30 September 2026
The Juventus Under-21 select side suffered a narrow defeat at the Riverside Stadium in their opening match of the 2026/27 Premier League International Cup. Middlesbrough claimed a 1-0 victory, with Campbell scoring the decisive goal in the second half. It was a balanced encounter in which the Bianconeri had opportunities to break the deadlock but were unable to find the back of the net.
AN EVEN FIRST HALF
The hosts were the first to threaten, with Ibeh trying his luck in the fifth minute, before McCabe fired from distance three minutes later and forced Fuscaldo into a fine diving save to turn the ball behind for a corner.
Juventus responded in the 15th minute through Merola, who cut inside from the left onto his right foot and tried a curling effort which was on target but caused Connor few problems.
As the half progressed, the Bianconeri Under-21 select side began to gain ground, keeping possession and looking to use the width of the pitch when building from the back. In the 25th minute, however, Fuscaldo was again called into action to deny Middlesbrough: Smith crossed from the left for Coulson, whose effort was met by a sharp save from the Juventus goalkeeper.
Juve increased the pressure in the latter stages of the half and created one of their best opportunities just before the break, with Merola going close to opening the scoring. The two sides headed into half-time with the score still 0-0.
JUVE PUSH, CAMPBELL DECIDES THE CONTEST
Juventus looked to raise the tempo after the restart. In the 59th minute, Leone fired towards goal, but Connor was able to deal with his effort. Shortly afterwards, Padoin made four changes, introducing Okolo, Vallana, Bellino and Tiozzo Pagio.
The Bianconeri continued to push for the opening goal. In the 73rd minute, Bellino won a corner and, from the resulting delivery, Brugarello tried his luck from inside the penalty area but sent his effort over the crossbar. Five minutes later, Merola picked out Bellino with an excellent switch of play, with the substitute volleying off target before the move was also halted for offside.
Juventus kept pushing and in the 82nd minute Bellino tested Connor, who managed to keep out his effort. At the other end, however, the decisive moment of the match arrived shortly afterwards: Campbell struck a right-footed effort that hit the crossbar before finding the back of the net to give Middlesbrough the lead.
The Juventus Under-21 select side looked for an equaliser in the closing stages, but the score remained unchanged. It finished Middlesbrough 1-0 Juventus at the Riverside Stadium in the Bianconeri's opening match of the 2026/27 Premier League International Cup.
