As the most dominant club in the history of Italian football, Juventus often started their campaigns on a high note. Nonetheless, the last two decades witnessed incredible twists and turns in the Old Lady’s fortunes, resulting in some inconsistent performances when it comes to opening day fixtures.
Yet, the Bianconeri still enjoyed some displays of grandeur on matchday One throughout the past 15 years. So let’s recall their best five performances from the post-Calciopoli era while we await Monday’s clash against Sassuolo.
5- Juventus 2-1 Fiorentina (2016/17)
Perhaps it’s not the most impressive result, but it remains significant considering the size of the opponent and the rivalry between the two clubs.
Sami Khedira put Juventus in front, but Nikola Kalinic found the equalizer at the 70th minute. Thus, Max Allegri conjured record-breaking signing Gonzalo Higuain, who immediately delivered the winner on his debut.
4- Juventus 3-0 Sampdoria (2020/21)
The 2020/21 campaign went down in the books as the season that ended the longest winning dynasty in Italian football. Yet, Andrea Pirlo’s managerial debut was greatly promising, as his men brushed aside Sampdoria.
Dejan Kulusevksi broke the deadlock on his Juventus debut, while Leonardo Bonucci and Cristiano Ronaldo put the exclamation mark on a fine performance with two late goals.
3- Juventus 3-0 Cagliari (2017/18)
In 2017, Allegri’s side was arguably at the peak of its powers. Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Gonzalo Higuain had built a devastating attacking trident, and they each managed to score past the hapless Cagliari.
2- Juventus 5-1 Livorno (2007/08)
After spending a year in Serie B, Juventus returned to the top tier with a thirst for blood. Unfortunately for Livorno, they happened to be in the path of David Trezeguet and his companions.
The Frenchmen pulled off a memorable hattrick against the Tuscans, while Vincenzo Iaquinta marked his Juventus debut with a personal brace.
1- Juventus 4-1 Parma (2011/12)
This encounter remains a great memory for the Old Lady’s supporters. While the list features false dawns, this was a perfect opening day performance that turned out to be the cornerstone of a historic winning cycle.
Andrea Pirlo pulled the strings on his first official appearance for the club, while Antonio Conte was enjoying a formidable debut as Juventus manager, and it all happened on the first official match held at the newly-inaugurated Allianz Stadium.
The post Opinion: The Top 5 opening day performances for Juventus in the past 15 years appeared first on Juvefc.com.