Champions League, Juventus beat the European champions: with Chelsea it ends 1 – 0

by time news

The best Juventus of the season. Maybe not in terms of the game, because the ideas are those of 40 years ago, pure bolt and counterattack, ninety minutes at home as the last of the provincial, low center of gravity, all behind the line of the ball and two lines of four, maybe even five to protect the goal. But if he beats the European champions without Morata e Dybala and he is first in the group with full points, Allegri is still right. And Juve does it. In Turin, he won 1-0 against Chelsea thanks to the usual goal of the Church, her star, the only one she has left but that combined with a massive dose of healthy Italian defense and the old Juventus spirit is enough for a small business, given the premises.

Merry after all, he had to invent something without the entire starting attack available and so he does what he does best: he defends, harnesses his opponents. He initially leaves the only striker left on the bench, Kean, deploying Church as offensive men, Square e Bernardeschi. It looks like a very light trident but in reality it is not even that, Juve continues to wear the slightly clerical dress of the 4-4-2 of this early season, without disdaining the 5-a-side defense at times.

It is not a question of form, nor of men but of attitude. The start of the Bianconeri is almost embarrassed: 15 minutes in your own trocar, to absorb Chelsea’s attacks, almost out of awe of the reigning champions. A single purpose: wait low, close the passing lines, restart at full speed if and when you can. It seems too little but the plan will work: Chelsea will also touch peaks of the 70% possession of the ball (especially in the first half, less so in the second half), but in the whole match he will not find a space, not even a crack.

After the all too renouncing start, all that stickiness in the middle of the field seems to bog down the English maneuver. Juventus instead takes courage, or at least confidence, determination. That of the old Juve, which was missing for months and finally sees itself again tonight. He also got a couple of chances, the only real ones of the first half. Rabiot thwarts an excellent counterattack by mistaking the last pass in the open field. Church does better, almost scoring. It is the signal that the match is taking the right direction, the one planned by Allegri.

The advantage comes in the second half: not even the time to get it started, a handful of seconds are enough for the usual Church to enter Bernardeschi’s assist and burn everyone. The 1-0, all in all deserved if we look at the opportunities at least, sends Tuchel’s already confusing team further into a tailspin. Still on the counterattack, and how otherwise, Bernardeschi has the ball to double, but it doesn’t even serve to end the match: the defense of Juve led by Bonucci calmly controls it.

The Chelsea game, on the other hand, is a bit ‘all in the game of Lukaku. Nothing, almost non-existent. The only good ball that happens to him, practically in the 90 ‘, he devours it by sending high over the crossbar from a good position. Proof that, when man-marked by great defenders, as already in Serie A with Inter against Juve, or as in the European Championships with Belgium against Italy, it is not the unstoppable scoring machine of all the other games. But even the fact that Chelsea’s game touches everything horizontally, which involves him so little, is perhaps not the most suited to his characteristics. Or vice versa he may not be the best possible center forward for Tuchel, a matter of point of view. The fact is that Chelsea, European champions a Torino makes a meager figure. Juventus certainly does not enchant, but they win. The double clash with Zenit which was supposed to be worth the qualification is now less scary. And even the first place is possible. Allegri smiles, with his sly smile. It is the first time since he returned home.

Twitter: @lVendemiale

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