Juve-Atletico 0-4: Morata hat-trick in the last pre-season test

by our correspondent Fabiana Della Valle

August 7
– Turin

The sky above the Continassa promises a storm. It rains goals against Atletico Madrid, but they are not Juventus: the 4-0 remedied in the last pre-season test (hat-trick by Morata and final seal by Cunha) raises the alarm at Juventus, which 8 days after the debut in the championship she turns out to be defenseless and fragile. The friendlies do not award points but offer valuable information: the message that arrives is that net of injuries (Pogba’s weighs a lot) Juventus is incomplete and the market is still open, it is urgent to intervene if the goal is the Scudetto.

THE LAW OF THE EX

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The first hitch of the day is the absence of Kean, out for disciplinary reasons (he showed up late). Also absent Pellegrini (bruised right knee) and Cuadrado, still struggling with an intestinal virus. On the left in the trident is Soulé, with Fagioli mezzala and Locatelli in the direction. In Atletico Morata is the owner with Joao Felix, while Griezmann starts on the bench. Alvaro is still very much desired and his regrets increase after 10 minutes, when he scores the most classic of the former’s goals: a 3-on-4 counterattack, Joao Felix starts on the open field and serves the punch on the left that does not miss. The defense was bad, making all the movements wrong, the midfield impalpable. The Spaniards are masters of the field while Allegri’s team does not make a shot on goal. On the other hand, he suffers them and after a couple of decisive saves by Szczesny, who also neutralizes a penalty kick by Joao Felix (assigned in the 39th minute for handball by Alex Sandro on a cross from Saulé) the doubling arrives (43 ‘), again by Morata: another counterattack on which Juventus is very open, Alvaro goes away first to Bonucci and then jumps Bremer like a pin: double with the left-handed, now it is certainly clearer to everyone why Allegri continues to push to get his old center forward.

BLACK & WHITE ALARM

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Moral: Juve need another striker, as well as a playmaker and a left winger, Atletico will most likely stick to his. Allegri tries to change something by moving Soulé (very few balls touched) to the right, raising Alex Sandro, putting Di Maria to do the sub-tip and setting to three, but the music does not change. The Athetician even without Oblak, Correa, De Paul, Gimenez, Kondogbia is better physically, he holds the ball and pushes a lot on both sides. Run-in and coordinated movements, simple but effective schemes. Juve, on the other hand, proves to be still behind, both in terms of the game and in terms of physical condition.

THIRD RING

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In the second half immediately inside 5 bianconeri (Perin, Gatti, Miretti, Rabiot and De Sciglio) and Allegri redesigns the team with a 4-4-1-1. Thanks to Miretti, in his debut because he returned at the beginning of August after his commitments with the Under team, the Bianconeri’s first shot on goal arrives. Vlahovic is not in league form yet and Di Maria is the only one trying to do something. The only positive note, along with Szczesny, is Gatti, who enters with the right nastiness. Morata, however, is unleashed, he wants to take the ball home and he succeeds: in the 17 ‘free-kick from Lemar on which Alvaro arrives with his head: decisive deviation and Perin beaten. Allegri changes again, 3-5-1-1 with Soulé behind Vlahovic and Rugani with Bremer and Gatti. A lot of confusion, little reaction. And Atletico, who are still not satisfied, took advantage of it: 4-0 in the 91st minute, with Cunha’s final pocket (wrong reading by Barbieri). At the end the sun also comes out, which however does not improve the mood at the Juventus home.