Nico Gonzalez inspires Juventus victory despite transfer uncertainty

Nico Gonzalez scored shortly after coming off the bench as Juventus beat Parma 2-0 to make it two wins from two in the Italian league.

The Argentina international had been linked with a move away from Juventus in recent weeks, including a possible return to Atletico Madrid in a proposed exchange deal that would have seen Alexander Sørloth move to the Turin club.

Instead, Gonzalez played a decisive role in securing another victory for Juventus, scoring the opening goal before Teun Koopmeiners added a second late in the match.

Juventus had already begun their campaign with a 1-0 win over Frosinone. Their success against Parma means they have taken six points from their opening two fixtures, maintaining a perfect record.

Gonzalez was introduced in the 57th minute, replacing Jonathan David. Just five minutes later, he broke the deadlock with a powerful strike from outside the penalty area.

His initial effort hit the post and rebounded back towards him. Gonzalez reacted quickly to take another shot, which struck a defender before finding its way into the net and giving Juventus the lead in the 62nd minute.

Parma remained within reach of a response until the closing stages, when Koopmeiners effectively settled the contest. The Netherlands midfielder found the net in the 88th minute with a low finish from inside the penalty area.

The result gave Juventus maximum points from their first two league matches, while Gonzalez’s contribution came at a time when his future had been the subject of speculation.

Reports had suggested that the player could leave Juventus and return to Atletico Madrid as part of a deal involving Sørloth. However, his performance against Parma made an immediate impact for his current side, after he was brought on as a substitute.

The victory also leaves Juventus preparing for their next major test of the campaign. They will face their rivals Milan in the third round of the league on Sunday, 6 September.

Juventus will go into that fixture with six points and two clean sheets from their opening matches, having defeated Frosinone by a single goal before securing a two-goal win over Parma.