Andrea Pirlo faces a make-or-break week against Inter Milan and Roma

Andrea Pirlo’s vision as Juventus boss is finally starting to take shape weeks after being taught a lesson by Antonio Conte… but he now faces a make-or-break seven days vs Inter Milan and Roma which could end the Old Lady’s stranglehold in Italy

• The margins could hardly be any finer for Juventus boss Andrea Pirlo this week
• Juve take on Inter Milan in semi-finals of the Coppa Italia over next seven days
• Pirlo’s side also face title challengers Roma in Serie A on Saturday evening
• It hasn’t been plain-sailing for the Serie A giants and their inexperienced boss 

For managerial rookie Andrea Pirlo and his Juventus side, they face a huge week that could go a long way to defining the outcome of their season.

Up next for Juventus it’s a trip to fellow Italian giants Inter Milan in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday night before hosting Antonio Conte’s side a week later.

But sandwiched in between those tricky cup clashes, Pirlo’s experimental Juve side host fellow title challengers Roma on Saturday evening.

With a renewed sense of belief, Andrea Pirlo and Juventus head into a make-or-break week

Juventus are unbeaten in their last four matches and haven’t conceded during that period

It’s a make-or-break week in Turin, and if Pirlo can come out of this unscathed, perhaps it could signal the start of a prosperous reign in charge of the Old Lady.

When Pirlo was appointed manager of Juventus, everyone knew it would take time having opted for the club legend over the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Mauricio Pochettino. Patience was required to mould the squad into his own.

And that has proved to be the case so far, with Juventus – who have won nine consecutive Serie A titles – sitting seven points off the top of the Italian top flight following six draws already. 

Their Italian dominance is under real threat, and with the Champions League looking out of their reach this season, pressure will be mounting already from those above.

But while it has been a slow start to his reign, perhaps we are finally starting to witness his vision bearing fruits heading into the business end of the season, with Pirlo himself admitting that his philosophy is beginning to take shape.

Speaking following the 2-0 win at Sampdoria last weekend, Pirlo said: ‘When the defence keeps a clean sheet, it also means the midfield and attack have started the press. We’re improving, but can do even better.

‘We are starting to find our form and making the movements more automatic, because in the first few games they were practically test runs, as we didn’t really have a pre-season training camp.

‘It took a little longer than usual, but we’re finding our feet now and will keep improving.’

Pirlo has got his Italian giants ticking and his vision is beginning to take place in Turin

It signalled a warning but in reality, if they fail in a week that could prove vital come the end of the season, then the stranglehold they have over the rest of their Italian rivals might be coming to an end.

Pirlo will know better than anyone else though the threat that Inter hold heading into Tuesday night’s crunch clash.

Rewind to just over two weeks ago; Juventus had been outclassed by Antonio Conte’s well-structured side. It was a truly horrible day at the office for Pirlo as Inter ran out 2-0 winners thanks to goals from Arturo Vidal and Nicolo Barella.

Experienced centre back Giorgio Chiellini later confessed: ‘They outclassed us in every part of the pitch.’ 

Barella dictated the tempo of the game from the heart of Inter’s midfield and it was a chastening experience for Pirlo, who had to learn his lessons quickly if he wanted to save Juve’s domestic season.

The immediate talk after the game was that Juventus were out of the title race, with huge question marks over his team, who appeared to be lacking any real philosophy or identity. 

But in what is a huge positive, Pirlo appears to have silenced his critics for now and learned from his mistakes – with Juve since going on a four-match winning streak without conceding a single goal. 

Just weeks ago, Antonio Conte outclassed Pirlo in the dugout as Inter Milan beat Juventus 2-0

The rookie boss has shown he is able to adapt – with his side looking as organised and stable as they ever have done under his management – and that will go down very well with the club’s hierarchy as they look to the future.

During that unbeaten run, Pirlo also got a monkey off his back that many inexperienced managers plying their trade at the highest level have to overcome.

Juventus’ legacy is built on winning the biggest prizes, and he has already added a title to his haul just months into his managerial career – beating Napoli 2-0 in the Supercoppa Italiana thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata.

The midfield that came in for plenty of criticism following the harrowing Inter loss has turned things around and looks much more solid.

Juventus are in much better shape than they were last time they faced Inter, and with Romelu Lukaku and Achraf Hakimi missing for the Nerazzurri on Tuesday, perhaps there is quiet optimism among Pirlo and his squad. 

The mood among the Juve camp is arguably at its highest point under Pirlo, having in fact won eight of their nine matches since the New Year – beating Serie A leaders AC Milan and Napoli on that run.

Confidence couldn’t really be any higher for the Old Lady and they will be desperate for revenge over Inter, who taught Pirlo a footballing lesson during his embryonic days as a manager.

Nicolo Barella and Arturo Vidal were on the scoresheet as Inter put Juventus to the sword

But while his immediate thoughts will be on the upcoming cup contest with rivals Inter, the huge Serie A clash at home to Roma on Saturday will certainly be in the back of his mind.

They may be enjoying their formidable streak of late, but Juventus know that Roma is a must-win if they want to keep their Serie A title hopes alive.

Roma sit just a point above Juventus in third but have played a match more. Victory over Paulo Fonseca’s side really would boost their title chances.

They are currently seven points off leaders AC Milan and five off second-placed Inter, who have also both played a game more.

If they beat Roma on the weekend and were to win their match in hand, Juve would be within touching distance of their Serie A title challengers but lose on Saturday and it could be game over.  

Throw in a semi-final defeat at the hands of Inter, and the pressure really would ramp up on Pirlo especially with a Juve board chaired by Andrea Agnelli that wouldn’t be afraid to pull the trigger.

The margins could hardly be any finer, and Pirlo knows that this week is his biggest in management to date, that could either lead to a successful future in Turin or one that could be over before he knows it.

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