Socrates

Juventus Player Ratings vs Napoli: Bremer Shuts Down Lukaku Juventus (4-1-4-1) Michele Di Gregorio – 6.5 ............ Nicolò Savona – 6.5 The Juventus youngster looked composed at the back, preventing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from imposing any threat on the left flank. ............ Pierre Kalulu – 6.5 The Milan loanee was reliable once more. After playing at right-back on Wednesday against PSV, he showcased his prowess in a central role this time. Gleison Bremer – 7 A defensive masterclass from the Juventus stand-in captain who was first to the ball on almost every single occasion against Romelu Lukaku. Very few players can go shoulder-to-shoulder against the Belgian giant and come out on top. Andrea Cambiaso – 7 While he was placed at left-back on paper, the Italian was everywhere on the pitch. He was at times his side’s most dangerous player, especially when cutting through the middle to provide Koopmeiners with a big opportunity to score. Manuel Locatelli – 7 The Euro 2020 winner is finally coming into his own as a Regista. Dominated the middle of the park, made some crucial interceptions at the back and distrubuted the ball well. Nico Gonzalez – 5.5 ............ Weston McKennie – 6.5 ............ Teun Koopmeiners – 6 The Dutchman is improving with every appearance for Juventus as the chemistry between him and his teammates is beginning to florish. ............ Kenan Yildiz – 5.5 The teenager tried to replicate his stunning goal from midweek, but didn’t have his scoring boots this time. Worked hard for the team, but his impact dwindled as the game progressed. Dusan Vlahovic – 5 Another underwhelming showing from the out-of-sorts striker. Gift away possession which almost allowed Scott McTominay to score the opener and wasn’t sharp at all when receiving the ball inside the box. He was replaced by Weah at halftime. Substitutes Timothy Weah – 5.5 ............ Khephren Thuram – N/A Read more -> https://cultofcalcio.com/96/

Juventus vs Napoli 0-0: Another Stalemate at the Allianz The first big game of the Serie A weekend pitted Thiago Motta’s Juventus against a resurgent Napoli who have left behind their poor start to the season. However their little winning run came to an end as we suffer another stalemate at the Allianz. ............ Juventus started with the lion’s share of posession early on but could not break through the lines of a Napoli side content to settle into the game slowly. It took almost half an hour for us to get an attempt on target. Scott McTominay had been doing a good job in midfield for Napoli, finding pockets of space to exploit. He struck a full blooded shot at Michele Di Gregorio from well over 20 metres out, the pace causing the goalie issues and he was fortunate Romelu Lukaku couldn’t put away the rebound. ............ The biggest controversy of the evening came in the 57th minute. Mathias Olivera stopped a cross that was fired at him and Caprile dived on the ball immediately. Referee Daniele Doveri saw nothing wrong but the Allianz stadium erupted in anger claiming a Back-pass. That was the loudest they got as the chances weren’t exactly flowing. A handful of shots off target from Teun Koopmeiners, Yildiz and Andrea Cambiaso was as exciting as it got. ............ Read more -> https://cultofcalcio.com/juventus-vs-napoli-0-0-another-stalemate-at-the-allianz/

Player Ratings: Juventus 0-0 Napoli – Goalless draw on Conte’s return Juventus Di Gregorio 7 – Stunning save before the break. Juventus still haven’t conceded in Serie A this season. Savona 6 – Kvara gave him a hard time in the first half and Savona was initially shaky when he had the ball, but he improved in the second half. Kalulu 6.5 – Aggressive and fast, the early signs suggest he’s a good signing. Bremer 6.5 – Won most duels against Lukaku and Simeone. Cambiaso 6 – As usual, he played as an added central midfielder when Juventus were in possession. He was exhausted at the end of the game, so he made a few wrong decisions. Locatelli 6.5 – ............ Nico Gonzalez 5.5 – Highs and lows, nowhere near the consistency he had had in the Champions League earlier this week. McKennie 6 – ............ (80′ Thuram N/A) Koopmeiners 6 – ............ Yildiz 6 – He tried to score another curler a couple of times, but he was never in the ideal position. Lovely to watch with the ball at his feet, and he helped defensively as well. Vlahovic 5 – A few poor touches, especially one on the edge of the box. Low in self-esteem, but his substitution during the break was still surprising. (46′ Weah 5.5) Coach: Motta 6 – Juventus dominated possession, but Motta was unable to fill the box when he replaced Vlahovic. Napoli ............ Read more -> https://football-italia.net/juventus-napoli-player-ratings-serie-a-conte/

