Juventus: 3 takeaways from an important win over Spezia

Juventus knew nothing less than a professional display against Spezia would be acceptable, and they delivered with a 4-1 win on the road.

The Bianconeri disappointed on Wednesday against Barcelona in the Champions League, which added to the pressure they faced on Sunday afternoon against Spezia. But with Cristiano Ronaldo back on the pitch, Juventus pulled away in the second half to avoid a third straight disappointing 1-1 draw in Serie A.

These are the three biggest takeaways from the match for Juventus after the 4-1 win.

Alvaro Morata is a crucial player for Juventus now

Juventus were looking to make a big upgrade at the striker position over Gonzalo Higuain, who was clearly finished at the top level in 2019-2020 despite his best efforts.

There were many candidates. A reunion with Moise Kean, a flier on Edin Dzeko, or an ambitious move for Raul Jimenez. But ultimately, Juve acquired Alvaro Morata on loan from Atletico Madrid, bringing the Real Madrid academy product back to Turin.

Morata is flourishing. He added another goal and assist to his record against Spezia, having scored the previous weekend against Verona. He was unlucky not to have scored a brace against Barcelona or Verona, having been called offsides for both goals.

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He brings more than the poaching, though. Morata is working extremely hard for the team and combining well with the other forwards. To be honest, he looks much better than Paulo Dybala right now, which is something I never thought would be the case prior to the start of the season.

Cristiano Ronaldo means everything to Juventus

Alvaro Morata has become an important player to Juve, which is a surprise. But it is not a surprise to see just how important Cristiano Ronaldo is to this team. He lifts this team to greater heights than they would reach without him.

It took Ronaldo mere minutes off the bench in his return from COVID-19 to score, as he rounded the keeper after taking Morata’s pass.

He then added an exclamation mark with his Panenka penatly, which showed his confidence.

Juventus ran away with the game 4-1 after Ronaldo entered the pitch. This team is so much more dangerous with him on the pitch, because he is the leader and attacking presence they need so badly. Without him, Juve look listless.

The club’s reliance on the legendary forward is a bit troubling, because you’d like to see someone like Paulo Dybala step up in this way. But for as long as he is in Turin, the Juventini will be happy to see the impact he has on the pitch. That is the difference a true superstar player makes.

Arthur Melo is the real deal

Arthur was quietly excellent for Juventus against Spezia. According to WhoScored.com, the former Barcelona man led the team with 97 passes attempted. Better yet, the 24-year-old Brazilian completed about 95 percent of his passes, finishing second to only fellow countryman and defender Danilo in accuracy.

Juve needed to sign a midfielder this summer who could keep the attack ticking and add a little more dynamism and defensive quality than Miralem Pjanic. So they literally swapped Pjanic for that player in Arthur.

He is as-advertised. Don’t sleep on the improvements Arthur is making each week, because by the end of the season, he should become one of the Bianconeri’s most indispensable players. Remember, too, that he is just 24, so his composure and knowledge of the game are very impressive for a center midfielder under the age of 27.

The early returns on Arthur are encouraging, and hopefully he can be an even bigger threat offensively with the range of his passing as his confidence in Turin grows.