Parma played host for Juventus at the Ennio Tardini Stadium, but the Italian champions made it look as if they were at their very own turf with a dominating performance from start to finish. Dejan Kulusevski’s opener was followed up by a brilliant Cristiano Ronaldo brace, before Alvaro Morata put his signature on a thumping 4-0 victory. So here are our player ratings for the Serie A round 13 encounter between Parma and Juventus.
Parma XI
Luigi Sepe – 5.5
The former Napoli shot-stopper couldn’t do much on the first three goals, but perhaps could have denied Morata’s late header. Made a decent save on Portanova’s effort.
Simone Iacopani – 4.5
The Parma right-back could do little to stop the fiery Juventus left flank led by Sandro and occasionally Morata.
Bruno Alves – 5.5
The Portuguese veteran was hapless against his friend and compatriot Ronaldo who’s always able to beat the best defenders in the air. Nonetheless, the Ducali defense could have been worse without his presence.
Yordan Osorio – 5
The big Venezuelan is yet another Parma defender who was unable to deny the Juventus attacks.
Ricardo Gagliolo – 5
The left-back tried to push forward whenever possible, but he should have done better against Kulusevski on the first goal.
Juraj Kucka – 5
The former Genoa and Milan midfielder was another Parma player who was guilty on the Juventus opener, as he allowed Sandro just enough space to play the killer pass to Kulusevski. The Slovakian wasted two of his side’s most dangerous chances in the match, as he was twice denied by Buffon.
Hernani – 5.5
The hard-working Brazilian was one of the few Parma players who tried to create something throughout the match, but he was overmatched by the likes of Bentancur and Mckennie.
Jasmin Kurtić – 5.5
The Slovenian midfielder is always committed to the Ducali cause, but it wasn’t enough to stand against the Bianconeri dominance
Simon Sohm – 5
The Swiss teenager had an incredibly difficult task ahead of him, and was gone unnoticed for the majority of the match.
Gervinho – 4.5
The Ivorian veteran is usually his side’s most dangerous player, but was unable to make anything happen tonight, and was eventually taken off at half time.
Andreas Cornelius – 5
The big Dane led the attacking line for Parma, but barely received a ball during the match, and was over-numbered by the Juventus defenders.
Parma Substitutes
Yann Karamoh – 5.5
The former Inter man was introduced after the break. Although he was an improvement on Gervinho, he wasn’t able to create many chances.
Wylan Cyprien – 6
The former Nice midfielder was able to add some rhythm to the hosts’ midfield.
Maxime Busi – 5
The Belgian wasn’t much of an improvement on Iacopani.
Roberto Inglese – 6
The Italian striker added some much needed energy and enthusiasm to the Parma attack.
Gastón Brugman – N/A
32 – Cristiano #Ronaldo is only one of the five players able to score at least 32 goals in a single calendar year in Serie A's history. Sting.#ParmaJuve #SerieATIM pic.twitter.com/0KUYEGKo0t
— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) December 19, 2020
Juventus XI
Gianluigi Buffon – 8
An incredible performance by the 42-year-old legend who made his return to the stadium that witnessed the beginning of his illustrious career. Made two vital saves on Kucka’s shots, and brilliantly denied an Inglese effort despite being offside.
Danilo – 7
The former Porto man was solid if unspectacular. Didn’t support the attacks as usual, but played a vital role in denying the likes of Gervinho and Karamoh from creating counter attacks.
Matthijs De Ligt – 7.5
The young Juventus man is moving from strength to strength, as he killed off several Parma attacks with his towering presence at the back.
Leonardo Bonucci – 6.5
The Italian veteran almost caused his side some early trouble when he lost the ball in a dangerous place. Also wasted an easy chance to score in the first half. However, he was generally reliable at the back.
Alex Sandro – 7.5
In the absence of Cuadrado, the Brazilian took the role of the menacing wing-back. Created the first goal with a smart assist, and completely dominated his left flank.
Dejan Kulusevski – 7
It was a mostly quiet night for the former Parma winger, but once again showcased his clinical finishing touch, scoring the first goal for Juventus with a low drive that went straight to the far bottom corner.
Weston Mckennie – 7.5
There’s no stopping for the American who is rapidly becoming Andrea Pirlo’s number one pick in the midfield pecking order. Played a lovely ball for Ramsey early in the match, and dominated the play in midfield.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 7.5
The Uruguayan midfielder is starting to regain his best form after a shaky start of the season. Repeatedly won the ball back in midfield and helped the Bianconeri in launching several attacking moves.
Aaron Ramsey – 7
The Welshman was once again wasteful in front of goal, however, it was another generous display from the Juventus man who linked up well with his teammates, and eventually created Ronaldo’s second goal with a courageous run inside the Parma box.
Alvaro Morata – 8
The former Real Madrid striker had to put up a strong performance to make up for the mess he created against Atalanta. Assisted the first of Ronaldo’s goals with a stunning cross, and put his name on the score sheet with a well-taken standing header.
Cristiano Ronaldo – 8.5
Another brilliant performance from the Portuguese legend, and this time he didn’t need the penalties to earn his brace. Once again flew in the air to head home his first goal, before killing off Parma right after the break with a remarkable low strike to the bottom corner.
Juventus Substitutes
Federico Bernardeschi – 6.5
Assisted Morata’s goal with a great cross from the left.
Juan Cuadrado – N/A
Manolo Portanova – N/A
Federico Chiesa – N/A
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