In this case, Juve welcome the bottom dwellers of Serie A, 20th-place Venezia, to Allianz Stadium for a lunchtime kickoff affair. On top of it being Bonucci's ...
But, like we’ve been saying for weeks now when it comes to the race for the top four, it’s the three points that matter with style points a clear second. On top of it being Bonucci’s birthday and one of the final home games in Paulo Dybala’s Juventus career, it’s potential one step closer to locking up a top four spot for Max Allegri’s squad. There’s the matter of wrapping up a top four finish as soon as possible. Or something other than hoping this team qualifies for the Champions League next season. In this case, Juve welcome the bottom dwellers of Serie A, 20th-place Venezia, to Allianz Stadium for a lunchtime kickoff affair. It is, in all likelihood, one of the last birthdays that he celebrates as a Juventus player before he hangs up his boots in a few years and begins the next phase of his life, be it involved in football or not.
Juventus continue their pursuit of Champions League football when they host relegation-threatened Venezia at the Allianz Stadium (11:30 UK time).
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With a few games to go, Max Allegri can still gamble and give chances to the youngsters at the club and one of them could play the game against Venezia today.
However, he could now start his first match for the Bianconeri with the report claiming he has been training to contribute to the game alongside Denis Zakaria and Adrien Rabiot. The 18-year-old has been training with the club’s first team and he has had a few minutes of senior football in this campaign. With a few games to go, Max Allegri can still gamble and give chances to the youngsters at the club and one of them could play the game against Venezia today.
Max Allegri explains his decision to give teenager Fabio Miretti his first start against Venezia and admits there are 'so many regrets this season' for.
“We had so many regrets this season, it’s natural at this stage and other teams are in the same position. The important thing is that he’s calm,” Allegri told Sky Sport Italia. Miretti has made three appearances between Serie A and the Champions League for a handful of minutes, but this is more than a mere cameo, as he is in the starting XI to pull the midfield strings.
Tyronne Ebuehi will miss out on Venezia's Serie A tie against Juventus this very weekend through a hamstring issue but his fellow Nigerian.
On the other hand, the right full-back’s fellow countryman, Okereke was in action against Atalanta and the striker was even included in the starting line-up but fired blanks once again. Ebuehi was also ruled out of Venezia’s 3-1 Serie A defeat against Atalanta BC at the Stadio Pierluigi Penzo last weekend because he is currently on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. Tyronne Ebuehi will miss out on Venezia’s Serie A tie against Juventus this very weekend through a hamstring issue but his fellow Nigerian compatriot, David Okereke could be in action.
Leonardo Bonucci's brace secured a 2-1 victory for Juventus over Serie A's bottom-club Venezia.
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus) - He will have sterner tests, though Thomas Henry is certainly a capable striker who is likely to be playing top-flight football somewhere else next season, but Bonucci as always kept the Juventus defence secure during moments when Venezia overran his side in midfield. 71' GOAL FOR VENEZIA! Third time the charm! His class is clear, with his passing, running with the ball and dead-ball delivery, which set up Juventus' first goal, and he does not shirk the physical contest either.
A brace from birthday boy Leonardo Bonucci earned Juventus a scratchy 2-1 Serie A ...
SUB: Giorgio Chiellini (79' for Vlahovic) - N/A To begin with, there were few signs of grogginess as Juve flew out of the traps for Sunday's early kick-off. Bathed in Turin's lunchtime sun, Juve played much of the second half as though they were mentally mulling over the menu of their post-game meal. SUB: Arthur (79' for Miretti) - N/A SUB: Alex Sandro (58' for Pellegrini) - 5/10 - Rashly earned himself a yellow card within five minutes of his arrival. SUB: Paulo Dybala (58' for Bernardeschi) - 5/10 - Struggled to exert much of an influence on proceedings.
Leo Bonucci could well mark his 35th birthday with the hat-trick after added his second of the game to leave Juventus 2-1 up on Venezia.
And management has a lot to answer for on how they conduct their business and how the handling of the roster and salary cap was a direct factor in their sliding out of the postseason. We’ve spoken to a number of Cup-winning coaches in the past about the adjustments to coaching in the playoffs and they are many. But surely much to the disappointment of many, the Commanders’ draft pick Paul is a completely different dude. But the playoffs — not to overstate the obvious — are a different beast, and it’s a beast that’s gotten the better of Gaudreau and the Flames over the years. CHRIS GEAR: My personal bias agrees with Mike that the Canucks are the best of the rest after their late-season run, and they would have made the playoffs this year if not for the dreadful start by Pettersson. However, I’m going to go with the Winnipeg Jets as a team that will have a return to form next year. And speaking of Florida, this is the best team the Panthers have ever iced, and yet they have not won a series since 1996. It’s the great elephant in the room and we have spoken to NHL owners and executives over the years who bemoan that the interpretation of the rulebook in the playoffs bears little resemblance to the interpretation in the middle of the season. It’s the kind of stuff we’ve seen in the past from Chicago and the Los Angeles Kings back in their days of dominance in the Western Conference. There are a few teams for whom the regular season is a giant tune-up. If he’s back, he’s an important stabilizing force on both sides of the puck, and the Panthers may be one of those rare teams that wins a Presidents’ Trophy and a Cup in the same campaign. So, that brings us to 18 straight playoff games without a goal for one of the most talented players in the game and a player whose annual cap hit is a shade under $11 million. After a season that saw us lose NHL Olympics participation to COVID-19 and with the schedule thrown into disarray, pushing the start of the NHL playoffs back a month, it is finally time for the greatest show in sport, the Stanley Cup playoffs. Kadri has to stay on the ice and in the lineup.