Great team effort in the 2nd half and closing the deal! Sandro is slowly gaining confidence and he has elevated his play the last few weeks big time. Bummer Higuain didn't find the net today but he did have fe chances but couldn't capitalize. The team looks fresh and stacked, even the commentators commented on how deep Juves bench is...and we got the likes of Lemina and Khedira on the bench today. Also I am liking the fact we are scoring more than a goal each match, I'm liking this because few times last season after scoring a goal we started sitting back and waiting for the ref to blow the final whistle. Took us a while but we have finales gained form.
Professional win, wasn't the most enjoyable game, but everyone got some good minutes and we put to past an Empoli that didnt just roll over. They pressed harder than most teams in Serie A for the first half and we looked dull because of it.
Alex Sandro. Alex. f*ckin. Sandro. The more I see of him, the more incredulous I become about his transfer. Not because of anything we did, but because the other European powerhouses didn't absolutely trip over themselves in order to sign him(with the possible exception of Real Madrid and Bayern). I mean, this is a world class fullback. And if the likes of City were willing and able to pay what they did for John Stones, a central defender, then it seems like a no-brainer to cough up whatever Porto demanded for Alex Sandro, even if it was exorbitant at the time.
The commentators were saying Sandro might be one of the best left backs in Europe atm. Other teams are watching and they may consider dropping some serious cash for him. Atm our club is very well stacked. Also Neto had a good game, it's good to give our capitano some rest once in a while.
Off topic. I know he talked shit about Juventus recently, but is there a better striker of the ball from distance in world football than Radja Nainggolan? His two goals versus Inter Milan today were just jaw dropping. His market value must be going through the roof right now.
Juve's finishing needs to improve and it seemed like Juve's level dropped for 15 minutes in the first half, but my goodness Juve's technique is mesmerizing. Marchisio, Pjanic, Bonucci, and Rugani were excellent when playing out of the back. Alves' and Cuadrado's interplay on the right was beautiful. Higuaín and Mandzukic fed off each other. How many times did Juve play it out from Neto, work it around with one and two touch passes, switch the field (sometimes fullback to fullback), find 2v1s with Sturaro/Sandro or Cuadrado/Alves, all of which resulted in beautiful crosses into the box? Alves single handedly delivered at least 3-4 accurate crosses some of which were knocked down by Mandzu to Higuaín where the Argentine ended up with clear shots inside the box. When Dybala came into the game, the interchanges between Cuadrado, Alves, and Dybala were just sick. Again, the finishing should be better. This side though is improving rapidly in their understanding in this new offensive look. Conte was a mastermind, but Allegri's focus on elevating the team's technical ability has paid massive dividends.
Dybala, Khedira, Barzagli, Chiellini, Licht, and Benatia were all on the bench as we know. With these absences, the team played very well. It begs the question, what is Juve's strongest line up? Marchisio and Pjanic together was a thing of beauty. Although many were a bit skeptical when Allegri said that Pjanic would be a world class player in the Pirlo role, the coach is proving right. Pjanic's range of passing, technique, and positioning means that he must start if fit. He has been Juve's best midfielder. Marchisio is getting back to a level that makes him almost a sure starter. Khedira has been the most consistent of the three all year. He needs to start. In the attack, Cuadrado is maddening but brilliant and dynamic. Alves' technique and intelligence are superior to Licht, but the Swiss has been a train. Mandzukic showed this weekend that he can play as a partner to Higuaín or further out wide left. If fit he too is unbenchable. Dybala, Higuaín, Sandro, and Bonucci are without question in the first 11. So who is the odd man out? What is the strongest line up?
That is the only aspect of the game I didn't totally understand. At home vs Empoli off of a match winning performance, I though Pjaca was certainly going to be in the line up. Higuaín has been playing a lot where his performances seem to be dipping. Why not give him a rest ahead of the Napoli match?
Radja wants to get paid soon and I doubt Roma is gonna pay what he wants. He might be a good fit for Juve if we let go of Khedira and he can fill in that role well, but we have other needs that we need to spend too dollars on this summer.
He has said on multiple occasions he would never make the move Pipita made and he hates Juve. Would love to have him, but we have a better chance of getting Vidal back than getting him.