Juventus vs VFB Stuttgart: A Misery in the Champions League
Ah, Juventus! The Old Lady, the piazza’s princess, the team that always has a jaunty tune up their sleeves… until now. Their undefeated run has come to a screeching halt, much like a bus driver who just realized they missed the last stop! A 1-0 defeat at the hands of VFB Stuttgart—what a plot twist! Abrupt, unexpected, and frankly, just a bit tragic. It’s not often we see the Juventus team drop the ball—metaphorically and probably literally this time—so let’s dive into the tops and flops after what can only be characterized as a rough night for the Italian giants.
The Best
Mattia Perin 🇮🇹 : Ah, sweet Mattia—if this had been a beauty contest, he’d have taken home the crown! The only one bringing the heat from the Italian side, making saves like he was trying to catch a bus in rush hour. Sure, he conceded the goal at the death, but before then, he was a fortress, a magnificent horizontal save on a penalty worthy of a round of applause! Quick note to management:
If he doesn’t get a contract extension until June 2027, we might as well throw in the towel. He was the shining beacon in a night that felt like a power outage!
The Flops
Nicoló Savona 🇮🇹 : Now, if you’ve ever seen someone try to put on ice skates for the first time, you’d get a clear image of Savona’s struggle on the right flank. He was left battered and bruised by young Leweling, and offensively? Let’s just say his contributions were vanishing faster than a magician’s rabbit. Like most of his colleagues, he marched through this match as if he was just there to bring the lemon cakes to the post-match tea party!
Danilo 🇧🇷 : Oh dear, captain, where art thou? If giving away a penalty and a red card qualifies you for the ‘I Tried My Best’ award, then Danilo is a winner! It was as if he was playing ‘hot potato’ with the ball during high-stakes poker night. Yeah, not the brightest strategy, especially when down a man. He truly took “self-sabotage” to a new level.
Khephren Thuram 🇫🇷 : Douglas Luiz’s injury was a cruel twist in the tale, but Thuram’s performance felt like a fill-in. You know, like the guy you invite to watch a football match but he just ends up scrolling through memes on his phone. His passes were about as accurate as a blindfolded dart thrower, and physically, he looked like he was still adjusting to his new shoes!
Weston McKennie 🇺🇸 : Poor Weston, back from injury and looking about as present as my motivation on a Monday morning. It was no surprise to see him carted off in the 55th minute. His contributions were like a vague whisper in a rock concert—barely heard, largely ignored. Let’s promise to do better next time, shall we?
Dusan Vlahovic 🇷🇸 : Now here’s a man who looked more isolated than a lonely sock in the dryer. Harmless in front of goal and as engaged in the match as a couch potato during halftime. His timid approach reminded us of a deer in headlights—and believe me, those defenders were ready for a dance party from him!
Thiago Motta 🇮🇹 : Ah, the maestro himself! It seems like he may have hit a sour note in the orchestra of team management. While trying to address the injury crisis with a makeshift lineup, he may have played Mozart on an out-of-tune organ. Failing to trust Federico Gatti and bringing Danilo back into the mix? A recipe for disaster! And let’s not forget the invisible Andrea Cambiaso—perhaps he’s been abducted?
In conclusion: Juventus may have hit a slight bump in the road, but they’re not completely out of sorts. They just need to re-evaluate their strategies, tighten their shoelaces, and remember what winning feels like. And here’s hoping for a bit of magic from their next matches—after all, even the Old Lady needs a good old fairy godmother touch now and again!
Juventus fell for the first time this season with a 1-0 defeat against VFB Stuttgart this Tuesday evening in the Champions League. An Old Lady beaten by a very attractive German team and who snatched the three points of victory. It’s time to rediscover the tops and flops after this first defeat of the season.
If this category remains completely subjective and everyone will have their own opinion, the Juventus-fr.com editorial staff gives you their feelings on this negative result. A Juventus in difficulty and which will not have succeeded in doing the job without its strong men like Teun Koopmeiners or Nico Gonzalez. Bad news also for Douglas Luiz who was supposed to start at kick-off but was forced to give up his place following an injury before the match. Juventus came across a very playful team from Stuttgart with high quality players like Leweling, Stiller and Undav.
The best
Mattia Perin 🇮🇹 : This is the only top of this part! If he concedes a goal at the very end of the match, he is the only satisfaction of the evening with several saves and a magnificent horizontal on the penalty. He perfectly replaced Di Gregorio in goal. Perin should sign a contract extension until June 2027 and this evening he convinced the last doubters.
Nicoló Savona 🇮🇹 : In great difficulty on his right lane and he was very often beaten by the young Leweling on his side. Offensively, he didn’t contribute enough and the few times he came on, he never managed to overwhelm the opposing defenders. Savona goes through this match like most of her partners.
Danilo 🇧🇷 : For his return to central defense and with the captain’s armband, he was very bad with numerous ball losses. Far too much waste for the Brazilian who also kills the team by conceding a stupid penalty. Penalty and red card, it leaves the team at 10 against 11 and at the end of the match, Juventus collapsed. He can clearly blame himself.
Khephren Thuram 🇫🇷 : Replacing the injured Douglas Luiz just before the match, he did not shine at all in midfield. He makes the wrong choices in his passes and you have to get in tune physically in these big matches, which he was not able to do. He still has a lot of progress to make.
Weston McKennie 🇺🇸 : Completely out of the picture and it is no coincidence that he was replaced by Manuel Locatelli in the 55th minute of play. An evening without, for the American international who was returning after a minor injury.
Dusan Vlahovic 🇷🇸 : Harmless in front of goal! Isolated from the rest of the team, he never manages to get into the heart of the game. In difficult moments, he is not sought after as the main attacker and he is too timid against strong defenders. Quickly replaced by Adzic who also did not respond.
Thiago Motta 🇮🇹: The Italian coach made a mistake in his team composition. If he opts for Thuram following the unfortunate injury to Douglas Luiz, he does not trust Federico Gatti and allows himself to put Danilo back in great difficulty. In the middle too, he is deprived of Manuel Locatelli in great shape and physically the team was hampered by his opponent. It is also difficult to understand the reason why he does not start Andrea Cambiaso who is having a very strong start to the season.