3 takeaways from Juventus’ last-gasp defeat in the Supercoppa Italiana

Weston McKennie’s value

After an indifferent second half of the 2020/21 campaign, Weston McKennie produced a selfless display in the Coppa Italia final victory that reminded us of his worth.

The American’s value to Juventus is only just starting to be recognised once more and his performance on Wednesday night was a perfect illustration of what he supplies. He became the first American to score in the Supercoppa, but that sequence was the mere highlight in an excellent performance.

Allegri had him playing multiple positions and performing various functions. He played off both flanks, but his efficacy failed to diminish wherever he lined up.

To begin, he played off the left in Juve’s 4-4-1-1 out of possession shape and he played a key role in compromising Inter’s build-up. McKennie was tasked with jumping out from his narrow midfield position onto right centre-back Milan Skriniar and he performed this role superbly. The engagements on the Slovak defender were timed to perfection and his cover shadow forced Skriniar to play out wide to Denzel Dumfries, who had Alex Sandro on his tail. They successfully trapped Inter via this pressing sequence several times.

McKennie was a pest on Wednesday; a persistent annoyance for Inter’s back three. His effort out of possession wasn’t quite matched with his work with the ball, but errors should be expected considering how much he’s played over the past week.

Plus, he gave Juventini a moment to celebrate when he headed home in the first half. There’s no doubting tha the exuberant Texan has found his feet in Turin after a difficult start to the season.