Juventus has been improving since Igor Tudor took over as their manager, and fans had high expectations for their match against AS Roma.
Many anticipated a victory against Genoa in their first game under Tudor, and that win helped the manager earn the trust of his players.
Juve boasts some of the finest talent in Europe, which led many to expect a win in the Genoa match.
The AS Roma game, however, was always going to be a challenging fixture, and it lived up to expectations with a 1-1 draw.
Both teams shared the points in a tough encounter, and Juve will now be looking to return to winning ways in their next game. But what did we learn from the Roma match?
Dusan Vlahovic is Declining
Tudor will be Vlahovic’s third manager at Juventus, yet the striker is still struggling to find his best form.
Vlahovic was signed because Juve saw him as the best option at the time, in the same way that astute punters seek out the best online casinos, clubs will always look for the best strikers their money can sign and that is what the Bianconeri did with the Serbian
However, for a player who is set to earn €12 million net next season, his current form is inadequate for leading the line at Juve, and his difficulties under Tudor suggest a decline.
Unless something significantly changes in the next match, it is possible he may not score again this season, which is disappointing. However, we can no longer place the blame solely on the coaches for not bringing out the best in him.
Tudor is a Better Tactician than Thiago Motta
The Roma game was a highly tactical fixture, and that came as no surprise, given that Claudio Ranieri is regarded as one of the best tacticians in football history.
Tudor, however, also demonstrated his tactical prowess, as his team neutralised Roma and made life difficult for them at various points during the match.
This was something Motta failed to achieve in his matches against Atalanta and Fiorentina, further establishing that Tudor is a more skilled tactician.
Juventus Still Need a Stronger Midfield
Much of Juventus’ rebuilding efforts last summer were focused on their midfield, as the club worked hard to strengthen this area under Thiago Motta.
They made significant investments in players like Douglas Luiz and Teun Koopmeiners, but the midfield has been underwhelming this season.
It has struggled to protect the defence from conceding and failed to provide quality passes to the attack, which hindered their ability to score more goals against AS Roma.
In the upcoming summer transfer window, Juventus may need to further strengthen their midfield to have a better chance of competing for major trophies.
