
Key strength: Pace and recovery
Overlapping full-back
In a Juventus season veering dangerously off-script, Juan Cabal stands as both symbol of the club's struggles and a potential route back to stability. The Bianconeri's stunning 14th-place position under Thiago Motta—captured in their tepid DLWDD form—reflects a squad desperately searching for defensive coherence. Enter the 25-year-old Colombian left-back, signed for €9 million to inject exactly what this stagnant Juve lacks: searing pace and the overlapping threat of a modern full-back. Cabal's numbers tell a tale of tantalizing potential imprisoned by limited trust—2 goals and 1 assist from just 514 minutes across 19 appearances, yielding a goal contribution every 171 minutes that few defenders can match. Yet that solitary complete 90-minute outing exposes the gulf between promise and Motta's confidence. While teammates like Khéphren Thuram and Nicolò Rovella command starting roles, Cabal's explosive overlapping runs and recovery speed remain underutilized weapons. With Juventus scrambling for Champions League relevance, unlocking this Colombian's evident attacking instincts isn't merely preferable—it's becoming essential for Motta's inverted full-back system to finally breathe.