Juventus: Choosing the Best and Worst Juve Players for April

April was undoubtedly a wonderful month for Juventus. The Bianconeri secured a place in both the Coppa Italia final and the last four of the Champions League, while moving ever closer to adding a fourth consecutive Serie A crown to their ever-growing list of honours.

Wins over AS Monaco, Lazio and Fiorentina have brought them to the brink of an historic treble, and while Real Madrid clearly present an immense challenge, Italian football’s grand Old Lady has proved in the past she can match the Spanish giants.

Juve’s history with Real Madrid was discussed in this previous column, but April has also not been without problems for the Bianconeri. A surprising loss to rock-bottom Parma was perhaps understandable given the huge games played before it, but it was compounded BY defeat at the hands of cross-town rivals Torino.

That certainly drove home the point that La Madama must always be at her best, something Max Allegri was quick to point out in an interview with Sky Italia earlier this week. “I haven’t digested it yet, because it’s a game which should have ended another way,” the coach said (h/t Football Italia).

“However, games like that will help us grow, especially the lads who are in their first year at Juventus, and need to understand what it’s like to play for a big team and play to win every game.”

Allegri deserves huge credit for what he has managed to do over the course of a difficult campaign, but he also took time to turn the praise over to his players in that same interview, going on to add that “the lads have had a good season, but we haven’t won anything yet, so we want to be able to say it’s been an extraordinary season.”

Winning two of the three trophies for which they are aiming would arguably do just that, while their return to prominence in Europe is already a major boost to the confidence running throughout the squad. As always, some members of the team have shone under the added pressure while others have wilted as the spotlight shines brightest.

Over the following pages is a look at some of the best and worst Juventus players, judging them solely on their April performances rather than over the campaign as a whole.

The statistics noted are taken from WhoScored.com unless otherwise stated

Worst: Giorgio Chiellini

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Giorgio Chiellini has a major role to play for Juventus; the injury problems of Andrea Barzagli make him the senior defender in the side. He is—along with Claudio Marchisio—vice-captain to Gigi Buffon, and yet his performances in April have been far below the standard required from a man seen as a leader and veteran.

His slip against AS Monaco sparked a viral craze on social media, but in truth the 30-year-old was fortunate not to be sent off for the offence. That could have led to Juve’s elimination and only adds to the errors he has made throughout the campaign, including the penalty he gave away against Fiorentina on Wednesday night.

Chiellini has improved since this previous column named him the club’s most disappointing player, but he has clearly struggled at times in 2014-15. If the Bianconeri are to go on and win more than one trophy, they will need him to deliver vastly better performances, and he remains fully capable of doing just that.

Worst: Fernando Llorente

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Having scored in both meetings with Real Madrid last season, Fernando Llorente could yet play a vital role for Juventus this season, but his recent performances have left much to be desired. The Spanish striker has scored just six league goals in 2014-15, netting against Fiorentina this week to end a lengthy drought.

Indeed, his previous Serie A strike came in a mid-February win over Atalanta, and the striker made numerous appearances since then and never truly come close to ending that barren spell before the Fiorentina strike. The past few weeks have seen Alessandro Matri appear to surpass him in the pecking order, and it is clear to see why as Llorente struggles to make any real impact on games.

La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia) have linked him with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, and with Juventus owning young attacking talent like Simone Zaza and Domenico Berardi, they may look to cash in on the 30-year-old.

Best: Leonardo Bonucci

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While Chiellini struggles, Leonardo Bonucci has enjoyed the best season of his career, realising the promise that has talent has always held. The defender has been at home in either the 3-5-2 formation or in the back four preferred by Allegri, playing superbly in both and becoming a reliable figure in front of Gigi Buffon’s goal.

According to statistics taken from WhoScored.com, the 27-year-old has averaged 1.1 tackles, 2.0 interceptions and 4.6 clearances per game this term, but has been equally important at the other end of the field.

Bagging goals in those vital April wins over Fiorentina and Lazio, Bonucci continued his string of impressive displays in the biggest matches, having previously scored against the likes of Milan and AS Roma earlier in the campaign.

Best: Roberto Pereyra

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With Paul Pogba ruled out with a long-term injury and other knocks or suspensions causing selection problems for Allegri, Juventus have benefitted massively from the form of Roberto Pereyra this month. On-loan from Udinese, he has done his chances of a permanent deal no harm with some excellent contributions, filling in a variety of roles and impressing almost every time he has stepped on the field.

April began in the best possible way for the 24-year-old, netting against both Empoli and Fiorentina before playing a crucial role in the first-leg win over AS Monaco. As it has all season, his on-ball running combined with his off-ball diligence proved to be an impressive combination, whether playing just behind the strikers or in the heart of midfield.

Best: Carlos Tevez

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If one man has been at the heart of everything positive about Juventus this season, it is undoubtedly Carlos Tevez. Simply judging him in terms of his contribution to the scoresheet is enough to place him high on any list, his tally of 28 goals and eight assists thus far is a wonderful return from the former Manchester City star.

Yet it is also a hugely reductive view of what he brings to the side, his infectious desire and work ethic drawing even greater effort from those around him, and while he may never pull on the captain’s armband as he once did at the Etihad, the Argentinian striker is clearly a leader for the Bianconeri.

“I used to watch Tevez on television when I was a kid,” Alvaro Morata told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia) after the pair had demolished Borussia Dortmund. “To have him as a teammate now is a dream come true,” and it is clear the young Spaniard has learned much from his partner in the Juve attack.

Tevez has become arguably the side’s most influential player, and everyone connected to the situation was pleased to hear him play down talk of a return to Boca Juniors this summer. He told ESPN there is “nothing” to the story, per Football Italia, and stated his belief that the media “talk too much.”

Juventus fans will be hoping Tevez's only concern is to continue scoring important goals for the club and that he will honour his contract, which expires in June 2016.