We all knew that the encounter against Vincenzo Italiano’s men will be a tough one for Juventus – especially considering the current circumstances.
Therefore, a last-minute winner at home against a team reduced to 10 men makes for a pleasant outcome – regardless of the unimpressive display.
Max Allegri’s men were true to the club’s motto “Fino alla Fine” as Juan Cuadrado somehow found his way between the crowd to unleash a shot from the most acute of angles, gifting the Old Lady three precious points.
So here are our three takeaways from the Bianconeri’s hard-earned win over Fiorentina.
An Ace up the Sleeve
What exactly is Juan Cuadrado’s role in Allegri’s grand scheme? Is he a second choice right-back behind Danilo? Or perhaps someone who can cover for Federico Chiesa on the right wing whenever he’s unavailable or playing in another position?
The Colombian is probably all that… and more. He’s simply the manager’s joker, the ace up his sleeve.
Dybala enjoyed a stunning performance against Zenit, but he can’t deliver this type of display every three days, especially not against the tactically shrewd Italians clubs.
Therefore, Max needs winning cards that aren’t exclusively named “Dybala” or “Chiesa”, and this is where La Vespa comes into play.
Although he hasn’t been enjoying the best start of the season (compared to his impressive stats from the last campaign), but the former Chelsea and Fiorentina man once again proved that he remains Juve’s “get out of jail free card” whenever the Old Lady calls for it.
An Unexpected Resurgence
While Matthijs de Ligt delivered a brilliant defensive performance to neutralize Dusan Vlahovic, the Dutchman’s credentials were never truly questioned.
However, Juventus fans are arguably most pleased by Weston McKennie’s surprisingly exciting run. On Saturday, the young midfielder once again delivered the goods in the middle of the park with a vibrant performance. overall.
Following some under-par performances at the start of the season, the American is now finding the convincing form that he displayed earlier last season with energetic displays.
Due to the player’s record (on and off the pitch), Juventus fans will be reluctant to believe that the former Schalke man will be able to maintain this positive form for the rest of the season. But at the moment, he’s undoubtedly Allegri’s best bet for Manuel Locatelli’s midfield partner.
Bittersweet Break
Following a refreshing week that saw Juventus beating Zenit and Fiorentina, the season will be interrupted by the final international break of 2021.
While some supporters will rue their luck, considering that the team was beginning to build some momentum on the back of two morale boosting wins, but on the other hand, this could still be a blessing in disguise.
In the recent week, the packed schedule was beginning to take its toll on the squad, with several key members suffering injury concerns – especially at the back.
While none of the injuries appear to be too serious, the likes of Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Wojciech Szczesny and Moise Kean should be fit again come the restart… of course unless the international break aggravates their conditions.
