Once upon a time at Juventus, we were spoiled by the presence of two excellent free-kick specialists in Paulo Dybala and Miralem Pjanic. With the Argentine with a fabulous left foot and the Bosnian with an equally dangerous forehand, the Bianconeri terrified their rivals from every angle.
While things were supposed to get even better with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, for one reason or another, it ultimately backfired as the team no longer posed the same threat in dead ball situations with the Portuguese’s shots mostly hitting the ball. defensive wall.
So after Dybala’s departure, Max Allegri must now find a new designated free throw taker. Therefore, we will take a look at five candidates and rank them based on their skills in this particular department.
5-Leonardo Bonucci
Aside from actual skills, shooting free kicks requires a certain character. A player must have a strong personality and some confidence to stand on the ball and tell teammates to back off.
And this is probably where Leonardo Bonucci excels. However, when it comes to his abilities, he probably falls short behind the other players on the list, even if he doesn’t disgrace himself with his attempts.
4-Dusan Vlahović
The Serb is not just a classic great center forward whose job it is to head the ball from inside the penalty area. In fact, the 22-year-old has a spectacular left foot that allows him to score from distance.
He may still need additional time to improve his free-kick skills, but he could move up the pecking order in the future.
3- Paul Pogba
Although he doesn’t make recurring free throws, Paul Pogba is still a threat when he steps on the ball. Juventus fans may remember a time when he used to rotate with Dybala on free-kick duties.
Unfortunately for the Frenchman, his injury problems will give others an advantage.
2-John Square
The Colombian has never really been the designated free throw shooter in the presence of other specialists, but his prowess is surely underrated. Last season he scored a free kick against Sampdoria in the Coppa Italia.
Also, if the man can score a direct goal from a corner kick, he will surely be able to hit one or two when facing the net.
1- Angel Di Maria
The Argentine is arguably one of the most underrated players of his generation, as are his dead ball skills.
Throughout his playing career, Di Maria has featured alongside some of the world’s biggest superstars, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Lionel Messi, ultimately impeding his chances of showing his true potential from free kicks.
Nonetheless, the veteran winger remains one of the most dangerous players in this regard, with Juventus fans expecting him to deliver the goods this season.
