3 Reasons Why Juventus Failed to Make It Out of the Champions League Group Stage
Juventus crashed out of the UEFA Champions League group stage on Tuesday, losing 4-1 to Real Madrid in Turin and finishing third in Group H with just three points from their six matches. Juve were expected to make it through to the round of 16, but instead were eliminated after two draws and four straight defeats over their last four matches against Madrid, Tottenham, and APOEL Nicosia. Here are three reasons why Juve failed to reach the Champions League knockouts for the first time in four years.
1) Injuries
The most significant factor in Juventus' failure to make it out of the group stage was injuries. Massimiliano Allegri's team has had its fair share this season and has been especially hit hard in recent weeks. The Bianconeri have already played over 40 competitive matches this season, more than any other side in Europe's top five leagues, while they are also going through a hectic period with three games a week.
In addition, there are some key players who have not been available for Allegri since before Christmas such as Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Paulo Dybala.
2) Age
The first reason is that they had a rough start in the group stage. They were in a tough group, with Barcelona, PSV and Inter Milan. The team suffered their first loss at home against Barcelona. This was a huge blow because they were up 1-0 until halftime before conceding two goals in the second half.
3) Tactics
1) The team made some mistakes against Ajax - two defensive errors were capitalized on by Ajax, and a third was missed by an offside Dybala. In addition, there were two shots saved from Neto that should have been converted. Finally, Mandzukic missed a fantastic opportunity in front of goal. These mistakes added up to three crucial points lost against Ajax.
2) The team did not take their chances against Olympiakos - they had enough opportunities but failed to convert them into goals. A header from Alex Sandro was cleared off the line by Rojo at 1-0, while Higuain's shot hit the crossbar with just five minutes left on the clock at 2-0 up.
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