Juventus vs. Verona: Bianconeri Prove Change Is as Good as a Rest

Having swept Napoli aside last weekend, Juventus made eight changes for their midweek cup tie with Hellas Verona. The result was a 6-1 mauling that was over as a contest the moment Sebastian Giovinco’s fifth-minute free kick found the back of the net.

Reviewed in detail here, that match was testament to the depth of talent available to the Bianconeri, the club having assembled the strongest and most versatile squad on the peninsula. As they prepared to once again welcome the same opponent to Juventus Stadium on Sunday evening, Massimiliano Allegri urged his players not to underestimated the Gialloblu.

“Don’t kid yourselves that Verona will play the same way,” the coach said at his pre-match press conference, per Football Italia. “They’ll be much more careful and won’t allow us many chances.” His comments were echoed by opposite number Andrea Mandolini, who promised reporters “it will be a different game, featuring different players,” per Juve’s official website.

Dino Panato/Getty Images

Both teams did indeed introduce a raft of new names to their respective lineups, with the return of leading scorers Carlos Tevez and Luca Toni arguably the most prominent. Fast-forward 90 minutes, and once again the scoreline reflected the complete dominance enjoyed by the Bianconeri, running out 4-0 winners without ever truly exerting themselves.

Despite repeatedly going head-to-head over the years, the final result was yet another loss for Hellas Verona, their 22nd defeat in 26 visits to Turin, with the other four games all ending in draws.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Allegri altered seven of the 11 players who started the Coppa Italia encounter, retaining only Leonardo Bonucci, Paul Pogba, Roberto Pereyra and Alvaro Morata. The first of those was almost by necessity, the injury-hit nature of Juve’s defensive options making the 27-year-old essential to the solidity of the back line.

Of the others, Pogba would open the scoring with a trademark thundering effort after just 160 seconds, while Pereyra would net the side’s third goal midway through the second half. While Verona were no match for the collective quality of Juventus, this clash was arguably won by the performance of Morata.

More than any other player in the famous black and white stripes, the Spanish striker was responsible for this win, leading the line perfectly. Missing only a goal, his wonderful display delivered everything required of a modern forward as his cross-field pass created space for Pogba’s opener, while his ball into the box was dummied by the Frenchman for Tevez to double their advantage.

Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images

The two front men almost combined again shortly after the restart, the Argentinian narrowly missing with a header after a pass from the former Real Madrid star. Having netted a penalty on Thursday, Morata was full of confidence and constantly sought opportunities to add to his tally of five goals so far this season.

Yet he did so in an unselfish manner, his play allowing Juve’s excellent midfield players to break forward, and the amount of work he did off the ball was staggering to watch. Taking his lead from the hardworking Tevez, statistics from WhoScored.com show Morata registered two tackles and one interception, constantly pressuring the Veronese defence.

While he may have failed in his search for a goal of his own, the pace of his running tormented the opposition, twisting them out of shape and creating space for others to fill. Morata offers a vastly different style to his compatriot Fernando Llorente, but Juventus will undoubtedly need both as the campaign progresses.

The contrast provides two very different looks for the Bianconeri, allowing Allegri to tailor his team selection to any given opponent. No matter which he has chosen thus far, the result has been the same as the Juventus machine rolls on and the wins pile up with the club now five points clear of Roma atop the Serie A standings.

That has meant they have once again been crowned winter champions, a title given to the team leading the way at the halfway stage of the season. Ultimately a meaningless accolade, it does bode well for the future as 56 of the 81 teams to have been in front at the midway point have gone on to claim the Scudetto.

A change of coach has brought a tactical switch to a back four, there has been heavy rotation on the field and none of it has slowed down the reigning champions. For Juventus, the more things change, the more they truly do stay the same.