AS he does before most games, Pavel Nedved gave an interview to Sky Italia in the moments before last Tuesday’s clash with Atletico Madrid. The Juventus Vice-President discussed a number of topics, including the form of Paulo Dybala after the Argentina international scored in each of the Old Lady’s two previous games.
“Dybala is doing great things this season, you can perhaps see the difference more from last term,” said Nedved. “He played below expectations last season, but has changed completely and it is above all a change of his mentality. It was all him and I am pleased because he can still get stronger.”
The Bianconeri no.10 would of course go on to net the only goal as his side defeated their Spanish visitors, but even with that strike it could be argued that Dybala’s resurgence is only the second-most impressive reversal of fortunes at the club this season. Standing head and shoulders above anyone else in terms of defying expectations has to be Gonzalo Higuain because if Dybala was poor in 2018/19, then his compatriot was absolutely bankrupt.
It was just last summer when, deemed surplus to requirements by Juve, Higuain moved to AC Milan where he was an abject failure. His time at San Siro was, somewhat poetically, perhaps best summed during a clash against Juve last November where he missed a penalty before being sent off shortly before the final whistle.
Did you know?
Gonzalo Higuain has provided more assists (6) than any other Juventus player this season. pic.twitter.com/WvOtGPwmUm
— Forza Juventus (@ForzaJuve2017) November 23, 2019
Perhaps it was the sight of Cristiano Ronaldo – the man who effectively pushed him out of Turin – scoring that tipped him over the edge, but whatever it was, Higuain never looked comfortable at Milan. He would leave in January after scoring eight times in 22 appearances, the Rossoneri snapping up Krzysztof Piątek to bolster their attack and quickly forgetting about the emotionally fragile Argentinian.
From there he would of course join Chelsea, unquestionably hoping that a reunion with Maurizio Sarri would rekindle his best form. The Italian coach was Higuain’s boss at Napoli when he broke the single-season scoring record for Serie A, but once again the former River Plate striker would struggle to adapt, netting just five times in 19 outings for the Premier League outfit.
When his loan spell came to an end there was never a hint that Chelsea would take up their option to buy him and, at 31 years old, he would return to another club who didn’t want him. Among the highest paid players in the squad, Juve spent the entire summer shopping Higuain around Europe, attempting to insert him into a number of deals only to see their offers shunned immediately.
The man himself dug his heels in too, refusing to seek an alternative and insisting he wanted to remain with the Bianconeri until the end of his contract. With Sarri joining him in Turin there was some belief that the coach could actually coax Higuain back into form, yet what has happened so far in 2019/20 has defied even the loftiest of expectations.
Denied the no.9 shirt he previously wore (he wears 21 instead) and with his Milan and Chelsea failures fresh in the memory, seeing what Higuain has accomplished this term is simply staggering. It began with a truly sensational strike against former club Napoli, getting the better of Kalidou Koulibaly to lash home a wonderful half volley before adding another well-taken effort against Bayer Leverkusen and a match-winning goal in the top-of-the-table clash with Inter.
More than his contribution to the score sheet however, it has been his linkup play that has been the biggest surprise, Higuain routinely involved in the “Sarri Ball” attack as Juve push forward. In November alone he registered assists on match-winning goals against Torino, Lokomotiv Moscow and Milan before notching two goals and another assist in the 3-1 victory over Atalanta.
That pass was a perfectly weighted cross-field ball to Dybala, and Higuain celebrated almost as emphatically as if he'd scored himself, fist-pumping in delight as his effort opened up the space to allow his compatriot to convert.
Rediscovering that joy after miserable spells at San Siro and Stamford Bridge has been essential to this return to form, something the striker discussed at a recent press conference. “I feel happy, not only for choosing to stay put, but also how I’ve been treated by my teammates, the club and staff,” Higuain told reporters. “I’m very happy to be here, I have enjoyed some beautiful years here and it’s going well at the moment, but I’m not satisfied yet.
“The season is very long, and we have a lot to prove between now and the end. When there are the great players like we have here, you need to make the most of every opportunity you are given and I’ll do just that.”
He certainly has so far, and Gonzalo Higuain deserves all the credit in the world for doing so.
