Death, taxes and Juventus conceding from the first shot on target
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 23.02.26. | 15:49
It sounds improbable, almost shocking, but the Bianconeri are following a dreadful defensive pattern
Something is seriously rotten in Turin.
The Old Lady, once known for its strength and seen as the strongest side in Italy and one of the most prominent in Europe, has taken a different path.
A downfall, to be precise.
Juventus are currently fifth in Serie A, four points below the Champions League places. Galatasaray battered them 5-2 in the first leg of the ongoing UCL playoffs, so they are on the verge of a painful exit and in danger of missing out on Champions League football next season.
The last time that happened was the 2023/24 season, when they finished third in the domestic championship, but UEFA banned them from European competitions for one season due to financial irregularities. Before that, Juve's last failure to qualify through sporting results was much earlier - the 2011/12 season, after finishing seventh in Serie A.
The numbers in their current campaign expose Juventus’ vulnerability. They are on a five-game winless run, with four defeats, the last one this Saturday at home against Como (0-2).
Even more bizarre, they conceded the opener from Como’s first shot on target. This has happened for the 13th time since the start of the season, with Juventus playing 25 games across all competitions.
Reflecting on the match, their boss Luciano Spalletti explained his concerns as quoted by Calciomercato:
"Performance is affected by the first goal, and it's always a matter of incident. When you get back to it, you have to be long and wide, depending on where they want to go. You apply individual pressure and they carry you around with dribbling and possession, and then everything becomes more difficult. Then it happened 13 times that you conceded with your first shot on goal, and it's clear that if that happens, it's going to be difficult."
But it’s not just the defence that causes headaches for Spalletti. Juve has scored 43 Serie A goals, which is low compared to Inter's 62. No wonder the Nerazzurri, sitting comfortably at the summit, are 18 points clear of the Old Turin Lady.
At this point, Juve need a turnaround in both directions, or this could become one of the worst campaigns in the recent history of the Italian giant.
SERIE A - MATCHDAY 26
Friday
Sassuolo - Hellas Verona 3-0 (2-0)
/Pinamonti 40, Berardi 44, 62/
Saturday
Juventus - Como 0-2 (0-1)
/Vojvoda 11, Caqueret 61/
Lecce - Inter 0-2 (0-0)
/Mkhitaryan 75, Akanji 82/
Cagliari - Lazio 0-0
Sunday
Genoa - Torino 3-0 (2-0)
/Norton-Cuffy 21, Ekuban 40, Messias 83/
Atalanta - Napoli 2-1 (0-1)
/Pasalic 61, Samardzic 81 - Beukema 18/
Milan - Parma 0-1 (0-0)
/Troilo 80/
Roma - Cremonese 3-0 (0-0)
/Cristante 59, Ndicka 77, Pisilli 86/
Monday
20.30: (1.67) Fiorentina (3.85) Pisa (5.50)
22.45: (1.90) Bologna (3.45) Udinese (4.60)
***odds are subject to change***