Spalletti’s team fails to secure a win and remains on the edge of the playoff zone with 3 points in 4 games.

Luciano Spalletti’s second Juventus side had a scare, enjoyed the match, but ultimately settled for a draw, as they were held to a 1-1 tie at home against Sporting on Matchday 4 of the Champions League, once again postponing their first victory in the packed group stage. Maxi Araujo gave the Bianconeri a scare in the 12th minute, and Dusan Vlahovic put them at ease in the 34th, but the Old Lady failed to complete the comeback and settled for its third draw in four matches: it thus remains, for now, on the edge of the playoff zone as the group stage reaches the halfway point.
DUSAN’S MANUAL – Spalletti’s attacking midfield is a first for the coach in the 3-4-2-1 formation the Bianconeri fielded for this gala evening, as in Cremona, No. 10 Kenan Yildiz had been rested while Francisco Conceição came off the bench. However, the formation is merely a number, one that takes a back seat when differences in interpretation are such that they completely alter the team’s shape—and thus its play. The wide midfielders, for example, often drop back to the defensive line when out of possession; conversely, in bursts, the collective press forces the Portuguese side’s elegant passing game to increase its tempo, thus venturing into territory that is not suited to the green-and-whites: Sporting’s turnovers began to pile up quickly from midway through the first half onward, and as a result, spaces opened up that the black-and-whites were able to exploit with quick reactions and speed. It is therefore no coincidence that, once again, Vlahovic proved to have less trouble linking up with the team, “handling” long passes while protecting the ball, and even receiving consistent service. When, in the 34th minute, he capitalized on Khephren Thuram’s run to score the equalizer and give the fans and his teammates a boost, goalkeeper Rui Silva had already made three saves against the Serbian in half an hour—two of which were far from easy: one on a close-range header and the other on a low left-footed shot into the corner.
THE KOOP CARD – In defense, Spalletti stuck with Teun Koopmeiners after his successful debut on Saturday against Cremonese, but—despite his adjustment period—the visitors’ agonizing opening goal—scored by Araujo in the 12th minute—came from Juventus’ right flank on Sporting’s first real chance: a quality low pass and a razor-sharp finish by the Uruguayan that first hit the far post and then found the net. Returning to the Dutchman, on his second attempt, Koopmeiners once again demonstrated his composure and leadership in guiding the defense, while also adding some interesting vertical passes toward the midfield and attacking third, as seen on the 1-1 equalizer. Perhaps this is exactly what Spalletti expects from him. When Juventus weathered the storm following their early deficit—with Michele Di Gregorio pushing a powerful shot by Francisco Trincao onto the crossbar—the team’s character and courage emerged as they went in search of a comeback: repeated chances, the 1-1 goal, and Gonçalo Inacio’s save on Conceiçao at the end of the first half.
IN SEARCH OF SOLUTIONS – With the first substitutions, 20 minutes from the end, Spalletti brought Filip Kostic back out wide (moving the versatile Weston McKennie into a more central role) and brought on Edon Zhegrova in place of Conceiçao—who, as usual, was a master of fancy footwork but certainly no proponent of “carpe diem,” having wasted too much time on the ball, which represents a personal challenge he must overcome to make the leap in quality. And when Vlahovic came off the field, Yildiz moved into the center as a false nine for a couple of minutes, as a pensive Juventus looked for solutions within itself. Upon his exit, Jonathan David returns as the center forward; he was off his game on his first two touches but nearly became the hero of the night in the 92nd minute when he forced Rui Silva into yet another save with a fine header off yet another cross from Pierre Kalulu. Juventus at the Allianz Stadium is, all things considered, by far the best the Bianconeri have been this fall, but only points count when it comes to making the playoffs: they’ve earned three points in four games under Igor Tudor and Spalletti. If there’s a limited number of European wild cards, the Old Lady has already used them all up.

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