Juventus returned from the international break in style, defeating a talented Roma squad 1-0 at home.
Though Roma was largely the better team on the day, Moise Kean’s 16th-minute goal was enough to take all three points for Massimiliano Allegri and Juventus. The Giallorossi missed a penalty and several close-range opportunities, spoiling a perfect chance to upset the Old Lady.
Juventus, amidst Weston McKennie transfer rumors, replaced the American in the midfield with Rodrigo Bentancur. Regulars Adrien Rabiot, Matthijs De Ligt and Paulo Dybala were also unavailable for the Bianconeri, while Alvaro Morata, nearly back from an injury, remained on the bench.
Jose Mourinho and Roma started a top-choice eleven. Tammy Abraham, supported by Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lorenzo Pellegrini in the attacking midfield, led the 4-2-3-1 from the number nine role. In the defense, Roger Ibanez returned to the lineup after Chris Smalling was ruled out with an injury.
Roma began the match strong, earning a free kick from a dangerous position outside the box. Pellegrini’s kick found Gianluca Mancini at the back post, and the centre-back’s header forced a quality save from Wojciech Szczęsny.
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— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) October 17, 2021
Juventus withstood Roma’s attacking spell and eventually found its footing. A deflected cross from Mattia De Sciglio found Moise Kean and Bentancur at the back post. The ball glanced off the Argentine’s head into Kean’s, giving the hosts the opening goal.
Roma’s unfortunate start continued when Nicolo Zaniolo appeared to re-injure his knee. The 22-year-old, who has already had two serious ACL injuries in his young career, was replaced with Stephan El Shaarawy.
The substitution immediately helped the Giallorossi regain its composure. El Shaarawy was dynamic on the left wing, sparking several counter attacks and scoring chances.
The match took a bizarre turn when Tammy Abraham took the ball and cut through the Juventus defense on his own. The striker was seemingly taken down by three opposing defenders at once, and, though the ball ended up in the net, the referee blew the play dead for a penalty. Jourdan Veretout stepped to the spot and promptly missed, thrilling the fans in Turin.
Though Roma had been the better side, the first half drew to a close with Juventus in the lead, 1-0.
Juventus nearly doubled its advantage moments into the second half when Federico Bernadeschi sent a wonderful bicycle kick into the chest of Rui Patricio. The goalkeeper failed to control the shot, and Kean almost scored the follow-up attempt, blasting the ball over the goal.
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Here's our starting XI for tonight's big game in Turin – and yes, @tammyabraham is in!
DAJE ROMA! ?
#ASRoma #JuveRoma pic.twitter.com/lcVf535zfX— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) October 17, 2021
As the match continued, Allegri’s side began to dominate possession for long periods of time. Juventus played well in the midfield, but the club struggled to involve Federico Chiesa and Kean at forward. Most of the hosts’ shots came from creativity in the midfield.
Bernadeschi almost scored a second from a long-range strike, but his shot ultimately went wide of the Roma goal.
The visitors continued to press in the dying moments of the match, but quality defensive play from Juventus preserved the clean sheet. In particular, Danilo and Giorgio Chiellini made several tough plays inside the box to clear the ball.
Matias Vina earned Roma’s best chance of the second half with 20 minutes left. The defender slalomed through the Juventus backline, but he failed to put his shot on target from six yards out. The missed opportunity summed up the day for the visitors, whose finishing was nonexistent despite creating several prime chances.