Juventus: Analyzing the midfield experiment with Danilo

It was in the build-up to Juventus‘ bout with Lazio at the start of March when Andrea Pirlo had his lightbulb moment.

With Arthur Melo only just returning from a lengthy injury lay-off, Rodrigo Bentancur ruled out following a positive COVID-19 test and Nicolo Fagioli deemed too raw to start such a big domestic fixture, Pirlo had a serious midfield dilemma.

But his solution appeared genius.

Danilo shone against Lazio

“I thought about Danilo because he is a smart player, he can play with two touches and he knows football well. It’s an idea I had the other night,” the Juve boss added after the Bianconeri’s impressive 3-1 victory over Simone Inzaghi’s side. Instead of risking Arthur, trusting Fagioli or returning Weston McKennie or Aaron Ramsey to a central role, Pirlo placed his faith in the versatile full-back.

Danilo starred alongside Adrien Rabiot in Juve’s midfield pivot, with his function altering as the game progressed. For example, for much of the first-half, Danilo was tasked with tracking Lazio’s chief creator Luis Alberto deep into Biancocelesti territory during the visitors’ build-up, thus attempting to stifle their progression upfield. His aggressive positioning, however, often caused problems as space started to open up behind Danilo and in front of the Bianconeri defence. In short, their vertical compactness was compromised and Lazio had some joy transitioning swiftly from the first to the final phase.

"“Of course, I can’t play as number nine, but I can play as a midfielder or central defender. My way of seeing football has always been this, that is, based on the moment of the match, based on the spaces that exist” – Danilo, via MARCA’s Alberto Rubio"

Deciphering the issue, though, Pirlo then sent Danilo out for the second half with an alternative role. There was a distinct change. After the break, the Brazilian’s aggression was manifested in other facets rather than in Juve’s press. His positioning in Lazio’s build-up became much more conservative and instead, we saw Danilo hold down the fort in the middle of the park.

The 29-year-old’s stat-line from bout depicts a masterclass in positional awareness: four tackles and a monster eight interceptions. Overall, alongside the more elegant but woefully inconsistent Rabiot, the pair established an equilibrium.

No flash in the pan

Nevertheless, Danilo’s display and Juve’s triumph seemed inconsequential due to events that transpired just days later against Porto. Pirlo sorely missed his jack of all trades for the second leg against the Portuguese outfit, but he returned from his European suspension to start against Cagliari last weekend. A huge game in the context of their domestic season following European embarrassment.

In a contest stolen by demising great Cristiano Ronaldo, Danilo, once again, produced a fine midfield performance next to Rabiot; leading the Bianconeri with a combined five tackles and interceptions.

The Brazilian’s Sardinian showing showed that his display against Lazio was no mere flash in the pan and instead, it begs the question: Is Danilo a viable solution for Juve’s midfield deficiencies?

We shouldn’t be surprised

For a player who has epitomised consistency this term, we shouldn’t be surprised at the ease to which he’s taken up arguably the toughest role in the game. Playing under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Danilo occasionally functioned in a position brought to light by the genius Spaniard: the inverted full-back.

Sure, he may not have played the role as masterfully as Joao Cancelo or as frequently as Fabian Delph or Oleksandr Zinchenko, but there’s no denying that he performed such a function from time to time during his fairly forgettable stint in Manchester.

It’s a role he’s played with greater distinction under a manager who he describes as “very similar” to Guardiola regarding their respective ideas of football. For Pirlo, Danilo has subtly served as an inverted full-back and thus, has facilitated his recent transformation into a pivot player.

His experience under Guardiola, in particular, has aided his ability to play at the differing angles faced by a midfielder as opposed to a full-back. He’s adept in the build-up phase, with his technical security very impressive. Overall, Danilo seems to be a superior stabiliser compared to Pirlo’s other midfield options: he counter-presses with great intensity, provides compactness in defensive transition, and boasts a canny defensive nous.

With the season winding down and Bentancur and Arthur now fully returning to the fold, it’ll certainly be interesting to see how Juve’s midfield situation plays out. Danilo has certainly staked his claim to be a viable short-term solution before – hopefully – a new signing arrives in the summer.