Like waking from a long hibernation. Juventus shake off the torpor of the international break, returning almost at full strength to the Continassa pitches where Friday brought a significant step forward in the Cagliari preparation. Before everything else comes the reconnection of threads — the memory of two convincing performances against NEC and Atalanta, the renewal of the tactical patterns that made them possible. And so the work begins again: with Çelik’s left-footed first-time delivery from a wide position — a detail worth noting, representing a genuine tactical evolution from the opening weeks when the Turkish wing-back would consistently cut inside onto his right, losing tempo in the process — and with the specific points of emphasis that Spalletti and his staff have extracted from the first five weeks of competitive football.
The Coaching Notes — Conceição’s Finishing, Bremer’s Headers, Çelik’s Left Foot
Three elements from the pre-break material have been identified as the specific working priorities for the Cagliari preparation. Conceição’s coolness inside the penalty area — the quality that produced his goal against Atalanta — must become a consistent pattern rather than an exception: Spalletti is working on this specifically, building the Portuguese winger’s confidence in front of goal and his repertoire of finishing options in the moments that matter most.
Bremer’s headed contributions — the observation that more Juventus goals have come from the back three than from the attacking unit — is addressed not as a problem but as a tactical reality to be understood and managed. The defensive quality of the goal threat from set pieces remains one of the season’s most distinctive characteristics: 37.5% of Serie A goals from dead-ball situations, the highest of any big club.
And Çelik’s left-foot development: the shift away from the instinctive cut inside and towards the first-time left-footed ball into the area is a small but meaningful evolution that changes how the right wing-back position functions within the system. Spalletti has clearly identified it as a priority.
The Formation — 3-4-2-1 as the Confirmed Base
Whatever rotations and in-game adjustments follow, Sunday’s starting structure at the Unipol Domus is confirmed as the 3-4-2-1 that restored shape and compactness after the Sassuolo collapse. The system that produced the 5-0 against NEC and the 2-0 against Atalanta gives Spalletti the structural platform he trusts — and within which the multi-role players (McKennie, Cambiaso, Çelik, González) can exercise their various functions without the squad’s identity being compromised.
Cabal and González Available — Second Chapter
The second chapter — “Cabal e Nico a disposizione” — delivers the most positive fitness news of the week. Cabal has returned to full group training on Friday and is now genuinely targeting the Cagliari squad — a development that was considered optimistic as recently as Wednesday. González, having completed his recovery day on Thursday following the Messi farewell intercontinental trip, is back to full training and available for selection. Whether he starts or is held back for Celta Vigo remains the decision Spalletti will take in the next 48 hours — but his availability removes the concern that had surrounded him.
Zhegrova’s Key Date — and the Specific Opportunity the Europa League Provides
The headline story — and the one with the longest forward shadow — concerns Zhegrova and the specific moment at which his opportunity to shift the squad hierarchy presents itself. Ineligible for the Europa League due to his absence from the UEFA lists, Zhegrova’s competitive opportunities are confined to Serie A. The “key date” the article references — held behind the paywall in chapter three, “Juventus, le scelte di Spalletti” — is the period across the October fixture sequence when Boga’s return from injury, Ekhator’s expected late-October availability, and the rotation demands of seven matches in twenty-plus days create a specific window. If Zhegrova delivers as an impact player from the bench at Cagliari — and as a starter in the domestic league matches where the Europa League squad is rested — the hierarchy shifts. The Europa League’s exclusion of him paradoxically becomes his clearest path to proving his worth in the competition that matters most for Spalletti’s league table ambitions. The October gauntlet is the moment. Zhegrova’s job is to take it.
