Juventus suffered a 1-0 loss against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday and the race for the top four is turning rough for the Bianconeri, so here are three talking points from their latest defeat.
A late Adam Marusic goal gave Lazio coach Igor Tudor a perfect debut on the Lazio dugout, leaving Juventus in third place with just one victory in the last nine matches. But what didn’t work for the Old Lady in Rome yesterday and what does the defeat mean for their future?
New system, old approach
Allegri started with a 4-3-3 formation for the first time this season. Mattia De Sciglio played his first game in nearly 11 months, and Andrea Cambiaso was deployed as an attacking right winger. It was a new Juventus on paper, but it became evident after just a few minutes that the Old Lady had only changed her dress. The rest was unaltered. As Allegri predicted, Lazio had an aggressive approach, but the only way the Bianconeri coped with it was by sitting back and hoping for a good counterattack. Federico Chiesa and Moise Kean, who hasn’t scored in the last 19 Serie A appearances with Juventus, were isolated up front. Cambiaso played out of position, and the Bianconeri’s best chance came from a wide set piece, which Gleison Bremer failed to convert with a header. The start of the second half was promising with high pressing and some quick vertical passes, but it didn’t last long. Juventus quickly tracked back and waited for Lazio again and Marusic’s late winner was a logical consequence of what the Bianconeri had offered.
Kean, time to go
Moise Kean started for the first time since November after recovering from a knee injury. Dusan Vlahovic was serving a one-match ban, while Arek Milik was injured so the Italy international was the only option for Allegri. To be fair, his performance wasn’t so bad considering that Juventus didn’t create many goal-scoring opportunities at the Stadio Olimpico. However, he did have a couple of chances to hurt Lazio, especially in the second half. Remember, for example, when Mario Gila sprinted back and recovered possession inside the box with a perfectly timed sliding tackle. Juventus only relied on counterattacks in Rome, but having a striker who could not outrun opponents in open space didn’t make the Bianconeri task any easier. Do not forget that Kean hasn’t scored for a year – 19 consecutive appearances – for Juventus, equalling a negative record belonging to Marcelo Zalayeta. With a contract expiring in 2025, Juventus should consider selling the Italian striker in the summer rather than offering him a new deal.
Allegri out?
Last but certainly not least. What does Juventus’ defeat in Rome mean for Allegri? The Tuscan tactician’s contract runs out in June 2025, but he’s been under severe pressure across the last two months, securing just one win in nine matches and collecting seven points. Wojciech Szczęsny admitted that Juventus players may have lost motivation following their loss to Inter in February, practically ending their title hopes. Clearly, Allegri has been unable to pass on his ideas to the team in the second part of the campaign, not only to the most experienced players but also to the youngest members of the team, which is perhaps even more worrying. At the moment, Juventus are still in the top four. Therefore Allegri hasn’t failed to reach the main target of the season. However, such a poor run of results should be an alarm bell for Juventus’ directors. The feeling is that Allegri can’t achieve more with this group of players, who seem to have run out of energy despite playing just two competitions. Allegri seems tired and players look exhausted, so even if the Bianconeri qualify for the Champions League, the club should be aiming for a fresh start in 2024-25.
Allegri out