How Randal Kolo Muani Helped Juventus Earn Much-Needed Win Over Empoli

After a disappointing run of results, Juventus bounced back on Sunday, eventually running out 4-1 winners over a hard working and determined Empoli outfit who sit just above the relegation zone.

Coming into this encounter, Juve had endured a difficult eight-game stretch in which they won just once. Somehow, things got worse after that victory – a 2-0 triumph against AC Milan – as they slumped to a 0-0 draw with Bruges before losses to Napoli and Benfica last week.

That goalless UEFA Champions League game in Belgium prompted an angry outburst from Coach Thiago Motta which was discussed in this previous column as he demanded “our forwards are the ones who at the moment have to contribute more to the team.”

As noted by La Gazzetta dello Sport, those results saw #MottaOut trending on Twitter/X, but they also saw Juventus making moves to strengthen the squad available to their under fire Coach.

Having already signed PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani, the club also confirmed the loan move of Chelsea defender Renato Veiga. Both were thrown into the starting XI against Empoli, but it was a former Juve man who would, surprisingly, strike first when the game got underway.

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Juventus make nightmare start against Empoli

With just four minutes on the clock, a corner from Liam Henderson corner was flicked on by Lorenzo Colombo, leaving an unmarked Mattia De Sciglio to stoop for a free header at the far post.

The 32-year-old, who ended a seven-year stint with the Bianconeri back in August didn’t celebrate his unlikely strike. De Sciglio played 117 times for Juve and scored just twice, but found the back of the net against the Old Lady despite having played just 334 minutes for Empoli before today.

The Tuscan side almost doubled their lead when Sebastiano Esposito found space on another corner, and then it seemed Empoli would have a penalty when Michele Di Gregorio brought down Youssef Maleh.

After a VAR review however, Tino Anjorin was judged to have handled the ball in the build-up, and that reprieve seemed to sting Juve into life. Nico Gonzalez saw a volley tipped over the bar by goalkeeper Devis Vasquez, Tim Weah almost scored from the resulting corner and then Teun Koopmeiners saw a tap-in deflected wide by team-mate Weston McKennie.

Randal Kolo Muani turns game around for Juventus

Injuries to Anjorin and Ardian Ismajli saw the start of the second half disrupted, but once some flow was restored, Juve remained in control and finally found an equaliser when Kolo Muani ran onto a long ball, held off Saba Goglichidze before firing past Vasquez.

Empoli suddenly looked overwhelmed and just two minutes later, Kenan Yildiz span away two from defenders to set up Tim Weah, and his long range effort struck Kolo Muani and left the goalkeeper with no chance.

There were then chances at both ends asKoopmeiners found the roof of the net with a free kick, then Di Gregorio denied Henderson before Renato Veiga managed to deflect an effort from Colombo narrowly wide.

The Portugal international then blocked a shot from Liberato Cacace, with the ball allowing Nico Gonzalez to break the other way. Maleh brought down the former Fiorentina man and picked up a second yellow card, a decision which would subsequently see 10-man Empoli get overrun.

Dusan Vlahovic drove in a powerful left-footed strike to make it 3-1, and just over a minute later Francisco Conceicao would add a fourth as Khephren Thuram played him in behind the visitors defence.

With three goals in his first two games for the club, Kolo Muani has certainly made a good impact on the team’s cutting edge, as this previous column suggested the France international would.

Thiago Motta praises Juventus players

“We came here for the victory and I congratulate my players for their courage to get a deserved win,” Thiago Motta told DAZN shortly after the final whistle. “I saw many players take responsibility on the field today and we took home what we deserved.

“The players earned this with their hard work from the first day of training and we want to continue like this.”

They will need to, as the supporters who booed them off the field will take much more convincing that their team is on the right track.