Thiago Motta beats Cesc Fabregas as Juventus start Serie A with a win

Subscribe To Miguel Delaney's Reading The Game Newsletter For Free!

Join Miguel Delaney's Newsletter For Free

The latest coach, Thiago Motta, guided Juventus to a convincing 3-0 victory against newly-promoted Como in their first Serie A match at a packed Allianz Stadium on Monday. This has raised optimism for a positive change at the club based in Turin.

Samuel Mbangula and Timothy Weah scored their first goals for Juventus in Serie A, with Mbangula playing as a forward and Weah as a winger. Andrea Cambiaso scored the third goal from a distance during stoppage time.

Fresh and energized Juventus team are embarking on a new journey under Motta, who successfully guided Bologna to the Champions League last season. The team is aiming to reclaim the Serie A title in Turin after a four-year drought.

The visiting team, Como, had a tough night against Juve, as they struggled to maintain possession and were unable to create any notable scoring opportunities in their first match back in the Italian top division after more than two decades.

Como, led by former Arsenal, Barcelona, and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, secured a spot in Serie A after coming in second place in Italy's second division last season. They finished just three points behind champions Parma.

Juventus came out strong and confident, with Dusan Vlahovic coming close to scoring in the 20th minute with a header that narrowly missed the target. Mbangula then scored in the 23rd minute with a solo run to put Juventus in the lead against Como.

The 20-year-old shot the ball low from outside the penalty area, putting it into the bottom corner during his first appearance with the first team after playing with Juventus' reserve team for a season.

Mbangula made history by becoming the youngest Belgian player to score in Serie A for Juve. He is also the first Belgian to score in the Italian top division.

Juventus increased their lead just before halftime when Weah scored a goal from a pass by Kenan Yildiz. The ball hit the inside of the bar before going into the net.

The home team started the second half strong and Vlahovic believed he had scored the third goal, heading in a pass from Juan Cabal - but the goal was disallowed for being offside.

Cambiaso, on the other hand, scored the third goal just before the end of the match.

Motta looked happy with his new team after they easily won the game. During a press conference, he expressed his satisfaction with how the team played and especially with the outcome. Motta believed that they deserved to win.

Today, I was impressed by the team's defensive efforts. I appreciated their ability to know when to put pressure on the opposing team, as well as their quickness to get back into position. Additionally, I was pleased with the attackers' determination, particularly Dusan Vlahovic's initiative in leading the charge.

I am content with our progress so far, but there is still room for improvement. We will strive to enhance our performance across the board. I believe in the potential of this team to achieve success.

Juventus, which claimed nine straight titles from 2012 to 2020, is looking for a new beginning with the Italian-Brazilian coach at the helm. Their top priority is to win the Serie A title, which they haven't done in four years.

Motta emphasized the importance of being humble, pointing out how Dusan dropped back to support the team in their match. He noted that they performed well against a tough opponent who came into the game with a lot of energy.

We approached them with a lot of respect, in the correct manner: collaborating defensively; when in possession of the ball we have skilled players, with a deep understanding of the situation and the game and we performed excellently throughout the game.

Motta stated that we must bounce back from this game, recharge our energy, and concentrate on the match against Hellas Verona.

"We have a tough opponent ahead of us, they showed their strength on the first day and we need to perform well."

Juventus, who came in third place last season behind Inter and Milan, earned their spot back in the Champions League after missing out the previous year. Their next match will be away against Hellas Verona on August 26th.

I had visited Cagliari earlier in the day.