Suman Chakravorty’s Blog: The stupendous success of Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus this season has been proving it once again why system and tactical lore are so crucial in modern day football. The most significant part of Juventus’ ineffable success and consistency this season is also the fact that the team is not dependent on any individual player, it’s the system, which is winning them the games in such consistent basis. Allegri showed his tactical brilliance in his tenure in Milan as well, but it’s the Juventus players who are doing justice to his tactics. Taking no credit away from Allegri, I am getting a lot of common things with his philosophy and the Jose Mourinho era in Inter Milan.
Though Juve played with their typical 3-5-2 with Bonucci, Barzagli and Chiellini in the central defence and Sandro and Alves on the wing backs against Monaco, Allegri’s system which has brought a revelation in Juve is that 4-2-3-1 formation. The 4-2-3-1 is most famously used by Mourinho, especially when Inter won the Treble in the 2009-10 season. Because it is necessary for us to understand Mourinho’s tactics to appreciate Allegri’s tactics, I will briefly discuss Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 formation. Don’the get surprised as it was inspired by none other than our Jose Mourinho. During his time as Inter Milan, the defense used to get started with Julio Cesar in the goal protected by two center backs in Lucio and Walter Samuel. Douglas Maicon and Christian Chivu were the right and left fullbacks, while Javier Zanetti could play both positions (or any other position). The midfield double pivot consisted of Esteban Cambiasso and Thiago Motta. Wesley Sneijder was the classic No. 10. The two wingers were Goran Pandev and Samuel Eto’o supporting Diego Milito.
Lineup wise, Juventus features a center back who passes the ball well in Leonardo Bonucci and one center back who can bring the ball forward in Giorgio Chiellini. Offensively, the double pivots of Miralem Pjanic and Sami Khedira have similar quality as Thiago Motta and Cambiasso, respectively. But Pjanic and Khedira are far less defensively solid compared to the two Inter players. Juventus does not have a classic No. 10, but Paulo Dybala has the quality to do well there. Allegri also plays a traditional (Cuadrado) and a seemingly inverted winger (Mandzukic) in this system.
But the underlying concepts played by Allegri were different from that of Mourinho’s. As I told earlier, Mourinho’s team seamlessly transitions from 4-3-3, then 4-2-3-1 and finally to 4-5-1 during the defensive phase. The 4-3-3 is used to press the opponents during the initial defensive phase. If the opponent can resist the initial pressing, Mourinho’s team will quickly settle in the 4-2-3-1 with a double layer of midfield. The pressure exerted by this midfield arrangement is very high. If it is still unable to retrieve the ball, they then transition to a 4-5-1 park the bus type of deep defense. Juventus does not defend the way Mourinho’s team defends. The advantage of the quick transition to 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 does not apply here because apart from the early few games of the season, Juventus exclusively defends in 4-4-2. No matter whether Juventus plays with four central midfielders in the 4-3-1-2, or with four attackers in the 4-2-3-1, or with three signature center backs in 3-5-2, Juventus always reverts into the most basic 4-4-2 formation in the defensive phase.
Though it will be too early to say, but I firmly believe that the task won’t be easy at all for Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid in the possible Champions League final at Cardiff against Allegri’s Juventus. The intricate web of the typical Italian defensive organization and the South American counter-attacking flair has every possibility of making the life difficult for Zinedine Zidane