Juventus could have easily lost this game at the Stadio Olimpico, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s brace ensured they would walk away with a point.
After dazzling in their opener against Sampdoria at the Allianz Stadium, Juventus were woeful and looked more like the side Maurizio Sarri managed last season in a 2-2 draw with Roma. But they should be happy they rescued a point after Adrien Rabiot was sent off and Edin Dzeko missed chance after chance for the home side.
Here are the full player ratings from the match, with Cristiano Ronaldo carrying the team again.
GK Wojciech Szczesny
Maybe should have done better for Jordan Veretout’s penalty, as he got his wrist on it but did not shove the ball aside. However, Wojciech Szczesny cannot be faulted for either goal and made some big stops, including one on Henrik Mkhitaryan when the attacking midfielder was clean through on goal.
Rating: 6.0 out of 10
CB Giorgio Chiellini
Juventus center back Giorgio Chiellini intercepted two passes, per WhoScored.com, and completed about 91 percent of his 81 pass attempts. He wasn’t poor in this game, but he honestly should have been better.
Rating: 6.0 out of 10
CB Leonardo Bonucci
Although Leonardo Bonucci completed a whopping 97 percent of his passes and looked good on the ball, he did not perform well defensively. He is the weak link in the side, because you never know when he is going to commit an awful defensive error.
Rating: 5.0 out of 10
CB Danilo
The best of Juve’s center backs, surprisingly, Danilo put in some dangerous crosses, including the one Cristiano Ronaldo put away to tie the game at 2-2. Danilo led the team with four tackles, too, working hard on that right side and filling many roles so that Dejan Kulusevski could almost exclusively attack.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
LWB Juan Cuadrado
Playing Juan Cuadrado on the left side as an inverted wing back proved to be a disastrous decision, but Andrea Pirlo probably wanted to get the left-footed Dejan Kulusevski on the right as the opposite wing back. Cuadrado made some terrible mistakes defensively, which overshadowed him leading the team with two key passes and five fouls drawn.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
RWB Dejan Kulusevski
Dejan Kulusevski had a rough night against Roma as a right wing back. He used everything in his bag of tricks to cut inside and cause trouble, creating one chance with some slick footwork. But as a whole, he was lacking on this night. Comparing his two performances, it’s clear what the best role is for Kulusevski in the Juventus lineup.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
CM Weston McKennie
After being a standout player for Juventus in the first game, Weston McKennie was basically anonymous against Roma. His defensive contributions were surprisingly non-existent, and he offered zero to Juve in the attack. McKennie was subbed off early in the second half and may have been the worst player on the pitch for the Bianconeri. These are all part of the growing pains, though. The first match is more reflective of what he offers this team.
Rating: 5.0 out of 10
CM Adrien Rabiot
Absolutely horrible decision to tackle Henrik Mkhitaryan for the second yellow card. He knew he was on a yellow, yet made a completely reckless, useless tackle to get a red card from a referee who likes to avoid sending players off. Rabiot had good moments in the first half, using his strength and technical quality to keep possession against a very tough Roma midfield. But his work was all undone by that second yellow.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
FW Alvaro Morata
A dreadful performance from Alvaro Morata, who made so many lazy mistakes, such as not fighting for the ball or not coming back from an offside position. Morata is the Sam Bradford of Italian football. Basically, he is involved in big-money moves, yet he’s more mediocre than good. He has a lot to prove in Turin this season on loan, but he has the raw talent to improve on this. Consider his first few games an adjustment period.
Rating: 5.0 out of 10
FW Cristiano Ronaldo
Obviously the Man of the Match. Cristiano Ronaldo created the penalty he scored and provided another highlight-reel leap for the game-tying header. He worked so hard for his team in the attack and closed down space when pressing if the opposition made a poor touch. Ronaldo is always under a microscope due to his status, yet he always delivers for the Old Lady.
Rating: 8.0 out of 10