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Juventus endured a largely indifferent start to life under new manager Andrea Pirlo before experiencing improved fortunes in various competitions.
Thanks to Andrea Pirlo's tactical nous, Juventus won at Barcelona to secure top spot in their UEFA Champions League group before flooring runaway Serie A leaders, AC Milan, to get back in the title race.
Five Juventus players who have shown improvement under Andrea Pirlo
Despite assuming the reins at Juventus with no prior experience in management, Andrea Pirlo has done a fairly decent job in terms of elevating the games of a few players.
On that note, let us have a look at five such Juventus players who have improved under the tutelage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup winner.
#5 Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata has arguably produced one of his best starts to a season after arriving at Juventus over the summer.
After scoring seven goals and assisting as many in his last Serie A campaign in 2015-16, Morata (four goals and six assists) is already on course to better that tally.
The Spain international has complemented the efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo (more on him later), despite Juventus enduring a rather up-and-down campaign.
Morata has even managed to outshine his more illustrious teammate in the Champions League, where he has scored six goals. Of course, that doesn't include his 'hat-trick' of strikes overruled by VAR in Juventus' 2-0 home defeat to Barcelona.
In 20 games in all competitions, the 28-year-old has managed 19 goal-contributions (11 goals and eight assists) to become a key player in Andrea Pirlo's team.
Although the Juventus manager was 'angry' with Morata's incredible miss against Atalanta - a back-heel that sailed wide of an unguarded goal - Pirlo believes the striker can become one of the best in the world, saying in this regard:
“Morata is a strong player, but he just needed consistency and confidence. If he’s good mentally then he can do anything, he can become one of the best strikers around. If he trains well and is in good shape, playing and scoring, he’s a fundamental player not just for Juventus but also for his national team. We are working to put him in the best condition possible.”
#4 Federico Chiesa
After making a slow start to life at Juventus following his arrival in October last year, Federico Chiesa has begun to get into his stride.
The 23-year-old midfielder, who has netted four goals and provided as many assists in 13 league games, recently scored in back-to-back Serie A games for the first time since arriving at Juventus.
Andrea Pirlo spoke highly of Chiesa, who scored a brace in Juventus' 3-1 win against league leaders AC Milan, saying in this regard:
"He's doing well. It's not easy to be catapulted from Fiorentina to Juventus, but he's a very good lad. It took him time to adapt, but now he's growing after arriving with so much controversy and weight on him."
#3 Dejan Kulusevski
After making his name at Parma, Dejan Kulusevski has made a bright start to his Juventus stint under Andrea Pirlo.
The Swede made a goal-scoring debut for the Serie A giants and hasn't looked back since. Recently, the 20-year-old scored and assisted in the same game for Juventus for the first time, doing so against Genoa in the Coppa Italia Round of 16.
Kulusevski has played 21 games in all competitions for Andrea Pirlo's side this season.
Pirlo, however, refuted comparisons between Kulusevski and Barcelona's teenage sensation Ansu Fati while praising both players for their attributes. He said in this regard:
“They are two different players but with great prospects. They have a great future and play with the two greatest contemporary players. This will allow them to learn a lot.”
#2 Weston McKennie
Weston McKennie has been one of the standout players for Juventus this season.
Since his arrival at the club this summer, the young American has become a first-team regular, dishing out impressive performances from midfield and scoring crucial goals.
The 22-year-old, who has scored twice in the league this season, scored the equaliser against Torino in the Turin derby, paving the way for the win that kept Juventus in touching distance of the league leaders. He has also provided two assists.
Andrea Pirlo recently spoke about the player and his growing impact at Juventus, saying in this regard:
"McKennie is great at winning back the ball, but is also very strong when pushing forward. He is young and needs to work on his technique, but that will come."
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Like a bottle of fine wine, Cristiano Ronaldo has only gotten better with age.
The 35-year-old Portugal captain has had one of his best starts to a league campaign in years, plundering 15 goals in only 13 games to sit atop the competition's scoring charts. That has come as a huge respite for the beleaguered Andrea Pirlo, who has otherwise overseen a lacklustre title defence by Juventus.
Ronaldo is a big-game player and has scored some key goals for Juventus in the Serie A this season. His brace at AS Roma and a goal at Lazio helped Juventus salvage a share of the spoils in both games.
With Ronaldo's eyes firmly fixed on winning his first Capocannoniere award, the form of the striker could be key in Juventus plotting another triumph in one of their most tricky Serie A campaigns.
Unsurprisingly, Andrea Pirlo has waxed lyrical about the superstar, saying in this regard:
"He is a great professional, as we already knew. He is a real champion and sets the example for everyone around him, both in the matches and in training. The only advice I can give him is to keep going in the same way. We have to keep our young man like this. He gave me great availability in training, in games, for anything. His goals and goals. His talents are not natural, we are lucky that he plays at Juventus."
