Motta continues to work his magic as Juventus cruise past Verona in Serie A
Verona came into the game on the back of a fantastic 3-0 win against Napoli, but Paolo Zanetti’s men were coming up against a Juve side now managed by Motta. And the new boss’ high-intensity tactics were clear from the beginning of the contest, with his players dominating possession. I
ndeed, it took until the quarter-hour mark for the home side to stamp their authority on proceedings, as they fashioned space in the box for a sight on goal, after Dailon Livramento’s clever backheel freed Daniel Mosquera, but the Colombian's subsequent effort was blocked.
The visitors then took control of the contest and fashioned multiple chances, the first of which saw Manuel Locatelli take a touch and unleash a venomous curling effort from outside the box.
His strike seemed destined to nestle in the net, but Lorenzo Montip scrambled across his goal to beat it away for a corner. Juve then eventually netted midway through the first half, after Nicolo Savona popped up at the back post to tap in, but the 21-year-old was flagged offside.
However, the Turin side’s relentless pressure paid off just before the half-hour mark, when Kenan Yildiz slipped Dusan Vlahovic through.
The Serbian striker showed his signature composure and strength to battle off a defender, and slotted the ball home to open his account for 2024/25.
Juventus then wrapped up a perfect opening 45 minutes soon after, as Savona finally got his goal, once again popping up at the back post, this time with a looping header.
The Old Lady picked up right where they left off in the second half, showing great attacking intent, and a third goal just seven minutes after the restart removed any lingering doubts over the result.
Samuel Mbangula played his part, as he was fouled by Jackson Tchatchoua after dribbling his way into the box, and Vlahovic buried the resulting spot kick by sending Montipo the wrong way, notching his fourth successful career penalty against Verona.
Motta’s influence was clear to see and the Bianconeri cruised through the final half hour, dominating possession.
Things certainly look on the up for the Turin outfit, while Verona boss Zanetti will be disappointed with his side’s performance following their triumphant start to the campaign. Their attention now turns to a trip to Genoa on Sunday.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)