Juventus claimed their first pre-season victory under Luciano Spalletti after defeating Standard Liège 1-0 in Belgium. Fabio Miretti scored the only goal of the match to give the Bianconeri a successful result in their second summer friendly.
The win followed last weekend’s goalless draw against Basel. Spalletti was still without several first-team players, many of whom remain on holiday after taking part in the 2026 World Cup, while others were unavailable as they continue their return to full fitness.
Juventus squad and Luciano Spalletti’s selection
Juventus travelled to Belgium without Gleison Bremer, Weston McKennie, Francisco Conceicao, and Jonathan David, while Khephren Thuram and Kenan Yildiz were also absent as they continue working towards full fitness.
Spalletti named a line-up featuring a combination of experienced players and young talent. Loïs Openda was the only senior centre-forward in the matchday squad but did not start, with a loan move to Lyon on the horizon.
That opened the door for 18-year-old Arman Durmisi to lead the attack from the opening whistle. He was supported by Vasilije Adzic and Jeremie Boga, while Manuel Locatelli and Douglas Luiz formed the central midfield partnership.
Standard Liege vs Juventus starts with home pressure
Standard Liege made the brighter start and immediately put Juventus under pressure around their penalty area. Their first clear opportunity arrived after 10 minutes when Gustav Mortensen delivered a cross for Timothe Nkada, who was unable to finish.
The hosts threatened again after 22 minutes when an Andrea Cambiaso mistake almost led to the opening goal. Federico Gatti produced an important block to deny Alexis Trouillet and send the effort behind for a corner.
Juventus gradually grew into the contest, but Douglas Luiz and Manuel Locatelli both fired over the crossbar as the first half ended without a breakthrough.
Fabio Miretti’s goal decides Juventus vs Standard Liege
Spalletti made several changes during the interval and switched his side from a 3-4-2-1 formation to a 4-2-3-1. Mattia Perin, Zeki Celik, Joao Mario, Arthur Melo, Fabio Miretti, and Justin Oboavwoduo were all introduced for the second half.
The decisive moment came 10 minutes after the restart when Miretti struck a powerful free-kick from the edge of the penalty area into the back of the net.
The midfielder almost doubled both his tally and Juventus’ advantage shortly afterwards, but his off-balance effort was blocked late by Ibe Hautekiet, leaving the final score at 1-0.
