With out Dusan Vlahovic, Juventus have choices corresponding to Lois Openda or Jonathan David to guide the road, however of their current Serie A conflict in opposition to Napoli, the Bianconeri opted to deploy Kenan Yildiz as a false 9. Luciano Spalletti’s determination to make use of Yildiz on this function was influenced by Napoli’s ongoing midfield harm disaster, with the intention of overloading the centre of the park and creating numerical benefits. Regardless of this tactical adjustment, Napoli managed to attain twice, ending Juventus’ three-game profitable streak and highlighting areas the place the workforce nonetheless wants enchancment.
Tactical Experiment and Its Penalties
The match in opposition to Napoli served as a key check for Spalletti, but the end result recommended that Juventus are nonetheless a piece in progress. Whereas the false 9 system aimed to unsettle the opposition, it finally did not ship the specified end result. Napoli discovered methods to interrupt down Juve’s defence, leaving questions on each the workforce’s cohesion and Spalletti’s readiness to implement vital tactical modifications. The defeat demonstrated that, whereas Juventus have potential, their squad continues to be adapting to new methods and gamers, significantly within the absence of a central striker like Vlahovic.
Reflections on Spalletti’s Determination
Commenting on the selection to deploy Yildiz, Riccardo Trevisani highlighted that the plan didn’t unfold as meant. He stated through Tuttojuve: “After Vlahovic’s harm, everybody talked about Yildiz as a false 9, like what occurred with Totti. I feel he didn’t need to give Napoli any reference factors, it didn’t go nicely. The coach himself seen it throughout the match, that was his mea culpa.” Trevisani’s remarks underline that the choice, whereas inventive, didn’t obtain its meant impact and emphasise the challenges Spalletti faces in guiding Juventus again to constant performances.
Juventus’ loss to Napoli serves as a reminder that experimentation carries dangers, and Spalletti should stability tactical innovation with sensible execution if the membership is to revive its fortunes and construct a facet able to sustained success.
