It is in the Champions League that any slip may be decisive, and that's precisely what happened to Juventus in their 1-0 defeat against Stuttgart. In a game where the Italians were struggling to maintain control of the game, the expulsion of captain Danilo in the second half truly turned it upside down. Not even Perin's hero, saving Millot's penalty, kept Juventus from the final pressure that, in the last moments of regulation time, saw Traoré's goal seal its defeat.
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From Captain to Villain?
Danilo's sending off was the turning point of the match that saw him, who usually holds the defensive line, commit two fatal errors in less than two minutes to change the dynamics of the game. The Brazilian knocked down Touré with a hard tackle in midfield during the 34th minute of the second half for his first yellow card. In the next free kick, number 6, in an attempt to cut off the ball, hitting it with his head, managed to hit Rouault in the small area. The referee did not call a foul, but a VAR review considered the play a penalty and Danilo saw his second yellow card, which meant the expulsion of the Juventus captain.
From that moment on, the match seemed to take a different direction: the situation would become increasingly difficult for Thiago Motta's team. Even with Perin saving the penalty taken by Millot, the damage was done. Stuttgart, already better on the pitch up to that moment, gained even more confidence in attacking freely, while Juventus moved backward in order to hold the result. The superiority of Stuttgart
From the opening whistle, Stuttgart revealed that it didn't come to Turin simply to put up a defense. Dominant in possession and applying high pressure, the Germans made the lives of Juventus hairy-particularly in the central area of the pitch-where they denied any Italian attempt to structure their play. Fagioli, who tried to explain what went wrong, admitted that Juventus had trouble circulating the ball and finding solutions in the first half.
It wasn't just possession for Stuttgart, but they also had the best opportunities. A goal by Undav was called off, a missed penalty by Millot after the expulsion of Danilo seemed to be the last big moment of danger. But then again, soccer can be so unpredictable, and this injury-time persistence paid dividends for Stuttgart as Traoré finally found the back of the net.
Juventus: Where Did Things Go Wrong?
Although Juventus were holding on for a draw until almost the end, they were clearly outplayed: Stuttgart's positioning in the central areas shut down Juventus' possibilities of creating offensive plays, and the Italians had to revert to long balls and ineffective counter-attacks.
The post-match comments by Fagioli summed up the frustration of the team: he admitted that Stuttgart "started strong" and "kept the ball much more than us." Juventus' midfield struggled to find alternatives to overcome the Germans' pressure, and as the player himself mentioned, there was a lack of balance between the wingers and full-backs to neutralize the opponent's dominance.
The compact lines of Stuttgart managed to hinder Juventus' offensive strategy, including advanced full-backs and wingers playing out wide. A lack of tactical alternatives then surfaced, too .
Perin: The Lone Hero
Despite the defeat, Mattia Perin was the best player for Juventus. During the game, the Italian goalkeeper made some big saves, including one against Millot's penalty; therefore, Stuttgart did not score its second goal. At that moment, some Juventus fans hoped the team could manage to hold on for a draw until the final whistle.
Unfortunately, that was not enough, as constant pressure with the extra man eventually paid dividends for Stuttgart with brilliance from Perin in the closing moments.
Defeat and How It Shapes Juventus' Season
This was Juventus' first Champions League defeat this season, but it just might prove highly costly. The result dropped the Italian outfit to 11th place with just six points, while previously 16th-placed Stuttgart rose to 10 points.