Although the 46-year-old has started his nine-match Serie A appointment with a home win over mid-table Genoa and a creditable draw at in-form AS Roma, Juventus have only bagged two goals.
With precious points up for grabs, and slipping out of the Champions League places into fifth after Bologna held Scudetto-chasing Napoli 1-1 last night, Tudor will try to sort out Juve’s issue with scoring from set pieces.
Only rock bottom Monza possess a worse record than Juventus this season for finding the back of the net from set pieces, excluding penalties. This urgently needs addressing before next month’s opening two league games, when the Bianconeri tackle Bologna and Lazio.
Six of the best
With the race for top spot a straight scrap between table-topping Inter Milan and Antonio Conte’s Napoli, there’s a six club chase to secure the other places for a top four finish and elite European competition next term.
Tudor has a reputation for being a Serie A trouble-shooter, called up by Hellas Verona, Lazio and Udinese. He always follows his own beliefs, which led to fall outs with the club hierarchy at Lazio and Olympique de Marseille, and will be eager to iron out set piece problems during training sessions.
He explained in a recent press conference about recent training at Juventus: “We concentrated on both phases — on set pieces, on physical preparation, on details — and on individual development. The lads are well prepared and are showing a desire to express themselves at their best.
“We have started to rebuild together, and we are working well. How long will it take to see clear changes, I don’t know. I can’t know, but I do know that the boys are putting their hearts and souls into it.”
Chance to improve poor record
Tudor will be fully aware that scoring from set pieces is an area that needs dramatic improvement, having only managed four Serie A strikes from set pieces this season.
Juventus must surely convert more opportunities into goals if they want to reach their target of finishing the season in the top four.
Set pieces are frequently the difference in tight matches, and Tudor really only has the games against Champions League-chasing Bologna and Lazio to worry about during his short stint.
Nico Gonzalez, Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz, Dusan Vlahovic and Kenan Yildiz are the ideal players for precision when it comes to corners and free-kicks, although strikers Vlahovic and Yildiz are arguably best implemented in the box when these are taken.
The potential is there for Tudor to work out how to get the best for his group of highly talented individuals. He has already taken the squad out for dinner as part of a bonding exercise.
Tudor's goal is to earn a top four finish, which would be enough for the Croatian coach to trigger talks with the club hierarchy about extending his contract to tackle next season.
SERIE A TABLE (8 April 2025)
1. INTER MILAN | Played 31, Goal difference +39, Points 68
2. NAPOLI | Played 31, Goal difference +23, Points 65
3. ATALANTA | Played 31, Goal difference +34, Points 59
4. BOLOGNA | Played 31, Goal difference +16, Points 57
5. JUVENTUS | Played 31, Goal difference +18, Points 56
6. LAZIO | Played 30, Goal difference +10, Points 55
7. AS ROMA | Played 31, Goal difference +15, Points 53
8. FIORENTINA | Played 31, Goal difference +17, Points 52
A top four finish guarantees Champions League soccer next season. Fifth position at the end of the season will clinch a Europa League berth, while finishing sixth will earn an Italian team a place in the Conference League qualifiers.