Christmas

First half objectives from Weston McKennie and Nico Gonzalez had been sufficient to seal victory for Juventus away at Monza on Serie A Matchday 17. It was additionally a landmark end result for Juventus, because it marked the membership’s 1700th victory within the Italian top-flight.

WES-KOOP COMBINE WELL

Gonzalez offered an early spark with simply six minutes on the clock, forcing Stefano Turati into the primary save of the match as he stretched to his proper. The Argentine striker examined the Brianza defence once more within the thirteenth minute, going near scoring the opener as he pounced on Turati’s parry and powered a header in direction of the Biancorossa purpose, solely to be denied by Turati’s last-ditch heroics. Only a minute later, Teun Koopmeiners and McKennie mixed to provide the Bianconeri – taking part in in yellow this night –the lead. The quantity 8 drilled the ball in from the nook and located Weston within the six-yard field, whose emphatic end made the rating 1-0.

MONZA EQUALISE BUT NICO RESTORES JUVE’S LEAD

Simply eight minutes after McKennie’s purpose, nevertheless, Monza equalised via Samuele Birindelli’s left-footed effort which Michele Di Gregorio was powerless to cease. Thiago Motta’s crew instantly sought to regain the lead, and Francisco Conceicao’s bursts of tempo on the correct flank posed issues for the Brianza again line. It was Nico Gonzalez who restored the Juventus lead: Manuel Locatelli received a contact on the unfastened ball after McKennie had performed it into the field, and the quantity 11 took full benefit to fit the ball previous Turati. The final motion of the primary half noticed Juve on the defensive, as Koopmeiners twice put his physique on the road to shut down Gianluca Caprari, then Dany Mota, and protect the 2-1 lead.

PUSHING FOR A THIRD

Di Gregorio was concerned early within the second half and needed to be on his guard within the forty seventh minute, stretching to his left to show away Alessandro Bianco’s harmful effort from vary. On the different finish, Turati was examined by Kenan Yildiz, whose highly effective try from the left appeared to be heading beneath the bar. Earlier than making manner for Andrea Cambiaso, Gonzalez very practically sealed his first brace in Juventus colors, however the Monza goalkeeper twice managed to repel his pictures from outdoors the field. Halfway via the second half, Yildiz accelerated down the left and eluded his marker, earlier than taking part in an attractive ball throughout the penalty space for Dusan Vlahovic, who might solely deflect the ball broad along with his proper foot.

VICTORY AND THREE POINTS

With quarter-hour remaining on the clock, Yildiz once more got here near including a 3rd with a close-range header off Conceicao’s cross from deep, solely to be denied by Turati. Within the closing phases, head coach Thiago Motta launched recent legs from the bench to see out the sport. And one of many earlier second-half substitutes – Khephren Thuram – got here near discovering the third with a right-footed effort from outdoors the field. The final motion of the match noticed Yildiz make a jinking run via the opponents’ half and unleash a swerving shot in direction of the close to put up however, once more, Turati was as much as the duty. The Bianconeri come away from Monza with the three factors, because of objectives from McKennie and Gonzalez.

MONZA 1-2 JUVENTUS

Scorers: 14’ McKennie (J), 22’ Birindelli (M), 39’ Gonzalez (J).

Monza: Turati; Pereira (71’ Ciurria), D’Ambrosio (83’ Izzo), Marì, Carboni; Birindelli (86’ Sensi), Bianco, Bondo, Kyriakopoulos; Caprari (86’ Maric), Mota. Unused subs: Pizzignacco, Mazza, Forson, Postiglione, Martins, Colombo. Coach: Nesta.

Juventus: Di Gregorio; Savona, Gatti, Kalulu, McKennie (90’ Fagioli); Koopmeiners (46’ Thuram), Locatelli; Conceicao (85’ Mbangula), Gonzalez (64’ Cambiaso), Yildiz; Vlahovic (85’ Adzic). Unused subs: Perin, Pinsoglio. Allenatore: Motta.

Cautions: Pereira (M), Conceicao (J).