Juventus teenager Kenan Yildiz emerged as the ultimate hero for the Bianconeri faithful in the thrilling 4-4 draw against Inter.
While the young attacker has been a regular starter since the start of the season, Thiago Motta decided to drop him from the lineup for the Derby d’Italia, instead relying on Timothy Weah on the left flank. And while the American responded by scoring Juve’s second, the coach ultimately resorted to the services of the 19-year-old at his most desperate hour.
The Turkiye international rose to the occasion by bagging a fabulous brace that salvaged an invaluable point for the Old Lady, and preventing the team’s first defeat of the Serie A campaign.
After the contest, Yildiz admitted it wasn’t easy to make an impact off the bench, while explaining his two different celebrations after each goal.
“Is it better to start from the bench next time too? It wasn’t easy,” said the Juventus number 10 in his post-interview via TuttoJuve. “But I’m very happy and I thank my teammates and the coach. These goals make me happy.
“I’m proud to have scored against Inter. After the first one, I didn’t stick my tongue out because I had to keep my feet on the ground. But after the equalizer, I celebrated as I always do. I hope to score more.
Moreover, the young forward insisted Juventus still believe in winning the Scudetto.
“We have to remain on the positive track. In football, everything can change quickly, but we played as a team and it eventually went well for us. We believe in the Scudetto, but the season is still long.”
Juventus currently sit third in the Serie A table, five points adrift of league leaders Napoli. They have assembled four wins and five draws in the first nine rounds of the season.