Juventus vs. Lazio Player Ratings: Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala lead the way
Juventus made their fans nervous again, but they held on to defeat Lazio for three huge points on the road to another Scudetto.
After failing to defeat Milan, Atalanta, or Sassuolo in three straight big games in Serie A, Juventus knew they needed to get the full three points against Lazio on Monday night at the Allianz Stadium. And although Lazio hit a penalty via Ciro Immobile to make it close, Juve held on to a 2-1 win.
Here are the full player ratings from a win that all but seals the Scudetto for the Bianconeri.
GK Wojciech Szczesny
Another massive performance from Wojciech Szczesny. He was nearly beaten by a venomous shot from outside the box by star striker Ciro Immobile before later being beaten by a penalty, but it was Szczesny who saved the game with a brilliant free-kick stop.
Rating: 7.0 out of 10
LB Alex Sandro
He had a couple of bright moments when charging forward to help the attack, and he even hit the post early in the match. But as a whole, this was another forgettable performance from Alex Sandro, who is barely starting quality for a club like Juve.
Rating: 6.0 out of 10
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- Leonardo Bonucci may be leaving Juventus soon
CB Leonardo Bonucci
Poor, no doubt about it. Leonardo Bonucci has been in shocking form lately, and fans aren’t all that disappointed to see he won’t be playing against Udinese due to suspension.
But the way he was suspended will draw the ire of fans, as he picked up a silly yellow card, allowing a penalty to Immobile after incompetent defending. His passing hasn’t even been all great either.
Rating: 4.5 out of 10
CB Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt fared out better than his center back partner, which comes as no surprise to the Juventini. De Ligt had a few big clearances and genuinely defended well, even if he wasn’t asked to do much. Per WhoScored.com, the Dutch defender also completed over 95 percent of his passes.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
RB Juan Cuadrado
One of Juve’s most consistent performers, Juan Cuadrado always puts in a shift on both ends of the pitch. He kept the ball cycling through and ran a lot defensively, finishing the game with the most tackles (four) and passes attempted of any Juventus player. He also won three dribbles and led the team with five fouls drawn.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
CM Adrien Rabiot
Adrien Rabiot had another scintillating run in the first half, and while he didn’t finish it off with a goal as he did at Milan, the play was a reminder that the French midfielder is starting to find his footing in Turin. He completed two dribbles with two tackles and three clearances.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
CM Rodrigo Bentancur
Rodrigo Bentancur didn’t have a big game offensively in the regista role, but he did pick up a pair of key passes with two more fouls drawn. The Uruguayan completed a touch over 87 percent of his passes. He pressed well, worked hard, and did his defensive duties.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
CM Aaron Ramsey
The worst player on the pitch after Leonardo Bonucci. Aaron Ramsey is showing that he should not be starting for Juventus, because he doesn’t defend well and adds nothing to the attack.
Rating: 5.0 out of 10
LW Cristiano Ronaldo
One of the big stars for the Bianconeri today, as usual. Cristiano Ronaldo scored both goals for Juve, and while one was a penalty and the other a tap-in, he proved to be crucial. Juve needed Ronaldo to step up in this way, and he did exactly that. The man is impossible to perturb from the spot, and he has now scored 30 goals in Serie A.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10
CF Paulo Dybala
Gonzalo Higuain was actually supposed to start for Juve against Lazio, and that concerned the fans greatly. But Higuain suffered an injury during pre-game warm-ups, which meant Maurizio Sarri had to start his star player anyway. And he should be VERY glad he did. Dybala was unplayable, unselfishly creating Ronaldo’s game-winning chance. He had seven key passes in total with a team-high four dribbles completed. This man is crucial to the Bianconeri’s success.
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
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RW Douglas Costa
Juventus fans were excited for Douglas Costa to start for a suspended Federico Bernardeschi, and while the Brazilian did his best, it didn’t really come off for him. Costa had two key passes and two dribbles completed, but he didn’t really create anything threatening and was often isolated on the right side.
Rating: 6.0 out of 10