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This is the final of the Champions League 2017, Casemiro scores the second goal of Real Madrid and the boss of Juventus, Massimiliano Allegri, looks at his bench and finds only mediocrity.
Mario Lemina, Juan Cuadrado – who was finally fired – and Claudio Marchisio, a remarkable player who has never been so distinguished after his cruciate ligament injuries, are the possible options.
Juventus was once again about to win the big one, desperate to prove that his time had come.
It was not, yet. They would lose 4-1.
"We played brilliantly in the first period, but we were beaten second, and we found ourselves under pressure and found no solution," said Allegri.
He simply did not have the weapons that Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid's manager, had on the bench.
While the Frenchman was able to call Alvaro Morata, Marco Asensio and Gareth Bale, Allegri had limited resources. Rather annoying for a coach valued largely for his ability to make the right substitutions at the right time to change the game.
Allegri confessed that it was difficult for him to continue to Juve after this match. It was exhausting. You can play the best football, united in a mission and outstanding at the back, but lose a moment of individual glory from stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
Buy Ronaldo must then be the solution. An Italian giant who aspires to European honors, Juventus is doing everything in its power to win the Champions League trophy for more than two decades and nothing announced this despair more than the purchase of the winner of the Gold Ball, winner of the tournament, for 33 years. old CR7.
Costa the truffle looking for treats
The arrival in Turin of the best players in the world has certainly made the headlines and Juventus had its best start to the season in Serie A, winning all games of all competitions except one. But in truth, Ronaldo is the icing on the cake, not the whole cake.
Rather than depend on Ronaldo – expelled at the opening match of Juventus and scoreless up here in this Champions League campaign – Federico Bernardeschi was dazzled, Miralem Pjanic's converted against Valencia and Paulo Dybala scored three, alongside Mario Mandzukic against Young Boys.
No Mandzukic against Manchester United? No problem. Dybala started alongside Cuadrado and Ronaldo and the three teamed up to score the only goal of the match.
When Allegri examined his bench in search of solutions for the tragic night of Cardiff last year, few people showed up. This season, he is simply overwhelmed by his options, all capable of changing the game.
At Old Trafford, he introduced Douglas and Bernardeschi to the bench to keep Juve unpredictable at the top. The first faced problems at Juventus this season after spitting on an opponent in the match against Sassuolo, but his performances for the Italians before this incident were excellent.
In the manner of a truffle pork in search of treats, Costa identifies and exploits the space at full speed and like no other.
While he once played head down and without direction, hanging on to the ball too long, Costa improved under Allegri, making smart decisions and impacting the bench. The Brazilian coach Tite recognized the quality of the player when he regularly watched Costa to make a difference at the World Cup.
Present it against a tiring opponent and the quality of Costa becomes harder to ignore. The Gazzetta dello Sport calculated that Costa had 15 points for the Bianconeri.
Dybala finally has an impact
Bernardeschi was the other man chosen to face Manchester United. Able to play as winger, midfielder or even as fake number nine as he does for Roberto Mancini in the Italy team, Bernardeschi demonstrates intelligence, speed and insane technique. He simply raises the level of play in the last third and reads the game well.
Against Valencia, the winger is well positioned, delivered precision, vision and consistent ideas. Against Frosinone, he played in the middle of the field and injected imagination, speed of thought and speed of movement.
Then there is Dybala. A player with infinite potential who has struggled to impress in the great moments when all eyes are on him, but this season, he flourishes alongside many teammates who, he knows, are competing for a place in the world. starting eleven.
Marking the winning goal at Old Trafford, Dybala has played in different positions and formations and is slowly learning to impose his talent in all circumstances. Against Cagliari this weekend, the little Argentinian has only 42 seconds to open the score of Juventus.
If it is not him who begins, then it will be another one. Ronaldo brings a supreme quality and a winning mentality, but it is his talents and the depth of his team that largely explain why Juve could be the team to beat in Europe. Especially when you consider that these talents are in the hands of Allegri, the master of substitutions, versatility and balance.
Is there an anti-Juve?
In Italy, the media are obsessed with the search for "anti-Juve" – the team that, according to reporters, will challenge Juventus to the top of the A-Series standings. it will be Inter, the physical side who knows how to intimidate and harass and make the most of his chances while getting clean sheets? Or will it be Napoli, the blessed camp of technical players who rotate the ball wonderfully and ping it from one side to the other to discover gaps and opportunities?
The truth is that there is no "anti-Juve" because only Allegri's camp can line up two separate star teams and play both styles of football.
They can deploy Mandzukic and Ronaldo from the start, with Emre Can and Sami Khedira in the middle of the field, and beat their way up and down, taking full advantage of their aggression, strength and power.
They can also count on Dybala and Rodrigo Bentancur who, as evidenced by this match against men Jose Mourinho, are the key words to position themselves, cut the passing lanes, issue technical and precision.
There is one player available for each type of style and Juve Football is looking to play.
The beautiful football is not based on the possession or the fluid exchange of passes but on the perfect execution of a game plan.
Juventus has often been criticized for not playing football as a particularly exciting brand, but to offer them a challenge this season, it will probably show you the best European football played in many ways. Allegri is happy to spin.
Yes, Ronaldo makes the difference, but focusing solely on him would be a mistake.
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