Motta’s team prevails over Guardiola’s and is now aiming for a place in the top eight of the Champions League again. For the English there is the nightmare of elimination
Dusan Vlahovic returns to celebrate at home from open play after 253 days, Michele Di Gregorio performs two miracles and Weston McKennie scores with a half overhead kick. To beat Guardiola’s Manchester City 2-0, get back into the Champions League and straighten out a flagging season, an evening like this was needed. Thiago Motta’s Juventus recovered from the draw in what was on paper the most difficult match of the season, confirming that they know how to make up for their inexperience with character, as in the final match against Bologna. And the ranking is much less scary now.
once the count is done
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In a symmetrical “man recovery” operation to replenish the bench, Motta and Josep Guardiola also adjusted the starters as much as possible compared to their respective championship commitments from a few days earlier. Without Andrea Cambiaso, Juventus found Nicolò Savona from the start, plus Khephren Thuram and Kenan Yildiz spared for an hour against Bologna. Pep instead opts for two fresh wingers, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku, with Ederson taking his place in goal like Di Gregorio. Those who cannot change are the two centre-forwards, Vlahovic and Erling Haaland, by definition the number 1 threats for the Bianconeri and the Citizens. The coaches, also called upon to carry out “confidence recovery” and “point recovery” operations in the Champions League, in short, cook with the ingredients available. The main crux of the challenge is that, despite their possession-based football philosophies, there is only one ball on the pitch. For the entire first phase of the match the guests managed it, with Rico Lewis who as a left-back, under construction, centered himself in the midfield even more than Cambiaso usually does in black and white, demonstrating Motta’s “Guardian” influences.
digre’s hand
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If the merit of a very cautious Juventus is to divert English ideas towards the wings with aggression on the ball carriers and compactness in the middle, that of Manchester City is to leave the ball very little to the Bianconeri, who become dangerous in the first half with a sudden shot from Yildiz and with a couple of shots which never emerged on other real occasions. Despite the fans pushing for greater offensive projection – and making noise after a couple of lopsided passes from Teun Koopmeiners -, Juventus did not lose the courage to risk dense ball possession even in their own area to evade Guardiola’s pressing. And he doesn’t lose it even after the guests’ only but very clear chance, when Kevin De Bruyne sees into the future and unmarks Haaland with a pass into the empty space behind Pierre Kalulu: the defender misses the Norwegian, but Di Gregorio remains cool on the the center forward’s attempt to “dig in” and save with his big hand. Up until that moment, the highlight of the evening was the fortuitous clash between Koopmeiners and referee Clement Turpin, who was forced to ask for a break for a few seconds to regain his breath after the blow to his side.
welcome back dusan
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Tackle lovers will have appreciated the physicality of the first half, but in terms of spectacle it has no hope of ending up in the Champions League TV commercials. Strange to say, but Federico Gatti makes the cover play twice in an action, in the 53rd minute, in the opening action. The number 4 elegantly blows the ball to Haaland, starts in progression moving halfway across the field with the ball at his feet and serves Francisco Conceiçao on the right, who chews it up and then returns it to him with a cross for the unpredictable half-overhead kick by the Juventus centre-back. Goal? Not yet, Ederson rejects, Yildiz reiterates the cross from the other wing and Vlahovic heads it home: the rebound across the goal line leaves moments of doubt, but Turpin’s watch vibrates and the Serbian returns to celebrate from a play on the goal Allianz Stadium as has not happened since last April 2nd in the Italian Cup semi-final against Lazio.
signed wes
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At this point Guardiola’s men definitely change gear, replacing the slow pace of the first half with much more frenetic steps: Motta’s defense wobbles, but blocks several dangerous shots with the sacrifice of those who sacrifice themselves in rotation. The favorable episode then drags the Bianconeri into the boat of suffering and after a splendid save under Di Gregorio’s cross on Ilkay Gundogan, Timothy Weah and McKennie offer running and breathing in place of Conceiçao and Thuram. Six minutes pass and the bench produces the second goal with an action that makes the Stadium tremble due to the roar of the fans: the former Danilo nails a dribbling attempt by Doku and triggers the counterattack, McKennie passes to Weah, who first attempts a shot – rejected – and then he serves his compatriot in the middle of the area: half an overhead kick “Gatti style”, this time into the net, and McKennie plunges Guardiola into the worst crisis of results of his career. Manuel Locatelli, who was booed in the pre-season, finishes the match by calling for an ovation from the fans, who have now regained their composure.
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