Three factors holding Juventus back this season

Three factors holding Juventus back this season Serie A side Juventus endured a 3-2 defeat to Sassuolo and the loss came in rather dramatic circumstances.  The game picked up towards the end of the tie and Juve’s failure to manage the game led to loanee Vasilije Adzic scoring a stoppage time winner. This came only minutes after Edon Zhegrova had equalised, completing a brace. Now that the dust is settling, there are three things that are troubling the Bianconeri side right now. Lack of an identity During his time at Napoli and even at Inter, Luciano Spalletti’s side had a very fixed identity. This helped him win silverware and perhaps even overperform on the resources at hand.  At Juve, he hasn’t quite managed to build an identity. That was the goal when the season started but it has clearly not happened. The lack of an identity has been a problem for the Old Lady in recent years and it continues to plague them even now. Midfield worries The last week or so has seen Juve struggle with injuries and they have chiefly decimated their midfield. While Pape Sarr did make his debut, the lack of a midfield anchor was the reason for the poor performance. While Douglas Luiz has stepped up, he didn’t have a great game on Sunday. Teun Koopmeiners hasn’t kicked on either and had another disappointing evening. Sarr has had fitness issues in recent weeks and the same applies for even Weston McKennie. Whether they can instantly make a mark remains to be seen and there is a chance Juve could continue to struggle to stamp authority in midfield until Manuel Locatelli returns. Struggling attack Randal Kolo Muani is yet to score a single goal. He has shown signs of promise – like his assist on Sunday, but his final ball has always been lacking. Spalletti himself called that out after the Frosinone win but things haven’t changed. Nick Woltemade has just come in but he too is yet to start a tie. It is the Frenchman who is causing more of a concern, as Juve have had to rely on goals from Bremer and Federico Gatti, which isn’t normal at all. Kaustubh Pandey – GIFN