Following the missed opportunity against Sassuolo, Juventus have been called to make an important change in their penalty-kick routine.
The Bianconeri have now failed to convert any of their last spot-kicks in Serie A. The negative streak began with Jonathan David squandering his chance against Lecce on January 3, which cost the two two valuable points at home against a team involved in the relegation battle.
Afterwards, it was Kenan Yildiz’s turn to misfire from 12 yards. Luckily for the Turkish star, his failed attempt didn’t come back to haunt him, as Juventus routed Cremonese by five unanswered goals.
Manuel Locatelli became the latest Juventus player to waste a penalty kick
Earlier this month, Locatelli successfully scored the penalty that kick-started Juve’s comeback against Galatasaray in the Champions League.
However, the club captain’s tame effort on Saturday allowed his former employers, Sassuolo, to escape the Allianz Stadium with a point in the bag.
Last season, the Italian international scored the decisive penalty in Venice to secure the club’s place in the Champions League, so one might wonder if his latest blunder will be identified as one of the main reasons behind the lack of UCL football next season, as Juventus find themselves three points behind Como in the race for fourth place.
Juventus must eliminate the pre-penalty confusion
According to Tuttosport, Juventus must dispel all the uncertainty that reigns every time they’re awarded a spot-kick.
While Locatelli is identified as the designated spot-kick taker, things have not been this straightforward on this front, as every penalty has sparked a wide deliberation involving Locatelli, his teammates, and Luciano Spalletti.
Following Saturday’s contest, the Juventus manager revealed the background behind the selection process. He admitted that Yildiz held the ball after expressing his desire to take it, but Locatelli was equally keen, and since he’s the first choice in the hierarchy, it was his penalty by right.
Although this process has never caused any unsavoury scenes or arguments among the players, the Turin-based newspaper argues that Juventus are better off without it.
After all, the designated penalty-taker, regardless of his identity, must not spend his mental energy on pleading his case, but should be entirely focused on the task itself.