Why 25 Goals Is a Realistic Aim for Juventus' Alvaro Morata in 2015/16

While Massimiliano Allegri undoubtedly enjoyed a remarkable first year with Juventus, a number of others also shone in their first year in Turin. From Roberto Pereyra making 52 action-packed appearances to Patrice Evra discovering his best form, 2014/15 saw some hugely impactful debut campaigns.

Yet when it comes to the players, arguably none took to life with the Bianconeri better than Alvaro Morata, the Spanish striker supplanting Fernando Llorente in the starting XI shortly after the winter break.

Arriving from Real Madrid at a cost of €20 million per Juve’s official website, Morata would go on to play in 45 games, contributing 15 goals and five assists as he became the ideal foil for Carlos Tevez and the midfielders behind them.

His Champions League performances caught the eye, netting in both legs of the semi-final clash with his former club and again in the final against Barcelona. According to statistics from Squawka.com, Morata hit the target with 60 per cent of his shots in Europe’s elite competition, and that has led to increased expectations for the forthcoming campaign.

However, his 2015/16 campaign got off to a poor start when Allegri was clearly unhappy with Morata’s approach against Lechia Gdansk last week. The coach introduced the 22-year-old as a half time substitute, only to haul him off after 26 minutes, and he made his displeasure clear when speaking to reporters after the final whistle (h/t Football Italia):

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It wasn’t Morata’s day and I didn’t like his attitude. Regardless of technical errors, what really did not go well today was his attitude. When something didn’t work for him, he just stopped. That is why I asked him to get off the pitch. He made me angry on the pitch, but then he was good as he went off to train by himself.

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Ending his comments on that positive note, Allegri played down Juve’s position as favourites in Italy, saying, “this year will be even more difficult,” following the departure of Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez. The coach showed there was no lingering animosity afterwards, however, starting the Madrid-born star in the club’s very next fixture against Marseille last weekend.

As for those aforementioned exits, Allegri will perhaps rely on Morata even more, given his other strikers are mostly new signings. Paulo Dybala, Mario Mandzukic and Simone Zaza have arrived in Turin, with the Bianconeri hoping that quartet can make up for the loss of Tevez after he returned home to Boca Juniors.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

With the Argentinean having grabbed 50 goals in 96 appearances, he leaves a huge void in his wake, and 25 goals from Morata this year would go a long way to bridging that gap. It would represent both further the development of his talent as well as repaying the investment Juventus made in him last summer.

The player will likely play significantly more minutes this term, and he will hit the ground running unlike last year when it took him time to settle. Indeed, prior to his first Serie A start against Empoli in November, Morata had seen just 98 minutes of league action which highlights just how sparingly he was used in the opening months of the campaign.

He soon acclimatised, believing the Italian club were instrumental in his superb form as he discussed life in Turin with Tuttosport. “This club brought me back to life because last year I had no confidence,” Morata told them (h/t Goal.com). “At Juventus, there is no one in the dressing room that feels more important, even if he has been a World Cup winner and is a football legend.”

Unfortunately suffering a calf injury that will seen him miss the next 30 days of action per the club's official website, Juventus will still expect more from Alvaro Morata this time round. Despite that delayed start to his season, 25 goals in all competitions remains a realistic aim.