Full-Time 3rd Edition - Juventus vs. Lazio
Match Recap
Looking to bounce back from a recent dry skid in Serie A, The Old Lady aimed to get back into the race for the title as they traveled to Rome for a matchup with the Biancocelesti. Lazio have proven to be a formidable opponent in Serie A, especially in recent years. Both sides are battling to secure a spot within the top four, as Champions League hopes hang in the balance. Although both Juventus and Lazio are trying to obtain a place in the top four, it would be remiss of us to say that they aren't in contention for the Scudetto as well. Lazio, under the newly appointed and former Juventus manager Maurizio Sarri, have been off to a steady start to their 2021 league campaign. Sarri has coached his team into 6th position in the standings, as they possess a solid attack featuring proven goal scorer, Ciro Immobile , and arguably the most complete midfield in Italy. Juventus have found early success in the UCL with a perfect record thus far in group play, and a signature win over reigning champions Chelsea. Despite this success in Europe, domestic success has been harder to come by for the Bianconero. With Max Allegri back under the helm, Juve have shown glimpses of the dominance they had in the past. But, lack of creativity from the midfield and clumsy errors have plagued this once mighty powerhouse. The matchup this Saturday represented a much desired three points for both clubs, as each looked to catapult themselves into better position for the title race.
The Juventus that we saw this Saturday was the best form that has been shown all season. Lazio made it clear early that they were going to make an attempt to overwhelm the visitors early in the match, with a storm of pressure. Instead, Juventus weathered the flurry of pressure and avoided committing any costly errors. In typical Allegri fashion, Juve were willing to give up the majority of possession and sit back and defend throughout the game. At the conclusion of the game, Lazio only mustered up a single shot on goal. That's right, only one! Now some might say that without star forward, Ciro Immobile, the Romans may have been lacking in the attacking phase. At the end of the day each team has to make due with what it has, and Lazio had plenty to work with in terms of attacking talent. The praise must go to the defense of Juve, as the center-back pairing of Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs De Ligt, proved to be impenetrable. This duo had several important clearances and locked down any forward pressure that Lazio were trying to get going. Coach Massimiliano Allegri deployed a new formation for the first time in ages, something we have been calling for in previous posts! Juventus played in a 3-1-4-2 for the first time this Serie A season, in hopes of getting more chances in the attacking phase of the ball. A handful of chances came, however not all of them were capitalized on. Federico Chiesa made a jaw-dropping run up the field in the counter attack, where he dribbled through the Lazio defense before distributing a pass into the box for Dejan Kulusevski. Unfortunately, this attack faltered as the Swedish winger failed to control the ball and ended up wasting the chance. Right-back Danilo also had to be helped off the field as he suffered an injury which will sideline him for up to two months. Yet another example of how injuries have devastated this team. Juve's two goals came by the foot of Bonucci, as the captain scored a brace of penalties in decisive fashion. The Juventus attack ended the game with five chances on target, some great build-up play and solid defense in the back. This is exactly the kind of marquee win that Allegri's Juventus needed to hopefully put the Bianconero back on track in Serie A.
Standout Players
Juventus played a beautiful game on Saturday, one that was reminiscent of the Juve of old. Get a lead, capitalize on mistakes and defend that lead until the final whistle blows. That is the classic formula that has brought Allegri and Juventus much success in past years. Although the team played great collectively, there are still a couple who stood out above the rest with their contributions to the 2-0 victory. First and foremost there is captain Leo Bonucci. The Italian veteran scored the only two goals of the match, through a pair of penalties. The defender has emerged as a reliable penalty taker as he has converted many penalties recently for both club and country, all of which have been with confidence and precision. The captain also led the backline with his vocal leadership, keeping his defense in order. He also made a handful of important clearances during the minimal forays forward that Lazio had. Another player who stood out during this match was young, generational talent Federico Chiesa. Chiesa brought a spark of intensity and pace to the game, as he so often does. Consistently making runs into enemy territory and linking up with teammates in the attack, Chiesa's presence was a burden that the Lazio defense simply couldn't keep up with. He made two memorable contributions to the Juve attack. The first being when he made an incredible run spanning the whole field, as he wove through the defense in the counter attack. He then served a nice through ball to Kulusevski that became a wasted chance by the Swede. Chiesa also took advantage of the Lazio goalkeeper, Pepe Reina's monumental blunder where the keeper came way off his line to try and clear the ball. Chiesa beat the keeper to the ball, as he dribbled past Reina and into the box and looked for a shot on the empty net, before Reina tracked back and committed a blatant foul to stop him from scoring. This action resulted in the second penalty from Bonucci, cementing a victory for Juve.
In the Hot Seat
Given the fact that the team played a wonderful game and earned a much needed three points against a rival opponent, there aren't too many players who come to mind as being deserving of a spot in this list. However, despite beating former manager Maurizio Sarri and Serie A rivals Lazio, there was still one player who's performance was simply not good enough. The Swedish winger, Dejan Kulusevski, is a young player who many have deemed to be a promising young talent. However, I have found myself preaching for the good part of a year, that Kulusevski isn't all he is cracked up to be. Kulusevski single-handedly stalled a beautiful counter-attack led by Federico Chiesa, by fumbling over himself when the ball was played to him in the Lazio penalty area. There are just too many weaknesses that are holding him back, to the point I think it would be wise if the club sold him on the market to gain money for other transfers. From indecisiveness in front of goal, only using his left foot (predictable), stalling counter-attacks, poor passes and costly turnovers. The list seems to drag on, much longer than I'm sure my fellow Juve fans would hope to see. If the Swede cannot minimize his mistakes, then he may find himself on the first flight out of Turin come January.
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