As the BBC Breaks Down, What's the Future of the Juventus Defence?

The strength of the current Juventus side is easy to see. Over the past five seasons—each ending with the Bianconeri being crowned champions of Italy—the reputation of their vaunted back line has continued to grow.

The trio of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini are known as the “BBC” and have squashed attacks with ease for half a decade, ably assisted by full-backs Stephan Lichtsteiner and Patrice Evra.

Indeed, such has been their dominance that the team has conceded just 111 goals in those same five seasons, their 190 league matches becoming a masterclass in denying chances to opposing strikers.

Yet, if Geoffrey Chaucer is to be believed, all good things must come to an end. The inevitable and eventual breakup of this formidable defence is a real problem and one Juventus have already begun to prepare for.

Evra, 35, is arguably the closest to the end, declining rapidly and no longer assured of his place in the side. He has been supplanted at left-back by Alex Sandro, and the Brazilian has been sensational over the past 12 months, looking worth every penny of the substantial cost of signing him.

According to Juve’s official website, the Bianconeri handed his former club, FC Porto, a fee of €26 million in August 2015 and have been rewarded with a superb level of consistency. Sandro made just 15 Serie A starts last term, but he has appeared in all 12 league games so far this season.

Statistics taken from WhoScored.com highlight just how good he has been, his tally of 24 completed tackles and 31 interceptions both ranking as team-high marks. The same is true of his number of blocked crosses (five) as the 25-year-old showcases his vastly improved defensive ability.

Of course, being a Brazilian full-back, it is also no surprise to see him routinely bombing forward to join the attack. Sandro has registered two assists, but if Juve’s strikers were more accurate that figure would be much higher, with WhoScored showing he also leads the team for chances created (30).

The same source shows that only Paulo Dybala can match his tally of successful dribbles; the duo both recording 16 thus far as Sandro’s his powerful running and superb skill provides a vital weapon to coach Massimiliano Allegri’s tactical approach.

On the opposite flank, the picture is much less clear. Lichtsteiner has been woeful this season, seemingly unable to focus after he was denied the chance to join Inter Milan this past summer.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia), Barcelona could make a move for the 32-year-old. Sadly, an exit might now be the best resolution for all concerned, while former Camp Nou idol Dani Alves has also yet to find his best form.

Joining the Bianconeri before the current campaign, the 33-year-old has shown glimpses of his old self, but he has yet to demonstrate he can maintain that standard for a sustained period. Juan Cuadrado often fills in as a wing-back, but he is far better in a more advanced role and is clearly not the long-term solution here.

That job could well fall to 19-year-old Pol Lirola, who is thriving in a loan spell at Sassuolo. He had spent two seasons in the Juve academy after leaving Espanyol but moved to the Neroverdi this summer and is relishing the opportunity to showcase his talent regularly.

Coach Eusebio Di Francesco has no fear of fielding young players, handing Lirola seven starts (and one sub appearance) in Serie A and a further four in the UEFA Europa League. The Spanish defender has not disappointed, with WhoScored figures showing he has averaged 1.8 tackles and 2.1 interceptions over those 12 outings while also weighing in with one goal and one assist.

If he continues in that same vein, it would appear that the Bianconeri already have a ready-made replacement when their current right-backs move on.

The ideal scenario would be to bring Lirola back next summer, allowing him to shadow Alves just as Sandro did with Evra last term, eventually replacing the ageing star and making the role his own.

Yet even with both flanks covered, it is in central defence where the most questions remain. Without the BBC intact and in form, it is almost impossible for Allegri to continue with the 3-5-2 formation that has long been their hallmark, and both Barzagli and Chiellini are visibly beginning to wind down.

The former is the eldest of the trio, yet whenever he takes to the field he remains an impeccable defender, capable of timing his interventions perfectly and always taking up the correct position.

But while the 35-year-old battles on, a career of full-blooded challenges and a relentless physical approach has taken its toll on Chiellini. Three years and three months younger than his team-mate, the Pisa native is picking up niggling injuries at an alarming rate as the graphic in the tweet above highlights.

Once again, though, the club hierarchy has worked to lessen the blow of those absences, bringing in Medhi Benatia from Bayern Munich in August. Like Bonucci he is “only” 29 years old, relatively young in comparison to the other two members of the BBC, and at his peak as a player.

Benatia provides a short-term answer, but it is clear that Juventus see Daniele Rugani as the future of their back line, as Allegri himself explained at a press conference before September’s clash with Cagliari:

"

Daniele has improved a lot since arriving here even if his playing time was relatively low last term.

He has trained very well over the summer and, as I’ve said before, will be an important Juventus player for years to come. Given the number of matches we’ll be playing, you can expect to see lots of Rugani this campaign.

"

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

He has featured just once more since that outing, but with Barzagli and Chiellini both sidelined, Rugani is likely to be called upon more frequently in the coming weeks. Repeatedly showing he is up to the task—as he did in starting Italy’s friendly with Germany on Tuesday—the 22-year-old has long been recognised as a potential star.

“He’s one of the best players we’ve ever had,” Francesco, a supporter of Rugani’s former club, Empoli, told Bleacher Report recently. “After one year in the Juventus academy he came back on loan, and in Serie A at age of 20, he played like a veteran!”

Throughout this tumultuous period, Bonucci has become the best and most reliable defender at the club, his performances marking him out as one of the finest in the world at his position.

That has made him a potential transfer target for many clubs, using a recent appearance on TV show La Domenica Sportivo (h/t Football Italia) to deny he had discussed a move to Manchester City this past summer.

Bonucci had previously discussed the move, but he told reporters that he had instead chosen to ignore the advances of City boss Pep Guardiola and is working on signing a new contract with the Bianconeri.

"I did give it some thought. Guardiola's insistence destabilised me a little," Bonucci said, per FourFourTwo. "I did not speak to Pep directly, it was just an exchange of thoughts with my agent. It was tempting, but I decided to follow my heart in the end."

As questions over the long-term sustainability of Juve’s BBC continue, the club’s forward planning is evident to anyone who scratches the surface. Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Chiellini and Evra may be reaching the end, but a back four of Lirola, Bonucci, Rugani and Sandro would remain a formidable unit.

Juventus have one of the best defences in the world, but they have ensured a line of successors is waiting to replace them. The Old Lady can rely on that new-look quartet for years to come, they just won’t have a cute acronym or be lifted en masse for the Italian national team.