Strong Juventus side defeated 1-0 by Cremonese in training ground friendly

TURIN, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 20: Luciano Spalletti, Manager of Juventus, looks on before the Serie A match between Juventus and Atalanta BC at Allianz Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

A strong Juventus side featuring the likes of Gleison Bremer, Weston McKennie and Randal Kolo Muani were defeated 1-0 in a training ground friendly against Serie B outfit Cremonese on Friday afternoon. 

The Bianconeri arranged a friendly at Continassa to give minutes to their first-team players who are not involved in the extra-long September-October international break, as well as to some making their returns from injury, including Andrea Cambiaso. 

The Juventus squad for Friday’s friendly against Cremonese went without the called-up Zeki Celik, Francisco Conceicao, Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz, Kerim Alajbegovic, Jhon Lucumi, Guglielmo Vicario, Nico Gonzalez, Pape Matar Sarr or Nick Woltemade. 

The Bianconeri are still missing several first-team players through injury, including Kenan Yildiz, Khephren Thuram, Manuel Locatelli, Jeff Ekhator, Juan Cabal and Kamil Grabara.

There were still several first-team regulars in Luciano Spalletti’s starting XI for Friday’s friendly against Cremonese though, including a relatively strong back four of Federico Gatti, Bremer, Daniele Rugani and Lloyd Kelly. Veteran Carlo Pinsoglio started in goal as new recruit Neto works on his fitness and match sharpness. 

McKennie started the game in midfield along with the returning Cambiaso, who played centrally, just in front of the defence according to Juventus’s post-match report. They were joined by 19-year-old Next Gen midfielder Grady Makiobo. 

Randal Kolo Muani led the line, accompanied by 21-year-old Luca Amaradio and 19-year-old Josue Grelaud.

It was the visiting Cremonese side who took the lead after 12 minutes in Turin: Federico Bonazzoli applying the finishing touches within the penalty area after a neat attacking move that flowed through Giuseppe Pezzella,  Salvatore Elia and Adin Licina, who is on loan from Juventus. 

⚽️ Bonazzoli 🩶❤️#GrigiorossiSempre #Cremonese #JuventusCremonese pic.twitter.com/1RMuytqrAs

— U.S. Cremonese (@USCremonese) October 2, 2026

Spalletti made wholesale changes at the interval, giving opportunities to a number of the Next Gen players that were available on the substitutes bench, including Davide Marchisio, son of former Bianconeri star and Italy international Claudio Marchisio. Alfonso Montero, son of Paolo Montero, was also involved. 

Bonazzoli 12’. 

Starting line-ups 

Juventus: Pinsoglio; Gatti, Bremer, Rugani, Kelly; McKennie, Cambiaso, Makiobo; Amaradio, Grelaud; Kolo Muani.

Subs: Radu, Mangiapoco, Rizzo, Durmisi, Corigliano, Montero, Brancato, Ripani, Marchisio, Savio, Corradi, Guerra.

Cremonese: Agazzi; Pezzella, Barbieri, Luperto, Baschirotto, Licina, Gerli, Collocolo, Grassi, Elia, Bonazzoli.