Can Juventus striker Jonathan David build on his star turn against Sassuolo?

It is far too early to suggest that Jonathan David’s Italian adventure has finally exploded into life, but an influential contribution against Sassuolo has at least cleared up a few misconceptions.   

Three days after he was pilloried for missing a penalty against Lecce, the Juventus forward delivered a well-taken goal to put the seal on a 3-0 victory that moves Luciano Spalletti’s side up to fourth in the Serie A table. 

David’s second league strike since completing a free transfer from Lille last summer – he also completed a short pass under pressure for Fabio Miretti to score Juve’s second, although to call it an assist would be stretching it – has been a long time coming. 

How Jonathan David’s first goal in 135 days atoned for Lecce miss

It was 135 days ago that the 25-year-old Canada international raised expectations among the Turin faithful by prodding home the opener on his club debut against Parma. His travails in front of goal since have come under intense scrutiny, particularly after fellow striker Dusan Vlahovic, the subject of interest from Barcelona, underwent surgery last month on an adductor injury that is expected to keep him out until spring. The nadir came with an ill-executed Panenka at Il Tardini on Saturday, which left David facing further  criticism, including renewed claims that he has struggled to establish a rapport with his team-mates.

That line of thinking always seemed flawed, given the public support he has received from the dressing room. It was club captain Manuel Locatelli who handed David the ball against Lecce, and at Sassuolo it was notable that the striker was mobbed by his compadres – substitutes, Spalletti and all – after pouncing on an under-hit back-pass from Jay Idzes. The blistering turn of pace he showed to cut in from the right before jinking into space to drive home a composed finish offered a timely reminder of the qualities that persuaded Juve to acquire the forward.

For Spalletti, no doubt eager to foster an us-against-the-world mentality among his players, it was a moment that epitomised a unity he believes critics have sought to undermine.  

Spalletti: ‘David is a very sensitive boy and doesn’t hide anything’

“I joined at the last minute, because I’m coming in after them, but I want to be part of the group,” said Spalletti, who offered a spirited defence of David following the Lecce game, of his role in the celebrations.

“[David] is a very sensitive boy, he has no defence and doesn’t hide anything; he doesn’t yet have the structure to handle everything that comes his way. Feeling like he’s part of a family that loves him has certainly helped him. 

“The players’ behaviour in training was crucial; everyone showed support. I would have been surprised if the team hadn’t acted as a shield. There were real insults after that penalty; some are trying to create confusion, some have their hearts set on another team or another coach. This was pandemonium, deliberately unleashed to create chaos.”

Can Jonathan David rekindle Ligue 1 glories with Juventus?

The hope now for Juventus, in a campaign where the performances of the free-scoring Internazionale forward Lautaro Martínez and Milan’s Christian Pulisic have been outliers among strikers, is that David can start to unleash the kind of chaos he once wreaked in France. The striker, who expressed gratitude for his team-mates’ support, bagged 109 goals in 232 games for Lille, including 13 – a record for a Canadian player operating in one of the top five European leagues – in their run to the Ligue 1 title in 2021. 

“I really appreciated my team-mates’ gesture,” said David after helping Juve to an eight win in 10 games in all competitions. “I had to score that goal, and I’m happy I did. But the important thing is that we got back to winning ways.”