Juventus: Top 3 performances from a 2-0 win over Roma
Juventus defeated Roma 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium on Serie A’s Matchday 21 behind another goal from Cristiano Ronaldo, who made it three on the season against the Giallorossi, and an own goal created by substitute Dejan Kulusevski.
Let’s look at the top three performances of the match for the Bianconeri, who leapfrogged Roma in the Serie A table with this win.
FW Cristiano Ronaldo
It all begins with Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 16 goals in Serie A this season through 16 starts and 17 total appearances. He is averaging a goal per start and is in the lead for the Capocannoniere after just missing out on the award to Lazio’s Ciro Immobile last season.
Ronaldo would have scored the second, too, if it weren’t for a Roma player getting in the way with an ill-fated clearance.
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The Portuguese superstar wasn’t as dominant in this win as he was in the fixture at the Stadio Olimpico, but he was still the star of the attack for the Bianconeri. It seems as if he gets better with each passing year in Turin.
CB Giorgio Chiellini
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the opening goal, but, for my money, center back Giorgio Chiellini was the star of the match. He has been in excellent form since returning from his latest injury, and we can only hope he stays healthy for the rest of the season so that he can lead the Bianconeri with his expert defending.
Chiellini had one interception and six clearances, per WhoScored.com, as he did not need to make a single tackle for his team.
That shows you how brilliant his positioning was, as he did not need to go to ground or anything. He also led the team with 87 passes defended, as he and long-time center back partner Leonardo Bonucci combined well and helped lead Juve to a rare clean sheet.
LB Alex Sandro
Alex Sandro’s been up-and-down this season, but the Juventus left back had one of his better performances on Matchday 21. He was brilliant in the first half, making some great defensive plays and completing the dribble on the turn and pass into the box for Alvaro Morata that Morata then used to set up Ronaldo’s sweetly-struck opener.
Next. 3 takeaways from Juve's win over Roma. dark
The Brazilian defender had two interceptions, three clearances, and drew four fouls. He put in a tough shift against a very game Roma side, which tried to use the right flank and the width of the pitch to their advantage. But Alex Sandro was relentless and would not be beaten defensively, playing a key role in the clean sheet in his own right.