Chapter 278: Determined to Disrupt Bruno's Celebration

Chapter 278: Determined to Disrupt Bruno's Celebration

Juventus, the dominant force in Serie A, was once Udinese's most daunting opponent. However, since Bruno joined Udinese in the summer of 2013, the record between the two teams has significantly shifted.

Since the 2013-2014 season, Udinese and Juventus have faced each other ten times across various competitions: five times in Serie A, twice in the Europa League, once in the Champions League, and twice in the Italian Super Cup. Udinese has achieved seven wins, two draws, and only one loss, making them the team Juventus least wants to face.

Bruno, in particular, has earned the title of Juventus's nemesis. He has played in nine of these ten matches, and Udinese's only loss occurred in the game he missed. In the nine matches Bruno played, he scored seven goals and assisted six times, averaging nearly 1.5 goal involvements per game.

Over three years, Bruno has firmly established himself as Juventus's kryptonite.

Today, Juventus was determined to disrupt Bruno's celebration. They couldn't afford another loss!

If Juventus failed to win today, they would fall even further behind Udinese, possibly exiting the Serie A title race early. Additionally, they would set another embarrassing record of ten consecutive matches without a win against Bruno.

Therefore, Juventus came fully prepared for this match.

For this game, Allegri made four changes to his starting lineup. Asamoah replaced the ill Pogba, Mandzukic, recovered from the flu, took Morata's place. Marchisio, returning from suspension, made his 250th Serie A appearance, while Hernanes moved to the bench. Alex Sandro rotated in for Evra, and Rugani continued as a starter.

On the Udinese side, there were three changes. Winter signings Vidic, Ashley Cole, and Immobile all made their debuts for Udinese.

As the match began, Udinese, playing at home, took the initiative. Cheered on by 40,000 home fans, they frequently threatened Juventus's goal. However, it was the visiting Juventus that struck first.

In the 15th minute, Juventus launched a quick counter-attack after a midfield interception. Badu fouled Asamoah and received a yellow card. Dybala's left-footed free-kick from 24 meters found the far corner, making it 1-0.

The entire Stadio Friuli was in shock. The home team had launched wave after wave of attacks against Juventus, with the new Ballon d'Or winner Bruno creating numerous opportunities. Everyone believed a goal was imminent. Unexpectedly, Juventus scored instead, leaving Udinese fans stunned and somewhat disappointed.

Even the Udinese players on the pitch appeared dejected, especially Badu, whose foul led to the free-kick. It was hard to say how much blame Badu should bear for the goal, as defensive players are often in a tough position when attackers are running at speed. If Badu hadn't fouled, Udinese's defense would have been in serious trouble.

But who cares about the details? As a defender, even if you perform well for eighty-nine minutes, one mistake can ruin everything.

"This goal came out of nowhere. Udinese needs to stabilize their play quickly."

"We can see Guidolin on the sidelines, urging his players to stay calm."

"It's still early in the game. Conceding one goal isn't catastrophic, but losing composure can be very dangerous."

"Juventus players look very excited. This goal has greatly boosted their morale."

"Allegri's team has been in excellent form recently, with nine consecutive league wins before today's game, climbing to second place in the standings."

"It seems Allegri has prepared thoroughly for tonight's away game against Udinese. Their defense has been solid, and they seized their opportunity to score."

"So far, fifteen minutes in, Allegri's tactics are working."

"Now, it's up to Guidolin and Udinese to respond."

Allegri was almost jumping with excitement when he saw Dybala's free-kick hit the back of the net. The goal came suddenly and was a pleasant surprise.

Due to significant squad changes in the summer, Juventus had a historically poor start to the season, leading to much criticism and pressure on Allegri. But as the team gelled, Juventus made a strong comeback. Their recent nine-game winning streak in the league had made them serious contenders for the Serie A title.

Allegri was brimming with confidence, as the game's start confirmed his earlier predictions: as long as Juventus avoided mistakes, Udinese would crumble under pressure.

