Juventus starlet Moise Kean made his Serie A debut at the age of 16 years, 265 days on Saturday after replacing Mario Mandzukic in a 3-0 win over Delfino Pescara 1936 that tightened the champions’ grip on the top of Serie A.
Juventus were cruising to a comfortable win against the league newcomers in Turin after goals from Sami Khedira, Mandzukic and Hernanes wrapped up a fourth consecutive league win to move them seven points ahead of AS Roma before the remaining weekend fixtures, but coach Massimiliano Allegri gave fans an indication of a likely future star of the club when he sent Kean on for a long-awaited debut having stunned observers with several impressive performances for the club’s under-19 side.
Kean, who turned 16 on Feb. 28, had little time to get into his stride, but showed some fancy footwork on his way to winning a corner that, on the stroke of fulltime, was not given.
Photo: Reuters
It was a brief, albeit promising cameo that could give fans around the world a chance of seeing Kean — of Ivorian heritage, but who has played at all levels for Italy — become the first player born after 2000 to play in the UEFA Champions League.
He was not included in the club’s 21-man squad for the competition on Sept. 1, but Kean has already being watched by rival clubs in Europe and Juventus chief executive Beppe Marotta said he hopes Kean’s agent does not get any ideas.
“Playing at Juventus should be a point of pride for him. He’s in the best possible place,” Marotta told Mediaset Premium. “If it comes down to money, that’s a different story. His agent should reason with him, it shouldn’t just come down to money.”
Photo: EPA
“He has the chance to play alongside top players here. He has soak up what it’s like to be part of a great squad,” Allegri said. “His attitude will make the difference.”
Juventus are away to Sevilla tomorrow in a bid to secure their round-of-16 ticket in the Champions League and Allegri added: “It’s an important game for us because we have to win one of our last two games to go through.”
Earlier, a second-half brace from Lorenzo Insigne boosted SSC Napoli’s hopes of maintaining Champions League soccer in a 2-1 win at Udinese that pushed the southerners up to fourth, six points behind Juve.
It helped Napoli return to the top five after a six-game streak that featured only two wins and three defeats.
Amid a seven-month goal drought, Insigne looked like the last player to get his name on the score sheet.
Playing in spite of a bout of flu amid injuries to striker Arkaduisz Milik and Manolo Gabbiadini, Insigne turned on the style in 10 second-half minutes to claim his maiden league goals of the season and his first since April.
“It was obvious he was going for at least a brace,” Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said. “I could see it in the way he reacted after hitting his first goal. He was reborn and about to become very dangerous every time he touched the ball.”
When Insigne found himself in space on the edge of the penalty area two minutes after the restart, he promptly fired Jose Callejon’s pinpoint delivery into the roof of the net.
Insigne’s brace was complete on 57 minutes when he beat Orestis Karnezis one-on-one after outfoxing Widmer.
Stipe Perica rose at a corner to send a powerful header past Pepe Reina two minutes later, but Napoli saw further chances by Insigne, Mertens and Giaccherini keep the pressure applied until the final whistle.
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