Juventus: The best midfield in the world?
Pirlo and Vidal: The vital cogs in Juventus midfield
The Juventus midfield has been the talking point of the football fraternity for quite some time as some experts have already hailed them as the best midfield in the world. The first official comment was made by Dutch legend Edgar Davids who hailed the Turin club’s midfield to be the most effective one in the world right now over the likes of Barcelona and even Per Guardiola’s Bayern Munich.
It is clear that the Dutch midfielder still holds a soft spot for the Italian club where he spent seven years of his career from 1997 to 2004: “Juventus have the strongest midfield in Europe in my opinion,” the Dutchman was quoted by Tuttosport and he also believes that Arturo Vidal and Assamoah are both capable of becoming future club legends for Juventus.
Juventus is unarguably the most successful club in Italy with twenty nine Serie A championships and nine Copa Italia titles. The ‘Old Lady of Turin’ (as it is popularly known to the local fans) has also proven its mantle on the International stage with two UEFA Champions League titles and also three UEFA Cups, which has established it as a force to be reckoned with in case of European football.
The club has been a major force in the Italian football scene right from its foundation in 1889 and they still are able to prove their strength by the impressive recent performances. The club has succeeded in winning the last two Serie A titles which includes an unbeaten season in 2011-12 which is quite an extraordinary feat for any club. The recent success of the club is mostly attributed to the midfield line up of the club which is the perfect balance of youth power and experienced veterans who were able to guide the club to success.
The Juventus side has successfully applied the 3-5-2 strategy which allows them to completely utilize their midfield strengths. The three outstanding centre backs in the team allow them to play offensive football with as many as five midfielders and it is also proven that Conte’s men can change the formation into 3-5-1-1, which allows the midfielders to utilise the flanks properly.
This has been the favoured strategy for the Juventus coach, who has created the strength of the Turin club based on the midfield consisting with Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Marchisio being flanked by the wide offensive pairing of Stephan Lichtsteiner and Asamoah, in order to to help Juve play their usually flamboyant football.
Buffon;
Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini
Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Asamoah
Vucinic, Matri
The central midfield trio of Vidal, Marchisio and Pirlo are more than capable to covering the ball and they are ones responsible for the proper delivery of the final passes to the strikers.
Arturo Vidal is the leader of the midfield given his raw pace and sheer brilliance. He is aptly assisted by the seasoned veteran Andrea Pirlo. Asamoah is a talented youngster capable of making swift runs into the final third which is clear from his impressive goal scoring record in the recent seasons.
Lichsteiner and Marchisio provide the team with strong assistance down the flanks, which is necessary for proper wing play, and they are more than capable of making runs into goal scoring positions. Lichtsteiner and Marchisio are equally adept at giving the front two great support while also covering for the wider centre-backs.
Artuto Vidal is indispensable in the Juventus team as he plays the box to box midfield role and is also capable to taking attacking positions in case of offensive strategies. Andrea Pirlo, the seasoned Italian veteran, is known for his swift passing and lethal free kicks. He is the eldest member of the team and is responsible for the proper distribution of the final balls in the field.
The final member of the lethal midfield of Juventus is Italian international Marchisio, who takes care of the centre of the field. He is valuable for his final passes and he is also capable to perform defensive duties whenever the team needs. Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kwado Asamoah are responsible for the flank and wing play of the Turin club and they are quite capable of making seething runs to the final third.
The French youngster Paul Pogba is a major figure for the Juventus midfield as the 19-year-old is the replacement for any central midfielder in the team. The player has proven his skills on the international stage and is ready to fight for his place in the first team of Juventus.
The Italian club has also expressed their interest in signing Real Madrid’s Xavi Alonso, who will be an asset in the defensive midfielder role for the club. The Spanish player can be a gem of a player for the team and the Turin club is quite keen on acquiring his services.
It is still early days to predict anything, but the Juventus midfield is well on their way to become the best midfield in the world.