Juventus: 3 burning questions from a 1-0 loss to Napoli

Juventus could not get the job done this weekend at Napoli, falling 1-0 to a side that has been weaker than in previous years. The Azzurri scored their goal from the spot and defended their hearts out against the Bianconeri, but Juve had their chances to win. They just didn’t take them.

Here are three burning questions in the aftermath of a deflating loss.

1. Did we just see the impact of Arthur on Juventus?

Juventus have lost Arthur for the next several games due to injury, and this was their first fixture without the center midfielder. Andrea Pirlo called on Rodrigo Bentancur and Adrien Rabiot as a duo again, and we knew they needed to step up.

Suffice to say, they did not.

Juventus were poor at transitioning into attacks, and Bentancur had his usual giveaways in his own half. The calm, collected nature of Arthur, who is always moving and scouting the pitch around him, was missed sorely.

Arthur is expected to miss a couple of weeks. Can Juve avoid dropping any more points without him? The Champions League knockout round looms this Wednesday.

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• Team previews: Will Juventus’ attack fulfill its potential?
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• Leonardo Bonucci may be leaving Juventus soon

2. How can Juventus get the most out of Federico Chiesa on the left?

Federico Chiesa is better on the right-hand side of the formation. This is a belief I hold from observing Chiesa this season. On the right, he is a better creator for his teammates, and his dribbling feels more fluid. But the problem is that Juan Cuadrado rules the right flank, so it is easier for Juve to get the most out of Cuadrado by shifting Chiesa to the other side.

Ideally, Chiesa would play on the right, yes. But that ideal is for Chiesa, not necessarily for Juventus. The ideal for Juventus is to get both these talented players on the pitch and find a way to ensure maximum productivity from Chiesa.

And I honestly think it’s better to have Chiesa tuck inside more and play a left back who can overlap more. Gianluca Frabotta is not anywhere near the level of player that Alex Sandro is when looking at Sandro’s experience, intelligence, technique, and defensive qualities. But Frabotta is better in the attack.

Juve need to sign an attacking-minded left back to pair with Sandro this summer. Until then, shifting Chiesa into a position where he can do one-twos with Cristiano Ronaldo and take his own shots is a good idea. Chiesa has impressed with his shooting range and likes to cut inside; he’s more than just a good crosser, after all.

3. Can Juventus win the big games without Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals?

Juventus defeated SPAL 4-0 without Cristiano Ronaldo. But that was SPAL. Against Napoli, Ronaldo had nine shots and four on target. He had two great opportunities to scored and squandered them both.

When Ronaldo isn’t scoring, Juventus need Alvaro Morata, Federico Chiesa, Dejan Kulusevski, or a midfielder to step up to the plate. And that can’t just happen against the weaker sides in Italy. It needs to happen against quality competition like Napoli.

Opponents know to key in on Ronaldo. It’s easier said than done so Ronaldo usually manages to wriggle free. But against these highly defensive setups like the one Gennaro Gattuso used on Saturday evening, Ronaldo can be heavily mitigated. So who steps up? Morata is the guy for now, but this is where having Paulo Dybala healthy can help a lot.