As Leeds United’s attack toiled in defeat against Brighton, one-time transfer target Jamie Vardy showed them what they are missing with a vintage moment against Juventus.
Leeds United toiled in their attempt to add another striker to their squad to bolster the options available to Daniel Farke in attack.
One of the first names linked with a move to Leeds in the summer transfer window was veteran forward Jamie Vardy, who was available on a free transfer after leaving Leicester City.
Although Leeds did end up bringing in a former England international on a free transfer, they moved to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who has struggled for goals since he joined the Premier League strugglers.
Vardy eventually accepted a move to Italy, joining Italian side Cremonese in Serie A. Now, he has shown Leeds what they could have signed by scoring a classic Jamie Vardy goal against giants Juventus.
Jamie Vardy sends reminder to Leeds United with goal against Juventus
Vardy took some time to get going in Italy, as he failed to score in his first two games for Cremonese, after being made to wait until the middle of September for his debut.
However, having opened his account in a 1-1 draw against Atalanta, Vardy scored his second goal in three games as Cremonese faced Juventus.
The goal was a vintage Vardy goal, as the former England man left a Juventus defender on his backside before chasing down a speculative ball over the top.
Vardy made no mistake with the finish, rolling the ball past the goalkeeper with his right foot as Cremonese slipped to a 2-1 defeat.
Although Vardy’s best years may be behind him, the forward remains a deadly finisher. On the evidence of the heavy defeat against Brighton, Leeds could still benefit from a player with his skill set as they battle against relegation.
Jamie Vardy sent the stadium “into a frenzy”
Vardy’s clinical finishing was a stark contrast to Leeds’ attack, as Noah Okafor received criticism from Daniel Farke during the loss against Brighton.
While Calvert-Lewin has missed a string of big chances, Vardy has scored two goals from an expected goals total of 1.23 to highlight exactly what is missing from Farke’s squad.
The former Leicester man received praise from the Corriere della Sera after the game, who gave Vardy a 6.5 rating, the highest of any Cremonese, and pinpointed Vardy’s ability to score, even when the defence is on top in the game.
“Vardy, encouraged by his small tribe [wife Rebekah and four children], was squeezed by the Juventus vice, and failed to make an impact.
“Then, with 7 minutes to go, he burns [Federico] Gatti [for pace] and sends the stadium into a frenzy.”
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