Fabio Miretti slammed a powerfully-driven free-kick into the back of the net, sealing Juventus’ first pre-season victory after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Basel last weekend. This 1-0 win away against Standard Liege in Belgium is exactly what Luciano Spalletti’s squad needed, even with a roster looking a little thin right now.
Spalletti’s Youth Movement Shines Despite Missing Stars
Head coach Luciano Spalletti is clearly testing the waters early, and he’s doing it without a stacked deck. Key first-team players like Gleison Bremer, Weston McKennie, Francisco Conceicao, and Jonathan David are still on holiday after their World Cup duties, and Khephren Thuram and Kenan Yildiz are still working their way back to full fitness. That meant opportunities, and boy, did some young guns step up. With Lois Openda reportedly eyeing a loan to Lyon, 18-year-old striker Arman Durmisi got the nod to start. He was upfront with Vasilije Adzic and Jeremie Boga, while Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz held down the central midfield. It’s a bold mix of youth and experience, and it gave us a peek at some potential breakout performances.
The Breakthrough and Second Half Surge
The first half wasn’t a walk in the park. Standard Liege came out firing, putting immediate pressure on Juve’s penalty area. They had their first big chance after just 10 minutes when Gustav Mortensen crossed for Timothe Nkada, who couldn’t quite finish it. An error from Andrea Cambiaso at the 22-minute mark almost saw Liege go up 1-0, but Federico Gatti made a crucial block on Alexis Trouillet’s shot to keep us level. Douglas Luiz and Manuel Locatelli both sent shots over the crossbar, and the half started to fizzle out. But Spalletti wasn’t messing around at halftime. He changed formations from a 3-4-2-1 to a 4-2-3-1 and brought in a wave of fresh legs: Mattia Perin, Zeki Celik, Joao Mario, Arthur Melo, Fabio Miretti, and Justin Oboavwoduo. It paid off big time! Just 10 minutes into the second period, Miretti blasted that free-kick home from the edge of the box. He even had a chance for a quick-fire brace right after, but he was off-balance. That kind of instant impact from a sub is exactly what you want to see.
This pre-season is all about building form and getting the squad right. With the first win under their belt, Juventus will be looking to keep that momentum going, integrate the new faces like Zeki Celik, and get the rest of their World Cup stars back in the mix. The next challenge will be another chance to see who steps up and pushes for a spot in Spalletti’s starting XI.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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