Juventus on Monday made light work of Como with a 3-0 win on Thiago Motta’s Serie A debut with the Turin giants, while Atalanta BC brushed aside transfer upheaval with a 4-0 thumping of US Lecce.
Impressive first-half strikes from promising youngster Samuel Mbangula, a surprise starter on the left flank, and Timothy Weah, before a thumping Andrea Cambiaso finish in stoppage-time gave Juve and Motta a perfect start against promoted Como, who were playing their first top-flight match in more than two decades.
“Como are a good team and we had the right attitude tonight, when we had the ball we did really well all throughout the match,” Motta told DAZN.
Photo: Reuters
Juve could have easily won by a larger margin at the Allianz Stadium as the hosts created a series of chances against Como, who were outclassed on the night.
Dusan Vlahovic had a particularly unlucky evening up front for Juve as he struck the woodwork in each half and had what looked like a perfectly good headed goal ruled out just after halftime.
The Serbia striker was baffled as to why his strike was chalked off, but Cambiaso had strayed offside earlier in the move, denying him a goal.
Motta, who arrived after guiding Bologna to the UEFA Champions League, already has Juve playing a brand of soccer which is easier on the eye than was played under his predecessor Massimiliano Allegri.
That is despite Juve being a work in progress as a clutch of Allegri’s favorites, including Italy forward Federico Chiesa, have been sidelined to make space for players deemed more suited to Motta’s style of play.
Cesc Fabregas’ Como, an ambitious club backed by tobacco giant Djarum active in the summer transfer window, will get a better indication of their chances of staying in the division in their next two fixtures at Cagliari and Udinese.
“Today was a reality check. We need to be better,” Fabregas told DAZN. “What I sure was a difference in quality... They were devastating when they took the ball off us and we gave away too many easy balls. That’s not tactics, that’s down to individual quality.”
New boys Marco Brescianini and Mateo Retegui gave UEFA Europa League holders Atalanta a hugely impressive start at Lecce after a turbulent summer that has featured long-term injuries and star players agitating for transfers.
Brescianini, who only arrived from relegated Frosinone on Friday last week, opened the scoring on the rebound 10 minutes before halftime and confidently rolled home the fourth in the 66th minute.
The 24-year old’s strikes topped and tailed a near-perfect away performance as Italy striker Retegui netted with a bullet header on the stroke of halftime, before winning and then scoring a penalty just before the hour mark.
“It’s better than even I could have imagined,” said Brescianini, who is from just outside Bergamo, where Atalanta are based. “I’m really happy to be wearing this jersey, and I hope to repay the faith the club and fans have shown in me.”
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