Juventus Make Like MJ

The end of the international break was a reason to celebrate for a bunch of Serie A fans, but those of Juventus had other stuff to look forward to. New addition Miralem Pjanic was finally making his Juve debut, while Gonzalo Higuain was starting his first game for the Old Lady. Pairing both with Paulo Dybala, they formed ‘The Brilliant Trio.’

The former Roma man’s input was particularly needed after a mediocre and sometimes problematic performance against Lazio, while Sassuolo had proven to be a very tough opponent for the Bianconeri the past two seasons.

But not this time. Juve clicked on all cylinders and finished the game after less than half an hour, going up 3-0 with two goals from Higuain and one from Pjanic. Yes, those new guys. Max Allegri’s crew seemed so much in sync with each other, an improvement over the previous two league games.

There was no ‘sleepwalk’ this time, Juve’s tendency to fall back into a controlling mode after taking a 1-0 lead. On the contrary, the Bianconeri dominated the game from the first to the last whistle. They kept pushing the tempo, giving Sassuolo no chance to get any momentum by allowing the Neroverdi just 29 per cent of the ball.

In every way, Juventus unleashed their inner Michael Jordan. For those who know a bit about the NBA, Jordan’s Chicago Bulls were devastating in the first half of games. They killed off their opponents with a strong run early in the game in order to never look back. And that’s exactly what the Old Lady did to Sassuolo, adopting a mentality that will help them on the Champions League stage.

Pjanic was in the middle of it all, alongside the still vastly underrated Sami Khedira. The Bosnian didn’t operate as Juve’s playmaker, as that role was played by Mario Lemina. However, Allegri used him as the team’s mezzala and it worked to perfection. Pjanic and Khedira made timely runs forward, creating space and chaos in the Neroverdi defence and being involved in a series of excellent chances. It was no coincidence that Pjanic and Khedira registered nine of Juve’s 23 shots, as many as the whole Sassuolo team combined.

Similar to the games against Fiorentina and Lazio, Dybala often dropped back deep in midfield. However, due to Pjanic’s creative presence it wasn’t an issue this time. The Argentine enjoyed himself in a free role, covering every inch of the pitch and controlling the tempo. Much like Lionel Messi at Barcelona? Well, let’s not jump to conclusions, but Dybala gave the world glimpses of the potential, also due to his stunning unselfishness.

Talking about Barcelona is dangerous, but Juve showed they have everything to be similarly dominant on the pitch. Watching Dybala and Pjanic hook up was poetry in motion. With once again a killer striker, arguably the best defence in the world, utility guys all over the place and massive depth, the Old Lady is roaring like never before.

And still, there are lessons to be learned. Gigi Buffon misread a corner, allowing Sassuolo to score before the break. Meanwhile Stephan Lichtsteiner saved a shot by Matteo Politano, the Neroverdi’s best player, off the line at the end of the second half. Allegri was right to complain Juve could’ve killed off the match before half-time.

It’s important for Juve to keep both feet on the ground and remain focused. Only then will they be perfect, like Michael Jordan.