Last weekend was one to remember for a handful of Juventus’ loan stars gaining experience around the continent, with Ouasim Bouy (PEC Zwolle), Vikyntas Slivka (Den Bosch), Gabriel Appelt Pires (Leganes), Lorenzo Benucci (Prato), Lorenzo Rosseti (Cesena) and Pol Garcia (Crotone) all finding the net for their respective teams.
THE NETHERLANDS
Not for the first time, the pick of the action was to be found in the Netherlands as midfielder Buoy, currently pulling the strings for Eredivisie outfit PEC Zwolle, added a fine angled finish, a firm header and an excellent 40-yard assist to his season’s highlights reel in Friday night’s 3-1 victory over Roda JC.
The 22-year-old was not the only Juve loanee to find the net in Holland in the last few days, however, as fellow youngster Slivka added the finishing touches to Den Bosch’s 5-0 thumping of Telstar in the country’s second tier. Three goals for the season now for the Lithuanian international forward.
NORWAY
Elsewhere in northern Europe, there was to be a debut for Vajebah Sakor, turning out for Tippeligaen outfit Valerenga in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Stabaek. The Norwegian U19 midfielder had previously been on loan at Westerlo in Belgium.
SPAIN
Heading south, Brazilian playmaker Appelt Pires continued his promising progress in Spain’s Liga Adelante, tapping home his team’s second goal in a 4-0 win over Valladolid, a result that puts the minnows top of the standings on 57 points with nine games remaining.
ITALY
Closer to home, there were equally profitable weekends for Italian duo Benucci and Rosseti, both scorers in the respective wins for Prato and Cesena, with the former’s marking his first ever as a professional.
The prize for most important strike though may well have to go to Spanish defender Garcia, whose close-range header in Crotone’s 2-1 win over Ternana edged the Serie B leaders ever closer to an historic promotion to Italy’s top-flight.