Juventus 2019/20 Report & Review

Introduction

In this report, we will look at the 2019/20 Serie A season, focusing on player and team performances. We will also look at squad turnover and where the club needs strengthening.

2019/20 Review

Juventus finished the 2019/20 season in 1st position, finishing with 83 points and a +33 goal difference, clinching the title by 1 point from Internazionale. Winning the league was the only acceptable outcome for the side domestically, however, their exit from the Champions League at the Knockout Stage to Olympique Lyon was a major disappointment.

In the league, they scored the 5th highest amount of goals with 76 which was behind all the other clubs in the top 5. Defensively they conceded the third fewest amount of goals in the league (43). They lost more games than the three teams directly under them but they also won more than any other team.

Key points

Possession – Juventus enjoyed 56.8% possession, the third most in the league. Studies show that once possession gets above 55% it can have an impact on the scoreboard which was true for Juventus too because it was the volume of their possession and attacks which helped them get their results, as opposed to efficiency.

Goal & Shots – Juventus scored 1.85 goals per game (5th) from the 3rd most shots per game (16) but they were 10th in accuracy (36.6%). Around 45% of their shots were from outside the box which suggests they weren’t able to create easier opportunities closer to the goal.

Of their 76 goals, Ronaldo scored 31 which is 41% of the goals by one player. Juventus need more help on this front with no other player getting to double figures in league goals.

Crosses – Juve attempted 13.54 crosses a game which is the 16th most in the league. This is not necessarily a bad thing because their success rate was only 32.4% which isn’t terrible but not at a level you’d want to rely on.

Crossing is in general low-yielding in results. A good crossing rate is only in the mid to high 30s which is still rather inefficient so less crossing was better for Juventus but it also aided in the lower attacking value of the wide players.

Dribbling/One v Ones – This was one of Juve’s main strengths. They liked to take their opposition on with the 5th most attempts in the league and were 1st in success with them beating their opponents 58.5% of the time.

Penalty Area Touches – Getting the ball in the box is important for setting up easier chances at goal and this is where Juve struggled with only 19.62 per game which was 7th most in the league. For a team that dominated possession and passing as much as they did, you’d expect a lot more from them. They were 8th in deep completions too which explains why they had so many shots from outside the penalty area.

Defensive Duels – Juventus dominated possession in most of their games so they didn’t face that many defensive duels (19th most with 55.06 per game) but when they did they won most of them (2nd in successful defensive duels, 59.2%)

Passing – As mentioned before, Juve were the most accurate passing team (88.5%) and also the 2nd highest volume passes per game (518.7). This doesn’t tell the whole story. While it certainly helped Juve to get results in many matches it wasn’t the most efficient or effective for them. The types of passes that were played paints a better picture.

Smart Passes & Through Passes – This is the most surprising stat for a team which won their league and had so many internationals and highly-rated talent available to them. Despite being number 2 in passing volume they’re 8th and 7th in attempted smart passes and through passes. This could indicate being patient and waiting for the right pass, however, they’re 17th (36.7%) and 16th (29.5%) in accuracy for these passes which means either the right passes weren’t coming due to lockdown defense by the opposition or the ability to execute them wasn’t there. It is certainly an area that will need improving.

Final Third Passes – Studies show that this stat is one of the most important for goal scoring. When a team’s completion of these passes is 80% or above it is often accompanied by more goals. Juventus are 2nd in volume (61.09 per game) and accuracy (80.5%) so getting into the attacking third was not the issue for Juventus, it was - going by aforementioned stats - playing the final ball to create the chances.

VPM – Juventus’s Attacking VPM was 265 which was third highest just behind Atalanta and Napoli. Their defensive VPM was 164 which was the best amongst the top 5 clubs. Their overall VPM was 242. This shows that they were doing a lot more attacking play than defending but when called on to defend, they were solid at the back.

To put Juventus’s numbers into perspective, Dutch Champions Ajax scored ATT VPM 451 DEF VPM 179 and an overall VPM of 543; Aleague Champions, Sydney FC, scored 239, 157, and 269; Glasgow Celtic of the SPL scored 469, 152, and 530; English champions, Liverpool scored 295, 179, and 353.

Successful sides will usually have higher ATT VPM than DEF VPM. This is not as much about volume as it is success of actions. Juventus were more successful on both ends than most of the clubs with Atalanta the only club with a better combined ATT & DEF VPM.

The overall VPM takes into account things such as discipline so fouls and cards. The lower the score, the worse the discipline. Comparatively to the rest of the league, Juventus had quite a good disciplinary record.

Squad

Below are the players from last season in Serie A who played significant minutes with some exceptions.

*The player played less than 1000 minutes in that position.

Matthijs de Ligt and Merih Demiral were the strongest in defense which is good news given they are both under 23. Bonucci was solid but at 33 is at the twilight of his career. Sandro, Danilo and Rugani didn’t offer much to the side when in possession. Cuadrado was exceptional but not being a natural right back means he was probably wasted there when the team needed more help up the field to break down defences.

The midfield didn’t produce enough on the attacking end or at least when it came down to piercing the defences. They were good at retaining and protecting possession which in the end was enough to get the results they needed. Adrien Rabiot’s VPM balance is close to the best of the midfield players with his ATT being higher than his DEF and it also at least being over 20.

