Juventus: Full Report Card for Every Position for January
The last month was good for Juventus, who won in two rounds of the Coppa Italia to book a semi-final berth in that competition and now also enjoy a seven-point lead over their nearest rivals in the Serie A table. All told, the Bianconeri had a successful start to the new year.
With European action set to recommence in late February, the end of January offers the perfect time to look back and reflect on recent performances. Juventus clearly regrouped and recovered some of their cohesion over the winter break, as it must be remembered that December saw them register a string of poor results.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men won just one of their five competitive fixtures that month—a lone victory over Cagliari following draws against Atletico Madrid, Fiorentina and Sampdoria. They also tasted defeat in the Super Cup, a penalty shootout loss to Napoli leaving a bitter taste as they entered the Christmas period.
An emphatic win over Rafael Benitez and the Partenopei appeared to galvanise Juve in their first league game of the new year, however, and they have reeled off five more wins since that triumph at the Stadio San Paolo. Allegri has not allowed a lengthy injury list—and some poorly timed suspensions—slow their progress, managing to rest and rotate his players admirably over recent weeks.
They are each analysed over the following pages, which look into each position and grade players on their contribution to those successes, helping to identify the strongest and weakest areas of the squad.
All statistics are courtesy of WhoScored.com unless otherwise stated
Goalkeeper
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Gigi Buffon has enjoyed another fine month, almost single-handedly keeping the scores level against Udinese on Sunday. The 37-year-old goalkeeper conceded just two goals in January, one in the draw with Inter and the other in the 3-1 rout of Napoli, keeping clean sheets in his other two appearances.
Those shutouts took his tally for the season to 12 in 20 games, statistics from Fox Soccer showing he has made just 30 saves and seen the ball find his net on just eight occasions in total. The club captain sat out the cup wins over Hellas Verona and Parma, with Marco Storari deputising well as the team won both ties without Buffon.
Grade: A
Right-Back/Right Wing-Back
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The Bianconeri saw Martin Caceres return to the lineup in January, the Uruguayan finally providing some cover for Stephan Lichtsteiner. The Switzerland full-back was finally allowed some rest with Caceres standing in for him—the side never missing a beat no matter which one of the pair was fielded in any given match.
Both also found the net over the course of the month, weighing in with important goals in the wins over Napoli and Chievo, and they should consider themselves proud of their contributions.
Grade: A
Central Defence
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Injuries and suspensions caused problems in central defence, although Giorgio Chiellini did rediscover some form, relieving some of the concern expressed in this column about his earlier performances. Leonardo Bonucci’s displays fluctuated quite dramatically from game to game, while Angelo Ogbonna was used as a replacement at various times over a difficult month for the centre-backs.
Grade: C
Left-Back/Left Wing-Back
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With Kwadwo Asamoah recovering from surgery, Patrice Evra has been left to carry the load in this role. The Frenchman has performed well, averaging 2.3 tackles and four clearances per game, and the club have kept three clean sheets in his last three appearances.
Simone Padoin has been pressed into service as an alternative, performing well when called upon, although that may end now Paolo De Ceglie has returned to Turin after completing his loan spell with Parma.
Grade: C
Central Midfield
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Comfortably the deepest and most talent-laden area of the squad, Juventus are still suffering as Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo fail to live up to their superstar reputations. The former has improved in recent weeks, however, turning in a pair of stellar displays against Napoli—against whom he scored a superb goal—and Inter.
Claudio Marchisio has been his consistent self, while Paul Pogba exploded in January to carry the team for long periods. Netting in four consecutive matches, the 21-year-old needs to learn to deliver at that level for a sustained spell, as discussed in depth here.
Grade: B
Attack
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Carlos Tevez remains the undisputed star for Juventus, adding three goals in January to take his tally for the season to 18 in all competitions. He leads all scorers in Serie A and has added six assists, underlining his value to the Bianconeri by virtue of his hard-working all round performances, as well as his constant presence on the scoresheet.
Kingsley Coman netted his first professional goal this month, but Tevez still needs greater support up front, with Fernando Llorente failing to make an impact when he has been selected. The team looks much sharper when Alvaro Morata plays alongside the Argentinian, but he has scored just twice this calendar year and must become more clinical.
Grade: C
Coach
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Massimiliano Allegri has found ways to help the team; his switch to a back four provided fresh stimulus for a side that had become somewhat stale. He has also shown flexibility, reverting to a 3-5-2 formation on occasion, but he needs to recognise when substitutions are required much more quickly than he has been doing.
All in all, a solid contribution from the coach, but one which he can and must improve upon if Juventus are to continue to enjoy regular success.
Grade: C
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