On Sunday night, Juventus earned their second win in a row at the expense of a relegation zone struggler.
Andriy Shevchenko’s Genoa were expected to hand the Old Lady a bit more trouble than Salernitana, but the Grifone couldn’t threaten with a single shot throughout the 90 minutes.
Juan Cuadrado’s rare corner kick goal paved the way for the Bianconeri, who then wasted a host a decent goal-scoring chances, but Paulo Dybala sealed the win with the second goal late in the match.
So here are three takeaways from Juve’s win over their humble Ligurian opponents.
Finding the Right Formula
Since the beginning of the season, Max Allegri’s side saw several ups and downs (mostly downs), but we’re finally beginning to witness a well-balanced team in a more inspiring 4-2-3-1 formation.
Sure the last two victories came at the expense of mediocre sides, but still, the positive signs are clear to see.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Manuel Locatelli are building a strong bond in the double pivot roles, Paulo Dybala was handed the license to roam around the pitch and even Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Bernardeschi are showing signs of improvement in their natural roles on the flanks.
Too Wasteful
Speaking of the 4-2-3-1 formation, it would have definitely been more efficient in the present of a deadly bomber who leads the line.
However, Alvaro Morata shouldn’t be solely blamed for missing goal-scoring opportunities, as the squad in general tends to be wasteful in front of goal.
Against Genoa, the Bianconeri didn’t get punished for the shortcomings. One, because the Rossoblu allowed us dozen of chances which was enough to grab a second goal, and two, because Sheva’s men were never close to threatening Szczesny’s goal.
But on most occasions, the club would have paid the price for their host of missed of chances.
The Ultimate Star
One match after the other, it’s becoming crystal clear that Dybala is the very heart and soul of this team.
The Argentine fought for every ball, dropped back to help in the buildup, linked the midfield with the attack and in the end, found the back of the net.
La Joya possesses a unique skillset, and his current role in the 4-2-3-1 allows Allegri to maximize on his star’s potential, reminiscently to the 2016/17 season which was arguably the pair’s most successful time in Turin.
