Juventus vs. Palermo: Key Issues That Will Shape Serie A Game

Having lost to Olympiacos on Wednesday evening, Juventus return to domestic action against Palermo this weekend.

Having won the Serie B title last term, the Sicilian side have struggled thus far in 2014-15, registering just one win in their first seven matches.

That victory came last week against Cesena, themselves freshly promoted to the top flight, and the points lifted the Rosanero to 15th place.

Beppe Iachini’s side are likely to be battling to avoid relegation all year. They last beat the Turin giants back in February 2011.

However, there may be no better time to face the Old Lady, struggling as she has in recent weeks with just one win in her last four outings.

That came in the controversial match against title rivals Roma, with a loss to Atletico Madrid and a 1-1 draw with Sassuolo compounding the misery of the reigning champions.

Massimiliano Allegri will know there is huge pressure on him to return Juventus to winning ways, and he will hope to see improvements from a number of key performers.

Over the following pages is a look at the issues likely to decide this Serie A encounter, with the Bianconeri hoping to maintain their lead atop the Serie A standings.

Tactical Conundrum for Juventus

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Perhaps the greatest question facing Allegri right now is whether to stick with the 3-5-2, which has brought Juventus such incredible success, or twist in favour of a new formation.

In the last quarter of Wednesday’s loss in Greece, the coach opted for a 4-2-3-1 framework, and he was rewarded with a much-improved performance.

While that may be a difficult decision to make, the fact the Bianconeri continue to struggle in Europe may sway Allegri to make a change. In doing so, he would hope to prepare the side before their next Champions League outing with Olympiacos at the Juventus Stadium in early November.

The one obstacle to making that switch may well be the injuries affecting the defence, with a number of players still absent.

In September, Allegri told reporters that he could not deploy a back four without Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini, per Football Italia. Therefore, he may simply be waiting for the return of the former—or the excellent Martin Caceres—before he makes the change.

The Desperate Search for Goals

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Even more pressing than the choice of formation is the worrying lack of goals from Juve’s attacking options. With Fernando Llorente, Sebastian Giovinco and Kingsley Coman all yet to score, Allegri opted for Alvaro Morata alongside Carlos Tevez on Wednesday.

The former Real Madrid starlet is the only striker other than the Argentine to find the back of the net this term, with his lone strike coming in the win over Atalanta.

The young Spaniard looked sharp in midweek, so the coach may decide to try the same pairing, hoping to see their efforts rewarded on the scoresheet.

The attacking struggles of the Bianconeri front line were discussed in detail here. Juventus will hope the Palermo defence proves less resolute.

The Rosanero have allowed 15 goals thus far, with only Sassuolo having conceded more this term, which should provide hope for the Juve front men. 

The Midfield Battle for Form and Fitness

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Another area beginning to concern Juventus is in midfield, with the big names of the Bianconeri failing to recapture their previous excellent form.

With Arturo Vidal struggling for fitness, his team-mates have also been unable to provide the spark they so often inject into the team’s style of play.

Andrea Pirlo was uncharacteristically poor against Olympiacos, with Gianluca Vialli singling out the Italian shortly after the final whistle on Sky Sport Italia. “Pirlo is also not in condition,” he said (h/t Forza Italian Football). “He has negatively impacted the previous two matches in which he has played in.”

Having watched on as Pirlo struggled in possession—a display discussed in detail here—it is hard to argue with that assessment.

Juventus will hope their quartet can rediscover their best and help the side return to winning ways.