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?A surprise to be sure, but a welcome on.e? The Good
Possession
Juventus? 1-0 victory over Lazio on Saturday proved that the Thiago Motta method, although extremely new and still in the process of being perfected, is hinged upon two aspects. The first is possession. In their last three Serie A matches, Juve?s had an average possession figure of 70.4%, with 65.8% in their smashing of Genoa, 73.4% in the unfortunate draw against Cagliari, and 69.4% in the yellow-clad Lazio. (It was also a bit confusing to watch at first as Juventus has donned their own away yellow kit a few times this season already.)
But what does this mean, and why does it matter"
Simply put, the era of oppositional possession, high defensive play, and ?parking the bus? until the opportunity to counter seems to be drawn to its expected close. These high-possession matches are allowing for much more control of the flow and pacing of the game in the favor of Juventus, which have allowed them to continue their unbeaten streak in all competitions through the first 10 fixtures of the 2024-25 season. Attack-minded play
The second aspect of Motta?s methodology that is working well for Juve is an attacking mindset. While admittedly finishing has been a thorn in the side of this team, and one which Dusan Vlahovic seems to get the brunt of, the team?s speed, cohesion, and shot tally in this most recent campaign have proved the eagerness to become a ...