Juventus began their Serie A campaign with a commanding 3-0 win over Como on Monday, marking a successful debut for Thiago Motta with the Turin club.
The match saw first-half goals from Samuel Mbangula, making an unexpected start on the left wing, and Timothy Weah. Andrea Cambiaso added a decisive finish in stoppage time, sealing the win for Juventus against promoted Como, who were competing in the top flight for the first time in over 20 years.
Motta commented on the performance, saying to DAZN, “Como are a good team and we had the right attitude tonight; when we had the ball, we did really well all throughout the match.”
Despite Juventus’ dominance, they could have increased their lead at the Allianz Stadium, creating numerous opportunities against Como. Dusan Vlahovic, who was particularly unlucky, hit the woodwork twice and had a goal ruled out after half-time. His header was disallowed due to an earlier offside by Cambiaso.
Motta, who joined Juventus after leading Bologna to the Champions League, has introduced a more aesthetically pleasing style of play compared to his predecessor Massimiliano Allegri. This change comes as Juventus adapts with several of Allegri’s preferred players, including Italy forward Federico Chiesa, sidelined to accommodate those better suited to Motta’s tactics.
Como, managed by Cesc Fabregas and supported by tobacco company Djarum, who were active in the transfer market this summer, will assess their survival prospects in their upcoming matches against Cagliari and Udinese.
Fabregas noted, “Today was a reality check. We need to be better. They were devastating when they took the ball off us and we gave away too many easy balls. That’s not tactics; that’s down to individual quality,” as he spoke to DAZN.
