Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Champions League Scouting Report: Juventus

Champions League Scouting Report: Juventus
Chelsea kick off their Champions League campaign against Italian champions Juventus at Stamford Bridge. While no one is expecting an easy encounter against the Italian giants, they are not unbeatable. This simple scouting report of Juventus should help throw some light on how we can beat our toughest opponents in the Champions League group stages

 Juventus FC- Report

Strengths:

- Juventus use a 3-5-2 formation that includes a midfield that can dominate games at will. They use attacking wing-backs in order to provide that extra flair down the wings. 

- As is always the case with top teams, their midfield is key to their success. Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal are a dangerous midfield trio at best and do their respective jobs extremely well. 

- Despite being fluid in attack, they are extremely solid at the back with club vice-captain Giorgio Chiellini marshaling their defence. 

Weaknesses: 

- As is the case with the Italian national team, a fair bit depends on Pirlo. If he's having an off day or is simply not given enough room to work his magic, Juve tend to struggle. 

- In their recent Serie A encounter against Genoa, Juventus were caught on the break a number of times. If Genoa had been more clinical in front of goal, the match would have been over in the first half itself.

- The lack of a truly world-class striker may hurt them. While Mirko Vučinić has been struggling for form for a while now, Matri isn't a striker who would strike fear into the hearts of defences. Bendtner is erratic. 

What Should Chelsea Do To Beat Them?

- Isolate Pirlo. Mikel will have to be at his best against the Italian but if Pirlo is not allowed space in the midfield to control the game, Juve will struggle. 

-  Keep possession. Against Genoa, Juve didn't have possession for long periods of the first half which seemed to lead to a series of errors at the back. If Chelsea are able to keep the ball well, Juve won't be able to find their rhythm. 

- Even if Juve have possession, Chelsea can catch them out with a swift counter attack. It may not be a case of "park the bus" anymore, but siting deep & defending while waiting to catch Juventus on the break can work wonders if Chelsea don't have possession. 

Players To Watch: Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal, Sebastian Giovinco. 

Do let me know what you think Robbie should do to ensure a winning start to our Champions League defense.

-Shayne Dias

Our support to our Legendary Captain JT & about how the world has misunderstood him!

 John Terry | We Stand By You | We love you JT, Our LEADER!



1 comment:

  1. Think Juve would play on the counter just like Ath Madrid. If they do not play compact, then Torres would continue from where he left off at the Euros and our play makers would be key in deciding the game. Our defence have less to fear on paper which makes for a good start. Verdict, we would send a message through Juve. About counters, Chelsea should be more worried.

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