Juventus vs. Dynamo Kyiv Player Ratings: The proper response

Juventus took on a very game Dynamo Kyiv side at home on Wednesday night, and they came away with a 3-0 victory.

A few days after drawing 1-1 with Benevento in what can only be described as a dismal effort, Juventus withstood a real challenge from visitors Dynamo Kyiv in their fifth Champions League group stage fixture of the 2020-2021 season.

The Bianconeri won 3-0 after goals from Federico Chiesa, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Alvaro Morata, who have been the real stars of the attack this season.

Let’s take a look at the full player ratings from the comprehensive victory.

GK Wojciech Szczesny

Excellent, excellent stuff from one of the best goalkeepers in the Champions League. Wojciech Szczesny stopped a sure-fire goal with a sliding save and did well to cover his goal late in the game after a curling effort from Dynamo Kyiv’s star No. 10 Mykola Shaparenko. The world-class keeper even showed quick feet in the first-half with a chop to evade a pressing defender. A deserved clean sheet.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

LCB Matthijs de Ligt

Matthijs de Ligt is becoming so solid for Juve defensively that you almost don’t notice him. Per WhoScored.com, he led the team with 80 passes, completing 95 percent of them. He also led the way with four tackles and three interceptions defensively. If I could nitpick one aspect of de Ligt’s game, though, it’s that some of those accurate passes are to midfielders who are open but will quickly be placed under pressure after receiving the ball.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

CB Leonardo Bonucci

The man in the middle and the captain, Leonardo Bonucci played for about an hour before being subbed off to avoid any risks. He intercepted a couple of passes and mostly played well, but there was one spotty moment where he could have easily given up an unnecessary penalty for grabbing a forward around the neck in the penalty box with both hands. Bonucci is one of those players who is good for 90 percent of the match, but it’s that other 10 percent that makes you nervous.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10

RCB Merih Demiral

Merih Demiral needs to make the right side of the defense his home, because he seems so comfortable there. The 22-year-old is the least accurate of the passers, but he’s also sometimes the most adventurous in terms of moving up the pitch. All in all, Demiral played well, especially when you consider all the overloads Kyiv played on their superior left side.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10

LWB Alex Sandro

Alex Sandro deserves lofty praise for two attacking involvements in this game. The first was, of course, his assist for Federico Chiesa, in which he whipped in a vicious cross. His second should have been an assist, but Cristiano Ronaldo surprisingly hit the bar by not controlling his shot better. Sandro’s first touch on that play was simply exquisite, as was his close control thereafter to buy time for a light layoff to the on-rushing Ronaldo. Defensively, Sandro was fine, though his passing and positioning could have been better.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10

CM Weston McKennie

What I love the most about Weston McKennie is that he’s always running and pressing the other team, working hard to recover the ball and to make life miserable for whoever is trying to carry possession into Juventus’ half. McKennie had three tackles and two interceptions, and he even had three key passes and three fouls drawn offensively. I have to say, every time I watch Juve, I am impressed with McKennie. He seems like a good fit for the Bianconeri.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10

CM Rodrigo Bentancur

After a really sloppy challenge in the first 10 minutes and a couple of more mistakes in the first half, Rodrigo Bentancur settled in and played his best game in a while. Bentancur needs to step up in order to play regularly for Juventus, because Adrien Rabiot and Arthur Melo have more talent than he does. But Bentancur showed more calm and passing accuracy than usual in this game, and I thought he controlled the action well.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

RM Federico Chiesa

For me, Federico Chiesa was absolutely the best player on the pitch, and his goal and assist reflect that. And really, while Alvaro Morata gets the assist for Cristiano Ronaldo’s tap-in, it was Chiesa who created that goal, too. Just as he created the goal over the weekend at Benevento. Chiesa even led the team in tackles, tracking back well, including winning a well-timed challenge in his own penalty box. The 23-year-old has been giving Morata a run for his money as the signing of the summer for Juventus. This was a special night for the Italian international.

Rating: 9.0 out of 10

CAM Aaron Ramsey

The formation says that Aaron Ramsey was the most forward of the midfielders for Juventus in this game, but the reality is that the Bianconeri played a more fluid setup in this match. Ramsey would often go wider to the left, too, though he would tuck inside to link-up with the forwards. Unfortunately, he did a very poor job of this. Ramsey has had a couple of good showings this season, most notably the opener against Sampdoria, but he’s generally disappointed in his second season with Juventus. Ramsey was the worst player on the pitch in this one, offering no notable attacking statistics (key passes, dribbles completed, fouls drawn) for the Old Lady.

Rating: 5.0 out of 10

FW Alvaro Morata

Alvaro Morata did well to rush at the keeper and get a foot on the ball for Ronaldo’s goal, and he did even better for his strike near the end of the match by putting a calm finish into the back of the net. The Spanish striker even had a key role in the opener with a brilliant run off the ball, leading to the pass to the assist for Alex Sandro. Morata has been sensational in the Champions League for the Old Lady, and he did a little bit of everything. He even had three tackles for Juve in this match! If Chiesa was the Man of the Match, Morata was not far behind.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

FW Cristiano Ronaldo

Although Ronaldo scored and had a few good runs into the box, this was maybe his weakest showing of the 2020-2021 season. The Portuguese superstar completed three dribbles and caused his usual problems to the defense, but he was a little wasteful with possession and with his shooting and passing. Ronaldo wasn’t bad, but the expectations are generally a lot higher when he’s in the game.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10