At the Allianz Stadium in Turin, Juventus hosted Freiburg in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16. The Bianconeri dominated the match from start to finish, but only managed to hit the back of the net on a single occasion, as Angel Di Maria’s rare header proved to be the lone goal of the encounter. For their part, the Germans thought they had scored from their solitary half-chance, but the goal was disallowed for an offensive handball. So here are our player ratings for Juventus who took a slim first-leg lead in their double-header against Freiburg.
Juventus (3-5-1-1)
Wojciech Szczesny – 6
The Pole was quite literally a mere observer for the duration of the match. Aside from picking up the ball from his net for a disallowed goal, his services weren’t required.
Danilo – 6.5
A solid display at the back from the Brazilian who shifted from the right side to the left following Sandro’s injury.
Gleison Bremer – 7
A commanding outing from the former Torino defender who won the vast majority of his duels. Started the match at the centre of the three-man defense, before smoothly switching to the right to accommodate Bonucci.
Alex Sandro – 6
The former Porto man started the match on a positive note, making contributions in both phases, but had to be withdrawn in the middle of the first half after sustaining a knock.
Juan Cuadrado – 6.5
The Colombian wasn’t as influential as usual in attack, mainly because he had an important role to play at the back, helping the defenders in limiting Vicenzo Griffo’s threat. He surely excelled in this task.
Fabio Miretti – 5.5
The youngster was slightly rusty following his return from injury and went missing at times. Massimiliano Allegri hauled him off at halftime in favor of Fagioli.
Manuel Locatelli – 6.5
A combative display from the Euro 2020 winner who left it all on the pitch. Retrieved the ball on countless occasions.
Adrien Rabiot – 6
The Frenchman ran hard for 90+ minutes, but perhaps could have done better with his finishing.
Filip Kostic – 7
The Europa League MVP delivered yet another assist with a perfect cross. Trotted up and down the left flank, making significant contributions on both ends of the field.
Angel Di Maria – 7.5
Another fabulous European display from the Argentine winger. Although headers aren’t his specialty, he managed to put himself in the right place at the right time. He also dazzled his way between the opposition while working extremely hard to win back the ball for Juventus.
Dusan Vlahovic – 4.5
The Serbian is currently low on confidence, and it shows. Failed to direct his chances goalward and struggled to tame the ball.
Substitutes
Leonardo Bonucci – 6
The Juventus captain replaced the injured Sandro in the first half. His distribution from the back was less accurate than usual, but he still made some important interventions.
Nicolò Fagioli – 6.5
The Italian midfielder immediately added flair to the middle of the park following his halftime introduction. Delivered an inviting cross for Vlahovic.
Federico Chiesa – 6
The winger gave Juventus fans a major scare when he went to the ground, but was determined to finish the match despite the noticeable agony.
Moise Kean – 6
The striker looked energetic as he had a chip on his shoulder following his ridiculous red card against Roma. Contributed in defense while covering for Chiesa on the left flank.
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