With positive form in the build-up to the World Cup break, Juventus will be determined to rediscover that rhythm when the Serie A campaign resumes in January. Whether the break for the major tournament in Qatar came at the right time for the Old Lady remains to be seen but there were plenty of positives before the domestic season came to a temporary halt.
Overcoming Stuttering Start
Juve’s underwhelming start to the season has left them with work to do in their bid to chase down the early Serie A frontrunners Napoli. Juventus have since sent 11 players to Qatar including three to play for Brazil, who are 5/2 in the World Cup odds to go all the way in the tournament. Those stars will have their work cut out for them on their return to the Juventus Stadium in order to chase down Napoli. Juve did manage to go unbeaten in their first six league games of the season. However, draws against Sampdoria, Roma, Fiorentina and Salernitana in that run saw Juve drop eight points in the early stages of the campaign. A shock 1-0 Serie A defeat to Monza followed shortly by a 2-0 loss at AC Milan meant Juve were languishing down in midtable with the pressure piling on boss Massimiliano Allegri.
Experienced manager Allegri is no stranger to pressure and with players starting to find form, the results dramatically changed. A narrow derby win over Torino got the ball rolling, before another five consecutive Serie A wins before the World Cup break. It was a run of six wins that saw Juve record an impressive six clean sheets. That’s the kind of form that helped Juve win nine consecutive Serie A titles between 2012 and 2020. With Napoli 10 points ahead when the World Cup break kicked in, Juventus will still need to rediscover that form and potential new arrival in January, if they are to land a 37th Serie A crown this term.
Defence Has Come To The Fore
After conceding sloppy goals at the start of the season, Juve has returned to the defensive form that has brought tremendous success in the past. Keeper Wojciech Szczęsny has started to find some form between the sticks and his experience will be key when the season resumes in January. One of the Juve players to travel out to the World Cup, Szczęsny produced some strong performances in the group stages to help his native Poland reach the knockouts in the Middle East. Continuing that form back at Juve will be key for the Old Lady, who were growing in confidence before the major tournament in Qatar took centre stage.
In the backline, there have been other players who stepped up before the break to help I Bianconeri go on the impressive run of six clean sheets. The Brazilian pair of Danilo and Bremer have impressed in the back three, while the experienced Leanardo Bonucci has led from the front. Defences win championships and Juve’s has been showing the potential to do something special this season.
Pogba Can Provide Boost
No date has been put on his return but Juventus should have an ace up their sleeve with the return of midfielder Paul Pogba. A knee injury has meant the 29-year-old has not yet featured this season since his return from Manchester United over the summer. Having been training out in Miami Florida after missing out on the World Cup in France, Pogba is edging back towards a return.
Pogba endured a turbulent second spell at Old Trafford and might well feel like he has a point to prove on his return to Serie A. That can only be good news for Juve, as Pogba was a key figure in the sides that won the title four times, along with two Coppa Italias, during his first spell at the club. Allegri has the experience to know that Pogba can’t be rushed back too quickly but it will be exciting for everyone involved at the club to see the playmaker back on the field in black and white.
After what was a torrid start to the season, it looks like Juve have started to find some much-needed form. If the Old Lady can hit the ground running after the World Cup, and get another boost by the return of Pogba, then it will certainly make for an exciting title race this season.
The post Juventus Can Kick On After World Cup appeared first on Juvefc.com.