5 Issues Juventus Need to Work on During International Break

With seven wins in eight matches, Juventus and her supporters have had little room for complaint so far this season. So impressive has been the start made by Turin’s grand Old Lady in 2014-15 that finding fault in their performances is extremely difficult.

Only two sides—Atletico Madrid and AS Roma—have managed to score against them, with the former the only team to take all three points from Massimiliano Allegri’s men. There is little shame in losing away to the Spanish champions, particularly by the narrow 1-0 scoreline seen at the Vicente Calderon.

Yet the Bianconeri will be fully aware that there is always room for improvement, that identifying and reducing issues before an opponent capitalises on them is what separates great teams from the merely very good ones.

Over the following pages is a look at five such areas, things Juventus need to work on during before play resumes after the current international break.

1. Finding a Defensive Solution

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The Bianconeri were rocked by a serious injury this week, the club’s official website noting that Martin Caceres has suffered a torn thigh muscle. With the statement believing the Uruguayan will be sidelined for around a month, Allegri will need a defensive reshuffle in the coming weeks to compensate.

Caceres himself had been impressive—his form discussed at length here—but he was only in the starting lineup due to the continued absence of Andrea Barzagli. With both men now unavailable, Juventus have no natural option for the right-sided berth in their back three.

That means either playing the left-footed Angelo Ogbonna in an unnatural role, or sliding Leonardo Bonucci across from his usual central position. He has played there on a number of occasions, with Arturo Vidal then dropping back into defence as cover as he has done previously to great effect.

The one factor in Juve’s favour is the schedule they face in the coming weeks, with fixtures against Sassuolo, Olympiakos, Palermo and Genoa taking them to the end of October.

2. A Change of System?

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The arrival of Massimiliano Allegri saw renewed optimism that Juventus may switch formations against certain opponents, an idea pushed by the new coach himself. With the squad comfortable in the 3-5-2 framework Antonio Conte almost exclusively used, the 47-year-old talked up the merits of being able to deploy a back four.

“I think it is very fortunate to be able to switch between two formations, even in the same game,” Allegri told La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia). “There are moments in the season where you can play with three [defenders] and others when it is better to do so with four.”

While the coach must be praised for understanding how well the current setup works, the loss to Atletico Madrid once again highlighted the need for variety. He has yet to opt for a four-man back line in a competitive game, but may look to do so going forward.

3. Improve the Team’s Attacking Prowess

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If the concerns in defence are only slight given the stellar performances thus far, in attack there is perhaps more cause for concern. Juventus have scored 15 goals in all competitions this term, with Carlos Tevez responsible for more than half that total.

The club’s leading scorer last term has already found the back of the net eight times in 2014-15, and the other goals have come from much further back. To date, Alvaro Morata is the only other Bianconeri forward to have scored, with the form of Fernando Llorente particularly worrying.

In order to fully maximise their potential, Allegri needs to get the Basque striker, plus Kingsley Coman and Sebastian Giovinco firing as quickly as possible.

4. Find an Alternative at Right-Back

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Of Juve’s outfield players, only Leonardo Bonucci, Claudio Marchisio and Stephan Lichtsteiner have started all eight games this season. With injury and rotation likely to see the former pair soon earn a break, the non-stop style of the latter means he too will need to be rested very soon.

His natural replacement in the squad is summer-signing Romulo, but the former Hellas Verona defender is out of action following surgery on a sports hernia, per the official Juventus website. With Martin Caceres also unavailable, Allegri may opt to use Roberto Pereyra in that role, with the international break providing time to plan such a switch.

With Lichtsteiner never the type of player to coast through games, giving him time to rest now could prove vital later in the campaign.

5. Calming Tempers and Preparing to Resume Competition

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Perhaps the most vital issue facing Allegri and his players is the manner in which the clash with Roma played out, with tempers on both sides boiling over. The match was hugely controversial, with referee Gianluca Rocchi’s decisions coming in for criticism from all sides, particularly over the two penalties he awarded to Juventus.

With two weeks away from the action, the Bianconeri must recompose themselves, preparing calmly for domestic action to resume. With a three-point cushion over the Giallorossi and two Champions League ties against Olympiakos on the horizon, their mental focus could prove essential in the coming weeks.