Monza 1 – 2 Juventus: 3 key takeaways from the game on Saturday
Juventus emerged as the victors at the end of 90 minutes of gruelling football at Stadio Brianteo on Saturday. Thanks to a narrow 2-1 scoreline, not only did the Bianconeri clinch the victory, but they also lifted the Luigi Berlusconi Trophy, which surely was an icing-on-the-cake moment for the start of Massimiliano Allegri’s rejuvenated managerial stint.
It was a late Saturday evening kick-off, and since no fans were allowed in the stadium, the game began with the moderate clapping of the club personnel present on the stand. Having won their first game 3-1 against Cesena, Juventus intended to test their abilities further ahead of the Serie A 2021/22.
On the other hand, Monza, potentially a Serie A promotion aspirant, were looking to challenge the likely Scudetto challengers in the best way possible. Saturday’s encounter saw the return of senior stars such as Wojciech Szczesny, Matthijs de Ligt, Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot, and Dejan Kulusevski to first-team action.
Despite the approach from Allegri being passive at times and the display not being as alluring as some Guardiola-influenced fans would prefer watching, Juventus put in a commendable performance to seize a victory. We have come up with the three key takeaways from the game.
#3 Mattia De Sciglio and Aaron Ramsey impressed for Juventus
Mattia De Sciglio making the starting eleven on Saturday was previously anticipated, but the prospect of seeing Aaron Ramsey at the heart of Juve’s midfield raised a few eyebrows before the start of the game. The former Arsenal midfielder has been extensively linked with a move away from Turin this summer. Last season, Ramsey was ineffective under Pirlo, reasonably owing to his injury woes.
Well, under Allegri, he can now think of a brighter tomorrow, as promised by his invigorating performance last night. He was designated with shielding the backline as well as dictating the flow of the play while sitting in front of the four-man defensive line. Not only did he play the role of a holding midfielder with great aptness, but the Welshman also received praise from the manager at the end of the match.
Speaking to the media in the post-match interview, the returnee gaffer heaped praise on the 30-year-old midfielder, saying (via @ForzaJuveEN):
"“Ramsey played a good game. He can become an important player in front of the defence.”"
Mattia De Sciglio also had a decent game, with the full-back starting the match on the right side of the pitch and ending it on the left. Fans again witnessed his versatility and instances of his swift adjustability on the pitch. Though, he got substituted by Albian Hajdari at the 81st minute of the game.
Defensively astute, De Sciglio once again proved why he should stay put at Juve beyond the summer transfer window. Perhaps last night’s showing has put an end to the debatable topic of who — between Luca Pellegrini and Mattia De Sciglio — should play as Alex Sandro’s cover next season, once and for all.