Juventus Quarterly Review: How Did the Bianconeri Fare in Serie A So Far?

Unbelievably, we are a quarter of the way through the 2024/2025 season and Juventus’ Serie A and Champions League campaigns are now well under way.

Heading into the new season, there was huge upheaval at the club with new manager Thiago Motta taking over from Massimiliano Allegri. There was also a flurry of transfer activity as several new faces arrived to try and give an ageing Juventus squad a fresh boost as they attempt to win a first Serie A title since 2020.

With the group phase of the new look Champions League format now halfway through and with 12 games in the book in Serie A, let’s take a look at how Juventus’ season is shaping up.

Lean Defence Has Helped Set Up Juve for Title Charge

Whilst the Serie A table is still taking shape, Motta will be pleased with how Juve have started their 2024/2025 campaign.

As a former Italian defender, it isn’t surprising that Motta has helped sharpen his new side at the back.

Boasting the best defence in the league, the performances of Pierre Kalulu, Federico Gatti and Bremer have all caught the eye this season and they have helped contribute to keep eight clean sheets in their first eleven games of Serie A. The addition of new keeper Michele Di Gregorio also has to be seen as a major upgrade from the recently departed Wojciech Szczesny.

Yet to taste defeat in the league through their first eleven games, a lack of wins has seen Juventus fall from top spot and the six draws that they have accumulated will need to be changed for wins if Juve are to keep pace with early pacesetters, Napoli and Inter.

Motta will be pleased with how his defence is playing, but one thing he will need to change quickly is Juve’s lack of firepower in front of goal.

Last season the Turin club were the lowest scorers in the top four and so far through the first quarter of the season a similar trend seems to have emerged.

Of the clubs in the top six, only Napoli have scored fewer goals and outside of Dusan Vlahovic, only Timothy Weah has scored more than two league goals.

A lack of goals could be incredibly costly and both the fitness and form of Vlahovic will be crucial if Juve are to fire their way up the table once the season resumes after the latest international break.

Juventus Well Placed to Advance to Champions League Knockout Phase

With a small pause now on the Champions League, Juventus will be pleased that through their first four games they sit eleventh in the 36-team table having amassed seven points.

Although nobody knows how many points a team will need to advance to the knockout phase, it’s widely believed that ten points should be enough to ensure a top 24 finish. This would mean that one more win should assure the team a place in the knockout phase.

There will be serious disappointment that Juve weren’t able to pick up three points at home to Stuttgart, but wins against RB Leipzig and PSV coupled with a solid point away at Lille have ensured a solid start.

Looking ahead, matches against Aston Villa, Man City, Club Brugge and Benfica certainly won’t be the easiest. However, Juve should have enough quality to advance and pick up the points they need to keep their Champions League dream alive.

How Have the New Signings Settled?

Although most major betting sites had positioned Inter as the heavy favourites to retain their Serie A title at the start of the season, there were high hopes that the new faces that Juve had been able to acquire could turn Juve into serious contenders.

Juventus’s most heavy outlay was in bringing Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners to the club from Atalanta. Having scored 12 goals for the Bergamo based side last season, the Dutch ace has yet to get off the mark for his new side and is still settling into his new surroundings. However he has flashed glimpses of his potential and a big second half to the season can be expected.

Alongside Koopmeiners was the savvy acquisition of Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz. Luiz picked up an injury in the 1-0 victory over Lazio and has missed the last five games. Now back fit, he should be back after the latest international break.

Nico Gonzalez’s start to the club has also been blighted by injury with the Argentine missing the last seven games, he has scored one goal which came in Juve’s victory over PSV in the Champions League.

One man who has been able to stay injury free is Khepren Thuram. Regarded as one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe, Thuram has played well this season and will need to play a key role as Juventus’ season develops.