After a poor start to the season that had Juventus languishing in mid-table, the bianconeri have really come into their own and are now climbing up the standings.
Juventus’ convincing win against Palermo was their fourth in a row in league play and confirmed a good run of form for the Italian champions. While the win allows Juventus to win some ground on their rivals, it mostly served as a showcase to all doubters. It was quite fitting that Mario Mandzukic, Stefano Sturaro, and Simone Zaza, three players who have all come under heavy criticism earlier in the year, got their name on the scoresheet to gift their side the three points.
In addition, this game truly shows that when it comes to this Juventus side, Massimiliano Allegri knows best. The former Milan boss has seen many of his tactical decisions scrutinized over the year, especially in terms of team selection. In their mid-week game against Manchester City, Allegri’s decision to start Mandzukic over Alvaro Morata was ridiculed, only to see the former score the crucial goal in the game. Today, many called for Mandzukic to return to the bench again in favour of the Spaniard but thankfully Allegri didn’t listen and reaped the rewards. In the second half, the Croatian leaped over his marker and headed home Paulo Dybala’s inch-perfect cross. That would be all that Juventus would need on the night and was Mandzukic’s second winner in as many games.
Sesto gol stagionale per #Mandzukic che arriva puntuale su cross di #Dybala #Palermo… (Vine by @DamGiordano) https://t.co/07cCsG5njV
— 2 di Joker (@arditi1970) November 29, 2015
After Mandzukic scored his goal, it was time for another player to silence his doubters. After a rather rough start to the season, Stefano Sturaro was yet another Juventus player to come under fire. Recently, however, the Italian has put in some stellar performances and is beginning to deliver on his promise. Considering Sami Khedira’s love affair with the treatment room, it was absolutely crucial for the former Genoa man to break through. Tonight against Palermo, the 22-year-old was easily the man of the match and added a goal to his Juventus account with a calm, left-footed finish. More importantly, he didn’t try doing too much which is a positive sign. Sturaro is now aware that it is up to Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio to dictate play and not him. Prior to this, the player would often overextend himself but it now appears that the burden of responsibility is off his shoulders. Moving forward, I can definitely see Sturaro carving out a spot in the starting eleven for himself.
Mandzukic and Sturaro scoring apparently wasn’t enough as a third juventino was determined to prove countless Juventus fans wrong. With just six minutes left in the game, Allegri subbed on Simone Zaza for Paulo Dybala. His introduction wasn’t greeted with cheers as Zaza isn’t exactly what you would call a fan favourite. After an energetic first few minutes on the pitch, the former Sassuolo man would get a chance to make his mark. With just ten seconds left in the game, Zaza received a pass in the box from Morata and dispatched his shot cooly to Stefano Sorrentino’s right. It was the player’s third goal on the season despite only starting three games. While the striker still has ways to go from a technical standpoint, the 24-year-old can certainly offer a spark off the bench like not many others in the team could.
When the ref blew the final whistle at the Renzo Barbera, the scoreboard really said it all: Three points courtesy of three players who have seen their every move criticized for the last few months. It’s also important to note that Giorgio Chiellini, who many were asking to be dropped in recent times, was solid at the back and played a major role in his side picking up their third consecutive clean sheet. For this reason, I urge Juventus fans to stop finding the negatives in every situation and actually trust their manager. The same manager who nearly won the treble in his first season. Is it too naive on my part to ask this? Probably but I guess I’m just an optimist.
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