Following a dramatic and controversial leadup, the encounter between Juventus and Napoli was eventually given the green light. However, the action on the pitch was far less exciting, as it turned out to be an average match (to say the least) from a technical point of view. The Bianconeri had a flurry of chances early on, but it was the visitors who broke the deadlock thanks to Dries Mertens. In the second half, Federico Chiesa brought the home side back on level terms, but the Old Lady couldn’t find the winner, as it ended up 1-1. So let’s take a look at the player ratings from Serie A Round 20 clash between Juventus and Napoli.
Juventus XI
Wojciech Szczesny – 6
The Pole pulled off some decent saves throughout the 90 minutes, including a first half shot from Zielinski and a close range effort from Mertens. Whether he could have done better on the Belgian’s goal remains a topic of debate.
Juan Cuadrado – 6.5
It was a mixed bag for the Colombian who spent his evening fighting it out against Insigne. But did well to limit the Italian’s threat. However, he was wasteful with his passing on some occasions.
Daniele Rugani – 6
It wasn’t a spectacular performance from the former Empoli defender, but he was solid for the most part. Nonetheless, one could argue that he should have intervened ahead of Napoli’s goal instead of leaving Sandro deal with Mertens on his own.
Matthijs de Ligt – 6.5
The Dutchman tried to play the hero’s role with a goal-line clearance, but the ball eclipsed him as he fumbled his clearance. But he looked composed at the back for the majority of the match, winning back several balls and pushing his teammates forward with his distribution (even if it wasn’t always accurate).
Alex Sandro – 5.5
The Brazilian was enjoying a decent evening against Politano, but he just couldn’t deal with Mertens ahead of the opener. His offensive contribution was rarely noticeable.
Weston McKennie – 6
The former Schalke man was left to rue his luck as his header went just off target in the first few minutes of the match. Caused danger for Napoli with his constant runs towards goal, but his impact slightly diminished during the last half hour.
Manuel Locatelli – 6.5
A confident performance from the former Milan midfielder who was everywhere on the pitch. Fought hard to retrieve the ball and played some dangerous crosses for his Juventus teammates
Adrien Rabiot – 5.5
It wasn’t a terrible performance from the Frenchman, but once again, he appeared to be the weakest link in the Bianconeri’s midfield. Made a dangerous run to the box, but his shot expectedly went wide.
Federico Bernardeschi – 6
The Euro 2020 winner had his moments where he dribbled his way between the Napoli players, but he often lacked the final touch.
Alvaro Morata – 6
An industrial performance from the Barcelona-bound striker who ran his socks off for his team and took a beating a the hands (and legs) of Jesus and Rrahmani. However, he just never looked like scoring a goal.
Federico Chiesa – 7.5
A thrilling comeback from the former Fiorentina star. Threatened Ospina’s goal for as long as he lasted on the pitch. Luck may have been on his side when he equalized the score with a deflected strike, but it was a deserved reward for a brave performance.
Juventus Substitutes
Paulo Dybala – 6.5
Threatened Ospina’s goal with a long range effort seconds after his introduction and almost created the winner when he found Cuadrado in front of goal with a cross from the left.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 5.5
Entered for Rabiot but was a hardly an improvement on his teammate.
Mattia De Sciglio – N/A
Moise Kean – N/A
Dejan Kulusevski – N/A
X – Juventus and Napoli have drawn a Serie A meeting for the first time since April 2017 – furthermore, their last league draw in Turin was back in May 2011. Stalemate.#SerieA #JuveNapoli
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) January 6, 2022
Napoli XI
David Ospina – 6.5
A solid display from the former Arsenal shot-stopper who denied some decent efforts from Chiesa and Dybala. But a deflected shot from the Italian ruined what would been a man of the match performance.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 7
A fabulous outing from the right-back who’s impact was felt on both ends of the pitch. But his best contribution came at the back, as he made some key interceptions to deny the likes of Chiesa, Morata and Rabiot.
Juan Jesus – 6.5
The Brazilian fought hard all night long, making life miserable for Morata and company with his constant harassing challenges. And yet, he somehow managed to avoid a booking.
Amir Rrahmani – 6
The Kosovo international was another solid performer at the back for Napoli, but his clearance allowed Chiesa to snatch the winner for Juventus.
Faouzi Ghoulam – 6
The Algerian hasn’t started a match of this magnitude in a while. He had a shaky start as he struggled to contain Cuadrado and Bernardeschi early on, but his performance grew with the match, and was much more impactful in the second half.
Diego Demme – 6.5
The German might just be one of the most underrated players in Serie A. Although his technique isn’t exactly impeccable, he always covers large parts of the pitch and acts as an excellent shield for the backline.
Stanislav Lobotka – 6
it was decent performance from the Slovakian who rarely starts matches. His on-the-ball skills allow him to protect the ball and get himself out from the tightest situations. However, he couldn’t block Chiesa’s shot, instead it deflected off his foot, allowing Juventus to get away with a point.
Matteo Politano – 6.5
The former Sassuolo man had his ups and downs, but it was his assist that led to the Partenopei’s opener.
Piotr Zielinski – 6
The Pole sneaked past Locatelli early in the match, but his impact dwindled as the match progressed.
Lorenzo Insigne – 6
The captain played a magnificent through ball to Politano leading to the visitor’s opener and worked hard all match, even contributing in the defensive phase. But he generally struggled when attempting to take on Cuadrado and all his shots ended up in the stands.
Dries Mertens – 7
A great display from the man fondly known in Napoli as ‘Ciro’. Proved to be a constant threat for Juventus defenders, and showcased his clinical touch by beating his marker and putting the ball in the bottom corner. Went close with a freekick and was denied by Szczesny in the second half.
Napoli Substitutes
Eljif Elmas – N/A
Andrea Petagna – N/A
Alessandro Zanoli – N/A