\n<\/p>\n
After the weekend win over AC Milan, there was one big question about Juventus: could they repeat that performance over multiple games?<\/p>\n
Assessing Tuesday night\u2019s performance against Club Brugge, the answer at this point is … kinda?<\/p>\n
Some of the good aspects of Saturday\u2019s game came with them to Belgium. The defense, save one or two moments, continued to be solid. Indeed, the hosts didn\u2019t register a shot on target. The press that suffocated AC Milan was also largely present for Tuesday\u2019s match. Juve won the ball back early and often, and maintained close to 60 percent of the possession the entire match \u2014 in some of the early phases close to 70.<\/p>\n
What was missing was what happened after Juve recovered the ball.<\/p>\n
It was the passing that didn\u2019t carry over from the Milan match. What had been crisp, quick, and incisive for so much of the game at the Allianz was lethargic and more aimless at the Jan Breydel Stadium. It took more than 30 minutes for Juventus to take their first shot of the match, and only found the target once in five tries \u2014 and that one came with five minutes left in the game. The result was a match in which both teams were evenly mediocre, and where the goalless result was profoundly deserved. It was a game that was, to steal one of my favorite phrases of Danny\u2019s, a big ol\u2019 bucket of meh.<\/p>\n
Thiago Motta had the novelty of a nearly-full bench coming into the game. Arkadiusz Milik was the only player who wasn\u2019t officially out for the year who was missing, although Dusan Vlahovic, Francisco Concei\u00e7\u00e3o, Kenan Yildiz, and Weston McKennie were only fit for the bench. He made three changes to his 4-2-3-1 setup. Michele Di Gregorio started in goal, with Nicol\u00f2 Savona, Federico Gatti, Pierre Kalulu, and Andrea Cambiaso arrayed in front of him in defense. Douglas Luiz was given his first start in the Champions League<\/a>, partnering with Manuel Locatelli in midfield. Timothy Weah, Teun Koopmeiners, and Samuel Mbangula joined Nico Gonz\u00e1lez in attack.<\/p>\n Brugge manager Nicky Hayen had his team on a fantastic run. The Belgian champions were unbeaten in 18 matches in all competitions (15 of them wins) and hadn\u2019t been shut out in 24 games. He countered with his own 4-2-3-1. Simone Mignolet was the goalkeeper, screened by the back four of Kyriani Sabbe, Brandon Mechele, Joel Ordo\u00f1ez, and Maxim De Cuyper. Raphael Onyedika and Ardon Jashari started in the double pivot, while Chemsdine Talbi, Hans Vanaken, and Christos Tzolis supported striker Ferran Jutgl\u00e0.<\/p>\n