Sabtu, 26 November 2022

Statistik Luar Biasa Harry Maguire Lawan Amerika Serikat, Gini Masih Dibilang Flop?


Harry Maguire kembali membuktikan bahwa Gareth Southgate tidak salah membawanya ke Piala Dunia 2022. Bek Manchester United itu menunjukkan performa yang impresif melawan Amerika Serikat.

Ketika Southgate mengumumkan bahwa Maguire akan masuk ke rombongan Inggris ke Piala Dunia 2022, banyak pihak mempertanyakan keputusan itu. Pasalnya performa Harry Maguire di Manchester United sedang tidak oke dan bahkan ia tidak menjadi starter di skuat Setan Merah musim ini.

Namun sejak pertandingan pertama melawan Iran, Southgate mempercayakan posisi starter kepada Maguire. Ia tampil apik saat Inggris mengalahkan Iran dengan skor 6-2.

Dini hari tadi, Maguire mendapatkan kesempatan untuk bermain sebagai starter melawan Amerika Serikat. Sang bek menunjukkan performa yang impresif di laga ini.

Simak catatan impresif Maguire selama laga tersebut di bawah ini.

Performa Impresif

Statistik Squawka mencatat bahwa Harry Maguire menunjukkan performa yang impresif di lini pertahanan MU.

Ia tercatat membuat total delapan sapuan di area pertahanan MU, di mana tidak ada bek lain yang membuat sapuan sebanyak Maguire. Ia juga memenangkan lima duel melawan pemain timnas Amerika Serikat.

Di udara, Maguire juga sangat tangguh. Ia memenangkan tiga duel udara, di mana ia juga membuat satu intersep di laga ini. Jadi ia benar-benar membuat barisan penyerang Amerika Serikat frustrasi di alga ini.

Membantu Serangan

Tidak hanya peiawai bertahan, Maguire juga aktif membantu serangan Inggris di laga ini.

Ia menjadi pemain dengan umpan panjang sukses paling banyak di laga ini dengan delapan umpan. Ia membuat tiga sentuhan di kotak penatli Amerika Serikat.

Ia juga melepaskan satu tembakan tepat sasaran di laga ini. Jika melihat statistik impresif Maguire ini, apakah sang bek masih bisa dibilang pemain flop?

Imbang

Meski Maguire tampil apik di laga ini, timnas Inggris gagal membekuk Amerika Serikat.

Mereka ditahan imbang dengan skor 0-0 sehingga kelolosan mereka ke fase gugur masih harus tertunda.

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Minggu, 20 November 2022

Gol Pertama Ekuador Kok Offside dan Dianulir, Kenapa?


Ekuador sementara unggul 2-0 atas Qatar di laga pembuka Piala Dunia 2022, matchday 1 Grup A, Minggu (20/11/2022). Saat artikel ini ditulis, pertandingan baru memasuki jeda paruh waktu.

Dua gol Ekuador sementara ini diborong oleh Enner Valencia di menit ke-16 dan ke-31. Penyerang senior Ekuador ini benar-benar jadi pembeda, pergerakannya sulit dikawal lawan.

Melihat jalannya pertandingan, Qatar tampak grogi dan sulit mengimbangi permainan Ekuador. Untungnya skor 0-2 masih bisa dikejar di babak kedua.

Ekuador mungkin seharusnya unggul dengan skor lebih besar andai gol pertama Enner Valencia di awal laga tidak dianulir. Lantas, sudah benarkah keputusan wasit?

Kok Bisa offside?

Enner Valencia memang sudah mencetak dua gol di laga ini, tapi jumlah tersebut mungkin bisa lebih banyak. Striker senior Ekuador tersebut sempat mencetak gol sundulan ketika laga baru berjalan tiga menit.

Ekuador sempat melakukan selebrasi, bahkan bola sudah mampir ke titik tengah lapangan. Namun, VAR mengintervensi dan memutuskan bahwa gol dianulir karena offside.

Berdasarkan keputusan VAR, gol tersebut dianggap dianulir karena offside, tapi bukan untuk pergerakan Valencia sebagai pencetak gol atau Felix Torres sebagai pembuat assist.

