Juventus vs. Atletico Madrid: Lessons Learned from Champions League Game
Juventus welcomed Atletico Madrid to Turin on Tuesday evening, the Serie A leaders well aware that the encounter held ramifications beyond the mere result of the match.
After last year's failure to qualify for the knockout stages, a repeat this term was unthinkable for the Bianconeri as they seek to re-establish their place among the continental elite.
"I want to establish Juventus firmly in the top eight clubs in Europe," Massimiliano Allegri told La Gazzetta dello Sport last month (h/t Football Italia).
The coach echoed the comments made by his president Andrea Agnelli, who told Simon Kuper of ESPN that the current squad boasted the players able to make that leap.
Both men—as well as the players and supporters—breathed a huge sigh of relief as the Old Lady played out a 0-0 draw at Juventus Stadium.
Over the following pages we take a look at the lessons learned from that encounter, a proud night for everyone connected with the club.
Tactical Switch Has Made a Vital Difference
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Having switched back to a three-man midfield on Friday against Fiorentina, Allegri once again deployed his 4-3-2-1 framework for the visit of Atletico Madrid.
The new shape was discussed at length here, and it certainly seems to provide Juventus with more control and better attacking options than they previously had.
Whereas the first meeting with Diego Simeone's side saw the Bianconeri overwhelmed, they were firmly in command for much of the return fixture. According to statistics from WhoScored.com, the home side enjoyed an impressive 72 per cent of possession and made 11 shots compared to six by their opponents.
Allegri deserves huge praise for recognising the issue, finding a viable solution and convincing the players that his ideas would improve their chances.
Roberto Pereyra Brings Balance to the Bianconeri
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While clearly not as gifted as the four midfield regulars at Juventus, the team's play appears much more cohesive with Roberto Pereyra in the line-up.
Since the start of November, the versatile Argentinean has made five starts and the team has failed to concede a single goal in that time, while netting 12 goals themselves.
He has helped bring stability to Allegri's tactics, his style of play—discussed further here—ideally suited to the new formation and seems to be developing a good understanding with his team-mates.
Some Big Names Continue to Underperform
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While passage to the knockout stage has been secured, the manner in which that goal has been achieved leaves much to be desired.
Gigi Buffon, Paul Pogba, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Carlos Tevez deserve praise for their efforts, but a number of key players continue to underperform in the Champions League.
If Juventus are to progress further in the competition, the likes of Andrea Pirlo, Giorgio Chiellini and Arturo Vidal will need to deliver much better performances than they have thus far. Speaking shortly after the final whistle, Pogba demanded more from the side, telling Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia):
"We are playing to go forward and that means facing the strongest teams in Europe. It's what we want.
With the team we have today, we can go far. We also know that we have to give more and games are not easy, so we must give 120 per cent. 100 per cent isn't enough.
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Goals Remain in Scarce Supply
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Another area in which improvement is needed is in front of goal, Juventus failing to score for the third time in six group matches.
A clean sheet against an opponent as imposing as Atletico Madrid is impressive, but the Bianconeri need to score goals themselves in these high-profile games.
The end of Tevez's Champions League goal drought is a huge boost for the Argentinean, but others must also begin to make an impact. He scored three of Juve's seven goals so far in the competition, with Llorente, Pirlo and Pogba the only others to find the back of the net.
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