TURIN, ITALY – NOVEMBER 09: Kenan Yildiz of Juventus celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Serie A match between Juventus and Torino at Juventus Stadium on November 09, 2024 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
Kenan Yildiz had a very special dedication for his goal in the Derby della Mole to birthday boy Alex Del Piero and received extra praise from Juventus teammate Andrea Cambiaso.
The Bianconeri went in front early on when Timothy Weah turned in the rebound from a parried Cambiaso effort, then soaked up pressure from Torino until Kenan Yildiz met the Francisco Conceicao cross with a diving header at the back post.
Turkey international Kenan Yildiz always celebrates by sticking his tongue out, a tribute to his hero Alex Del Piero, but it was even more special tonight because it is the Juve legend’s 50th birthday.
“I am very, very happy for this goal. This one is for Alex, thank you for everything, happy birthday! I also thank the team, we are doing really well,” Kenan Yildiz told Sky Sport Italia.
The former Bayern Munich youth academy product has inherited the Number 10 jersey in Turin, an iconic shirt worn by Del Piero for many years, and is seen as the future of Juventus.
Kenan Yildiz and Cambiaso secure Juventus victory
Cambiaso played a key role for the Bianconeri this evening, as his strong run and angled drive allowed Weah to break the deadlock.
“I am pretty tired, but it was a great result and a great performance. I saw the space open up, I went for it and that went well,” said the Italy international.
Standing next to Kenan Yildiz, Cambiaso thanked the youngster for helping out with defending when required.
“He is doing really well, the most important thing is to help your teammates and he is doing that. He is a fantastic lad, with great talent, he just has to keep going like that.”
This result puts Juventus within a point of leaders Napoli, who tomorrow go head-to-head with Inter at San Siro, so which result is Cambiaso hoping for?
“It doesn’t matter what result we get, the important thing is that we won. Now I will happily sit down and watch that game tomorrow.”
