Juventus 4-3 Napoli: 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

#3 Carlo Ancelotti gets his tactics wrong initially before redeeming himself a touch

Carlo Ancelotti got his tactics a little wrong

Carlo Ancelotti sprung a surprise at the start of the game with the way he set up his side. Though the line-up suggested that the visitors were employing a 4-2-3-1 formation, the Italian tactician used the system with a slight variation.

Whenever Napoli had the ball, the shape quickly switched to a back-three with Faouzi Ghoulam and Jose Callejon playing as wing-backs with Di Lorenzo becoming the third centre-back, alongside Manolas and Koulibaly.

Ancelotti also deployed Fabian Ruiz higher up the pitch, in the number 10 role as Piotr Zielinski was tasked with manning the centre of the pitch.

However, the tactics backfired spectacularly with Napoli looking out of their depth in the first period.

On countless occasions, Zielinski’s lack of tactical awareness allowed the likes of Khedira and Matuidi to overrun Napoli’s midfield and that ensured the hosts controlled proceedings.

Moreover, the shunting from a back four to a back three led to numerous indecisive moments with defenders unable to endear themselves adequately to the strategy.

Koulibaly was caught out wide at times while Di Lorenzo was guilty of playing too narrow. Additionally, Callejon failed to track back requisitely, in the process, providing Sandro the necessary space to rampage down the flank.

However, Ancelotti shook things up mid-way through the first half, asking Fabian Ruiz to partner Allan and pushing Zielinski behind the striker.

In the second half, the changes were more extravagant as Mario Rui came on for Ghoulam and Hirving Lozano replaced Lorenzo Insigne.

The substitutions worked a charm as Rui’s defensive stability enabled the away side to stick to a four-man defence and that helped them wrestle control of the game.

Zielinski also enjoyed the increased freedom and roamed into the spaces in between the lines, thereby causing Juventus problems. Lozano got on the score-sheet too and looked sharp during his stint.

Thus, Ancelotti, through the course of the game, showcased his tactical nous to shuffle his pack in order to plug a hole he had himself dug. And, with Napoli going down by the slimmest of margins, one just wonders what could’ve been had the Italian got things right at the outset.