21 September 2019
Aaron Ramsey scored on his debut, while Cristiano Ronaldo converted from the penalty spot to hand Juventus a 2-1 victory over Hellas Verona at Allianz Stadium. The Verona outfit drew first blood through a fantastic goal by Miguel Veloso, but the Bianconeri fought back to secure the victory.
Maurizio Sarri went for a different look starting XI for this fixture by introducing Gianluigi Buffon, Merih Demiral, Aaron Ramsey and Paulo Dybala from the first minute. For Gigi he had come full circle, on May 19, 2018, he bid farewell to the Bianconeri against Hellas Verona, while today, against the same opposition, he made his second Serie A “debut” for the club.
MISSED PENALTY, TWO WOODWORKS & A GOAL
Both teams used the opening 15 minutes to find their feet in the match, but it was between the 18th and 21st minute where tons of action took place. Hellas Verona were granted a penalty kick after Demiral collided with Di Carmine in the box, he then stood up to take the penalty, but his effort smacked the upright. A follow up shot was then hit towards goal, but it rebounded off the crossbar, before then seeing Miguel Veloso fire in from outside the box to take the lead. An excellent volleyed strike it w
RAMSEY SCORES ON DEBUT
Cristiano Ronaldo then tried his luck on the stroke of the half hour with a powerful snapshot that went agonizingly wide of the goal. The Bianconeri did take the lead two minutes later when Ramsey struck from distance, it took a deflection off Gunter and flew into the back of the net to make it 1-1.
RONALDO CONVERTS
It took Juventus only four minutes in the second half to take the lead in the game when they were awarded a penalty after Cuadrado was brought down in the box. Ronaldo stood up to take the spot-kick and he converted with a powerful and precise effort that went down the middle of the goal. Khedira was then introduced in place of Ramsey on the hour mark, while Higuain was brought on in place of Dybala ten minutes later. Verona came dangerously close to pulling level when Veloso curled in a free-kick. Buffon made the initial save, but Di Carmine struck on the rebound and it was body blocked by the wall of Bonucci and Demiral.
VERONA DOWN TO 10-MEN
The remaining bit of the game didn’t see many chances fall at both ends of the field until the final minutes of the game, with Danilo attempting a long-range effort that sailed straight into the arms of Silvestri. Miguel Veloso could have snatched a point for Hellas in the 90th minute when he denied Lazovic’s close range effort, before Veloso’s follow-up clipped the woodwork. Verona were then reduced to ten men deep inside stoppage time after Kumbulla received a second yellow card for bringing down Matuidi inside the half circle. Ronaldo’s free-kick smacked the opposition’s wall, in what would be the last chance of the game.
Juventus XI: Buffon, Danilo, Bonucci, Demiral, Alex Sandro; Ramsey (Khedira 60’), Bentancur (Pjanic 50’), Matuidi; Cuadrado, Dybala (Higuain 70’), Ronaldo
Substitutions: Szczesny, Pinsoglio, De Ligt, Rugani, Pjanic, Khedira, Emre Can, Rabiot, Higuain, Bernardeschi
Verona XI: Silvestri; Rrahmani, Kumbulla, Gunter; Faraoni, Amrabat, Veloso, Lazovic; Zaccagni, Verre; Di Carmine
Substitutions: Berardi, Radunovic, Vitale, Henderson, Pazzini, Danzi, Dawidowicz, Salcedo, Pessina, Empereur, Tutino, Adjapong
