This article was first posted on footballromance.com (a predecessor to this website) in October 2016.
We have only just passed the mid-way point of October and yet, for the other 19 clubs in Serie A, the signs are already ominous. A run of four consecutive victories, in which 10 goals were scored and only one conceded (five wins in row, 14-1 counting the Champions League triumph at Dinamo Zagreb) has seen Juventus open up a five-point gap at the top of the table as they begin their expected march to what would be a sixth straight title.
I Bianconeri took a leaf out of Bayern Munich’s book in the summer, strengthening their own squad while simultaneously weakening those of their closest challengers in recent seasons, Roma and Napoli. It has been said that, despite the world-record sale of Paul Pogba, we have reached the stage where Juve’s quality and depth is so vast in comparison to their domestic rivals that tactics are bordering on the insignificant.
However, September’s defeat at Internazionale – their biggest Serie A test of the season so far – proved Max Allegri’s side are not completely invincible domestically and has given neutrals some belief that there could yet be a title race. Their recent European record (one Champions League final in 13 seasons), meanwhile, is not that of a club of their grandeur. There is, therefore, room for progression, particularly on the continental front.
The back three – new faces, same old results
Think Juventus and you immediately think 3-5-2, so it will come as little surprise to read that Allegri has stuck with his favoured system from the off in all but one match so far this term, selection issues forcing him to start with a four-man defence in Saturday’s win against Udinese.
The back three of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini – a near-perfect blend of positioning, aggression and no little skill – has been the bedrock of the Turin club’s success, but they have started together in just two of the eight league matches this term, with summer arrival Mehdi Benatia and youngster Daniele Rugani also seeing some game time.
Not that the changes have had an adverse effect on the team’s defensive performance; Juve have conceded the fewest number of goals of any Serie A side (five in eight fixtures), while Gianluigi Buffon has faced (6.9 per game) and saved (1.5) the lowest number of shots of any goalkeeper in Italy’s top flight.
Distribution from the back
Bonucci was in the spotlight earlier this year after Pep Guardiola named his as one of his “favourite ever players”, with his excellent range of passing and composure on the ball, combined with his considerable defensive capabilities, making him one of the world’s most complete centre-backs.
Domestically, opponents appear to have cottoned on to the dangers of allowing Bonucci to start attacks; only in the league match away to Palermo (a 1-0 victory for Juve) has the former Bari man completed the most passes of the three central defenders. In the Champions League game at Dinamo Zagreb, by contrast, he played more passes than any other player on the field, Juventus going on to win by a handsome margin.
Serie A rivals have instead attempted to force Barzagli – perceived as the weakest of the ‘classic’ back three in terms of distribution – to be man to play the ball out from the back, with his passing numbers particularly high against Fiorentina, Inter and Empoli. Now Barzagli may prefer to keep things simple (hence his 90.2% pass success rate) rather than try more adventurous balls forward à la Bonucci (87.1%), but that has inadvertently played into the hands of one of I Bianconeri’s other strengths.
Right-wing attacking trio
Stationed to the right of Bonucci, Barzagli (or Benatia/Rugani when they have played) has been the understated launchpad for many of Juventus’ right-wing attacks, of which there have been plenty (41% of their total in Serie A). Summer arrival Dani Alves has played a prominent role in the majority of them, evidenced by the fact that he has attempted the most passes per game of any Juve player this season (when Stephan Lichsteiner and Juan Cuadrado have started instead of Alves, they have been considerably less involved).
Alves would theoretically be branded as a ‘wing-back’ in a traditional 3-5-2, but Juventus’ dominance has been such that he, like the bustling Alex Sandro on the left, has played almost like a winger, often finishing games with an average position higher than any of the three central midfielders.
Sami Khedira has generally been the furthest right of the three and his tactical awareness and industry has given Alves the license to bomb forward without worrying too much about what is going on behind him. Completing the right-wing triumvirate is Paulo Dybala, who frequently drifts out to the flank from the centre to provide an overload against the opposing full-back.
