In their second summer test, Juventus faced off against Brest, showcasing a blend of errors and flashes of brilliance but ultimately settling for a 2-2 draw. Under the guidance of coach Thiago Motta, the team displayed noticeable improvement from their opening match in Nuremberg, yet highlighted that they are still a work in progress.
Motta’s lineup featured a familiar midfield duo of Manuel Locatelli and Khephren Thuram, with a more established defensive setup compared to their earlier outing. The defense saw Federico Gatti paired with Juan Cabal, while Michele Di Gregorio held the goalkeeper position. Andrea Cambiaso played on the left, and 21-year-old Nicolò Savona took up the right-back role. Dusan Vlahovic led the attack, hoping to bounce back after missing a penalty in the last match, supported by Nicolò Fagioli, Timothy Weah, and Samuel Mbangula.
From the outset, there were signs of Motta’s tactical experimentation. Cambiaso frequently joined Thuram in midfield, allowing Cabal to slide into a temporary three-man defense, while Locatelli and Fagioli pressed high together. The initial 20 minutes saw Juventus struggle with some misguided possession play, highlighted by misplaced passes from Fagioli and Cabal. The first substantial opportunity came when Weah’s well-struck shot from outside the box was tipped over by Gregoire Coudert, with Vlahovic later missing a header that hit the post just a few meters from goal.
The half saw minor changes, including a goalkeeper switch, but the breakthrough came for Brest in the 51st minute when Mahdi Camara scored following a clever pass through the Juventus defense. Juventus responded tenaciously, and after Locatelli was fouled in the box, Vlahovic converted a penalty in the 58th minute to level the score.
With an hour gone, Motta introduced three Brazilian players from the bench: Danilo, Gleison Bremer, and Douglas Luiz. After some defensive hesitance from Thuram led to a save from Mattia Perin, Douglas made his presence felt with a powerful shot that resulted in a corner. From this, Danilo headed in from close range to put Juventus ahead 2-1 in the 71st minute.
Feeling more dominant, Juventus thought they had scored a third shortly after, but a dubious offside call ruled out Kenan Yildiz’s goal, following a well-executed setup involving Vlahovic. The Brazilian trio injected liveliness into the squad, yet defensive lapses persisted. In the 82nd minute, a long ball caught Juventus off guard, allowing Axel Camblan to equalize with a tap-in after a setup by Mathias Pereira Lage.
Despite attempts to secure a win, Motta will have to wait a little longer as Juventus continues to adjust and find their footing ahead of the new season.