Juventus move from a penalty setback to redemption in three days

Jonathan David missed a Panenka penalty for Juventus against Lecce, then started and scored as Juventus beat Sassuolo 3-0 three days later.

Jonathan David missed a penalty for Juventus against Lecce on Saturday. He attempted a Panenka that goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone was able to stop. Three days later he started and played a leading role as Juventus beat Sassuolo 3-0. The sequence came amid discussion about his form and reports of off-field tensions since his move from Lille last summer. What happened: - On Saturday David took a Panenka-style penalty that was saved by Lecce keeper Wladimiro Falcone, drawing strong criticism in some media and studio commentary. - On Tuesday Juventus beat Sassuolo 3-0; Pierre Kalulu’s cross led to an own goal by Tarik Muharemovic for the opening score. - Early in the second half David provided a two-touch lay-off from a Weston McKennie knock-down that released Fabio Miretti for the second goal. - Within two minutes David intercepted a backpass from Jay Idzes, rounded the goalkeeper and scored his first Serie A goal since August, after which teammates celebrated together. - Manager Luciano Spalletti defended David after the penalty miss, named him in the starting lineup against Sassuolo, and players including Federico Gatti pushed back on reports that David had been isolated off the pitch. Summary: The two matches illustrated a rapid shift in perception: a missed penalty attracted criticism, and three days later David assisted and scored in a 3-0 win that saw visible team support. Spalletti maintained his backing and teammates publicly defended David after the earlier coverage. Undetermined at this time.