Juventus’ obituaries following Champions League elimination feel out of place. First of all, they are late, as they should have been after the collapse against Maccabi Haifa. It was already clear at the time that it would have taken a miracle to move forward. Second, it can easily be, and should be, the end of the road for multiple players who have run its course. But the review won’t come in January, and it’s not likely to be a season-long farewell tour for many.
Nowadays, Benfica is much better than the Bianconeri, and that is the harsh reality. And it is not because they have a formidable squad, despite some gems, but thanks to an intense and choral game that elevates everyone, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts. It’s something the Old Lady hasn’t had since Antonio Conte’s last season. There is no need to dwell further on Massimiliano Allegri’s well-known shortcomings. Even Maurizio Sarri had bowed the knee to pragmatism rather than impose his style on the players. Seeing how much Lazio, and really all of their teams, have improved in their second season, such a dismissal looks more and more like a missed opportunity.
We’ll see in a couple of weeks if the management will seriously consider a change of coach during the World Cup break, but history says they won’t. On the other hand, with everything going on off the court, who knows who will be in charge at the end of the year. The prolonged strike offers the opportunity to do unusual things. Andrea Agnelli has been turning things around since he got rid of Giuseppe Marotta, and the purge should have come after the Super League fiasco. Whether there is any real substance or not, the balance fraud investigation is another black eye on your resume. Although ineffable, results on the field also stem from what goes on behind the scenes and in the belly of the team.
The hope is that the gaffer has learned some lessons from another disappointing result, but that’s unlikely given the constant ups and downs of the campaign. For example, cautious approaches don’t work. The defense had put up decent numbers before Tuesday, but they always tend to crack under pressure, even more so when their best member is out, and there is a youngster inexplicably making his Champions League debut in such a demanding venue. It is evident that Juventus should have signed another top centre-back in the summer to replace Giorgio Chiellini as Leonardo Bonucci is on his last legs and that Federico Gatti should have replaced Daniele Rugani as a deeper option. The way he has been used so far, throwing him deep in front of Monza and Benfica, almost seems like a way to intentionally bury him. His energy and character are promising for his development, but his last two performances have been poor. However, showing up on such an intermittent basis would be challenging even for a proven veteran, let alone someone who is trying to adjust to better competition and find his place on a shaky side.
The other prospects were the only highlights of the evening, as Samuel Iling-Junior went wild and Matias Soulé was more impressive than usual. The former is in a better position to be a true contributor from now on given his physical characteristics. With all the recurring injuries, Juventus have gotten very little off their bench this year, so the duo should definitely get some running done. Absences have been a problem and often limited the options at the manager’s disposal, but other sides exploit five changes much better. Youthful energy should be the remedy, and there’s no downside.
Given that when it rains, it pours, the list is down to the bone, with Dusan Vlahovic out with a sore thigh and Manuel Locatelli with personal reasons. At least Moise Kean and Arkadiusz Milik are in good shape, so it could have happened at worse times. It seems that the scheme will depend on whether Leonardo Bonucci will be able to start the third game in a row, as it would be impossible to pull off a three-man defense without him. The latest reports indicate that he will not start, so there will be two between Daniele Rugani, Gatti and Danilo in the middle of the defense. The rest of the formation will depend on whether Juan Cuadrado will play as a full-back or full-back. A 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 with Fabio Miretti in the gap and Nicolò Fagioli in midfield is also possible.
likely alignment
4-3-3: Szczesny; Danilo, Rugani, Gatti, Alex Sandro; McKennie, Miretti, Rabiot; Square, Milik, Kostic.
Absences:
Vlahovic (thigh pain), Locatelli (personal), Pogba (torn meniscus), Chiesa (torn ACL), Paredes, Di Maria, De Sciglio, Bremer (strained thigh), Kaio Jorge (torn patellar tendon), Aké (malleolus fracture) .
It will most likely be a long season for Lecce, where they will have to fight to survive until the end. While they’ve only won once so far, they’ve shown decent stamina and cornered multiple draws that keep them afloat. Somehow they managed to draw Napoli to a level in late August, and while victory has eluded them at home, only Inter beat them at Via del Mare, costing them a late goal. But they did leave something on the table in the games against Empoli, Monza and Cremonese, plus Fiorentina aren’t exactly giants these days. The recent loss to Bologna was probably their worst performance of the season, so they’re not too excited at the moment.
They are currently 17 and they will try to keep it that way. They have also probably been a bit better than Spezia, although the Bianconeri precede them by one point. But Sampdoria and Verona, who are currently in the bottom three, have been clearly underperforming, so problems could arise if other teams get going, which is very plausible.
The Salentini have a fairly young squad, and the hope is that several players improve naturally over the course of the season, raising the level of their collective performance. Its director Pantaleo Corvino is a master at unearthing talent and signing them cheaply, and some are already pillars of the team. He, too, went hunting for veteran bargains, hits and misses.
Samuel Umtiti was his loudest acquisition, but he hadn’t played much due to lack of conditioning and hasn’t been particularly impressive when he did. Marin Pongracic has been more reliable and has held his own, but the anchor of the defense has surprisingly been the plucky Federico Baschirotto, who was at Ascoli and is quite similar to an early Giorgio Chiellini, rudeness included.
All thighs considered, their defense has been fine, and strong displays from goalkeeper Wladimiro Falcone help. Instead, they have struggled at the other end, as they are one of the less prolific sides. They have an excellent pair of wingers, as Lameck Banda is incredibly fast and routinely dances between opponents, and Gabriel Strefezza is their technical leader and top scorer thanks to his excellent shooting skills and determination. But they lack a goal poacher as Assan Ceesay is more of a sprinter than a shooter as he hasn’t been clutch. His backup, Lorenzo Colombo, is raw and, while surely skilled, he’s not an old-fashioned No. 9 either. They create at a decent rate, but they often blow opportunities.
Their midfield is solidifying under Morten Hjulmand, who is a brilliant and deep playmaker, while Joan Gonzalez and Kristoffer Askildsen are optimal box-to-box midfielders because they contribute in both phases. The former is energetic and has playmaking ability in the final third, while the latter is more technical. They have overtaken Kristjan Bistrovic, even though he came in with a better pedigree.
They are not the most proactive side in the league, but they do not park the bus either. They wait for opponents to expose themselves and hit them with devastating counters. All of his attackers thrive in space, but his decision making isn’t always spot on. They play with vigor and have a decent fighting spirit, though the crowd might get restless if they don’t get off to a good start given their recent results.
They recently tried a more solid look with Baschirotto back on the defensive flank in place of Valentin Gendrey, and that could happen again in this case. They could turn to Alexis Blin in midfield for similar reasons. They could also change their front row, with the more experienced Federico Di Francesco or Remi Oudin replacing Banda. They would lose some agility but potentially gain some in the box.
likely alignment
4-3-3: Falcone; Baschirotto, Pongracic, Umtiti, Gallo; Gonzalez, Hjulmand, Askildsen; Strefezza, Ceesay, Oudin.
