Juventus 1-1 Roma: different systems but an evenly-balanced match
JUVENTUS: 30 Storari; 43 Sorensen, 19 Bonucci, 3 Chilleini, 6 Grosso; 23 Pepe, 14 Aquilani, 4 Melo, 8 Marchisio; 18 Quagliarella, 9 Iaquinta. ROMA: 27 Sergio; 77 Cassetti, 29 Burdisso, 5 Mexes, 17 Riise; 23 Greco, 16 De Rossi, 30 Simplicio; 94 Menez; 10 Totti, 9 Vucinic. Usual diagrams back ASAP.
A cracker from Vincenzo Iaquinta and a Francesco Totti penalty meant it was a point apiece.
Juventus stuck with the 4-4-2 system they’ve used for most of the campaign. Frederik Sorensen was a starter at right-back, whilst on the other side Fabio Grosso continued. Alessandro Del Piero was omitted with Fabio Quagliarella and Iaquinta upfront.
Claudio Ranieri played the 4-3-1-2 system he’s favoured in recent weeks. Marco Borriellowas left out with Mirko Vucinic, Francesco Totti and Jeremy Menez forming the attacking trident. Leando Greco and Fabio Simplicio were either side of the midfield three.
The first half was a very good game, with either side stronger in different areas of the pitch. Naturally, Roma dominated the midfield and therefore had more possession, but Juve were better at actually creating chances and getting the ball into dangerous positions.
Juventus
Both sides were of interest individually. Juventus used a back four, but Grosso pushed forward and Sorensen tucked in slightly on the other side (the Dane was making just his second start but is supposedly more of a centre-back than a right-back). Grosso’s presence on the left allowed Claudio Marchisio to move into the centre of the pitch and make sure Juve weren’t outnumbered in that area.
On the other flank, Simone Pepe played a very different role. He stayed wide when Juventus were on the attack, and he also covered Sorensen very well when Juventus lost the ball. He is often a frustrating player but was the clear dangerman here, putting numerous crosses into the box.
The other player on top of his game was Alberto Aquilani, and he assisted the first goal when he moved out to Pepe’s flank and put a low cross in – Iaquinta brilliantly swivelled and took the ball in mid-air, guiding it perfectly into the far corner. The goal had looked likely to come from wide positions – that flank, specifically, considering Marchisio wasn’t playing as a winger on the left – and Roma’s shape didn’t offer much protection for the two full-backs.
Roma
Roma’s 4-3-1-2 often looked more like a 4-3-2-1 when Totti dropped deep – reminiscent of the way their front three played in 2001/02, when Totti and Antonio Cassano would be fielded alongside a main striker. Their shape was very fluid at the top end of the pitch – Totti went deep, Menez moved from flank to flank whilst Vucinic drifted to the left. Still, there was not enough support from midfield until Simplicio moved forward in the second half. Totti’s penalty followed a slightly unfortunate handball from Pepe, attempting to block a free-kick.
Melo deep
Felipe Melo played a crucial role in stopping Roma creating in open play, taking up very deep positions in front of his own defence and making sure the Roma trident didn’t simply pass its way around Juventus’ centre-backs. He was helped by the fact Aquilani was having a great game and was dominating the midfield almost single-handedly – the situation in terms of formations (with Juventus wide players generally in space) suiting his inclination to knock the ball from flank to flank perfectly.
Second half
Two substitutions for the second half, but no real change in system. Aleandro Rosi replaced Marco Cassetti, whilst Armand Traore replaced Grosso, who looked unable to play the required role in terms of fitness – after a long period out, three games in a week was too much for him. Traore made a positive impact – he was more of an attacking threat and had a relatively easy debut as he had no direct opponent.
The game became stretched as the second half wore on, but the centre-backs were having good games – particularly Philippe Mexes and Giorgio Chiellini.
Juve got 4-3-3
Roma changed little tactically aside from bringing on Matteo Brighi for Greco and moving Simplicio to the left, but Gigi Delneri went for it late on. After replacing Iaquinta with Del Piero, he then brought on Amauri for Marchisio, moving to a slightly lopsided 4-3-3 with the midfield line to the right of the pitch, and the forward line to the left.
Quagliarella almost scored an incredible volley from 30 yards but Julio Sergio saved well, whilst Aquilani’s shot from the edge of the was blocked when Sergio looked beaten. Menez was Roma’s most dangerous player, scampering between the lines and finding space well, but neither side could score a second.
