Juventus New Boys Shine in Friendly Victory over Tottenham Hotspur

Juventus played their second pre-season friendly on Tuesday, taking on Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, eventually emerging as 2-1 winners.

The Bianconeri had lost their opening match of the summer, with Melbourne Victory defeating them on penalties in a match discussed in this previous post. Despite the vastly improved quality of their opponents, coach Massimiliano Allegri’s men gave a much better account of themselves from the opening whistle.

Their chances were boosted by a much stronger starting XI, with both Miralem Pjanic and Medhi Benatia making their debuts after summer moves, each providing a vital contribution to the final result.

It took just six minutes for Juve’s improved sharpness to pay dividends, a defensive mix-up from their opponents allowing Roberto Pereyra to race toward goal and offload neatly into the path of Paulo Dybala.

The Argentina international would make no mistake from 12 yards out, and from that moment, the Serie A giants never looked back. Shortly after opening the scoring, Dybala was it again, almost beating Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm with a powerful effort from the edge of the area.

Just 60 seconds after that shot, the Old Lady’s two new signings connected perfectly to double the advantage, with their second goal also coming after some sloppy play in the London club’s defence.

Failing to deal with a corner from Dybala, the ball fell to Pjanic crossed who quickly picked out former AS Roma team-mate Benatia. The Morocco international would take full advantage, heading home cleverly to net his first goal since joining on loan from Bayern Munich. 

His signing underlines Juve’s main point of focus at present, clearly adding the impressive defender in order to boost their hopes of winning the UEFA Champions League in 2016-17.

Even before his arrival, the Bianconeri boasted some fine defensive options as Daniele Rugani provided support for the trio of Italy internationals already at the club. Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini have long been the backbone of this side, but now they have some serious help.

As well as their five high-quality central defenders, Allegri also has four world-class full-backs to select from; Dani Alves, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Alex Sandro and Patrice Evra. Their newest member already seems to be aware of what is expected, as Benatia explained at a press conference to announce his signing:

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The aim this season is that of retaining the Scudetto but also to be increasingly competitive in Europe as well. Last year, it was a pity that Juventus and Bayern Munich had to face one another in the last 16 because both sides deserved to reach the final.

I believe that the Bianconeri are well on the way to being able to win the Champions League, especially when you take into account their road to the final against Barcelona in 2015. It’s undoubtedly our objective to confirm our position among the elite clubs on the continent.

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Even as he struggled for space in the Bayern XI last term, WhoScored.com figures show that Benatia averaged an impressive 1.2 tackles, 2.4 interceptions and 2.4 clearances per game last term.

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He also completed an admirable 89.6 percent of his 59.8 pass attempts, per the same source, meaning he could offer cover in defence for Juve’s ball-playing playmaker Bonucci.

Meanwhile, fellow summer signing Pjanic also showed his own fine qualities against Spurs. His passing and defensive awareness saw the Bianconeri begin to dominate the game, setting up yet another scoring opportunity for Dybala before half-time.

After the break, some good work from Hernanes saw Pjanic in on goal, but he failed to keep his effort below the crossbar and shortly afterward Erik Lamela made the scoreline a more respectable 2-1.

It was exactly the kind of display Juventus will hope to see from the Bosnia international over the coming season, Pjanic’s reputation for weighing in with assists and goals in equal measure now firmly established.

He offers Allegri some much needed versatility in midfield, as the coach explained in an interview with Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) last month following the player's €32 million move from AS Roma:

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Pjanic’s arrival is that of a major player. He gives us a lot of solutions, especially on set pieces. He improves the quality of our midfield, something that isn’t easy for a great team like Juventus.

Pjanic is one of the few players who can do it. Now it’s up to us to give him the best conditions to express himself. He can play in front of the defence, but also in the middle or at trequartista. I'm pleased the club made such an effort to get him.

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That is undoubtedly true, and he should prove to be a fine addition alongside a vast plethora of midfield options. Sami Khedira, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba were the mainstays of the side last term, with Pjanic’s attributes meaning he could substitute for any of that trio or play alongside them.

If the latter option is taken, that would mean a switch to a four-man defence, which was also on display against Tottenham, and it is a setup that Benatia appears to favour, as he explained at that aforementioned press conference.

Andrew Medichini/Associated Press

“I prefer playing in a four-man back line, as that’s what comes most naturally to me,” the 29-year-old said. “Nevertheless, I featured as the central defender in a three-man rearguard at Udinese, so I’m used to both formations.”

That bodes well for all concerned, and the coach seemed impressed with his new signings shortly after the final whistle in Melbourne, taking time to praise to duo to reporters, per Juve’s official website.

“Regarding Benatia and Pjanic, both put in excellent performances considering this was their first match with us,” Allegri said. “There’s great potential to improve their conditions physically and to gear up for a great season ahead.”

There is indeed, and that is exactly what he will hope to see when Serie A returns to action next month.