Do you want the ball? Do you like it so much? Keep it. I like your door more. Message signed by Massimiliano Allegri, the first protagonist, together with Federico Chiesa, of the victory of Juventus on the European champions of Chelsea. Without Morata, without Dybala, with so much, a lot of defense and a deadly counterattack. Proudly Italian football, in the best meaning of the term, a football made of intelligence, application, attention, concentration and never of renunciation. If Juve had challenged Chelsea on their ground these days (high defense, ball possession, ball recovery in the opposing half of the field) they would have come out with broken bones. But these are the games in which Allegri makes no mistake. He understands them first of all and plays them like no one else. With 74 percent of possession, Chelsea had only one real chance, Juve three, always on the break, and in the mirror of the goal he shot only once, as much as Juve. Those who love only the dribble of football were disappointed this time. In difficulty in Serie A, in the lead with full points in the Champions League, in the group of European champions, this is Juve today: the beauty of football lies in its mystery.
THE TRIPLE POSITION OF CUADRADO – For those who had doubts about the type of match that would be played in Turin, a few minutes were enough to clarify the ideas: ball for Chelsea, defense for Juve. The clearest image of this setting was given, in the first half, by the triple position occupied by Cuadrado. Party, in the intentions, as a right wing, with Bernardeschi in the center and church on the left, after about ten minutes, pushed by his former viola partner Marcos Alonso (they were together in the first Fiorentina of Montella), he went down on the four-line in midfield, and after another minutes, let’s say twenty in all, he became right back of a five-man defensive line. Cuadrado still had the task (and the energy) to break free, while Alex Sandro on the other side never moved throughout the first half.
BLUES POSSESSION, BUT FEW POINTS – The data of the 45 ‘erroneously suggest a domination by Tuchel’s team: 73 percent of ball possession, 406 passes at 153, 92 percent of successful passes compared to 79 percent of Juventus, a quick ball recovery in the Juventus half, an aggressiveness that was also shown with several fouls (three by Zyech in the first quarter of an hour). But these numbers were not translated into concrete by real scoring opportunities. Juve defended themselves with many men, but always with order, with intelligence, without any trouble. At Chelsea, led with the right times and ways by the Jorginho-Kovacic duo, the quality of his strikers was lacking: Lukaku was caught in the Bonucci-De Ligt grip, Havertz never showed his technique and from Zyech zero ideas. In the final part of the action, the blues slowed down in front of the black and white wall. They were looking for the spaces that the Juventus players were hiding.
MAX’S CHOICES – Even in the first half, the best scoring opportunity was for Juve with a counterattack by Chiesa concluded with a diagonal that came out a little. Allegri had thought of the couple (also this former viola …) Chiesa-Bernardeschi in attack, with Kean on the bench. Max doesn’t trust Kean yet, taken to replace Ronaldo. Chiesa made the first striker, his snatches were needed to create some problems for Thiago Silva and his teammates, and for this he was the only one excluded from the defensive phase, which instead also fell to Bernardeschi deployed as playmaker. As the game had gone, Locatelli and Bentancur had serious difficulties in creating play, both had to work to protect the defense.
FAITH, DOUBLE PROOF – The first change (appropriate) was by Tuchel who removed the yellow card Marcos Alonso to let Chillwell in. But Juve took less than a minute (exactly 10 seconds) to score a fantastic goal, with the signature of the two Federico, Bernardeschi and Chiesa. Bonucci’s throw from behind, Rabiot’s header, Bernardeschi’s chest control with which he knocked out Jorginho and Thiago Silva, a touch from the winger on the shot of the second who, burning Rüdiger on the cue, left-footed the ball under the crossbar. It was the prize for Massimiliano Allegri’s strategy and choices: defense and counterattack with those two … snatchers.
MORE BALL AT CHELSEA – Juve have resumed defending themselves, but preventing the Londoners from creating scoring chances. Meanwhile, from Lukaku, signs of impatience and nervousness arrived: he received the first decent ball after more than 80 minutes and put it out. It was also Chelsea’s only real chance. Tuchel he tried with three changes all together, outside Jorginho, Zyech and Azpilicueta, inside Chalobah, Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek. He wanted to speed up the action, but Jorginho’s exit was a mistake: he was the most lucid and would serve to bring order to the final chaotic assault. An assault that Juve held up well and with another deadly counterattack they had the right ball to close the game: Rabiot, Cuadrado, Bernardeschi, final touch too high. Allegri also put Chiellini in and closed with 5-4-1, with Danilo, Bonucci, De Ligt, Chiellini and Alex Sandro behind, Cuadrado, McKennie, Locatelli and Kulusevski in midfield, Kean in attack. He has never been in danger, also thanks to the perfect performance of Bonucci and De Ligt, perfect as a couple and also individually.
THE TABLE
Juventus-Chelsea 1-0
Marker: st 1 ‘Church.
Assist: st 1′ Bernardeschi.
Juventus (4-3-3): Szczesny; Danilo, Bonucci, De Ligt, Alex Sandro; Bentancur (37 ‘st Chiellini), Locatelli, Rabiot (32’ st McKennie); Cuadrado, Bernardeschi (19 ‘st Kulusevski), Church (32’ st Kean). Available Pinsoglio, Perin, De Sciglio, Rugani. Herds Allegri.
Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Mendy; Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta (17′ st Chalobah), Kovacic, Jorginho (17′ st Loftus-Cheek), Alonso (1′ st Chilwell); Havertz, Ziyech (17′ st Hudson-Odoi); Lukaku. A disp. Kepa, Bettinelli, Werner, Saul, Sarr. All. Tuchel.
Referee: Manzano (Spa).
V.A.R.: Martinez (Spa).
Ammonites: pt 18 ‘Alonso (C); st 16 ‘Ziyech (C), 19’ Rudiger (C), 44 ‘Cuadrado (J).
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