It is good to know that the horseshoe has not abandoned Juventus during the break. The late surge was decent enough to warrant a goal, even if it came haphazardly. The Bianconeri have been far from spectacular, but it’s always hard to put together a long winning streak, no matter the style or the circumstances. The strong results have built self-confidence, and the team tends to gain strength as the match progresses. There’s a palpable feeling that if you survive the first few waves of attack from opponents, which it allows almost by design, you’ll eventually find a way to score.
The gambit works if the defense falters but holds; otherwise, it’s hard to imagine a comeback if they go down the score given the slow pace and unimaginative offensive strategy. That puts a lot of pressure on the rear, especially in the first half. Wojciech Szczesny, Gleison Bremer and Danilo have been in stately form for months, but they surely wouldn’t mind if the game plan envisioned more possession and territorial control. The former Torino star is tired, and it would be a devastating blow and a great challenge if he could not start, because he has many times taken the chestnuts out of the fire with his heroism.
Now that there are no more doubts about the scheme, the next step is to adapt the players to it, not the other way around. Federico Chiesa has looked good on the wings in his cameos, and that could be enough to keep management from signing anyone in January, unless Juan Cuadrado’s injury is worse than reported. Even though the role comes with significant defensive tasks, and that’s a work in progress for him and Matias Soulé, it gives him plenty of room to cook on offense. Given his skill set, he feels more comfortable there than being bottled up going through the middle. Young teammate Samuel Iling-Junior is also a real asset on the other flank right now.
Since the tongue becomes the toothache, the right-back position will be a fundamental choice in this game, as he will have to face one of the best players of Udinese, Destiny Udogie. Soulé occasionally struggled to contain the spirited Emanuele Valeri, and the prodigy is far more physical. There weren’t many alternatives as Massimiliano Allegri decided to rest Adrien Rabiot and go with a number 10, so Weston McKennie was required in midfield. He could be the best option for his unless Chiesa is ready for more minutes. While he’s matched better, his focus should be on point, and that’s a lot to ask of a player who’s far from 100 percent and whose priority is dealing damage on offense.
Inter stopping Napoli’s run did everyone a favor, and Juventus’ ability to recover with a depleted squad must be scary enough for the other contenders. The gap is still too wide to consider the Scudetto a realistic target, but improvements will come naturally once key players return from injury. On the other hand, it risks being a ‘Waiting for Godot’ situation. Also, it’s not always necessarily the blessing that it is on paper; When the emergency subsides, it’s natural to let go of that ‘hunker down’ mentality that got you through it.
That will be for another day since Ángel Di María is the only one who returns compared to the previous game. While there is no telling what form he is in, it will be a decent boost as the manager preferred to keep a striker on the bench against Cremonese just to have an offensive weapon to substitute later on. Placing El Fideo in a support role with a lot of freedom to pick their spots and no blitz is an attractive proposition and would help keep the offense afloat until Dusan Vlahovic returns.
probable lineup
3-5-1-1: Szczesny; Danilo, Rugani, Alex Sandro; McKennie, Miretti, Locatelli, Rabiot, Kostic; of Mary; Keano
Out: Vlahovic (sports hernia), Pogba (meniscus tear), Cuadrado (knee pain), Bonucci (thigh tendon injury), De Sciglio (thigh strain), Kaio Jorge (patellar tendon tear).
Udinese got off to an excellent start and even seemed in contention for a European spot for a minute as they went on a six-match winning streak. Then they relented, picking up a bunch of projects and taking a step back from the terrific early submissions. Still, they have lost just twice in recent months, against Torino and Napoli, and three in total this season, considering the loss against Milan in the opener.
A few factors have caused the recession. The simplest is that the opponents, initially surprised by the amplified aggression and pace brought by Andrea Sottil, eventually took notice and applied countermeasures to contain them. They’ve also run out of juice a bit, as their style is very demanding, and they’re not terribly deep. Also, some of his pivots missed time with injuries down the stretch in 2022, weakening his XI.
They haven’t completely fallen off, but just taken a step back that doesn’t erase their first run. They’re not distant, but it will be hard to compete for a top-seven finish as none of the usual suspects are faltering this season, but you never know. They will fight if they come out revitalized from the break, and they are almost complete thanks to several returns.
His new coach didn’t touch his 3-5-2 scheme, but he fixed it. They stumbled upon an excellent solution to replace Nahuel Molina, as they also parted ways with his heir apparent, Brandon Soppy. Instead of going with untested or more defensive options, they adapted Roberto Pereyra to the right flank. He’s been terrific as a creator and he’s fought back defensively, which was the biggest question mark. And the role is not at all restrictive in the last third considering how much they trust their full-backs.
The move opened up a spot in midfield, which has been brilliantly filled by either Sandi Lovric or Lazar Samardzic, who take turns serving as the most attacking cog there. The latter is flashier and a better shooter, but also a bit inconsistent, which is the norm for young talent, while the former is more stable and a great link between lanes, as well as a skilled cutter. The duo easily make up for Pereyra’s lack of contribution in the center. Solid Walace and Jean-Victor Makengo or Tolgay Arslan, who are more skilled but do a lot in the darker areas, complete a well-stocked lineup. They might eventually get to the more technical composition, but they’re not there yet.
Rodrigo Becao is back, which is key for them, since they have only lost once to him on the pitch. Enzo Ebosse is fine, but he’s not that strong and he’s a cross between a centre-back and a fullback. Instead, the Brazilian has become one of the best braccetti in Serie A. The pairing with Jaka Bijol, who is a giant who adapted very quickly to Serie A, and Nehuen Pérez gives them a tremendous rearguard that forces enemies to go one step further for score.
They won’t have their main creative center, and arguably best player, Gerard Deulofeu in this one. However, Isaac Success is also pretty good. Even though he doesn’t score much, hardly ever, he is a huge nuisance with his technique, great body and dribbling skills, and constantly opening lanes for his teammates. Beto is a force when he has space and in the box, and even if he has already had adequate success, he has many levels to go once he improves his first touch and completes his game.
Its effectiveness is easy to understand considering the number of weapons in the formation, which have been fully activated with higher tempo, more possession, and a couple of proactive tweaks. If they’re firing on all cylinders again after the break, it’s going to be hard for anyone to get past them, but they sometimes get bogged down and vulnerable if things don’t go well early in the game and they’re forced to defend more than they like.
probable lineup
3-5-2: Silvestri; Becao, Bijol, Perez; Pereyra, Lovric, Wallace, Makengo, Udogie; Betto, Success.
Absences: Deulofeu (knee sprain).