As touched on before, Cristiano Ronaldo was relied on for most of the side’s goals and Dybala was relied on as the facilitator. Both players showed they are world class and having one or two of those types of players in your team can often be the difference between winning and losing. It’s not what you’d want to rely on though week in and week out, with injuries and suspensions always a possibility.

Squad Recommendations

A left back and a right back which can offer both attacking and defensive value, more attacking options with some creativity are key, in particular an attacking midfielder, also goal scoring forward option to take the burden off Ronaldo and Dybala and provide a real target for the midfield.

Even though getting readymade players in is important for immediate results, an eye always has to be on the long term as well. The recommendations below will be focussing mostly on the future and players who could potentially wear the black and white stripes for the next 10 years. The bigger names out there don’t really need to be highlighted.

Prospects

Fredrik Bjørkan - has a great VPM balance between the ATT & DEF for a LB. He is comfortable taking players on and can deliver a consistent cross should he need to. Whether defensively or offensively he is strong in challenges with a high success rate. His passing is at a high level, particularly his passes into the final third. At 21, he represents great potential, has resale value and is yet to hit his peak.

Stanley Nsoki - another young left back with a good VPM balance. His strengths are his distribution, helping to get the ball into the final third, taking players on, defensively and offensively in challenges he’s strong, and he’s good in the air. The jury is out on his crossing but that’s not a big part of Juve’s game anyway.

Vitaliy Mykolenko – this Ukrainian left back can chip in with some goals, has a very accurate cross, can pick a pass from various ranges, and is solid defensively in challenges and in the air.

Alessio Castro-Montes – is strong with defensive duels, has good passing range, able to deliver a decent cross, and can take opponents on. The balance between ATT & DEF VPM is also good for an attacking fullback.

Aslak Witry – is a real workhorse for his team as we can see with his 1.12 WR (actions per minute). Strong in challenges and in the air, he has good range with his passing and can beat players with his dribbling. An average crosser and hasn’t shown that he can apply that final killer pass but there’s not a lot of examples to judge him on.

Kevin Mbabu – is comfortable with the ball at his feet, can deliver a good cross and is strong defensively. He might not deliver that killer through pass but he can help the team to launch attacks from the back.

Pierre Lees Melou – A very good passer with range and has a relatively good through ball accuracy. At 27, he’s experienced but should be in his prime now. A good option as he has a very good balance on both ends of the pitch. A good option to play alongside Ribot.

Lászlo Bénes – the Slovakian International can pick a pass and has range, whether it’s a long pass or a through pass he’s hitting the mark more times than not. He might not offer much defensively but it’s in the attack where he shines although he’s not really a goal scorer.

Mohamed Ihattaren – this 18yo with PSV is the type of player Juve should be investing in. His shooting and through pass accuracy are above average, can take players on with his dribble, has decent passing range and his crossing is credible. He might not offer much defensively at this stage but represents huge resale value and many years of high level service.

Lovro Majer – at 22yo he’s still got a lot of room for development. Currently, he’s solid in every sense except for in the air. His through passes are at a 44% success rate which is a vast improvement on what Juve currently has.

Valgeir Valgeirsson – at 17yo of age he’s just getting started. He’s already playing senior football in Iceland and is a star for the Iceland youth teams. Valgeirsson represents an investment into the future. His passing, dribbling and shooting are all strengths and he doesn’t mind getting involved on the defensive side of things. His only weaknesses so far are aerially and crossing.

Federico Viñus – a powerfully built forward who can play as a target man and throw his weight around to trouble the defenders. He’s got an accurate shot and good conversion ratio, is comfortable with the ball at his feet. Particularly impressive is that he’s been able to score a 42 ATT VPM with only a 0.54 WR so he’s efficient.

Vladyslav Supriaha - is an exciting talent from the Ukraine. He scored a 31 minute hat trick for Dnipro against the team he was loaned from, Dynamo Kiev. He is good at getting in goal scoring positions and is quick, his shot is deadly accurate. Comparisons to his contemporary Haaland and Ukrainian legend Shevchenko are bound to follow him.

Nicolás González – Across the board a very solid player in every facet of the game although his forward passing could be a little cleaner.

Patson Daka – despite his less than impressive VPM numbers, he is an exciting talent. The only reason his ATT VPM is only 13 is because he was caught offside over 30 times this past season. If he can learn to time his runs better or is surrounded by players who can time their passes better, his ATT VPM will be around the 40s. Not the strongest in the air or taking players on but as a finisher he’s elite and in general play, solid.

Summary

Juventus are at the top in Italy but it’s getting harder and harder every year to stay there. Their squad is ageing and they’re lacking depth in a few areas. They need to look at their full back positions and get some players in who can give equally in attack and defense.

In central midfield, they need players who can provide more input in the attacking sense and be more creative and efficient in their actions.

Upfront a true number 9 who can take the scoring burden off of Ronaldo is key but also some more depth of attacking options who can help facilitate as well.

Juve need to recruit not only some readymade players but also get ahead of the curve by getting in some young prospects with low risk, high reward in mind.

*All data points sourced from Wyscout as of August 1st, 2020.
**All player’s personal and contract status taken from Transfermarkt as of August 1st, 2020.