Kolo Muani sinks penalty at the death at Como Lake #2541
Juve 2 Como 1FT
On Friday night we would kick off the Serie A weekend. In a very intriguing battle between a side trying to punch their ticket and keep their status for next season aside fighting for a Champions League position at bare minimum with heavy expectations. We would be at one of the most beautiful places in all of Italy lake Como. We are at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia for this momentous occasion as newly promoted Como hosts Italian giant Juventus on a beautiful Friday night in the cold. We would get to see two of the youngest managers in Serie A with Thiago Motta on one bench and Cesc Fàbregas on the other. The home side recently earned promotion last season finishing runners-up to Parma in Serie B. As they are experiencing their first season in Italian football. It has been a little bit up and down. They have been hovering around the relegation zone. However, Como possesses the necessary qualities to retain their status into next season. They are one of the richest teams in Italian football and they have used their assets effectively having maximized themselves. They have found themselves in a very difficult position at the moment. They have three losses in their last five. Only two points above the relegation zone. However, the new adjustments should help them create a little bit of breathing space, although they'll have a big ask on their hands as they take on a Juventus side that is starting to feel invigorated. Juventus is searching for their third win in their last five matches. For a side that had a lot of expectations. They've been drawing more matches than practically anyone this season in any League across Europe but Thiago Motta's experience has had its moments but also has displayed its inconsistencies. The arrival of Randal Kolo Muani from PSG has completely changed things. He has scored in his first two matches a goal against Napoli in a brace last weekend against Empoli. They've since added Renato Veiga from, Chelsea and Lloyd Kelly from Newcastle United. Trying to put together some significant depth and upgrades as they want to turn themselves back into a top-three side in the league the way they were at the beginning of the campaign. We are talking about two sides that are about to battle it out. That's the swung for the fences in January setting the stage for Como against Juventus on a Friday night in one of the most beautiful places in the world as kickoff approaches as things were about to get underway.
Como already put themselves in an attacking position. Winning themselves in an early corner. In the 3rd minute new signing Álex Valle strikes from outside the box after it landed in his space coming off the corner. He was a bit too eager to send it over the goal. In the 5th minute, they came forward again rising star Nico Paz fed a ball into the left side of the box as new signing Assane Diao got scruffed out by the Juventus defense closing down on The versatile winger that recently came in from Betis. In the early parts of the match, it seemed to be Como being the one pushing the tempo. In the 11th minute, Gabriel Strefezza sends a pass into the box to Nico Paz The rising star follows through on goal but Michael Di Gregorio is there to make the stop. Como continued to pile it on. In the 15th minute, Gabriel Strefezza strikes at a complex angle it was ultimately deflected. Nevertheless, Como has looked more active side thus far and doesn't seem to be shying away from it. In the 23rd minute, Lucas da Cunha launch is a strike from well outside the box Di Gregorio makes an outstanding save as he pushes it over. Como making Juventus uncomfortable here. We haven't seen much from the away side, especially when it comes to the attack. Finally, in the 26th minute, Juventus got involved Kenan Yildiz delivered a cross into the box Federico Gatti got some self on the end of it but was ultimately denied by the Como goalkeeper. In the 28th minute, Como continued to be a threat Gabriel Strefezza struck at another difficult angle after picking up the box in a good position. Juventus defensively have stepped up on another night. They could have been three goals in the hole already. Unfortunately, Como about to get burned for their inability to cash in Randal Kolo Muani Burst forward as Nicholas Gonzalez feeds him a ball into the box from close range he puts it into the bottom corner as the French star has been a revelation at Juventus this season. That is now his fourth goal in three matches. Juventus may have issues however, it seems they have found an answer in attack as Juventus take a 1-0 lead. Como has to be kicking themselves after having done so. Remarkably well and kind of been in control of it from the tip. Now find themselves behind remarkably so. In the 43rd minute, Gabriel Strefezza drives a ball into the box for Nico Paz although the Argentines header goes a bit wide. However, Como would find their moment after all. In the 45th minute, Patrick Cutrone sends a cross into the box coming off of the corner Assane Diao gets his head on the end of it. Putting it past the goalkeeper as Como has found a way back into it. It would be his fourth goal since joining Como and his sixth goal all season. This would end the first half with both sides having a goal apiece 1-1 at the break with two January signings scoring for both sides.
