JUVENTUS SEASON 2025-2026

[Socrates 9655]

Player Ratings: Juventus 2-0 Benfica – McKennie revives Old Lady

 

Juventus player ratings vs. Benfica

Di Gregorio 6.5 –  ............

Kalulu 5.5 – Lost possession a couple of times in dangerous zones and won just two duels. A bit tired, probably, having played every minute under Spalletti.

Bremer 5.5 – A resolute defending performance before giving away a needless penalty, which, luckily for Juventus, Pavlidis awkwardly missed.

Kelly 6.5 –  ............

Cambiaso 6 –  ............  (70′ Cabal 5.5)

Thuram 7 – Scored a vital goal for Juventus, who had been struggling for some time before his strike. The Frenchman also made 47 touches and recorded 95% passing accuracy.

Locatelli 6.5 – Not as accurate as Thuram with the ball at his feet, but he was very solid defensively with four clearances and five blocked shots. (86′ Koopmeiners N/A)

McKennie 7.5 – The USMNT international woke Juventus up in the second half. He had a big chance minutes before Thuram’s opening goal and then linked up with David to score the second of the night for the Bianconeri. Could have scored the second for himself as well, but hit the post after another excellent late run inside the box. MOTM.

Miretti 5 –  ............ (46′ Conceiçao 6).

Yildiz 6 – Inspired Juventus’ attacks in the first half, even if, generally, he was not as dangerous as usual. (82′ Kostic N/A).

David 6.5 – One might criticise him for a missed opportunity in the first half, but the Canadian was still involved in both Juventus goals, providing the assist for McKennie. (70′ Openda 6).

 

Coach: Spalletti 7 – Bringing on Conceiçao at halftime and shifting McKennie into a central role proved to be a smart tactical adjustment. In the last two games, he won when he played badly and lost when he played well. Surely, he prefers nights like these even if his side struggled to cope with Benfica’s high press for big parts of the game. He even argued with a home fan during the match, but earned three vital points that keep hope for Round of 16 qualification alive.

 

Benfica: Trubin 7; Dedic 6, Otamendi 5.5, Tomas Araujo 5.5, Dahl 5; Barreiro 6, Aursnes 5.5; Prestianni 5.5 (77′ Rego N/A), Sudakov 6.5 (69′ Barrenechea 6), Schjelderup 6 (69′ Ivanovic 5.5); Pavlidis 5. Coach: Mourinho 6.

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/player-ratings-juventus-2-0-benfica-mckennie/

[Socrates 9655]

Juventus secure important Champions League win against Benfica

 

 

Juventus secured a vital two-nil victory over Benfica in the Champions League this evening, a result they knew they had to achieve. The win keeps their hopes alive in the race for a place in the Champions League playoffs and restores confidence after a difficult domestic setback. ............

 

Juventus entered the contest fully aware that any further dropped points would severely damage their European ambitions. As a result, they began the match with real intensity and purpose, pressing high and committing numbers forward. Playing at the Allianz Stadium, the hosts looked determined to take early control of the game.

 

However, they were met by a resilient Benfica side that had never previously lost to the Old Lady in a Champions League fixture. The Portuguese team defended with discipline and composure, frustrating Juventus despite sustained pressure. Kenan Yildiz and Fabio Miretti both came close to breaking the deadlock, with Miretti missing the clearest opportunity of the first half. ............

 

The second half brought a noticeable improvement from Juventus, who raised their tempo and sharpened their attacking play. Their persistence was rewarded before the hour mark when Khephren Thuram opened the scoring, providing the breakthrough the home side desperately needed.

 

Momentum swung firmly in Juventus’ favour soon after, as Weston McKennie doubled their advantage. At that point, Benfica appeared vulnerable, and Juventus looked capable of adding further goals as confidence spread through the team.

 

Despite this, Benfica offered a reminder of their threat by earning a penalty kick. The opportunity went unconverted. ............

