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Juventus hosted Roma at the Allianz Stadium and came through unscathed. The Turin-based outfit was hardly troubled by their counterparts from the capital as the home side racked up their 16th league victory of the season.
The game was a cagey affair throughout with both sides not willing to give the other an inch.
In the first half, Juventus got the ball rolling and applied the early pressure. However, they had to wait till the 35th minute for their breakthrough when Mandzukic towered above Santon to nod home the ball.
With both sides not creating a lot in the final third, the Croatian’s goal proved to be the difference.
The win solidified the Old Lady’s position at the top of their table whereas their visitors were consigned to 10th place.
Here is a look at five talking points from the game:
#5 Roma fail to offer a threat
Juventus and Roma have served some classics over the years yet this was a game that never threatened to scale those peaks.
Though the Juventus defence should be commended for their sixth straight clean sheet in the league, the lack of a cutting edge in Roma’s attack would give Eusebio Di Francesco sleepless nights.
The away side started with their talismanic striker Dzeko on the bench. In the Bosnian’s absence, the responsibility of leading the line fell to Schick.
Though the Czech international is an extremely talented player, he has been highly inconsistent. Thus, it wasn’t a surprise when he failed to turn up at the Old Lady’s stomping ground.
The likes of Florenzi, Under and the effervescent Zaniolo too had a tough time imposing themselves on proceedings and eventually failed to create an impact.
Apart from Schick’s failure to hold the ball up, Roma also couldn’t get its midfielders involved in an attacking sense. At times, Juventus left space in midfield to exploit yet there were hardly any surging runs made from deep by the away side. Moreover, the Roma players were anything but confident when presented with half-chances.
The Rome based outfit are currently languishing in 10th spot. Though it might not be panic stations yet, surely the club hierarchy and its fans would want them competing for the European spots.
While drawing a blank against Juventus isn’t the greatest crime in the world, Roma’s failure to continuously display imagination against the bigger teams is a cause of concern.
If they are to get their season back on track, they need to start scoring and scoring against the big boys more often.
#4 Olsen keeps the score respectable
Robin Olsen, the Roma goalkeeper, had a night to remember as he was arguably the best player on the pitch.
The Swede made a host of top-class saves and single-handedly ensured his side weren’t on the receiving end of a mauling.
Though Juventus failed to showcase the attacking inventiveness they are capable of, they still created decent chances. Alex Sandro was the first to go eyeball to eyeball with Olsen and the latter came out with flying colours.
Apart from a couple of routine saves, he didn’t have much to do in the first half, yet his command over the penalty area was quite impressive.
In the second period, he made at least two world-class saves, which included a point-blank save from Ronaldo.
While a case could be made for the ball to be fired straight at him, the Swede did what all good goalkeepers do: narrow the angle, stay big and make the target as small as possible.
When Alisson left for Liverpool in the summer, many fans feared the worst. However, Olsen has made sure that the Brazilian hasn’t been missed. Though a comparison could still be premature, performances like Saturday night would certainly catapult him into that echelon.
At times, Roma looked clueless on the pitch and if it hadn’t been for their giant Swede, they could well have gone home embarrassed.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo has an off-day in front of goal
The 2017 Ballon d'Or winner moved to the Old Lady in the summer, shocking the world in the process.
After a slow start to his career in Italy, the Portuguese has quickly dovetailed with his teammates and has looked near his best recently. However, on Saturday evening, Ronaldo’s normally reliable finishing was just a little wayward.
In the first half, he failed to connect properly at a couple of crosses from the left flank whereas he couldn’t apply the finishing touch to a superb solo run as well.
However, after the break, Ronaldo had at least a couple of chances to make the net ripple. Yet, the Portuguese gave Olsen a chance to rescue the situation. A Cristiano Ronaldo in prime form would’ve buried the opportunity with the goalkeeper not even a part of the equation.
Though his finishing left a bit to be desired on the night, the same could hardly be said about his all-round play. The Portuguese was willing to run in behind on occasions and brought his team-mates into play expertly.
The shift in footballing philosophies from the Bernabeu to Turin has been enormous. While the former always preached offensive football, the latter is more prone to prioritise calculation over creativity.
Yet, Ronaldo being the champion he is, has taken to the Serie A like a duck to water.
The blemish against Roma may stand out due to his relatively spotless time with Juventus but one must not delve upon it too much. For all you know, the mercurial Portuguese might just conjure a hat-trick against Atalanta on Boxing Day.
#2 Mandzukic ‘rises’ to the occasion yet again
The bullish centre-forward from Croatia has enjoyed quite a year. In the summer, he created history when he led his country to a debut World Cup final appearance. A little hangover followed but he has returned to his hard-working best over the past couple of months.
Against Roma as well, the Croatian was decisive in the final third and rose high to plant a header beyond Olsen. The game looked to be advancing towards a goalless first half yet Mandzukic, like many a time before, proved to be the difference maker.
The goal represented the Croatian’s eighth league goal and week by week, he is highlighting why he could be the Old Lady’s most important player.
Mandzukic is a complete team man and doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty doing the defensive work.
Additionally, he is very clever with his movement, thus allowing his teammates to prosper. Moreover, he is as unselfish as they come and is an absolute treat to play alongside.
With Ronaldo coming into the equation this term, the Croatian has assumed an even more integral role.
The Portuguese always likes playing off a target man and in Mandzukic, he has a Benzema-esque player, who would create space, link up the play and let Ronaldo claim all the glory.
The striker’s contract is up in the summer and Juventus need to do everything in their power to keep him in Turin. For all the star names that Juventus possess, Madzukic might just be the most underrated and vital cog of them all.
And by climbing above everyone in the build-up to the goal, he again highlighted his ability to ‘rise’ to the occasion.
#1 Juventus continue to dominate Italy but still have chinks in their armour
Juventus went eight points clear at the perch of the table courtesy their 1-0 win over Roma. The win made it 16 victories out of a possible 17, with their only blip coming against Genoa in October.
Against the side from the Eternal City as well, Juventus barely broke into a sweat and were at their professional best. Having gone a goal ahead in the first half, they maintained their composure, kept Roma at an arm’s length and ensured the points stayed in Turin.
However, despite such a commanding display, there were a few frailties that came to light. On several occasions, Juventus shot themselves in the foot trying to play out from the back.
Bentancur was culpable for one moment of lackadaisicalness in the first period while the trend continued in the second half as well.
Under Allegri, the Black and White are inclined to play out from the back. Though they weren’t punished by Roma, better teams, especially in Europe could capitalise on their loose passing. Though playing out from the back is an extremely useful tactic, a failure to do so perfectly would result in inviting pressure.
Hence, moving forward, Juventus need to play out from the back with more conviction and not let the opposition have a sniff of the ball anywhere near their defensive third.
Additionally, Juventus looked a little exposed on the quick turnovers. Pjanic is a smashing ball-player but he doesn’t possess the adequate pace or tactical nous to stop counter-attacks.
Hence, a player like Can could come into the picture. After the German’s introduction, the Old Lady looked less susceptible to the counter.
In Europe, towards the latter stages of the Champions League, games are often decided by minuscule margins. Thus, it is imperative that Juventus iron out these flaws if they are to avenge their European heartbreak over the years.
With Atletico waiting in the wings in Europe, Juventus might not be accorded too many opportunities to make mistakes.
