[ad_1]
reDid Federico Chiesa take some advice from his father before Juventus’ visit to Milan? Enrico scored goals everywhere he went in his career, but lining up against him Rossoneri He always seemed to get something extra: the red and black flag to his bull.
He jabbed them 17 times in 24 games between Serie A and Coppa Italia, more than he did against any other club. Not bad if you take into account the names of some of the defenders sent against him: Baresi, Costacurta, Maldini, Nesta and Stam.
The four behind who left for Milan on Wednesday weren’t quite in that category. Alessio Romagnoli and Simon Kjaer have formed an encouraging partnership at center-back, but the feeling lingers that the Italian has yet to reach his full potential at age 25, while his teammate’s lack of pace may be exposed. On the right side of defense, Diogo Dalot made only his third start in Serie A.
Theo Hernández, one of Milan’s best signings in years, still has a way to go before being considered in such illustrious company. And this would turn out to be one of the worst left-back games for some time.
They hadn’t played 20 minutes yet when Chiesa left Hernández in his wake for the first time, entering on the right wing, cutting the ball off Paulo Dybala and accelerating into the penalty area. The ball returned to him through the Argentine’s masterful heel strike, and Chiesa buried it in the far corner.
It was an impressive start to a game that would take the audience out of breath. Chiesa had already hit the wood, throwing a half volley to the right post, after Wojciech Szczesny made an important save near the post to thwart Samu Castillejo at the other end.
The stakes were as high as possible at such an early stage in a campaign. Unbeaten in 28 league games, Milan had a chance to move a four-point lead to the top of the table after Inter’s loss to Sampdoria on Wednesday afternoon. More significantly, a victory would have left Juventus, champions of the last nine seasons of Serie A, adrift 13 points.
Both teams were missing key players. Milan have been without Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ismaël Bennacer since mid-December, but Sandro Tonali’s suspension, coupled with positive Covid tests for Rade Krunic and Ante Rebic left them so short that coach Stefano Pioli was forced to recruit the right back Davide Calabria central midfield.
Juventus had to do without Álvaro Morata up front, the only player on his team, apart from Ronaldo, who had scored more than two goals this league season. His two starting full backs, Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado, were also eliminated after testing positive for Covid.
The Fiver – Sign up and receive our daily soccer email.
However, neither side seemed willing to allow such setbacks to discourage them from trying to play with the front foot. The opportunities came thick and fast for the first 45 minutes. It was a back heel from Bentancur inside his own penalty area that set up that early opportunity for Castillejo, and Aaron Ramsey was so careless with a pass to the face of the box that it went straight to Milan’s Jens Petter Hauge.
the Rossoneri tied in the 41st minute, Calabria set up a magnificent first shot in the top corner from the edge of the box. A 1-1 scoreline was a true reflection of the balance of the game, but it was a surprise not to see VAR intervene after Hakan Calhanoglu appeared and fouled Adrien Rabiot early in the play.
However, Chiesa was not finished. A month earlier, after Juventus’ victory over Dynamo Kiev, a journalist had asked him if there was any trait he would like to steal from his father. Federico did not mention Milan, at the time, but responded: “His ability to shoot with either foot. He had phenomenal coordination. “
Perhaps you have inherited more than you know. Having scored the first goal with his right boot, Chiesa put Juventus in front with his left, running straight towards Hernández to throw the defender off balance before choosing the bottom corner, giving Gianluigi Donnarumma no chance even from 20 yards.
It was the turning point of the game. Milan did not relent, but, for the first time in nearly a year, Pioli’s young and outstanding team had faced a national rival for whom they simply had no answers. When Chiesa limped out of the game after scoring his second, Andrea Pirlo sent Dejan Kulusevski, a 35 million euro signing, to replace him.
The second half substitutions spoke of the reality of both teams. Juventus went on to introduce Weston McKennie, Arthur and Federico Bernardeschi from the bench. Milan had Pierre Kalulu, a 20-year-old central defender, along with young academy graduates Daniel Maldini and Lorenzo Colombo.
It was McKennie who made Juventus 3-1, thanks to an assist from Kulsevski. It was hard to imagine a greater vindication of Juventus’ summer transfer strategy. On a night when Cristiano Ronaldo was not shining, three young players who arrived together this summer had taken over the biggest game of the league season to date, dragging their team back into the title box.
Sign up for The Recap, our weekly email of editor picks.
Chiesa, however, was the biggest bet. He was the last to arrive, this October, and many deemed his signing superfluous for a club that already seemed to have too many options to deploy in support of Ronaldo – from Kulusevski, Dybala, Bernardeschi and Ramsey to the newly returned Morata. Was it really necessary to add Chiesa, whose agreement is structured as a loan with an obligation to buy, but which could eventually cost them 60 million euros in transfer fees?
If it can continue as it started in 2021, there will be no question. He had already scored, and shone, in the 4-1 win against Udinese at the weekend, and on Wednesday Pirlo focused on highlighting the different options that Chiesa gives the team as a player who could dominate one on one in the final. 30 meters from the pitch.
The player himself preferred to deflect the praise, crediting the coach for encouraging him to attack the penalty area more and his Juventus teammates for showing him new tricks. “At the end of training we met with Cristiano [Ronaldo] and paulo [Dybala]”He said.” The younger players, me and Kulusevski, watch them and try to steal something. “
After all those years watching his father, he has become a consummate thief.
