Juventus’ draw with Hellas Verona shows they need more than just Ronaldo to win Serie A
After yet another disappointing performance from Juventus, Andrea Pirlo is a man under a lot of pressure. Each passing week gives further credence to the grim possibility that the Bianconeri's Serie A stranglehold may come to an end this season.
On Saturday, Juventus threw away a lead to draw against Hellas Verona. The result is a big blow for the Bianconeri’s title ambitions, as leaders Inter Milan and second-placed AC Milan won on the weekend.
Andrea Pirlo’s side were unimpressive against Hellas Verona, and they were made to pay for their sluggishness. Despite Cristiano Ronaldo scoring the opener, Juventus allowed their opponents to steal a late equaliser after failing to put the game to bed.
Too many Juventus players are underperforming at the moment, and it remains to be seen if Pirlo will be given enough time to overturn things if results continue to be this poor.
A disappointing day at the office for Juventus
Juventus have now won just once in their last five games in all competitions. In truth, the draw against Hellas Verona was a reflection of how poor the Bianconeri have been all season.
There have been so many games where they’ve won without particularly playing well. Such wins are welcome, but the downside is that they are not sustainable, and it’s only a matter of time before luck runs out.
On Saturday, Juventus’ soporific display caught up with them. They rarely created clear-cut chances and also didn't defend well against the Serie A minnows.
“It’s disappointing, as we knew it would be a difficult and hard-fought game," Pirlo told DAZN after the game. "We managed to take the lead, which was the most difficult part, then didn’t keep hold of it.
“There are these small details that unfortunately young players don’t understand can make the difference and lead to points. When you are in front, you must try to bring these games home. We were missing a lot of experienced players, so the younger elements didn’t understand the way the match was going,” observed Pirlo.
Pirlo’s post-match comments depicted a man who’s a bit clueless on the bench. The excuses are beginning to become too much, and only good results can save his job.
Cristiano Ronaldo cannot single-handedly win the Serie A title for Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo has undoubtedly been Juventus’ best player this season. With 19 goals, the Portuguese maestro is leading this season's Serie A scoring charts.
However, Ronaldo’s goals alone will not be enough to win the league for Juventus. The team needs other players to come to the fore to help secure their tenth successive Scudetti.
Unfortunately, as it stands, Juventus have very little quality on the bench. Paulo Dybala, who’s supposed to share the goal-scoring burden with Ronaldo, is out injured.
Juventus are currently ten points behind leaders Inter Milan, although the Bianconeri have a game in hand. Nevertheless, the deficit already looks like a daunting one because Ronaldo alone cannot deliver the goods every game.