Juventus vs Parma: Nico González changes the game from the bench

Juventus did not need long spells of control to beat Parma in their home opener. They needed one burst from Nico González, who came on and turned the match in 36 minutes, scoring on 63 minutes and finishing with a 7.5 rating.

González's impact off the bench

His first attempt after coming on cannoned off the upright and went in off Mariano Troilo. Edoardo Corvi later made a one-handed save to deny a González volley, and the substitute kept asking questions of Parma even before the goal arrived.

The match report from football-italia.net said: “Nico Gonzalez came off the bench and sparked Juventus into life for a 2-0 victory over Parma, scoring one and instigating another for Teun Koopmeiners.” That is exactly how it played out. González also registered two shots on target in his 36 minutes, which fits the feel of the evening better than any long tactical explanation.

Francisco Conceição had already clipped the base of the upright from distance on 33 minutes, so Juventus were threatening before the break without quite breaking through. González gave them the edge they needed when he stayed sharp enough to punish the loose moment in front of goal.

David's difficult night and the late second

The other talking point was Jonathan David. He was substituted on 57 minutes and jeered by the home crowd, after also failing to keep his shot down following a poor clearance. Football Italia reported that the crowd reaction came after the chance went begging.

Teun Koopmeiners sealed it on 88 minutes, finishing from just inside the area after a Manuel Locatelli lay-off. Locatelli had already been the most important Juventus starter in midfield, with an 8.2 rating and 95 passes, while Conceição added four key passes from the flank.

The balance of the night was clear enough. Juventus got the opener from the bench, Locatelli kept the game moving, and Koopmeiners supplied the late second to make the score 2-0 in Juventus vs Parma.