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Regardless of Ronaldo’s departure, his shadow was nonetheless looming over the Allianz Stadium when Juventus hosted Empoli final Saturday. If you happen to don’t imagine me, simply try the unending disputes on each digital platform between the pro-Ronaldo and anti-Ronaldo camps. Thrilling stuff!
Due to this fact, Juventus completely wanted a giant win over the Serie A newcomers to shake the mud off and announce the start of latest period constructed upon the shoulders of youthful stars.
The end result? Some of the infertile and spineless performances witnessed in current reminiscence, because the Bianconeri spent nearly all of the match trailing with out even exhibiting a real sense of urgency or the need to show the desk on their Tuscan guests. By the second half, the “staff” – if it may be known as such – merely gave up and accepted the embarrassing defeat.
Except few like Leonardo Bonucci and Federico Chiesa, the angle of the gamers was merely inexcusable, and a few of them left the pitch beneath a rain of whistles coming from their very own supporters, while the Empoli gamers had been applauded by the identical Allianz crowd. An ungainly surroundings for certain, but, a good one primarily based on the circumstances.
Nonetheless, Massimiliano Allegri’s inexplicably over-cautious ways crippled his aspect from the get-go. Going through the Serie B champions, the returning supervisor determined to overload the center of the park with 4 central midfielders in a 4-4-2 diamond formation.
Now had the foursome been Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal, none of us could be complaining. However it was fairly apparent that Danilo, Adrien Rabiot, Rodrigo Bentancur and Weston McKennie all lacked the imaginative and prescient and creativity wanted to unlock the match and weren’t capable of preserve possession.
Allegri ought to have envisioned the incidence of such state of affairs, and while he tried so as to add some aptitude by the introductions of Manuel Locatelli, Federico Bernardeschi and Dejan Kulusevski, it was already a misplaced trigger.
Furthermore, Paulo Dybala struggled throughout the first half whereas enjoying as a middle ahead in Alvaro Morata’s absence. The Spaniard got here within the second half, however La Joya was already exhausted after battling the defenders all through the primary half.
Maybe some final minute additions to the midfield may improve the squad, and Locatelli’s eventual introduction to the beginning lineup will solely assist, however Allegri seems to be affected by the rustiness following two years on the shelf.
After the primary two rounds, Juventus already discover themselves trailing Inter, Milan, Roma, Napoli and Lazio by FIVE factors. Though the gamers should enhance as people and collective alike, Max has to seek out his A-game sooner slightly than later, or we’ll be enduring one other 2020/21 marketing campaign… if not worse.
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