There’s no two ways about it, as Juventus losing Gleison Bremer possibly for the remainder of the campaign is a season-altering event that could impact the title race. It might be more open than anticipated since Inter have left the opponents that went through massive changes in the summer off the took so far.
The Brazilian was in peak form and is one of the best center-backs around in those instances. Numerically speaking, the Bianconeri have the men to get to January, which is just two months away and with a pair of breaks in the middle. However, given his quality, any side would be in a tough spot. According to Romeo Agresti, there have been no serious considerations about adding a free agent. They are right with that as only over-the-hill players are out of contract.
The Internal Solutions for Juventus
Thiago Motta isn’t too flashy and bold with his experiments, as the base tactic mostly stays the same. Still, he has tried a few slightly different things already. He didn’t rotate just for the sake of it or to manage energies but to find the solution he liked the most. He’s done it in the back and especially in the midfield, while it was more obvious up front.
Every defensive combination has worked considering that Juventus have yet to concede in Serie A. Still, defenders would do more than just be stout and dependable in the coach’s ideal design. Federico Gatti and Bremer formed the initial muscular and intimidating duo, but it was a little too vanilla when it came to handling the ball and contributing to the build-up. Neither is prone to pushing forward. Pierre Kalulu, with his better agility and technical prowess, came along quickly. His emergence came at the expense of the former but not for his demerits.
The Likely Go-To Pairing
The Frenchman and the Italian becoming the go-to couple in the back for Juventus hinges on how Nicolò Savona fares on the wing. He’s been fine, but he’ll have to play several matches in a row against high-quality opponents. That’s a big step for somebody who was in the Serie C a few months ago. If he holds up, it’ll be smooth sailing relatively speaking. Otherwise, they’ll have to turn to Danilo, who’s a better fit for the middle than the flank given his lack of athleticism. He’s naturally gifted, he’s Brazilian after all, but he hasn’t exactly been spotless defensively in recent years. He’s never been a pure center-back in a four-man line. He could overcome that thanks to his experience, but it might be too late for him to learn the ins and outs of the position. The idea of adapting Douglas Luiz was floated even by the gaffer himself in the summer. Considering how things have gone for him in Turin so far, it’s better not to play with fire.
The Alternative
Juan Cabal is the other readymade fallback. He started decently, but he was yanked quickly after a pair of lackluster showings and wrong reads. He was playing primarily because they didn’t have wingers at the beginning of the season and needed Andrea Cambiaso offensively. His natural role is left-back, and he’s way better than the newcomer. If the other options fail, they can move him to the right, and lean on the Colombian, which should be perfectly viable. Instead, deploying the former Verona talent centrally would need some work. He’s done it only early in his career and not in Serie A. It doesn’t seem a great fit for his traits. They probably won’t even try as long as Kalulu is healthy, which is also a question mark.
Still, no matter what the Juventus boss comes up with, it’ll be hard to soften the blow. The consequences were already felt in Germany, albeit in a strange game, as Bremer was able to remedy everybody’s else mistakes.
The Conundrum
Other than toying with the selection and his direct replacement, Motta is at a strategic crossroads. The string of clean sheets is already an outlier historically and won’t last long, and their rearguard will inevitably be worse. In order to offset that, he can either slow down the pace to reduce the number of risks. In addition to not conceding, the Bianconeri have had a ridiculously low number of shots against them in Serie A. They haven’t done it by bunkering up, as Massimiliano Allegri did, but through ball and territorial possession, or rather domination in some fixtures. You can be proactive and airtight at the same time. However, it might not have been a premeditated decision but simply a way to rebuild the team in the right fashion, starting from the basics. It’s easier to devise a stingy defense than an intricate offense. Plus, it’s more in the club’s DNA. But the boss had started to turn up the heat after one too many nil-nil results.
That route would be risky without one of the best center-backs in the world shutting down his direct opponent and cleaning things up. The alternative, which is to go all-out on the other end, is more alluring and aesthetically pleasing. It’s perhaps more aligned with what a lot of people expected out of Motta. In reality, he had done away with extreme tactics after getting the ax very quickly at Genoa, becoming very pragmatic and Spezia and arriving at a great compromise at Bologna. The Felsinei were more solid and commanding than fast-paced and entertaining.
The Future Challenges
Juventus will have a few mammoth acid tests coming up after the break. The level of the damage will be clear quickly. The option of turning up the heat and making a concerted effort to outscore opponents is on the table. They took that route versus RB Leipzig, leading to their most memorable display in ages. Perhaps it was a guttural reaction to the adversities. It could work if Dusan Vlahovic and Francisco Conceiçao stay hot and Kenan Yildiz and Teun Koopmeiners get going. They have the manpower to do it. Motta has already proven to have an impressive handle on the group, but he’ll have to change his plans and make a call quickly after the massive injury blow. There’s an element of unknown in each path, and it’s not easy to weigh the upside. The outcome will be decisive to the team’s fortunes.
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