Juventus: 5 key players to watch against Cagliari on Matchday 27
Juventus will face Cagliari on Sunday evening at the Sardegna Arena, having just been eliminated from the Champions League on Tuesday vs. Porto.
The mood around Turin has been subdued since that result, but you can bet the team itself will be back on the pitch with a vengeance. Because prior to their elimination against Porto, they were excellent in Serie A with a 3-0 win over Spezia and a 3-1 win over Lazio.
Let’s take a look at the five key players to watch on Sunday.
Selections are based on Sky Sport Italia’s predicted XIs.
Juventus CM Weston McKennie
Whether Weston McKennie starts on the left side, as Sky Sport Italia predicts, or in the middle, the American is going to be an important player to watch at Cagliari. He has scored four goals with two assists in Serie A this season, earning a permanent deal with the Bianconeri after being loaned from Schalke.
McKennie is an all-around weapon for the Juventus attack and defense, and there should be space for him to operate and even get into the box against Cagliari.
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Cagliari CB Daniele Rugani
A familiar face to Juventini, Daniele Rugani’s future with the club is all but over, as he was horrible last season. Rugani has surfaced in Cagliari this season and has been competent enough defensively. WhoScored.com credits him with 2.5 tackles per game and 1.5 interceptions per game, though he is being dribbled past a full time per match.
Rugani could be in for a rough night against Federico Chiesa, who is the man in form right now for the Black and Whites.
Juventus RM Federico Chiesa
So let’s talk about him. Federico Chiesa is nearing the world-class bracket in just his first season with Juventus. He was just about unplayable against Porto and did not deserve to be on the side that was eliminated from the competition. Chiesa scored twice and looked like he was poised to bag a hat trick.
The man has six goals and five assists in the league this season, having reached a new gear in the year 2021. Chiesa is the present and future of Juventus.
Cagliari CM Radja Nainggolan
Radja Nainggolan is a fixture in Serie A, especially for Cagliari. Back with the Sardinian side, Nainggolan has made an impact defensively this season with 2.0 tackles per game. He also has 1.0 key passes per game and 1.0 fouls drawn per game, to go with 1.5 dribbles completed.
That said, Nainggolan has scored just once in nearly 1,000 Serie A minutes for Cagliari. He’d love nothing more than to put one in the back of the net against Juventus this Sunday, helping parent club Inter Milan out in the process.
Juventus LB Federico Bernardeschi
A decent performer off the bench against Porto, a difference-maker against Spezia, and a quality left back option vs. Lazio, Federico Bernardeschi just might be resurfacing as a very useful player to the Bianconeri in 2020-2021 despite his previous struggles.
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Bernardeschi is expected to start at left back, per Sky Sport Italia, and that could be an interesting test for the Italian forward. We have heard about him potentially moving to this position on the left side, and Andrea Pirlo may be ready to make that happen in lieu of any better option amidst Alex Sandro’s continued attacking woes.