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| The 1-1 draw with AC Milan ensured Juventus have failed to win any of their first four games in a Serie A season for for the first time since 1961-62 |
โLife goes onโ was the message from coach Massimiliano Allegri after learning of Cristiano Ronaldoโs desire to leave last month, but four Serie A games into a future without their former talisman, Juventus continue to go from one disaster to the next.
The reaction in Turin to the Portuguese forwardโs departure for English Premier League side Manchester United was mixed.
Despite leading the teamโs goalscoring charts in every season he spent at Juventus, Ronaldoโs wider impact was not always seen in a positive light, given how much he cost the club in wages and his demands to be the main man on the pitch.
But, four games into a post-Ronaldo era, Serie Aโs most successful club sit in the relegation zone, yet to taste victory in the league this season.
The 1-1 draw with AC Milan in Sunday ensured Juventus have failed to win any of their first four games in a Serie A season for only the fourth time in their history, and first time since 1961-62.
Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport insisted the club had hit โrock bottomโ, while Turin daily Tuttosport slammed the โcrisisโ side.
MENTALITY ISSUE
The biggest worry for Juventus fans from their sideโs first three league matches this season was a lack of attacking threat.
Juve slipped to a shock 1-0 home defeat in their first match against newly-promoted Empoli, without ever really troubling their opponentโs goal.
Another limp loss followed against Napoli, but Allegriโs men seemed to have turned the corner from the off against Milan on Sunday, starting the game with much greater intensity, taking the lead inside four minutes with a fine, counter-attacking goal.
Juve remained well on top in the first half, and looked like something close to their best, with Paulo Dybala assuming Ronaldoโs mantle and taking the attack to Milan.
But as the chances came and went into the second half, the nerves started to creep in as Juve sat deeper and deeper. They stared to give the ball away with greater frequency and it seemed only a matter of time until a injury-hit Milan equalised.
Even with veteran Italy centre back pairing Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci in the heart of the backline, Juve again failed to keep a clean sheet โ they are without a league shutout since early March โ as Ante Rebic levelled.
After that, if there was going to be a winner in Turin it was not going to be Juve, as Milan had several late chances to snatch all three points.
โIn my view, itโs more an issue of mentality than physical fitness,โ Juventus defender Danilo told DAZN.
โAt those moments we canโt press or move defensively as a unit, we donโt move the ball around quickly enough and that is certainly something we need to improve.
โWe have to focus only on our own work and our progress, not what the other teams are doing. If we can play at our level, we can certainly climb up the table.โ
Regaining the Scudetto, however, feels a long way off for faltering Juve.
REUTERS