Melihat tayangan ulang, salah satu pemain Ekuador, Michael Estrada terlihat berada di posisi offside ketika bola pertama kali dilambungkan ke kotak penalti.

Sudah sesuai aturan

Menurut Rules of the Game FIFA, seorang pemain disebut offside jika berada di antara kiper dan pemain outfield terakhir saat bola umpan dilepas. Pemain juga terhitung offside jika berada di belakang kiper saat bola umpan dilepas.

Selain itu, ada pula aturan yang menjelaskan bahwa harus ada minimal dua pemain lawan di belakang kiper jika kiper bukanlah pemain terakhir dalam perebutan bola.

Tayangan ulang menunjukkan bahwa posisi satu kaki Estrada berada di belakang kiper Qatar saat bola disundul rekannya. Memang offside tipis, tapi keputusan ini sudah benar.

Menariknya, keputusan ini tetap saja memicu berbagai reaksi di media sosial. 

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Sabtu, 19 November 2022

Klarifikasi Langsung! Bruno Fernandes Bantah Ada Masalah dengan Cristiano Ronaldo


Bruno Fernandes akhirnya buka suara tentang cuplikan yang beredar yang menunjukkan dirinya ada masalah dengan Cristiano Ronaldo. Bruno memastikan tidak ada masalah dengan rekan klub dan timnasnya tersebut, sekaligus memastikan narasi yang dibuat dari cuplikan tersebut mengada-ada.

Sebelumnya beredar cuplikan video bahwa Ronaldo dan Bruno bermasalah. Narasi yang dibuat seolah-olah Bruno enggan menatap mata Ronaldo dan senyum di antara keduanya pun kaku.

Narasi tersebut bisa muncul lantaran Ronaldo sempat menyerang Manchester United yang notabene klubnya sendiri dan klubnya Bruno. Banyak pihak yang tidak senang dengan tindakan Ronaldo.

Walaupun begitu, Bruno menilai apa yang terjadi dengan Man United saat ini tidak sedang jadi fokusnya. Ia dan Ronaldo akan fokus dengan timnas Portugal dulu di Piala Dunia 2022.

Bercanda

Dalam wawancara ekslusif dengan Sky Sports, Bruno menerangkan apa yang terjadi di cuplikan tersebut sebetulnya hanya bercandaan antara dirinya dengan Ronaldo.

“Apakah kalian sudah mendengar suaranya? Kalau belum maka kalian harus melihat cuplikan itu dengan suaranya,” ujarnya menjelaskan.

“Di sana akan terdengar bahwa dia sedang bercanda dengan saya. Kalau kalian mendengar itu, maka saya yakin kalian semua merasa tidak ada masalah di antara kami,” tambah dia.

Tidak Ada Masalah

Terlepas ada cuplikan yang salah narasi itu atau tidak, Bruno memastikan tidak ada masalah dengan siapapun, terlebih kepada Ronaldo. Saat ini hubungan keduanya baik-baik saja.

“Saya tidak punya masalah dengan siapapun. Saya hanya menjalankan tugas saya,” terangnya.

Pernyataan tersebut memastikan bahwa narasi-narasi yang mengiringi wawancara Ronaldo sebagian besar salah.

Fokus di Tim Nasional

Sementara itu, Bruno memastikan bahwa seluruh pemain fokus membela timnas Portugal. Skuad Seleccao ingin mendapatkan yang terbaik di Piala Dunia 2022.

“Ketika Ronaldo datang ke tim nasional, maka fokus utamanya adalah di sini. Kami semua harus fokus ke Piala Dunia karena Piala Dunia tidak datang setiap kali,” ujar Bruno.

“Tapi secara menakjubkan Ronaldo akan memainkan Piala Dunia kelimanya sepanjang kariernya. Jadi saya yakin semua orang sedang fokus di sini,” tandas dia.

Sumber: Sky Sports


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Jumat, 18 November 2022

Prediksi Piala Dunia: Brasil Jadi Juara, Cristiano Ronaldo Sabet Golden Boot!


Piala Dunia 2022 segera dimulai dan prediksi juara mulai bertebaran. Mulai dari mantan pemain, mantan pelatih, hingga analis sepak bola, semua mencoba menyampaikan analisis mereka.

