Juventus lost 2-0 to Olympique Marseille, but even worse Stephan Lichtsteiner saw red and Sami Khedira was stretchered off.
This was the Bianconeri’s final friendly before the Italian Super Cup against Lazio in Shanghai next Saturday. Over 64,000 were in the Stade Velodrome for the fifth edition of the Robert Louis Dreyfus trophy, but Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Fernando Llorente were out injured. Roberto Pereyra made his summer debut after Copa America duty and replaced Paulo Dybala in the trequartista role.
Juventus lost 2-0 to Olympique Marseille, but even worse Stephan Lichtsteiner saw red and Sami Khedira was stretchered off.
This was the Bianconeri’s final friendly before the Italian Super Cup against Lazio in Shanghai next Saturday. Over 64,000 were in the Stade Velodrome for the fifth edition of the Robert Louis Dreyfus trophy, but Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Fernando Llorente were out injured. Roberto Pereyra made his summer debut after Copa America duty and replaced Paulo Dybala in the trequartista role.
It was a strong start, as Paul Pogba’s through ball saw Mario Mandzukic roll across for Alvaro Morata, his pass cut out by a desperate sliding tackle. From the resulting corner, Pogba’s header was cleared off the line by Romain Alessandrini and Morata blasted over.
Khedira should’ve scored after 10 minutes when clear on goal, but prodded a weak effort straight at Steve Mandanda.
Florian Thauvin nodded on to the upright, but was offside at the time, and Gigi Buffon was at full stretch to palm away an Alessandrini curler.
Bad news for the Bianconeri, as after 25 minutes Khedira suddenly pulled up clutching his hamstring and was stretchered off. It’s his second muscular injury of the summer and he’s highly unlikely to face Lazio next week.
Marseille took the lead almost by accident, as Alessandrini misplaced his cross from the right, but the ball looped over a surprised Buffon into the far top corner.
Before the break Buffon was alert to palm away a Thauvin deflected chip after sending Lichtsteiner to ground. The tension got to Lichtsteiner, who said something he clearly shouldn’t have to the referee and was shown a straight red card. It’s remarkable to get sent off for dissent in a friendly, but the Swiss international achieved it.
After the restart, Buffon was again ready on a smart Benjamin Mendy volley, but being down to 10 men Juve were more focused on defending than going forward.
Nicolas Nkoulou nodded over, but Pogba was so unlucky not to equalise on 67 minutes when his free kick bounced off the upright with Mandanda rooted to the spot.
Michy Batshuayi surged forward from midfield to drill just wide and Sarr fired over, while Simone Zaza single-handedly almost harassed the Marseille defence into giving away a goal.
In the final stages, the French side did double their lead with Abdelaziz Barrada. A poor Mauricio Isla clearance was volleyed into the ground and past Neto into the far bottom corner.
Marseille 2-0 Juventus
Scorers: Alessandrini 35 (M), Barrada 84 (M)
Olympique Marseille: Mandanda; Djadjédjé (Aloe 87), Rekik, Nkoulou, Mendy; Sparagna (Romao 66); Barrada, Lemina; Thauvin (Ocampos 66), Batshuayi (Nkoudou 87), Alessandrini (Sarr 54)
Juventus: Buffon (Neto 55); Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Caceres (Zaza 77), Evra (Isla 64); Marchisio, Khedira (Sturaro 26), Pogba (Rugani 69); Pereyra (Padoin 46); Mandzukic (Coman 69), Morata (Dybala 55)
Sent off: Lichtsteiner 45 (J)