Double in three minutes for the Argentine, second knockout in a row for the Bianconeri who are not enough for McKennie
Verona beat Juventus 2-1 in the 11th matchday of Serie A, inflicting the second consecutive defeat on the bianconeri. Star of the evening Giovanni Simeone that between the 11th and the 14th minute he slipped a shotgun in Szczesny’s goal, first with a tap-in with an empty net and then with a torpedo at the intersection. After the Hellas domination in the first half, the Juventus reaction only led to the McKennie’s goal with an insertion at 79 ‘.
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THE MATCH
In Massimiliano Allegri’s nightmares, and not just for the upcoming Halloween, Giovanni Simeone will be the constant presence. In that of the Juventus fans, on the other hand, in all probability the spectacle seen in the first half of the Bentegodi could reappear where Verona, dominant on all fronts, made good and bad weather. The 2-1 scored by Cholito Simeone’s brace, unleashed in October, certifies the excellent performance of Tudor’s Verona and at the same time destroys – perhaps definitively, but given the precedents never say never – the tricolor ambitions of the Old Lady .
Nothing new, however, in the challenge in Veneto, in order to get the best of Juventus and reach it at 15 points in the standings (after 11 days), Verona has done nothing but put on the field their qualities already seen also against Milan and Lazio, and on other occasions. Aggression at the extremes from the first minute on the opponent’s ball carrier, rhythm on the verge of overspeed and malice in the last meters. All characteristics that Juventus in these first months of the championship are constantly lacking. So it happens that after Lazovic’s first big chance defused by Szczesny, the alarm bell of imminent danger is totally ignored and within three minutes, between 11th and 14th, Cholito Simeone sweeps away the Bianconeri’s ambitions : first by supporting Szczesny’s rebound on Barak’s shot after Arthur’s trick (or treat in the black and white version) with a back pass difficult to conceive, then inventing a right at the intersection of the posts to remove the cobwebs left there for the occasion.
Imminent reaction? No. Just reaction? Not at all. The first real chance for Juventus in the Gialloblù tide of the first half came after a mistake by Veloso in setting, with the Argentine’s left-handed who pinched the crossbar. In the second half, the attitude of the bianconeri changed, they took the field more aggressive and determined to forcefully take portions of the pitch that Verona, as already widely seen in the recent past, physiologically left. But with Morata in the ghost version up front and the Bentancur-Arthur couple almost zombies in the middle of the field, the only lights always came from Dybala and McKennie after he entered the field. Ten minutes from the end the American broke the door of Montipò and reopened the dance, but shortly after it was the Verona goalkeeper of Verona who flew under the intersection of the posts to deny Joya the equalizer.
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REPORT CARDS
Simeone 8 – The Argentine is in a moment of form to rival King Midas, everything he kicks – especially at Bentegodi – turns into goals. With the goal unguarded for the advantage on retorted by Szczesny, then inventing a torpedo at the intersection of the goalposts from outside the area. Simply impregnable even for the central European champion couple. Rated eight, like the goals in the league.
Dybala 6.5 – He is Juventus’ technical and moral driver. Even at first in full harmony with the Bianconeri’s Halloween, Joya tried in every way and from all places. The crossbar in the first half and Montipò in the final denied him the joy of the goal.
Arthur 4,5 – Its lightness gives the action of the advantage to Verona. The impression is that he was physically overwhelmed by the Verona midfielders from the very first minute.
Morata 4.5 – He is experiencing a competitive moment exactly opposite to that of Simeone. It may not be at its best, but despite the period of the match, a ghostly trial is not justifiable.
McKennie 6,5 – He is the most inspired of Juventus and the most fit. As against Sassuolo, he stamps the card with a torpedo under the crossbar thanks to the usual precise insertion in terms of times and methods.
Casale 7 – It is stamped in Dybala and it does so even though it is not at its best from a physical point of view, quite the contrary. As long as the athletic outfit holds up a match over the top, then he risks expulsion and “calls” the change to Tudor.