This has been particularly true in matches which Gonzalo Higuian – who has scored a goal every 70 Serie A minutes for his new club – has started, with Dybala looking to find space in between the lines, safe in the knowledge that his compatriot’s movement will offer him a passing option either into feet or in behind. When Mario Mandzukic has featured from the off, on the other hand, Dybala has tended to play much closer to the central striker, the Croatian, while working hard for the team, not offering the same mobility as Higuian.
Lemina’s changing roles in midfield
Mario Lemina and Miralem Pjanic have been Khedira’s most frequent partners in midfield, with the former’s performances softening the blow of losing Kwadwo Asamoah to injury for the next few weeks. Lemina has justified Allegri’s decision to hold onto him in the summer, as he has performed a couple of different midfield roles with distinction so far.
The Gabon international has most often been deployed as the deepest of the three central midfielders, his aggression and harrying of the opposition a valuable commodity as Juve look to regain possession quickly after losing it. There are, however, still question marks about his playmaking skills from a deeper position (especially with Andrea Pirlo fresh in the memory) and perhaps his best performance of the campaign so far came in the home thrashing of Cagliari, a game in which he instead played the ‘Khedira’ role to the right of Hernanes, his energy and pace enabling him to roam up and down the inside right channel to excellent effect.
Pjanic integration
Much is expected of Pjanic after several prosperous years of scheming in the Eternal City and although he has taken time to find his feet, there have been some glimpses of what he is capable of and what he was signed to do. He has started on the left of the midfield three in all but one of his Juve appearances, free from defensive responsibilities despite Sandro’s non-stop ventures down the line.
Sandro is, in fact, the only Juve player to have made more key passes – leading to shots on goal – than Pjanic (left-sided incision accompanies right-wing build-up play), who has completed the second-highest number of passes of players who have featured in just five league matches this season. Yet there is a feeling that there is much more to come, both in terms of creativity and consistenc, from the ex-Roma playmaker.
Pjanic started in the central role in the defeat to Inter, a strategy which was designed to allow him to control the play – Pirlo-style – from deep but which failed to produce the desired results and has since been abandoned. The Serb did see plenty of the ball, but his defensive limitations were exposed as Ever Banega and Joao Mario repeatedly broke in behind a flat midfield three. The imminent return to action of Claudio Marchisio is expected to alleviate any issues Allegri’s side may experience in that area of the field, particularly against stronger opposition.
Lose it, win it
Last but not least, Juve’s undoubted technical quality has been complemented by a fierce desire to win, something I highlighted in my match analysis of their handsome victory over Cagliari. Seven Serie A teams have made more tackles per game, but none of them have spent nearly as much time on the ball. In six matches already this season, I Bianconeri have enjoyed considerably more possession than their opponents but have nevertheless put in a far greater number of challenges (20 to 9 v Fiorentina, 21 to 7 v Palermo and 18 to 5 v Dinamo Zagreb). Simply put, their willingness to work to get the ball back is just as important as what they do with it once they have it.
Champions? Yes. Champions League? Maybe
Juventus already look to be near-certainties to make it six Serie A titles on the spin and will have set their sights on surpassing their 91-point total from last season, a feat which should be well within reach given that their squad looks stronger than ever, despite Pogba’s departure. Success in the Champions League should be a higher priority this term, although there are still a few doubts about whether they will be capable of rising to the challenge.
After the first couple of months of the campaign, it is difficult to predict how they might fare against some of Europe’s strongest sides, although they were unable to defeat either Inter or Sevilla, arguably the two toughest opponents they have come up against. Wing-backs Alves and Sandro have been key to Juve’s attacking play this term, but they won’t have such unrestricted licence to bomb forward at every opportunity against the likes of Bareclona or Bayern Munich, who will almost certainly give their (currently underused) defensive capabilities a stern work-out.
The Turin side should, however, get stronger in the coming weeks and months – perish the thought, Serie A opponents – with the return of Marchisio, which they will hope can bring out the best in Pjanic further ahead. Neither the Serb nor Higuian has been particularly successful in the Champions League in their careers so far but, aided by a strong supporting cast, they will be expected to spearhead Juve’s challenge as they look to lift Europe’s elite club trophy for the first time since 1996. It might just happen.