Full-Time 1st Edition - Juventus vs. Fiorentina

 

(Source: CBSSports.com)

Match Recap

After giving Bianconeri fans two consecutive lackluster performances, Juventus looked to get back on track against Fiorentina this Saturday.  After a convincing 4-2 defeat of Zenit St. Petersburg at the midweek, many thought that things were looking up for Juve.  However, Juventus fans were greeted with a shockingly slow, spiritless first half.  Juventus in what seemed to be a must-win game, looked lifeless and mediocre.  The defense was fair, only surrendering six total shots.  The Old Lady also managed to keep in check their potential transfer target, Dusan Vlahovic, thanks to the efforts of center back Matthijs De Ligt.  Fiorentina made it clear from the jump that they planned to take the pressure to the Italian juggernauts.  Despite the early flurry of pressure, Juventus began to find there footing after the 10th minute and began to string together some nice sequences of play.  This was short lived however, as the attacks would stall out.  Juve's biggest woes came on the offensive side of the ball, where they often times appeared disjointed and unsure.  Juventus coach, Massimiliano Allegri, deployed a 4-4-2 formation for Saturday's match.  This formation requires creative passing and distribution from the midfield players, in order to provide chances on goal for the two strikers up top.  This is something that Juventus has struggled with mightily as of late.  Juve did not register a single shot on goal until the 86th minute of regular time.  Then came the introduction of Juan Cuadrado into the game.  Coming on as a substitute for Adrien Rabiot, Cuadrado's pace and stamina had an instant impact on the tone of the game.  As the match ticked into stoppage time, it began to look like Cuadrado's former team was going to prevail.  This was until he received the ball on the edge of the box, dribbled a defender towards the end line and fired a powerful shot past Fiorentina goalkeeper Pietro Terracciano into the back of the net.  Celebration ensued, as Juventus was able to grab the last minute goal that they so desperately needed, giving them a 1-0 victory.  The Bianconero got the three points that they set out to obtain, but serious concerns remain.  Especially given Juve's struggles even after Fiorentina was down to 10 men, after Nikola Milenkovic was sent off via a red card in the 2nd half.  Now sitting at 8th in the table, Allegri's Juventus needs to begin to find answers to some very pressing questions.  What is the correct formation for this team?  Can important players stay healthy?  Where will the offense come from?  If Juventus cannot solve these problems in the coming weeks, they will have to kiss their hopes of reclaiming the Serie A throne goodbye.  

Standout Players

Now there weren't many players that had great performances in this match against Fiorentina.  In fact, they were few and far between.  Even the substitutes who came on late into the second half, did not seem to make all that much of an impact.  This is with the exception of Juan "Panita" Cuadrado of course, who saved Juventus with a last gasp winner in the 92nd minute.  With that being said, the first standout player is the MVP of the match himself, Juan Cuadrado.  He wasted no time in making his presence felt on the field.  He took on defenders, ran up and down the pitch, helped in defense and most importantly scored the one and only goal of the match.  The second standout player of the game is the young star center-back Matthijs De Ligt.  The star defender had a beautiful game on Saturday, which I am sure backup goalkeeper Mattia Perin appreciated. He had several important clearances and deflections in front of goal.  However, his most impressive feat was pocketing Fiorentina's talented young striker, Dusan Vlahovic.  The serbian player has quickly become a key interest for Juventus, as they need a dependable goal scorer.  De Ligt did not let Vlahovic off easy by any means, as he was an impenetrable wall throughout the course of the match.

                                         (Source: Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)

In the Hot Seat 

This is where things get tricky.  There are so many options to choose from and this is not a good thing.  So many individuals disappointed in this match that it is hard to whittle down the list to just a handful of names.  The first that is unfortunate enough to top the list is the Brazilian left-back, Alex Sandro.  Although he has played well until this point in the season, Sandro's performance against Fiorentina was nothing short of abysmal.  He clearly lacked energy, failed to assist in the attack, and defenders were getting through him.  This resulted in coach Allegri subbing him off at the start of the second half.  The next victim on the list is midfielder Adrien Rabiot.  Rabiot is one of the most frustrating players to watch as a Juventus fan.  He is a consistent starter for the French national team, and has positive attributes.  He is a tall, large bodied midfielder with good stamina and pace.  He also is confident on the ball and isn't afraid to take a shot on goal.  However, Rabiot's performances have been plagued by inconsistency and mediocrity.  When he isn't playing well (this being one of those times) he struggles to make accurate passes, turns the ball over and doesn't help at all in the attacking phase of the game.  That brings us to our last person in the hot seat, coach Massimiliano Allegri.  The coach who has coined the nickname "Mad Max' for his passionate coaching and fiery expressions on the sideline, found himself looking more like "Sad Max" then anything else.  Allegri has been under some scrutiny since being reappointed as the coach of Juventus after a three year hiatus.  A prolific coah at the club, Allegri's accolades speak for themselves.  But, has his stubbornness begun to cost him?  Often employing a 4-4-2 formation, Juventus doesn't seem to have the necessary players to make it work.  Many have been calling for a change to a 4-2-3-1, which will better suit the personnel that is available.  Allegri has also been deploying Rabiot on the left side of the field, where he has been producing the kind of performances that have landed him on this list.  Allegri has yet to budge, and if this lack of offense persists then he may find himself in troubled water. 

                                        (Source: Daniele Badolato/Getty Images)

Final Thoughts

This is yet another instance where Juventus has struggled domestically in Serie A this season.  No disrespect to Fiorentina, but this is a team that Juventus in recent years would handle with ease.  This season not so much.  Juve needs to find their identity with this squad and stick with it.  Too often we have gone from the philosophy of getting the lead and then defending the rest of the match (classic Juventus football), to trying to implement a more attacking style of play where we press high up the field and take the match to our opponent.  Once a style proves successful, then there is no need for changing back and forth.  After all, there is a reason that Juventus won the league 9 consecutive years in a row.  They found a style of play that suited them and ran with it.  

As Juventus look ahead to their next matchup, they prepare for a trip to Rome to square off against Lazio and former coach Maurizio Sarri.  The oddsmakers have Lazio as the favorites, but I believe this will be a pivotal turning point in Juve's season.  They have proven to play better against tough competition over the past year, and I think this will be no exception.  Many of the players will not want to lose to their former coach, who was quoted as saying "This team is un-coachable".  This will add some extra fuel to the fire for many of the Juventus players ahead of this game.