With the all-important visit to Turin’s Allianz Stadium for Tuesday’s Champions League showdown, Juve’s new head coach Luciano Spalletti is expected to adapt his tactical approach.
Picking up precious points from the hard-fought 2-1 win at Cremonese elevated Juventus into fifth place ahead of other Serie A matches. Yet Spalletti surprisingly followed Igor Tudor’s one-dimensional tactics, of a back three defense line and a single target man, on Saturday night.
Spalletti was appointed on Thursday and only oversaw one training session. The squad were on the crest of the wave following their emphatic 3-1 home success over Udinese under interim manager Massimo Brambilla.
It was a dream start for Spalletti, with Filip Kostic breaking the deadlock after 85 seconds as the Bianconeri dominated the opening half.
Cremonese committed more players on the attack after the turnaround, leaving gaps that saw both Lois Openda and Dusan Vlahovic waste scoring opportunities.
Andrea Cambiaso showed his team-mates how to finish, pouncing to double Juve’s lead on 68 minutes before Jamie Vardy reduced the deficit to generate a tense finale.
Spalletti may have collected maximum points, but missed chances prompted his trademark wide-eyed fuming on the touchline. This was followed by a late yellow card for dissent after wandering out of his technical area.
Building up Bianconeri rapport
He admitted about this enthusiasm that frequently overflowed: “We need this contact with the squad, we want to give joy to those who love the team and this sport.
“You need to create a rapport with the players, that is how I have always worked. It is through that friendship, understanding and those bonds that the whole team can grow together.
“I saw a good performance [against Cremonese] in terms of communication and focus, because [Teun] Koopmeiners was more of a defender than anyone else when it came to ensuring organization and calling the line on the counterattack.
“We played well for most of the first half, then we suffered a little before half-time and after the break. We had a lot of chances to score, so we have to work on being more clinical there. We need to grow quickly because we can see the potential that’s there."
Defender Lloyd Kelly (back) and whizzy winger Kenan Yildiz (knee) missed the Cremonese triumph, but the duo are expected to be back to tackle Sporting Lisbon.
If they can come through unscathed they could play a pivotal part for the home Derby della Mole against Torino next weekend.
Spalletti should have learned his lesson
Shoring up the defense and getting the strikers firing on full cylinders should be Spalletti's priority. His versatile tactics over the years have served him well, but playing only one attacker when Azzurri manager led to some dismal results and his dismissal in June.
The Juventus hierarchy and the club's fan will be hoping that Spalletti has learned from his ill-fated spell as Italy boss, and that Tudor's failure was largely down to his rigid tactics of a back three and a lone striker.
Thiago Motta favored four defenders, and left a squad equipped to be solid at the back. Although Spalletti has key players Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal sidelined at the moment.
Spalletti added: "We don’t have many defenders left [to play matches], so we need someone who is fresh to come off the bench and give their contribution.”
Juventus firepower needs reviving
At the other end of the pitch Vlahovic is a borderline world-class player, who requires service to score goals and is frequently man-marked out of games.
Arkadiusz Milik is a striker who has not played for over a season because of various injuries. Jonathan David is merely a goal poacher who lacks pace, so he too needs a partner in crime. Openda has yet to impress in a Juve jersey, and has failed to find the back of the net for Juve.
Spalletti concluded: "“Everyone wants to challenge for silverware, so it is obligatory to push for the maximum and dream of something wonderful until it becomes mathematically impossible."
Winning the Scudetto is still viable as there are another 28 games for Juve to tackle this season. Their Champions League campaign gets easier after facing Sporting Lisbon, but all depends on who they are drawn against after the initial league phase.