Juventus 2019/20 Review: End of Season Report Card for the Old Lady

Juventus’ season came to an abrupt halt following their defeat to Lyon in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Despite winning 2-1 on the night, Juve were dumped out of the competition on away goals - prolonging their 24-year wait for European glory and ultimately bringing to an end Maurizio Sarri’s time at the club.

Despite notching their ninth-successive Scudetto, the campaign represented a far from stellar year for one of Italian football’s powerhouses. So, with their season now at a close, it's time for 90min to tear them from limb from limb, report card style.

Let's tuck in.

League Performance

Serie A – 1st

The 2019/20 race for the Scudetto proved to be enthralling viewing, with three sides threatening to dethrone Juventus.

Lazio, Inter and even Atalanta looked well set to mount a serious title charge at varying points in the season, however, all three ultimately fell by the wayside, leaving the Old Lady to yet again be crowned champions of Italy.

Having looked imperious in the early months of the season, Sarri’s side suffered a wobble at the turn of the year as they lost two from three. However, they regained composure and went on to win seven on the bounce, conceding just three goals in the process.

In truth the final league table makes the season's conclusion look a lot more dramatic than it actually was, with Juve taking their foot off the gas and losing both of their final two matches with the title already in the bag.

Two wins from their final eight league outings suggests a mini-collapse, but the champions did exactly what was needed to get themselves over the line and they were worthy winners.

Domestic Cup Performance

Coppa Italia – Runners Up

Juve breezed through the early rounds of the competition (if entry at the Round of 16 stage can be classed as the ‘early rounds’) beating Udinese 4-0 before a quarter-final win over Roma.

Their semi-final clash with AC Milan proved to be a sterner test, with Sarri’s side eventually squeezing their way past the Rossoneri on away goals after the two-legged tie ended 1-1 on aggregate. 

Juve had veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to thank for keeping them in the final against Napoli, with the 42-year-old producing a string of fine saves to keep the score at 0-0. With neither side able to break the deadlock, the final was decided on penalties, and misses from Paulo Dybala and Danilo saw Sarri’s side end the competition as beaten finalists.

Supercoppa Italia - Runners Up

Another disappointing final for Sarri’s men, with second-half strikes from Senad Lulić and Danilo Cataldi handing Lazio their second Supercoppa Italia in three years with a 3-1 win.

Continental Cup Performance

Champions League – Round of 16

It’s incredible to think that a club of Juventus’ stature last tasted Champions League victory in 1996.

There’s been a whole host of nearly misses since Marcello Lippi’s men were crowned champions of Europe 24 years ago - including five final defeats - but the hoodoo goes on.

The early signs looked promising in this season’s edition of the competition, with Juve dropping just two points from their six group matches.

However, despite finishing clear winners in a group containing Atlético Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, Sarri’s men were unable to overcome Ligue 1 side Lyon in the first knockout round, with Memphis Depay’s early penalty in the second leg proving critical as Juve crashed out on away goals.

Best Player

It would be lovely to pick out an emerging youngster or an unsung hero for Juventus’ best player of the season – but let’s be honest, it’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

At the tender age of 35, the Portuguese star is still breaking all kinds of records, with his 36 goals for Juventus (which has since become 37 following his brace against Lyon) breaking a 95-year record for the most goals for the club in a single season.

Ronaldo’s 31 league goals helped clinch yet another Scudetto, and even in the twilight of his career he shows no signs of slowing down.

Special shoutout to Paulo Dybala, too, who you'd be right to argue is the glue of Juventus' team and is really the indispensable member of their squad.

Worst Player

After yet another unspectacular season in Turin, it appears as though Federico Bernardeschi’s time at Juventus may be coming to an end.

Despite making a healthy 29 league appearances, the Italian only saw out the 90 minutes on five occasions - and at times looked lost.

After his incredible breakthrough season with Fiorentina, the 26-year-old’s career has stalled since his big-money move to Juve, and he’s coming to a crossroads in his career where his next decision could be crucial. The club’s decision to sack Sarri may well offer Bernardeschi a future at Juventus, with the winger struggling to fit into the Italian tactician’s system.

A new boss could offer a lifeline, though a season spent largely playing second-fiddle to 32-year-old Juan Cuadrado doesn’t bode well.

The Manager

Despite lifting the first league title of his 30-year coaching career, it wasn't enough to see Sarri keep his job.

Serie A triumph has become a bit of a precision in Turin, with fans almost expectant of the title – it’s how many other pieces of silverware they can pick up that will determine the club’s season.

Unfortunately for Sarri, defeated finalists count for little at a club like Juventus, and the holy grail of Champions League glory was not only not achieved - it was missed by some distance.

With Zinedine Zidane and Mauricio Pochettino already being touted as potential replacements, it's no surprise to see Sarri given his marching orders.

Overall Grade

'Serie A champions’ isn’t a title which will see a Juventus side reminisced of for years to come, however, the nature of their title win will afford Bianconeri fans a rye smile. But with no other silverware to speak of, it’s not been a satisfactory season.

Grade: B-