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THE TABLE
VERONA 2-1 JUVENTUS
Verona (3-4-2-1): Montipò 7; Casale 7 (22 ‘st Sutalo 6), Gunter 6.5, Dawidowicz 6.5; Faraoni 6.5, Tameze 6.5 (30 ‘st Bessa 6), Veloso 6, Lazovic 6.5 (22’ st Ceccherini 6); Barak 6, Caprari 6.5; Simeone 8 (37 ‘st Kalinic sv). Available: Pandur, Berardi, Cetin, Magnani, Ruegg, Bessa, Hongla, Chancellors, Lasagna. All .: Tudor 7.5.
Juventus (4-4-2): Szczesny 6; Danilo 6, Bonucci 5, Chiellini 5.5, Alex Sandro 5 (37 ‘st Pellegrini sv); Cuadrado 5 (24 ‘st Kulusevski 5.5), Bentancur 4.5 (12’ st Locatelli 6), Arthur 4.5 (24 ‘st Bernardeschi 5.5), Rabiot 5 (12’ st McKennie 6.5); Dybala 6.5, Morata 4.5. Available: Perin, Pinsoglio, De Ligt, Pellegrini, Kaio Jorge. Coach: Allegri 5.
Referee: Marinelli
Markers: 11 ‘Simeone (A), 14’ Simeone (A), 34 ‘st McKennie (J)
Ammonites: Lazovic, Casale, Faraoni, Gunter (V); Danilo, Arthur, Morata (J)
Expelled: nobody
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OPTA STATISTICS
• Juventus have conceded at least 15 goals in their first 11 Serie A matches for the first time since 1961/62, when they ended twelfth.
• For the first time in their history, Verona have scored at least 24 goals in the first 11 Serie A matches.
• Hellas have lost only one of their eight Serie A games since joining Igor Tudor on the Verona bench and boast the best attack in the league: 21 goals scored.
• Since Igor Tudor arrived on the Verona bench, only Milan and Napoli (19 each) have collected more points than Hellas (15) – Among those playing tomorrow, the only one that can overcome the Venetians in this set is Inter ( 14 points so far).
• It was since 1998/99 (when they finished seventh) that Juventus had not managed to have a positive difference between goals scored and a positive one after the first 11 matches (0 also in that case).
• Giovanni Simeone has scored 6 goals against Juventus in Serie A: since his debut in the top flight (2016/17) he is the player who has scored the most goals against the Bianconeri in the competition.
• Giovanni Simeone became the seventh player in Serie A history to score 2+ goals against Juventus in three different jerseys (Genoa, Cagliari and Verona) – the last to do so was Enrico Chiesa.
• Before Giovanni Simeone, the last Verona player to score a brace against Juventus in Serie A was Fabrizio Cammarata in April 2000.
• In two of the last three times Juventus have gone two goals down in the first 15 minutes of a Serie A match, it was due to a double from Giovanni Simeone (the previous one in November 2016).
• Giovanni Simeone is the first Verona player to have scored more than one goal in two consecutive Serie A appearances at home by Luca Toni in 2015.
• Giovanni Simeone is the first player to score a brace at a distance of 3 minutes (11 ‘and 14’) in Serie A against Juventus by Davide Pellegrini, with Verona in May 1992 (4 ‘and 6’).
• Verona is the team that has scored the most goals in the first 15 minutes of play in this league (8 goals)
• Hellas Verona have scored 13 goals in the first half in 11 games, more than any other team in Serie A this season.
• It was from 26 August 2017 against Genoa that Juventus had not conceded 2 goals in the first quarter of an hour of play in a Serie A match.
• Weston McKennie became the first American in history to score at least two goals in two different Serie A championships.
• With 30 years and 28 days, today’s player is the 11th oldest player to be fielded by Juventus in this league.
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