Next, Juventus should increase the pressure on their opponents. Beating Udinese at Stadio Friuli to secure a ten-game winning streak was incredibly tempting. Allegri, thrilled by this prospect, moved to the sideline, continually conveying his strategy to the players.

He was determined to win this match and ruin Bruno's coronation celebration.

Like everyone else, Bruno felt a bit down. Having Juventus spoil his Ballon d'Or celebration felt like having someone crash his wedding, leaving him frustrated and angry.

What irritated Bruno even more was that after conceding the goal, his teammates didn't show the fighting spirit expected. Instead, Juventus seized the momentum, pressing hard and aiming to capitalize further.

Udinese's formation was indeed shaky. After restarting, they lost possession within a few passes. Juventus pushed their defense to the halfway line, signaling their intent to penetrate Udinese's penalty area again.

Bruno knew that in the current situation, he had to step up and lead the team in fighting back. Allowing Juventus to gain more confidence would be disastrous.

"Udinese intercepts the ball and launches a counterattack, Bruno quickly advancing on the right."

"Juventus is retreating fast. Let's see how Bruno handles this."

"A cross into the box, Juventus center-back Bonucci clears it."

"The ball doesn't go far, falling to Ednilson outside the box, he shoots!"

"Unfortunately, Ednilson's unmarked shot goes high over the bar..."

Wasting a great opportunity can lead to punishment, and Udinese's missed chance was soon avenged.

After Juventus took a goal kick, they quickly advanced to the front, but the ball was cleared out for a corner by debutant Ashley Cole. Juventus earned a corner kick.

Dybala took the corner from the right, and Udinese failed to clear it. Dybala headed it back into the box, Bonucci missed, and Khedira nodded it in from the far post, making it 2-0.

This goal left Udinese stunned, throwing their game into chaos. The downward spiral led to a third goal for Juventus.

In the 25th minute, Udinese faced another blow. Lichtsteiner sent a through ball into the box, and Mandzukic was fouled by Danilo from behind.

Penalty! Red card!

Dybala took the penalty, left-footed into the bottom left corner, 3-0!

Dybala scored his 11th goal in 19 Serie A appearances this season. Juventus had scored ten penalties in the last two Serie A seasons, second only to AC Milan's 13.

Ashley Cole's left side was practically a sieve, with Juventus exploiting it for all three goals. The English veteran couldn't escape the blame.

Meanwhile, Udinese's midfield was firmly controlled by Marchisio and Khedira, leaving them unable to maneuver.

With the backline continuously breached and the midfield overpowered, Bruno was isolated upfront but kept running tirelessly, seeking any opportunity.

He believed that even if Allegri had built a fortress in Juventus, they couldn't be flawless.

Losing due to inferior skill was acceptable, but being overwhelmed without resistance was too humiliating.

Absolutely unacceptable!

The game was slipping out of control. Udinese's left flank was nearly defenseless against Lichtsteiner and Dybala's relentless attacks. Juventus's top-tier double pivot of Marchisio and Khedira dominated the midfield, stifling Udinese.

After selling five players last summer, Udinese's strength had significantly declined. They narrowly defeated a chaotic Juventus at the start of the season and later relied on Bruno's outstanding performance to compete in both Serie A and the Champions League. But this was because they hadn't faced truly top-tier teams.

Their Champions League group, dubbed the "group of death," included Manchester United, Wolfsburg, and CSKA Moscow, all considered second or even third-tier teams in Europe.

In Serie A, apart from Juventus, which team could be deemed world-class?

Juventus's three attacks on Udinese's left flank had torn apart their defense, with Dybala's brace and Khedira's goal, along with Danilo's red card, plunging Udinese into despair.

Allegri, often regarded as one of the most underrated managers in Europe, completely outclassed Guidolin in tonight's tactical battle at Stadio Friuli.

With a shaky defense, Bruno had to frequently drop back to help, and with the midfield overpowered, he had few opportunities.

If Juventus had been more clinical, the scoreline could have been even more lopsided.

The significant disparity in overall strength between the two teams was something Bruno alone couldn't change.

(End of chapter)

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