Juventus grind out a third goaless draw in Serie A Juventus and Napoli played to a goalless draw in Serie A this afternoon. Napoli arrived in Turin seeking a win, but Juve quickly showed them it would be a tough battle. Juventus gained control of the game early, with players like Teun Koopmeiners and Kenan Yildiz causing problems for Napoli with their movement. ............ Juventus had opportunities to take the lead in the first half, with Koopmeiners delivering some fine passes from the left. However, none of the Juve attackers managed to convert those chances inside the Napoli box. ............ During halftime, Thiago Motta made a surprising substitution, replacing Dusan Vlahovic with Timothy Weah. Both sides continued to neutralize each other in the second half, with Yildiz and Koopmeiners standing out as they tried to push Juventus towards finding a winner. Despite further chances created by Andrea Cambiaso, Yildiz, and Koopmeiners, the elusive goal never came. Juventus has now gone three straight Serie A games without a win and will be eager to secure a victory soon. Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/match-report-juventus-grind-out-a-third-goaless-draw-in-serie-a/

Denied indirect free kick inside the box infuriates Juventus against Napoli Referee Daniele Doveri frustrated Juventus and Thiago Motta, who appealed for an indirect free kick inside the box when Elia Caprile picked the ball from Mathias Olivera in the second half. Juventus appealed for an indirect free kick inside the box in the second half of their home Serie A game against Napoli on Saturday. Napoli keeper Caprile caught the ball with his hands after an Olivera back-pass, but the referee ruled it was not intentional. Juventus players and fans vehemently protested, and the same is true of their coach, Thiago Motta, who received a yellow card for dissent. DAZN referee pundit Luca Marelli agreed that Juventus should have received an indirect free kick from inside the box. “It was an intentional back-pass, oriented towards the goalkeeper, so the referee should have given an indirect free kick to Juventus,” said the former Serie A official ............ Read more -> https://football-italia.net/juventus-denied-indirect-free-kick-napoli/

Di solito il "fenomeno" ci azzecca ........

Io questa la chiamo discriminazione

Pavan accuses Conte of trying to influence the referee for today’s game Massimo Pavan has accused Antonio Conte of attempting to influence the referee ahead of Juventus’ match against Napoli later today. ............ During his pre-match press conference, Conte emphasised the need for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to be protected on the pitch, suggesting the attacker is often unfairly targeted. However, Pavan believes Conte’s comments are an attempt to sway the referee’s decisions. He says: “Conte gave a warning to the referee today, did anyone understand? We need to be careful, he talked about warnings for those who touch Kvaratskehlia, almost as if it were a warning to someone, perhaps he doesn’t see the fouls they make on Yildiz, in any case it really seems like an attempt to influence someone”. ............ Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/pavan-accuses-conte-of-trying-to-influence-the-referee-for-todays-game/

Juventus vs Napoli – Team News, Line-ups & Prediction One of the most heavily anticipated fixtures in the Serie A calendar pits Juventus and Napoli against each other at the Allianz Stadium. Saturday is a special occasion for the Turin faithful as their former player and manager, Antonio Conte, rolls into town as a foe. Juventus returned to winning ways during the week after back-to-back scoreless league draws against Roma and Empoli. Another high-octane first-half performance from Thiago Motta’s side resulted in a 3-1 thumping of Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in their curtain-raising Champions League fixture on Tuesday. Despite dropping four points across their last two Serie A fixtures, Juventus will take the field in a buoyant mood as the only team in the Italian top flight yet to concede this season. The Bianconeri will rely on their defensive resilience to carry them to another victory as they bid to overhaul a one-point deficit on their upcoming opposition. ............ Match Preview Juventus Quick-fire starts have been a running theme during Motta’s early tenure. Juventus were 2-0 up at halftime in all three previous competitive wins under the ex-Bologna coach, highlighting the potential for a devastating match entry. But the Bianconeri cannot take anything for granted. The recent history of this match-up prohibits lofty expectations, with Juventus trailing Napoli at the break in three of their last five encounters (W1, D1, L3). But as one of only two Serie A teams still unscathed in the first half this term, the hosts are confident of flipping the script. Further inspiration stems from the air of invincibility surrounding the Allianz Stadium. Since an underwhelming 1-0 loss to Udinese in early February, Juventus haven’t lost any of their last 11 home outings across all competitions (W6, D5), recording seven clean sheets in that sequence. ............ Team News In addition to long-term absentee Paul Pogba, Juventus cannot call upon the services of injured backup striker Arkadiusz Milik. Francisco Conceicao is edging closer to recovering from a minor fitness issue. Yet, there’s a question mark over Federico Gatti’s availability after Motta took him off against PSV due to an injury scare. As for Napoli, Mario Rui is the only missing player after being cast away from the first-team squad by Conte. After picking up another assist off the bench against Cagliari, David Neres could take Matteo Politano’s place in the starting XI and line up alongside Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Lukaku. Juventus vs Napoli Potential Line-ups Juventus (4-2-3-1): Michele Di Gregorio; Pierre Kalulu, Danilo, Gleison Bremer, Andrea Cambiaso; Manuel Locatelli, Douglas Luiz; Nicolas Gonzalez, Teun Koopmeiners, Kenan Yildiz; Dusan Vlahovic. Napoli (3-4-2-1): Alex Meret; Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Amir Rrahmani, Alessandro Buongiorno; Pasquale Mazzocchi, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, Stanislav Lobotka, Leonardo Spinazzola; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, David Neres; Romelu Lukaku. Juventus vs Napoli Prediction Goals have been at a premium in recent meetings between Juventus and Napoli. Two of the last three have yielded an identical 1-0 scoreline. Given the home side’s outstanding defensive start, another low-scoring contest is well on the cards. There’s a feeling that whoever gets on the scoresheet first will claim three points. Juventus are favorites on paper, and we back them to live up to that tag by seeing off Napoli by a single-goal margin. Prediction: Juventus to Win Read more -> https://cultofcalcio.com/serie-a-preview-juventus-vs-napoli-team-news-line-ups-prediction/

