This is Chiellini's Juve
Paulo Dybala was decisive as Juventus downed Lazio 2-0, but Luca Cetta also saw plenty of promise in Giorgio Chiellini’s dominant display.
Travelling to Rome on the back of four successive Serie A victories, Juventus were coming to a pivotal moment in their season. A triumph in the Capital against a desperate Lazio would not only put pressure on those above, it would add to the growing notion that the Bianconeri are serious Scudetto contenders. All this after a poor start to the season left Juve languishing in the bottom half by the end of October.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team did claim three points and in some comfort too. A toothless Biancocelesti gave Gianluigi Buffon little cause for concern throughout the 90 minutes and Juventus hardly moved out of second gear. It was enough for Corriere dello Sport to consider this Old Lady outfit one worthy of the Scudetto, as they continue their climb up the table.
Paulo Dybala took the plaudits, contributing heavily to Santiago Gentiletti’s early own goal, before firing a stunning second just past the half hour mark. The young gun has been dazzling of late and it is reflected in his output: three goals in five matches. His numbers compare favourably to those of departed favourite Carlos Tevez, such is his rich vein of form. Tevez scored seven goals in all competition by this stage of his debut season, the same as Dybala. The 22-year-old has done it with fewer minutes under his belt – 1135 to 945. But Dybala knows he has a long way to go to emulate Apache.
While La Joya added to his burgeoning reputation, an old warhorse was recovering his. Giorgio Chiellini put in a dominant defensive display, constantly thwarting Lazio’s increasingly fruitless attacking endeavours. Doing so with a bandaged forehead only served to rekindle memories of great Chiellini performances of the past. He led the way for Juventus in interceptions and clearances – five and seven respectively – and only Mario Mandzukic bettered his three tackles.
That dominance is exactly what Juventus wanted to see after shaky performances this term from their rugged vice-captain. Chiellini had looked out of sorts and contributed crucial errors, notably against Sassuolo and Borussia Mönchengladbach. In the former he was sent off as Juve were defeated – their last setback to date – while in Germany his sliced clearance led to the Turin club falling behind.
Chiellini’s return to form has coincided with the Bianconeri rediscovering their defensive steel. Allegri’s side recorded a solitary clean sheet in the opening seven Serie A matches. They’ve conceded just four goals in the eight matches since, including a run of three consecutive clean sheets. And in each they looked assured.
But as Buffon reminded, the work of those further afield is also telling. “The credit for the defensive solidity is down to the forwards too, as they work their socks off when tracking back and that is an important sign for the rest of the team.” Mandzukic was particularly impressive in this department at the Stadio Olimpico.
It’s a Juventus side which is playing more like its assured self. The doubts of the opening few weeks are being quelled. The boss admitted Lazio had his side under early pressure, but with Chiellini, plus fellow defensive marshals Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, they never looked like conceding. And there’s always the option for Allegri to switch between a three and four man defence, where he knows the team won’t lose anything in terms of defensive endeavour and ability. Such is their understanding.
Allegri is asking his team to “grit our teeth and keep going” until the Christmas break. It’s a difficult upcoming week, with the Champions League encounter at Sevilla set to determine top spot in Group D. Days later is the visit of Fiorentina, a huge match in the context of the Serie A season, then the Turin Derby in the Coppa Italia.
Chiellini personifies what the Coach is seeking.
http://www.football-italia.net/76685/chiellinis-juve
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I don't think I can remember a season that Chiellini has started well. It always takes him a while to get going but he has been great recently and hopefully he keeps it going.
He may not be the most composed defender but he is superb at battling for the ball, which is what you need next to Bonucci.