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/juventus-secure-important-champions-league-win-against-benfica/

[Socrates 9655]

Thuram and Locatelli praise Spalletti: ‘Double joy’ as Juventus beat Benfica 2-0

 

 

Khephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli praise Luciano Spalletti after Juventus’ 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League: ‘He gives a lot of energy from the touchline.’ ............

 

Thuram scored the opening goal in the second half after a struggling Juventus performance in the opening 50 minutes. “I always try to do the best for my team. I scored, and when you do that, you surely feel a bit better. Today we won, and it was the most important thing,” the Frenchman said. ............

 

“It’s true that the situation at the beginning of the second half was a bit difficult, but we know that against these teams, a difficult moment always comes,” he said.

 

“We must not concede and suffer together, and tonight we did it well.”

 

“Spalletti gives a lot of energy from the touchline; we feel it, and it’s good when we are struggling,” Thuram said.

 

“We feel well on the pitch, and it’s good to have a coach who conveys so much energy.

 

“Juventus always want to go as far as possible in the Champions League. Are we in the play-off right? It’s fine.” ............

 

Manuel Locatelli also spoke to Prime Video Italia.

 

“We played better in the second half, when we were mentally freer. We were good at staying in the game; we had to remain calm and not concede,” said the Bianconeri captain, who had received a standing ovation when he was subbed off late in the second half.

 

“I’m glad about it, I’ve had difficult moments in these years, but I always given my heart,” he admitted.

 

“Today, it was great to receive it from the fans of the team I love. It’s a double joy.” ............

 

“The coach immediately spoke to me, and I’ve made myself available. He’s a great coach who has a lot to give us. I had to be better in the year of the Euros,” Locatelli concluded.

 

“Now I’m happy, I’m okay, and in the end, winning is the most important thing.”

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/thuram-locatelli-spalletti-double-joy-juventus/

Modificato 10 ore fa da Socrates

[Socrates 9655]

Spalletti: ‘Juventus tension was building, our radar must always be online’

 

 

Luciano Spalletti explained some of the ‘tension’ with Juventus fans during tonight’s 2-0 win over Benfica and where his team must improve. ‘Our radar must always be online.’

 

The Bianconeri took a while to break Jose Mourinho’s Benfica down in Turin, but thanked their midfielders Khephren Thuram and Weston McKennie for finally finding a way through. ............

 

“At times I am a little afraid we won’t make it, but that’s just what I am like,” Spalletti said.

 

“It was an important match, things get thrown in your direction if you don’t bring these results home, so there is a lot of tension that builds up.

 

“We had started well, then it was balanced with us sitting a little too deep, we lost the ball a few times far too cheaply, and that added even more pressure on us that was unnecessary.” ............

 

“We had some difficulty too at the start of the second half, but then we got back to playing our football. Benfica had chances in the first half, but so did we with Miretti and McKennie.

 

“It was in the balance, if they had converted that penalty late on then it could’ve been a tense finale, we could’ve avoided giving that spot-kick away, because you don’t have to go in for the tackle every time.” ............

 

“I expect to see a quicker reaction, a quicker prediction of when the opponents are going to come back at you, because that ferocity is part and parcel of modern football now.

 

“We’ve got to have our radar always online, instead we lost the ball too often because we were frenetic, we made the ball ‘cough’ with our stuttering passes.

 

“Benfica tried to attack us, these are things we’ve got to get used to if we want to play at a certain level, although I have to say I’ve seen definite improvements.” ............

 

 

“David knows how to play football,” replied Spalletti. “He might not have that determination and ferocity, in his view every match is the same, he has this nice boy aura, but maybe he needs a bit more experience to be more determined. That is where he has to improve.

 

“Apart from the goal, the match is a box you need to fill with other things too, otherwise the opponents force you to scramble in defence.

 

“Kenan Yildiz is the ‘alien’ of the team, the one who really stands above, but his defensive movements are not going to be the same as those of McKennie. Knowing how to do certain things and not others isn’t enough anymore, you have to complete your game and help the team.

“David at times has to hold the ball up and work for the team, the same goes for Openda.”