Teranyar, ada Vincent Kompany yang ikut bicara. Mantan kapten Belgia itu punya pengalaman cukup untuk mengetahui apa yang terjadi di balik layar dan apa saja tantangan di Piala Dunia.

Sebagai mantan pemain, Kompany tentu mendukung Belgia. Masih ada banyak rekannya yang bermain di sana, seperti Kevin De Bruyne dan Eden Hazard.

Biar begitu, jika diminta bicara soal prediksi juara, Kompany justru memilih tim lain yang menurutnya lebih potensial. Tim mana yang dimaksud?

Prediksi Kompan

Menjadi juara Piala Dunia dapat disebut sebagai tantangan tersulit bagi tim dan pemain mana pun. Karena itulah mereka yang pernah jadi juara dunia selalu dipandang sebagai pemain spesial.

Kompany memahami situasi tersebut. Dia mendukung Belgia untuk juara, tapi jelas situasinya sulit. "Siapa yang saya kira bakal juara? Saya harap Belgia," buka Kompany

Piala Dunia 2022 ini bisa disebut sebagai kesempatan terakhir untuk generasi emas Belgia membuktikan diri. Bagaimanapun, tim tangguh mereka belum benar-benar terbukti sebagai tim yang bisa jadi juara.

Dukung Brasil

Kompany berkaca pada Piala Dunia 2018 lalu. Dia melihat ada beberapa tim yang punya potensi di edisi tersebut untuk bermain lebih baik di edisi kali ini. Namun, sekarang dia justru memilih mendukung Brasil.

"Sejujurnya, empat tahun lalu saya merasa bahwa Inggris dan Prancis seharusnya jadi favorit untuk edisi kali ini, sebab mereka memasuki Piala Dunia 2018 dengan skuad yang cukup muda," lanjut Kompany.

"Namun, melihat kondisi sekarang, saya merasa Brasil dan Portugal memiliki tim yang harus diwaspadai. Pemain-pemain mereka cukup impresif ... tapi untuk kali ini saya akan memilih Brasil."

Ronaldo sepatu emas

Meski memilih Brasil sebagai favorit juara, Kompany justru mendukung Cristiano Ronaldo untuk meraih sepatu emas. Ronaldo punya peluang besar jadi top scorer di edisi Piala Dunia kali ini.

"Tahukah Anda ... Portugal punya tim yang tangguh jadi bisa saja itu [Sepatu Emas] diraih Cristiano Ronaldo," tutup Kompany.


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Kamis, 17 November 2022

Manchester United Turunkan Mural Cristiano Ronaldo di Old Trafford


Manchester United menurunkan mural atau gambar Cristiano Ronaldo yang ada di bagian luar Stadion Old Trafford. Apakah tindakan tersebut bagian dari efek wawancara Ronaldo dengan Piers Morgan?

Ronaldo membuat wawancara kontroversial dengan Piers Morgan. Pada wawancara itu, pemain 37 tahun memberi pernyataan yang mungkin membuat telinga para petinggi United merah.

Ronaldo merasa dikhianati karena ada jajaran eksekutif klub yang ingin mendepaknya. Lalu, Ronaldo juga memberi kritik pada fasilitas penunjang United yang dinilai ketinggalan zaman. Dia juga mengaku tidak hormat pada manajer Erik ten Hag.

Bahkan, Ronaldo juga menyerang Keluarga Glazer sebagai pemilik United. Lantas, apakah karena masalah itu mural Ronaldo dicopot dari Old Trafford?

Alasan Mural Ronaldo Dicopot

Ronaldo dilaporkan telah membuat kesal Erik ten Hag atas wawancara yang dilakukan. Bahkan, beberapa sumber menyebut manajer asal Belanda tidak ingin Ronaldo berada di skuad lagi. Situasi menjadi cukup rumit.

Namun, wawancara dengan Piers Morgan dan dampaknya bukan penyebab mural Ronaldo dicopot dari Old Trafford. Dikutip dari The Mirror, mural Ronaldo memang sudah waktunya dicopot. Bukan hanya Ronaldo, akan tetapi pemain lain.

