Decade of Domination 4 : Juventus
Taking a Look at that Nine-Year Spell of Invincibility — 2014/15
Nine years of success that had all other Serie A clubs as livid as Germano Mosconi after the third take.
How did Juventus orchestrate their historic winning streak?
We dive in chronologically and investigate key signings and coaching changes, best and biggest wins, key contributors and delicious facts (factolicious).
This is Part 4 on 2014/15. Click here to read from the beginning (2011/12)
Warning : This content may harm Inter, Milan, Roma and Napoli fans.
2014/15 : Ecco Max Allegri
Antonio Conte departed to take on the Italy job vacated by Cesare Prandelli, so Beppe Marotta decided that another ex-Milanista could do a job and fill the gaping void left by the three-time winning tactician.
Ecco, the arrival of Massimiliano Allegri.
Allegri silenced the doubters and sustained Juve’s winning ways, proving to be another important Milanese addition following the successful arrival of midfield genius, Andrea Pirlo, who signed on from the Rossoneri in 2011.
It was actually under Allegri’s Milan tenure that Pirlo and il Diavolo parted ways — allegedly a mutual decision — after winning the 2010/11 Scudetto. The 2006 World Cup winner appeared in only 17 league games in his final season at the San Siro due to persistent achilles and muscular injuries.
Another blistering start to the another Italian title defence was just what the Agnelli’s wanted, along with European success. Conte preferred a 3–5–2 formation during his three-year reign in Piedemonte, while the adaptable Allegri brought glory to Milan with a 4–3–1–2.
To push for European honours, a mixture of experienced heads and fresh legs were required, including a 33-year old Patrice Evra and an in-form Roberto Pereyra. Allegri purged his attacking oversupply due to the outstanding introductions of Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente the previous season.
The Transfers Out : Fabio Quagliarella (Torino), Mirko Vucinic (Al Jazira), Mauricio Isla (QPR), Federico Peluso (Sassuolo), Dani Osvaldo (Southampton), Sebastian Giovinco (Toronto, January 2015)
The Transfers In : Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid), Roberto Pereyra (Udinese), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Kingsley Coman (PSG), Stefano Sturaro (Genoa), Romulo (Verona), Alessandro Matri (Milan, January 2015)
The Bianconeri, led up top by Carlos Tevez, won seven matches during an eight match undefeated streak which kicked off another fantastic Campionato.
Allegri followed in Conte’s footsteps, using the 3–5–2 formula that the Juventini had grown accustomed to, before converting to a diamond midfield and a four-man backline later in the campaign which would defend from deep and draw in the attacking press. Kwadwo Asamoah and Andrea Barzagli were used sparingly this term while Fernando Llorente and Alvaro Morata were systematically rotated.
Juventus vs Roma, Match Day 6.
Both sides had won five from five and shared top spot. The Juve backline still hadn’t conceded a goal for the term until Francesco Totti converted a penalty and Juan Iturbe netted to get Roma back on level terms before half time.
It would take the efforts of a defender to poach all three points for the Bianconeri that evening, Leonardo Bonucci securing the win with a right foot finish with just four minutes remaining.
Despite the Supercoppa Italiana loss to Napoli on penalties in December, Juventus was defeated just once in the first 29 rounds and dropped only 17 of 87 points, leading the Giallorossi by a whopping 14 points come April. Lazio and Fiorentina trailed in third and fourth respectively.
And that’s how it would remain until season’s end, Juventus winning their fourth consecutive Serie A title, number thirty-one in total.
Like a remorseless elderly lady clobbering a thief in an Esselunga carpark, Milan and Inter found themselves on the receiving end of a battering.
Finishing in 10th and 8th positions respectively, the Rossoneri went down to their former boss 0–1 and 3–1 while Inter managed a 1–1 draw in Turin and lost 1–2 at the Giuseppe Meazza.
Tevez blasted in 29 goals for the season, an 8 goal improvement on 2013/14. The Argentine notched up his 50th goal for Juve to end an emphatic two-year spell before securing his move to Boca Juniors.
Biggest Win : Juventus 7 (Llorente 2,Tevez 2,Morata 2,Lichtsteiner) Parma 0
Leading Serie A Goal Scorers 2014/15 : 21 Carlos Tevez, 8 Paul Pogba, 8 Alvaro Morata, 7 Fernando Llorente, 7 Arturo Vidal
Best Winning Streak, Serie A : 6 matches
Factolicious : 20 game undefeated streak from Match Day 10-29, Juventus outscoring their opponents collectively 39 to 10 during that period.