 

This result means Juve are on 12 points and in 15^th place in the Champions League table, going into the final game away to Paul Pogba’s AS Monaco. ............

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-juventus-tension-radar-must-online/

[Socrates 9655]

Juventus 2 - Benfica 0: Initial reaction and random observations

 

 

 ............

 

With Juventus’ strong second-half performance that included goals from Khephren Thuram and Weston McKennie within 10 minutes of each other, the Bianconeri were able to right the wrongs of a tough opening 45 minutes and claim an incredibly valuable 2-0 win over Mourinho’s Benfica. It’s a win that mathematically secured Juventus a spot in the play-off round, with the small hopes of pushing for a spot in the top eight still there as they head into next week’s Champions League league phase finale against Monaco in the Principality.

 

Could they really?

 

I mean, there’s a lot that will have to go their way next Wednesday night, but there’s still a chance of it. That’s because there’s only one point separating Juventus in 15th place and Chelsea in eighth. Although, the obvious hurdle is the simple fact of there being six teams — including Atalanta and Inter Milan — in between where Juventus currently sit thanks to their win over Benfica. ............

 

But if Benfica can miss a penalty that poorly and do it in hilarious kind of fashion, then maybe we can think that good things can continue to happen as long as Juventus take care of business in Monaco.

 

Either way, I feel like it’s pretty safe to say that Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti was able to right some of the wrongs as his team came out for the second half. The first one being bringing Francisco Conceição on right out of the break, giving Juve a much more consistent threat down the right wing. That allowed McKennie to shift to a role where he was able to play off Jonathan David much more than when he was out wide to star the game. And what do you know? Both of Juve’s goal resulted in some nice interplay between David and both Thuram and McKennie, giving Juventus a lead just as it looked like Benfica might be starting to kick into gear.

 

Just like that, though, two goals in less than 10 minutes changed all that. ............

 

Through a good — not great — showing against Benfica, Juventus got the job done. They started out a huge three-game stretch domestically and in Europe with three vital points. That is something we weren’t saying before Spalletti arrived. And now? Well, it’s going better than how it was when the Champions League campaign first got underway. (Yes, even with the loss to Cagliari over the weekend.)

Now they just need to keep it going rather than another slip-up like we saw a few days earlier.

RANDOM THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

• That Vangelis Pavlidis penalty. What is there to say about it? ............
• Can I say something in all-caps again real quick? I’ll take that as a yes. Here we go: RENEW WESTON McKENNIE’S CONTRACT AND DO IT NOW. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ON THIS IMPORTANT MATTER.
• The camera on Spalletti on the sidelines worked overtime in this one. More of that, please.
• Oh that’s right! Enzo Barrenechea plays for Benfica now! Thanks for the reminder, everybody.
• Jonathan David touches through the first 18 minutes: 3.
• Di Gregorio touches through the first 18 minutes: 3. ............
• Locatelli blocked five shots! On his own! He had 13 defensive actions, according to Sofascore. That’s a whole hell of a lot. He just worked his ass off against Benfica.
• Locatelli also had 69 touches. Chef’s kiss.
• That man got a really nice ovation as he was subbed off in the second half and deserved every bit of it.
• I love them and I don’t care what anybody else has to say about it!!! ............

• Thuram doesn’t score that goal if not for the work that David did to shield his man from the ball just long enough for KT to get there with his run and do the rest. It’s that kind of stuff that David has been improving on over the last few weeks, and it’s his combination play with his teammates that are creating more scoring chances on the whole.
• Gleison, you know I love you, but please no more penalties no matter what the score is at the time. Got it? Good, good, good. Now just keep doing good things more often than bad things like you usually do.
• We started the month with Federico Chiesa being linked to Juventus as a potential vice-Yildiz and now we’re three weeks into January and Filip Kostic might be the vice-Yildiz option off the bench. Good times.
• Not Fabio Miretti’s best game. Nope, not even close. ............
• Pierre Kalulu continues to play every single minute of every single game and he’s still so consistently good.
• But seriously, renew McKennie’s contract. Dude continues to score goals in the Champions League and it would be really said if he’s doing that same kind of thing somewhere other than Turin come next season. ............
• Now we focus on Napoli. How did they do in the Champions League this week? (Sorry, couldn’t resist. It was right there for the taking … and I took it. You would have done the same.)

