The Bianconeri have recovered from 3 clean sheets in the last 4 matches and with the new coach they have almost halved the goals conceded compared to the Tudor management. And Kalulu is at the top in Europe among players always on the pitch
Luciano Spalletti raised the wall again. In Juve, once again on the fringes of the top 4 in the league and fresh from 6 victories in the last 7 outings between Serie A, the Italian Cup and the Champions League, the performance of the defense stands out, having returned to the levels of solidity to which the “Old Lady” had always been accustomed in its successful past. Under the management of the Tuscan coach, the Bianconeri have recorded a series of three clean sheets in the last 4 matches (5 in total), as many as those they had obtained in the previous 18 matches (9 with Tudor on the bench, 1 with Brambilla and 8 with the former coach). A very evident change of pace, also considering that in the last 360 minutes Juve also had to face two direct clashes against Bologna and Roma. Taking a more overall look at Juventus’ defensive performance under Spalletti’s management, we note how the goals conceded have almost halved compared to the 11 outings under the Croatian’s guidance: 9 in 12 matches now (for an average of 0.75) against 15 in 11 (average of 1.36). As well as the expected goals conceded, the expected goals of the opponents: now 0.81 against a previous figure of 1.32.
bremer, the totem of juve
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In recent weeks, the return of the totem has been added to a team that had already found a fair amount of solidity: Gleison Bremer. On the other hand, the importance of the Brazilian (who on Saturday, against Lecce, could celebrate his 100th appearance for Juventus) in the performance of the Juventus defense is well known: in the 8 matches in which he was on the pitch, Juve achieved 6 wins and 2 draws, with an average of 2.5 points per match. A championship-winning trend, which had already been highlighted at the beginning of last season (before the forced stoppage due to the operation on his left knee): in the first 7 outings of Thiago Motta’s team, with the number 3 always starting, the Bianconeri had achieved 4 wins and 3 draws, conceding a single, irrelevant goal (against PSV in the Champions League). In practice, therefore, under Bremer Juventus have been unbeaten for a year and a half. To find a defeat with the Brazilian on the pitch you have to go back to the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final away to Lazio on 24 April 2024: 616 days ago.
juve, the growing trend of defense
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Upon his return after the operation in October to suture the medial meniscus tear in his previously operated knee, Bremer confirmed that he is the cornerstone of the Juventus wall: in the 3 matches in which he was on the pitch (14′ in Bologna, 61′ with Roma and 90′ in Pisa), Juve did not concede a single goal. The only gain, that of Baldanzi in the 75th minute of the match against the Giallorossi, arrived, in fact, when the Brazilian had already left room for Rugani. In his last full outing, against Gilardino’s team, there was yet another demonstration of the contribution of solidity, reliability and leadership that the green and gold defender gives to the team: at the Cetilar Arena Bremer was not dribbled by his opponents, he carried out 5 decisive defensive actions, won 5 of 8 aerial duels and had a passing accuracy percentage of 86%.
Kalulu, Juve’s workaholic
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The Brazilian’s contribution, however, is not limited to the impact of his individual performance, but is also important in terms of collective security and personality: with him at his side, his teammates also increase their performance. Lloyd Kelly and Pierre Kalulu, for example, feel freer to push forward, as demonstrated by the Frenchman’s goal in the last match of the year. If Bremer is the cornerstone of the Juventus wall, the former Milan player is the cement: always present, he is (on a par with Matthias Ginter of Freiburg) the only player in the top 5 European leagues who has not missed even a single minute of the season between the championship, European and national cups. Twenty-four games out of 24, for a total of 2,160 minutes. And to think that in his last season with the Rossoneri, before moving to Continassa, he had missed 36 matches of the season due to injury.
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