Despite all the drama that preceded the match, Juventus and Napoli eventually fought it out on the pitch as the fixture was given the green light.
The Bianconeri once again launched an early onslaught – which has become the norm at the Allianz Stadium – but by now, we all know what happens when they fail to capitalize on their early revolt which only lasts for around 10 or 15 minutes.
The visitors eventually took the lead through Dries Mertens following the cringe-worthy defending, but luckily for the Old Lady, Federico Chiesa’s deflected shot crept into David Ospina’s goal.
The Italian winger was the hosts’ best performer and he almost grabbed a winner, but at the end of the day, the final whistle signaled a 1-1 draw.
So here are our three takeaways from Juve’s first fixture in 2022.
New year, old problem
At the moment, Max Allegri is adopting a 4-3-3 formation – which is unsurprising considering the fact that it’s arguably his favorite as his career path suggests.
But here’s the problem; this system requires the presence of three midfielders (obviously), while our midfield department is currently struggling to provide two decent options.
Manuel Locatelli is definitely the best out a mediocre bunch. Weston McKennie has his limitations, but he offers just enough quantity to justify his presence (somewhat).
But once again, Adrien Rabiot barely offered anything on the pitch, and his replacement Rodrigo Bentancur was only a slight improvement.
The only one who can raise the quality of this department is Arthur, but whether he’s able to find his best form in Turin remains a big question mark.
But until then, “the less, the better” should be our slogan when it comes to selecting our starting midfielders.
Anything but Scoring
On Thursday night, Alvaro Morata put on a fight against the Partenopei midfielders, and in particular Juan Jesus.
The Brazilian took every opportunity he had to kick, push and generally punish the striker with his over-physical challenges (incredibly without ever receiving a yellow card).
To his credit, our number nine never surrendered. He ran his socks off all over the pitch and fought back.
But the issue with Morata is that he simply never looked like scoring a goal.
Allegri might defend his striker’s stats, but the truth remains that Juventus simply lack a bomber who guarantees goals.
While the Spaniard’s effort should be appreciated, the Old Lady desperately needs reinforcement upfront – especially in the presence of a midfield department that doesn’t actually contribute in the goals.
Tough Task
The clash against Napoli was described as a direct battle for a Champions League spot, but for the fifth time this season, the Bianconeri failed to be beat one of the clubs who currently reside in the Top four spots.
This sounded like a perfect opportunity to pounce on the southerners’ selection problems (especially with their main midfield duo out of the match), but Allegri’s men lacked the necessary tools to do the damage.
With 18 rounds to go, a Top 4 finish is still up for grabs, but dropping points in silly manners is no longer an option if Juventus hope to maintain their chances until the very end.