Read more -> https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/previews-reviews/35664/juventus-benfica-2026-champions-league-league-phase-matchday-7-final-score-result-initial-reaction-random-observations

[Socrates 9655]

Juventus player ratings vs Benfica: Thuram & McKennie run riots

 

 

Juventus secured their spot in the Champions League play-offs after beating their visitors Benfica by two unanswered in the penultimate matchday of the group stage. ............

Juventus XI (4-2-3-1)

Michele Di Gregorio – 6.5

The Italian goalkeeper produced some important saves, especially in the first half, to earn his clean sheet. His services weren’t needed on the spot-kick thanks to Vangelis Pavlidis’ shocking slip.

Pierre Kalulu – 6

 ............

Gleison Bremer – 6

The Brazilian was enjoying a solid outing at the back, but gave away a penalty for clipping Leandro Barreiro with a late challenge.

Lloyd Kelly – 6.5

Another dominant showing at the back from the Englishman, who made a timely interception to deny Pavlidis the chance to pounce on the rebound. His only blunder was giving away a needless free-kick in a dangerous area for pulling Gianluca Prestianni’s shirt.

Andrea Cambiaso – 5.5

 ............

Manuel Locatelli – 6.5

 ............

Khephren Thuram – 7

The Frenchman’s outing was a slow burn, as his presence was hardly felt in the first half, but he scored the all-important opener with a daring run and a clever drive to the bottom corner.

Weston McKennie – 7

The USMNT looked disoriented in the first half when he played as a right winger, but relished the opportunity to operate in a central role after the break. He finished off a lovely combination with David with a clinical touch.

Fabio Miretti – 5.5

 ............

Kenan Yildiz – 6

The Turkish star came close on a couple of occasions in the first half, but was kept quiet afterwards. Nevertheless, with the Benfica players closely marking him, his teammates had more room to manoeuvre.

Jonathan David – 6.5

The Canadian frustrated the fans with his wayward header in the first half, but made up for it by producing a couple of assists. He did well to hold off Nicolas Otamendi on the opener and create a path for Thuram, and then put McKennie through on a goal with a simple, yet clever touch.

Substitutes

Francisco Conceicao – 6

Although he didn’t produce a marquee moment against his old rivals, the Sporting Club youth product helped Juventus stretch out the opposition’s backline with his menacing presence on the right wing.

Lois Openda – 5.5

 ............

Juan Cabal – 6

 ............

Filip Kostic – N/A

Teun Koopmeiners – N/A

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Read more -> https://www.juvefc.com/juventus-player-ratings-vs-benfica-thuram-mckennie-run-riots/

[Socrates 9655]

Spalletti explains argument with fan during Juventus 2-0 Benfica: ‘It was continuous’

 

 

Luciano Spalletti has explained why he decided to engage in an argument with a supporter during Juventus’s 2-0 Champions League victory against Jose Mourinho’s Benfica on Tuesday night: ‘It was continuous throughout the game’. ............

 

It was an all action affair for Spalletti, who made headlines for his touchline row with a supporter and for slapping striker Lois Openda on the sideline at the Allianz Stadium. ............

 

Spalletti assured reporters that there was nothing much worth reading into, but revealed what the supporter had said to draw a reaction.

 

“To clarify, I only responded once. From the first minute, whenever anybody misplaced a ball it was: ‘Spalletti, take him off, Spalletti take him off’,” the Bianconeri head coach told the press.

 

“It was continuous throughout the game. I told him ‘look, I only have five substitutions. It’s difficult if you carry on like this, I can’t change them all’. I turned around and told him I couldn’t take them all off. It was all very normal, without stepping out of line.” 

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-fan-argument-juventus-2-0-benfica/

[Socrates 9655]

Spalletti slaps Openda during Juventus 2-0 Benfica

 

 

Luciano Spalletti drew attention to himself after his decision to slap centre-forward Lois Openda before bringing him on during Juventus’s 2-0 victory against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday night. ............

