27 September 2018
100% record continues
Wednesday’s success at Allianz Stadium means that Juventus have now won their first six Serie A games of the season for the ninth time in their history. On the previous eight occasions, they lifted the title at the end of the campaign.
When you also consider last week’s Champions League victory over Valencia, the Bianconeri have won their first seven matches of the season in all competitions. You’d have to trace back all the way to 1930/31 for the last time they achieved this feat.
Dybala back with a bang!
Heading into last night’s match, Paulo Dybala’s previous goal had come against Bologna back on 5 May. History had suggested that this fixture represented the best chance for La Joya to open his account for the current campaign and so it proved as his 12th-minute strike ensured that he has now scored in all four of his Bianconeri home matches against the Rossoblù since 2015.
Dybala was back to his creative best yesterday, carving out six goalscoring chances, considerably more than anyone else.
Matuidi makes his mark
Blaise Matuidi too is beginning to get amongst the goals whenever he faces Bologna. The Frenchman’s first ever strike for Juventus came in last year’s away fixture at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
It was another rock-solid display from the midfielder, so effective as always both in attack and defence, combining his goal with a team-high three tackles and two interceptions.
Perin’s Bianconeri bow
A victory and a clean sheet: Mattia Perin’s Juventus debut followed the script exactly to the letter! This was just the start to his Bianconeri on-pitch career that the summer arrival from Genoa had been aiming for.
Big milestones for Barza and Benatia
200 Serie A appearances in the black and white stripes, all whilst wearing the captain’s armband. It was a proud evening for Juve stalwart, Andrea Barzagli, who was rightly handed a standing ovation from the Allianz Stadium faithful after coming off the pitch in the closing stages, with both victory and clean sheet all but secure.
Meanwhile for Medhi Benatia, starting alongside Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci in a three-man backline, this was his 150th career Serie A appearance.
