Juventus continued their solid form under new boss Igor Tudor, grabbing a 2-1 home victory over relegation-threatened Lecce thanks to first-half goals from Teun Koopmeiners and rising star Kenan Yildiz in Saturday’s Serie A clash.
The result moves Juve provisionally up to third place on 59 points, just ahead of Atalanta (58) and Bologna (57), who face off on Sunday in a crucial top-four showdown. Tudor remains unbeaten after three matches in charge, having previously overseen a draw with Roma and a narrow win over Genoa.
Juventus were dominant from the outset at the Allianz Stadium, wasting no time in taking control. Koopmeiners opened the scoring inside two minutes, slotting in a composed low finish after Dusan Vlahovic set him up with a slick through ball.
The Bianconeri maintained pressure with a flurry of chances, and were rewarded again in the 33rd minute. A beautifully constructed team move ended with Yildiz drilling a shot into the bottom corner, giving the 19-year-old his second goal of the season – once again, Vlahovic was the provider.
Despite their commanding first-half display, Juventus eased off in the second half and nearly paid the price. Lecce, battling for survival, grabbed a lifeline in the 87th minute when Federico Baschirotto rose highest to head home from a free-kick, injecting late drama into the match.
However, Juve held firm to take all three points and pile more pressure on their Champions League-chasing rivals. Lecce, meanwhile, extended their winless streak to nine matches, remaining precariously close to the relegation zone with 26 points – just two clear of danger.
Up next, Juventus face a potentially season-defining run of fixtures, while Lecce will need to regroup fast if they’re to avoid being pulled deeper into the drop zone.
