We had slip ups today but we'll step it up in CL, just like how those 2 Napoli games before Barca game. Going clean sheets for a while, we had to eat goals at some point, and i rather it be now than against Monaco. Lets hope they tighten up defense and attack and get goals there. I'm not sure Monaco can press like Atalanta and many other Italian teams, so it'll be an open game. Key is we have to take advantage and punish them early.
First game in France we'll play counter attack as usual and if our defense is on point we won't have to worry. At home we'll most likely take the game to them and press high, probably overwhelm that terrible Monaco defense
It's not like Juve have been stellar on the road. @ Udinese 1-1 @ Samp 1-0 W @ Napoli 1-1 @ Napoli 3-2 L @ Pescara 2-0 W @ Barca 0-0 @ Atalanta 2-2 In their last 7 away matches, Juve are 2W 4T 1L. It will take a near perfect performance to win on the road vs Monaco. They have to start better than they did vs Atalanta. Maybe this was the perfect test for a huge away CL match. At least they shouldn't go in overconfident. Today proved that Juve need 100% concentration otherwise they risk a poor result.
Who cares about Serie A away records, they honestly mean nothing come Wednesday. The important away results have come in the CL: beat Zagreb 0-4 beat Lyon 0-1 beat Sevilla 1-3 beat Porto 0-2 tied Barca 0-0 Those are the results that matter. This team is not gonna go in overconfident nor will they not be at 100% concentration, they know whats at stake
We looked like the average age of our starting lineup yesterday and there is probably some truth to these rumors about management looking to lower the average age of the team. They have earned our trust so whatever they do give them the benefit of doubt even if they sell a 30 year old defender as you do not turn down 60M for somebody that age.
That is the point I was trying to make. It's not like Juve have been stellar on the road in Serie A yet still found a way past Barcelona and Porto (conditioned on the fact that they had two red cards). This draw right before Monaco may actually be ok given that it will guarantee that they will be fully focus on Wednesday. With that said, I do wonder if playing away to start is an advantage for Juve. Psychologically, the Barca tie was largely over after a dominant first leg in Turin. The only way to replicate that on the road vs Monaco would be to beat them at their home. It's difficult to see that happening unless Monaco are foolish enough to go down a man. They are very strong at home (14-1-1). Otherwise I think a high scoring draw (2-2) wouldn't be a bad result. All Juve would need to do is essentially not lose in the return leg at Juventus Stadium.
60m for a 30 year old defender that has had very few injuries may not be a great price to sell. That leaves Juve next year with Benatia (injury prone), Chiellini (world class, but injury prone and will be 34), Barzagli 36, and Rugani. Selling Bonucci would leave a big hole in defense that would be expensive to fill. If Barzagli is any indication, Bonucci could have 6 years left. After last summer where Juve made a net gain on transfers, they can net spend 100m on three young players without any issues. Plus Juve's average age should decline when the likes of Caldara, Spinazzola, Kean, Pjaca, Mandragora, and Lirola play bigger role in 2018.
I really look at this depending on the team we are playing. If we are playing one of the big teams like Real, Barca, Bayern, or Atletico, I prefer to start at home. If we play EPL teams, or Monaco, I prefer to start away and end in Turin. This is just do to how teams play tactically and approaches.
Pjanic, while in a compromising position, deflects the ball into the path of a charging Lichsteiner. If Pjanic has his head up then he gets out of the way. Maybe Licht didn't call the ball but he was definitely in a better position to clear the ball than Pjanic.
The ball was heading towards Lichtsteiner. Pjanic screwed up. He had two options. One was to shield off the attacking player and allow Lichtsteiner to make the play. The other was to clear the ball. His little pussy foot play was not the option. This is Defense 101.
We tried that last yr and we saw how all that turned out. We need a mix and more often its the experienced team that wins in the end. There are good young ones being developed or we'll buy them once the vets are on the way out. Youre not gonna bench a beast of a 30yr old player with a young one so theyll rot on bench anyways.
Litchsteiner can play some solid games and on occasion prove to be instrumental to a victory, but I feel the pace of the game slows down and we get very casual in the our defensive half when he is on the pitch. Lirola should fix that whenever he assimilates. It would be nice to find a player with a Vidal like Motor or Balotelli like nastiness up top that we could field occasionaly to break up tightly contested games as these players can force opposition to make mistakes that we can capitalize on. We have a ton of young guys on loan or on this team that should help in this regard, maybe not so much in the midfield because I dont know what any of those guys bring to the table really on tape. Selling Leo is just stupid, He should only leave if he demands it... Something I realized tho is that these Leo rumors are starting to remind me of the Pogba ones, same gradual frequency... but who knows... If Leo bolts, I am fully ok with Barzagli, Rugani, Giorgio... no to Benatia tho.
Leo is different than Pogba. He is Italian, he's been with the team longer, his sons are Torino natives and one of them even likes the rival Torino team. His family is happy and he has a good thing going here. Why would he leave to a Chelsea or some other team that wont appreciate him the same? He is the anchor of our defense and we'll keep him at all costs. We cant afford to let him go with Chiellini and Barzagli getting older. He is to train Rugani and Caldara for the future. Rumors get recycled through various sources so just cuz you see 8 sources reporting, it really comes from one place. And there are lots of IFs and BUTs in there, they think if we win he will want a new challenge. I dont get why they dont say these things about Barca, RM and Bayern players. They stay together even if they win, but somehow our coach and players are the ones who want to leave if we do? I just look at interviews and what clubs say, the rumor mil literally has credibility these days.