Juventus: Grading each of the defenders in the 2019-2020 season

CB Matthijs de Ligt

The 70 million euro acquisition began the season disastrously, and, per FBRef.com, he still had the most defensive errors per 90 minutes by the end of the 2019-2020 campaign. However, the young center back from Ajax turned it around by the end of the campaign, going from a player who understandably struggled to justice to life in Serie A at Juve to a quality center back.

Matthijs de Ligt’s future is undeniably bright. He was third on the team in shots blocked per 90 minutes and clearances per 90 minutes. By the end of the 2020-2021 season, de Ligt will re-establish himself as one of the best center backs in Europe.

Grade: B

RB Danilo

Danilo has always been under-appreciated as a right back, and defensively sound fullbacks have a way of getting more criticism than they deserve. The experienced Brazilian, who has played for Real Madrid and Manchester City in his career, averaged 1.3 tackles per game across 12 appearances (eight of them starts) in 2019-2020.

Per FBRef.com, Danilo led all defenders with the most tackles won when facing dribbles, winning nearly 60 percent of those battles. A smart right back, Danilo is difficult to beat on the ground. In the attack, however, Danilo leaves a lot to be desired and is clearly a backup option to Juan Cuadrado.

Grade: C+