Mural-mural yang berada di luar Old Trafford memang harus dicopot pada Rabu (16/11/2022) waktu setempat. Pasalnya, Old Trafford akan menjadi tuan rumah laga final Rugby League World Cup pada hari Sabtu (19/11/2022) nanti.

Final Rugby League World Cup akan mempertemukan Australia dan Selandia Baru untuk kategori laki-laki. Sedangkan, untuk kategori perempuan, laga final akan mempertemukan Australia dengan Samoa. Semua laga akan dimainkan di Old Trafford.

Ronaldo Sakit

Ronaldo sendiri tengah menyiapkan diri jelang Piala Dunia 2022 bersama Timnas Portugal. Ronaldo dilaporkan absen pada sesi latihan hari Rabu (16/11/2022) waktu setempat. Ronaldo juga tidak bisa bermain pada laga uji coba melawan Nigeria.

"Ronaldo tidak akan siap untuk besok [pertandingan persahabatan melawan Nigeria]. Ronaldo kehilangan banyak cairan, dia menderita gastroenteritis dan dia tidak berlatih," kata Santos.

"Ronaldo sedang beristirahat di kamarnya dan memulihkan diri, saya 100 persen yakin dia tidak akan siap untuk lawan Portugal," tegas sang pelatih.

Sumber: Mirror

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Rabu, 16 November 2022

Murka, Manchester United Siap Putus Kontrak Cristiano Ronaldo Secepatnya!


Raksasa Premier League, Manchester United dikabarkan siap memutus kontrak Cristiano Ronaldo di tengah jalan setelah kritik menohok yang dilontarkan sang bintang.

Ronaldo mencurahkan isi hatinya kepada Piers Morgan dalam acara Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV. Sejumlah pihak pun menjadi sasaran kekesalan CR7.

Ronaldo merasa dikhiati oleh Manchester United. Bintang 37 tahun itu pun merasa sakit hati dengan perlakuan yang ia dapat dari pihak klub dan sejumlah orang.

Selain Erik ten Hag, beberapa sosok yang turut menjadi sasaran serangan Ronaldo adalah eks manajer interim Ralf Rangnick, hingga mantan rekan setimnya, Wayne Rooney.

Reaksi Manchester United

Manchester United sendiri sudah merilis pernyataan resmi mereka terkait wawancara eksplosif Ronaldo. Setan Merah menegaskan bahwa mereka enggan bersikap gegabah dalam masalah ini.

Kini seperti dilansir The Sun, Manchester United kabarnya siap memutus kontrak Ronaldo secepatnya, atau lebih dini dari durasi awal yang bakal berakhir pada penghujung musim nanti.

Manchester United bisa jadi bakal mendepak Ronaldo dari skuad ketika CR7 sedang memperkuat Portugal di Piala Dunia 2022. Artinya, Ronaldo takkan lagi bermain untuk United.

Timing Wawancara Cristiano Ronaldo

Menarik melihat timing alias waktu dari wawancara eksplosif Ronaldo ini. CR7 memilih sepekan sebelum gelaran Piala Dunia 2022, di mana kompetisi bakal libur.

Cuplikan wawancara ini keluar di media setelah Manchester United memainkan laga terakhirnya sebelum jeda Piala Dunia 2022, yakni ketika Setan Merah mengalahkan Fulham 2-1.

Dalam laga ini sendiri, Ronaldo sudah tidak ada dalam skuad. United menyebut CR7 sedang tidak fit. Namun, banyak pihak yang menilai Ronaldo memang sudah ingin fokus mempersiapkan diri tampil di Qatar bersama Portugal.

Karier Cristiano Ronaldo Tamat

Manchester United baru akan kembali tampil sebelum Natal dengan menghadapi Burnley di ajang Carabao Cup. Lalu, Setan Merah akan menjamu Nottingham Forest di Boxing Day.

Menarik dinanti apakah Ronaldo bakal kembali ada di skuad Manchester United untuk dua laga tersebut. Jika tak ada, maka besar kemungkinan Ronaldo takkan lagi tampil untuk United.

Ronaldo bisa jadi bakal memilih hengkang dari Old Trafford begitu bursa transfer Januari 2023 dibuka. Artinya, Ronaldo sudah memainkan laga terakhirnya berseragam United ketika timnya menyerah di kandang Aston Villa.

