interventions at the back, including a goal-saving block. Fabio Miretti – 5.5 The Juventus youth product offered so much quantity, but very little quality. His passes were intercepted more often than not, and he squandered a promising free kick with an abysmal delivery. Manuel Locatelli – 6 ............ Andrea Cambiaso – 6.5 ............ Edon Zhegrova – 5.5 The Kosovar didn’t truly enjoy his full Juventus debut, as he didn’t see much of the ball, and found little space to work his magic. While he did show some flashes of brilliance, he was hauled off for Conceicao at the interval. Kenan Yildiz – 7.5 The 20-year-old ran the show for Juventus. In the first half, he tested the goalkeeper with a curling shot, and won two free kicks in dangerous positions. Nevertheless, it was his second-half display which truly stood out, as he danced his way around his opponents. He also provided the assist for David with a lovely square ball. Jonathan David – 6.5 The Canadian has been under massive pressure, but after wasting a close-range chance in the first half, he kept his cool to slot the ball past the goalkeeper in the second period. Substitutes Francisco Conceicao – 7 A game-changing substitution from Luciano Spalletti. The Portuguese winger instigated both goals by providing the ‘pre-assists’, including a brilliant dribble and a sublime pass on the second goal. Lois Openda – 5.5 ............ Khephren Thuram – N/A Vasilije Adzic – N/A Juan Cabal – N/A . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/juventus-player-ratings-vs-pafos-mckennies-wand-saves-the-old-lady/

