Even in a generally disappointing season, Sunday’s loss was a particularly disheartening one.
Juventus failed to score a single goal at home against Benevento, as Adolfo Gaich snatched all three points for the Serie B champions after a horrific horizontal pass from Arthur.
They say one can learn more from defeats, so you can only imagine how many lessons we got from this one.
Playing from the back is a complicated task
Whilst Italian football had always been about playing it safe and clearing the lines, it seems that the new school of thought is leaning towards imitating other footballing ideas.
Although we all enjoy watching Pep Guardiola’s teams in action, applying such tactics are easier said than done.
From Rodrigo Bentancur’s gift in Porto to Arthur’s howler on Sunday, these mistakes could have easily been avoided had Andrea Pirlo opted against playing possession football deep into his own areas where missteps can be extremely costly.
Inzaghi has Pirlo’s number
Benevento are far from being renowned for their defensive solidity, and yet, on both occasions this season, they managed to almost completely shut down the Bianconeri’s attacks.
During 180 minutes or so, the Old Lady only scored one goal against the Sorcerers, as it is obvious that Super Pippo – despite all the criticism he receives – has found the right winning formula against his old friend and teammate.
The two sides of Chiesa
Although we mentioned it in the past, but it must be said again, Federico Chiesa has so far failed to create an impact against packed defenses.
The former Fiorentina man can prove to be a devastating force against full backs when playing against high defensive lines – this is where he’s allowed just enough space to run behind the backline.
But against a Benevento side that mostly played with five at the back – supported by a close midfield line – the Italian international found no space to display his best craft.
Therefore, this is one of the aspects of his game which he needs to improve in order to truly become a great player.
