The victory against Crotone, bottom of Serie A, gave Juventus some peace of mind from two serious setbacks against Naples and Porto. The performance against the Portuguese worried the world a lot bianconero. At Do Dragao, for 80 minutes, the Vecchia Signora almost disappeared from the field. The first goal conceded to the Portuguese, with the absurd pass behind Bentancur, showed what the Italians were lacking: a man in command of the midfield. The one who was being Arthur.
The Brazilian, After a start of the adaptation course, he was becoming a key man for the game that Pirlo wants. The 'Teacher' recognized last Sunday that “his loss is taking its toll”, because “has particular characteristics”. He needs him to start the plays with quality and calm, something that nobody in his squad does like the former Barça player.
Arthur was one of the best juventini in the final of the Super Cup won against Naples, and there is a fact that shows its importance. In all the times that Juventus lost in this course, against Barcelona (they played only seven minutes), Fiorentina, Inter, Naples and Porto, he was not there. Without him, Juve suffers to build the game and also in the defensive phase.
The problem is that it is not yet clear when he will return. The midfielder suffers a calcification that he is treating with shock waves to try to reduce it. Over the next few days it will be known if he had an effect, although there is little hope of seeing him in the green for the fundamental second leg with Porto.
Arthur is going to try and He asked the doctors to play while enduring the pain, something that they forbade him. The mechanical stress of a match could cause you much more serious damage. You have to wait for good news and be patient. Both him and Pirlo.
Pjanic, the other side of the coin
However, the player he traded roles with last summer, Miralem Pjanic, is living a very different situation at his new team. The last league game, the Barça victory against Elche, served to shed light on the midfielder's fit problem at Can Barça. Starter, Koeman changed him at halftime with a 0-0 game, tired of his lack of intensity. Dembélé entered his place and the clash ended 3-0, thanks to the umpteenth great performance of Leo Messi. Moreover, it has come to see crack Argentine recriminate him on the field of play. At first it seemed to be important in the Dutchman's scheme, but everything has changed over time and he is clearly behind Busquets and De Jong in the rotation, having played only one complete game and adding less than 600 minutes in League. While Arthur is missed in Turin, Pjanic seems to be sentenced in Barcelona.