Andrea Pirlo’s first season in the Juventus dugout has not been anywhere as smooth as the Italian conductor’s performances were on the pitch.
But an improved run of form has seen the champions rise to third in Serie A, while a first Coppa Italia success in three years could be on the cards after eliminating Inter Milan the semi-finals.
The big games are coming thick and fast for Juventus, starting with tonight’s clash at Napoli, which you can watch for FREE on the LiveScore app.
And Pirlo (pictured above) is beginning to show why he may be up to the task of managing the Old Lady.
A difficult beginning
Pirlo’s lack of managerial experience meant there were always going to be doubts over his ability to lead such a demanding club so early in his coaching career.
Those doubts only intensified after a challenging start to the 41-year-old’s maiden campaign, where six draws and one defeat before Christmas left Juve’s hopes of a 10th successive Scudetto in disarray.
Handling the pressure
Plenty of coaches would have crumbled under the pressure but Pirlo has shown the fortitude to turn things around.
Juventus have only dropped points in one league match since December’s disastrous 3-0 home defeat to Fiorentina and have recorded some eye-catching results along the way.
A 3-1 win at leaders AC Milan was the pick of the bunch, while the recent 2-1 aggregate victory over Inter in the cup is yet more evidence that Pirlo can beat the best.
Building from the back
The recent improvement has been built on a rock-solid defence and Juve have recorded six clean sheets from their last seven fixtures in all competitions.
That is all the more impressive when you consider three of those games were against Napoli, Roma and Inter — all sides known for their attacking impetus.
Those results have seen Pirlo likened to former Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri, who was famed for his defensive resilience.
Speaking after the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final showdown with Inter on Tuesday, Pirlo said: “It pleases me a lot. If I win what he did, you can call me ‘Allegrian’, no problem.”
Getting the best out of Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to lead the Serie A scoring charts with 16 goals this season and his importance cannot be exaggerated.
Ronaldo, 36, missed three games early in the campaign against relative minnows Crotone, Hellas Verona and Benevento, with Juve drawing all three of them.
After he netted in the 2-0 victory over Roma last weekend, Pirlo was full of praise for the selflessness of the Portuguese icon.
He said: “Since the beginning of the season, Cristiano’s made himself adaptable to our needs on the pitch.
“In some games he’s played more like a proper No9 when we asked our other striker to close down the opposition’s playmaker.”
More to come?
Only Roma (2.81) have created more big chances per 90 minutes than Juventus (2.75) this season — but the Old Lady have been wasteful in front of goal.
They have missed an average of 1.95 big chances a game and will hope their fortunes can continue to improve if they discover a more clinical edge.
That might not be enough to secure a 10th straight title but Juve need to play the long game.
Pirlo is learning his trade at a rapid rate and is evolving into a manager capable of leading them to glory — just as he did as a player.
Watch Napoli vs Juventus live for FREE on the LiveScore app tonight at 5pm (UK and Ireland only).
Source: livescore
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