The save with La Spezia and the ‘screen’ match on Lukaku: Juve discovers another Locatelli | First page

A diverse Manuel Locatelli to how we had known him in recent seasons with the Sassuolo shirt and, in part, with the national team, those of the definitive explosion and consecration. Before a long-awaited and highly anticipated transfer to Juventus that immediately placed him in the spotlight as it was the great and only investment for the midfield made in the last market window. A toe-to-toe start, accompanied by a gradual and constant growth, which led him in about ten days to become the protagonist several times. Until the performance of great substance and character unlined in the 1-0 against Chelsea.

THE SCREEN – Four tackles won, as many intercepted balls, two swept and one rejected: forget the game builder Locatelli for an evening, playmaker but also a half-winger capable of going to conclude the action, as was also seen in the last round of the championship against Sampdoria. In the match against Lukaku and his teammates, to the Milan school player it was mainly asked to give support in the defensive phase to the central pair De Ligt-Bonucci and in particular take care of shielding all those passages ideally intended for the Belgian center forward, public danger number one. A perfectly successful operation, as Massimiliano Allegri acknowledged at the end of the match. An operation that has confined Locatelli to a “secondary” role in terms of construction of the game, considered the only ones 43 balls touched (20 less than his national team mate and yesterday opponent Jorginho), with 24 steps carried and finish successfully and three dribbles. No crux passes and not even a shot or an assist in 90 minutes (data from Whoscored).

THE TRUE LOCATELLI – The real Locatelli is something else, mindful of what we saw especially in Sassuolo at Roberto De Zerbi’s court: an ability to be incisive within the game in several respects, especially in terms of game proposal. A mission that can also be replicated at Juventus, considering the complementary characteristics of teammate Bentancur. The match against Sampdoria was exemplary in this sense: a goal, an assist, 4 shots on goal, a key pass – 57 overall – a successful dribble and three fouls suffered. After the decisive save in La Spezia, the unexpected version of Locatelli was also seen against Chelsea: inconspicuous but not useful for this. Just for the moment, that may be enough.-
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