Juventus ‘belong in Champions League’ and Boga enjoying ‘dream’ start with 4th big goal

BERGAMO, ITALY – APRIL 11: Juventus players applaud fans following the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Juventus at Gewiss Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)


Jeremie Boga ‘could not have dreamed of a better start’ at Juventus and hopes to make the move permanent, while Manuel Locatelli insists they ‘belong in the Champions League.’

It was a tough match in Bergamo, as Atalanta dominated the first half and pinned Juve back into their own half for long periods.

BERGAMO, ITALY - APRIL 11: Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta is challenged by Manuel Locatelli of Juventus during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Juventus at Gewiss Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
BERGAMO, ITALY – APRIL 11: Charles De Ketelaere of Atalanta is challenged by Manuel Locatelli of Juventus during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Juventus at Gewiss Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)

However, it was only one goal that sealed it, when Boga was ready to fire in the loose ball with the aid of a deflection off Marco Carnesecchi.

Boga has been a great January signing for Juve, scoring four goals in nine Serie A games since the loan from Olympique Marseille, and he was on target here against one of his former clubs.

Juventus flying towards top four

BERGAMO, ITALY - APRIL 11: Jeremie Boga of Juventus celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Juventus at Gewiss Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
BERGAMO, ITALY – APRIL 11: Jeremie Boga of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Juventus at Gewiss Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)

“In all honesty, I could not have dreamed of a better start here,” Boga told Sky Sport Italia.

“It was a tough game, we played really well, fought hard, and these are three very important points.”

Director Giorgio Chiellini hinted before kick-off that the plan was to activate Juve’s option to buy Boga outright from Marseille for €4.8m plus bonuses.

“It is my objective to stay here with these great players, so I will give 100 per cent in every game and hope that I will remain,” noted the forward.

This result means Juventus move to within three points of Milan in third place, temporarily leapfrogging Como ahead of their match with Inter on Sunday evening.

“There are some games over the season that you simply must win, we did it tonight with heart and it wasn’t easy,” Locatelli told Sky Sport Italia.

“We always tell ourselves, pressure mustn’t weigh on us when we are at Juventus, instead it needs to fuel us, because Juventus belong in the Champions League.”

Locatelli also had praise for teammate Boga, who he had already worked with when they were together at Juventus.

“I am so pleased for my brother Jerry, because I always thought he could make it at a big club, and now he is finally proving what he can do.”

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

Tables turned? Brazil track wonderkid and could gazump Italy; why💡

Home to many great stars over the decades, Brazil has become a major “exporter” of players — of all technical levels — to several countries around the world. For different reasons, such as dual nationality or long-term residency, Brazilian athletes of all ages wear the jerseys of other national teams to compete in major tournaments,

Spalletti confession: ‘Juventus suffered in first half with Atalanta’

Luciano Spalletti admits Juventus ‘suffered a lot’ in the first half with Atalanta, but after the break was ‘a totally different match’ as they won to keep top four ambitions alive. It was a difficult night in Bergamo, as La Dea pinned Juve back into their own half for long periods in the first half,

Milan 0-3 Udinese – Allegri: ‘Fans right to boo, UCL at risk’

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 11: Massimiliano Allegri, Head Coach of AC Milan, looks on prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Udinese Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Massimiliano Allegri delivered one of his most candid and sobering post-match assessments

‘Juventus happy with new Spalletti deal, eager to keep Boga’ in 2026-27

BOLOGNA, ITALY – DECEMBER 14: Former Juventus player Giorgio Chiellini looks on prior to the Serie A match between Bologna FC 1909 and Juventus FC at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on December 14, 2025 in Bologna, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images) Juventus director Giorgio Chiellini celebrates Luciano Spalletti’s new contract to June 2028 and

Serie A | AC Milan 0-3 Udinese: Disastrous tactical experiment fails

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 11: Jurgen Ekkelenkamp of Udinese Calcio scores his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Udinese Calcio at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on April 11, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Milan were humiliated 3-0 at home by a clinical Udinese, as the

Chelsea vs. Manchester City, Premier League: Preview, team news, how to watch

Chelsea snapped a four-match losing streak in emphatic fashion last weekend, but beating the worst team from two divisions lower, even by seven goals, has, unsurprisingly, hardly shifted the vibes. Our inglorious exit from the Champions League, coupled with just one win from our last six Premier League matches has really dimmed the prospect of

Italian League with 16 Teams and Rejection of Former Players’ Dominance!

Laurentiis Ignites Controversy: Italian League with 16 Teams and Rejection of Former Players’ Dominance! In provocative statements, Napoli club president Aurelio De Laurentiis criticized the state of Italian football, asserting that the current system needs a radical overhaul. The main proposal was to reduce the number of teams in the Italian league to 16, considering

Allegri explains Milan changes with new 4-3-3 experiment

Max Allegri explains how his Milan team changes with a 4-3-3 formation against Udinese and why they must ‘give Rafael Leao the right service’ as a centre-forward. It kicks off at San Siro at 17.00 UK time (18.00 CEST). Advertisement You can follow all the build-up and action as it happens from today’s four Serie

Arsenal: Open-play attack and mentality of Mikel Arteta’s side warrants scrutiny after Bournemouth loss opens door for Man City | Football News

They have been the two major question marks over Arsenal all season – and on Saturday, the Gunners’ open-play football and big-moment mentality were exposed in a defeat to Bournemouth which has blown the Premier League title race open. Arsenal fans have vigorously defended the attacking attributes of their side, revelling in an admittedly supreme

What is behind the Ranieri v Gasperini chaos at Roma

The last few weeks have been rather strange at Serie A side Roma. They have gone from being a favourite to qualify for the top four to now being behind Juventus and Como in the race. Now, something bigger is brewing, with Claudio Ranieri and Gian Piero Gasperini publicly clashing. Importantly, Gasperini has never hidden

Comment Thread: Dortmund Aim to Spoil Leverkusen Champions League Hopes

When: 9:30 AM EST Where: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany How:  ESPN Select (US), Sky Sport Bundesliga 1 (Germany). Everywhere else here. Here are the rules: Exercise common sense. We allow profanity, adult humor, and other forms of crudeness within reason, but of course there are lines. Hateful language will not be tolerated. Exceptionally violent language (especially directed

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x