Serie A Scouted’s Gregory Caltabanis broke down last night’s Derby D’Italia from a tactical standpoint and raised three key points in the game.
In the early stages of the game, Juventus looked extremely comfortable in possession but eventually took their foot off the gas and let Inter back into it. For the better part of the first half, Mancini’s side were the better team but couldn’t find a way through the bianconeri’s uncompromising defence. Despite a few good chances, the game was 0-0 going into the break. Following the break, Juventus would once again retake control of the game with their intricate buildup. That said, it was now the Italian champions that were unable to find a way through the impressive pairing of Miranda and Murillo. While Handanovic made a few nice saves throughout, the Slovenian international was never forced into doing anything spectacular. After ninety-three minutes of football, referee Paolo Valeri would blow the final whistle. Inter would remain in third on seventeen points while Juventus continue to languish in the bottom half of the table on nine points.
Discussion points –
Juventus continue to alternate between multiple formations successfully:
Every time the Juventus starting eleven is announced pundits always have trouble deciphering Allegri’s formation. Is it a 3-5-2, a 4-4-2 or is it a 4-3-3? Well, the thing is, it’s a mix of all three. When Juventus are defending, the back four of Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini and Evra form while Cuadrado, and the three centre midfielders line up as four across the mid. As soon as the ball is recovered, however, Barzagli quickly assumes the role of right centre back while Cuadrado is thrust into an advanced position on the wing. Juventus have enjoyed success with this formation as it gives them the solidity of having two banks of four when defending without taking away their unpredictability in the final third.
Against Inter today Juventus opted for this hybrid formation and caused them all sorts of problems. For one, Inter had trouble creating chances as the nerazzurri were only able to muster four chances throughout the whole game. Juventus, by contrast, created a total of fourteen chances largely thanks to the exploits of their wing-play and Cuadrado in particular. This was the case as Inter played the majority of the game without the ball. As a result of their constantly changing formation, Juventus were able to dominate the game for the most part. In the past, this tactic has worked for Juventus against the likes of Sevilla and Manchester City and it now seems that it will be there to stay.
Mancini’s Inter has a very real “English” feel to it –
When Mancini decided to overhaul his Inter side this summer, he did it with a clear vision in mind: Bring in pure athletes over technical players. This was made all the more evident when Xherdan Shaqiri and Mateo Kovacic were sold in favour of Geoffrey Kondogbia, Felipe Melo and Ivan Perisic (he’s a technical player but maintains a physical presence). Today, Mancini went with the midfield trio of Medel, Melo and Brozovic in hopes of bullying Juventus out of the game. For about twenty minutes in the first half, it looked like it would work. That said, the nerazzurri began to struggle immensely after Juventus’ more technical midfield grew into the game. Against better sides, this Inter side will continue to struggle until one of their midfielder assumes control of the game.
The question is, however – do they have this sort of player? I still have my doubts over Kondogbia’s ability to act as this controller of sorts for them but he is probably Mancini’s best bet. At the moment, Mancini is still opting for Melo in this role but the Brazilian has clearly struggled. Today, the former Galatasaray man completed a measly 76.2% of his passes (16/21) while none of them came in the attacking third. Moreover, he looked clumsy without possession and was lucky not to be sent off. If this Inter side aspires to bigger things then Mancini is going to need to evolve his tactics because he won’t be able to overpower every opposition he comes up against, especially in the Champions League.
Make no mistake, this is Cuadrado’s team –
It has to be said that football works in mysterious ways. Before Juventus snapped up Cuadrado from Chelsea, the Colombian was barely playing. Today, he is quite possibly Juventus’ most important player alongside Buffon. It was no different against Inter last night. The former Fiorentina man received 57 passes last night, a total higher than anyone on the field.
To be fair to the Juventus loanee, he is effective in possession. Against Inter, Cuadrado created five chances and completed 75% of his dribbles. In addition to this, he almost broke the deadlock but saw his two shots expertly saved by Handanovic. While at times his decision making can leave you scratching your head, you cannot deny his match-winning ability. Even if it may seem like a dangerous tactic to employ, Allegri is basing much of his side’s play in the attacking third off Cuadrado. Until the younger players like Pogba and Dybala emerge as leaders, this is Cuadrado’s team.
Final word –
Today’s Derby D’Italia reminded us that good defence still exists. In that sense, this game was a thoroughly enjoyable one. While Murillo’s and Barzagli’s individual performances stick out for either side, it was the collective effort on display that made this game so, so good to watch. Those who believe plenty of goals are what makes a good game should watch this game and get back to me. It also serves as a glimpse of what’s to come for the rest of the season in Serie A which should make for one of the most interesting title races in recent years.
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