His two-goal performance against Parma has propelled him to the top of international soccer: since the 2019-20 season, the defender has scored 15 headers—the most in Europe’s top leagues—surpassing even van Dijk and Magalhaes (both at 14)

A rock, a leader, and now a goal-scorer too. With his two-goal performance against Parma, Gleison Bremer has reached 11 goals in a Juventus jersey and 21 since joining Serie A. There’s more: since the 2019-20 season, the defender has scored 15 headers; among the top European leagues, he leads the way, having surpassed even van Dijk and Magalhaes (both at 14). And while “numbers should be kept at arm’s length,” as Spalletti says, it’s only right to make room for emotions. “It’s a wonderful feeling to score a goal,” the center back admitted, “especially for me, having been sidelined for a year. It was tough to get back into the swing of things, even though I’m feeling better now—my leg is healing well. It was hard to bounce back after the own goal, but then we won.”

Bremer’s return to the field has transformed Juve, bringing greater solidity and confidence. Even though Bremer himself defers the compliments—at least in part—and credits the team’s growth to Spalletti’s guidance: “He’s great; you can see it in how he’s taken over the team and how we’re playing now—the team has completely changed,” the defender said of his coach. “Even when we win, he always tries to tell us to stay focused. The team is doing well, but we’re still missing something, and he always points that out to us.” He added: “Spalletti has brought back his mindset, and you can see the team is running smoothly.” In short, Bremer, too, joins the list of Juventus players who have been impressed by the new coach, but the Brazilian’s return to top form—which wasn’t a given—has, above all, shifted the priorities for the winter transfer window. At one point, it was thought that Juve needed to sign another defender midseason, but now the defense is the part of the team that seems to be performing best: much of the credit goes to Bremer and his extraordinary performance.