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Senin, 14 November 2022

Twitter is in meltdown over Cristiano Ronaldo interview

 

Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo tore into his club and manager this weekend.

Fans and pundits on Twitter are reeling after Cristiano Ronaldo ripped into Manchester United and manager Erik ten Hag in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

The 37-year-old Portuguese star, who did not play in United's win over Fulham on Sunday, said Ten Hag and others at the club are trying to force him out, adding he feels 'betrayed'.

Will he ever play for the club again?

Meanwhile, Brentford striker Ivan Toney responded strongly to being left out of the England squad by Gareth Southgate, while Chelsea defender Reece James, who is also not on the plane to Qatar, chimed in too.

And there was an attempt by Alex Iwobi to appease angry Everton fans that really didn't go down well.

All of that, and more, is in this week's round-up of the best tweets from the weekend's football.

1. The most explosive 90 minutes of Ronaldo's season

Ronaldo has taken a direct approach as the Premier League breaks for the World Cup.

It's been a tumultuous season for one of the world's best players and the fallout with Ten Hag has already been pretty public. After agitating for a transfer in the summer, he refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham last month, which led to manager Ten Hag dropping him against Chelsea.

Since then, Ronaldo captained United in a 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa on 6 November, but has since not played for the club because of an unspecified illness.

Lots of pundits have condemned the way that Ronaldo has conducted himself.

Some fans, of course, are still in his corner.

Ronaldo won 10 trophies in his first spell with United, including three Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup and two League Cup trophies. He scored 24 goals, with 3 assists last season after returning to Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, with limited involvement on the pitch this season, some are pointing out that this interview is the first full 90 minutes the forward has contributed for some time.

Ronaldo being interviewed by Piers Morgan.He's been done there. 2. Motivation

Striker Ivan Toney responded to being left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad by scoring a brace to help Brentford beat reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday.

Chelsea full-back Reece James, who has been out with a knee injury since mid-October, offered this quite thinly-veiled response after also being left out of Southgate's plans.

Should Toney be on the plane to Qatar?

3. Mee time

Meanwhile, Ben Mee has had worse days at Etihad Stadium. Lots of them. The 33-year-old defender joined Brentford from Burnley in the summer. During his time with the Clarets, he saw his side lose 5-0 on four separate trips to Manchester City.

4. Christmas number one announced

After Manchester City lost, it was confirmed that Arsenal will be top of the Premier League table on Christmas day. They sit five points clear, going into the break for the World Cup. The Gunners will be hoping that the ghost of Christmas past doesn't come back to haunt them.

Either way, it's a proper title race.

5. Scare over

Leicester midfielder James Maddison gave England fans a bit of a scare when he limped off after 25 minutes against West Ham on Saturday. The 25-year-old, who was included in the 26-man World Cup squad, has scored seven goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season - including one on Saturday.

He has put fans out of their misery, playing down the injury.

6. Play for the shirt

Everton are not in very good shape. The Toffees faced Bournemouth twice last week and were well beaten on both occasions.

After being thrashed 4-1 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday, Everton lost lost 3-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday. They have now lost five of their past seven Premier League games and sit 17th in the table.

After the full-time whistle, some players went over to talk with angry fans in the away end.

A peace-offering from 26-year-old midfielder, Alex Iwobi didn't go down well.

7. Proud Son

Uruguayan midfielder, Rodrigo Bentancur scored two late goals in the space of three minutes to help Tottenham beat Leeds 4-3 on Saturday. His team-mate, Son Heung-Min's reaction was priceless.

8. Darwin undermines Jesus

And finally, another Uruguayan, Darwin Nunez, also scored twice on Saturday, as Liverpool overcame Southampton at home.

There has been a lot of opinion - good and bad - on the 23-year-old striker since he moved to Anfield for around £85m in the summer. He leaves for Qatar with a tally of five goals and two assists in 10 appearances.

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Kamis, 10 November 2022

Report: Chelsea Have Long-Term Interest In Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries

 

Chelsea have interest in Inter Milan full-back Denzel Dumfries for a long time.

View the original article to see embedded media.

