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Fabio Capello has provided a fascinating tactical breakdown of tonight’s game between Juventus and AC Milan.
Any game that pits the Bianconeri against the Rossoneri is one that carries a bit of added drama, given the long-standing rivalry between the two biggest clubs in Italian football. However, tonight there is a bit of added spice: Milan are top, and Juve just one point behind.
There are many sub-plots to the match too, such as the return of Massimiliano Allegri as well as that of Adrien Rabiot. Even Koni De Winter has a past at Juve, having made his Champions League debut for them under Allegri.
Capello spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about the game in Turin this evening and he broke down the crucial battles department by department, from the point of view of a coach.
Conceicao vs. Pavlovic
“How can Juventus’ attack challenge Milan’s defence? Definitely by exploiting the talents of Conceiçao and Yildiz, creating as many one-on-one situations as possible, where the two short Juventus players can make life difficult for the opposition.
“In particular, if I were Tudor, I’d encourage my players to frequently switch play from left to right: moving the opposition’s defense makes it difficult to maintain balance and defensive pairings. Why do I say left to right? Because in my opinion, Milan defends better on the right with Tomori and Saelemaekers than on the left with Pavlovic and the young Bartesaghi.
“Furthermore, Yildiz has a better boot than Conceiçao when it comes to launching players from one side of the pitch to the other, while the Portuguese has more pace than the Turk in one-on-one situations in space.
“It shouldn’t be forgotten that this will be only Bartesaghi’s second Serie A start, although a former Milan defender, whom I was fortunate enough to coach, has assured me of the young man’s abilities. In fact, compared to Estupinan, he’s probably more suited to defending.
“Young players, however, lack experience, and in a big match like this, they can easily make mistakes due to age. That’s why, if I were Tudor, I’d insist on attacking from his side, thus also limiting Pavlovic’s runs, who was also a key attacking force against Napoli.
“So far, we’ve talked about creative players, but at Juventus, the center-forward theme has been a hot topic for weeks. Tudor has changed him practically from game to game. First David, then Vlahovic, then Openda, and David again.
“Personally, the Canadian striker hasn’t impressed me in this first half of the season, and I think it’s much more dangerous for a defender to face Vlahovic in the penalty area.
“However, I can also understand the decision to initially focus on David or Openda, given that the Serbian has consistently performed better coming off the bench, but during matches, you need to be quick enough to recognise when to change.
“For example, in the Champions League against Villarreal, Tudor perhaps waited too long to be substituted: DV9 only came on for David in the 86th minute.”
The two midfields
“The midfield is making the difference for Milan. Partly because Allegri has addressed last year’s confusion, partly because when players of the caliber of Modric and Rabiot arrive, things inevitably change.
“Juventus, on the other hand, have some issues in midfield. If Tudor were to also be without Thuram’s energy tonight, the match would be significantly more complicated for the Bianconeri. McKennie is dynamic, he runs, he gets things done, but… he’s not Thuram when he pushes forward.
“Let’s also remember that Locatelli-McKennie was the midfielder on Wednesday in the Champions League, in a very intense match like the one against Villarreal, and therefore could suffer from some fatigue.
“If you want, there’s also Koopmeiners, who in my opinion – in a match like the one against Milan – Tudor wouldn’t risk playing in midfield, but rather higher up the pitch. In my opinion, the midfield should be dominated by Milan, who also have a great opportunity given the home side’s absences.
“This is partly because the Rossoneri have more enthusiasm and less fear, thanks to their recent results, and partly because Modric only plays for one of the two teams. The Croatian, despite his age, is a master. And I’m not just referring to his ability with the ball, but also, and above all, his ability to read situations and moments in the game.
“Juve don’t have a player like that. Therefore, I think it’s natural that the Rossoneri will be more in control of the game. Tudor will have to ask the full-backs to help out so as not to find himself outnumbered or risk dropping too deep.
“Milan’s midfield, moreover, has a unique ability: it manages to maintain balance, while being very quick in counter-attacks and lethal in the midfielders’ runs. And here we need to open up the discussion about Rabiot. The Frenchman is a longtime Juve player, but I’ve never seen him at his current level in Turin.
“I think he’s simply in the best moment of his career, and he’ll be further energized by the fact that he’s a former player. Rabiot and Fofana (although the latter should improve his shooting) have the ability to run into space, and Juve have shown they struggle with this particular skill in opposing midfielders.
“One last detail, which isn’t really a detail, is worth noting: the Bianconeri are having serious problems with set pieces, and if someone like Modric is the one taking the kicks at the other end, good luck! Corners and free kicks in modern football shift points.”
Gatti against Pulisic
“How much does Bremer’s absence weigh? It’s unfortunate to start with who won’t be there, but the Brazilian is the cornerstone of Juventus’ defence. Tudor thus loses a key player, not just physically, but also tactically and in leadership.
“Keeping Gimenez at bay is just one aspect; the real question is: which other Juventus defender can lead his teammates like Bremer does? It’s hard to say. Instead of the number 3, Rugani could be deployed in the middle of the defence, having not played a competitive match since July 1st, when he started the Club World Cup against Real Madrid.
“This solution, at least, would leave Gatti in his natural role as a marker/supporting midfielder, not forcing him to move to the center, where I think he’s less comfortable. A note on Gatti: he’s one of the most underrated defenders in Italy.
“I like him; he’s physically strong, has grit, and personality. For the Juventus defense, however, tonight will be a tough test. Milan can count on the current top scorer in Serie A, Christian Pulisic, who is enjoying a golden moment. The American has a skill that Juve could really struggle with: the ability to understand which space to occupy to hurt the opponent.
“That’s why Juve will have to be careful not to get caught out, especially in Rossoneri transitions: Conte’s Napoli knows a thing or two about this… Allegri, too, has two phenomenal weapons he can utilize during the game.
“I’m obviously talking about Leao and Nkunku, although the Portuguese player’s progression is always a question mark. If he were to repeat his performance against Napoli a week ago, it wouldn’t be a big problem for Juve; quite the opposite…
“The Portuguese, however, has had a week to improve his fitness after returning from injury, and if he’s in form, he can dominate the game from the bench. Leao is a wildcard, as is Nkunku, who hasn’t scored in Serie A yet (also because he’s played so little), but who absolutely has the pedigree of a top striker.
“If the two were to join a Juve side tired and disjointed from their Champions League efforts, they could be a perfect match.”
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