Napoli welcomed Juventus at the Maradona Stadium in the 22nd round of Serie A. Lorenzo Insigne gave the hosts the lead from a spot kick in a dull first half. The visitors came out guns blazing after the break, but they were held by a defensive masterpiece from Nikola Maksimovic and Amir Rrahmani, as it ended 1-0 for Gennaro Gattuso’s side. So here are our player ratings for the top clash between Napoli and Juventus.
Napoli XI
Alex Meret – 7.5
The Italian goalkeeper maintained his composure even when the shots were raining upon him late in the second half. Made a series of brilliant saves, including ones against Morata, Chiesa and Ronaldo.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo – 6
The former Empoli player found some trouble in the first half in containing Chiesa, and didn’t provide his usual runs in support of the attack, as his side opted to defend the lead.
Amir Rrahmani – 7.5
The Kosovo international proved his worth in the absence of Kalidou Koulibaly and Kostas Manolas. His reaction after getting hit by Chiellini was crucial in forcing the referee to give the spot kick. Also had a vital job in denying Morata and Ronaldo inside the penalty area.
Nikola Maksimović – 7.5
The former Torino defender led the backline with a formidable performance. Won numerous duels in the air, and brilliantly intercepted a dangerous counter attack led by Morata.
Mario Rui – 7
A solid performance from the left back who managed to keep Bernardeschi quiet throughout the first half. Also found some success in his battles against Chiesa and Kulusevski, and tried to support Insigne in attack on some occasions.
Tiémoué Bakayoko – 6
A quiet performance from former Milan man who tried his best to gain the ball back for Napoli, but didn’t contribute much on the offensive phase.
Piotr Zieliński – 6
The Polish midfielder started at a deeper role than usual, but he tried to support the attacks with his runs from the middle of the pitch. He was eventually sacrificed for some fresher legs.
Matteo Politano – 5.5
The exciting winger threatened with few long shots, but he wasn’t as effective as usual, and therefore only lasted for an hour on the pitch.
Hirving Lozano – 6.5
The Napoli winger was a thorn in Cuadrado’s back throughout the first half, and he almost caused a red card for the Juventus player. His contribution decreased in the second half as his side focused on defending the lead.
Lorenzo Insigne – 7
The captain was given an almost free role by Genaro Gattuso, and he rewarded his manager with a sublime performance. Created the majority of his side’s chances in the first half, and got his revenge on the Old Lady by taking his penalty kick brilliantly. Helped his side in defending the lead in the second half.
Victor Osimhen – 5.5
The young Nigerian had a tough time battling Chiellini for the ball. Although he tried to set up chances for his teammates, the Partenopei supporters will be expecting more from their record signing.
Napoli Substitutes
Elif Elmas – 6
Added some fresh legs in the middle at a time when Napoli were chasing after the Juventus players.
Fabian Ruiz – 5.5
The Spaniard made his long awaited comeback from quarantine, but needs more time to reclaim his best physical shape.
Andrea Petagna – N/A
Stanislav Lobotka – N/A
Rrahmani & Maksimovic were remarkable for Napoli. They were composed & physical as they made it hard for Juventus to breakdown Napoli’s defense. What a turnaround after Wednesday’s match vs Atalanta.
Rrahmani
7 clearancesMaksimovic
7 clearances
2 interceptions
1 blocked shot— Jerry Mancini (@jmancini8) February 13, 2021
Juventus XI
Wojciech Szczęsny – 6
The former Arsenal man was left with no chance in stopping Insigne’s spot kick. Beside that, he was a spectator for the entire match.
Danilo – 6
The Juventus full back did well in stopping the speedy Napoli wingers, but failed to deliver a decent cross to the box, and gifted the hosts several balls with his poor passing.
Matthijs De Ligt – 6
The young Dutchman was beaten by Insigne on one or two occasions in the first half, but also made several key clearances for his side.
Giorgio Chiellini – 6
The captain punished his side with a needless hit to Rrahmani’s face which gifted the hosts a free penalty kick. Nonetheless he remains his side’s most solid defender, as he comfortably won his battle against Osimhen.
Juan Cuadrado – 5
The Colombian tried to help Juventus in attack with his overlaps, but he ran the risk of receiving his marching orders for his challenges on Lozano. Andrea Pirlo wisely opted to take him off at half time.
Federico Bernardeschi – 5
The Italian international once again failed to get anything going while on the ball. Wasted a shooting opportunity early in the match, and lost the ball several times. His rating could have been lower if it wasn’t for his hard work off the ball.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 6
The former Boca Juniors man didn’t have a bad outing, as he helped his side in maintaining the ball, but didn’t provide the creativity needed to break through the southerners’ defensive lines.
Adrien Rabiot – 6.5
A solid performance from the Frenchman who helped the Bianconeri in playing the ball from the back. Intercepted several Napoli plays as well.
Federico Chiesa – 6.5
The former Fiorentina winger was Juve’s most dangerous player for the larger part of the match. Ran circles around Di Lorenzo, and threatened with several shots at Meret’s goals, including one which went just wide.
Alvaro Morata – 5.5
The former Real Madrid striker worked hard throughout the encounter, but wasted a good opportunity to score late in the match. As usual, he scored a disallowed goal.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 6.5
The Portuguese legend failed to add to his tally against Napoli, but he led the Juventus attacks with some flair and determination. Wasted a golden opportunity to score early in the second half, and threatened the Partenopei on several other occasions, but it just wasn’t meant to be.
Juventus Substitutes
Alex Sandro – 6
A vast improvement on Cuadrado. Made a spectacular interception to deny Lozano from scoring with a header.
Weston McKennie – 5.5
The American ran all around the pitch but failed to add anything worth mentioning to the team’s attacks.
Dejan Kulusevski – 6
Added some flair to the right wing, but couldn’t find enough space to work his magic.