Manuel Locatelli Getting Back to His Best for Thiago Motta’s Juventus
Juventus faced off against Milan on Saturday, January 18, with the hosts featuring two ex-Milan players in their starting line-up: Pierre Kalulu excelled in defense alongside Federico Gatti, whilst Manuel Locatelli captained the side and ran the show in central midfield, winning seven out of seven duels and completing 12 out fo 15 long balls. Thanks to second-half goals from Samuel Mbangula and Timothy Weah, Juve were able to win 2-0 and prevail with their first league win of the year, as well as their first home win in Serie A since November 9.
In doing so, Juve continued their unbeaten start to the Serie A campaign, having won eight matches and drawn 13. They sit fifth in the Serie A table, two points behind fourth-placed Lazio, and they also find themselves on track to qualify for the UEFA Champions League playoffs, sitting 17th in the table. One player who has proven vital in their start to the campaign is Locatelli.
Having previously struggled under the defensive tactics of Max Allegri, Locatelli has been released from the shackles and allowed to flourish under new manager Thiago Motta. He’s learning from one of the greatest defensive midfielders of the previous generation, and there’s reason to believe that he will continue evolving and staking his claim as one of the best defensive midfielders on the continent.
Born in Lecco, Italy, Locatelli developed at Atalanta’s youth categories before moving to Milan at the age of 11. He would quickly rise through the ranks for club and country, making 48 appearances for Milan’s first team between 2016 and 2018, before eventually departing for Sassuolo on loan with an obligation to buy for €12.5 million. With Tiémoué Bakayoko joining on loan, the writing was on the wall for Locatelli.
Having stalled in his development under then Milan coach Vincenzo Montella, Locatelli was able to get back to his best at Sassuolo, a club that has a reputation of rebuilding ‘fallen stars’ who had left the Seven Sisters of Italian football — Lorenzo Pellegrini, Domenico Berardi and Davide Frattesi all come to mind. Locatelli emerged as a key figure for the Neroverdi, whilst he also helped Italy win the European Championships in 2021.
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Shortly after this Euro victory, Locatelli joined Juventus on a two-year loan with an obligation to buy for €25 million payable over three years plus €12.5 million in potential add-ons. He reunited with Allegri, who had previously called up a 15-year-old Locatelli to train with Milan’s first team in 2013, and was mainly used as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation. Juve were stagnant and dull to watch under Allegri, and it’s why various players like Locatelli, Federico Chiesa and Dušan Vlahović struggled to adjust to the playing style.
He was replaced by Motta, who has mainly utilized Locatelli in the double pivot of his 4-2-3-1 formation alongside Khéphren Thuram. The Italian midfielder has been an ever-present for Motta, registering two assists in 27 appearances. He’s not only been a key figure in midfield, but he’s been entrusted with the captain’s armband in recent weeks. After struggling to convince in his first few seasons in Turin, Locatelli is back to his best and showing the form that made Juve splash the cash on him in 2021.
Locatelli is completing 60.2 passes per game in Serie A, second only to Kalulu’s 74.8, with an accuracy rate of 90%, whilst he’s also registering 4.9 long balls per 90 — well above second-placed Danilo (3.0). He’s also proving to be an aggressive, intrepid player who’s capable of fulfilling his defensive tasks; he leads Juve with 1.8 tackles per game alongside Kenan Yıldız and is second only to Danilo (0.8) with 0.7 interceptions per game.
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This trend holds up in the UEFA Champions League — sitting third in Juve’s squad for big chances created (1), clearances per game (1.8), and accurate passes per game (52.5), completing 90% of his passes. He’s averaging 5.3 accurate long balls per 90, nearly double the amount of second-placed Kalulu (2.9), and he’s also leading Juve with 3.2 tackles per game. With Locatelli manning the ship, Juve find themselves competing on three fronts, with the club set to face off against Empoli on February 25 in the Coppa Italia quarterfinal.
At 27 years of age, Manuel Locatelli is delivering the best form of his Juve career and putting in a shift both on the ball and out of possession, and with a contract through 2028, he can focus on staying put at Piedmont and helping the Bianconeri get back to the promised land. Once a fish out of water under Allegri, Locatelli is finally starting to swim upstream under Motta.
By: Scot Munroe / @scot_munroe
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Marco Luzzani – Getty Images