Despite the poor start for Juventus in Serie A and without Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal, and Carlos Tevez, Juventus has a deep and talented squad. In fact, Juventus has more quality midfield and attacking options than starting spots.
Newcomers like Sami Khedira and Mario Lemina have given Juventus two strong defensive midfielder options in front of the defense, and Roberto Pereyra and Hernanes are vying for the playmaker role, even if coach Max Allegri has preferred to play Hernanes in more of a regista role.
In the attack, Juventus can start Álvaro Morata or Simone Zaza at center forward, or Allegri can start both players with Morata playing as the withdrawn or second striker. With Paulo Dybala also playing for Juve, there aren’t enough spots to start both Zaza and Morata. Dybala is too dynamic and talented to leave on the bench, so even with all of Zaza’s qualities as a center forward, Morata and Dybala are thus the best two forward options.
On paper and with Juan Cuadrado starting on the right wing in the attack, the best Juventus midfield would likely be Khedira, Paul Pogba, and Claudio Marchisio, and this even excludes both Hernanes and Pereyra.
The lineup dilemma for Juventus is one of Juventus being two players deep for every midfield starting spot, and this is a good problem to have for Allegri. Although Khedira is widely-considered the best defensive midfield option, it must be said that Lemina has looked much more athletic while still displaying great technical ability and distribution.
How controversial is it to argue that Lemina might be a better option for a Juventus squad that seeks to win Serie A again and go deep in the Champions League again? Will Khedira be wrong-footed and burned by the elite and speedy attackers?
More questions abound. Should Dybala’s starting spot be thrown on the sacrificial pyre to make room for a fourth midfielder like Pereyra or Hernanes (when Marchisio is back fit)?
Juventus really has the squad to use all of these players mentioned, plus who can forget about Stefano Sturaro, the Italian center midfielder that has proven to be a strong option and a big-game player as he proved last season in the Champions League?
Allegri will have to be careful to not just start the most famous of two options as the strong argument can be made that Lemina is more effective than Khedira and Pereyra is more effective than Hernanes.
Juventus has many starting options in the midfield and the attack, but perhaps the best options aren’t necessarily the most famous ones.
Is this Front Six the best option: Marchisio, Khedira, Pogba; Cuadrado, Morata, Dybala?
Or is it this one: Marchisio, Lemina, Pogba; Cuadrado, Morata, Pereyra?
Maybe it’s neither.
Juventus has started off badly in Serie A this season, but Juventus will soon be a different team with more continuity in the lineup. Form and injuries will affect the Juve lineup throughout the season, so some of the lesser lights may become first-choice options for Allegri.
Pirlo, Vidal, and Tevez are gone, but Juventus is still deep and formidable.