UEFA Champions League 2021: The test ahead for Andrea Pirlo

Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo is essentially heading up a rebuilding project with the task of winning a Champions League in the near future while Cristiano Ronaldo is still in the side. The Portuguese superstar is, once again, in the Capocannoniere conversation and is responsible for 41 percent of Juve’s goals.

Pirlo’s appointment comes one season after Maurizio Sarri won a ninth straight Scudetto but failed to get out of the Champions League Round of 16. And now, Pirlo finds himself behind both Inter and AC Milan in Serie A, while he is staring down a deficit in the Champions League after Juve’s 2-1 loss to FC Porto at the Estadio do Dragao.

The second leg at the Allianz Stadium will take place on Mar. 9, so Juventus have a few Serie A matches to get through before this must-win fixture. Thanks to Federico Chiesa’s late goal, the Bianconeri are in a situation where they would advance with a 1-0 win, which means we can expect a highly-defensive approach in leg two. Hopefully, that means fewer risks out of the back.

Pirlo has done a good job thus far with Juve despite the lack of success in the table. His squad has been hurt by injuries throughout the season, with no absence felt more than Paulo Dybala’s. The 2019-2020 Serie A MVP was, alongside Ronaldo, a huge reason for Juve’s title triumph ahead of the likes of Lazio, Inter, and Atalanta. But this season, the competition is even fiercer, especially from the Nerazzurri.

Can Andrea Pirlo respond under pressure in UEFA Champions League 2021?

That said, the legendary regista could have done a better job against Porto, and he’s had a few “rookie” moments in the manager’s seat. That’s to be expected, and what matters more, from the perspective of Juventini, is how Pirlo responds. Will he learn from his mistakes against Porto? Can he do a better job of putting together an XI and a gameplan that can create meaningful chances against the Liga NOS side? And will he stop asking too much of his midfielders in their own half when playing out of pressure?

Adjustments are key, and, sometimes, Pirlo is left wanting in how he responds to other managers or how he changes his tactics and personnel in the second half. Pirlo is a long-term investment, much like the players Juventus have signed in the most recent summer transfer window.

The second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 is a great opportunity for Pirlo to respond to critics outside of Turin who are skeptical about the unproven manager’s merits as the man to lead Juventus into another period of glory. Juventini, meanwhile, are backing the manager, though, yes, there is always an acknowledgment that he is still learning on the job. If the first leg was the lesson, then the second leg vs. Porto is the test.