"Turin Sports" reported that Juventus is facing a serious defensive crisis, and the team has lost many generals one after another. Core defender Bremer will undergo surgery due to medial meniscus injury in his left knee. He is expected to be out for 6 to 8 weeks and miss at least ten games.
This makes fans feel as "déjà vu" as the same period in 2024. To make matters worse, U23 star Pedro Felipe, who was originally planned to be promoted to the first team, will also be sidelined for several weeks due to muscle discomfort.
This series of injuries left coach Tudor with only three pure center backs available in Gatti, Kelly and Rugani at the center back position, pushing him to a crossroads of tactical choices. From a logical point of view, it seems to be a more reasonable choice to abandon the three-back system that has persisted for 7 months and switch to four-back system.
This will not only allow Kalulu, who is currently a wingback, to return to the central defender position, but may also solve the problem of the team's poor offensive organization. Juventus' current offense relies heavily on counterattacks and set pieces. The midfield duo of Locatelli and Thuram are very difficult to organize and connect, resulting in the forward players (David, Openda, Vlahovic) often being isolated. In the game against Milan, the three forwards touched the ball only 27 times in total.
However, despite the grim situation, Tudor seems to have no intention of changing the formation. He firmly believes that the team has established a clear tactical identity and should not change it easily. He will likely choose to move Kalulu back into a back three and use McKennie at right wing-back.
But this will be a high-risk decision, because it means that the team will lose the top rotation player in the midfield position, putting greater pressure on the already stretched midfield line. Tudor's insistence is a gamble he cannot afford to lose, and time will ultimately tell whether this is tactical consistency or a managerial error.
source:www 7m cn com