Juventus extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches – the longest active streak in Serie A (SA) – with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Frosinone which means they move within a point of leaders Inter Milan, at least temporarily.
Simone Romagnoli showed in the seventh minute why he wears the captain’s armband for the hosts in the absence of Luca Mazzitelli, intercepting Weston McKennie’s pass intended for Arkadiusz Milik, which, if it had been successful, would surely have led to the opener. However, following more pressure from the Old Lady, 18-year-old Kenan Yıldız scored his first goal for the visitors on his full debut for the senior side, weaving brilliantly into the box between Ilario Monterisi and Pol Lirola before slamming in at the near post. Yıldız almost turned provider shortly after, but Filip Kostić, who had just assisted the teenager, left the ball behind.
Massimiliano Allegri was forced into an early change when Alex Sandro was withdrawn through injury and replaced by former Frosinone defender Federico Gatti, whose old employers soon also had to make an unexpected substitution as Lirola limped off, with Jaime Báez coming on. On 36 minutes, Wojciech Szczęsny was finally tested when he got down low to tip away an effort from Matías Soulé – one of three Juventus loanees facing them in this game. At the other end, Kostić again couldn’t make the most of a promising chance, bearing down on home goalkeeper Stefano Turati only to blaze high and wide.
Frosinone manager Eusebio Di Francesco will have emphasised the need for a fast start to the second period, and the Canaries came out after HT looking more confident, drawing level on 51 minutes when Monterisi’s slide-rule pass released Báez, who slipped the ball calmly under the advancing Szczęsny for his first-ever strike in Italy’s top flight. In an attempt to force the issue, Allegri introduced Dušan Vlahović as part of a triple change before another Soulé shot whistled just past Szczęsny’s far post. Vlahović quickly got involved in the action as Allegri threw on Timothy Weah in search of a winner, but it was a Frosinone substitute who next went close as Abdou Harroui’s curler was diverted over the bar by Szczęsny on the stretch.
McKennie then rattled the woodwork with an acrobatic volley as both teams sensed that the three points were there for the taking. And right on cue, Juve grasped the opportunity as McKennie’s inviting cross was headed home emphatically by Vlahović on 81 minutes, closing out the contest to head into their final match of 2023 against AS Roma next Saturday in a buoyant mood. Frosinone meanwhile are now winless in four league games – their longest sequence without victory since their SA return.
