Juventus 2-0 Palermo: Another victory in the pre-season for Juventus as Yildiz & Milik score

Game is over and the final score is Juventus 2-0 Palermo. Here is the match report.

Match Report

Juventus bounced back from their pre-season defeat to Inter on Tuesday as goals from Kenan Yildiz and Arkadiusz Milik sealed a 2-0 win over Serie B side Palermo. 

In a game that saw Kerim Alajbegovic and Randal Kolo Muani handed their first starts for the club, it was Juventus' standout star Yildiz who gave his team a 44th-minute lead. 

Milik then sealed the deal late on having seen a goal ruled out for offside moments earlier, with Juventus making it four wins from their six pre-season outings. 

Luciano Spalletti's side failed to test Palermo goalkeeper Jesse Joronen until the end of the first half, with Yildiz, Alajbegovic and Juan Cabal all firing wide of the mark. 

But Juventus took the lead a minute before the break through Yildiz, who tucked Zeki Celik's cross home after the full-back had seen his effort saved by Joronen moments earlier.

Kolo Muani was then thwarted by Joronen early in the second half before the Frenchman fired over from just outside the six-yard box after being teed up by Alajbegovic. 

Palermo threatened a late equaliser when Dominic Vavassori's attempt was repelled by Mattia Perin, but Juventus made sure of the win four minutes from time when Milik skipped beyond Federico Barba before placing into the bottom-right corner. 

Milik stakes his claim after Kolo Muani fails to fire

Ahead of kick-off, Spalletti stressed the need for Juventus to "perfect ourselves" before their Serie A campaign begins on August 23 against Frosinone, and while his team were able to round off their summer tour with a win, he will know further improvements are needed. 

He handed Alajbegovic and Kolo Muani their first starts since their respective switches from Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain, though Spalletti's new number nine was unable to get off the mark despite having several chances to score.

Kolo Muani revealed that his mind was elsewhere during his difficult loan spell at Tottenham due to his desire to return to Juventus, but on his first start, he only managed to hit the target with one of his three shots, while also having three Opta-defined big chances in the contest. 

He was replaced by Milik in the 61st minute and the Pole visibly had more impact. He matched Kolo Muani's total of touches (13), while also completing more successful dribbles (two to zero) and creating more chances (two to zero). 

Spalletti acknowledged that he rushed Kolo Muani into playing a full half against Inter, but he now knows he can rely on Milik if called upon. He only made two appearances last season due to several injury issues, but looked back to his best ahead of the new campaign. 

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

9' Match Event for Juventus vs Palermo

12' Match Event for Juventus vs Palermo

24' Highlight from Juventus vs Palermo

27' Match Event for Juventus vs Palermo

44' GOAL! Juventus 1-0 Palermo (Kenan Yıldız)

50' Match Event for Juventus vs Palermo

61' Match Event for Juventus vs Palermo

73' Match Event for Juventus vs Palermo

74' Match Event for Juventus vs Palermo

84' Highlight from Juventus vs Palermo

86' GOAL! Juventus 2-0 Palermo (Arkadiusz Milik)

Line-ups

Juventus XI: Perin, Zeki Çelik, Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz, Muani, McKennie, Francisco Conceição, Cabal, Gatti, Yıldız, Kerim Alajbegovic

Subs: Pinsoglio, Rugani, Milik, Jérémie Boga, Arthur, Locatelli, Di Gregorio, Lloyd Kelly, Edon Zhegrova, Jonathan David, Andrea Cambiaso, Fabio Miretti, Justin Oboavwoduo, Augusto Owusu, Adin Licina, Arman Durmiši, Sebastiano Nava, Javier Gil

Palermo XI: Pohjanpalo, Jesse Joronen, Hernani, Tommaso Augello, Giangiacomo Magnani, Pietro Ceccaroni, Emmanuel Gyasi, Dennis Johnsen, Jacopo Segre, Filippo Ranocchia, Tommaso Cassandro

Subs: Federico Barba, Bani, Nahuel Estévez, Antonio Palumbo, Claudio Gomes, Strefezza, Jérémy Le Douaron, Niccolò Pierozzi, Patryk Peda, Andrea Bozzolan, Mattia Fortin, Dominic Vavassori, Manfredi Nespola, Salvatore Squillacioti, Francesco Balsamo