Conclusion
The two different shapes made for an interesting game, and to a certain extent the nature was predictable from simply looking at the above diagram – Roma had a lot of the ball by retaining it in midfield, whilst Juventus were more dangerous as their wingers were able to take on the opposition full-backs quickly.
Juve now look a good side with a cohesive, settled shape that makes the most of their players’ abilities. Aquilani was excellent and the two new full-backs, Sorensen and Traore, had good games.
Roma seemed to hold the ball for too long in midfield. They missed an on-form David Pizarro, who was the best player in this fixture last year, providing the cross for John Arne Riise’s late winner. It remains to be seen whether Ranieri can accommodate him in this shape, but whilst Simplicio and Greco provide the energy, they don’t have anything like Pizarro’s passing range.
Juventus 1-1 Roma: different systems but an evenly-balanced match
why on earth did we lone out aquliani!!!!:(
hodgson has to answer for that, he thinks poulsen is better than aquilani. deluded old man
oh and this is off topic but what do you think has gone wrong so far with hodgsons reign at liverpool. is he to stubborn in his ways?
He is going into everygame with a “small-team” mentality, kind of like Mancini except that he doesn’t have the great players up top that Mancini do.
i dont think he knows how to set up a team to win. not just to nulify
yeah that was what I was trying to say,
It hurts to see Aquilani playing that well against Roma.
Juve had better dish out the cash to permanently get hold of Aquilani come the end of the season (can we do that in Jan?? if we can better not delay, just get it done with!!)…the guy is phenomenal!! we can’t lose him!
Still can’t believe we got rid of Aquilani and brought Poulsen instead, mind-bogging stuff.
If only Roma could get a rich investor. They actually have a core of very good players, just not enough money to keep their best players, and buy decent squad players to increase their depth to really challenge for the Scudetto and Champions League. Just imagine, Pizarro dictating from deep, De Rossi providing the energy, and Aquilani with the free role up front…
was not to long since we had all 3 you mention, you have to remember that aqua is kinda injury prone and that pool most probebly overspet to get him.
and no, aqua is not a great attacking midfielder, he is best of in a semi deep role dictating play just like Pizarro, hence he would never be first chose in the 4-2-3-1 formation we was playing back then
Aqua shine at juve for the simple reason that he is exactly the type of player they need, and have been missing for a few years now
I agree that Aquilani’s best position is the one Pizarro plays (you could argue that for De Rossi too), but I doubt he would be worse as an attacking midfielder than Menez, who is really inconsistent.
I think De Rossi was very important for Roma until Brighi was brought in for Greco, during that time he won alot of balls infront of the defence and sent some good passes forward to Totti who gave some nice one touch through balls to the man on the wing.
I think Ranieri did a mistake with his substitutions, Borriello should have started since the midfield created alot of chances in the first half, and in the second half when they put on more defensive minded players in midfield a player like Vucinic would have been more effective with the opposition opening up spaces due to fatigue. In other words Roma could have won this if Ranieri was a bit more adventureous.
Vucnic was prefared since he is better agaisnt oposing fullbacks and usaly play wider then Boriello would, a logical chose considering how weak Juve have been in wide defence all session
maybe it was an error to take of Totti thought since he is showing signs of growing form and did well vs juve, maybe moving Totti down to the middfield and sub one midfielder for Borriello would have been a better chose?
maybe Ranieri should have finnished the game playing 4-2-3-1 somthing like this?:
——–Sergio———–
Rosi-Mexes-Burdisso-Riise
—-De Rosi-Brighi——-
—Menez-Totti-Vucinic—
——-Borriello———
this would have given a much better attacking upside and pressure in wide regions, but I can also understand his chose to stick to the starting formation and see the game out, 1-1 away to juve was a good result (this would still make me question subing Totti thought since he have been superb working hard for the team wasting time down the corner flags when lack of form have made his passing and shooting dire so far this session)
Totti makes it so Ranieri almost has to leave one of Menez, Vuc & Borriello on the bench. I hate to say it, but they be more dangerous with those three on together. This game was crying out for Borriello to work alone up front. Then there might have been more end product to Menez’ mazy runs. And as said above, it hurts soooo much to Aquilani play, much less play well, for Juve.
Looking back, though, it was a good deal for Roma. 20 million for an injury-prone midfielder, when they’re well-stocked there. They weren’t too know if he’d eventually be healthy long-term. And he still hasn’t. And yes, he’s best in a Pirlo role, which is why Benitez & now Hodgson are idiots. He’d have been the best replacement for Mascherano, with Lucas doing the dirtier work. Stupid stupid stupid.