Shock Loss
Torino 2 Juventus 1 : Ex-Juventino hero, Fabio Quagliarella, scored the winner to earn Torino’s first Derby della Mole triumph in 20 years.
Allegri, who led Milan to the Scudetto and SuperCoppa in 2011, won the Panchina D’Oro for the second time in his career. An astonishing first season for the ex-Cagliari coach which saw Juventus play in the UEFA Champions League Final for the first time in 12 years.
Italian Cup
Juventus won both the Scudetto and the Coppa Italia this season — the first time that the Bianconeri had clinched the double since 1994/95 — finally propelling the Old Lady into domestic double digits with a tenth Cup title.
Sebastian Giovinco scored a brace in his farewell match before joining MLS side Toronto FC as Juventus swept aside Verona 6–1 in the Round of 16.
The 0–3 away win over Fiorentina was enough to overturn a first-leg Mo Salah double. Alessandro Matri was brought back in by Allegri during the January window, scoring in Florence and going on to snatch a 97th minute extra-time winner against Lazio in the final.
Champions League
A topsy-turvy start heaped pressure on Allegri as Juventus won expectedly 2–0 against Malmo on Match Day 1, but lost the next two against Atletico Madrid and Olympiacos, both by a scoreline of 1–0.
And it looked as though the somewhat simple task of progressing out of a seemingly easy group was almost impossible, as the Greeks led 1–2 in Turin after 61 minutes on Match Day 4.
But two goals in two minutes propelled Juventus into a 3–2 lead and the home side was able to hold out for a victory which brought both confidence and relief.
In the final group game at home to Atletico, Juventus got the desired result. A dour nil all draw was required, enough to push them through the group stage for just the second time in nine years.
Borussia Dortmund was drawn in the Round of 16 — a reminder of the halcyon days of Ravanelli and Del Piero — and the Germans were dispatched 5–1 on aggregate.
After a tight 1–0 quarter-final win over Monaco, won thanks to a Vidal penalty, Real Madrid would be eliminated in the semi-final by one of their own. Former Los Blancos youth player, Alvaro Morata, netting in each leg for a 3–2 aggregate victory.
The €20 million Spanish signing would infuriate seventy thousand Merengues fanatics with his 57th minute equaliser — a left foot volley which wiggled the result back into Juve’s favour — extinguishing the hopes of the reigning champion on home soil at the Santiago Bernabéu.
UEFA Champions League Final : Juventus vs Barcelona
Max Allegri deployed his preferred 4–3–1–2 formation, with Andrea Barzagli standing in for Giorgio Chiellini for the final in Berlin. Alvaro Morata’s semi-final heroics earned him a starting position over Fernando Llorente, the man from Madrid replying to an Ivan Rakitić opener with an unerring 57th minute tap-in.
But Barcelona would prove to be a hoop that La Vecchia Signora couldn’t jump through. While a rampant Lionel Messi was kept off the scoresheet, goals to Luis Suárez and Neymar ensured that Juventus would be starved of another elusive European trophy, the last of which was won in 1996.
Conclusion
Mister Allegri navigated his club deep into Europe in just his first season, something that Antonio Conte could only have wished for after he inherited a weakened squad from Luigi Delneri.
Key Contributors — Carlos Tevez with 29 goals (7 UCL) across all competitions with 7 assists in Serie A. Claudio Marchisio played 35 Serie A games, the most of any Juventino, scoring 3 times and finishing second to Tevez in assists (6).
102 goals shared by eighteen scorers assisted Juve’s domestic double accomplishments but this wasn’t enough to match the efforts of Derby d’Italia rival, Inter, which realised the Tripletta a few years earlier.
Allegri had done well in his first months at Juve to avoid unravelling the good work of Conte and, at the same time, not overdo things. The additions of Alvaro Morata (15 goals) and Roberto Pereyra (6 goals) were crucial as Arturo Vidal’s powers seemed to be diminishing. Andrea Pirlo called an end to his Serie A career and followed Sebastian Giovinco to the MLS.
Leading Juve Goal Scorers 2014/15 : 29 Carlos Tevez, 15 Alvaro Morata, 10 Paul Pogba, 9 Fernando Llorente, 8 Arturo Vidal, 6 Roberto Pereyra, 5 Andrea Pirlo, 4 Leonardo Bonucci with 18 goal scorers in total.
Overall, Allegri constructed a Juve squad strong enough to compete for European glory and further established the club’s domestic hegemony.
Find out who replaced Pirlo, Tevez and Vidal next Wednesday, June 30th.
David Ferrini on Twitter https://twitter.com/davidferrini_
David Ferrini on the web : www.davidferrini.com
