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Razor-sharp Pirlo holds the key for Juventus

Reuters

Posted On Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 08:58:09 AM

Juventus’s Andrea Pirlo
Milan: Chelsea must find a way to subdue Juventus playmaker Andrea Pirlo in a Champions League clash on Tuesday which is likely to leave either the Serie A titleholders or European champions out of the competition.

The 2006 World Cup winner now sports a beard which many feel gives him a resemblance to martial arts film star Chuck Norris, and he has been just as destructive as Juve’s guiding light in the past 18 months.

Pirlo’s importance was clear on Saturday as he sat out the Serie A match against Lazio through suspension and Juventus, who had scored 10 goals in their previous two games, stuttered to a goalless draw.

The playmaker

Never the happiest-looking of characters with his long, droopy face, Pirlo’s favoured role as a deep-lying playmaker makes him something of a rarity in modern football.

The 33-year-old, ever-present in their Champions League campaign to date, dictates the rhythm of the fiveman Juventus midfield, floating exquisitely- timed 40 metre passes over the opposing backline or threading gaps in the defence.

The Serie A champions have lost only twice in all competitions since Pirlo joined them at the start of last season from AC Milan where his own career had run into a dead end.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque suggested recently that Pirlo, also instrumental in leading Italy to the Euro 2012 final, deserved to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Juventus’s problem is that their forwards are not always on hand to convert chances that Pirlo and his midfield create for them.

New signing Sebastian Giovinco has failed to meet expectations since his move from Parma and Mirko Vucinic's individualism continues to exasperate his team mates and the fans.
 
Juventus, who went out in the group stage on their last Champions League appearance in 2009/10, have six points from four games in Group E, one less than Chelsea and Shakhtar Donetsk who visit winless Nordsjaelland. Chelsea will qualify if they win Tuesday's match and Shakhtar will join them if they also win, leaving Juventus to contemplate the Europa League.


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