Real Madrid clash could be turning point for Juventus season amid poor form and Igor Tudor sacking rumours as ex-Bianconeri star sees new 'spirit and chemistry'

Juventus suffered their first loss of the season against Como, inspired by a brilliant individual performance from the 2024-25 Serie A Young Player of the Season, Nico Paz. The Argentine midfielder’s precise cross to the far post was met by defender Marc-Oliver Kempf, who tapped it home in the third minute to give Como an early lead. Despite Juventus goalkeeper Michele De Gregorio making several key saves, Paz sealed the win in the 79th minute with a curling strike beyond De Gregorio’s reach to make it 2-0.

The defeat saw Juventus slip to seventh place in the Serie A table after what had been a strong start to the campaign with three consecutive wins, including a thrilling 4-3 triumph over Inter in the Derby d’Italia. Since then, however, the Bianconeri have gone six games without a win, drawing five times against Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Villarreal Atalanta and Hellas Verona.

However, former Juventus defender Danilo believes the match against Real Madrid could serve as a springboard for the Bianconeri to turn their season around.

In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Danilo called for unity and urged Juventus to view their upcoming match against Real Madrid as an opportunity to turn things around. He said: “In these moments, we need unity; everyone needs to help each other. Now there's the Champions League, a different story, and the match against Madrid could be an opportunity. Juventus never gives up in difficult times.”

While Danilo admitted he is not aware of the day-to-day dynamics within the squad, he noted that there appears to be greater chemistry between the players and the coach compared to previous seasons. “I'm not involved in the day-to-day dynamics, and giving an opinion on the spot would be disrespectful to the group, the coach, and the club. From the outside, however, it seems to me that compared to a year ago, the spirit is different, the attitude different: there's a chemistry between the players and the coach that wasn't there before.”

Acknowledging the challenge of facing Real Madrid, Danilo emphasized that getting a positive result at the Bernabeu could serve as a turning point for Juventus. “The Bernabeu is a very important test; Madrid are clearly in a much better moment, top of La Liga, six points in the Champions League, but if Juve get a result, and they can, it could be the match that changes the season.”

Igor Tudor was appointed interim coach of Juventus last season following the sacking of Thiago Motta. After unsuccessful attempts to bring in Gian Piero Gasperini or Antonio Conte, Juventus confirmed Tudor as the permanent head coach. However, with results currently poor, Tudor has come under mounting pressure. While the club have publicly backed him, they have quietly explored two other managerial options as potential replacements. Sacking Tudor and appointing a new coach could prove difficult, as Juventus are still paying Motta, and adding a third coach to the payroll could further complicate the club’s ongoing issues with UEFA Financial Fair Play compliance.

Danilo stressed the importance of patience and reaffirmed his trust in Tudor. “Patience is needed. They've changed several players, and the transfer window has been delayed, which has affected our preparations. It won't be an easy year for Juve, but I have faith in Tudor.”

He also drew a comparison with Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, suggesting that even the most promising managers face early challenges in conveying their ideas. “Xabi Alonso has a modern, different vision of football, and he's also struggling to convey it to his players. But obviously, it's much easier to work when the results come in, and we always end up back there.”

Juventus and Tudor will look to strengthen a defence that has conceded 10 goals in their last six games. In attack, the team has managed just eight goals over the same period and will look to improve. However, their biggest challenge will be containing Kylian Mbappe, who has scored five goals in his last two matches.