Preview: Juventus vs. Napoli - prediction, team news, lineups Two Serie A giants will go toe to toe in Turin, as Juventus host Antonio Conte's Napoli on Saturday evening. While Juve are still unbeaten and made an impressive Champions League return in midweek, the visitors have bounced back from a first-day defeat to collect maximum points from their next three matches. Match preview © Imago Making their Champions League comeback after one year away, Juventus took on free-scoring Eredivisie champions PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, and despite losing their clean-sheet record, Thiago Motta's men ran out 3-1 winners in their league-phase opener. Kenan Yildiz started the scoring, before goals from Weston McKennie and Nico Gonzalez put the points out of PSV's reach, and even conceding in stoppage time could not take the shine off a statement victory. Under new boss Motta, Juve started the season in style, posting back-to-back 3-0 wins before going slightly off the boil, recording successive 0-0 draws against Roma and Empoli. The Bianconeri have now posted four straight clean sheets to start a Serie A season for just the fifth time ever, and with several new signings joining a handful of young stars in their squad this season, they may expect to fight it out for the title. ............ Juve have won 10 of their last 13 home games against Napoli, including a 1-0 success last season, so they will aim to continue in that vein this weekend, when one of their all-time great coaches returns to Turin. Among men with at least 50 games in charge of the Bianconeri, Antonio Conte (68%) sits second in terms of win percentage across all competitions. Furthermore, he is one of only six coaches to have surpassed 100 wins while with Juventus. ............ Team News © Imago Thiago Motta may make some changes to his lineup, with Juventus having played in midweek, as Khephren Thuram, Nicolo Fagioli and Douglas Luiz all push for promotion from the bench. After Federico Gatti came off injured on Tuesday, versatile Brazilian defender Danilo could be brought into the hosts' back four. Only ex-Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik and Francisco Conceicao are definitely sidelined. Sure to start up front, Dusan Vlahovic will seek his second goal of the season, as he tries to improve a weak record against Saturday's opponents: the Serbian has scored just once in 516 minutes played versus Napoli to date. ............ Juventus possible starting lineup: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Danilo, Bremer, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Luiz; Gonzalez, Koopmeiners, Yildiz; Vlahovic Napoli possible starting lineup: Meret; Di Lorenzo, Rrahmani, Buongiorno; Mazzocchi, Lobotka, Anguissa, Spinazzola; Politano, Kvaratskhelia; Lukaku We say: Juventus 1-1 Napoli It promises to be a tight tactical battle between two intense coaches, as a couple of Calcio heavyweights scrap it out on Saturday evening. Napoli have attempted the most shots so far in Serie A (72), but well-drilled Juventus have faced the fewest (25) and could grind out another draw. Read more -> https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/juventus/preview/preview-juventus-vs-napoli-prediction-team-news-lineups_553288.html

