Igor Tudor has had a tumultuous time as Juventus boss. To make matters worse, his tenure could end if he fails to get results against Real Madrid or Lazio.
The Croatian returned to his former playing employer in March of this year, but like Thiago Motta, he has struggled. In recent weeks, a combination of poor results and issues have afflicted his Bianconeri set-up. Now, an unfortunate importance has been thrust upon the game against continental royalty, Real Madrid, at the Bernabeu.
Although Xabi Alonso respectfully described tonightโs Champions League clash as a โEuropean club classicโ, Juventus enter far from a competitive standard. Since an exciting 4-3 win over Inter, Tudorโs side have drawn five games across Serie A and the UCL. A most recent sucker punch saw them lose 2-0 to Como, giving the Nico Paz-inspired Lariani a first win over the Old Lady in 73 years.
Juve sit seventh in the league standings, having won three, drawn three, and lost one. Mediocrity has become the norm, as player rotations between Jonathan David, Lois Openda, and Dusan Vlahovic havenโt exactly worked in a front line that have contributed to just nine league goals so far.
Bremerโs long-term knee injury hasnโt helped depth at the back, and in between the sticks, it seems that both Mattia Perin and even Michele Di Gregorio could move on.
While inspiring individual performances have come with Kenan Yildiz and Vasilije Adzic, the formerโs exploits have stagnated slightly, while the hungry Adzic is finding his minutes are managed a lot more strictly.
Further mounting pressure is on Tudor, as his draw-happy side continues their search for a first win in the Champions League. Juventus are one of three sides to have drawn their first two UCL games this season, along with Bodรธ/Glimt and Bayer Leverkusen. They havenโt drawn three in a row since October 2012, which was also their first three matches that campaign in 2012-13.
A recent press conference from the man himself noted that โthe shirt is heavyโ. Given that general manager Damien Comolli may be considering any of Luciano Spalletti, Roberto Mancini, Raffaele Palladino, and Edin Terzic, itโll be up to this evening to see whether Igor Tudorโs players have broad enough shoulders to lift Juve back where they belong.
GIFNย |ย Max Bradfield
