Monza 1-2 Juventus: Nico Gonzalez Becoming Juve's Most Vital ...

Nico Gonzalez celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Serie A match between Monza ... [+] and Juventus (Photo by Sportinfoto/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)

Despite another poor display overall, Juventus ended a run of four consecutive Serie A draws with a win away at Monza as Nico Gonzalez once again proved to be the difference maker.

The Bianconeri remain decimated by injuries, losing Danilo and Tim Weah over the past week while Gleison Bremer, Juan Cabal, Douglas Luiz and Arkadiusz Milik remain sidelined.

Highly influential full-back Andrea Cambiaso was only fit enough for a place on the bench, meaning Weston McKennie was needed to fill in as part of a make-shift back four once again.

From kickoff, it was clear that Juve were determined to take control of this game as they pressed forward and almost took the lead in the second minute when a clearance from the Monza defence hit Kenan Yildiz and almost deflected in.

A corner from the young Turkey star caused serious problems as Federico Gatti and Nico Gonzalez were denied at the expense of a second corner, from which Teun Koopmeiners picked out McKennie who made no mistake from close range.

Monza would equalise just eight minutes later when Samuele Birindelli – whose father Alessandro won six league titles with Juve – volleyed home an Andrea Carboni cross to net his first ever Serie A goal.

With half time approaching, the Bianconeri continued to push forward and some neat play from McKennie and Manuel Locatelli created an opening in the six-yard box. Nico Gonzalez reacted quickest to it to put his team back in front and underline his importance to Thiago Motta’s side.

Koopmeiners made two vital blocks on efforts from Dany Mota Carvalho, but those efforts would leave the Netherlands international injured and he would be replaced by Khephren Thuram at half time.

A flurry of chances fell to both sides in the second half, with Yildiz, Nico Gonzalez and Dusan Vlahovic all having opportunities to put the result beyond doubt, while Georgios Kyriakopoulos, Danilo D’Ambrosio and Carvalho wasted chances to get Monza back on level terms.

There is no denying that Juventus allowed their hosts – who sit rock bottom of Serie A – to cause them far too many dangerous problems, once again highlighting their defensive frailties which will require reinforcements in January.

But the game once again served to underline the importance of Nico Gonzalez, whose return from injury has given the Bianconeri a much-needed boost. Indeed, the former Fiorentina forward had been out of action since October 2, with Juve managing just four wins in the 13 games before he came back for a four-minute cameo against Venezia.

That encounter would end 2-2, but would be followed by the midweek Coppa Italia rout of Cagliari, with Gonzalez scoring an incredible solo effort (shown above) to ice the result.

He followed that up with a Man of the Match display against Monza, WhoScored.com showing he had no fewer than five shots on target over the 63 minutes he played.

Gonzalez has now contributed three goals and an assist in just 399 minutes of action, giving Thiago Motta the kind of incisive and inventive edge his side lacks without their vibrant number 11.

Having made his name as a winger, the 26-year-old has been pressed into service as a striker and – as he was against Monza – a trequartista behind Vlahovic, roles he is only too glad to fill whenever Motta deems it necessary.

“I am very happy, firstly because it was too important that the team won,” Gonzalez told DAZN shortly after the final whistle. “After the injury, getting back in the field is the most wonderful feeling. We are on the right track and must continue like this.

“Everyone knows that I’m usually a winger, but if I have to play in goal to help the team, then I’m happy to do it.”

It might not come to that, but Nico Gonzalez has shown just how important he is to Juventus and will undoubtedly continue to do so.