Serie A Talking Points: Should Gonzalo Higuain be played as an impact sub?

Two goals in either half from the Argentine duo take Juventus on the top of the league table.

Juventus have seized the opportunity they were presented and ran out 2-1 winners against a rather deflated Inter Milan that just couldn’t seem to put a foot right. Despite all of Antonio Conte’s efforts, the tactical mastermind was unable to manoeuvre his way past the pragmatic approach taken up by Maurizio Sarri’s men. Juventus further showcased the gulf in class between themselves and the rest of the league with the help of goals from Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain.

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Highlights: Inter 1-2 Juventus

5. Can Paulo Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo turn into one of the famous Juventus partners? 

This fixture was a strong indicator of a fact that has been fairly apparent for quite a while now - Cristiano Ronaldo is far and away, the best player in the Juventus squad. Also worth noting is that Argentine sensation Paulo Dybala was often compared to footballing messiah Lionel Messi during his developmental days.

Given their skill-sets, the two have the potential to develop into one of the deadliest duos in the history of the Old Lady. This partnership was on full flow right from kick-off as the two seemed to be on a completely different wavelength to the rest of the players on the pitch. The difference in quality when Ronaldo or Dybala picked up the ball for Juventus was clear as day and Sarri may have stepped on a goldmine with this formational setup.

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4. Is Sarri attempting to develop Miralem Pjanic into his Napoli's Jorginho?

Maurizio Sarri is a manager who likes things a certain way and when things aren’t going his way, he ensures that changes are made so as to enliven all the players and staff at his disposal. The additional training that Miralem Pjanic has been receiving is quite clear to see in the difference in his style of play and general positioning.

Often utilised as one of the more attack-minded midfield options, Pjanic has always been a massive threat going forward for the Old Lady. Under his new position though, in what is extremely close to what Jorginho did for Sarri at Napoli, Pjanic seems to be the glue that holds the entire Juventus team together. He acts as a link between defence and attack - quite possibly the most important position of Maurizio Sarri’s playbook.

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3. Do the Milan clubs really have enough firepower to catch up to high-flying Juventus?

Although the first half of this fixture was a fairly close affair, the second half shed a large amount of light on the harsh reality of the Italian first-division. Juventus are simply a cut above everyone else in the league and despite all the investments that have been made by Milan and Inter, neither are anywhere near the same level as the Old Lady.

Antonio Conte’s rather negative tactics began to be exposed in the second period as the Nerrazzuri were constantly being overrun by Maurizio Sarri’s powerful and energetic midfield. Unable to keep the ball for an extended spell, Inter really struggled to get into the game and were much less of a threat going forward than their Italian counterparts.

2. Is Lukaku’s poor close-control going to cost Inter this season?

When the Belgian made the move away from Manchester United after a fairly disastrous spell, everyone expected him to hit the ground running at Inter. Although he hasn’t done all too badly since making the summer switch, the tie against Juventus would’ve certainly come as a reality check to the forward.

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His pathetic touch from last season seemed to be back at the worst possible hour and he was afforded no space to work his magic by the Juventus back-line.

1. Should Gonzalo Higuain be played as an impact player?

When Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain went on to join AC Milan and then Chelsea on loan, everyone expected that the veteran striker’s time in the limelight was coming to an end. A few months down the line and Higuain looks like a man invigorated under former manager Maurizio Sarri.

The Italian has been adept and extracting the best out of Higuain and has done a fantastic job of making him a valuable asset to this side. The fact that the striker got the winning goal on the night will only be further motivation for the manager to consider his name earlier in the future.