Juventus have conceded only one goal this season because they have found a way to remain active without overextending themselves. They have a high level of patience. The key is in the way Locatelli, Bremer, and Gatti dictate their level of aggression.

When the opponent has the ball, Juventus will fall into this 4-1-4-1 defensive structure. Every time they lose the ball, if it is not immediately possible for them to regain possession, they’ll slowly reset into this formation. And then the front five will press the ball together, following their man.

Defensive midfielder Manuel Locatelli is seen more as a general, perusing behind. He will look for the weak points in their defense and fill the gaps, while one of either defenders, Gleison Bremer or Federcio Gatti, is free to follow players as they drop back towards the ball carrier.

When PSV played out from their own penalty area, Juventus would look to pressure the ball carrier to force them to play long. Locatelli would position himself to replace the midfielder’s marking assignment, and then Gatti would replace Locatelli.

The order in which Locatelli, Bremer, and Gatti stepped out or fell back was not predetermined. Each player naturally filled space. For example, if Bremer jumped forward to track a PSV forward back, Locatelli would position himself closer to the back line, and Gatti would shift over to the left to fill the space Bremer vacated.

I’m sure there was vocal communication between the three defenders, but all three seemed to be reading each other’s minds. If you were a PSV forward or midfielder, I would have to imagine it would be very hard to know who was going to follow you back when you dropped.

Juventus’ forwards would press in the wide areas, but that pass to the next line was always marked off.

There was this illusion that you could walk into Juventus’ penalty box. They allowed the PSV wingers to walk into the final third and then would apply just enough pressure to not allow them to advance into the box. But once you got into their half, the attackers had little to no options other than to attempt a cross into the box.

Often times there was no safe pass forward for the defenders. The goal was to make the opposition kick it long, and then all Juventus has to do is win the aerial duel.

This is where the patience comes into play because they know that if they maintain their shape and track runners dropping back in the center, they’ll win the ball in the air once it is kicked long.

This is an example of Juventus overcommitting to the ball, leaving a man free on the far side. They rarely did this, and if they did, it was by accident, usually only happening after a turnover in their own half.

If you see Juventus overcommit, you know you have them on the ropes or you have caught them off guard. Situations like this normally result in a shot at the top of the box, but forcing them into situations where they overcommit to one side of the pitch is the best way to get chances inside the box against them.

Match: Juventus 3-1 PSV, 17 September 2024