Sacchi says Juventus finally has a coach who cares about entertaining the fans ............ Juventus has now taken a bold step by appointing Thiago Motta as manager, despite his limited experience in winning major titles. Motta, however, is known for promoting an attractive style of football, and Bianconeri supporters can now expect to be entertained when watching their team. Arrigo Sacchi has expressed his approval, noting that Juve finally has a coach who values entertaining the fans. He said: “Juve? Finally, after years of tacticians, the Bianconeri have a strategist on the bench. Someone who is convinced that possession of the ball, the pursuit of the game gives joy to the fans, is the basis of everything. “I met him in Bologna, where I wanted to watch his training sessions: it’s a young Juve which, for this reason, has ups and downs which in a phase like this can also be predictable”. ............ Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/sacchi-says-juventus-finally-has-a-coach-who-cares-about-entertaining-the-fans/

Nico Gonzalez: “Joining Juventus is a dream come true” Juventus officially presented their new signing Nico Gonzalez in a highly anticipated press conference. The Argentine forward, who arrived from Fiorentina during the last transfer window, shared his ambitions and enthusiasm for his new adventure in the black and white jersey. Gonzalez expressed his joy at scoring his first goal for Juventus, saying, “I’m really happy. It was a dream for me to score wearing this shirt. It feels like the right moment to win the match as well. I’m very happy.” ............ Regarding his position on the field, Gonzalez showed his versatility: “When you play football, you’re happy. If I have to play goalkeeper, I’ll do it without problems. That’s my answer.” The Argentine also spoke about his compatriots, particularly Angel Di Maria: “Yes, of course. My idol? El Fideo Di Maria, both on and off the field. I met him in the national team, and from day one, he treated me like a normal person, when he could easily be considered a god.” Gonzalez revealed that he didn’t need much convincing to join Juventus: “When Juve arrives, you don’t think, you just say yes.” ............ Gonzalez concluded by expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome he received at Juventus: “I’m happy, I found a wonderful group, good guys. I’ve been part of the team from day one. Thanks for that.” Read more -> https://www.footitalia.com/nico-gonzalez-joining-juventus-is-a-dream-come-true/

Giuntoli discusses Juventus progress as they rebuild for the future Cristiano Giuntoli is guiding Juventus through a crucial rebuilding phase as the club looks to recover from years of poor decision-making. Following his outstanding work at Napoli, Juventus appointed Giuntoli as their new sporting director, and he has made a strong start. Despite limited funds in the last transfer window, Giuntoli accepted the challenge and made tough decisions to help stabilise the club financially. This summer, he reshaped the team by appointing a new manager, Thiago Motta, and securing key signings for him to work with. ............ Giuntoli said: “We have just started, we know it is a journey, we are happy with what we have done. We have tried to turn around a club that was losing a lot, putting it on the right path and investing in young players aged 18 to 26, lowering the wage bill, trying to work on the growth of the group and not of the individual”. ............ Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/giuntoli-discusses-juventus-progress-as-they-rebuild-for-the-future/

Marchegiani reveals the key positions at Juventus that shone last night Juventus secured an important 3-1 victory in their opening Champions League game of the season against PSV, giving their fans plenty to celebrate. This win was crucial, especially since the team had been struggling with a two-game winless streak prior. Under Thiago Motta, Juventus has generally had a positive start, and this victory marks a welcomed return to form. ............ The key to their victory was strong teamwork, but pundit Luca Marchegiani highlighted two critical areas: Juventus’ midfield and wingers. He noted that both areas were in top form and played a pivotal role in securing the win. He said: “Beyond Yildiz’s goal, for a team that plays like this Juventus, the performance of the attacking wingers and the mezzali is fundamental. Tonight (yesterday, ed.) these players provided performances of great quality.” ............ Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/pundit-reveals-the-key-positions-at-juventus-that-shone-last-night/

