There is one moment from Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Milan that captures Francisco Conceição’s growth more clearly than any statistic. When Gatti headed home the equaliser, Conceição’s first instinct was to sprint back to the centre circle with the ball. He was convinced Juventus could still win — that the draw was a stepping stone, not a destination. In the manner of a great player at a great club, he wanted to keep going. It was a small, almost unnoticed gesture. It said everything.
The Most Positive Face of the New Juventus
In the context of an injury crisis that will deprive Spalletti of Yıldız, Thuram, Locatelli, and now Boga — the latter confirmed with a hamstring problem that will keep him out for approximately a month — Conceição has emerged as the squad’s most consistently positive figure. Every ball that arrives in the attacking third finds him alert, ready, alive to the possibility of creating something dangerous. He is, as Tuttosport’s Paolo Pirisi writes, the face that best represents the new Juventus.
The numbers support the assessment. In Serie A, only Giorgi Kvernadze of Frosinone has attempted more dribbles than Conceição across the season’s opening three matchdays — 15 to 14 in the Georgian’s favour. For an attacking player in his position, dribbling volume at that level is not merely a measure of individual boldness. It is a measure of how much the team relies on him to create the numerical superiority that breaks open defensive structures. He is being asked to do a great deal. He is delivering it.
A New Hierarchy at the Allianz Stadium — and a New Leadership Role
The injury to Boga — absent for around a month — creates a shift in the attacking hierarchy that places Conceição in the most prominent possible position. Without Yıldız, without Boga, with Alajbegovic still integrating and Nico González operating in a deeper role when required, Conceição is Spalletti’s most experienced attacking option on the left. At Sassuolo on Sunday, he will be the player who carries the most Juventus history on his shoulders — and the one to whom the manager will turn first when a moment of individual quality is needed.
His post-match words after the Milan draw confirmed the transformation that is taking place. “What did Milan do more than us? Nothing. We hit the post with my opportunity. We deserved to win — but we didn’t manage it. We must continue on our path.” It is the language of a leader — assertive, clear-eyed, and entirely focused on what comes next.
The Missing Detail — Goals
The one remaining gap between what Conceição produces and what his role fully demands is goals. Eleven in 85 appearances across all competitions since joining Juventus is a return that does not reflect his creative contribution. The two posts struck against Parma and Milan — moments of genuine quality that required only a few centimetres to become goals — illustrate both the courage and the proximity. “The football is like this,” he said afterwards. “I am improving in my shooting. But these two posts make me think — for a few centimetres everyone would have called me a striker. I know that. I must improve to find those five or ten centimetres to the right or left and score. That is what I want.”
It is the most precise self-diagnosis a footballer can give. He knows the weakness. He is working on it. And when the first goal arrives — and with the quality of his delivery, it will — the rest will follow in cascade. The post against Milan already had the Allianz Stadium holding its breath. The goal is coming.
