Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso was among the players singled out for redemption as the Bianconeri overturned a deficit to beat Celta Vigo 2-1 in the Europa League, with Nick Woltemade and Randal Kolo Muani providing the decisive contributions in a result that keeps Juventus at a perfect record in the competition.
The significance for Cambiaso is not merely one good night in Spain. The 26-year-old has been working his way back into Luciano Spalletti's plans after an ankle injury disrupted his early season, and his Serie A numbers — three appearances, no goals, no assists, an average rating of 6.68 — reflect a player still finding his rhythm rather than one operating at full capacity. An AI overall of 74 out of 100 suggests the ceiling is there; the question has been whether Cambiaso could reach it consistently enough to matter.
In Vigo, he appears to have taken a step in that direction. Post-match assessments described him as one of the players who redeemed themselves on the night, a pointed phrase given that the performance came after Spalletti had publicly called for his squad to show more edge and concreteness — specifically, that the group needed fewer well-behaved players and more competitors willing to take risks for a result. Cambiaso's response, in a Europa League context rather than Serie A, was at least a partial answer.
The distinction matters. These minutes were not accumulated in Serie A, and Juventus's league situation — sixth place with 11 points from six matches, three wins, two draws, one defeat — still demands more from the full-back position than Cambiaso has yet delivered domestically this season. Spalletti's side has scored nine and conceded five, a profile that points to a team capable of winning but not yet reliable enough to climb the table with authority.
Cambiaso's value to Juventus has always been tied to his ability to function as an attacking outlet from deep, and a run of European minutes in a high-pressure away fixture is exactly the kind of environment that can accelerate a player's return to form. Whether that translates to a more prominent Serie A role in the coming weeks is the next test — and on current evidence, Spalletti will be watching closely.