How can Juventus improve their form this season?
Despite being undefeated so far in this season's Serie A, Juventus find themselves trailing Inter Milan by a single point going into this weekend. Unlike the last few seasons, it looks as though the Bianconeri could be embroiled in a genuine title race with the Nerazzurri.
Due to the close proximity between Inter and Juventus in the league table, any slip-ups from either side could prove costly in this year's title race. Both sides will want to go into the Christmas break at the top of the table as often, but not always, that is a good indication as to who will go onto win the title.
Yes, Juventus are undefeated so far, but this is more of a reflection of their defensive prowess than their attacking acumen. When Maurizio Sarri was hired, many believed he would turn the team from Allegri's style to an all-out attacking style, but this has not happened.
They have scored the least amount of goals out of the top 6 teams in Italy. 25 goals at this stage is simply not good enough for a side that wants to be champions yet again. Continuously Juventus have won their games by a single goal and have rarely looked safe in their lead.
Their poor attacking form is encapsulated by Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who was brought to revolutionise their attack. Ronaldo has scored just 6 goals in Serie A this season which pale in comparison to Ciro Immobile's 17. Admittedly, the Portuguese has been dealing with injuries this season, nevertheless, he was suffering the same inconsistency last season as well.
The true problem lies withthe Bianconeri's stale midfield. Andrea Pirlo remarked last year that,
"Juventus lacked quality in the middle. They bought Ronaldo but didn't know how to get the ball to him."
His point was as true then and it remains now. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 44 goals in as many games during his last season with Real Madrid and yet with Juventus, he isn't even close to these numbers.
To emphasise the issue even further, since moving to Italy, Ronaldo has scored over a goal a game for Portugal which shows he is more than capable of doing the same with Juventus.
The implications of this apply to their Champions League campaign as well. If they are struggling to score against the weaker Serie A teams, how can they expect to do so against the best sides in Europe?
Juventus have several incredible players in what is a well-rounded squad. They even have a 5-time Ballon d'Or winner in Ronaldo but they need to become more creative in the midfield if they wanto to use the Portuguese superstar to his potential.
If this happens and their defence remains as solid as it has been this season, then they have a great chance at winning their 9th consecutive Serie A title and also be amongst the teams looking to win the Champions League this season.
Also check out: Seria A table Champions League table La liga table 2019-20