UEFA Champions League tie Tottenham Hotspur vs Juventus
The Juventus defensive system relies on synchronicity of movement, which Mauricio Pochettino found an effective way to beak down.
Our full-backs were the key this.
Both Ivorian Serge Aurier and Welshman Ben Davies were instructed to hug the touchline as wing-backs when we had the ball. The plan, which worked beautifully, after the panic laden start, was to stretch the Juventus midfield and give us gaps to work with.
The perennial Italian champions had hoped to outnumber us in midfield, but with Federico Bernardeschi and Mario Mandzukic having to stay wide, their all important midfield block was broken.
When we had the ball we waited until we had created space between the defence and the midfield, then Erik Lamela would cut in from wide. Neither Bernardeschi and Mandzukic couldn't follow him, or any of the attacking trio, with our advanced full-back to look out for.
This created a problem.
It caused a central defender to come out to him and created a hole in the defence we could exploit. Juventus never worked out how to cope with the tactic.
They play a zonal marking system which involves switching markers. Pochettino played on that and it created confusion. When does a man pass over responsibility to another marker?
Unless the two are on the same wavelength, the player could be left, two could end up marking one or holes in either position created. Players have to constantly be making decisions and the more decisions you make an opposition to make the more mistakes are going to occur.
After an initial burst from them, which we should have handled better, Spurs basically controlled the game and were the dominant force in the second half.
Juventus struggled to counter our aggressive pressing in their own half and we continually won the ball back, leaving Juventus out of shape and vulnerable to a quick attack.
Our first goal came as a direct result of this.
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri, who was linked with us before Pochettino arrived, said at the post-match press conference:
“Football is strange, you can go from a possible 3-0 to 2-1, a possible 3-1 to 2-2. I think we all knew how complicated this would be. Now it’ll be like a Final in London.
“Apart from Gigi Buffon’s save on Harry Kane, Tottenham didn’t have any real chances. In the second half we changed a few things and overall played a good game.
“We conceded the first goal playing out of defence, the second on a free kick. Football gives and it takes away, but I don’t think there’s any need to get depressed.
“If someone thought Juve could win this 4-0, then they were way off track. Perhaps reaching two Finals in three years was damaging to some people.
“Who didn’t play is irrelevant. The team put in a good performance, we took the lead and in the second half were more dangerous than them. Tottenham played very well and when we go to London, they’ll be under more pressure than us.
“They were surprised by our start and had to do something to react. We were pinned back because our wingers were too deep. It’s a pity, we’ll just have to fight for our qualification in London.
“I didn’t ask the team to go deep, more than anything else we were pushed back by Tottenham. After that 25-minute spell when they pinned us back, we couldn’t get back out.”
Allegri is right, Wembley is now a final and Juventus are far more used to playing in them than we are, they are far more used to top level European football than we are.
There is no doubt the Italians under estimated us and that won't be the case in the second leg. Getting a result away from home means nothing if we don't finish the job off in London. It could almost be classed as the easy part of the tie!
Opposition Facts
- This is the first official match at Wembley for Juventus.
- The Bianconeri have won 12 of their 23 official matches played in England, drawing three and losing eight.
COYS
Further Reading
- 17-year-old Spurs target Ryan Sessegnon has better stats than Dele Alli
- The UEFA Champions League Chase - Who has the easiest run-in?
- The FA employee responsible for the shambolic mismanagement and implementation of the VAR system should be sacked
- New Spurs stadium news and wouldn't kids like to watch out for a Batlight of Spurs stars light up the night sky?
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