Juventus 2 - Pafos FC 0: Initial reaction and random observations For the second consecutive outing in the Champions League, Juventus put forward an opening 45 minutes that just about everybody would have liked to forget on Wednesday night in Turin. The reaction of those who root for the Bianconeri was as you’d expect when halftime arrived, too, with the full realization that something desperately needed to change if Juve wanted to actually come away with three incredibly important points. Just like they did in the Arctic Circle, Juve came alive in the second half once again in Europe. This time, though, there wasn’t any late-game heroics needed to actually secure those three points — which was a pretty nice change from what happened just a couple of weeks earlier. Thanks to what was likely a bit of a one-sided conversation from Luciano Spalletti at the half, Juventus came out of the break looking very much the improved side they needed to be to try and make it back-to-back wins in the Champions League over very beatable yet pesky opposition. Just like against Bodø/Glimt, that improved second half resulted in Juve actually looking like the better side as compared to what happened in the opening 45 minutes. With the two CONCACAF boys, American midfielder jack-of-all-trades Weston McKennie and Canadian striker Jonathan David, providing the long-awaited breakthrough within five minutes of one another that put Juventus in front once and for all, the Bianconeri claimed a 2-0 win over Pafos FC to continue their ascent up the UCL league phase table. Juventus entered the night in 23rd place, with Pafos right behind them in the final play-off spot. With Wednesday night’s results now completely over and done with, Juve have moved up to 17th — nearly 10 spots higher than they were just two matchdays ago. And who’s all of one point and two table spots ahead of them? That would be Barcelona. Who’s also on 10 points a couple more spots up the table? Chelsea. What’s all of three points away? The automatic qualification spots that come with being in the top eight. ............ If the magic number for securing a spot in the play-off round is around 11 or 12 points, then one more win against either Benfica or Monaco should do just that. (But then again, those will be two clubs absolutely fighting for their Champions League lives when they line up against Juventus come the new year.) The problem was that for a large portion of this game, Juventus looked completely out of sorts. Or, the issues that we probably expected them to have against a team like Pafos that loves to absorb pressure and then try and hammer you on the counter were very much present. The worst part of it was that Pafos, the team that entered the night having surrendered the second-highest amount of shots in the league phase thus far, was actually outshooting Juventus. And that’s not some wonky kind of small sample size five minutes into the game, either. This was well into the first half when it was pretty clear that Juve just needed to survive until halftime without giving up a goal and then try and regroup. They thankfully did both of those. And for the first time in the Champions League this season, Juve were actually able to play with the lead rather than chase a game because they were behind on the scoreboard. ............ Juventus were much more on the front foot in the second half, they created more and, of course, they actually made Pafos pay for the pressure that they were creating. For so much of the first half you saw the ball moving around slowly, players not moving all that much while the ball was out wide and things just looking completely static overall. It was something Spalletti had to hammer home at the half — and clearly something that improved as the second half went on as the Pafos defense that had absorbed so much pressure finally started to crack. It helped that McKennie had what felt like an elbow jumper in basketball and pretty much turned a relatively nondescript movement in the box into the opening goal that actually allowed Juventus to get in front. And, unlike against Bodø/Glimt, there wasn’t any sort of madness that forced a David goal to suddenly be the thing that decided it. They didn’t have to scramble to get three points. They could actually play with a lead for a change — which is something that they’ve rarely had in their favor in the Champions League this season. So now Juve can head into their final two UCL league phase games and control their own destiny when it comes to the play-off round and getting their best possible seeding. Thinking beyond that might be a little too much for now, but getting two straight wins in Europe has certainly turned things for the better as compared to how things were looking at the midway point of the league phase last month. RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS Two wins within a little more than 24 hours for the two Juventus senior squads in Europe? Yeah, I’ll take that. But, my god, can Juventus please start the games against Benfica and Monaco a little better? Watching these slogs of a first half continue to be the wrong kind of way to go about things. ............ Can I just mention how great of a counterattack that was on David’s goal? It was quick, it was aggressive, Kenan Yildiz’s ball to David was on the money and David’s finish was nice to see after his struggles earlier in the game. That’s something you’d love to see more of from all involved going forward. David in the first half: 14 touches, three times dispossessed, one incredibly big chance missed. I mean, if you want to see a scoring chance that sums up David’s time at Juventus thus far, feels like that one he completed flubbed late in the first half is pretty much the best representation of that. ............ Not exactly the first start for Juventus that Edon Zhegrova was hoping for. Then again, when you hadn’t started a game in a year (minus four days), you can understand why he’d be pressing a little too much. Yes, even somebody as chill as Zhegrova can do that, too. ............ Spalletti wasn’t lying when he said Pafos’ roster is full of Brazilian and Portuguese players. Those were some wonderful names to see on the team sheet! David Luiz is basically my age and still playing in the Champions League. Didn’t have that one. Michele Di Gregorio gave us a bit of a scare with the ball at his feet late in this game, but he made a couple of big-time saves in the first half to keep Pafos off the scoreboard. If either of those shots go in, it’s a completely different kind of game — especially with Juve having to chase things once again. Just another European outing in which Wes McKennie scores an important goal. The man just delivers. Seriously, he was almost posting up right inside of the penalty area, put a little move on the guy marking him and unleashed a rocket of a shot into the top corner. Not bad, Wes, not bad at all. Wanna guess who was Juve’s leader in key passes? Yeah, it was Kenan Yildiz. That’s not a surprise. ............ All those missed chances in the first half really came to bite Pafos in the backside, didn’t they? And all that struggle in the first half and then you look at the final shot count and Juve’s up 25-12. Juve finishing with 2.56 xG? In this economy? Give Yildiz a standing ovation every time he walks off the field. He deserves it. ............ Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/34556/juventus-pafos-fc-2025-champions-league-league-phase-matchday-6-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations

Spalletti: ‘Juventus embarrassing at times, but my vision is 4-2-3-1’ Luciano Spalletti admits Juventus were ‘at times embarrassing’ against Pafos in the first half, but explains his vision for the 4-2-3-1 formation going forward in the Champions League. The Bianconeri were jeered off the field at half-time, as Cypriots Pafos has the better chances and repeatedly threatened to take the lead. ............ “It was fundamental to get the win, so with a victory many things look better,” Spalletti said. “Analysing the match, of course we need to do more, we are not happy, the lads are not happy with themselves, at times we did the bare minimum. Some situations in the first half were frankly embarrassing. “We relaxed a little after the break and were calmer on the ball in making those decisions.” ............ “It also depends on the opponents. I wanted to make some changes in the first half too, but was worried about making things more confusing for the players. It is something we had tried in training, so it worked very well, we were more organised, more determined too to take home the win. “These are difficult fixtures, Pafos conceded very few goals other than against Bayern Munich, you could see they have quality.” ............ “We did some things too in the first half,” noted Spalletti. “It’s true we are having some difficulties defending, but clearly we need to get a right-footed centre-back available again, because Kalulu ought to be a full-back, and Weston is filling in at the moment. Cambiaso too is a very attacking players, but if he needs to defend against muscular runners, he has some difficulties, as his strengths are going forward. “It’s true we allowed Pafos too much in the first half. We also made some cheap errors, sometimes it is incredible seeing the mistakes made, realising that our players cannot take advantage of those situations, but this is where we’re at right now.” ............ “My thoughts on the players do not change. So far, we’ve done too little compared to what I expect. At the same time, we returned from Naples at 5am, the day after that we went into a training retreat for the next game, so we barely get any time on the training pitch,” explained the coach. “We worked on free kick positioning today, but there’s no intensity or tempo, it’s not possible with this schedule. I was blamed the other day for taking Yildiz off, but I did it again today because I hope to get him a little bit fresher for the next game. It’s those final 20 minutes that the players really feel in their muscles the next day. “It does make a difference, I promise you. Also, those who haven’t played as much need time on the field. Miretti can do more, Adzic is a good player with quality, but you can see when he comes on for 20 minutes that there are things we need to adjust to bring him up to level. After that, I am convinced we’ll see something different, but until then, progress is slow, it’s true.” ............ “That is fair, I hope to get there when I have a central defender who can play with his right foot, otherwise it’s too limiting for us to play out from the back only down the left. We’ve also got two makeshift full-backs, but I do want to develop this 4-2-3-1 formation in future,” concluded the coach. . Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-juventus-embarrassing-times-vision/

