Juventus moved to within a single point of Serie A’s top four after a 2-1 home win over Roma at Allianz Stadium, as Lois Openda scored a first league goal in Italy and Kenan Yildiz again played a major
role in a third consecutive victory in all competitions.
Roma threatened throughout and stayed in the match thanks to Tommaso Baldanzi’s reply, but Juventus held firm in the closing stages. Luciano Spalletti’s team have now taken six wins from the last seven matches across all tournaments, a sharp change from the early part of this campaign.
The visitors actually attempted more shots, edging it 14 to 13, yet Juventus fashioned clearer openings. Spalletti’s side posted 2.33 expected goals compared with Roma’s 1.53, reflecting the higher-quality chances created, and those numbers backed up the sense that Juventus controlled the most dangerous phases of the contest.
That improvement also shows in the wider season picture. Juventus previously managed only five wins from their opening 16 fixtures in all competitions, but the current surge of six victories in seven games, with just one defeat, now pushes the club back into contention near the top of the Serie A table.
The first half featured few clear openings for either side, with tension high and space tight. Mile Svilar produced an important stop from Francisco Conceicao at close range, then Devyne Rensch blocked Openda’s follow-up effort, before Conceicao finally struck in the 44th minute with a precise low finish that gave Juventus a narrow interval lead.
After the restart, Juventus looked to extend that advantage quickly. Andrea Cambiaso forced Svilar into another strong save with a fierce volley from the edge of the area, while Yildiz combined well with Openda and then dragged a shot just past the post as Roma’s defence struggled to contain the movement.
Juventus vs Roma Serie A goals from Openda and Baldanzi
The second Juventus goal arrived on 70 minutes after sustained pressure. Weston McKennie met a cross with a firm header that Svilar parried, but McKennie collected the rebound and squared for Openda, who finished from close range to claim a first Serie A goal and seemingly place the hosts in full control.
Roma reacted almost immediately and cut the deficit soon after Juventus’ second. Evan Ferguson’s strike was pushed out, yet Baldanzi reacted quicker than anyone inside the box to drive the rebound home, giving Roma renewed belief and ensuring a tense finish as Juventus tried to protect the three points.
Yildiz continued to trouble the Roma back line and was close to restoring the two-goal cushion. The forward worked space on the edge of the area and curled a shot beyond Svilar’s reach, only for the ball to come back off the woodwork, leaving the margin at 2-1 as Juventus closed out the match with composed defending.
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Juventus vs Roma Serie A data debrief and Yildiz influence
Beyond the scoreline, Yildiz again featured at the centre of much of Juventus’ attacking play. The forward created a joint-team high two chances, attempted many progressive passes and consistently received the ball in dangerous areas, helping Juventus maintain pressure and link midfield with the front line.
The numbers underlined Yildiz’s all-round contribution. Yildiz completed a team-high 22 passes in the final third, contested 15 duels and won seven of them, gained possession seven times and made two interceptions. These efforts, combined with Openda’s breakthrough and steady defending late on, helped Juventus secure another important Serie A victory over Roma.
