5 Juventus Weaknesses Others Teams Can Expose in 2014/15 Season

There is no escaping the feeling that the changes forced upon Juventus this season have somehow made the Turin club lose their aura of invincibility. The previous three seasons have seen the Bianconeri dominate Serie A, sweeping all before them as they wrapped up successive league titles at a record pace.

Antonio Conte’s exit, combined with serious improvements by their closest rivals, saw observers conclude that this could be the year their recent monopoly would come to an end. That appears premature, however, with La Madama recording four wins in her first four fixtures without conceding a single goal.

Looking for weaknesses in such an impressive side can be difficult but over the following pages is a look at five areas opponents could exploit in 2014-15.

Midfield Injury Problems

Felice Calabro'/Associated Press

It may be short-lived but opponents should really seek to exploit the current injury crisis Juventus are suffering in midfield. That the Bianconeri have enjoyed such a good start to the campaign is even more remarkable considering Andrea Pirlo has yet to feature for the club in 2014-15.

In addition, Arturo Vidal has missed two games, forcing Allegri to call upon Roberto Pereyra and others in place of his regular first-choice players.

Tactical Uncertainty

Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press

It seems inevitable that Juventus will switch to a back four at some stage this season, with Massimiliano Allegri having used the formation extensively in pre-season. With the campaign underway, the coach has retained the 3-5-2 which has brought such success to the Bianconeri, but he has stated that it will not always be used.

Allegri told reporters earlier this month that “if Barzagli and Chiellini are missing then a four-man defence is no good,” (h/t Football Italia) hinting that the time for a shift has not yet arrived. Doing so in mid-season could provide opponents with a glimmer of hope as the players become accustomed to the change.

Mental Relaxation

Felice Calabro'/Associated Press

Having lost Antonio Conte’s maniacal drive from the sidelines, a drop in focus could well appear, with Gigi Buffon already noting Allegri allows a calmer environment. “I think that he’s less manic than Conte, who had a different way of leading this team,” the captain said of the new coach to Sky Italia (h/t Forza Italian Football) recently.

If that sees the Bianconeri lose some of the focus that has characterised their recent dominance, visitors to Juventus Stadium may enjoy greater success.

Lack of Attacking Depth?

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

While there is little doubt the current Juventus squad is deeper than in recent seasons, the attack could be exposed as being overly reliant on Carlos Tevez. With four goals and an assist in the opening four matches, there is little doubt the Argentinean is the man to lead this team to success, as discussed here.

Fernando Llorente complements the former Manchester City striker perfectly, but beyond those two, Allegri has only some unproven names to call upon. Both Kingsley Coman and Alvaro Morata have impressed in their brief Juventus appearances to date, yet neither has a wealth of Serie A experience upon which to call.

They may yet become top quality players, but with the coach looking to rotate players in order to seriously contend in Europe, Juve’s back-up options upfront could potentially handicap their efforts.

Weakness out Wide?

Massimo Pinca/Associated Press

The one area where teams have previously enjoyed success against the current Juventus has been to attack with pace out wide. Bayern Munich tore through the Bianconeri in the Champions League two years ago, showing that defending against genuine wingers is alien to the Italian giants.

Few teams in Serie A possess the talent to do so, but they must seek to find a way to exploit the space behind Juve’s full-backs as the German champions did.