Kenan Yildiz: Juventus have finally found the 'next Alessandro Del Piero' When Kenan Yildiz latched onto the ball on the left side, raced forward, dropped the shoulder to cut inside past a PSV Eindhoven defender, and then curled beautifully into the far top tight corner of the net, every single Juventus fan in attendance at the Allianz Stadium or at home on their sofa stood up and shouted the same thing: "Del Pierooooo!" And while this was a Freudian slip, it was a pretty damn understandable one. First off, the goal was scored by a player donning Juve's famous number ten jersey - something synonymous with club icon Alessandro Del Piero. It was also a 'Il Gol Alla Del Piero', and put up side-by-side on social media with the legendary Juve forward's famous strike against Steaua Bucharest, aside from the obvious advances in video camera quality, it was pretty hard to find a difference in the footage. Yildiz played into the expected comparisons too, sticking out his tongue in celebration in the same way that Del Piero did after pretty much all of his 290 goals for La Vecchia Signora. Comparisons between Juventus' new number ten and their greatest number ten don't begin and end with that wonder strike; which set Thiago Motta's side on their way to an impressive 3-1 win over PSV. From the very first day that he arrived at Juve from Bayern Munich aged 17, the Turkish youngster has been touted as the 'next Del Piero'. ............ Yildiz has thrived in this new role as the club's star man, playing like he's enjoying the burden of the billing as the 'next Del Piero'. Proof of that can be found in the fact that he's already breaking some of Del Piero's long-held records at the club - most recently becoming Juve's youngest ever Champions League starter and goalscorer in the win over PSV Eindhoven. ............ Read more -> https://www.90min.com/features/kenan-yildiz-juventus-have-finally-found-next-alessandro-del-piero

Gatti’s Injury concern ahead of Juventus-Napoli clash Juventus are shifting focus to their upcoming Serie A match against Napoli following their successful Champions League debut against PSV. The highly anticipated fixture is scheduled for Saturday at the Allianz Stadium. Napoli, under former Juventus manager Antonio Conte, comes into the match with momentum from three consecutive victories, while the Bianconeri remain undefeated this season with three wins and two draws. The main concern for Juventus heading into this crucial match is the fitness of Federico Gatti. The defender underwent a light training session today as the medical staff closely monitored his condition. Gatti was substituted just before the 60-minute mark in yesterday’s match due to a minor ankle sprain, with Danilo taking his place. ............ Thiago Motta is adamant about not risking the player if he’s not at 100% fitness and will only field him if he’s in optimal condition. As a result, Gatti will be under close observation by the medical team in the coming days. Gatti has quickly become a cornerstone of Juventus’ new era, serving as a reference point for both new signings and young players. His grit and determination have made him a locker room leader, guiding the team through the early stages of the season. Read more -> https://www.footitalia.com/gattis-injury-concern-ahead-of-juventus-napoli-clash/

Journalist says the PSV win was Juventus best performance so far Juventus has won three of its five games this season, and journalist Sandro Sabatini believes their victory against PSV last night was their best performance so far. ............ Before their match against PSV, Juve had gone two games without scoring, prompting some media outlets to compare their style in the goalless draw against Empoli to that of Max Allegri’s more defensive approach. That comparison wasn’t a compliment, and Juventus needed to deliver a response in the PSV match—and they did. ............ After the game, Sabatini said: “The performance is overall remarkable, or rather brilliant. Clearly the best match of the Bianconeri season because not all matches won by scoring three goals are the same, obviously. And in fact the initial 3-0 against Como and Verona cannot stand comparison with this 3-1″. ............ Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/journalist-says-the-psv-win-was-juventus-best-performance-so-far/

Journalist praises Thiago Motta for giving Juventus an identity Juventus returned to winning form in their match against PSV yesterday, demonstrating that they truly are a transformed team under Thiago Motta. Over the past three seasons, the Bianconeri struggled to play attractive football and failed to achieve consistent results. ............ This season, Juventus has displayed a much clearer identity in most of their matches, and their performance against PSV was a testament to the club’s new approach to achieving on-field success. Paolo Rossi, who followed the match, was impressed by their win and praised Motta for instilling a sense of identity in the team. He said: ‘Very good debut, without worries and with a goal from Yildiz from Back to the Future. We can grow, obviously, but it’s very clear that this team already has an identity, well done Motta’. ............ Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/journalist-praises-thiago-motta-for-giving-juventus-an-identity/

World Cup goal machine Toto Schillaci dies aged 59 as Italy in mourning for Juventus hero Italia 90 World Cup golden boot winner Salvatore 'Toto' Schillaci' has died. At the World Cup in 1990, Schillaci bagged an impressive six goals, helping Italy to a bronze-medal. During the third-placed playoff against England, it was Schillaci who netted the winner against the Three Lions in a 2-1 win for Italy. ............ The former Juventus striker was admitted to hospital last week and has now passed away at just 59. ............ Back in 2022, Schillaci was diagnosed with colon cancer for which he underwent two operations. Speaking last week, Schillaci's first wife Barbara, whom he remarried, said of his admission to hospital: "There's no fresh news, either negative or positive, about Toto. ............ Juventus posted a photo on X of the Italian, simply writing: "Ciao Toto." And the Italian national team's account also paid tribute to the former Azzurri striker. They wrote on X: "Ciao Toto. Hero of the Notti Magiche." ............ Read more -> https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/breaking-toto-schillaci-world-cup-33693988

