Juventus came off a disastrous run of form before the international break, trying to get back on track against old foes Lazio on Saturday. However, another below-par performance, compounded by conceding a last-gasp goal, poured more misery on Massimiliano Allegri’s side.
Adam Marusic’s last-minute strike condemned Juventus to a 1-0 defeat, extending their embarrassing streak to just one win from their last nine league outings. Allegri hoped to turn his team’s fortunes around by switching from his favorite 3-5-2 to a 4-3-3, yet it failed to pay dividends.
Bereft of confidence and clueless in the front third, Juventus gave the impression of a side fighting in the lower reaches. It could boil down to Allegri’s formational shift or the absence of star striker Dusan Vlahovic, but there was hardly an excuse for another faceless display.
Fabrizio Ravanelli has slammed his former club, insisting Juventus players are scared while blasting Allegri for his tactical choices.
“Juventus have been very disappointing in recent weeks. This is a team that plays with fear and without ideas, as well as the wrong formation and substitutions,” Ravanelli told the Italian media.
“To wear the Juventus shirt you need a great personality. The Bianconeri players have a scared and resigned look on their faces when on the pitch.“
Juventus were second-best throughout the game, letting Lazio generate a 1.08 xG while racking up a measly 0.58 themselves. It marked their second consecutive scoring blank in Serie A, intensifying pressure on Allegri ahead of the upcoming clash against Fiorentina.
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