Juventus-Lecce 1-1: Yildiz shines, David’s penalty nightmare | OneFootball

At the Allianz Stadium, a night of two faces unfolds: the dark and angry one of the result, a 1-1 that halts the Champions League chase amid the whistles of the fans, and the bright one of Kenan Yildiz. In the frustrating draw against Lecce, Luciano Spalletti doesn't find the three points, but he finds a tactical confirmation that feels like déjà vu: in the 4-2-3-1 revived for the occasion, the Turkish talent has transformed into the perfect Juventus reincarnation of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Spalletti finds his "Kvaratskhelia": Yildiz dominates like the Georgian, but Juve wastes the impossible and stalls amid whistles

The change in formation was the turning point. Abandoning the three-man defense for a setup reminiscent of the "Napoli of the Scudetto," Spalletti unleashed the creativity of his number 10. Starting wide on the left and then cutting inside to sow panic, Yildiz replicated exactly the movements and devastating impact that the Georgian, now at PSG, had under the guidance of the Certaldo coach. The proof of his technical omnipotence came quickly: after only 32 minutes, the Lecce coach was forced to substitute the young full-back Perez, literally overwhelmed by the Turkish player's dribbling. Yildiz was the constant key, the man who created numerical superiority and hit the woodwork twice, including a dramatic one in the 94th minute, carrying the team on his shoulders just like the number 77 in blue used to do.

While Yildiz crafted football, the rest of the team squandered the impossible. The match report is a war bulletin for the hearts of Juventus fans. After a dominated but barren first half (with a post hit by David early on), the setback arrives at the 46th minute: a mistake in clearance by Cambiaso and a lethal counter by Banda for the 0-1 that freezes the stadium. The second half opens with the rage of the Turk who sparks the equalizing play: a move by him, refined by Zhegrova, leads McKennie to the 1-1 goal at the 49th minute. It seems like the start of a comeback, but instead, it begins the nightmare of Jonathan David. The Canadian endures a horror night: first, he wastes several chances, then at the 66th minute, he takes a penalty, awarded for Kaba's handball, in a "comical" manner: weak and central, highlighting the reflexes of a super Falcone. The finale is a confused and unlucky siege. Falcone performs a series of miracles on Kostic and Openda, and at the last breath, Yildiz's curling shot hits the post, a perfect metaphor for the evening. Juventus fails to catch up to fourth place and interrupts the winning streak. Spalletti goes home with a bitter point and many whistles, but with one certainty: in this 4-2-3-1, Yildiz is the star to rebuild around, the spiritual heir of that Kvara who made his Napoli great.

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.