Juventus Go Back To Basics For Leverkusen
Tuesday 27th November 2001
Juventus coach Marcello Lippi has decided to return to a 4-4-2 formation for the re-arranged Champions League tie at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
After a series of indifferent performances in the past month, culminating in Saturday's 1-0 Serie A defeat at Lazio, Lippi admitted that his experiment had failed.
"I've tried in a number of ways to get this side playing better but they have not worked," said Lippi. "I've decided to go back to the 4-4-2 system that we were using at the start of the season."
The change will mean a return to the two-pronged attack of Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet, with the out-of-sorts Pavel Nedved re-deployed on the left flank.
The Turin giants need to enter the winter break in a strong position as they are to be floated on the Italian stock exchange in December.
This move is not lost on general manager Luciano Moggi who expects the team to return to the sort of form that garlanded a run of six games without defeat at the beginning of the season.
"When we sold Zidane and Inzaghi I thought we would have a few problems, but we started well," claimed Moggi. "All great teams go through a bad patch, but now we really have to starting focusing and that starts with the Champions' League."
Leverkusen, who are four points clear at the top of the Bundesliga, will welcome back midfielder Bernd Schneider who missed the 4-1 home win over Hamburg at the weekend.
"He has overcome his thigh problems and although he has a touch of flu he should play," confirmed coach Klaus Toppmoller who has been less than happy with reports in the Italian media claiming Juventus were about to sign Bayer's �20 million-rated Brazilian defender Lucio.
Last week's encounter between the sides was postponed after thick fog descended on the Stadio Delle Alpi, allowing Deportivo La Coruna to steal a march at the head of the group after their 2-0 home win against Arsenal.
Juventus: Buffon, Thuram, Iuliano, Tudor, Pessotto, Zambrotta,Tacchinardi, Davids; Nedved, Del Piero; Trezeguet
Leverkusen: Butt, Schneider, Lucio, Nowotny, Placente, Ramelow, Ballack, Ze Roberto, Basturk, Kirsten, Neuville
