A Huge Win For Juventus At The CWC As They Try Once Again For Victor Osimhen

Written By Onyeka Daniel

After Inter’s 1-1 draw against Monterrey, the other Serie A representative at the FIFA Club World Cup, Juventus got the ball rolling with a 5-0 win over Al Ain at the Audi field stadium in Washington DC as they swept aside the United Arab Emirates club to record a 5-0 victory in their first-ever CWC match.

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They did it against a side that has conceded just one goal in their previous seven games. The Italian giants started on the right foot and took a deserved lead just 11 minutes into the game, when a lovely passage of play culminated in Randal Kolo Muani rising to head Alberto Costa’s cross past Rui Patrício.

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The opponent really failed to actually test Juve’s goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio and conceded again almost 10 minutes later when Francisco Conceição found his way across the six-yard box and hit a shot that deflected in off Ramy Rabia for the second of the game.

Shortly after Khéphren Thuram saw a shot blocked, the Frenchman offloaded the ball to Kenan Yıldız, who worked enough space to hit an audacious shot from range that went in off the post just after the half-hour mark. Juventus continued to play free-flowing football with Yıldız hitting the side netting.

Then Conceição saw his attempt deflected behind for a corner that resulted in Lloyd Kelly heading wide. That play produced a fourth goal moments before the break when Kolo Muani raced behind to reach Thuram’s searching pass and apply a cool finish to put the game to bed.

Al Ain showed that they would continue to compete with a marginal offside call denying Rabia a goal two minutes after the restart. However, Juventus were back on the scoresheet in the 58th minute, as Conceição effortlessly glided inside Kouame Kouadio and beat Patrício.

Douglas Luiz then struck wide before hitting the post, as Juventus recorded a third consecutive competitive victory for the first time since February, when they reached four wins in a row – a positive omen ahead of their contest with Wydad AC as they also ended Al Ain’s seven-game winning streak.

It’s not about to get easier for the UAE club as they face Manchester City next. For Juve coach, Igor Tudor he had confirmed that he will need three signings to be ‘competitive’ for the 2025-26 season and insists the Bianconeri have not set a minimum target at the Club World Cup.

Tudor spoke at a press conference to preview the game before they faced Al Ain as he looked to do better than his predecessor Thiago Motta, whom he replaced in March, so he doesn’t feel the Bianconeri are beginning a new chapter. “I wouldn’t define it that way. It’s more of a continuation,” he said.

His contract was automatically stretched to 2026 after he secured Champions League qualification, but the Croat signed a further extension to 2027 last week. “I’ve never felt there was a sense of uncertainty in the team,” he said. “Everyone has always been very clear to me.”

“Perhaps, from the outside, it seemed different, but I can assure you that I’ve always felt comfortable, and the boys have been exceptional in terms of professionalism and willingness to sacrifice. I was in a mental bubble, really focused.” He continued. Club owner John Elkann met the team in Turin last week before flying out to the USA.

“He was our motivation; he came to visit us at Continassa to encourage us to attend the Club World Cup with the ambition to win. He was very clear. I saw him full of energy; he delivered strong, Juventus-style messages and the players appreciated that.”

Speaking about his approach as coach, Tudor added: “I like pressing. Everyone does it now. It’s great to push forward, but you also have to track back. You shouldn’t give anything up. Football is increasingly demanding; you can’t be superficial. You need to be open-minded and not let yourself be boxed in by the labels people put on you.”

He then went further to confirm that he will need at least three signings to be credible title contenders in the 2025-26 season. “I still believe in it. With three new signings, the team becomes competitive,” he reiterated. “Plus, an important player like Bremer will return.”

“He’s training with us here in the USA, alongside Cabal. I’m happy with my players, and the club will do its best. I’m confident that we’ll be stronger than we were last year.”In a related development, According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Old Lady have resumed talks with Victor Osimhen.

Furthermore, they might also look to Southampton’s Mateus Fernandes as a possible midfield reinforcement. According to the report, Napoli-owned striker Osimhen remains the primary target in attack so club representatives resumed talks with the striker’s agents in recent days.

Osimhen has a €75m clause valid for clubs outside Serie A, which means the Bianconeri must negotiate a transfer fee with Napoli. It was revealed last week that Osimhen had rejected a €30m-a-year offer from Al-Hilal, aiming to remain in Europe but no club has stepped forward so far.

Previous reports claimed Osimhen had already turned down an approach from Juventus, but according to the report, the Bianconeri’s interest is still genuine but they also have backup options too with names like Jonathan David (free agent), Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting CP) and Santiago Castro (Bologna) also on their radar.

As for the midfield, the dream remains Newcastle star Sandro Tonali, followed by Atalanta’s Ederson, even if the Bianconeri are also looking to Mateus Fernandes, who may move to Turin on loan after Southampton’s relegation from the Premier League in the 2024-25 season.

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Fernandes shares the same agent, Jorge Mendes, as Juventus loanee Francisco Conceiçao. Last but not least, Flamengo’s Wesley is an option for the right-wing-back role, while Marseille’s Leonardo Balerdi is the primary name if a centre-back leaves.

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