Juventus beat West Ham 3-2 in friendly at Olympic Stadium

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:58 am

Steven Paston/PA Wire/Press Association Images

LONDON -- Juventus beat West Ham United 3-2 in a friendly staged at the Hammers' new London Stadium, with Simone Zaza scoring a late winner for the Italian champions.

The match occurred as Juve were confirming that Paul Pogba is set to undergo a medical at Manchester United, but the Frenchman had not been part of Massimiliano Allegri's squad for the trip to east London in any case. Having played in the Euro 2016 final for France, Pogba and Patrice Evra were not due to start training in Turin until Monday.

Juventus began brightly, and were 2-0 up, before being pegged back by two Andy Carroll strikes. In the 18th minute, Mario Mandzukic's headed flick gave Paulo Dybala the chance to score from about 10 yards out, 36 seconds after Enner Valencia had struck the foot of a post for West Ham.

Three minutes later, Dybala returned the compliment by setting up Mandzukic after a mistake by Winston Reid had allowed new signing Miralem Pjanic to play Dybala in.

West Ham struck back in the 34th minute when Carroll headed down a Sam Byram cross, which Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon knocked onto the post before Carroll then bundled the rebound home.

Juventus remained in the ascendancy and had West Ham in a 39th-minute scramble when Alex Sandro had a shot saved by Adrian, then Carroll cleared Sandro's shot off the line before Medhi Benatia struck the woodwork.

After half-time, Juventus introduced Gonzalo Higuain, their €90 million summer signing from Napoli, to replace Mandzukic. Dybala went close in the 52nd minute when firing a Sandro cross narrowly wide.

Within a minute West Ham had equalised. Mark Noble drifted in a free kick and Carroll, having overpowered Benatia, crashed a typical header past substitute goalkeeper Neto to score his second. Carroll was subbed off by manager Slaven Bilic in the 58th for summer signing Ashley Fletcher.

West Ham introduced fans favourite Dimitri Payet to a standing ovation in the 75th minute, but the Frenchman was not able to exert much influence on proceedings.

For Juventus, Hernanes struck the bar with a free kick and then, in the 85th minute, a long pass from substitute centre-back Luca Marrone found Zaza in open space, and he finished well, guiding his shot past Adrian.