There was plenty of anticipation around Teun Koopmeiners’ return to midfield in Juventus’ Coppa Italia win over Udinese, and the Dutchman did not disappoint. After several matches spent in defence, he was restored to what is considered his natural role in the centre of the pitch and delivered a performance that will have pleased Luciano Spalletti, even if his position is set to change again for the upcoming trip to Napoli.
IlBianconero write how, deployed alongside Fabio Miretti, as Spalletti had hinted in his pre-match press conference, Koopmeiners slotted back into central midfield with authority. It was his first outing in that role for over a month, having last featured there in the league meeting with Udinese at the Allianz Stadium at the end of October. Since early November, starting from Cremonese–Juventus, Spalletti has been using him as the left-sided central defender in a back three, a reinvention that helped him regain confidence and deliver reliable performances at the back.
Against Udinese in the Coppa Italia, Koopmeiners showed that his growth is evident in both roles. Operating mainly on the left side but covering large areas box to box, he was heavily involved in Juventus’ fluid, dynamic play, arguably more so than at any other point this season. He linked play, dictated tempo and contributed defensively, underlining how important he can be when trusted in the middle of the pitch.
His numbers from the match back that up: he completed 55 of 62 passes, an accuracy of 89 per cent, and hit 7 of 9 long balls successfully. He finished with 69 touches and produced two key defensive interventions, demonstrating his influence in both phases. Koopmeiners also played a central part in the move that unlocked the game, threading the ball in behind for Weston McKennie, whose cross forced Palma’s own goal that put Juventus in front.
Despite such a convincing outing in midfield, circumstances suggest Koopmeiners will be moved back into defence for the high-stakes clash with Napoli. Federico Gatti’s knee problem, which will be assessed in the coming hours, removes an important option for Spalletti at the back. With Gleison Bremer still unavailable, the most realistic solution is a three-man defence featuring Pierre Kalulu on the right of the trio, Kelly in the centre and Koopmeiners again on the left.
If that set-up is confirmed, Koopmeiners faces yet another demanding examination in his relatively new defensive role, arguably the toughest so far. On his side operates David Neres, Napoli’s in-form attacking threat and the match-winner in their recent victory away to Roma. Containing a player of Neres’ flair and directness will be a serious test of Koopmeiners’ positioning, reading of the game and timing in the tackle.
Spalletti has repeatedly praised the defensive work Koopmeiners has shown in recent weeks, highlighting his tactical intelligence and commitment in the back line. Should he come through the Napoli test convincingly, it would no longer be surprising to see him considered a long-term option in that role, even once the injury emergency has passed and Juventus have a full complement of defenders available.
