On Wednesday night, Juventus hosted Benfica in the second matchday of the Champions League group stage. The Bianconeri were desperate for a win that would get them on the scoreboard, and their evening began on a positive note with Arkadiusz Milik delivering an early goal. Unfortunately for the Italians, their tempo slowed down as the match progressed allowing the Eagles to mount a comeback thanks to Joao Mario’s spot-kick and David Neres’ winner, leaving their European hopes hanging by a thread. So here are our player ratings for the Allianz Stadium clash between Juventus and Benfica.
Juventus (3-5-2)
Mattia Perin – 7
The former Genoa goalkeeper is one of the few Juventus players who could leave the pitch with a head held high. Couldn’t do much on Mario’s penalty and denied Rafa Silva prior to the second Benfica goal. Prevented a more embarrassing result with a string of saves.
Gleison Bremer – 5.5
A mixed bag for the tough Brazilian defender. Made several key interventions, but looked lost at times. Wasted an easy chance to equalize when he found himself one-on-on with the goalkeeper.
Leonardo Bonucci – 6.5
The captain might be one of the culprits on the second goal, but still made a host of crucial blocks and interceptions to keep his side in the match for as long as possible. Was visibly exhausted in the end.
Danilo – 5
The former Porto man started his night on a positive note by keeping Neres at bay, but completely lost control in the second half, allowing his compatriot to run riot.
Juan Cuadrado – 4.5
Another disappointing night for the Colombian who obviously needs some time off in order to catch his breath. Wasted chances with fruitless runs and ill-advised decisions.
Weston McKennie – 5.5
The American gives his all on the pitch for the team’s cause, but unfortunately, this shouldn’t be enough to warrant a starting spot at Juventus. His passing leaves a lot to be desired.
Leandro Paredes – 6.5
While it wasn’t exactly his finest display, the Argentine was one of the best of a mostly-disappointing bunch. Provided the assist for Milik with an exquisite freekick, chased the ball all over the pitch and even covered for defenders at times.
Fabio Miretti – 5.5
To his credit, the teenager was having a decent outing prior to giving away a spot kick. Even then, he was left to fend for his own by the rest of his teammates and was unlucky to catch Ramos’ leg.
Filip Kostic – 5
The Serbian winger looked inspired at the beginning of the match, and almost doubled the Old Lady’s lead. However, he faded when Juventus needed him the most, and was nowhere to be seen in the second period.
Arkadiusz Milik – 6.5
The Pole picked up from where he left on Sunday night against Salernitana. While his goal stood this time, his teammates failed to maintain the lead. Threated Vlachodimos with another cheeky shot in the second half.
Dusan Vlahovic – 4.5
The former Fiorentina man isn’t enjoying his finest hour. He was barely able to get a sniff on the ball, and cut a frustrated figure throughout the encounter. Scored a goal using his body, but was denied by an accurate offside call.
Juventus Substitutes
Mattia De Sciglio – 5.5
The Fullback did decently when first introduced on the left flank, but his switch to the right side backfired as he struggled to cope with Joao Mario.
Angel Di Maria – 5.5
The Argentine wasted a golden opportunity to grab the equalizer and was obviously far from his best physical shape. Still displayed some occasional flashes of talent.
Moise Kean – 5.5
Not a terrible outing from the young Italian who almost instigated an equalizer as his ball deflected off Silva’s leg.
Nicolò Fagioli – 5
The midfielder had no impact whatsoever on the match and was barely spotted during his cameo.
1 – Juventus have lost each of their first two group stage games of a UEFA Champions League campaign for their first time ever. Fall.#JuveBenfica pic.twitter.com/Og1MbcLMBy
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) September 14, 2022
Benfica (4-2-3-1)
Odisseas Vlachodimos – 6
Strangely it wasn’t exactly an eventful night as the Greek custodian would have expected at the Allianz. Could do little on Milik’s header, but made a decent save on the latter’s deflected shot.
Alexander Bah – 6
The Dane had a tough start to the match, and earned a booking for a challenge on Miretti. But he grew stronger in the second half, nullifying Kostic’s threat.
Nicolas Otamendi – 7.5
A simply splendid display from the Benfica captain, who managed to beat Vlahovic on almost every ball. Despite his relatively advanced age, his tempo never dropped.
Antonio Silva – 7
At the age of 18, the Portuguese teenager is on the right path to become the next defensive sensation in Europe. Showcased a maturity beyond his age while dealing with Juventus strikers.
Alex Grimaldo – 6
Truth to be told, more was expected from the Barcelona youth product who has been recently linked with a switch to Turin. Didn’t dart forward as much as expected, but did well to contain Cuadrado and support his teammates at the back.
Florentino Luis – 6.5
The 23-year-old gave a generous display and was never afraid to get dirty with his tackles. He earned a booking for his efforts, but helped Benfica winning the battle in the middle of the park.
Enzo Fernandez – 6.5
It was a slow start from the Argentine midfielder, but he eventually had the midfield in his grasp. Instigated the second Benfica goal with an excellent run.
David Neres – 7
After initially struggling to get past Danilo, the former Ajax man ran escaped his marker to pounce on the rebound and put his name on the score-sheet. The Juventus defender had to pull him down from his jersey after losing a duel.
Rafa Silva – 7
The second striker might be the most talented and dangerous player for the Lisbon-based club. Contributed in the second goal and almost scored one from long-range.
Joao Mario – 6
The former Inter man was barely seen before converting the spot-kick. His performance improved in the second half, but Bremer had the better of him on several occasions.
Goncalo Ramos – 7
Although he didn’t score, the young striker had a major role in his team’s triumph. Won the penalty that resulted in the equalizer before setting up the winner with his smart movement inside the Juventus box.
Benfica Substitutes
Fredrik Aursnes – N/A
Chiquinho – N/A
Petar Musa – N/A
Diogo Goncalves –
Julian Draxler –
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