Juventus have found themselves on the end of a stinging attack by Italian journalist Francesco Repice after labouring to a 0-0 draw against Sampdoria in Serie A on Monday.
Massimiliano Allegri‘s side failed to impress as they struggled to break through at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, as they looked unconvincing in attack.
In an interview with Tuttomercatoweb Radio, Repice blasted the Bianconeri and claimed that their performance was enough to bring him to tears, whilst criticising their lack of midfield options.
“Juve‘s problem is that their central players are not up to standard and if they do not find a solution to this then they will never progress,” Repice claimed.
“It can’t go on like this, it is not like Juventus. Yesterday they flopped spectacularly, but I don’t know how much they can spend to resolve this.”
Repice pointed to injuries to key players such as Federico Chiesa, Paul Pogba, and Angel Di Maria as causes for Juventus‘ woes, but felt that the squad depth meant the Bianconeri couldn’t compete without them.
“There is nobody who can play with the ball in the middle of the pitch, nobody who can carry it more than two touches. Without Chiesa, Pogba, or Di Maria there is something missing, but it’s enough to make me cry.
“I expect hell against Roma on Saturday, it is in Juve‘s DNA to have a strong reaction after a performance like that,” he concluded.
Bianconeri’s injury misery
As they seek a first Scudetto since 2020, Juventus have been dealt a series of blows early on with bad luck on the injury front.
Still reeling from the long-term injury sustained by Chiesa in January, Allegri‘s side looked to bolster their options by bringing back Pogba from Manchester United and Angel Di Maria from Paris Saint-Germain at the end of their respective contracts.
However, French midfielder Pogba sustained a knee injury that has put his World Cup place in doubt during preseason, whilst Di Maria went off with a knock during the opening game against Sassuolo.
In addition to this, the Bianconeri are without striker Kaio Jorge and first-choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
