Why Sami Khedira Is the Glue to Keep Juventus Together and on Track to Glory

When Juventus signed Sami Khedira on a free transfer at the start of the summer transfer window, alarm bells went off among some fans.

Juve already had one of the—if not the—best midfield units in the world that featured the core group of Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba and quality depth in Roberto Pereyra and Stefano Sturaro.  

The Germany international—winner of league titles in two countries, a Champions League and a World Cup—was not the kind of player one signed to be a depth piece. Juve chief executive Giuseppe Marotta knew something the fans didn't.

The move proved to be prescient. The unexpected departures of Pirlo (to MLS) and Vidal (to Bayern Munich) quite suddenly took away the soul of the unit, and instantly made Khedira an integral part of the new-look midfield along with Marchisio and Pogba.

And now, after only two games in a Juventus shirt, the 28-year-old has shown that he might be the key player in the side.

When both Marchisio and Khedira missed significant time in the early months of the season, it was clear that the team wasn't equipped to respond. Sturaro, Simone Padoin and new arrivals Hernanes and Mario Lemina had their moments—particularly Lemina, who, at times, looks like a younger version of Vidal—but for the most part they looked out of sync. Constant lineup changes didn't help their ability to develop chemistry.

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But the most notable—and most damaging—effect of their absence concerned Pogba.

Saddled with the overwhelming expectations of both his projected price tag and his new No. 10 shirt, Pogba, 22, overcompensated for the absence of the two veterans. He tried to do everything, almost as though if he could be spectacular enough, one goal might be worth two. He was pressing, and it was hurting the team.

One would think Hernanes, 30, might be the kind of veteran presence that could calm the young Frenchman, but his form varied as much as his position, from adequate to downright awful. Pogba pressed harder. The team suffered more.

Then came September 30, and Juve's big Champions League match at home against Sevilla. After stealing a surprise victory at Manchester City to start the group, a win over the two-time defending Europa League champions would give the Turin club a win against both of their main group rivals and put them in the driver's seat in a tough group.

The big news of the day: The return of Khedira from the leg injury he suffered in preseason. It may have been a watershed moment for the Bianconeri's season.

Khedira's presence instantly brought stability to the midfield. He made his presence felt with a perfectly timed sliding challenge in his own penalty area to snuff out a well-worked free-kick sequence.

WhoScored tracked his pass-completion percentage at only 76.5, but he made three key passes and his positioning in midfield was so good that he rarely had to make a tackle in his 75 minutes on the field.

Even more important, though, was the effect he had on Pogba and Hernanes. Each had their best game of the season. Hernanes picked himself up after a thoroughly horrid game against Napoli and completed 85 percent of his passes.

Pogba simply looked better. His passes were sharper. His dribbling was more controlled, allowing him to pull the quick, nifty moves he has always used to slip by defenders in the attacking third. He defended with poise and grace. Most importantly, his decision-making was vastly better, foregoing the Hollywood ball to make the smart play.

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The poise Khedira brought to the team carried over to the weekend. Bologna took a shock lead after five minutes, but rather than succumb to panic as they had done in similar situations against teams they should beat, they remained calm and quickly bossed the game.

An equalizer came after half an hour when Khedira supplied Alvaro Morata with a cross, and the Spaniard returned the favor to his old Real Madrid teammate in the second half when he dropped in a cross for the German to head home.

Khedira's mere presence has seen Juventus turn in their two best performances of the season. Even though his playing time at Real had steadily decreased over the last few years—due to both competition and injury—he slotted into the lineup almost seamlessly and brought a calming effect to a team that seemed to be totally out of sync.

That type of leadership is vital to any winning team, and Khedira has brought it in spades. When combined with Marchisio—who returned to training on Thursday and is on track to return this weekend against Inter—the Juventus midfield could begin approaching the status they had in the heyday of the MVP midfield under Antonio Conte.

Juventus may be 10 points back at this point in the season, but the season is still young and they have a lot of games against teams above them yet to play. They play the majority of their big games in the return leg of the season on the road.

While no one is talking about the Scudetto at this point in the season, it certainly cannot be ruled out.

Even if league glory finally eludes them, there is the Champions League to consider. Juventus reached the final last season and have eschewed their usual slow start in the group stage, instead notching consecutive wins against their biggest competition. If things go right, they could wrap up the top spot in the group with a game or two to spare—which would allow them to refocus on climbing up Serie A before the winter break.

Khedira's experience would be even more important as Juventus gets deeper into European competition. Real Madrid has reached the semifinals in each of the last five seasons, and Khedira has been there for all of them, including their victory over Atletico Madrid two years ago.

For a team with big ambitions in Europe, that experience is worth its weight in gold. The only outfield player with such extensive experience of deep European competition Juve had last year was Pirlo. Replacing that isn't easy, but Marotta has found a man who can do that.

With Khedira seemingly settled into the midfield and Marchisio returning shortly, Juventus can again field an incredibly talented midfield that will take the pressure off Pogba and make the younger midfielders behind them better.

Given the effect the Khedira has already had on the team, it's no stretch to say that he will be a key player as Juventus quests for more silverware this season.