Team Focus: Juventus Must Translate European Form to Serie A

Before kick off at the J Stadium on Wednesday night, the Curva Nord exhibited its latest choreography. It depicted a knight rearing up on a zebra about to embark on a quest. Ahead of him lay a promised land where the Champions League trophy stands like a monument. Above was the date and place of Juventus’ last triumph in this competition - May 22, 1996, Rome - accompanied by those of this season’s final - May 28, 2016 Milan. Below, a banner read: “Now, like then, let’s keep it in Italy.”

Fans can dare to dream and it was a welcome show of confidence particularly after sections of the crowd whistled the team during their clash with Chievo a month ago. But it did seem hopelessly optimistic and when you consider how Juventus have started the season, few expect them to repeat the exploits of last term when they reached the final in Berlin. They have lost three of their opening six games in Serie A. You have to go back to the 84/85 campaign to find Juventus doing the same. And yet what happened that season? They finished it by lifting the European Cup for the first time, albeit in the tragic surroundings of Heysel.

Poor domestically. Good in continental competition. It is one of those head-scratching incongruities. Juventus were drawn in the group of death of football’s elite club competition while at their most vulnerable state since 2011. Yet after two match days they find themselves with more points in Europe [6] than they do after six games in Serie A [5]. She’s hard to figure out, this Old Lady. No one gave her a prayer away to Man City a fortnight ago. Her hosts had a perfect record in the Premier League and had yet to concede a goal. But Juventus came back from behind to win and displayed an experience on this stage that they had supposedly lost after the exits of Andrea Pirlo, Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal.

A corner seemed to have been turned only for a triumph against Genoa at Marassi to be followed by a frustrating draw with Frosinone and Juventus then being outclassed by Napoli. “We can beat anyone and lose to anyone,” coach Max Allegri said. “… We’ve gone from world class to rubbish in the space of a few days.” His was a comment on the inconsistency of the team and its coverage in the press.

Knowing which Old Lady would turn up against Sevilla was difficult to predict. They met in similar circumstances. Both were 15th in their respective leagues. Both had the same points. Both had problems in common. Key players left in the summer, new signings are still adjusting while a raft of injuries have left them in tatters.

Sevilla flew to Turin, however, with renewed self belief after picking up their first win of the season. The J Stadium also held fond memories for the team. It was where they lifted the third of their four Europa League titles in the past decade. In the meantime, Juventus felt like strangers in their own home. After dropping only six points there in the last two seasons, they have already dropped eight this season. And to whom? Udinese, Chievo and Frosinone; teams that Juventus have wiped the floor with in the last four years. They hadn’t won at the J Stadium this season until Wednesday.

Questions have been asked of Allegri. His decisions have come under the spotlight. For instance, the use of Simone Padoin in the Pirlo role against Udinese and Roma, then at right-back in Naples. If those ones were obligatory because of injuries, others weren’t. Such as leaving your new €32m striker, Paulo Dybala out of the starting XI against Udinese and Frosinone, and Cuadrado, his most in-form player, against Napoli. Allegri has used 25 players this season. He has fielded eight different starting XIs and not always in the same formation either.

For the first time Juventus looked confused against Napoli on Saturday. After a convincing performance in front of the defence in Manchester, Hernanes suffered at the San Paolo. Not given any time to think, as soon as Napoli upped the tempo and brought the pressure, he crumbled. Juventus, incidentally, have lost the ball 804 times in Serie A this season. Tackles are down from 17.5 per game last season to 15.2. And as was the case against Roma, Juventus’ centre-right was identified as a weak spot by Napoli where joy could be had and damage done. It’s enough to look at where their shots originated from on the chalkboards.

It took Juventus until December 18 last year to concede as many goals as they have done in the league thus far. Shots conceded are up from 44 at this time last season to 59. And issues at the back have not been the only concern. They have had them up front too. Juventus scored as many in one game against Parma last November as they have in six this season. Of 118 shots attempted, only 28 have been on target.

However, Dr Jekyll transformed back into Mr Hyde on Wednesday. Allegri got his tactics spot on. Juventus played a chameleon-like system. It could be 3-5-2 with Patrice Evra and Cuadrado as the wing-backs. It could be 4-3-3 with Evra dropping in and Andrea Barzagli moving across to right-back, covering for the intrepid Colombian ahead of him. Out of possession it was often 4-4-2 with Cuadrado withdrawing from the frontline. Juventus had balance and solidity. They were compact and left Sevilla little space between the lines. It was quite the contrast with the disorder we saw in Rome and in Naples.

Allegri appreciated how the team played as a unit and looked out for each other. Sami Khedira’s return from injury was a surprise although not as much as his performance on his first competitive start for the club. He brought calm and assurance where there has been anxiety in recent games. Khedira also combined well with Cuadrado, following the play and showing for the ball. He often made runs into the box as Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal used to, and created 3 chances.

Cuadrado was once again Juventus’ bright spark. For Allegri it was his finest display in black and white to date. Everyone knows he brings unpredictability with his dribbling ability and skill in 1 on 1 situations but what really impressed his manager was that “he is beginning to understand when he needs to pass it.” Cuadrado attempted 52, of which 25 were in the final third - more than any of his teammates - and completed 94.2% of them. Alvaro Morata maintained his reputation as a man for the big occasion. He scored for a fifth Champions League game running, matching Alessandro Del Piero’s achievement in 96/97. Strike partner Dybala was sprightly and did excellent to help set up Simone Zaza for the clincher.

Juventus managed the game well. Too often this season they have got anxious and tried to force the issue, which has contributed to them losing their shape and being made to pay for it. The inexperience of their younger players and new recruits has also shown, most notably against Frosinone when instead of holding onto the ball after a corner, Dybala took a speculative shot, gave possession back to the visitors who then went up the other end, won a corner of their own and scored from it at the death. The Sevilla game was an improvement in this respect.

So what do we read into it? It’s still too early to say Juventus have definitively left all their troubles behind them. Winning at City was supposed to kickstart their season only for them to stall again a week later. Growing pains will continue to make themselves felt. But there are encouraging signs and if Khedira stays healthy and Marchisio can keep fit upon his return after the international break, Juventus will be an entirely different proposition to the one we have seen so far. The team can only improve and as demonstrated in the decisiveness of Dybala [21], Morata [22] and Zaza [24] on Wednesday night, has a bright future too.

Should Juventus still be considered favourites to win Serie A? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below