 

Despite their victory, and the fact that they have drawn level on points with rivals Inter, one of the biggest talking points of Juventus’s victory was Spalletti’s decision to slap Openda on the sidelines. ............

 

The incident occurred just after McKennie had doubled Juve’s advantage midway through the second half. 

 

While the players celebrated, the cameras stayed on the Juventus dugout, and showed Spalletti slapping Openda and telling him: ‘You have to wake up’, according to various outlets. ............

 

This was not the only touchline incident on Tuesday night that made headlines. Spalletti was also caught in confrontation with a supporter earlier on, telling the fan: ‘Listen, I only have fixe substitutions’ in response to frustrations regarding team selection.

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/spalletti-slaps-openda-juventus-2-0-benfica/

[Socrates 9655]

What Juventus need to finish in Champions League top eight after 2-0 Benfica victory

 

 

Juventus gave themselves a big boost in the race to finish in the top eight of the Champions League table with their 2-0 victory over Benfica on Wednesday night, but the Bianconeri still need favours from several sides in the final round of league phase fixtures if they are to qualify directly for the round of 16. ............

 

This result puts Juventus into 15th place in the league table. They have collected 12 points from their first seven matches of the competition this season: Three wins, three draws and one loss. ............

 

The final round of Champions League league phase fixtures will take place next week on Wednesday, January 28.

 

Juventus will face Monaco away from home and must beat Sebastian Pocognoli’s side if they are to finish in the Champions League top eight first and foremost. ............

 

 

There are then 10 other fixtures that could impact Juventus’s chances of finishing in the top eight. The Bianconeri need at least six of these matches to go their way.

 

So, Juventus need a victory over Monaco and for at least six of the following 10 events to take place:

• Liverpool lose to Qarabag
• Tottenham fail to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 
• PSG vs. Newcastle ends in a draw
• Chelsea fail to beat Napoli
• Barcelona fail to beat Copenhagen 
• Sporting CP fail to beat Athletic Club 
• Manchester City fail to beat Galatasaray 
• Atletico Madrid fail to beat Bodo/Glimt 
• Atalanta fail to beat Union Saint-Gilloise 
• Inter fail to beat Borussia Dortmund

Read more -> https://football-italia.net/what-juventus-need-champions-league-top-eight/

[Socrates 9655]

Del Piero reacts to Spalletti slapping Openda: ‘A good relationship’

 

 

Alessandro Del Piero believes there is nothing much worth reading into after Luciano Spalletti slapped centre-forward Lois Openda on the touchline during Juventus’s 2-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League, instead suggesting that there must be a ‘good relationship’ in place for the coach to have done such a thing.

 

Shortly after Weston McKennie had put Juventus two goals up in their Champions League league phase match against Benfica on Wednesday night, Spalletti was seen slapping centre-forward Openda as he warmed up on the touchline, supposedly telling him to ‘wake up’.

 

Openda did not seem visibly upset by the incident, the opposite if anything, but Spalletti’s actions were a topic for discussion after full-time, in his post-match press conference. ............

 

Bianconeri legend Del Piero spoke at length about the performance his old side put in.

 

“It was a tough game, but Juve are better than Benfica at converting chances,” Del Piero said.

 

“I saw a strong and attentive team. They needed a lot of focus and some nastiness. We saw players doing well at recovering the ball, like McKennie for the second goal, but also from Locatelli who sacrificed himself three or four times to block shots inside the area.

 

“Overall, it was a nice, convincing victory. They managed to hold on well and have earned an excellent position in the league standings.” ............

 

He said: “If a coach lets himself do something like that with one of his players, it means that there’s a good relationship. There’s a lot of communication.

 

“Luciano is good at that, and it’s becoming increasingly important for young players today, who need a different style of communication. Maybe not like this, though,” he joked.”

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Read more -> https://football-italia.net/juventus-del-piero-reacts-spalletti-slap/