Juventus wins first match of 2023 despite rusty performance

Juventus started 2023 with an important win against Cremonese and their 7th in a row.

The match remained scoreless for almost 90 minutes but Juve pulled ahead in the final moments. Emanuele Valeri fouled Adrien Rabiot in the 88th minute which earned Juventus a free kick in a scoring position.  Arkadiusz Milik took the kick and scored on a shot that the keeper couldn’t get his hands on. This goal provided Juventus with a needed 3 points.

While Juve won, they certainly looked a little bit off. They missed a number of chances and just looked a bit rusty. Considering that this was their first real match since the World Cup started, it certainly makes sense. It is concerning, however, when you consider the poor position of Cremonese in the table and the difference in talent on the roster.

Without a full squad, Juventus needed some magic against weak competition and they secured the win keeping their spot in the table.

To be fair to the club, Juventus is struggling with limitations to a number of key players. The reliance on generally less-used players in awkward positions certainly contributed to a somewhat weak performance. Yet, fans should be happy to secure a victory.

Juventus fans should also be excited about the return of Federico Chiesa. Manager Max Allegri subbed him on in the 55th minute. This was a great decision to help him get fit for some tougher matches on the horizon. He immediately brought life and energy to the Juve side. He should be in line for more minutes, or perhaps even a start, in their next match against Udinese on Saturday.

Overall, Juventus still needs to knock a bit of rust off but their win and the return of Chiesa should make fans happy.