Player Focus: Morata's Goalscoring Return a Timely Reminder of his Quality

What a difference patience can make. Juventus’ sloppy start to the season saw many turn on Max Allegri, with the experienced Italian under significant pressure as the Old Lady failed to keep on the coat tails of the early pace setters. Of course, any team losing three key players - in Juventus’ case, Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo - will feel the effects of the departures, but the Italian giants have overcome troubled times and are now right back on track. 

An 11-game winning run - the longest of its kind in Europe’s top 5 leagues this season - is a significant indicator that the Old Lady is back to her best. Previous title contenders Roma, Inter and Fiorentina have been brushed aside with consummate ease, with Napoli all that stands between her return to top spot. The stars of the season are understandably Paulo Dybala and Paul Pogba, while summer arrivals Alex Sandro, Juan Cuadrado and Mario Manduzkic have also played a key role for the club. 

However, the title charge threatened to hit a speedbump when it was revealed Mandzukic would miss the next month with a thigh problem. The Croat had formed an impressive understanding with Dybala during their short time together at the Juventus Stadium, and so news of the injury came as a blow, more so when taking into account the option in reserve. 

Real Madrid's long-standing interest in bringing Álvaro Morata back to Spain would suggest Mandzukic's absence shouldn't cause panic, but the Spaniard's form this season has left a lot to be desired. After a commendable debut campaign for Juventus, his form has dipped considerably. Admittedly, this has coincided with a lack of first-team action, but prior to his penalty in the 3-0 Coppa Italia win over Inter, Morata had gone an astonishing 1034 minutes without a competitive goal.

However, as the old saying goes: when it rains, it pours. In his last two competitive appearances, Morata has scored four goals. To put that into context, the 23-year-old had only netted three goals in his previous 27 outings in all competitions. Such a dip in confidence would weigh on the minds of even the most experienced heads, let alone one that is yet to start more than 11 league games in a single campaign. As the drought continued, his chances of usurping Mandzukic and Dybala's impressive partnership looked even more unlikely. 

It may have taken a penalty to end the barren spell, but since then the foodgates have clearly opened for Morata. Along with his second goal on the hour mark against Inter, a first half brace in the 4-0 thumping of Chievo suggests he has rediscovered the goalscoring touch that deserted him for almost 12 hours of action. Pogba may have deservedly stolen the plaudits in Sunday’s game, gaining a WhoScored rating of 10, but Morata led the line with aplomb. 

Of course, a brace against Chievo, whom Juventus mustered a staggering 30 shots against, isn't enough for Morata to be forgiven for his previous woes in front of goal, but it certainly promises that there is more to come from Morata in the coming weeks and gives hope that the loss of Mandzukic may not be as big a blow as first thought.

Furthermore, three key passes in the rout - only Stephan Lichtsteiner and Alex Sandro (both 4) played more - suggests he is beginning to form a commendable understanding with his new attacking teammates, with Morata averaging 0.8 over the course of the current Serie A season. Last season, he was granted the chance to work alongside Tevez, who eased the striking load, particularly when Juventus were out of possession. 

As good as Dybala is, the Argentine needed time to adjust to the rigours of his new manager and this, in turn, clearly affected Morata’s campaign. He may have netted crucial goals against Manchester City and Sevilla in the Champions League earlier this season, but the Spain international struggled with the excess demands that came with defending from the front. 

Tevez’s doggedness helped last season and eased the demands on Morata’s shoulders, but without the battling Argentine, the latter was made to work harder off the ball, which ultimately affected his game. In Mandzukic, Allegri has a striker capable of pressuring the opposition defence and one willing to perform the dirty work to help win the ball back for Juventus. 

With Dybala failing to match the defensive contribution levels of Tevez - though his goal return more than makes up for it - Morata naturally needs to work harder off the ball if he is to create goalscoring opportunities for himself and others. Allegri’s decision to revert to a three-man defence has also contributed to the striker’s return to goalscoring ways, with Lichtsteiner and one of Evra or Alex Sandro once again pushed forward into more advanced roles.  

Given Juventus’ dominance in Serie A, they needn’t worry about being overawed by the opposition, exploiting the space behind the wing-backs, particularly with Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini more than capable of limiting the opposition attack. As such, Juventus can afford to press higher up the pitch, thus allowing for more chances to be created, which benefits Morata and the rest of the team. 

With Mandzukic expected to sit out the upcoming Champions League meeting with Bavarian heavyweights Bayern Munich, Allegri will look to Morata as a means of capitalising on the Bundesliga side’s ongoing defensive injury crisis. However, with the striker beginning to re-discover his goalscoring touch, Juventus needn’t concern themselves with Mandzukic’s injury problem, though that would not have been the case 10 days ago. A wholly winnable meeting with Genoa tonight presents Morata with the chance to maintain his impressive run in front of goal. One would expect him to maximise the opportunity to prolong his recent upturn in form.

Is Alvaro Morata now back to his best form? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below