The Cult of Calcio
·31 October 2024
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Yahoo sportsThe Cult of Calcio
·31 October 2024
Juventus gave up two more goals against Parma and looked very wobbly, further sullying their previously stellar defensive numbers. They had already taken a big hit because of the 4-4 draw with Inter. They are no longer the stingiest side in the league. Napoli grabbed the baton solo in the midweek round.
As La Repubblica points out, since Gleison Bremer went down with an ACL tear, the Bianconeri have secured a clean sheet only versus Lazio, which were hurt by an early red card. They have conceded in all the other matches.
Juventus had allowed just 11 shots in the first 8 matchdays. They gave up 9 in the San Siro clash, 10 versus Stuttgart, and 13 to Parma. The tally has risen to 54 in just 6 fixtures. Thiago Motta has rotated his three center-backs, but none has stood out. Even Pierre Kalulu, who was their best performer beforehand, has had some blunders. Federico Gatti returned to the XI midweek, but things didn’t improve. He and Danilo struggled to keep up with the Ducali speedsters.
The Old Lady has also been hurt by some glaring errors. They have committed five PKs in recent bouts, almost all due to careless tackles in the box.
It’s hardly a shocking development, as Bremer might not be too flashy or trumpeted, but he’s rock-solid and covers for a lot of mistakes. They should go with Gatti and Kalulu more regularly, as Danilo is justifying his previous lack of minutes with his latest showings. They’ll have to make adjustments in other areas too. They might be transitioning to a team that tries to outscore opponents all the time, but it’s rarely a hugely successful strategy.