Zhegrova praised for changing Juve’s game for the better: he has 3D glasses

He was ill during the week and for that reason did not start on Saturday evening against Pisa. But when he came on in the 61st minute, Edon Zhegrova changed Juventus’s game for the better. Both of Juve’s goals were scored with Zhegrova on the field, as the Turin side won 2-0 away against Pisa. The match was part of the 17th round of Serie A.

Zhegrova is still not starting for the Italian giants, but Luciano Spalletti’s kind words about him offer hope for the future.

“In the second half we had more quality and creativity. Zhegrova did well when he came on, as did David. They gave us more quality in attack. We managed to score and at that point we deserved even more, considering how we created space inside the box,” Spalletti said.

He then revealed that Zhegrova had had the flu during the week.

“Zhegrova had the flu; he had a high fever for three days and trained only a little on Friday morning. I had doubts about whether he would be able to last those 35 minutes. But then we had to make substitutions, and he has that spark in the choices he makes and in beating the player marking him. I thought he might do less, given the flu, but instead he played well and gave us quality,” the Italian coach added.

Spalletti acknowledges Zhegrova’s qualities in one-on-one play. He even made an interesting assessment of the Kosovar.

“He can do well; few have his quality in one-on-one play, even in the way he strikes the ball and serves his teammates inside the box. He wears three-dimensional glasses when he plays,” Spalletti said.

Zhegrova also spoke after the match.

“The important thing is that the group is united, and then, of course, I can showcase my abilities. Spalletti is helping me improve my defensive game, something I’ve also been asked to do at other clubs and which I know is important in modern football. I can’t always be 100 per cent fit. I haven’t played much for a long time because of my injury. But now I’m contributing,” Zhegrova said.

Football analysts in Italy have also praised Zhegrova’s major impact on Juventus’s game, with the team on a run of four consecutive wins.