It was announced today that Gonzalo Higuain has decided to hang up his boots, so let’s look back at five key moments of his time with Juventus.
The Argentinian forward spent four years of his career contracted to the Bianconeri from 2016 to 2020, joining the club in a deal worth €90m from rivals Napoli. Expectations for him were high following his 36 league goals scored the previous campaign, but he failed to hit those heights again. Higuain scored 66 goals in 149 appearances across all competitions for Juventus.
1 – A debut to remember
Higuain’s first match for Juventus came on August 20, when he came off the bench in the 66th minute of the season opener against Fiorentina. It did not take long for him to introduce himself to his new fans.
Nine minutes after stepping onto the pitch, the Argentinian forward scored the winning goal with a clinical left-footed shot, securing the three points and starting his time with the Bianconeri in the perfect fashion.
2 – A bitter re-union
It’s fair to stay that Higuain wasn’t expecting a warm response when facing Napoli in October 2016, facing his former teammates with their hated rivals alongside him.
As if written in the stars, the Argentinian forward scored the winner in the 70th minute of the match, picking up a vital three points for the Turin side.
3 – A European display
Tensions were high ahead of Juventus’ Champions League semi-final clash against a Monaco side featuring a certain Kylian Mbappé. Massimiliano Allegri’s side were desperate to redeem themselves following their loss in the final only two years prior, but first they had a semi-final to get past.
Higuain was the star of the show at the Stade Louis-II, scoring in both the first and second half to drive the team home to a 2-0 away win. Juventus promptly won the away leg 2-1, booking their spot in the final.
4 – Adding to the history of Tottenham
Juventus’ Champions League Round of 16 tie against Tottenham is a lasting sign of Higuain’s quality on his day. In the first leg in Turin, he scored two quick goals to put his side 2-0, doing his job as the team ultimately suffered a 2-2 draw.
The second leg proved to be tense in North London but Higuain rose above the occasion, scoring once and assisting once to help the Bianconeri qualify for the quarter-finals.
5 – A goal worth a Scudetto
Coming into the Derby d’Italia on April 28, the Juventus striker had been going through a fairly painful dry streak, having not scored in his last five league outings. That would change on that night at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Juventus were 2-1 down to Inter going into the 85th minute of the match and they risked losing momentum in the title race against Napoli, until Milan Skriniar netted a painful own goal in the 87th minute to bring things level. Only minutes later, as the clock ticked down, Higuain found the back of the net with a header to pick up the most crucial three points of the campaign.