Juventus shut down Bologna at the Renato Dell’Ara on Monday night.
After losing to Napoli in the Coppa Italia final, Juventus knew they needed to get off on the right foot in the first game of the Serie A restart. Bologna can be a dangerous attacking side, but Juve handled them with ease on the road, shutting down star player Riccardo Orsolini and playing excellent defense in the process.
Juve got off to an early 2-0 lead after a controversial penalty that Cristiano Ronaldo sunk, and then a beautiful goal by Paulo Dybala.
Here are the full player ratings for the Bianconeri from the victory.
GK Wojciech Szczesny
Never tested in goal, Wojciech Szczesny made no mistakes but also didn’t have to make any big saves. The defense in front of him did a great job of curtailing Bologna’s opportunities for a shot on target, of which they had just one.
Rating: 6.0 out of 10
LB Mattia De Sciglio
As expected, Mattia De Sciglio lost the ball cheaply and offered no crossing threat for Juve’s attack in this game. He did, however, play well defensively, looking calm in shutting down Orsolini. De Sciglio had to leave the game due to an apparent hamstring injury, and since Danilo got himself sent off, Juan Cuadrado is the only fullback left. Per WhoScored.com, De Sciglio had three interceptions for the Bianconeri.
Rating: 6.0 out of 10
CB Leonardo Bonucci
He made some critical blocks and did not put a foot wrong, though his passing seemed to fail him with a completion percentage barely above 80 percent. Still, Leonardo Bonucci was as composed as ever for the Old Lady, working well with Matthijs de Ligt once again.
Rating: 7.0 out of 10
CB Matthijs de Ligt
The best defender for the Bianconeri in yet another game, Matthijs de Ligt was impossible to get past. Smart in defense and working hard to fight for every ball, de Ligt may have lacked sharpness in the passing game like many of his teammates, but he more than made up for it with his effort. De Ligt calmly cleared six balls, intercepted three, and recorded three blocks. He is one of Serie A’s top defenders.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10
RB Juan Cuadrado
Another top performer in Juve’s back four, Juan Cuadrado was tasked with leading the attack from the back, as Juve needed to overload the left side in order to prevent Mattia De Sciglio from having to take on too many attacking responsibilities. Cuadrado fought like a warrior in the win, winning a team-high three tackles and four interceptions with a couple of clearances to boot. He was difficult to stop in the attack, so Bologna had to foul him six times.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
CM Adrien Rabiot
Adrien Rabiot was substituted first of the two midfielders for Blaise Matuidi, as he failed to make an impact in the game. The former PSG man continues to cut a frustrating figure for the Old Lady, and fans are growing tired of him losing the ball so cheaply. He was a nonfactor in the attack and is clearly on the way out. Rabiot was dispossessed three times and did not make a single key pass.
Rating: 5.0 out of 10
CM Miralem Pjanic
Once again, Miralem Pjanic was horrible. There is simply no way to sugarcoat it. No starter on Juventus attempted fewer passes than him, and he didn’t even complete 80 percent of them despite mostly playing simple balls. Pjanic is a huge reason why Juve’s game feels so discordant, and it’s easy to see why Maurizio Sarri may be frustrated with him. He has become an even bigger liability than Rabiot.
Rating: 5.0 out of 10
CM Rodrigo Bentancur
Although Rodrigo Bentancur is Juve’s best midfielder – and it’s really not close, although Matuidi remains an asset to the team – he had a quiet game against Bologna. The Uruguayan only completed one dribble with one key pass, though he did win a couple of tackles and attempt the most passes among the midfielders. Bentancur will have more active games.
Rating: 6.0 out of 10
LW Cristiano Ronaldo
Playing on his favored left side, Cristiano Ronaldo had a mixed performance. He sunk a penalty and came close to scoring a wonderful goal, but he also squandered a couple of easy chances. Ronaldo worked hard as a passer, but he lost possession cheaply and should have been more efficient in the attack. The criticisms of the Portuguese star will not subside.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
CF Paulo Dybala
A star performer in the attacking trident, Paulo Dybala seems to work much better with Federico Bernardeschi than Ronaldo. Dybala scored an absolutely magnificent goal to make the game 2-0 and basically seal it for Juventus early, as they simply stood their ground in defense thereafter. A magical attacking player who can score from nothing, the Argentinian No. 10 was so dangerous on the ball. Bologna had no answers for a player who won a whopping five dribbles and drew four fouls. He is a class above the rest.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10
RW Federico Bernardeschi
As impressive as Paulo Dybala was, Federico Bernardeschi has to be named the Man of the Match. Dybala’s goal was the highlight reel moment of the match, and it was made even sweeter by Bernardeschi’s brilliant backheel assist. Bernardeschi also made a gorgeous flick later in the match that Ronaldo really should have put away. The classy wide forward made his mark all game long, creating more chances than anyone else for the Bianconeri against Bologna. Hopefully, this is a sign of a turn-around for the graceful wide player. He even dominated defensively with three tackles and two interceptions.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10