Old Juve
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Juventus 2-0 Salernitana: 3 takeaways as Bianconeri bounce back from UCL disappointment

By James Cormack

TURIN, ITALY - MARCH 20: Paulo Dybala celebrates with Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus after scoring their team's first goal during the Serie A match between Juventus and US Salernitana at Allianz Stadium on March 20, 2022 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY - MARCH 20: Paulo Dybala celebrates with Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus after scoring their team's first goal during the Serie A match between Juventus and US Salernitana at Allianz Stadium on March 20, 2022 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images) /
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Fun for 90 minutes? No chance!

Max Allegri was booked for his second-half sins on Sunday. (Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images)
Max Allegri was booked for his second-half sins on Sunday. (Photo by VINCENZO PINTO/AFP via Getty Images) /

It was a challenge to muster up any excitement for Sunday’s game. You know what you’re going to get from Allegri’s Bianconeri and while a response was required following the Villarreal defeat, this was a game where Juve had little to gain and plenty to lose.

Only a mauling of Davide Nicola’s bottom of the table Salernitana while performing like 2010/11 Barcelona would suffice for many supporters after yet another continental humiliation.

However, the opening 45 minutes was a lot of unexpected fun. Juventus imposed their will on the passive visitors, asserting total control as the left-hand side of Pellegrini and Adrien Rabiot wreaked havoc. Salernitana’s relatively high defensive line combined with their unwillingness to put any pressure on the ball allowed Juve to create chances at will and they ended the first half with an xG haul of 2.15. That’s unheard of!

When Vlahovic doubled Juve’s lead before the half-hour mark, Juventini were hopeful of a battering with a smattering of youth introduced later on.

But Allegri saw all the fun his side were having in the first half and quickly put an end to it. He sedated his players at half-time, hypnotising them into defending deeper during the second half and the result was an incredibly dull final 45 minutes. Juve ceded control and territory to a side that couldn’t get near them in the first half, quickly becoming reliant on transitions once again.

The hosts could’ve easily have sleepwalked into making Sunday’s stroll in the park a competitive contest. Salernitana failed to create anything clear cut, but there were a few nervy moments that could’ve been avoided had Juve retained the dynamic, controlling approach all the way through. Their xG in the second half was a meagre 0.29!

It’s this unnecessary cessation of control that I can’t get my head around. Nevertheless, they got the job done with ease and Allegri will have little empathy for any fans who were upset with Juve’s functional finale.

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