Juventus: 5 key players to watch against Crotone on Monday
Juventus will face Crotone on Monday night in Serie A, and they will be looking to bounce back after a mistake-filled night at the Estadio do Dragao this past Wednesday in the Champions League. The Bianconeri drew Crotone 1-1 earlier this season, so you had better believe Andrea Pirlo will not underestimate the Serie A newcomers.
Arthur and Juan Cuadrado remain out for Juventus, so here is a look at five key players to watch on both teams this coming Monday. The choices are based on La Gazzetta dello Sport’s probable lineups.
Juventus CM Weston McKennie
In all honesty, Weston McKennie did not have his best performance against Porto. He worked hard, but none of his passes or dribbles really came off for the Bianconeri. McKennie was not put in a position to succeed, though, as Pirlo drifted him to the left side, which was a very poor managerial decision. The position is a weak spot for Juventus, but McKennie should not have to fill it.
He will start in the middle of the park against Crotone and could be a threat to score against Serie A’s worst defensive team. They are the only club in Italy’s top flight with more than 50 goals allowed.
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Crotone RW Junior Messias
Only Parma have scored fewer goals in Serie A this season than Crotone, but they do have a couple of dangerous forwards in Simy and Junior Messias. The latter is expected to start on Matchday 23 at the Juventus Stadium. Messias has six goals and two assists this season. But that’s not all. WhoScored.com credits the 29-year-old with both 2.9 dribbles completed per game and 2.9 fouls drawn per game. The left side of Juve’s formation will be put on notice.
Juventus FW Dejan Kulusevski
Alvaro Morata was ill but still played as a sub against Porto. He felt the effects afterwards, so Andrea Pirlo may be forced to start Dejan Kulusevski again.
If Juventus start Kulusevski, they should not roll with a setup in which Kulusevski starts as a forward next to Cristiano Ronaldo. Kulusevski is no striker, and playing him in this way has never helped the Swedish international.
This young man could hold the keys to Juve avoiding another upset and dropping more points to Serie A’s last-placed team next week.
Crotone LW Adam Ounas
The other side of Crotone’s attack also contains a player Juventini must watch closely in Napoli loanee Adam Ounas. He was brilliant against Sassuolo last weekend, scoring with two key passes and three dribbles completed. The 24-year-old Algerian international has five games this season with at least three dribbles completed, including a jaw-dropping nine against Spezia earlier this season. Ounas is definitely a player who could cause problems for Juventus defensively.
Juventus LB Alex Sandro
Whether he is played as a left back or a left wing back, Alex Sandro must be at his best on Matchday 23 at the Allianz Stadium. Junior Messias is one talented player, and he can cause headaches for the experienced Brazilian fullback.
Next. The midfield change Andrea Pirlo must make for Juventus. dark
But Alex Sandro must also step up offensively, especially if he starts on the left side of the midfield with a three-man defense behind him, as Gazzetta expects. The one-time FC Porto star has been very suspect offensively, including when he was memed against his former employers for tackling Cristiano Ronaldo.