Juventus used the international break for a friendly match against Cremonese, but the test at the Juventus Training Center did not end with the result Luciano Spalletti would have hoped for. The visitors secured a 1-0 victory, with Federico Bonazzoli scoring the only goal of the game in the first half.
The result was secondary in a match like this – Juventus had only eight first-team players available, giving Spalletti an opportunity to assess Cambiaso after his injury and give minutes to several young players.
SPALLETTI STARTS WITH KOLO MUANI AND CAMBIASO
Juventus started in a 4-2-3-1 formation:
Pinsoglio – Gatti, Bremer, Rugani, Kelly – McKennie, Makiobo – Cambiaso, Amaradio, Grelaud – Kolo Muani.
Particular attention was on Andrea Cambiaso, who returned after an ankle injury that had kept him out for several weeks.
Kolo Muani started in attack, while a large number of Juventus’ international players were away on national-team duty.
8’ – KELLY THREATENS FIRST, CREMONESE CLEAR
The first dangerous situation came from Juventus. Kelly delivered a cross from the left in the eighth minute. The ball flew over goalkeeper Agazzi, but Pezzella reacted at the last moment and cleared it for a corner, preventing a dangerous opportunity for the Bianconeri.
13’ – LICINA ASSISTS, BONAZZOLI PUNISHES JUVENTUS
Just a few minutes later came the moment that decided the match.
Cremonese launched an excellent counterattack. Elia carried the ball forward and found Adin Licina, and the Juventus player currently on loan at Cremonese showed excellent vision to pick out Bonazzoli.
Licina delivered a precise assist, and Federico Bonazzoli finished with his left foot to beat Pinsoglio and make it 0-1.
Licina was one of the most interesting players in the match.
Gazzetta reports that he had started the season with two goals and one assist in four appearances, while Juventus are monitoring his development and the possibility of bringing him back into the first team next season.
CREMONESE COME CLOSE TO 0-2 – PINSOGLIO KEEPS JUVENTUS IN THE GAME
The goal did not immediately wake Juventus up. Cremonese continued to create problems for the Bianconeri defense and had several promising situations in the first half.
Pinsoglio made two important saves to prevent the visitors from extending their lead, while Juventus struggled to find rhythm in the final third. The teams went into halftime with the score at 0-1.
SPALLETTI MAKES CHANGES – OPPORTUNITY FOR JUVENTUS’ YOUNG PLAYERS
The second half brought the expected changes. Spalletti used the friendly as an opportunity to give playing time to players from Juventus’ youth setup.
Among those on his squad list were Rico, Durmisi, Corigliano, Montero, Brancato, Ripani, Marchisio, Savio, Corradi and Gera, along with goalkeepers Radu and Mangiapoco.
For Juventus, the second 45 minutes therefore represented an important test for young players who rarely get the opportunity to play alongside first-team players.
66’ – JUVENTUS SEARCH FOR AN EQUALIZER
As the game progressed, Juventus tried to increase the pressure. In the 66th minute, Corradi moved into a dangerous position, but Volpato made an excellent intervention to stop the Bianconeri attack.
68’ – CREMONESE COME CLOSE TO A SECOND GOAL
Just two minutes later, the visitors came close to putting the game beyond Juventus. Herzua made an excellent individual run, got past Savio and fired with his right foot, but the ball went just wide of the top corner of the Juventus goal.
JUVENTUS’ LATE PUSH GOES UNREWARDED
Juventus tried to find at least an equalizer in the closing stages, but Cremonese’s defense held firm. CremonaSport reported that the visitors managed to withstand the Bianconeri’s late pressure and preserve their narrow lead.
After 90 minutes, the score remained:
JUVENTUS – CREMONESE 0-1
⚽ Bonazzoli 13’ (assist: Licina)
RESULT SECONDARY, CAMBIASO’S RETURN THE MAIN POSITIVE
The defeat is certainly not the result Juventus would have wanted, but the circumstances surrounding the match must also be taken into account.
A large number of first-team players were away with their national teams, while Spalletti’s main objective was to ensure that the players remaining in Turin maintained their competitive rhythm ahead of the resumption of the season.
The most important positive was Cambiaso’s return to action, while Bremer, Gatti, Rugani, Kelly, McKennie and Kolo Muani all picked up additional minutes.
At the same time, Adin Licina once again caught Juventus’ attention. This time, directly against the club that owns his contract. The Bianconeri will return to Serie A action after the international break with an away match against Cagliari on October 11.
Sources: Juventus, La Gazzetta dello Sport, CremonaSport, Sport Mediaset.
