Who is Samuel Mbangula: the Juventus winger making his senior debut vs. Como | OneFootball

Juventus coach Thiago Motta has picked Samuel Mbangula over Douglas Luiz for the Bianconeri’s Serie A debut against Como. Find out more about the 20-year-old winger who spent the entire pre-season with the first team.

Eyebrows were raised when Thiago Motta named his first starting XI for Juventus in Serie A.

In fact, the ex-Bologna coach surprisingly picked debutant Samuel Mbangula over the most expensive summer signing in Turin, former Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

Mbangula will make his senior and Serie A debut against Como, but who is he, and what should we expect from the promising 20-year-old?

Who is Samuel Mbangula: the Juventus winger making his senior debut vs. Como

Mbangula is an attacking winger, mostly playing on the left wing, although he’s also been deployed on the opposite side of the pitch as a support striker or attacking midfielder.

This means that Kenan Yildiz, Juventus’ new No. 10, will probably play through the middle against Como, leaving space for Mbangula down the left-hand side of the field.

Right-footed, Mbangula will likely cut into the middle to provide the final pass for Dusan Vlahovic or Juventus’ attacking midfielders.

Not too tall (1,71m), the 20-year-old will mostly rely on his pace against Como. He can still improve technically, but his speed can be an added value, and shots from distance can also be pretty good if he’s on his day.

Mbangula joined the Juventus Academy in September 2020 and has played for the U17 squad, the Primavera team and the NextGen.

He has 12 goals in 57 appearances with the Primavera, but his impact on professional football has been remarkable, too. The promising winger has managed two goals and four assists in 25 NextGen games in Serie C, Italy’s third division.

Mbangula has Congo and Belgium citizenship and has collected three appearances with the Red Devils’ U21 squad, making his debut in October 2023, months after joining Juventus from Anderlecht Academy.

On paper, he’s still part of the NextGen and has been promoted to the first team for the pre-season and the first game of the season against Como. Juventus fans have already seen him in action this summer, as he was introduced as a substitute in friendly games against Nuremberg and Brest.