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Five games into the new season and his first management role and Andrea Pirlo faces a tactical crossroads.
His team has already lost points with three draws along with his two wins and he has struggled without Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala leading the line up front.
Dybala returned at the weekend, but his presence was not enough to beat Juventus all three points as Hellas Verona drew 1-1.
Pirlo has tried different formations during his first matches with the coach alternating from a 3-5-2 to a 3-4-1-2 and then to a 3-4-3 configuration.
Barcelona’s visit on Wednesday gives the coach an opportunity to employ a 4-2-3-1 system, but there are still a number of tactical dilemmas he faces on the field.
Sportsmail looks at the back-to-front issues that are plaguing Juventus’ rookie boss right now.
DEFENDING
On the advice of his former teammates Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, Pirlo moved away from Maurizio Sarri’s complicated system.
Pirlo returned to a three-man defense with two full-backs in Danilo and Juan Cuadrado, with a strong center-back pair of veterans Chiellini and Bonucci.
But with Chiellini joining Matthijs de Ligt on the disabled list, rising star Merih Demiral will likely be in the bottom four to face Barca this week.
Danilo and Cuadrado have proven to be excellent full-back options and will add solidarity to Pirlo’s defense.
MIDFIELD
Pirlo has been unable to establish himself in a midfield two thus far with the coach struggling to find the right balance between attack and defense from the options available to him.
Weston McKennie started the first two games alongside Frenchman Adrien Rabiot before Pirlo traded Arthur and Rodrigo Bentancur for the draw against Crotone.
Aaron Ramsey played alongside Arthur and Rabiot against Hellas Verona, but McKennie will be available to return following his recovery from the coronavirus.
The American international McKennie will be useful for his aggression, while Arthur can operate as a pivot to connect the game against his former team.
Rabiot would provide more energy, but Bentancur has the strength and technique to play alongside any of the other midfielders. Decisions decisions.
Wings
Two of the open players available to Pirlo, Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Chiesa, are probably the best in Serie A at the moment.
Kulusevski was introduced from the bench against Hellas Verona on Sunday and the Swedish international caused all sorts of problems before shooting in the draw that saved Pirlo his first loss as a Juve manager.
Chiesa was suspended for the match after his red card against Crotone, but will likely start against Barça. The former Fiorentina winger can take on players, but he also possesses incredible strength and stamina, making him an even bigger threat in the future.
The 4-2-3-1 formation is perfect for the players at Pirlo’s disposal. The only problem he faces is who to initiate the attack …
ATTACK
Ronaldo is so, so fundamental to Juventus. The forward can win games on his own and Pirlo seems to have created a role for him similar to Karim Benzema at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo would play like a false nine but with the scoring numbers of a traditional 9.
The Champions League tie with the Catalans, a match against Ronaldo’s archrival in Lionel Messi, is the perfect opportunity for Pirlo to use the 4-2-3-1, which could turn into a 4-4-2 when is out of possession.
With a hectic schedule and Ronaldo still unavailable due to the coronavirus contraction, Pirlo may need to rotate his forward options, but on Álvaro Morata and Dybala he has plenty of attacking threats to choose from.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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