Back to the Future. Juventus, after two seasons, restarts from Massimiliano Allegri. The fans applaud, the Viking dedicate a banner to him, a two-year period of broken promises rehabilitates his work and enhances the league titles won and Champions finals reached, but at the moment the credit line is open on an ancient trust: there can be no trace of his Juventus not even vague, the line-up that beat Cesena (3-1) in the first outing of the season is a collage of kids eager to shine and players returning from loans. There is only one big player on the field, McKennie: the other two in retreat from day one, Arthur and Dybala, are out (the Brazilian recovering after the operation, the Argentine tired), Pellegrini is completing a re-athletic process, Da Graca is struggling with muscle problems, Szczesny not summoned because he has just returned from vacation, Fagioli, Frabotta and Di Pardo in detention: a trivial delay in training, however sufficient to justify the exclusion for disciplinary reasons, also this sign of a wind changed if it is true that Pirlo, more than the lost Scudetto, paid for a management judged bland.
Six bianconeri were born from 2001 upwards, the youngest is Fabio Miretti, midfielder born on 3 August 2003 in Pinerolo, a stone’s throw from Turin, Juventus since 2011: the youthful climbs, the quality and the roots suggest comparisons with Marchisio. It is one of the babies, the Belgian De Winter, who unlocks at the start, but in the construction, in addition to Felix Correia, McKennie and Pjaca collaborate, the latter champion of talent and bad luck ready for rebirth and followed with particular attention by the Bull . De Winter stands out for the balance between defensive phase and momentum, good numbers from Correia who exalts Nardi and then gives a golden ball to Pjaca, good Ranocchia and Soulè, Argentine with beautiful hopes, who triggers McKennie for the doubling obtained after a double dribbling: “Ten goals you have to score this year” Allegri tells him on the sidelines, and in the silence of the training center – only three hundred spectators, invited by the club – the sentence reaches the stands. Well protected by Dragusin, much courted by Sassuolo, and by Rugani, Perin is in no danger: when Shpendi, 17, a puppy of a rather high average age team – goalkeeper Nardi is a ’86 -, he finds the right angle. very good, but nothing can on a second try.
Dybala watches the match from a table on the sidelines, Arthur from the stand where the vice president Pavel Nedved – acclaimed by the fans, spends the interval between selfies and autographs – and the head of the sports area Cherubini. Sparse indications for them too, between heavy legs and absences that leave their mark, but the rhythm convinces and the young line heartens. In the second half, immediately space for Pinsoglio, Demiral (three-man defense with Dragusin on the right) and Peeters, the jewel Soulé remains the protagonist and finds the third goal, overtaking the goalkeeper of the San Marino national team, Benedettini, who entered the field in the context of a reshuffle that also transforms Cesena into a high school team.
Juventus – Cesena 3-1, the match report
Juventus (4-3-3): Perin (1 ‘st Pinsoglio); De Winter (1 ‘st Demiral), Dragusin (22’ st Hajdari), Rugani (32 ‘st Mulè), De Sciglio (30’ st Stramaccioni); McKennie (1 ‘st Peeters), Miretti (13’ st Rafia), Ranocchia (30 ‘st Clemenza); Soulé (22 ‘st Aké), Pjaca (22’ st Marques), Felix Correia (13 ‘st Brighenti). All. Allegri
Cesena (4-3-3): Nardi; Adamoli, Candela, Ilari; Skirts; Ciofi, Zecca, Nannelli; Caturano, Ardizzone, Shpendi. Entries: Benedettini, Lepri, Bolognesi, Guerra, Bernardi, Berti, Boriani, Zanni, Bernardi, Fabbri, Francesconi, L. Ricci). All. Viali
Referee: M. Ricci from Florence
Reti: pt 5 ‘De Winter, 34’ McKennie, 35 ‘Shpendi; st 21 ‘Soulé
Booked: De Winter