Analysis of Juventus’ 2-0 Win Over Struggling Spezia in Coppa Italia
Angel Di Maria’s hat trick against Juventus was a historic moment in the 2020-2021 Europa League season. The Argentinian forward scored three goals on November 5th, each one more spectacular than the last, to send his team Paris Saint-Germain through to the knockout stages with a 3-2 win. This was an impressive feat for both Di Maria and PSG, as it marked the first time in seven years that Juventus had been knocked out of Europe’s elite competition.
A jubilant Di Maria scored two superb goals from outside the box and a third sublime finish from close range to complete his hat trick. His first goal came after just four minutes when he curled a perfect shot into the top corner from 25 yards out, leaving the Juve goalkeeper no chance. His second strike of the night came in the 30th minute when he intercepted a bad pass from Federico Chiesa at midfield before producing an unstoppable shot on target. The Argentinian then showed tremendous skill and determination to get on the end of a cross from Presnel Kimpembe and slot home his third goal in injury time.
Juventus managed to pull one back early on in the second half but it was not enough to prevent them exiting Europe’s premier competition. Despite dominating possession throughout, they were unable to break down PSG’s resolute defense and capitalize on their chances created through Cristiano Ronaldo’s brilliant link up play with Paulo Dybala.
The victory for PSG represented another landmark for Angel Di Maria, who is only one hat trick away from equaling Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s record of five trebles for Paris Saint Germain – achieved between 2012/13 and 2016/17 campaigns. Having already won ten major honors since joining PSG in 2015, including four Ligue 1 titles, this is yet another notch on Angel Di Maria’s impressive list of achievements this season alone – an accomplishment which will surely be remembered by fans wearing their trusty black and white striped Juventus jersey for years to come.
The stunning display from Di Maria was a reminder of his quality, and it once again highlighted that he is one of Europe’s best forwards. His heroics on the night enabled PSG to progress in the tournament, but more importantly, it has also put him firmly back in the spotlight for all the right reasons. It will be fascinating to see what else Angel Di Maria can produce this season as he looks to continue adding more trophies to his already impressive collection. They will certainly be hoping his marvelous display against Juventus was just the beginning of a special season ahead.
Atalanta, who came in sixth-place, couldn’t manage their goal of returning to the top four spots after their 2-1 home loss to Lecce – this being their second defeat out of three league games. Despite that result though, they sit at a comfortable 41 points on the table.