Juventus's defeat against AC Milan resulted in their elimination from the Italian Super Cup.
Juventus's defeat against AC Milan resulted in their elimination from the Italian Super Cup.
Juventus will be heading back home early from Saudi Arabia, their participation in this season's Supercoppa Italiana coming to an end following a disheartening 2-1 defeat against AC Milan in the semifinals.
The Bianconeri aimed to claim their first trophy under the leadership of Coach Thiago Motta, but instead, they became the inaugural victims of the Sergio Conceicao era at Milan, granting their opponents a spot in the upcoming final match on Monday.
Both teams faced injuries ahead of the Al-Awwal Park Stadium clash in Riyadh, Milan's switch to Conceicao's preferred 4-3-3 system being hindered by Rafael Leao's absence, who joined Samuel Chukwueze, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, and Alessandro Florenzi in the medical tent.
Simultaneously, Juve's long-term absentee list, featuring Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal, and Arkadiusz Milik, had left them desperate for reinforcements during the ongoing transfer window as discussed in this earlier piece.
How Juventus let a lead slip against AC Milan
The injury issues were further exacerbated in the pre-game warm-up, forcing Francisco Conceicao out of Juve's starting XI, a muscle injury leading to his replacement by Kenan Yildiz.
This substitution brought rapid rewards as the Turkish international sped away on the right wing, latching onto a pass from Samuel Mbangula and smashing the ball into the net's top corner.
Throughout the first half, Juve maintained control, another excellent effort from Yildiz saved by a crucial Mike Maignan stop. The interval failed to alter the game's flow, and Juve should have been two goals up after an outstanding opportunity presented by the indefatigable Kenan Yildiz, only for Dusan Vlahovic to somehow miss the mark.
Milan's revival and Juventus' demise
Milan's wastefulness appeared to energize them, Theo Hernandez wasting a similarly easy chance to draw level, then requiring a sharp save from Michele Di Gregorio to prevent Tijjani Reijnders from scoring.
Eventually, Milan's resurgence became unavoidable, and Manuel Locatelli bringing down Christian Pulisic in the penalty box provided the US international the chance to make amends from the spot, which he gratefully seized.
Excellent defending by Weston McKennie prevented Alvaro Morata from extending Milan's lead, but it only took four minutes for Milan to complete their comeback.
Down the right flank, Yunus Musah looked to connect with a teammate, but an unlucky deflection off Federico Gatti saw the ball fly into the net. Di Gregorio was required to make another fine save after another breakaway, yet the damage had already been done, and Juve succumbed to their second loss of the season.
“Indeed, this was a significant defeat,” Thiago Motta admitted post-match in an interview with Sport Mediaset. “It is disheartening, I believe that we had a crystal-clear opportunity to defeat Milan, and we were unable to capitalize on it.
“We must enhance our character because, when a negative incident occurs, we must react. At the initial negative incident today, we failed to respond and squandered the opportunity to advance to the Final, which for 70 minutes was in our control.”
“Today, we were superior to our adversaries in numerous aspects, yet with scant effort, our opponents managed to swing the momentum. Unfortunately, we reacted inappropriately.”
It is difficult to contest that assessment, but now Coach Motta must encourage his team to heed these words before Juventus face crucial matches against Torino and Atalanta.
Despite Juventus' dominance for 70 minutes, their inability to capitalize on their opportunities led to a 2-1 defeat against AC Milan, costing them a spot in the Supercoppa Italiana final. This defeat comes at a significant financial loss for the club, as winning trophies often increases their revenue from sports sponsorships and merchandise sales.
Juventus' poor performance in the Supercoppa Italiana further highlights the importance of effective financial management in sports, as the lack of a trophy could potentially impact their overall revenue stream.