08 July 2017
Juventus ended a legendary 2016/17 campaign on a high with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Bologna at the Stadio Renato Dell’Ara thanks to goals from Paulo Dybala and Moise Kean, the youngster’s first ever senior strike in the top flight.
The Bianconeri were perhaps unfortunate to fall behind to Saphir Taider’s spectacular right-footed curler shortly after the interval but found the goals their dominance deserved late on as Dybala slammed home from close range on the rebound and Kean steered Miralem Pjanic’s free-kick into the corner with the last kick of the game.
Despite kicking off proceedings with a near uninterrupted 10-minute spell of possession, Massimiliano Allegri’s men perhaps need not have waited for the 17 year old’s dramatic late entrance had they not taken a host of first-half chances in Bologna.
With Emil Audero making his debut in goal, Juve began brightly, immediately taking the game to their lacklustre opponents, Stefano Sturaro’s goal ruled out correctly for offside and Gonzalo Higuain forcing a smart save from home keeper Angelo Da Costa.
The visitors were perhaps unfortunate to fall behind seven minutes after the interval, Saphir Taider curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner from the edge of the box; nothing to be done for debutant Audero.
But back came the Bianconeri who deservedly sourced an equaliser 20 minutes from time through Dybala. A flying stop by Da Costa had kept out the Argentine’s sweetly struck drive from distance in the previous phase of play but La Joya made sure he would not be denied twice in quick succession, ramming home from close range on the rebound to level the scores.
With 12 minutes remaining, on came academy product Kean and fate would have it that the youngster would be on the end of fellow substitute Miralem Pjanic’s floated free-kick, showing the purest of poacher’s instincts to guide a diving header inside the far post with the last kick of the game.
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