Juventus vs. Lazio: Player Ratings from an inspiring victory
Juventus knew they had to get all three points against Lazio at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday night. With so many key players unable to start, Andrea Pirlo made some interesting tweaks to the XI. Alex Sandro started at center back, Federico Bernardeschi played at left back, and Danilo made a surprise appearance in the defensive midfield.
The Bianconeri struggled mightily at first, falling behind 1-0 and nearly surrendering more. But an equalizer from Adrien Rabiot gave Juve a boost heading into the half. And as they did on Tuesday night vs. Spezia, Juve dominated the second half en route to a 3-1 win over Lazio.
Here are the player ratings.
GK Wojciech Szczesny
In truth, the Polish goalkeeper did not have much to do. He could do nothing about Joaquin Correa’s goal, which was the result of an error by Dejan Kulusevski.
Rating: 6.0
LB Federico Bernardeschi
After changing the game off the bench against Spezia, Federico Bernardeschi played well again, albeit as a starter in a more defensive role. He worked hard and did well to draw a team-high four fouls, per WhoScored.com.
Rating: 6.5
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CB Alex Sandro
Alex Sandro was lucky not to get booked for hitting Correa in the back of the head, but, otherwise, he was great defensively. The Brazilian has shown up pretty well at the center back position whenever Andrea Pirlo has asked him to play inside. The 30-year-old had two tackles, three clearances, and five interceptions.
Rating: 7.5
CB Merih Demiral
Merih Demiral was the weak link defensively in this match, which was surprising since he was the center back playing at his natural position. The Turkish international was carved up by Correa on the goal, though he cannot shoulder the blame. He had five clearances and four interceptions, but he also made a couple of positioning errors.
Rating: 6.0
RB Juan Cuadrado
Juan Cuadrado honestly looked a bit rusty in his return from injury, which is understandable. The wide man completed three dribbles, but he didn’t really create anything meaningful. Hopefully, he’ll be better against Porto.
Rating: 5.5
CM Danilo
The Juventus defender played in midfield and put in a real shift, standing out as one of Juve’s best players alongside Alvaro Morata and Federico Chiesa in the attack. He was a real nuisance to deal with for Lazio defensively, cutting out everything in sight as a great counter to Lazio’s stacked midfield. Danilo has four tackles and a whopping eight interceptions. His amazing season under Pirlo continues.
Rating: 8.0
CM Adrien Rabiot
Although Adrien Rabiot can frustrate Juventini due to his lack of consistency, he has the quality to create a goal from nothing. That’s exactly what he did with his first-half equalizer, smashing the ball through the rough of the net at the near post. He worked hard defensively, too, as usual, with four tackles and three interceptions.
Rating: 7.5
AM Aaron Ramsey
The Welsh international started in the midfield in an attacking role. He had a couple of slick touches and won the penalty, which Alvaro Morata sunk to seal the game at 3-1. Ramsey hasn’t been a true difference-maker for Juventus, but he was decent in this one.
Rating: 6.0
LM Federico Chiesa
Federico Chiesa is one of Juve’s best players on the pitch in seemingly every game at this point, as he’s turned up his performances to another level in 2021. The 23-year-old had an assist, created loads of chances, and won the ball frequently. Chiesa’s motor is impressive.
Rating: 8.0
RM Dejan Kulusevski
Dejan Kulusevski worked hard, but he didn’t work smart for Juventus. His mistake cost Juve a goal, though he made up for it with some willing defending and a couple of key passes and dribbles completed in the attack end. But it seems like Kulu should be doing more to get into good attacking positions.
Rating: 6.0
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ST Alvaro Morata
Alvaro Morata was the main man up top, and he delivered another sparkling performance for the Bianconeri. The Spanish international scored a second-half brace within minutes of each goal, first converting a counterattack chance created by Chiesa before cooly slotting in from the spot on the hour mark.
Rating: 8.0