As Chelsea search for a full-back to fill in for Reece James and provide competition for the full-back, the name Denzel Dumfries will not go away. The rumours are getting louder, and there is no smoke without fire.

Dumfries has been performing well for Inter Milan this season, and with his ability to play in a back three, he is certainly a player Chelsea are very much interested in.

The club want to bring in a right-back in January, and the Dutch defender could be the perfect choice.

Chelsea have long standing interest in Denzel Dumfries. IMAGO / Richard Wareham© Provided by Chelsea Transfer Room on FanNation Chelsea have long standing interest in Denzel Dumfries. IMAGO / Richard Wareham

According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have long standing interest in Inter Milan defender Denzel Dumfries, and have always appreciated the player.

If Chelsea do want to make the signing, they will have to pay more than €30million for Dumfries, which in the grand scheme of things is the going rate for any player of quality these days.

Dumfries was in the list for Chelsea during the summer as they looked to sign a right-back, but the deal was not an easy one to do and ultimately the player ended up staying at Inter Milan.

Chelsea could move for Denzel Dumfries in January, but a deal won't be easy. IMAGO / Marco Canoniero© Provided by Chelsea Transfer Room on FanNation Chelsea could move for Denzel Dumfries in January, but a deal won't be easy. IMAGO / Marco Canoniero

The deal will not be an easy one to do in January either with Inter holding the same stance over Dumfries, but Chelsea are likely to try and see if they can get a deal done.

Reece James is expected back from injury after the World Cup, but competition is still needed for the England full-back.

Read More Chelsea Stories

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Rabu, 09 November 2022

Nicolò Fagioli finds place in Juventus side refreshed by fountain of youth

 

Juventus should have listened to Nicolò Fagioli a little sooner. “Young players need to play,” said the 21-year-old midfielder in May, as he prepared to return to the Bianconeri after a season on loan at Cremonese. He was talking in broad terms, citing call-ups by the Italy manager Roberto Mancini as evidence of shifting national attitudes, but also about his personal development at the same time.

“I have supported Juve since I was a boy and for me it would be a dream to wear that shirt, but I need to understand what their intentions are for me,” Fagioli said. “If they have a journey in mind for us to take together, then I could not be more up for that … I repeat, though, if they are good enough, young players need to play.”

For much of the summer, another loan deal appeared the most likely scenario. Several top-flight clubs made enquiries, Sampdoria and Empoli the most concrete among them. Promoted Monza tried to sign Fagioli outright. Instead, the player stayed and extended his contract to 2026.

Massimiliano Allegri is a long-term admirer. Already in 2018, during his previous stint at the club, the manager highlighted Fagioli’s promise, saying: “We have a kid, born in 2001, and watching him play football is a pleasure because he understands the game. He has the timing, he knows how to lose a marker, when and where to pass the ball.”

Fagioli was supposed to to make his senior debut that season, but a cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis put everything on hold. He underwent surgery and made a gradual return with Juventus Under-23s, competing in Italian football’s third tier. He finally made his Serie A debut under Andrea Pirlo in February 2021 before his season-long switch to Cremonese, for whom he chipped in three goals and seven assists to help secure promotion to the top flight.

Despite that, he started this season far down the pecking order at Juventus. In interviews, Allegri said he envisioned a starting midfield of Adrien Rabiot, Leandro Paredes and Paul Pogba, with Manuel Locatelli as the first change off the bench. Even as injuries derailed that plan, Weston McKennie and a different youth team graduate, Fabio Miretti, plugged the gaps.

Nicolo Fagioli (fourth from right), Samuel Iling-Junior (fifth from right) and Fabio Miretti (second right) pictured in Juventus training. Photograph: Daniele Badolato/Juventus FC/Getty Images

Fagioli had played a total of 39 minutes in Serie A this season before Juventus went away to Lecce on 29 October. He replaced McKennie at half-time with the game goalless and went on to score a sensational winner, pivoting to bend a shot in off the post. Allegri rewarded him with a Champions League start against Paris Saint-Germain.

Juventus lost – their fifth defeat in six group games – but Fagioli impressed with his confidence, enjoying a viral moment when he evaded Leo Messi in midfield. He kept his place in the lineup for Sunday’s Derby d’Italia against Inter. A show of faith, or simply a reflection of the scarce options available, with Pogba, Paredes and McKennie all injured and Miretti required to fill in as the No 10 due to further absences up front.

