Serie A 2022/23 preview: How can Allegri find the best tactical solution to lead Juventus past shaken Milan? – tactical analysis

Both Milan and Juventus didn’t have the best start to the 2022/23 season with the teams failing to show consistency and having struggles in certain areas.

The Rossoneri are currently fifth in Serie A and their defensive performance makes their title-defending season more complicated than expected. The team struggled with multiple injuries in the last month, but the bigger problem seems to be their inability to cope with creative attacks – something Stefano Pioli’s side didn’t have a problem with last season.

The uncertainty in the Juventus squad continues with Massimiliano Allegri failing to find the best tactical solutions in their games, which results in a lack of connection between the lines and poor performance during transitions.

The derby between Milan and Juventus in the ninth round comes in a moment of crisis for the two teams, as both managers have a lot to prove and need to demonstrate tactical intelligence to grab the important three points.

Milan’s chances have dropped significantly with a few new injuries on the horizon that sidelined some of their key players. Mike Maignan, Theo Hernández, Davide Calabria and Alexis Saelemaekers are all out for the clash and it is expected that Pioli will have difficulties filling the gaps in each position.

Although things look better for the Bianconeri in terms of squad availability, the way they approach the game will be crucial for a positive outcome.

Allegri’s players need to be much more confident and creative in attack while minimizing the defensive mistakes as Milan’s players will not only try to force them into such but also take advantage of them.

In this preview, we use tactical analysis to examine both teams’ performance and explain what the successful tactics in the game might be.

Possible Line-Ups                                                                             

As mentioned, Pioli will be challenged to select the best starting eleven due to the injuries of some of his regular starters. In the absence of Maignan, the manager has no choice but to rely on the 36-year-old Ciprian Tătărușanu to cover the goal. Fodé Ballo-Touré is expected to start in the left full-back position, with Fikayo Tomori and Simon Kjær in central defence.

Both Alessandro Florenzi and Calabria are sidelined, which forces him to play with Sergiño Dest on the right. His performance in the 0-3 loss to Chelsea in the Champions League was definitive as he failed to provide the needed support both defensively and in attack, which might be problematic against Juve’s Filip Kostić as well.

Ismaël Bennacer and Sandro Tonali are expected to start in central midfield. Rafael Leão will be employed on the left of the attack, while on the right, Pioli might decide to rely on Junior Messias due to Rade Krunić’s poor performance against the Blues.

Charles De Ketelaere is expected to play behind the striker. While most probably Olivier Giroud will be the one starting at the top of the attack, the manager also has the recently returned Ante Rebić as a second option up front. The Croatian might be the better option.

Wojciech Szczęsny’s return on the goal is noticeable for Juventus, with the keeper conceding only one goal in their last two games. Allegri will most probably rely on Bremer and Leonardo Bonucci as the central defensive duo. Alex Sandro, who also recently returned from injury, is available and might be the solution to the team’s struggles on the left as his display against Bologna gave the team something to build onto.

On the right, the manager can choose between Danilo and Juan Cuadrado. Danilo is less adventurous in attack, which might be better against Leão who will be a constant threat on the left. However, Cuadrado is more efficient in some his defensive actions compared to his teammate. Allegri should consider which is the better option against the Milan team.

Manuel Locatelli and Adrien Rabiot are most probably going to stroll into midfield, with Weston McKennie and Filip Kostić as the wingers. Arkadiusz Milik is expected to be partnered with Dušan Vlahović up front. Juventus’ biggest struggle will be the absence of Ángel Di María, who saw red against Monza.

Milan’s Current Struggles

The Rossoneri’s injury blast is expected to affect their performance as they need replacements in a few areas where their squad depth is lacking—starting off with the goalkeeping position where Maignan usually provides a lot of solidity and confidence to his teammates.

Moving to the absence of Hernández on the left, his injury is a big test for Milan since it has impacted their attacking movement immensely and despite producing many shots in their last few games, they were more limited and reliable on the attackers.

His replacement Ballo-Touré contributed well against Empoli but struggles against Chelsea in CL, where he had to counteract the Blues’ constant attacking movement on the right, which not only limited his movement forward but also tested his decision-making defensively and the result was poor.

If Cuadrado starts the game as the right full-back for Juventus, Ballo-Touré might have difficulties stopping his offensive movement and combinations with Milik. The good news for the team is that Hernández has returned to training on Thursday earlier than expected, which means that they might force his recovery for the derby.

However, surprisingly, one of Pioli’s biggest problems for the game is the absence of his first-choice right back. With both Florenzi and Calabria being sidelined, his only option is Dest, who is unlikely to be able to cope with the pressure of Kostić’s and Vlahović’s movement.

He should be focusing on his defensive responsibilities, rather than trying to expose the opposition through the flank, since the gaps occurred after his movement forward might be smartly exposed by the opposition.

Can Allegri Find The Best Solution In Attack? 

Juventus’ attacking numbers have improved compared to last season, but they are not up to standard yet. The team are far from the threatening team they once were and despite all the newcomers in the forward positions, Allegri is failing in building the right attacking approach for the side.

The team have the chance to prove themselves against Milan, considering their shortage of players. They need to focus on the weaker areas but most importantly stay on the front foot even if they gain an advantage. That can be crucial in their efforts to penetrate.

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