Primavera 1 | Juventus-Cagliari 2-2

The Primavera 1 championship match between Juventus and Cagliari Under 20 ended in a thrilling draw: at the Vinovo Training Center, the match drew 2-2 after a hard-fought match, decided by an incredible finale that included the Rossoblu’s equalizer. Cagliari, with the “reinforcements” from the first team—Trepy, Mendy, and Raterink (their first competitive match in Italy)—arrived directly from Parma overnight, along with Sulev and Malfitano, were all available to Pisacane for the Serie A match.

The Rossoblu started off at a good pace and even won a corner in the opening minutes after a move by Trepy, who was well-placed by Russo. The striker attempted a shot from a tight angle instead of finding Mendy in the middle, but it was deflected out for a corner. Juventus attempted to control possession but struggled to build fluidly, partly due to Pisano’s intense pressing. The Bianconeri broke forward with a cross from the left and a deep run for Leone, whose low cross was intercepted by the Sardinian defense. Juventus made their first forced substitution in the 18th minute: Pugno was forced off with a muscle injury after a defensive slide, and Durmisi came on in his place.

The match remained deadlocked and rather tactical. Cagliari attempted to threaten with a long-range shot from Russo, following Mendy’s pass, but the shot went wide. The Bianconeri grew in intensity towards the end of the half, and in the 37th minute, they had their first real chance: Oboavwodou cut back on his right foot and fired a powerful shot against the crossbar, but Kehayov was alert and saved. A few minutes later, Mazur also had a go from mid-range with a right-footed effort that went just wide. After two minutes of injury time, the referee sent the teams to the locker room with the score tied at 0-0.

The second half began with no changes, and Cagliari immediately threatened: Trepy played Sulev on the other end, but Huli came out to save Juventus. In the 53rd minute, the Bianconeri created a great opportunity: Oboavwodou turned on the edge of the box and fired powerfully into the corner, but Kehayov saved with the help of the post. Shortly thereafter, Cagliari was forced to make another substitution: Trepy was forced off the pitch due to dizziness, and Sugamele came on in his place. The score was finally broken in the 60th minute, when Montero rose to the near post from a Leone corner and headed the ball past Kehayov, putting Juventus ahead. The Bianconeri immediately came close to doubling their lead: Merola, a freshly substituted player, unleashed an elegant right-footed shot that hit the inside of the post. Merola himself hit the woodwork again a few minutes later with a similar effort. Juventus still found the 2-0 lead in the 76th minute: Merola started from the left again, feinted to cut back onto his right foot, and then converged towards the center before beating Kehayov with a precise shot. Just when the game seemed to be on the line, Cagliari reopened the game in the 79th minute: Grandu skipped past Rizzo and passed the ball to Mendy, who, all alone in the box, slotted home the ball for the 1-2. Towards the end, the Rossoblu increased the pressure and poured into the Juventus half. The equalizer came in the 93rd minute: Sugamele received the ball from Mendy, ran through the defense, and unleashed a powerful shot under the crossbar that beat Huli.

In the final seconds, everything happened again: Kehayov made a great save on Durmisi’s header, and on the final move, Cogoni cleared the ball off the line after Durmisi had dribbled past the goalkeeper. The match ended 2-2, and Cagliari’s bid for survival continues with renewed confidence. On Wednesday, they play again in Turin, but against the Granata.

Goals: Montero (J), Merola (J), Mendy (C), Sugamele (C)
Juventus: Huli, Rizzo, Montero, Keutgen, Leone, Verde, Mazur, Grelaud, Pugno, Oboavwodou, Licina. A disp. Radu, Milia, Comellas, Finocchiaro, Durmisi, Vallana, Sylla, Merola, Pagio, Borasio. All. Simone Padoin.
Cagliari: Kehayov, Malfitano, Trepy, Cogoni, Grandu, Sulev, Mendy, Franke, Russo, Raterink, Marini. A disp. Lesiewicz, Doppio, Tronci, Costa, Hamdaoua, Cardu, Goryanov, Roguski, Nunn, Nkazi, Sugamele. All. Francesco Pisano.
Referee: Vittorio Emanuele Teghile (sez. Collegno)