In theory, Juventus’s formation was a 3-5-1-1, but in practice it looked more like a 4-5-1 during a grim first half in which the Bianconeri showed little ambition beyond protecting their goal. They didn’t do a flawless job of that, either. Inter might have taken the lead with better finishing from Lautaro Martínez or Denzel Dumfries. But in the second half, everything changed.

Inter started on the front foot again, Hakan Çalhanoglu forcing Wojciech Szczesny to tip the ball onto his crossbar, but Juventus took the lead with a counterattack from a corner just four minutes later. Filip Kostic showed impressive strength to hold off Nicolò Barella before spinning away and sprinting 60 yards down the left flank. He cut the ball inside for Adrien Rabiot, who opened up his body for a first-time finish across goal.

Juventus thought they had extended their lead when defender Danilo bundled home from a corner, only for the VAR booth to intervene, alerting the referee to a handball. No matter. In the 84th, Gleison Bremer made a brilliant challenge to take the ball off the toes of Marcelo Brozovic as the Inter player bore down on goal.

Once again, Juventus broke forward, and once again the ball found its way to Kostic. His square ball found Fagioli, who took a touch before firing back across goal. The shot deflected off Robin Gosens and wrong-footed Inter’s goalkeeper, Andre Onana, on its way to the back of the net.

It was a less spectacular goal than Fagioli’s previous effort, but just as decisive. Juventus held on for a 2-0 win that lifts them above their rivals in the table. No small landmark for a team that began this season with two wins from its first seven games. Inter were supposed to be the form team coming into this matchup, with six wins and a draw from their last seven games in all competitions.

This is not a moment for hyperbole. Juventus did not have a shot on goal in the first half of Sunday and are fifth, 10 points off the top of Serie Aand badly bruised by their Champions League humiliation. Allegri dampened down any attempt to define this as a “turning point”, even if he did also hint that he still believes his team can compete for the Scudetto.

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Few might share that conviction, yet the role of young players in Juve’s recent uptick is allowing at least a measure of optimism to return. Before Fagioli, it was the English winger Samuel Iling-Junior making headlines as he came off the bench to transform the game away to Benfica, setting up one goal and helping to make another as Allegri’s team rallied from 4-1 down to almost steal a draw.

Miretti, meanwhile, has already played 17 times for Juventus this season. These stories represent a triumph for Juventus’s decision to relaunch the Under-23 side, recently rebranded as Juventus Next Gen, into the senior divisions after it became legal to do so four years ago.

On Sunday, Fagioli helped bring structure to the midfield, quietly constructing from his deep-lying position, playing the simple passes that allowed moves to begin. Allegri sees this as the player’s natural home, sitting in front of the defence, and has expressed frustration before now at the fact his previous coaches rarely used him here.

More than anything, though, what these academy graduates have brought is a fresh, wholehearted commitment. It was only a few weeks ago that Juventus’s president, Andrea Agnelli, accused his team of being afraid to make a tackle. Now they have kept four consecutive league clean sheets.

Quick Guide Serie A results Show

Friday: Udinese 1-1 Lecce. Sat: Atalanta 1-2 Napoli, Empoli 1-0 Sassuolo, Milan 2-1 Spezia, Salernitana 2-2 Cremonese. Sun: Bologna 2-1 Torino, Juventus 2-0 Inter, Monza 2-0 Verona, Roma 0-1 Lazio, Sampdoria 0-2 Fiorentina.

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“I remember Phil Foden when I was at Manchester City,” said Danilo last week. “He was 17 years old, I could see in his eyes that he had that desire to learn, to improve. Here at Juventus now I see players like Miretti, like Fagioli, who have that same desire. For those of us who are more experienced, it can give us that extra push.

“I try to talk to them often, to give them some advice, but it’s something that helps me first of all, that motivates me. I get something extra from being with them.”

Allegri will be wary of overburdening these young players, of the pressure that a few good performances can bring. Yet they themselves do not crave protection. Fagioli was explicit in that interview back in May: “Yes,” he told Sportweek magazine. “I feel ready for Serie A.”

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