Juventus 2-0 SPAL
Almost not one soul questioned the most probable winner in this Serie A clash. One side had too much quality on their hands, the other is struggling to get it together in the middle of the table. Even the Juventus vs SPAL betting tips were tipped heavily in favour of the hosts. Fortunately for us, the Old Lady didn’t disappoint.
Juventus secured an easy victory over SPAL in front of an adoring home crowd. Cristiano Ronaldo and Mario Mandzukic were the key men for the Bianconeri as they continue their unbeaten streak at the top of the Italian top flight.
Highlights of the game
Players from both Juventus and SPAL came out of the Allianz Stadium in Turin with red marks on their faces as a show of solidarity for a campaign tackling violence against women and children. That was the only time the two clubs would stand amicably on the pitch as they tried to win the three points all for themselves.
The hosts didn’t hesitate in letting SPAL know from the first whistle on that they were in the land of the champions. Douglas Costa enforced his presence on defence with a hard foul, and the Cristiano Ronaldo-led attack was stringing passes together that saw the ball end in the SPAL third of the pitch.
Ronaldo, whose role and importance in Real Madrid is yet to be replaced, showcased his class through the first minutes of the half, always involving himself in the attack and making the SPAL backline weary of his lightning-quick movements and laser passes.
While SPAL would be able to challenge for the ball and try their own attacks every now and then, the Leonardo Bonucci and Daniele Rugani-led backline ensured that their visitors wouldn’t be able to easily steal any goals on their watch.
Douglas Costa, Ronaldo, and the rest of the attackers upped their tempo as the 20-minute mark came and went. Both teams knew that the first half ending in a goalless draw would be more of a boon for SPAL than it would be for the Old Lady.
Alfred Gomis made a brilliant save from a Douglas Costa effort in the 26th minute, but he wouldn’t be able to keep his clean sheet against the Portuguese great. Miralem Pjanic fired a beautiful free-kick into the perfect spot between the keeper and the players. Cristiano Ronaldo beat the defence and tapped the ball past a Gomis whose feet were glued to the ground.
The game’s overall tone changed after that game, and fans who looked at the SBOBET predictions made beforehand knew that SPAL would be in for a long night. The half ended with Juventus trying to find a cushion of a second goal to store the game away from their guests.
Leonardo Semplici tried to light a fire under his team during the half-time huddle, and the team would try to respond in kind to their long-term boss. However, it’s not their fault that Juventus were just too good of a football team compared to them.
Ronaldo started the reset with a threatening cross into the penalty area in the 47th minute, but the SPAL backline cleared the ball out of the way. Douglas Costa’s short-range effort five minutes later was a howler as the ball hit the left post.
Juve continued to dominate possession as they tried to find the winner. Their second goal would eventually come on the hour mark. Juve would dispossess an attacking SPAL side on their own half and launch the ball to the SPAL third. Quick passes saw Douglas Costa with the ball once again, and the Brazilian quickly fired another shot towards the goal. Alfred Gomis managed to parry Costa’s powerful shot, but Mario Mandzukic managed to corral the rebound and fire the ball towards the net.
He kissed the badge and celebrated with his team-mates. Massimiliano Allegri probably exhaled in jubilation as his team managed to pull off a two-goal cushion against the mid-table club.
SPAL then committed their entire attack to the game as they tried to scrap at least a single goal. They fired shot after shot at the Juventus goal, but the backline was just impenetrable, and the atmosphere of the Allianz Stadium was just too daunting to overcome. The game finished 2-0, similar to Juventus’ equally important triumph over AC Milan before the international break.
Key statistics
The Bianconeri have been nothing but dominant throughout the season. Their most recent victory against SPAL makes it their eighth game this season wherein they won by two goals. Moreover, they haven’t lost a game in the Italian top flight since April 2018. That’s just how good this Juventus side is.
SPAL had 17 free-kicks but weren’t able to make the most out of their chances. Meanwhile, Juventus were threatening all game long as eight of their 12 shot attempts were on target. Gomis was forced to make six incredible saves in order to stop the final score from ballooning to something ridiculous.
What’s next?
Juventus will be focusing on Champions League play as they welcome Valencia to Turin for the reverse fixture. Their schedule doesn’t get any easier as they are set to visit Fiorentina afterwards. Given the depth of this team, however, I don’t think they’ll have problems coping with the fixtures.
Meanwhile, SPAL will be trying to stop skidding to the wrong end of the Serie A table in their next two games. They will hope to take three points from relegation-threatened Empoli, followed by a visit to Sampdoria.
Keep an eye on this space for more exciting Serie A 2018 updates.
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