© JumpStory
About the "Juventus" disappointing start to the season probably heard everyone who is at least interested in football - Champions League finalists and "Serie A" winners failed to maintain their form and ended up at the bottom of the tournament table in Italy, which was a hardly understandable fact for both the club and its fans. With the club improving team results, Bleacher Report analyst Sam Tighe expresses in his article the key to this and further renaissance of the "Juventus" club. Not so long ago, Juan Cuadrado was the only player in good form, the club's defense was haunted by mistakes, the lack of opportunities did not calm down the attackers, and the newly tested secure line too often lost matches in the middle of the field. The only Gianluigi Buffon, thanks to his mastery, maintained decent results. However, the club in Italy achieved a series of three victories, which lifted the "Old Lady" team to the eighth place in the championship, reducing the gap from the leader "Inter" team to nine points. Perhaps in other leagues, such a distance would be considered a significant loss, but in the "Serie A" championship, where the dominance of "Juventus" is felt, such a distance allows the club to be placed in the list of very serious candidates to win the championship. This series began with a difficult victory against local key opponents "Torino" footballers, continued with 3-1 victories in meetings with "Empoli", and reached the threshold of three victories thanks to a beautiful goal by Paulo Dybala, which brought victory of 1-0 against the "Milan" team. Wednesday's victory of 1-0 in the Champions League against "Manchester City" guaranteed the team a place in the knockout stages next spring. The second victory against the giants of the "Premier" League was brought by a superb goal from Mario Mandzukic. From the outside, it seems that Massimiliano Allegri has led the team to the necessary stages. Mandzukic finally demonstrated good play, pressing opponents like a madman, causing numerous problems for Nicolas Otamendi and giving Alex Sandro the opportunity to use his strengths and raise the balls into the penalty area. Paul Pogba seemed to enjoy playing again and did not try to do everything on his own, and Buffon, as always, was reliably good. However, despite the improving forms and results, Wednesday's victory highlighted one obvious fact: without Sami Khedira, the team seriously struggles. The number of mistakes in the middle of the field was simply stunning, and it was hard to believe that they won those matches by keeping their goals dry. At some moments, "Juventus" seemed to just want to give opportunities for the "City" team to return to the game and equalize the score. Pogba's game was completely overshadowed by Claudio Marchisio's mistakes, most of which were in his own half, and mistakes were also inevitable in the defense - Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli repeatedly lost the ball in dangerous areas and forced their team to repeatedly come back to save the situation. Losing Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal in one summer is cruel, so the "Old Lady" faced problems both psychologically, emotionally, and technically. Stephan Lichtsteiner, who returned from injury, became the emotional leader of the team, but that certainly did not solve all the problems that the Italian team faces. In recent weeks, errors turned into vulnerabilities, and after those vulnerabilities, goals often fell. According to Adam Rigby from Bleacher Report, "Juventus" commits an average of 16.5 fouls per game, and Allegri himself, speaking to Football Italy, regretted that many of the set-piece situations emerging from the vulnerabilities opponents managed to turn into goals. The match against "City" was similar. Fernandinho wasted an early opportunity after Giorgio Chiellini failed to clear the ball from the penalty area. Later, Raheem Sterling also failed to take advantage of his opportunity, and in that strike, after Chiellini touched the ball himself, the shot was even closer to the target than if he had been running untouched. As a contrast to this game should be the match without mistakes against "Sevilla" in September, which "Juventus" won 2-0 at home. Comparing these matches, it is difficult to understand that these are games in which the same team played. It was in the matches with the Spanish club that Khedira returned to the starting eleven and surprised everyone with his excellent, game-controlling performance. He is the difference. The winner of the World Cup, the Champions League, "La Liga" and "Bundesliga" adds a steel organization to the "Juve" safe line, and his trio with Marchisio and Pogba is evidently the best trio in the middle of the field that Allegri can put together. It must be admitted that the coach himself has regained confidence in himself and his tactics and has returned to the tactical variations that were a difficult puzzle for opponents in the 2014-2015 season, but his team without Khedira is not complete. He no longer pushes forward as he used to, yet after the operation of ruptured hamstring ligaments in 2013, the German no longer has the same physical abilities, but his tactical knowledge and high football intelligence are a strong impulse for the "Juventus" engine. From Khedira emanates infinite confidence in his own abilities, helping to calm down and reveal his good qualities to other safeties - Pogba feels much braver when joining team attacks, knowing that the experienced German will cover him in case of failure. Marchisio also becomes a much more active player and starts moving more easily from one penalty area to another. This calmness ultimately shows to other starting eleven players, especially if the club starts winning more often. It is simply shocking to see Bonucci, who is usually a very stable player, making one mistake after another, provoked by nervous decisions. Looking from a broader perspective, things in Turin should start to improve. We see much less disappointing Hernanes, and Dybala is getting more time in the starting lineup instead of Alvaro Morata, who had a poor start to the season. It is also very important that Pogba finally finds his game. Allegri's tactical abilities start to work again, and he makes changes in the team with confidence in himself, and no longer does it seem that the coach makes tactical changes just on a guess. The reputation of the coach, which he earned during the previous season, once again ceases to be doubted. However, the main factor in the team will still be Khedira and how he will manage to stay healthy and ready to play. If his physical condition holds up - "Juventus" will continue to rise in the tournament table. Perhaps in the "Real" team he became an unnecessary player, but we are talking about the safety that Joachim Low relied heavily on in the 2014 World Cup and would have allowed him to start in the final if the German had not suffered a painful injury at the last moment. The winners of Serie A and Champions League finalists throughout the season are observed for the failures that haunt them, but it seems that those black clouds are finally starting to disperse over "Juventus". And if Allegri manages to keep Khedira healthy, the club should once again rise to the top.
