A quickfire double from new signing Randal Kolo Muani inspired Juventus to a comeback 4-1 home win over Empoli in Serie A on Sunday, easing the pressure on head coach Thiago Motta.
2024/2025 Serie A
4-1
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
0' Highlight from Juventus vs Empoli
4' GOAL! Juventus 0-1 Empoli (Mattia De Sciglio)
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60' Match Event for Juventus vs Empoli
62' Highlight from Juventus vs Empoli
64' GOAL! Juventus 2-1 Empoli (Randal Kolo Muani)
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84' Red Card! Sent Off
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90' GOAL! Juventus 3-1 Empoli (Dušan Vlahović)
Match Report
Wednesday's meek Champions League defeat to Benfica had seen Motta attract further scrutiny, with the former midfielder having also overseen 13 draws in 22 league matches.
Visiting Empoli threatened to deepen his woes as they took a shock lead after four minutes through defender Mattia De Sciglio, who nodded home following a corner, before Kolo Muani equalised from close range in the 61st minute.
The France forward, who arrived on loan from Paris Saint-Germain last month, put the Bianconeri ahead three minutes later, though there was a hint of fortune about the goal as Timothy Weah's drive ricocheted off the striker and flew into the bottom corner.
Substitutes Dusan Vlahovic and Francisco Conceicao completed the rout, the former crashing a 20-yard strike into the roof of the net before the latter raced through on goal to add further gloss to the scoreline.
Juventus provisionally moved up to fourth in the table on 40 points, one point above fifth-placed Lazio, who go to Cagliari on Monday.
Empoli are 17th on 21 points, one clear of Parma who occupy the final place in the relegation zone.
Data Debrief: Kolo Muani's flying start
In the three-points-for-a-win era, only two Juventus players have scored on their first two appearances for the club in Serie A.
Carlos Tevez did so in August 2013 after joining from Manchester City, and Kolo Muani replicated that feat by netting twice here.
This is the first time he has scored in back-to-back games in Europe's top five leagues, within the same season, since February 2023, when he did so for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
Line-ups
Juventus XI: Locatelli, Koopmeiners, Di Gregorio, N. Gonzalez, Muani, McKennie, Timothy Weah, Nicolò Savona, Gatti, Yıldız, Renato Veiga
Subs: Pinsoglio, Perin, Vlahovic, Douglas Luiz, Fagioli, Khéphren Thuram, Francisco Conceição, Mbangula, Rouhi, Alberto Costa, Adzic
Empoli XI: De Sciglio, Liam Henderson, Emmanuel Gyasi, Devis Vásquez, Ardian Ismajli, Youssef Maleh, Liberato Cacace, Anjorin, Lorenzo Colombo, Esposito, Luca Marianucci
Subs: Silvestri, Sambia, Szymon Żurkowski, Jacopo Fazzini, Saba Goglichidze, Jacopo Seghetti, Jacopo Bacci, Ismael Konate, Lorenzo Tosto, Dawid Bembnista, Brayan