Kenan Yildiz Enters Juventus Folklore with PSV Screamer Kenan Yildiz grabbed the headlines as Juventus picked apart PSV Eindhoven to get their Champions League campaign off to a flyer. The Turin powerhouse routed the Dutch champions 3-1 on the back of the teenager’s incredible opening goal. Many were surprised when Juventus handed the Turkish prodigy the coveted number ten in the summer. Four consecutive Serie A starts without a goal only fueled the skepticism. However, Yildiz’s unquestionable talent has never been a subject of discussion. ............ Juventus had plenty of questions to answer on Tuesday. And they passed the test with flying colors, inspired by Yildiz’s sublime performance. The ex-Bayern Munich academy player opened the scoring with a stunning strike from the edge of the box for his first Champions League goal. In doing so, Yildiz carved his name out in the club’s folklore. His strike came at the expense of Juventus icon Alessandro Del Piero, making him the youngest-ever Bianconeri star to score in European football. Del Piero long held the record, having netted at 20 years and 308 days. But Yildiz removed the legendary Italy international from the throne, scoring at 19 years and 136 days. If this achievement is a sign of things to come, Juventus can look forward to the future with great optimism. Read more -> https://cultofcalcio.com/kenan-yildiz-enters-juventus-folklore-with-psv-screamer/

Juventus 3 - PSV Eindhoven 1: Initial reaction and random observations The European lights may have returned to Turin on Tuesday night, but we weren’t totally sure what Juventus we were going to see against a high-powered opposition in the form of PSV Eindhoven. ............ Instead, at one point, you just wondered when Juventus would actually stop scoring. The Juventus attack certainly woke up in the club’s first Champions League fixture since November 2022. And, as it turned out, the spark was from their youngest player on the field, with Kenan Yildiz scoring a goal that the man who he idolized and now wears the same jersey number of would be proud. ............ With his goal, Yildiz did the following: Became the first player to score in the Champions League’s new-look league phase. Became the youngest Juventus player to ever score in the Champions League, a record previously held be a fella named Alessandro Del Piero. And in his year and change with Juventus’ senior team, Yildiz has also done the following: Scored in his first Serie A start Scored in his first Coppa Italia start Scored in his first Champions League start Not bad for a young man who doesn’t turn 20 years old until NEXT MAY. ............ Yes, it came against a shorthanded PSV side, so there’s going to be that caveat. But after watching struggling to put much on frame the last couple of games, you just wanted to see something resembling progress rather than a team that looked unfamiliar with one another and still totally a work in progress. That doesn’t mean Juve are suddenly fixed and there’s no more reason to expect performances like we’ve seen the last two times against Serie A opposition. They are still very much a work in progress because there are so many new components. ............ RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS This was the youngest starting XI that Juventus has ever fielded in the Champions League. And what do you know? They played pretty damn well. Something that will go under-appreciated about Yildiz’s goal: the run that Andrea Cambiaso made right before the shot was taken. It totally threw off the man who was defending Yildiz, and as Cambiaso did an overlapping kind of run the defender went with him, opened a shooting lane for Yildiz and the young No. 10 did the rest. It was just beautiful all the way around. ............ Nico Gonzalez is a D-A-W-G. Dude worked his tail off on McKennie’s goal and just overall. He might have been one of the biggest beneficiaries of how PSV approached things Tuesday night. Now we just need to see him not lose possession that much. Here’s McKennie, rising out of the coffin like The Undertaker once again at Juventus, scoring in Europe to help his team get a memorable win. That’s just what Wes does, man. ............ Vlahovic touched the ball just 10 times in the first half, but something tells me that the 2-0 lead over PSV made that a little easier to be OK with. Vlahovic certainly had chances to score in the second half and couldn’t put anything away. That chance he had on the great ball from Koopmeiners was probably the best of the bunch. I’m not worried about Vlahovic ... yet. But as we know, he has these spells without any goals. The last thing he needs is to start the season under a new manager in this kind of way. Hopefully with the playmakers around him settling in will take some of the pressure off a player who already has a ton of pressure on him to begin with. Speaking of Koopmeiners, I think it should surprise anybody that the more involved he was resulted in him having a much better game as compared to what we saw over the weekend. ............ Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2024/9/17/24246962/juventus-psv-eindhoven-2024-champions-league-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations