28 September 2023
Iconic Goals returns, bringing us closer to the upcoming challenge against Atalanta, scheduled for Sunday 1 October at 18:00 CEST at the Gewiss Stadium. The Bianconeri were smiling again following their midweek home success against Lecce, with Arek Milik's first league goal in the second half proving decisive. Another tough fixture lies in wait as Coach Allegri's men prepare to do battle in Bergamo. Last season's away leg against Atalanta brings back good memories, with the Bianconeri returning to Turin with maximum points following a 2-0 victory. Looking at the most recent results between the two side, Juventus have collected 12 wins and 5 draws in the last 18 matches at La Dea, with just one defeat coming in April 2021.
To tell the story of this instalment of Iconic Goals, we need to go back to 23 May, 1997. Marcello Lippi's Juventus, a few days before the Champions League final to be played against Borussia Dortmund, showed up in Bergamo looking to end the championship discussions with a matchday to spare. However, they were up against a team that had more than impressed, led by a very young goalscorer who topped the scoring charts, a certain Filippo Inzaghi. And it is Pippo himself, who would head to Turin at the end of that season, who broke the deadlock in the 19th minute, thus complicating the Bianconeri's plans as they headed into the break a goal up.
In the second half, Alessandro Del Piero and his teammates immediately tried to up the ante, knowing that a draw would be enough to secure a 24th league title. The key moment came from a corner just ten minutes into the second half: a poor clearance from the home goalkeeper Pinato allowed Mark Iuliano to pounce and slot home. The remainder of the match was a matter of game management, as the Bianconeri could feel the title in their grasp. At the final whistle, the scoreboard read 1-1, with the leveller enough to secure the title, scored by a central defender in his first year with the Juventus shirt. The visiting fans streamed onto the pitch, kick-starting the title celebrations. Mathematics doesn't lie, as the Scudetto was once again black and white.
