Juventus' Attacking Woes Continue in Goalless Draw with Borussia Monchengladbach

Welcoming Borussia Monchengladbach to Juventus Stadium on Wednesday evening, Italian football’s grand Old Lady failed to capitalise on the opportunity to seize total control over Champions League Group D.

The Bianconeri had won their opening two fixtures, taking maximum points with excellent displays against Manchester City and Sevilla, but could not find their way past the well-organised German side. Having also failed to score against Inter in their most recent Serie A outing, this encounter highlighted the continued lack of a cutting edge in front of goal.

That is something that has blighted the Turin giants throughout the early stages of 2015/16, the side having netted just nine times in their opening eight league outings. According to statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, coach Massimiliano Allegri’s men managed just two shots on target against Borussia, despite dominating almost the entire game.

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

The same source shows that both those efforts came from Paul Pogba, a fact that does not reflect well on Juve's attacking players. Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic started this match, while both Paulo Dybala and Simone Zaza would be introduced as second-half substitutes, yet none of them tested the opposition goalkeeper.

None of that quartet have found their best form so far this term, and Allegri was not afraid to speak out against his underperforming side as he spoke to Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) shortly after the final whistle:

"

If we look at the clear-cut scoring opportunities, there were few. However, if we look at the chances that could’ve turned into goals, we created quite a lot. Sometimes we made the wrong choice or were too egotistical.

We should’ve changed the game and broken the deadlock by playing the final ball better. We had a similar situation at San Siro and once again failed to capitalise on our possession. Tonight I am very angry, because we have to do better in the final third. We should’ve scored at San Siro and the same is true tonight.

We’ve got to score in those situations or pass the ball to a teammate who is in a better position.

"

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

The coach must shoulder some of the blame, however, with his starting XI containing little creativity as they once again leaned heavily on Juan Cuadrado. That issue was discussed at length in this previous post, and the Colombian was certainly jaded when he was substituted after 60 minutes of action.

His replacement, Roberto Pereyra, failed to make any impact, and the team perhaps needed Hernanes to feature somewhere, the Brazilian possessing the imagination and range of passing others perhaps lack.

Indeed, while Allegri fielded his three best midfielders from the outset, it is becoming clear that the former Inter man has a significant role to play. There is no denying the quality of Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio or Paul Pogba, but perhaps the variety offered by Hernanes means he should feature more prominently.

“All we’re missing is that clarity of mind when picking out the final pass,” Marchisio insisted in his post-match interview, per the club’s official website. “All of us, not just the strikers, are misfiring in the final third. That’s what we need to work on.”

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That is certainly true, with Pogba in particular turning in a disappointing performance, as his poor form continued. Yet to hit the heights of previous campaigns, the 22-year-old understands the need for him to contribute more and heed the advice of his coach in order to help the team more.

“I always want to do well. I listen to what Allegri says and try to give 100 per cent every time,” Pogba told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia). “It’s true that I have to do what the Coach says, but I also have to play my style of football. I need patience, I hope a goal will arrive soon and I continue to be at the disposal of the team.”

Using Hernanes and an improvement from Pogba would certainly help, but Juventus’ biggest problem remains its underwhelming attack. They will hope to rectify that over the coming week, facing both Atalanta and Sassuolo before the derby encounter with Torino just a few days later.