It would be hard to argue against the fact that Como has been the better of the two sides. Juventus eventually delivered on the attack. However, outside of that singular moment. It has been Como pushing the tempo and being the ones on the more offensive side of things. However, due to their inability to cash in on the scoring opportunities they have produced earlier on, they have found themselves in a tug-of-war with Juventus. However, after falling behind, Como came right back and delivered. Como kept their aggressive pace going into the second half. In the 46th minute, Nico Paz cuts in from inside the box as he drives it on goal He ends up being denied by Michele Di Gregorio. The pace at which the game was being played only continued. In the 51st minute Gabriel Strefezza strikes on goal from the side of the box as Michele Di Gregorio comes up with another save Lucas da Cunha strikes on the follow-up from outside the box as it is deflected Álex Valle does the same but again Juventus gets in the way of it. A minute later in the 52nd minute, they would be under pressure again. lvan Smolcic drives his foot into a cross coming from the right side another save would be made. Juventus outside of the moment they scored. The goal has not done much in the attack. They have been second best practically from the start. However, they are hanging in there. Como just couldn't break through but they weren't going away either. In the 57th minute Gabriel Strefezza puts it into Patrick Cutrone He drags his foot on the end of it but it does split off to the right side. It wasn't until the 70th minute in which Juventus got involved in the second half. Nicholas Gonzalez struck from outside the box but unable to test the goalkeeper. In the 76th minute coming off a free kick, Nicolás González is there again this time trying to get a touch from the side of the box trailing off Target once more. In the 82nd minute, Douglas Luiz Got his shot blocked from close range then Lloyd Kelly tried it from the side of the box. Also running into a deflection. All of a sudden Juventus are starting to pick up a little steam. Como had done so well to potentially grab a point. Unfortunately, it was about to be ripped out from underneath them. In the 89th minute, Jean Butez takes down Federico Gatti In the penalty area Juventus were granted a penalty. Randal Kolo Muani would step up for Juventus as he tries to make it five goals from his first three matches in Italy. He steps up putting it into the bottom corner as Juventus takes a 2-1 lead at the death. It would be his fifth goal in his third match. With a brace and two matches on the bounce. However, Como would give it one last roll of the dice. Coming off the corner in the 94th minute Gabriel Strefezza delivers in the cross Alberto Dossena gets on the end of it as he smashes it into the post. The full-time whistle goes as Juventus somehow escape with a 2-1 victory with a penalty at the death as Juventus. When they're third straight, they are back in the Champions League spots following a victory at Como Lake.
Juventus seem to be starting to pick up the momentum. They are back in the Champions League picture. For how long is hard to say. However, the arrival of Randal Kolo Muani has been a huge difference-maker for Juventus thus far. He has played three matches and already has five goals. During this three-game stretch, They have taken maximum points. Six points out of a possible nine in the first three matches. Juventus are starting to pick up a little bit of momentum as they are driving towards positioning themselves much better. In regards to the Champions League places. It is not just the new acquisition but it's the way they have played even with less of the ball. Even when creating less of the chances. In a sense, they got away with winning at the death using a penalty. They were probably second-best on Friday night. However, they had one ugly something that they had done for years when they were at their peak. So to speak Como was the one with the momentum and the tempo for practically the entire game. They created twice as many chances and Juventus did not have a shot until the 70th minute in the second half. Outside of a few chances in the first half and then a couple of late chances down the stretch, it was essentially sitting back and defending the Como attack. Juventus found a way to get through this one and ended up taking the victory. They're third in a row. They are starting to click as of this moment. Although a lot is going to be made up of the striker, however, the other pieces have also played well together. Weston McKinney has been brilliant lately. The American midfielder has been a key part of Thiago Motta's defensive structure in this team. Even though he is in the midfield he is box-to-box and has heavily contributed to holding the play. Christian pulisic is having an outrageous season. AC Milan however, the way Weston McKinnie is playing this season, it's hard to say at least over the last month or two that he has been the superior player in the league. Juventus still have a long way to go. They're nowhere near truly challenging for the title or doing anything significant outside of qualifying for the Champions League, but they seem to have the pieces and they're slowly starting to click. This is their biggest winning streak of the entire season. They have more draws than Timbuktu. However, they're starting to develop a little bit of consistency and even though it wasn't their best performance, they found a way to win the penalty laid on and Randal Kolo Muani grabbed the winner on top of that Michele Di Gregorio has been outstanding and made five saves on Friday night. They very easily could have lost to Como. Como deserves a lot of credit even though they're only two points out of the relegation zone. They played expansive football. Their issue continues to be being able to deliver in front of goal. Their lack of a clinical touch is the only reason they did not take maximum points. Coma overall should feel very optimistic about what they can do during the second half of the season. They just have to click a little bit better together and find the back of the net more regularly. They're trending in the right direction. They were outstanding for much of the match, but in the end, their inability to seal it earlier on came back to haunt them as Juventus won the penalty late on and took the victory at the death. However, Como is in a good place and they just need to clean up those things that are keeping them from points. They're not in good form at the moment, but they're rarely playing very poorly. This was an opportunity for them to take a big three points. Unable to do so, but the issue that they're having is more than correctable. They can take some solace about the way they dominated the game. At times they need to start getting coins more regularly, but we can see what they're doing and where they're going. They just have to get out of this rut and they'll be fine. Meanwhile, Juventus for the first time this season can optimistically look at themselves. Over the next few weeks, they're back in the champions where they belong.
