Parma vs. Juventus: Poor Form of Fernando Llorente Shows Need for New Striker

Juventus travelled to Emilia-Romagna on Wednesday evening to face off against Serie A’s bottom club, Parma, in the Coppa Italia. The Stadio Tardini hosted the encounter, with Roberto Donadoni’s men hoping to kick start what has been a dismal season for Parma thus far.

With just nine points from their opening 20 league games, playing in the knockout competition relieved them of the pressure of the relegation battle, and the Ducali responded well to that freedom. Despite receiving a seven-goal thrashing from the Bianconeri when they met back in December, Parma were far more compact and stubborn than they have been at any previous point in 2014-15.

It was a very different Juventus, too, though, with Massimiliano Allegri making no fewer than eight changes from Sunday’s win over Chievo. With Giorgio Chiellini, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal the only players to retain their places, it was understandable to see them struggle for cohesion in the first half.

Without a shot on goal from either side, the opening 45 minutes passed almost without incident, Simone Pepe perhaps unlucky to see his effort hit the woodwork. What was clearly evident was that without Carlos Tevez—the league’s leading scorer with 13 goals—the Bianconeri lack the same prowess that usually terrifies opponents.

That Allegri also opted to rest Paul Pogba only served to further showcase that lack of attacking intent, the midfielder having scored in each of his last four outings. With eight goals in all competitions, the 21-year-old trails only Tevez in Juve’s scoring charts and has become a vital player to the team’s overall play.

Alvaro Morata has also improved dramatically in recent weeks, Allegri rewarding his play with a run of three consecutive starts before resting him against Parma. He changed the game following his introduction as a second-half substitute, scoring with his only real chance of the game to secure the visitor’s passage to the semi-finals by a narrow 1-0 scoreline.

"

Morata's goal. #ParmaJuve https://t.co/Dy1g0fE0W1

— Khaled Al Nouss (@KhaledAlNouss) January 28, 2015"

Rotating the 22-year-old to the bench meant a place in the side for Fernando Llorente, and his performance over the first hour of this match highlighted two pressing issues for the Turin giants. Foremost among them is the form of the Spanish striker, who's struggling to make anywhere near the same impact he had last term.

His debut campaign on the peninsula saw an impressive return of 18 goals and five assists, but he has scored just once since November, and this match served as a snapshot of his overall play. Struggling to hold up the ball or find the target himself, Llorente’s usually excellent first touch has deserted him, and he is unwilling to take risks.

Lacking the fire and passion that normally makes him a fearsome proposition for opposing defenders, the 29-year-old rarely threatened the Parma goal in any way. That poses a secondary issue for the Bianconeri, who, with Llorente struggling, are forced to rely on Morata and the similarly untested Kingsley Coman.

While both strikers possess an incredible amount of potential, it could prove costly to rely solely on them for the remainder of the campaign. With Gianluca Di Marzio’s website reporting a possible early exit for the Toronto-bound Sebastian Giovinco, Juve may feel the need to bring in another attacking player before the transfer window closes.

Marco Vasini/Associated Press

Simone Zaza has been connected with a move throughout the month, although Sassuolo have expressed their wish to keep the 23-year-old, prompting La Repubblica (link in Italian) to name Pablo Osvaldo and Giampaolo Pazzini as potential alternatives (h/t Football Italia).

The latter pair are unlikely to be received with open arms by the Bianconeri faithful, the club’s supporters having already watched former target Xherdan Shaqiri join Inter in recent weeks. The constant transfer talk indicates Juventus recognise the need for reinforcements, but they appear unlikely to invest large sums in January in order to do so.

With Domenico Berardi and Zaza much more realistic summer signings, that approach certainly makes more sense in the long term. However, the win over Parma showed Juventus do indeed need a fresh injection of attacking quality, though it remains to be seen if they can find one.