While Max Allegri’s men are seemingly incapable of winning a league match nowadays, at least they managed to finish job in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals. Juventus hosted Lazio at the Allianz Stadium, and a solitary header from Gleison Bremer was enough to book two meetings against arch rivals Inter in the next round.
Concerning the action on the pitch, this was your typical “Allegri-performance”. The Bianconeri handed ball possession to their foes in the hopes of picking them apart on counter attacks.
To the manager’s credit, the game-plan worked to perfection. The hosts were hardly deranged by Ciro Immobile and company – who were admittedly woeful – while we could have added another goal or two.
After the final whistle, a section of pundits and fans alike went on to praise the performance. Even the English match commentator described the outing as “positive” during the first half.
Was it?
Perhaps relatively speaking. After all, the abysmal display against Monza was only less than a week ago.
Sadly, receiving major plaudits following such solid yet unspectacular display is a further demonstration for the poor standards associated with the club nowadays.
A few years ago, this would have been perceived as a routine win in an unsportsmanlike competition specifically designed to see us and other Serie A giants reach the Semi-finals. Instead of all the fuss, there would have been little to write home about.
But then again, every era has its own characteristics, so perhaps we should rightfully rejoice for an important victory which kept us on the right track in a competition that represents our most realistic chance to gain silverware this season.
On another note, here are some various takeaways from the action on the pitch:
- Filip Kostic delivered some exquisite crosses on Thursday, but ironically, his assist for Bremer came from the right flank. So should Allegri consider switching the left-footed Serbian to the opposite side as an inverted winger?
- Is Manuel Locatelli a genuine Regista? This one remains a dilemma. But one thing is for sure: Juventus risk significantly less when the Italian is present to shield the backline.
- It’s always pleasing to see Federico Chiesa deliver a decent performance, but once again, Angel Di Maria proved to be the man who uplifts the quality of play.
- Thankfully, Juan Cuadrado made his return to the pitch. Now surely it wasn’t a vintage display by any means (which is the norm following a long layoff), but he remains by far our best option for the right wingback slot. However, let us not overburden him with another grueling run of non-stop action.