Earlier, Juventus made a substitution, but instead of substituting their poorly performing right-back, they replaced their right midfielder with another substitute-level player.
Their intention to train players was very clear.
Therefore, if the match could indeed go into extra time, it would be ideal for Juventus, giving them another thirty minutes to assess their players, which would be wonderful.
The Juventus head coach could confidently say that this Italian Super Cup has already exceeded their expectations so far.
They were afraid of opponents who would collapse with a single strike, as that would not allow them to test their mixed lineup of semi-starters, newcomers, and youth trainees.
As a result, under San Remo’s strong performance, the Juventus coach had already marked several of his players with crosses and added comments and question marks next to some others.
Regardless of the outcome of this match, there are definitely players in Juventus who will lose the head coach’s trust in upcoming matches.
As a giant in Serie A, Juventus doesn’t lack excellent players, and if one doesn’t perform, another will take their place, making for intense competition.
Just as both sides were playing a "mutual understanding" match, Lu Yang launched a brilliant attack.
He took the ball down the right flank, beating the Juventus left defensive midfielder with speed.
Then, after entering the attacking third, he began to cut inside.
While running, he cleverly tapped the ball with his left foot, nutmegging the approaching Juventus left-back.
The ball passed through the opponent’s legs, allowing Lu Yang to bypass them unexpectedly smoothly.
Just as Lu Yang reached the ball, the Juventus center-back slid in for a tackle.
Lu Yang, however, pulled the ball back and performed a lateral Marseille Turn to evade the opponent.
At this moment, he was inside the penalty area with a clear opportunity to shoot.
Bang!
In a favorable position to shoot with his left foot, Lu Yang took an extra step forward, then used his right foot to shoot first, aiming for the far post with the outside of his foot.
The Juventus goalkeeper dived in the wrong direction, and it looked like they were about to concede.
However, the Juventus center-back’s left elbow, which was not close to his body but extended, touched the ball, causing it to deflect towards the goal’s right side, right into the path of the diving Juventus goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper collected the ball.
Even though the Juventus goalkeeper was a backup, he was still the number one gatekeeper for another national team, with plenty of experience, and immediately charged out of the small penalty area with the ball, kicking it long to resume play.
But the main referee, not far from the penalty area, clearly saw the handball.
Whistle!
The referee blew the whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.
Penalty!
The entire Juventus side erupted.
The Juventus players rushed towards the referee, insisting he couldn’t make such a call.
But the referee stood by his decision and issued a yellow card to the Juventus center-back.
In fact, he could have issued a red card.
Because although the center-back had his hands behind his back, the movements of his hand and deliberate motion towards the ball indicated he intentionally used his arm to block the ball.
When this penalty was awarded, the San Remo players had already gathered.
They looked at Lu Yang but didn’t say anything.
No one dared to disturb Lu Yang.
Because this penalty kick had to be taken by Lu Yang.
No one was more suitable than him.
In front of his fellow countrymen in his homeland, defeating the formidable Serie A giant Juventus and lifting the trophy.
There couldn’t be a script more perfect than this.
Lu Yang held the ball, breathing steadily, but the rise and fall of his chest revealed his inner unrest.
Italian Super Cup!
Some see this as light, while others regard it as a top honor.
Because to win it, you must first be a champion of another event, a prerequisite that ensures this trophy, no matter how many matches there are, is no less prestigious.
When counting honors, it is still considered a champion’s accolade.
Thus, Lu Yang carried immense pressure.
Following some debate, a Juventus midfielder also received a yellow card before they calmed down.
The crowd dispersed, Lu Yang placed the ball on the spot and began to step back.
This was another showdown between Lu Yang and a top goalkeeper.
Yes, even though this was only Juventus’ backup goalkeeper, he was still a top goalkeeper.
Because, like Italy’s second gatekeeper Ameluci, he was one of those benched by Gianluigi Audi.
It’s not that they aren’t strong enough, but Audi is just too exceptional.
Bang!
Lu Yang raced towards the ball and fired a powerful shot.
Bang!
But in the next second, the ball was blocked.
The Juventus goalkeeper successfully judged Lu Yang’s shot direction — the top right corner of the goal.
For this kick, Lu Yang aimed for stability without seeking the extreme corners.
Because he hadn’t had many opportunities for long shots in this match, his shooting feel wasn’t as sharp.
So the quality of this shot... was just moderately high.
If this weren’t the Italian Super Cup, if it weren’t the last minute of the match, if it weren’t the deciding goal, if it weren’t at the Bird’s Nest Stadium, perhaps Lu Yang would have dared to take a bolder shot.
Countless fans sighed with regret.
Many fans also breathed a sigh of relief.
But just as the commentators had begun to say, "Oh, Lu Yang’s penalty has been saved," and hadn’t even finished the sentence.
Lu Yang pounced towards the rebounding ball and smashed it into the net.
The Juventus goalkeeper, in a second dive attempt, couldn’t reach the ball this time.