Juventus: Full Report Card for Every Position for October

After a perfect September in which Juventus triumphed in all six games they played without conceding a single goal, October has proven to be a much more testing month. With losses to Atletico Madrid and Olympiacos, the Bianconeri also dropped points at Sassuolo, marking the first time they had failed to win in Serie A this term.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side did manage to record a crucial victory over title rivals Roma, however, allowing them to open up a gap atop the league standings. But that string of poor performances saw the team receive negative press, with the coach believing the international break had a negative effect on the cohesion of the team.

“We are trying to improve certain things,” Allegri told reporters at a press conference (h/t Football Italia). “But I was without many players for 15 days due to international duty.” While that may be true, it is also clear that injuries have had a detrimental impact on Juventus, with the absence of Andrea Barzagli and Martin Caceres perhaps the most notable.

Missing that duo, the defence has struggled to be at its best, a problem compounded by the slow recoveries of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal. With his two star midfielders labouring rather than excelling, it is little surprise that results have not always gone the way of La Vecchia Signora.

A loss to Genoa on Wednesday removed their advantage over the Giallorossi, raising more questions about the side's form. Over the following pages is a position-by-position look at how the team performed in October, with statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com unless otherwise stated.

Having not conceded a single goal last month, October has seen opponents net six times in as many games against Juventus. Gigi Buffon has kept just one clean sheet, shutting out an ineffective Palermo as the Bianconeri returned to winning ways on Sunday.

The lack of a settled and cohesive team in front of him has clearly affected Juve’s ability to shut down attacks and results have suffered as a consequence. While the dip in defensive solidity is worrisome, it is hard to apportion blame to the club captain, who has once again been displaying the consistent brilliance that has been a hallmark of his career.

According to ESPN statistics, the goalkeeper has been called upon to make nine saves, the exact same number he tallied in the previous month. He also made his 500th appearance for the club in the match against Genoa on Wednesday.

Grade: B+ (Last month: A)

Stephan Lichtsteiner has once again been the mainstay on the right flank, starting all but one of Juve’s October fixtures. He has suffered as a result, his non-stop style clearly falling below his usual high standards as fatigue took its toll.

With injuries to central defenders and Romulo, Allegri has had little option but to constantly call upon the Switzerland international. He gave away a needless penalty against Roma, hauling Francesco Totti to the ground in the area for seemingly no reason, and he picked up four yellow cards over the month.

Roberto Pereyra deputised well in an unfamiliar role against Palermo, perhaps providing some comfort to the coach who now knows he can use the Argentine utility man there should he need to.

Grade: D (Last month: C)

While Lichtsteiner has been perhaps overused, Allegri has had the option of constantly rotating on the opposite flank. Patrice Evra and Kwadwo Asamoah have effectively split the playing time on the left, with the former making two starts compared to three for the latter.

Each clearly has a very different playing style, and the orthodox full-back approach of Evra has added a different dimension to Juve’s shape. It has also opened up the possibility of a switch to a four-man defence at some time in the future, a move which may help improve the club’s chances in Europe.

The Frenchman was relatively poor against Sassuolo, but singling him out for criticism seems harsh, given the whole team failed to perform anywhere near their best. WhoScored.com shows the former Manchester United defender trails only Giorgio Chiellini in his average number of interceptions (2.8 per game), while he has also weighed in with 1.5 tackles and an assist thus far.

Both men have failed to deliver the kind of attacking impetus regularly seen from Lichtsteiner and must improve if Juventus are to reach their maximum potential. In addition, Evra is now expected to miss 30 days with a thigh strain, per the club’s official website.

Grade: C (Last month: B)

The most injury-hit area of the team, the absences of Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini have thrust Angelo Ogbonna into the spotlight. Having failed to impress last term, the former Torino captain has improved dramatically, and his displays over recent weeks have resembled the kind of form that prompted Juventus to invest so heavily in him.

Despite being fielded out of position on the right of the back three, the 26-year-old has been solid, averaging 0.7 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per game. His distribution has also been excellent, averaging 58.2 passes per game and completing 89.7 per cent of his attempts, prompting Allegri to switch him into the central role against Palermo.

That move saved him relying his weaker right foot, and he was well covered with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini alongside him. Both Italy internationals have been consistently good this term, with the latter leading the team in passes per game (77.1), clearances (4.0) and interceptions (3.0).

Grade: B (Last month: B)

While injuries have robbed Allegri of personnel options in defence, a lack of match fitness has seen some laboured performances in midfield. Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal in particular have struggled to shake off the effects of the knocks that saw them miss much of the vital pre-season training.

Pirlo has looked off the pace throughout October, making four appearances and averaging just 60.3 pass attempts, completing an uncharacteristically low 82.3 per cent of them. His coach has defended his play, citing the fact he missed most of the summer with a hip complaint.

“There’s no point hiding the fact that Andrea started training late and missed 40 days of training, so of course he’s going to need time,” Allegri told Sky Italia (h/t Football Italia).

Despite the problems of its leading pair, the Juventus midfield has been boosted by some excellent performances from other players. Paul Pogba has done well, Roberto Pereyra has impressed many and Claudio Marchisio has shone in a variety of positions as the club searched for viable solutions throughout October.

The Italy international has covered for Pirlo in the playmaking role, and while he may not be as creative as the World Cup winner, his passing has been essential to Juve’s build-up play. Averaging 70.9 attempts per game, he has completed 87.5 per cent, while also weighing in with 2.4 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per outing.

Grade: C (Last month: A)

The struggles of the Juventus attack this term have been well-documented, with this column looking in detail at the lack of goals from the club’s forwards in 2014-15. Carlos Tevez has been the exception to that, netting twice and adding two assists during his four October appearances.

Having gone nine matches without a goal to start the campaign, Fernando Llorente finally found his name on the scoresheet against Palermo with a well-taken header. Like Pirlo, the Basque striker has also been defended by Allegri, the coach insisting it was only a matter of time before he was back among the goals.

“I am happy he scored, as he repaid the faith we have in him and above all his own self-confidence,” he told Sky Italia after the win over the Rosanero (h/t Football Italia). Yet that strike was the only goal scored by a Juve forward other than Tevez during the entire month, indicating there is much room for improvement.

Alvaro Morata has begun to look much sharper, but Sebastian Giovinco continues to struggle in front of goal, once again hitting the woodwork after coming off the bench against Palermo. Knowing that Tevez will need to be rested very soon, Juventus need the others to begin contributing consistently if they are to succeed this term.

Grade: C (Last month: B)