Gonzalo Higuain Decisive as Juventus Defeat Napoli Once Again
As their team ventured north to Juventus Stadium on Saturday evening, fans of the southern club would have had two major fears. Foremost among them of course would be losing to the Bianconeri once again, the Partenopei already four points behind their opponents before the match in Turin got underway.
Their secondary source of dread was of course embodied by Gonzalo Higuain, the striker who left Napoli for their biggest rivals in a stunning summer transfer. The €90 million fee was never consolation enough for the loss of their deadly front man, especially after he struck 36 goals in just 35 Serie A appearances last term.
By the time the 90 minutes unfolded, both things would of course happen, the Old Lady simply proving too strong for the visitors and eventually taking all three points. Watching Higuain net the winning goal—handing his new side a 2-1 victory—only served to rub salt into the fresh and raw wound his move to Juventus had opened.
It was harsh on Napoli. Coach Maurizio Sarri has not only had to combat the departure of his talismanic Argentinian star, but replacement Arkadiusz Milik suffered a torn ACL after scoring seven goals in his first nine matches as well.
A week ago, the only other striker in the squad was sent off against Crotone and suspended for two matches, a punishment which meant he was ruled out for the clash with Juventus. That prompted Sarri to field Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon in attack, a rapid unit that offered few reference points for the Juventus defence.
Once the match got underway however, the Bianconeri recognised their usual 3-5-2 formation needed tweaking to combat Sarri’s lineup. As can be seen in the image below, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri switched to a four-man defence early into the tie, his players adapting seamlessly to the new system.
With Andrea Barzagli as a full-back and Stephan Lichtsteiner playing on the right of midfield, it was set to be a somewhat stunted formation, but an injury to Giorgio Chiellini proved to be a happy accident for the Bianconeri.
Many expected Medhi Benatia to be sent on, but Allegri was bold enough to use Juan Cuadrao instead, shifting Lichtsteiner to full-back and Barzagli into the centre of defence to accommodate the winger.
Given the recent form of the Colombia international—a subject discussed in this previous post—it was no surprise to see Juventus improve immediately. By full time, WhoScored.com figures show Cuadrado had completed three take-ons and created three clear scoring opportunities.
Napoli left-back Faouzi Ghoulam had no answer for the pace and direct style of his new opponent, but even before Cuadrado’s introduction Juve had created chances. Lichtsteiner ballooned the ball over the bar after a superb team move, while Vlad Chiriches’ crucial intervention denied Higuain an early strike.
However, Ghoulam’s poor display would take a turn for the worse in the second half. Miralem Pjanic’s corner was only partially cleared and as Alex Sandro turned it back into the box, Napoli’s Algerian defender miscued the ball.
Leonardo Bonucci reacted quickest, volleying home in superb fashion to hand Juventus the lead. It would be short-lived however, with a momentary lapse in concentration allowing Napoli to equalise just four minutes later.
“Jose Callejon always makes that movement round the back of the defenders and we should’ve see him coming, but were caught napping,” Allegri told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) at full time.
The coach was visibly irate as the Spanish forward finished the chance, turning Insigne’s pass beyond Gigi Buffon and sparking hope that the Partenopei could somehow earn a positive result.
But instead, Higuain’s quality came to the fore. Claudio Marchisio had been introduced in place of Pjanic, his calming influence helping the Bianconeri play become much more fluid, and slowly the team began to string more and more passes together.
A flowing move with many passes saw Hernanes fire over the bar, before a wonderful cross-field ball from Cuadrado picked out Sandro. Napoli intervened at the cost of a throw-in, but the Brazilian defender took it quickly and found Hernanes, the midfielder quickly playing a pass to Higuain.
His cross was intended for Mario Mandzukic, but Ghoulam again made a poor clearance, the ball dropping to an unmarked Higuain. The striker smashed the ball beyond goalkeeper Pepe Reina, his former team-mate powerless to prevent Juve taking a lead they would never surrender.
Yet despite the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich man having no chance of making a save, the goal was yet another example of Higuain’s predatory instincts making the difference.
As can be seen in the series of images below, he picked up the ball in a pocket of space before aiming a lofted pass to Mandzukic. Trailing behind the play, Allan simply stood and watched Higuain as he ran beyond him, the striker hoping for a chance while the midfielder never considered that one would be afforded to him.
As a mark of respect to Napoli, he did not celebrate, but Bonucci and Marchisio made up for that, as did the supporters filling the sold-out stadium around them. Higuain’s name rang out from the 41,000 jubilant fans, but he would continue to work until the final whistle in a superb all-round display.
Rarely praised for his work-rate, the 28-year-old and Mandzukic pressed the Napoli defence constantly, closing down the spaces and rarely allowing Sarri’s men to build from the back as they so often do.
The FourFourTwo Stats Zone graphic in the tweet below highlights Higuain’s impact on the clash, scoring with one of his three shots and connecting with 16 of his 20 pass attempts (80 percent).
He also won two tackles and recovered the ball once, suffering one foul and pushing himself and those around him to a victory they so clearly needed, much to the delight of the Juve coaching staff.
“Gonzalo has extraordinary qualities and above all works hard for the team. He was very happy, naturally this was a special game for him,” Allegri told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia). “He made a choice to come here and absolutely should not feel like a traitor. Instead, he made a courageous decision.”
His opposite number was frustrated by the inattentiveness of his side, believing they should have been more aware of the man who fired them to so many victories before leaving in the summer.
“He is a phenomenon,” Napoli coach told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia), “a loose ball at Gonzalo’s feet means certain death for defenders.” The striker certainly punished that error, dispatching the chance with ease and consigning his former side to their third league defeat of 2016/17.
For Juventus, the focus now shifts to Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash with Olympique Lyonnais, a match which will be crucial if they are to top their group. Higuain is undoubtedly key to those hopes, and his goal against Napoli should improve their confidence of doing just that.
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