Areas Where Juventus Are Actually Better Than Last Season

Having secured the Serie A title in each of the last four seasons, Juventus are, undoubtedly, underperforming in 2015/16, with numerous problems affecting their displays to date and leaving them sat in mid-table.

Those issues were discussed in detail here, with defensive frailties, a lack of attacking identity and plain bad luck all playing a part in their poor record.

Even the schedule has played a role, with the Bianconeri having already undertaken tough away trips for games against AS Roma, Inter and Napoli in the opening 12 rounds.

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Having already lost three league games—the same number of defeats suffered in the whole of last term—and recorded some desperate scoreless draws, it is easy to have a gloomy outlook on what the rest of the campaign has in store.

But while coach Massimiliano Allegri accepts they must quickly get better, he told a recent press conference he has hope they can do just that (h/t Football Italia), highlighting the need to remain calm:

"

Our game still has to improve, but let's see things in a positive light.

We're seventh, nobody expected this position at the beginning of the championship but we've had two victories in a row and a positive result in the Champions League.

We can't just focus on the negatives.

"

Going on to add that “you must not become hysterical and lose your nerve, even when the moment is difficult,” Allegri certainly makes a strong argument.

As the tweet below highlights, his team have all too often seen opponents net from their first shot on goal, and that simply cannot continue.

"

1 - Juventus have conceded with the 1st shot on target they faced tonight, like on 6 other occasions also in Serie A this term. Handicap.

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 3, 2015"

Looking more closely, the Bianconeri have conceded 11 goals in just 12 league games, a figure made all the more remarkable when noting that they have allowed the opposition just 8.6 shots per game, according to figures from WhoScored.com.

The same source shows that is better than last season’s mark of 10.6, and it is a similar story at the other end of the field.

Juventus have scored just 16 times this season, a tally bettered by no fewer than five teams, yet WhoScored highlights the fact they lead the league with an average of 17.8 shots per game.

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Again, that is a rise from their 2014/15 figure of 15.8, which was the best in Serie A and the team has improved aerially, too.

According to Squawka.com, the Bianconeri have won 58 percent of headed duels this term, a slight increase from last season’s 51 percent, while also becoming better on the ground.

The arrivals of Juan Cuadrado and Paulo Dybala have seen Juventus improve their dribbling, with WhoScored showing they recorded 10.7 successful attempts last term but now average a league-high 13 per game in 2015/16.

Remarkably, the team has overcome the loss of Andrea Pirlo to dominate possession and passing marginally more, enjoying 56.7 percent of the ball this year compared to 55.7 just 12 months ago.

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When it comes to finding team-mates, the same source shows the Turin giants have done so with increased accuracy, finding one another with 86.5 percent of their pass attempts, up from 84.8 percent last term.

Clearly, no matter what these statistics indicate, Juventus are much worse than they were a year ago—for all those aforementioned reasons—something both the players and Allegri must address quickly.

Yet with a change of luck and an increase in decisiveness at both ends of the field, the grand Old Lady of Italian football should return to form, climbing the table and contending once more for the title she currently holds.