Juventus: Leonardo Bonucci is one of the best CBs in the world
Juventus center back Leonardo Bonucci is a manager’s dream.
Before the 2019-2020 Serie A season was postponed due to COVID-19, Juventus sat in second place in the league despite scoring 10 fewer goals than second-place Lazio and 20 fewer goals than fourth-place Atalanta.
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But in Serie A, even moreso than any other league in Europe, it’s the defense that wins the championship. Yes, Lazio have fewer goals allowed an impressive group of center backs and defensive midfielders, but it’s hard to top what the Bianconceri have.
Matthijs de Ligt is a young star who will be a superstar for Juve in no time, and Merih Demiral may be even better when he returns from injury. In Giorgio Chiellini, the Old Lady have an experienced backup who once had his run as arguably the world’s best center back.
In 2019-2020, though, it is Leonardo Bonucci who stands out the most among Juventus center backs as a true star. It’s hard to find anyone else in the league who is as accomplished as Bonucci, and he can stand toe-to-toe with the best center backs in Europe.
Bonucci’s defensive stats don’t necessarily tell the whole story, since his positioning and tactical understanding often ensure that he doesn’t even need to make a tackle in the first place. That is the ideal defensive situation for a center back, especially in the highly organized Serie A.
On the ball, Bonucci sets himself apart from his peers by being crucial in build-up play. He’s so impressive with the ball at his feet, in fact, that Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola, who values center backs that can pass expertly, often professes his admiration for Bonucci as a favorite.
In the 2019-2020 Champions League season, no player on Juventus averaged more passes from live play per 90 minutes than Bonucci with 83.2, according to FBRef.com. Bonucci completed 87.6 percent of his passes as the Bianconceri’s leading passer behind playmaker Miralem Pjanic and all-world left back Alex Sandro.
Find more than a couple of center backs around Europe who can rival Bonucci’s importance to build-up play. It might honestly be Mats Hummels, Sergio Ramos, Bonucci, and then nobody else. Bonucci is in rarified air among defensive players who can calmly progress a team’s attack, and he is a calming influence to everyone.
Bonucci’s passing ability and tactical importance have grown in 2019-2020, and Juve need the 33-year-old more than ever. Their center midfielders often failed them, with only Pjanic and Rodrigo Bentancur looking solid in the middle of the park. Free agent signings Adrien Rabiot and Aaron Ramsey struggled for most of the season, leaving Bonucci to carry on more responsibility.
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Juve will make midfield upgrades in the summer 2020 transfer market, using swap deals to get the jobe done, but Bonucci will remain vital to the Bianconceri’s success. With his great passing, aerial ability, reading of the game, and lack of mistakes, Bonucci is a world-class center back who makes his team that much better.