Paul Pogba has made his first appearance for Juventus this season, and what a game it was. Juventus won the Turin derby 4-2 after coming from behind twice, with Pogba making a significant contribution to the victory.
The French midfielder’s last competitive appearance was for Manchester United in the Premier League in April, where he sustained an injury and didn’t play again last season. However, his return to Juventus last summer generated great enthusiasm among supporters, who were delighted to see the player return to the club where he had previously won four league titles.
What Happened to Pogba?
Pogba’s troubles at Juventus began early on during pre-season when he sustained a meniscus injury during training. The club’s medical team advised him to undergo knee surgery, but he chose to disregard their advice, leading to a prolonged absence from the field.
Despite his hopes of returning in time for the World Cup in Qatar, it became evident by September that surgery was inevitable, causing him to lose out on a significant portion of his recovery time. Although he made a welcome return to the bench in late January during the Monza game, he failed to take the field and was subsequently struck with a new flexor injury.
With his appearance in the team’s latest match, hope for future appearances for the player has ignited.
Pogba’s Appearance in the Juventus Match
In the Tuesday night game, visiting Torino took the lead through Frenchman Yann Karamoh after a first-minute corner. However, Juan Cuadrado leveled the score with the help of a deflection after 16 minutes. Antonio Sanabria restored Torino’s lead after 41 minutes, but Danilo leveled in added time with a powerful header from a corner bouncing across the line off the post.
Pogba replaced Enzo Barrenechea with 22 minutes left, and three minutes later, Bremer gave Juventus the lead for the first time with another header from a set-piece. Adrien Rabiot completed the scoring with ten minutes left, and Pogba’s contribution to the game was apparent, with the midfielder showing great energy and skill.
Juventus’ Status in the League
Juventus, who have been penalized 15 points, climbed a place to seventh, still ten points behind fourth-place Lazio who occupy the last Champions League spot. The return of Pogba could be a significant boost to the club’s prospects of finishing in the top four, and supporters will be hoping to see more of the midfielder in the remaining games.
In other Serie A news, Cremonese upset Roma 2-1 earlier in the evening, securing their first league victory of the season. The game saw Jose Mourinho receive a red card for vehement protests at the half-time whistle, and Roma, who started the weekend in third, ended the round in fifth, pushed out of the Champions League places by neighbors Lazio.
Upcoming Champions League Matches
The UEFA Champions League recently finished its first leg of the Round of 16, and the second leg will start on March 8. The first teams competing against each other in the second leg are Chelsea and Dortmund.
