Juventus, with many casualties especially in attack, solved the visit of the lowest club Sampdoria in Turin (4-2) with more difficulty than expected and took advantage of the holes from the teams that were ahead of them in the table to close to four points behind Atalanta, sixth and that is the mark of the European positions, after being penalized by 15 for the ‘capital gains case’
Massimilliano Allegri cannot count on the suspended Kean, nor Chiesa, Milik, Di María, Alex Sandro or Pogba, who did not make the squad after suffering his umpteenth muscle setback in morning training.
Despite the notable absences, Allegri rested players such as Juan Cuadrado and Manuel Locatelli, so youngsters Nicolò Fagioli, Enzo Barrenechea and Fabio Miretti played as starters.
From 2-0 to 2-2
In this situation, Juventus used its power in the air and its strategy to bring the score to 2-0. Center-back Gleison Bremer opened the scoring by heading into the net from a corner kick by Filip Kostic (10′). And, before half time, Adrien Rabiot also scored the first of his two goals with a header after a Miretti cross (25′).
The blow was in favor of Juve despite the fact that Sampdoria kept equal possession of the ball and scored as many as four arrivals, especially when Manolo Gabbiadini ran away alone with a crossed ball but his shot crossed too much against Mattia Perin (6′).
Juve’s victory seemed to be on the right track but in the blink of an eye Sampdoria leveled with two goals in a minute. Tommaso Augello closed the gap by finishing a parried ball first (30′) and Filip Djuricic made it 2-2 coming from the second row by crossing into the net a delayed cross from the right (31′).
Rabiot made it 3-2 and Vlahovic, jinxed, missed the penalty
Juve claimed a double blow and ended the first half entirely at the mercy of Sampdoria, so Allegri brought on Cuadrado and Locatelli at half-time.
With a jinxed Dusan Vlahovic as the only offensive reference due to casualties, the ‘bianconeri’ lacked ‘punch’ until Rabiot received from Fagioli in the area and shot to make it 3-2 (64′). The Frenchman was decisive in his double.
Juve managed to close the match immediately after Augello’s penalty on Cuadrado, but Vlahovic hit the post (68′) and extended his drought. The Serbian has gone six games (four in Serie A and two in the Europa League) without a goal in sight.
Jesé enters but Soulé’s sentences
Jesé came on in the 72nd minute but Sampdoria had no option to score in Turin. Cuadrado finished off the post (81′) and, already on a discount, Matías Soulé made it 4-2 after the ball was denied by the crossbar. It was the height of bad luck for Vlahovic, whose perfectly chipped header from Kostic’s cross was deflected off the crossbar by goalkeeper Martin Turk. The Serb celebrated with a sly smile as he continued to fight for the goal.
JUVENTUS
42
SAMPDORIA
Juventus: Perín; Bonucci (Cuadrado, 46′), Bremer (Rugani, 84′), Danilo; De Sciglio (Gatti, 87′), Fagioli, Barrenechea (Locatelli, 46′), Rabiot, Kostic; Miretti (Soulé, 73′); Vlahovic
The
Sampdoria: Turk; Gunter, Nuytinck (Paoletti, 76′), Amione; Zanoli, Rincón (Malagrida, 82′), Winks, Augello (Murru, 73′); Léris, Djuricic (Jesé, 73′); Gabbiadini
The
Goals: 1-0 Bremer (11′), 2-0 Rabiot (26′), 2-1 Augello (31′), 2-2 Djuricic (32′), 3-2 Rabiot (64′), 4- 2 Soulé (94′)
Referee: Alessandro Prontera. Yellow cards to Rincón (39′), Fagioli (58′)
Spectators: 35,166 at Juventus Stadium
see the match sheet
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