Kenan Yildiz: ‘A good Juventus victory, but I could’ve done better’ Kenan Yildiz was named Man of the Match after Juventus beat Pafos in the Champions League, but insists he ‘could’ve done better’ when providing an assist. The Bianconeri had a rough first half in Turin and were jeered off the pitch by their fans, as Pafos had the best scoring opportunities and hit the woodwork. However, Weston McKennie broke the deadlock by firing into the roof of the net from a tricky angle, then six minutes later Jonathan David finished off a well-worked team move for 2-0. ............ “It was a good performance, I think the first half was good too and we were lacking a goal, but we had more determination after the break and did well,” Kenan Yildiz said. “This victory is for the team, I can also do better when I missed a goal, I should’ve provided an assist for David, but I didn’t see him. At least I got it later.” “The defeat against Napoli was painful for us, we trained with concentration, we had a good performance today and hope to keep improving.” ............ Luciano Spalletti said that Kenan Yildiz does things in training that people wouldn’t believe, so what did the coach mean? “I don’t know, I always give 100 per cent in training, as it helps me to grow and means I can help the team in match situations.” This is the second Champions League win in a row for Juve, after their 3-2 victory away to Bodo/Glimt, and puts them on nine points from six rounds. ............ . Read more -> https://football-italia.net/kenan-yildiz-a-good-juventus-victory-better/

McKennie and David strike as Juventus cruise to 2–0 win over Pafos Juventus secured a deserved 2–0 victory over Pafos in the Champions League this evening, producing a composed performance that restored confidence after their disappointing defeat to Napoli at the weekend. That loss had interrupted what appeared to be a developing winning formula, making this fixture essential for rebuilding momentum and reaffirming their European ambitions. ............ From the outset, it was clear that Pafos had not travelled to Turin simply to absorb pressure. The Cypriot side was organised and competitive, determined to offer a strong account of themselves. Juventus, however, approached the match with purpose, fielding an exciting front three that promised sustained attacking intent. Although matches seldom unfold precisely as planned, the responsibility fell on Edon Zhegrova and Jonathan David to validate their selection, and both contributed effectively to the team’s forward play. ............ Recognising the importance of securing all three points, Juventus increased its urgency in the second half. Pafos maintained their defensive discipline, but eventually the pressure told. Weston McKennie provided the breakthrough in the sixty-seventh minute, guiding Juventus into a deserved lead. The goal lifted the hosts further, and Jonathan David soon doubled the advantage with a composed finish that reflected Juve’s growing control of the match. ............ The final whistle confirmed a result that aligned with expectations and reflected Juventus’ dominance throughout the contest. . Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/mckennie-and-david-strike-as-juventus-cruise-to-2-0-win-over-pafos/

