Champions League, Juve-Psg 1-2 goals from Mbappé, Bonucci and Nuno Mendes

A roar greets the entrance on the pitch of Chiesa, outside January, after 74 minutes of play, but the applause during the match is also for the other young players, lined up for the absence of 12 players, from Gatti to the returning Locatelli, from Fagioli to Miretti. It is a Juve that has the courage of youth (not recklessness, given how it faced the match, in every phase), the personality of the strong and the initiative of those who know how to combine ideas with physical exuberance.

In short, it is a Juve that plays openly against PSG, without any awe, and that proves to be skilled both in the defensive and offensive phases, even on that shot from outside that certainly has not been among the highlights of the repertoire so far. Another novelty of the match, the mental stability of the team, always present and lucid, even in the reaction to the disadvantage, signed by Mbappé after 13 minutes. Bonucci is also skilled in pushing the ball behind Donnarumma in the 39th minute, while the final seal is that of the newly entered Mendes, who fixes the result at 2-1 for the French. But anyway, Benfica is imposed 6-1 on Maccabi Haifa, PSG is second and for Juve comes third place and the consolation prize called Europa League.

In & Out

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A Juve decimated by injuries plays lightly against an orphaned Psg of the suspended Neymar but with the pair Messi-Mbappé exhibited from 1 ‘. Allegri’s team, with the surprise-Chiesa on the bench, recovers Locatelli, but has to do without eleven injured players (McKennie, Iling-Junior and Kean the latest specifications) as well as the disqualified Danilo. On the flip side, Gatti and above all the trio of Juventus midfielders play from the start: Locatelli in the direction with Fagioli on the right and Miretti in an advanced position, behind Milik. Obviously a completely new formation, but one that surprises for its personality, aggressiveness and effectiveness. Juve starts under high pressure, conquers a large amount of balls on the Parisian trocar and becomes dangerous on two occasions, with Milik after 4 minutes and Locatelli at 8 ‘: the first is stopped, the second misses his aim. But at the first thrust the PSG finds the goal, with mocking ease: Mbappé goes into the tunnel, drags Gatti hanging from his shirt, jumps over Locatelli who tries to stop him from sliding and starts a right winger who touches the post and bags behind him. Szczesny. A great goal, and for Juve they are in trouble, given that Maccabi is still on par against Benfica.

Equal Juve, double Psg

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And instead for once Juve not only did not lose, but reacted with decision and clarity, continuing with the attitude and pace held up to that point. Locatelli plays the charge with a conclusion from the outside that touches the intersection of the poles, imitated shortly thereafter by Cuadrado. PSG does not stand by and cynically exploits every minimal, episodic black and white smudge: Mbappè triggers a torpedo that ends slightly high, Szczesny deflects a close left foot from Messi. But not even Miretti jokes, and if first he doesn’t just find the mirror, then it takes a super Marquinhos to stop his shot on Milik’s assist with a desperate slide. It is the prelude to the goal, which arrives at 39 ‘: Locatelli gives the go, Cuadrado puts in the middle diving, Bonucci shows off the instinct of the killer by jumping into the small area for the winning deviation, left. Miretti tries again from the edge, goes high and the first half ends here. The recovery does not change the script, albeit at a slower pace. It is a Juve that continues to pour courage, wisdom and resourcefulness into the field, and a confidence never seen before. Bonucci ends high after an insistent Juventus attack, complete with Donnarumma’s empty exit, then Szczesny stops a left footed by Mbappé, but in the 69th minute nothing can do on that of Mendes, who entered the field less than a minute . But Benfica are winning over Maccabi, and therefore it is still a party for Juve. Even more after the entrance of the Church, at 74 ‘, accompanied by a huge applause of encouragement.