Juventus proved to the world what they were one of the best clubs in the world by making it to the Champions League final last season. Despite not winning the final against Barcelona, they did win the Serie A and the Italian Cup. This season is not going quite as well for Juventus, as they currently sit in 13th position in the league after only 1 win in 5 matches. When you look at the club’s success of last season and the current struggle of this season, you might wonder what changed for Juventus.
Juventus had three incredible leaders last season, in Pirlo, Vidal and Tevez, but now that they are gone. In all competitions, Carlos Tevez scored 29 goals in 50 games last season, including 20 goals in the Serie A. He scored the second most goals in the league, only behind Inter Milan’s Icardi. Tevez decided to go back to Boca Juniors, his home club, to finish out his career. He has not stopped his scoring, as he already has 4 goals in 8 games for the Argentinian club.
Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal were two crucial center midfielders for Juventus, who held the team together last season. These two center midfielders scored 13 goals and got 9 assists combined last season. This past summer, Pirlo joined David Villa and Frank Lampard at New York City FC on a free transfer. The experienced Italian central midfielder already has 2 assists in 10 games in the MLS. Arturo Vidal joined Bayern Munich for £28 million and already has 2 goals for the German giants.
Juventus did make signings this summer to replace their lost players, such as Khedira, Mandzukic, Dybala and Hernanes. Mandzukic is currently injured and Khedira is yet to play for Juventus. Hernanes signed for £11 million from Inter Milan and has not scored or assisted in 5 games for Juventus. Paulo Dybala, a 21 year old striker, signed from Palermo for £32 million. Dybala scored 13 goals last season for Palermo, and he has already scored 3 goals in 6 games for Juventus in all competitions.
It is clear to see that Juventus are lacking experienced players this season, but they certainly do have talent. If players such as Chiellini, Pogba, and Hernanes step up and take leadership roles in the team, they might start winning more games. Juventus will be playing against a Napoli side on Saturday, who just recently won 5-0 against Lazio. This is a great chance for Juventus to get a win and prove that they are still in the fight for the Serie A championship.
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