Juventus extend winning start as second-half changes punish Parma

Juventus maintained their perfect start to the Serie A season as substitutes Nicolas Gonzalez and Teun Koopmeiners scored after half-time to secure victory over Parma on Saturday evening.

The Bianconeri were unable to break the deadlock during a goalless first half, but manager Luciano Spalletti turned to his bench in the second period. His changes produced the result he wanted, with Gonzalez opening the scoring in the 62nd minute before Koopmeiners added a second in the 88th minute, only a few minutes after coming on.

The result again highlighted Juventus’ ability to find goals through their substitutes. According to Opta, no team in Serie A has benefited more from its replacements since the beginning of last season. Juventus substitutes have now scored 13 goals during that period.

That total is the highest in the Italian top flight, although Juventus share the record with Inter, who have also scored 13 times through players introduced from the bench.

For much of the contest against Parma, Juventus had been unable to turn their pressure into a goal. The breakthrough eventually came from Gonzalez, giving the home side the lead in the 62nd minute and underlining the importance of Spalletti’s decision to use his substitutes.

Koopmeiners then provided further evidence of the depth available to Juventus. His late strike in the 88th minute settled the match and ensured Parma could not recover after Gonzalez’s opener.

The victory gives Juventus six points from their opening two league matches. They began the campaign with a 1-0 win over Frosinone, before overcoming Parma in their second fixture.

Parma, meanwhile, remain without a point after losing their first two games of the season. They were beaten 1-0 by Cagliari in the opening round before suffering another defeat against Juventus.

While the scoreline was decided by two second-half goals, the wider significance for Juventus was the continued contribution of their substitutes. Gonzalez and Koopmeiners were introduced after the interval and supplied the goals that had been missing during the opening 45 minutes.

The pattern also matched the statistical trend identified by Opta: Juventus have made more productive use of their bench than any other Serie A side since the start of last season, with only Inter matching their tally of 13 substitute goals.