UCL | Juventus 2-0 Pafos: Precious Bianconeri victory after poor start Weston McKennie and Jonathan David got the goals to give Juventus a precious Champions League victory over Pafos, after surviving a poor first half. The Bianconeri’s confidence was low after Sunday’s 2-1 Serie A defeat to Napoli, so Luciano Spalletti introduced Jonathan David and Edon Zhegrova received his first start since December 2024 for Lille. ............ Pafos had two big chances in the opening minutes, as first a Joao Correia pull-back from the left found Anderson Silva’s back-heel flick just wide of the near post. Moments later, they got down the right to roll across, Lloyd Kelly’s clearance hit Andrea Cambiaso and risked an own goal, testing Michele Di Gregorio on the ricochet. Kenan Yildiz responded with a curler off the inside of the right foot that was beaten away, but Teun Koopmeiners should’ve opened the scoring with a free header into the ground off target on a corner from six yards. ............ Pafos had a huge double chance on 32 minutes when Anderson Silva swept his finish onto the base of the upright, then the move continued and another effort was deflected over. On the resulting corner, Dragomir was allowed a fantastic volley from the edge of the area, forcing Di Gregorio to fingertip it over the bar. Weston McKennie’s strike was deflected off Goldar, but Jonathan David missed another sitter from a corner, prodding wide from six yards on the knock-down. Lois Openda also came on and the three forwards combined beautifully to create a chance that the substitute eventually saw charged down for a corner. On that set play, Juventus finally took the lead with another well-worked move. Andrea Cambiaso’s slide-rule pass found McKennie, who gathered with his back to goal, turned a defender and smashed the finish into the roof of the net from a tricky angle with his right foot. The Bianconeri doubled their lead when Conceicao broke away in midfield and sent Kenan Yildiz down the left, he rolled across and David took a touch before sweeping past the on-rushing goalkeeper at the back post. ............ Juventus 2-0 Pafos McKennie 67 (J), David 73 (J) ............ . Read more -> https://football-italia.net/ucl-juventus-2-0-pafos-precious-bianconeri-win/

Chiellini: ‘Spalletti long term at Juventus, this is a must win game’ Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini insists he sees Luciano Spalletti as ‘a long-term’ coach beyond his contract to the end of the season, but it’s a ‘must-win’ game against Pafos. It kicks off at the Allianz Juventus Stadium in Turin at 20.00 GMT. ............ Does Chiellini wish he could step onto the pitch and play a game like this? “My calf muscles do not agree,” he laughed. “Today is a decisive match, Pafos are a team to be respected, but we absolutely must win today in order to continue our Champions League progress and get back on track after the defeat to Napoli. “Our regrets remain not just at the loss, but how it came about.” ............ “Luciano spoke and sent out the same signals within the locker room as he does in the press room. He needed to push them, because it’s true that we’ve all got to do better.” ............ “We knew that Zhegrova would struggle for fitness at the start, but now he’s doing better and we are starting to see something special in training,” added Chiellini. “He might have a half in him today or a little more, but it’ll be good if he can show from the start what he’s provided in the final 15 minutes so far.” ............ “I think Spalletti immediately got in sync with the squad and is here to enjoy this adventure. I think of him as being here long-term, not just until June,” assured Chiellini. “The players can see that when they do what he asks, it can work. There’s a lack of consistency at the moment, we are a work in progress, and there is great faith in what he can bring to Juve today. “At the end of the season, we will sit down, and I’d be happy for us to continue together.” . Read more -> https://football-italia.net/chiellini-spalletti-long-term-at-juventus-win/

John Elkann vende il gruppo GEDI comprendente diverse testate giornalistiche: La Stampa e Repubblica le principali.

JONATHAN DAVID 2-0

WESTON MCKENNIE 1-0

Almeno combatte Chico

Il centrocampo é purtroppo il nostro punto debole

Thuram é in crisi

Oltre tutto non guadagna neanche tanto alla Juve. In Premier League gli danno il salario attuale moltiplicato per 3 o 4.

David si mangia un altro gol?

Mi sa che a Yildiz sta passando la voglia di giocare alla Juve. Lo vedo parecchio incazzato con i compagni.

Palo del Pafos

Perdono tempo i ciprioti. Vogliono mantenere lo 0-0 fino al novantesimo?

L'arbitro si chiama Jesus ..... Sempre sia lodato referee.

Cambiaso e Koop si danneggiano a vicenda davanti alla porta cipriota. E l'olandese ride. Ma che te ridi?

Il portiere del Pafos indossa una maschera. Forse non vedrá bene il pallone arrivare.

Cambiaso tenta di battere Di Gregorio. Vuole imitare McKennie?

Speriamo che Zhegrova giochi piú minuti possibili e che segni pure ....... mi voglio rovinare.