VERONA, Italy – Juventus’ miserable start to the Serie A season continued as they lost 2-1 at Hellas Verona, with an early double from Giovanni Simeone dropping Massimiliano Allegri’s side to ninth in the Serie A standings.
Giovanni Simeone, eldest son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone, scored four in last weekend’s 4-1 win over Lazio, and he added two more goals inside 14 minutes in Veneto.
The first was a poacher’s finish from close range and the second was a sensational, dipping effort from distance to stun a static Juve defence.
Allegri rang the changes in the second half as he looked to turn things around, with one of his substitutes — American Weston McKennie – firing home 10 minutes from time.
The visitors could not find an equaliser, however, as they slipped to their second league defeat in four days to stay 13 points behind leaders Napoli having played one game more, while Verona climbed to eighth with a deserved victory.
“We just need to work,” Allegri told DAZN according to Reuters. “We have to take responsibility and accept reality, that we are a mid-table team. The qualities are there, but we need to do so much more.
“In some way we will come out of it. Things will settle down.”
Elsewhere in Serie A, Atalanta came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Lazio in Bergamo, Marten de Roon earning the hosts a point in the 94th minute.
Juve looked to have turned things around following their disappointing start to the season as they went into their midweek clash with Sassuolo unbeaten in nine games in all competitions.
But the effects of a shock 2-1 home loss on Wednesday had not worn off by the time they took to the field in Verona, as Simeone capitalised on slack defending to put the hosts in front after 11 minutes.
Three minutes later Simeone arrowed a brilliant strike into the top corner from 20 metres, becoming only the seventh player in Serie A history to score two or more goals against Juventus in the same game for three different sides — Genoa, Cagliari and Verona.
“He´s a great striker, there is no need for explanation,” Verona coach Igor Tudor said. “As well as being a fine striker, he’s intelligent, humble, eager to learn.
“The quality isn’t just in the legs, but also in the mentality and hunger.”
Juventus have now conceded at least 15 goals in their first 11 Serie A matches of the season for the first time since 1961-62.
Until McKennie’s fine finish Juve did not really look like scoring, and they only had one good chance to snatch a fortunate point when Paulo Dybala was denied by a fine save from home goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo in the dying minutes.
