With time running out in Turin, Kalidou Koulibaly rose above the Juventus defence, planting a strong header firmly beyond Gigi Buffon before running off to celebrate with his team-mates. The Napoli players, substitutes and even coaches joined him on the sidelines, their collective joy in taking the lead in such a crucial match evident in how every single one of them reacted to it.
Maurizio Sarri’s side had never before managed to topple the Bianconeri in Turin, seemingly destined to always fall short against the perennial Serie A champions. But on this night they would not be denied. For almost the entire campaign they have shown a new-found resolve, grinding out wins without playing well, a hallmark of their bitter northern rivals finally becoming a trait that the Partenopei themselves now possess and they took delight in showcasing it here.
The game itself was a tense affair but one without drama as neither side created many opportunities to score. Before Koulibaly struck, Napoli had found their way through the Juve defence three times, but Gigi Buffon would denied them on each occasion, the iconic skipper adding yet another excellent performance to a resume littered with them.
When the final whistle blew, he was the one member of the home side that didn’t immediately head down the tunnel, instead taking time to shake hands with every Napoli player. For those who have spent the past week berating him for a lack of professionalism towards referee Michael Oliver in Madrid, it was a stark reminder that Buffon is – when not affected by a heartbreaking Champions League exit – a truly class act even in defeat.
Just as his colleagues in black and white quickly disappeared however, so too did the fans in those same colours. The hardcore locals in the Curva Sud had backed the team vociferously throughout, but the rest of the ground was largely quiet, many of them travelling from foreign shores for a chance to watch their heroes for the first time.
As they filed out onto buses and into taxis, many more admitted they had never seen Juventus lose before, stunned at the result and wondering if the club’s six-year reign of dominance was coming to an end. The conversations took place in numerous languages, but the tone was largely universal; how did Juventus – a Juventus which has swept domestic opponents aside with ease for over half a decade – deliver such a lacklustre, uninspired and negative performance when it mattered most?
This was not a game where deep statistical analysis is needed to explain the final result, no complex pattern of play needs to be laid bare and there was not a tactical masterstroke or clever substitution from the opposition. Here, on this one unforgettable and regrettable night in Turin, the scoreline simply reflected the fact that Max Allegri and his side had completely the wrong mentality from the opening whistle.
Looking back on the last few months, it is far from an isolated incident. The first leg of their Champions League clash with Tottenham saw the Bianconeri jump out to a surprising early lead, only to then sit back and watch as the visitors pulled them back to 2-2 in Italy. Narrow wins were ground out against Torino, Atalanta and Lazio, while SPAL and Crotone – two clubs who have spent the entire season locked in the relegation zone – managed to snatch a crucial share of the points.
Juve had to come from behind to beat rock-bottom side Benevento, while Real Madrid demolished them comprehensively in the first leg of their quarterfinal meeting. Indeed, the one-sided nature of that clash made the Spanish giants overwhelming favourites to progress, but also saw the Old Lady head to the Bernabeu with nothing to lose. As a result, they played with the positivity and bravery that was so sorely lacking in each of those other games, almost pulling off a spectacular comeback in the most unlikely circumstances.
But rather than lament the cruel blow that Cristiano Ronaldo’s last-gasp penalty proved to be, Allegri should reflect on that game as a window into how special his team could be if he maximised that same freedom on a weekly basis. Of course he is duty-bound to not leave them exposed at the back, but with the array of attacking talent at his disposal, the Coach should not be overseeing a 90-minute game in which his side failed to register a shot on target. Yet that is exactly what happened here against Napoli, the first time since Juventus Stadium opened that the home side has not managed an attempt on goal in any competition.
That is a damning indictment of their play and their approach, something which must be addressed immediately as tough away games against Inter and AS Roma await. Allegri did not get everything wrong on Sunday of course, his decision to remove Paulo Dybala at half time undoubtedly the right one after yet another invisible 45 minutes from his no.10. A player of his ability and talent should not be limited to just five passes in a half, his role as playmaker-in-chief allowing him to seek out spaces to exploit. He didn’t come close to doing so.
The limitations of midfielders Sami Khedira and Blaise Matuidi were also once again exposed, the duo clearly more concerned with stopping Napoli and lacking the technical ability to hurt them once possession was regained. That left Douglas Costa and Miralem Pjanić as the only creative outlets, in turn allowing Gonzalo Higuain to be isolated against two defenders who were able to limit Juve’s most potent threat to just 19 touches in the entire game.
It will come as no surprise that he made more than double that amount in Madrid, everything that went wrong against Napoli stemming from their own awful mental approach rather than anything Sarri could conjure. Still a point ahead and with four games to go, the title race is far from over and the Bianconeri still control their own destiny, but they won’t for long if they do not eradicate this pervasive negativity.
Those fans in the Curva Sud often chant that they will support the team “until the end,” and Juventus must now act positively, decisively and quickly to ensure that that conclusion is one which plays out on their own terms.
