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Just days after clinching their ninth successive Serie A title, Juventus fell to a shock 2-0 defeat against out-of-sorts Cagliari.
The hosts held on to the lead achieved before half-time through goals from strike duo Giovanni Simeone and Luca Gagliano. Juventus had no fewer than 33 attempts on goal, but it was just one of those days where nothing went into the back of the net.
Juventus talisman Ronaldo had an effort in the opening exchanges of the game, but Cagliari took an unlikely lead inside eight minutes.
Daniele Rugani and Juan Cuadrado failed to cut out a ball aimed at the far post, getting nowhere near the crosser. Gagliano, who stretched a leg from close range, slotted home to give his side the lead. The champions thus, fell on the back foot straightaway.
Another key moment in the match happened to be Miralem Pjanic's yellow card in the 24th minute for a challenge on Pedro. Owing to an accumulation of bookings, the midfielder is now set to miss what would have been his final league game for Juventus before his move to Barcelona.
Right on the brink of half-time, the hosts doubled their lead just minutes after the Old Lady squandered a couple of great opportunities to claw themselves back into the game.
Take nothing away from the goal though, as it was an absolute stunner from Giovanni Simeone. The 25-year-old unleashed a beauty from 25 yards, leaving veteran shot-stopper Gianluigi Buffon with no chance.
Perhaps, with the title already locked, Juventus relaxed their muscles while defending in the first-half. They did turn it up in the second-half with the lion's share of possession and numerous chances.
Having said that, Cagliari keeper Alessio Cragno was on top of his game.
Cagliari, although pushed back, had Juventus tied up in wraps. They knew what was coming at them, and responded brilliantly with some fine defending. In fact, Simeone was close to making it 3-0 in the 73rd minute when he held on to a loose ball but fired wide.
It was not a surprise to witness the criticism aimed at the champions, as only SPAL have collected fewer points than Cagliari since the restart.
Juventus are undoubtedly a team in transition, as highlighted by this defeat. Nevertheless, they have pre-season and the transfer window to ponder over their chances of retaining the title and challenging for European glory.
This loss for Juventus meant nothing in terms of the context of the league, but fans shared mixed opinions following the defeat.
