May 01, (THEWILL) – Juventus beat relegation-threatened Venezia 2-1 at home on Sunday, thanks to a brace from birthday boy, Leonardo Bonucci.
The Old Lady blasted out of the traps for the day’s early kick-off with little symptoms of grogginess. The Bianconeri had clattered the crossbar, had a penalty appeal refused, and had grabbed the lead all within the first ten minutes.
Bonucci was on the receiving end of a well-executed set-piece that began with Matthijs de Ligt nodding the ball across for his centre-back partner.
Juve offered Venezia a way back into the match by pressing the Serie A’s bottom team high up the pitch. This proactive approach offered the visitors surges into the open space.
Thomas Henry, Venezia’s leading scorer, missed a chance to add to his tally halfway through the first half under caretaker manager Andrea Soncin, directing his header just wide of the post.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team sat back after one too many flashes of danger, settling into a compact shape off the ball and letting Venezia possession in the Allianz Stadium.
Juve spent much of the second half, complacent in their lead. After 70 minutes, that complacency enabled Mattia Aramu the freedom of Juve’s penalty area, allowing him to blaze a clear sight of goal over the bar.
Yet, Aramu did not have to dwell on his lost chance for long, as he thumped a far harder chance into the corner for his first Serie A goal since the opposite meeting against Juve in December.
Aramu’s equaliser jolted Juve into action, and they got a corner as a result of their extra speed and eagerness. Five minutes after being pulled back, Bonucci snuck across the six-yard box and bundled home his second to reclaim a lead Juve hardly deserved.
Allegri switched forward Dusan Vlahovic for wily veteran centre-back Giorgio Chiellini as Juve shut down shop in the dying stages, handing Venezia their ninth straight defeat.
With that win, Juventus consolidated their fourth place and cut the gap on Napoli to just one point once more. Their next destination is Genoa. Venezia remain stuck in last place in the league. In their next match, they visit fellow strugglers Salernitana in midweek.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
