History Article
Close
This article was published on Oct. 1, 2015 at 10:07.
I’m sorry to have to point out, but I told you so. Or rather, to be precise, I had written. Many times. The return of Khedira was the key element in order to really start to make a judgment on Juventus this year. Certainly it is difficult to reconcile the image discharged show that Juventus in the Italian league with the top teams from being delayed by the direct Champions League.
Of course, it is equally difficult to reconcile the defeat against Udinese or the draw against Frosinone with the victories that the Old Lady has gathered in the house of the City and, last night, at the Stadium against Sevilla: Spanish regulated by 2-0, with goals from Morata and Zaza, and end of transmissions. By promoting the second round now one step, saw double direct confrontation in the next two days against the weak Borussia Monchengladbach, still stuck on zero points after 1-2 cashed at home to Manchester City’s falling Aguero . Hard to believe, but this is so. For at least four reasons: let’s see them.
First Khedira. The whole market of Juventus revolved around the German. True that in addition to Pirlo were to replace Tevez and Vidal, but Allegri for the crux of the matter was all there, in the middle of the field. Because last season the coach had repeatedly noticed that Pirlo could not keep up the pace of the most pressing opponent, pulling back too often behind the defense to try a bit ‘of freedom. But in doing so he exposed the defensive line placements of attacking opponents, making any attempt to apply correctly the tactics of offside. Khedira was Allegri for the ideal solution. Good feet, almost like Pirlo; simplicity and linearity in play and, above all, a physicist can not only not to be intimidated by their opponents, but even have the opposite effect. It saw last night against Sevilla, although the German did not play a real race for almost six months. This half has suddenly found its equilibrium: Hernanes is back suddenly to play sufficiently, Pogba is freed from the burden of having to do to force something important. And without the obligation of having to do it, he did it really. When will Marchisio Juventus will be the real Juventus. It will be pain for many.
Second ground: Allegri. The Juventus coach is more inclined to international competitions, where the game has dried, that for long and often boring rides typical of the Italian championship. Even last year, despite winning the league title, Juventus remained far from the record of points made by Antonio Conte, on the contrary gave the best of themselves in long tournaments. Allegri likes direct confrontation with opponents of name, prefer to prepare games where victory is built with the violence of chess moves and not with the cunning of hide and seek. It has always happened, even as coach Milan: he could appear well in the Champions League despite the difficulties. For those who missed it, last night Juventus have literally destroyed their opponents with the beauty of twenty shots hurled at the goal, six of them in the mirror and two translated into goals. It was in front of the Seville, not the last to arrive, although it is limited to just one shot on goal defended by Buffon.
Third reason: psychology. Or rather the mental attitude of the players when, as pointed out some years ago Galliani about the Rossoneri, hear the jingle of Champions. Four championships won in a row create some nausea, a little ‘how to sit for four times in a row to a table in a restaurant and always find spaghetti with tomato sauce. At the end you are looking for a risotto. The Champions League has a different charm: after indigestion championships showcase the EU remains the only land of conquest really indispensable, because it is a land where historically the Juventus does not collect in proportion than they did inside Italian borders. The final played (and lost more than honorable) last year did nothing but reinforce this belief. We are not to the level of obsession that had Real Madrid against the “tithe” but close enough. And when the players took the field you see.
Fourth reason: your opponents. Which, unlike those Italians that nine times out of ten you close like a clam hoping not to take them, they play ninety minutes openly defying Juventus at par. Just what you want Allegri: because it is a land where the teams definitely stronger than Juventus, at European level, can be counted on the fingers of one hand. It should not forget that the bad performance in the league Buffon and Co. have often dominated in terms of the actions made and then not translated into net. Lack of concentration, because the mindset above, has often made the omelet. So how has definitely influenced the weight of the many injuries that have decimated the rose in the early stages of this season.
Now, as mentioned, comes the double clash with Borussia Monchengladbach clash that could (and logic things should) give the Old Lady the certainty of the next round and the chance to return to focus, at least until Spring, the Serie A matches.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Permalink
No comments:
Post a Comment