This archive report was first published on 24 July 2019.
On a sweltering night in Nanjing, China, Juventus and Inter Milan clashed in a highly charged pre-season friendly. The match, part of the International Champions Cup, saw both teams give it their all, with tempers flaring at times.
Matthijs de Ligt, the 19-year-old Dutch defender who joined Juventus last week for a reported 75 million euros, made a disastrous start to his first start for the team. He scored an own goal on 10 minutes, giving Inter the lead.
However, Juventus were not to be denied. Cristiano Ronaldo drew the team level with a deflected second-half free-kick, and the match ended 1-1 after 90 minutes.
It was then that Gianluigi Buffon, the 41-year-old veteran goalkeeper, took center stage. Making a triumphant return to Juventus after a year with Paris Saint-Germain, Buffon saved the team in a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Inter Milan.
De Ligt, who was largely untroubled for the rest of the first half before being substituted at the break, was one of the most coveted players in world football before sealing his big-money move to Juventus.
Despite the friendly nature of the match, Antonio Conte's Inter dealt out some rough treatment to Ronaldo, sending him sprawling to the turf three times in the first half.
