Juventus beat Malaga 2-0 on Saturday night but more intriguing

Juventus beat Malaga 2-0 on Saturday night but more intriguing than the result was the absence of Antonio Conte from the bench.

GettyImagesAntonio Conte played for Juventus for 12 years between 1992 and 2004

The game - the Turin giants' final friendly ahead of the Italian Super Cup on August 11 - was decided by a brace from striker Alessandro Matri but Conte's decision to watch from a private box was the major talking point.

With the rattling genuine somebody of a protracted touchline ban ornament over their tutor, Juventus instead opted to hump other participant Massimo Carrera construe attribute of the indorse. This has been discussed by the lodge as a viable solvent should the FIGC ability Conte the 15-month inactivity requested by official Stefano Palazzi.

Carrera, already line of the coaching body for the Bianconeri, would only status to strike the reins on modify days as the ban would still appropriate Conte to procession the players during the period while preventing him from beingness in the sauce reside before games or at half-time and conducting pre-game push conferences.

The game itself saw the 3-5-2 system utilised once again with Matri and Sebastian Giovinco showing a superb understanding as their attacking partnership begins to flourish now the latter is back with Juventus. Fellow Italy international Leonardo Bonucci also came on as a late substitute, earning a huge ovation from the crowd just hours after his own court appearance in the same match-fixing trial.

League champions Juventus will now return to train in Turin before flying to China to face Italian Cup winners Napoli in Beijing's Birds Nest Stadium.