The Empoli draw was the second consecutive 0-0 for Thiago Motta’s team, who found themselves up against a super Vasquez, but – in general – struggled to create chances.
“One clue is a clue, two clues are a coincidence, but three clues make a proof.” We haven’t reached Agatha Christie’s proverbial axiom yet, but two consecutive games without scoring must force a reflection at Juve. It is clear that that of Thiago Motta it is still an open construction site, with many of the new purchases having arrived in the last week of the transfer market (Koopmeiners and Nico Gonzalez above all) or after a commitment with their national team (Douglas Luiz in the Copa America) and with the team needing to learn new playing principles compared to the past, but a small alarm bell is starting to ring.
Juventus attack, disappointing numbers
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Before the “Castellani” away match and after another 0-0 with Roma, the Bianconeri led the standings with 7 points, 6 goals scored and zero conceded, but the reality of the offensive production told a different story. In fact, Thiago Motta’s team, after 270 minutes of Serie A, was 16th in the standings for shooting opportunities and total shots, 11th for shots on target, 19th for average shot distance and 17th for expected goals produced. In practice, it had overperform compared to his attacking performance in the first three matchdays. Moreover, reviewing the Juventus goals scored in Como and Verona, the only one that arrived according to the principles of the new coach was that of Vlahovic at the “Bentegodi”: high pressing, ball stolen by Locatelli and passed to the Serbian in the area. Many of the other goals had arrived thanks to long-range shots (Mbangula and Cambiaso in the 1st) or set pieces (Vlahovic’s penalty in the 2nd). The Belgian’s goal against the Lombards, among other things, had contributed significantly to uncork a match that until then had seemed more complicated than expected. After the 0-0 in Empoli, despite the great chances of Gatti, Vlahovic and Koopmeiners, the situation did not improve much, so much so that, numbers in hand, Juve recorded less than one expected goal (0.88, against the 0.38 of the Tuscans). In practice, if it had arrived, it would have been a victory… of short face.
juve, the new ones don’t have an impact
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The main reason is easy to say: the team is changing tactically and the new signings, in their first start, did not have an immediate impact. Indeed, at the “Castellani”, Koopmeiners, Douglas Luis and Nico Gonzalez were the ones who lost the most balls (10 each for the Dutchman and the Brazilian, and 13 for the Argentine), with the aggravating circumstance, for the former Fiorentina player, of never having dribbled past his opponent in three attempts. Over time, their condition and their insertion will surely improve and the ball given to Vlahovic by Nico, with a great 30-meter through ball, is already a good sign. In the Empoli match, then, the contribution from the bench was zero: three of the four substitutes with 23′ to go, if possible, did even worse than those they replaced. Six balls lost for Fagioli and Mbangula (who never dribbled past his opponent), four for Weah.
juve, how much we miss vice vlahovic
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And speaking of substitutions, Thiago Motta’s choice not to try the fifth card from the bench certainly gives pause for thought. On the other hand, however, he had no player capable of changing the game alongside him: there were Cabal, Danilo, McKennie, Rouhi, Savona and Adzic, but, in a situation like this, a player like Milik would have been very useful, capable of acting as a vice-Vlahovic or even alongside the Serbian, especially in games, like the one in Empoli, in which it is difficult to break down the opposing defenses with maneuvers. Or in games in which the Serbian, as already happened against Como and Rome, It certainly doesn’t show that killer instinct that is asked of the centre forward of a great team. Two clues, in short, are just a coincidence and the mitigating factors are multiple. But already on Tuesday with PSV Juve will have to avoid turning on the third warning light.
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