Juventus' 3-1 victory over Serie A leaders AC Milan saw the Bianconeri close the gap to their opponents to seven points. Federico Chiesa scored Juve's first two goals either side of a Davide Calabria equalizer. Substitute Weston McKennie went on to make all three points safe with a 78th-minute goal.
Although Juve still face many obstacles in their attempt to claim yet another Serie A title, there is definite cause for optimism in Turin, and not just because of this victory. Despite the fact that they might realistically finish this season empty-handed, Juve are positioned very well with regard to their future.
It will soon be time for Juve to begin the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era. The Portuguese legend will turn 36 next month; as the cliché goes, "Father Time is undefeated". Inevitably, he will soon suffer from a terminal decline in form. That being said, his supporting cast is good enough to take over once he is no longer at his best.
Juve have perhaps the most underrated midfield in world football today. Although they might not be able to boast of a genuinely world-class player in midfield right now, they can choose from a formidable selection including Chiesa, McKennie, Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Dejan Kulusevski. What's more, every one of these players except for Ramsey is aged 25 or younger. Add to that the fact that Juve are one of the few teams with enough clout to keep this young core intact for the foreseeable future, and it becomes obvious - this could serve as the foundation of a team which could really go places in the future, especially if they can turn Chiesa's loan deal from Fiorentina into a permanent one.
Of course, if Juve are to truly make a challenge for a Champions League title, they need a Ballon d'Or-level superstar who will make all the difference when the stakes are at their highest. Though they might not have such a player other than Ronaldo at the moment, they do have one who I believe will ascend to someday become a Ballon d'Or contender himself: Matthijs de Ligt. Ever since his breakout season for Ajax in 2017-18, the Dutch centre-back has quickly established himself as one of the best defenders in Serie A. At just 21, although de Ligt is still years from reaching his absolute ceiling, he has already been named to the FIFPro World11, won the Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy awards, and placed in the top 10 in FIFA's The Best award rankings. Though it's still very early in his career, we could very well be witnessing the rise of one of the greatest defenders of all time.
If they keep their key players together for two to three more years while also perhaps adding another big signing next year, Juve will be an absolute force when their younger players reach their prime. Though this is probably not their year in Europe (and perhaps even domestically as well), they could be in prime position to break their quarter-century Champions League drought within the next few years.
All of that being said, however, there is one other key point which must be addressed: the man in the dugout. Since taking over as head coach at the start of the season, Andrea Pirlo has had mixed results. While Juve did finish in first place in their Champions League group, the Turin club are also in fourth place in the league even after their victory over the Rossoneri. Pirlo's tactics have not always been on point; furthermore, his reliance on the somewhat obsolete 4-4-2 formation may also be a cause for concern. As Pirlo is still in his first season in charge of Juve, there is still time for him to refine his tactical approach and further familiarize himself with the weapons he has at his disposal. However, it could easily turn out that he is simply not good enough to lead Juve to ultimate glory - only time will tell.
It may sound strange, but in this season which might see Juve miss out on the league title for the first time in a decade, the club's fans have perhaps more reason than ever before to look forward to what could be an extremely bright future.
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