Q: Are Juventus going to get past the league stage in the Uefa Champions League this season?
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A: They are a side that doesn’t know when they’re beaten, as Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund found out. They have plenty of character and a deep desire to win matches – something we haven’t seen from them in some time. But they are also a side that makes life difficult for themselves. Seven goals conceded at home in their last two matches tells you plenty.
European competitions punishes teams without balance, and Juventus don’t always look organised. Michele Di Gregorio has been shaky between the posts, the midfield lacks rhythm without Manuel Locatelli, and possession is squandered far too often. This is not a side built to dominate game and when they drop deep, it’s a problem.
Yet somehow, they cannot be beaten. What’s striking is who is delivering the goods. Dusan Vlahovic, looked finished as their No 9 but is now scoring and leading the line again. He’s become the impact sub that knows how to make the difference.
Lloyd Kelly, went from scapegoat to last-minute saviour against Dortmund. And Vasilije Adzic, at just 19, stepped up with the winning goal against Inter. For all the flaws, they have the individual quality that delivers in crucial moments.
Paris Saint-Germain showed us that teams don’t need to be perfect at the beginning of a campaign as long as they steady the ship. Igor Tudor is aware of defensive frailties and spoke about them at length but it’s important the squad keep securing the results when it matters.
Juventus have enough depth in attack, and enough defiance, to reach the last sixteen. They won’t sail through, there will be nervous nights, but they have too much spirit and too many players in form to go out early.
Beyond that is another question. To really compete, they need a steadier defence, a midfield that controls games, and a goalkeeper who stops erring.
Q: Who is going to be the signing of the season and why is it Jack Grealish?
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A: You mean the man who overplays? Kidding. Four assists in his first three league matches earned him the Premier League Player of the Month award for August.
Against Aston Villa in a goalless draw, he was Everton’s most dangerous player, creating five chances and touching the ball 16 times inside the penalty area. Every time he picked it up, Everton looked dangerous and capable. That sense of inevitability around his play is something this team has been craving.
But it’s not just about the numbers. The new stadium and Grealish have brought belief. The reaction of players and fans at Molineux demonstrated how quickly everyone has taken to him. While inside the dressing room, many have noted that he’s setting a high standard.
However, with Grealish, criticism is always around the corner. At times he overplays, as he did against Villa, something he might have got away with at Manchester City but not in David Moyes’s system. And while he is creating more than anyone else, Everton’s forwards have not always been clinical.
Beto has shown flashes, but Thierno Barry is yet to score. If those two begin to convert with regularity, Grealish’s output could look even more decisive. Andrea Pirlo once noted: “A good striker makes a good midfielder look better.”
Best signing? Maybe not, in my humble opinion, but a very good one. Everyone wants a player determined to prove himself again, and right now, that is enough.
Q: Tell me your opinion of Atletico Madrid. Curious to know about them as they face Liverpool.
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A: Liverpool will start favourites at Anfield. But Diego Simeone’s Atletico are rarely as bad as they are often described and they know how to make an opponent suffer even if they haven’t shown the best of themselves in La Liga so far this season.
Yes, the points dropped to Espanyol, Elche and Alaves were disappointing. Every time they took the lead, they let it slip with the sort of lapses in concentration Simeone’s old sides would never have tolerated.
And the injuries haven’t helped either. Julian Alvarez, Thiago Almada, Alex Baena, David Hancko and Jose Maria Gimenez are all doubts or missing, which for a team that thrives on establishing rhythm, is a heavy blow.
But against Villarreal, they were better. Pablo Barrios was outstanding, no longer shackled as the holding player but free to push high, combining with Marcos Llorente and Giuliano Simeone and timing his run for the opening goal.
Alongside him, Koke was immaculate, dictating the tempo that is essential for the team’s play. Together, they gave Atletico a balance they’d been missing.
At the back, they kept Villarreal (a very good team) to a single shot on target. Going forward, they were ruthless, two goals from three clear chances, Nico Gonzalez thumping home the second to give the Metropolitano a lift it badly needed.
So no, they’re not the complete package, not yet. The weaknesses are obvious. But it would be wrong to dismiss them. Their greatest strength has always been to channel Simone’s character and endure. On a European night, that makes them dangerous.
