Juventus vs Fiorentina: 3 key battles in Saturday’s Serie A clash
Paulo Dybala vs Lucas Torreira
The Argentine’s role under Allegri is markedly fluid; he drifts all over the pitch in a bid to receive possession. Dybala is the Bianconeri’s chief creator and, arguably, the only player in the Juve squad who possesses the requisite subtleness and skill to unlock defences in the final third.
Thus, even if Juve are once again impressive from a collective standpoint on Saturday, shutting out Dybala will go a long way to Fiorentina walking away with a result. I don’t expect Italiano to deploy a man-marker as such, but we should see La Viola’s holding midfielder keep a watchful eye on the free-spirited Argentine. This is poised to be Lucas Torreira, who’s started Fiorentina’s last three games.
Dybala will withdraw from his forward position to occupy spaces between the lines as much as possible. It’s a zone Juve will look to overload on Saturday considering Fiorentina’s tendency to press with a front four (one midfielder joins the first pressing line). Thus, Torreira must be incredibly astute to ensure Dybala doesn’t have his way with La Viola in this one.
The Uruguayan is gritty, tenacious, and has the capacity to disrupt La Joya’s rhythm through sheer ruggedness. However, he must be positionally shrewd and smart with his defensive decision-making. He can’t afford to be booked early on, not against the crafty Dybala.