Before the match, the Juventus fans displayed a banner (Juventus Gaetano Scirea Fan Club photo) encouraging Gianluca Vialli: “Luca Vialli scores for us…”. And also drew applause from the Cremonese fans, given that the first football steps, in football, that counts, were taken right at the “Cremo”.
The hosts got off to a better start and created more of a threat to the black-and-white rearguard with Okereke, Dessers and more Okereke. In the 16th minute, Cremonese would also take the lead with Valeri but after consulting the Var it was cancelled for offside: a sigh of relief for Allegri’s team, which appeared in clear difficulty on the occasion of the goal conceded and cancelled later.
Juve finally enters the game at the turn of the 20′: first with Bremer, who misses the ball for a matter of centimetres on Kostic’s “kiss ball”. Then Soulé, with his shot that was deflected for a corner by the goalkeeper Carnesecchi, author of a real feat that drew applause.
In the 21st minute, a second goal was disallowed for the Cremonese: the author would have been Dessers, stopped by the referee Ayroldi for a foul intervention by the attacking landlord.
In the 38th minute the second real chance for Juve, with Kostic, who sent a left-footed fireball from 25 meters away. His shot, very poisonous, grazes the post defended by Carnesecchi.
The first half ends 0-0: a fair result, given the first part of the game in red and grey colours and the second part in black and white.
The second half saw no changes in the Bianconeri’s ranks, with Allegri thus deciding to trust the same eleven.
But in the 56th minute, there was a double substitution: Chiesa and Kean in for Soulé and Fagioli. In the 59th minute, it was Gatti who came close to taking the lead: his shot went just wide following a corner kick.
After a shot by Chiesa, in the 66th minute, which went wide, another double substitution for Allegri: Paredes and Rabiot in, Miretti and McKennie out.
Although Juventus are pressing in search of the advantage, the most tempting opportunity comes from Cremonese, in the 59th minute: Dessers hits the post with a very powerful diagonal shot from Valeri’s assist, with a header.
In the 78th minute, Kostic from the left for Rabiot turns around in the small area but the shot is blocked by Carnesecchi. On the next corner, Kean hits Carnesecchi from a few steps away and rejects it. The result is an action for Cremonese with Valeri arriving in the area and finding an attentive Szczesny who rejects the ball and takes refuge in the corner.
In the 83rd minute another post from Cremonese with Afena-Gyan from a tight angle. In the 85th minute, Iling-Junior takes Kostic’s place: it is the last substitution for Allegri.
With two to go, Kean still had the winning ball but his shot was weak and went wide: a sigh of relief for the Grigiorossi fans.
