Oh, what a game it was! Fans of both sides could relate to that, but perhaps from different sentiments. Barcelona thrashed Juventus 3-0 to clinch the Joan Gamper Trophy on Sunday evening. In a game that was previously anticipated to be exhilarating, the 3-0 scoreline may look like an illusion. It was a reality check for those in black and white.
Shedding tears of agony, Lionel Messi had already left Barcelona, leaving the rest of the team ajar to a new and compelling adventure. Maybe that drive to do better without Messi came into action last night and boosted the morale of the Barca players. While there are not many explanations for the hosts’ majestic display on Sunday, Juventus, on the other hand, were absolutely toothless.
Allegri made quite a few changes to his starting line-up, starting Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time in this pre-season campaign for Juventus. And the Portuguese talisman looked rusty, as did some of the other players who shared the same pitch with him on the night. Goals from Memphis Depay, Martin Braithwaite, and Riqui Puig stole the show as Juventus tasted their first defeat of the 2021/22 pre-season campaign.
Some may say that it’s only a friendly game and that it doesn’t mean anything. Is that so? Let’s dive deep and take a look at three takeaways from Juventus’ 3-0 defeat to Barcelona.
#3 Are Juventus serious about their defence?
It was a scary picture. An 18-year-old kid named Yusuf Demir threaded a line-breaking pass that easily found the feet of former Manchester United and Lyon striker Memphis Depay. The fresh summer signing for Barcelona was in the hunt for a chance to impress everyone. There, he got one. Conceding a goal in the 3rd minute of the game should not be much of a concern for Juventus — teams concede early goals all the time, but what should arise reason for anxiety is the way they conceded that goal.
It was a Martin Braithwaite lateral pass that Daniele Rugani shockingly failed to intercept. The scenario was as if Rugani dodged the ball intentionally. But let us not be harsh on him since it is just a friendly game, and it doesn’t mean anything. That said, he should’ve done much better there.
Juventus have already let Merih Demiral leave on loan to Atalanta, meaning he won’t be available to play for the Scudetto aspirants in the 2021/22 campaign. That leaves the Old Lady with options such as Matthijs de Ligt, Leonardo Bonucci, Rugani, Radu Dragusin, and Giorgio Chiellini for the centre-back role. If we rank them as the pecking order, Rugani stands at fourth — only ahead of young Dragusin.
Even if we exclude ideas of potential injuries, it’s a pretty thin defensive roster for a club that aspires to compete on several fronts this season. Henceforth, it would be wise from the Juventus hierarchy to sign a Demiral replacement this summer. As reports suggest, the Bianconeri see Rugani as a potential void-filler for Demiral. Well, that’s doesn’t sound healthy for Juve’s future ambitions.
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