💣Spalletti to Juve: style, risers and fallers—David, Koop, Yildiz📉 | OneFootball

Luciano Spalletti will be the new Juventus coach (here are the contract details), and the manager has accepted the role also because he believes the club has a squad suited to his style of football.

But what will Spalletti’s game plan at Juve be: the 4-3-3 that brought success to Napoli, or the 4-2-3-1 to make the most of certain key players?

4-2-3-1

Spalletti is not a strict adherent to any one formation and could switch from the 4-3-3 he used at Napoli to a 4-2-3-1, which would have its pros and cons.

YILDIZ IN THE CENTER, KOOP SACRIFICED 

The choice to use the 4-2-3-1 seems the most suitable to place Yildiz in the attacking midfield role: an area of the pitch where he can showcase all his qualities as a "number 10", alongside a striker to link up with and wingers to serve in medium-depth positions.

This choice, however, closes the door on the idea of seeing Koopmeiners as an attacking midfielder, because his way of interpreting the role is the opposite: shots from distance, runs off the ball, or short progressions between midfield and the attacking third. 

Seeing Koop in a two-man midfield also seems difficult: Juventus’ only true playmaker is Locatelli, while Thuram seems irreplaceable. With the 4-2-3-1, Koopmeiners seriously risks becoming the first substitute for the two holding midfielders, or the player who can change the formation during the match.

At the same time, Spalletti appreciates Koopmeiners, so much so that he requested him from Giuntoli during his time at Napoli, when the midfielder was still playing for Atalanta.

TWO WINGERS: ONE ATTACKING, ONE CONSERVATIVE? AND OPENDA...

One winger will certainly be offensive: Conceicao and Zhegrova on the right are the main candidates, while on the left the option of McKennie cannot be ruled out: this would allow the formation to adapt with a more crowded midfield in defense and a physical runner in attack.

In that position, Openda’s suitability will need to be assessed, perhaps during the match and depending on the opponent. Juventus’ squad is adaptable, but Spalletti doesn’t have time for too many experiments: a tendency that cost Tudor his job.

4-3-3

The 4-3-3 would highlight certain players, while others might be pushed away from key areas.

LOCATELLI, KOOP, AND THURAM AS PROTAGONISTS

Although Spalletti has always preferred other midfielders over Locatelli for the national team, at Juventus he is the only real option as a playmaker. In the 4-3-3, he would be an almost obligatory choice, giving him back the central role he has occupied in recent years.

This season, in fact, he played a lot in the league, alternating between a three-man and two-man midfield, and in the Champions League he started only once, in a midfield alongside McKennie.

On the other hand, Koopmeiners could finally answer the question: "What is his position?" In the 4-3-3, he should play as a mezzala (box-to-box midfielder), with space to make runs and combine between the lines: a bit like "Zielinski", without being either a pure attacking midfielder or a deep-lying playmaker. 

Kephren Thuram, on the other hand, could fill the role Anguissa had at Napoli: recovering balls, carrying the play forward quickly, and providing dynamism in both phases. With any coach, Thuram is indispensable, whether in a two- or three-man midfield.

YILDIZ ON THE WING, RIGHT WINGER ENIGMA, AND THE STRIKER 

Another player certain of a starting spot is Kenan Yildiz: moving him away from the penalty area and putting him on the wing could limit his qualities. In short, Yildiz is not a winger like Kvaratskhelia who gives his best with lots of players to dribble past: he can do it, but near the box and in the half-spaces behind the striker, he has shown he can score and provide assists.

On the right, there is a high probability of seeing an inverted-foot winger: Conceicao and Zhegrova are ahead of Openda, who risks being sacrificed in the 4-3-3.

Tudor, in fact, saw him as a striker, a position where the battle between David and Vlahovic is still alive. Most likely, this Juventus will have only one starting striker, and Openda—used to playing in a two-striker system at Leipzig—risks losing his place.

The battle for attack and the defense

If Spalletti chooses a four-man defense, one of the recently used players will be left out: Gatti and Cambiaso (already coached by him in the national team) are certain, while the roles of Kelly, Rugani, and Kalulu are yet to be defined, with Kalulu’s position as fullback having been criticized under Tudor.

When available again, the likely starting defense will be Bremer-Gatti: also because the need for a left-footed defender (like Kelly) in a three-man defense simply becomes an option in a four-man backline.

The most hotly debated battle will always be between David and Vlahovic: for long-term planning, it will be important to immediately include the Canadian in the starting lineup, especially if a 4-2-3-1 is chosen with high quality through the center with Yildiz and David.

However, Spalletti knows how to work with completely different types of strikers: Dzeko, Icardi, Osimhen, Vucinic, and many others. All different from each other but deployed according to the context around them.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

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