A report in the Italian press reveals why Juventus coach Thiago Motta decided to bring in Nicolo Fagioli for Teun Koopmeiners during the interval of the Serie A contest against Cagliari.
The Dutchman was once again in the starting formation, playing as an attacking midfielder behind Dusan Vlahovic.
The former Atalanta man had his moments, albeit his maiden goal for the club is still eluding him.
After the break, Koopmeiners was nowhere to be seen, as Fagioli had taken his place on the pitch.
According to IlBianconero, the 26-year-old was feeling some pain in his side, which prompted the manager’s decision.
The source adds that the Netherlands international was hampered by the same issue during Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over RB Leipzig. Therefore, Motta decided to haul him as a precautionary measure.
Sadly for the Bianconeri, they couldn’t complete the job against the resilient Isolani who managed to snatch a valuable point at the Allianz Stadium.
Dusan Vlahovic had given the home side an early lead from the spot, but Douglas Luiz gave away a late penalty, allowing Razvan Marin to become the first player to score against the Turin-based giants in Serie A this season.
Moreover, Francisco Conceicao received a second booking for diving, leaving the home side with a man down in the final minutes.
3 Comments
It wasn’t a small problem because he would have been needed in the 2nd half though, and the number of injured players is only increasing. But then it wasn’t Motta’s (bad) decision.
The fact that Yildiz didn’t start was his bad decision.
If Vlahovic can’t score goals at a higher percentage from such chances, then he can go away.
Luiz too. Mistakes are part of the game, but this is a joke what he’s doing.
The referee can go to hell, and the Juventus-hater Lega too.
Haha, especially your last sentence…. Juve fans should be afraid of the referees lately… 🙁
It’s disappointing having another draw against a well balanced team that we STILL should have beaten.. Douglas Luiz is being met with undeserved disdain… I believe he will improve and show his worth.. obviously if the amount paid for him was less he wouldn’t have such scrutiny .. seen him playing a few years now and he was always a player that takes time to adjust.. he will peak soon.. have faith in ALL the players my friends.