Juventus: 5 key players to watch against Parma

Juventus will face Parma on Matchday 13 in Serie A. Here are five players to watch on the Bianconeri.

After winning four straight games, including a 3-0 Champions League triumph at Barcelona, Juventus could not make it five in a row at mid-week against Atalanta. It was a sloppy performance from Juve, who were fortunate to exit with a point, though they could have won if Cristiano Ronaldo were more precise.

This weekend, Juventus will face Parma at the Ennio Tardini on Matchday 13. Let’s take a look at five players who could be crucial to a Bianconeri victory.

CM Rodrigo Bentancur

Arthur Melo suffered an injury against Atalanta, so Rodrigo Bentancur and Adrien Rabiot will likely hold down the fort on Saturday at Parma. Bentancur has been playing better as the season has continued, and he finally registered a goal contribution with an assist against Atalanta (though the full credit goes to Federico Chiesa for a top-drawer strike from beyond the box).

Expect Bentancur to help control the match against a quality Parma midfield, and maybe he’ll had another assist to his tally after leading Juventus in this statistical category last season.

CB Matthijs de Ligt

Gervinho and Andrea Cornellius are two threats in the Parma side, and Gervinho is the opposition’s leader in goals this season with four. Matthijs de Ligt will have to be at his best to cope with Gervinho cutting inside and Cornelius causing danger in the box. He is Juve’s best center back and has looked like it since returning from injury.

RM Dejan Kulusevski

Dejan Kulusevski has another big opportunity in front of him on Matchday 13. He’s shown his quality at times this season, but he’s yet to consistently put it together for Juventus or really find his spot. The Sweden international is a lot more effective as a right winger, but he has to play further back in Andrea Pirlo’s system. It would be better if Juan Cuadrado overlaps and Kulusevski can cut inside, but we’ll see how Pirlo tries to get the most out of his young star.

FW Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has been excellent this season with 10 goals in Serie A, but we did not see him at his best on Wednesday against Atalanta. He missed a few clear-cut chances, which would have given Juventus all three points. And that’s not usual for Ronaldo. He will want to bounce back on Saturday against Parma, and I wouldn’t doubt him. Parma have a quality center back duo, but Ronaldo should be able to find the back of the net this weekend.

CM Adrien Rabiot

Juraj Kucka and Hernani have combined for eight goal contributions from midfield this season and are the most productive players for Parma alongside Gervinho, who is a well-known star in Serie A. Key to stopping Kucka and Hernani will be the midfield partnership of Bentancur and Adrien Rabiot, which is highly capable of making stops defensively.

After a rocky start in Turin, the former PSG man has been a quality starter for Juventus these past few months. Rabiot is all over the pitch making tackles and can provide a great finish when needed.