Juventus vs. Benevento: 5 key players to watch on Matchday 28
Juventus will face Benevento at home this weekend on Serie A’s Matchday 28, and they will seek all three points against Filippo Inzaghi’s side. Earlier this season, the Bianconeri drew 1-1 with the Serie A newcomers, so there will be extra motivation on Juve’s part to get things right. Unlike last time, Juve will have Cristiano Ronaldo in the lineup, and he is a man on a mission right now.
Last weekend, Juve beat Cagliari 3-1 after a rapid hat-trick from Ronaldo, but they struggled in the second half. They will need to be more complete against a Benevento team that can be stingy.
Let’s take a look at five key players to watch on Sunday afternoon at the Juventus Stadium. Selections are based on Sky Sport Italia’s expected lineups for both sides.
Juventus RB Danilo
Danilo played as a midfielder in Juve’s last two Serie A wins over Lazio and Cagliari, acquitting himself very well despite unsurprisingly showing that this is not his natural position at times. Under Andrea Pirlo, Danilo is literally playing the best football of his entire career and has become a Swiss Army Knife for the Bianconeri, shining at right back, center back, and in the defensive midfield most recently.
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He is expected to start on the right-hand side, which is his original position. The Brazilian will be expected to play lockdown defense in order to avoid giving up counterattacks to Benevento. Juventus will also need Danilo to be secure and progressive with his passing.
Benevento ST Gianluca Lapadula
Although Gianluca Lapadula doesn’t have the most impressive offensive numbers with four goals and two assists in Serie A this season, the main man up top for Benevento is one of the team’s most recognizable and important players.
The 31-year-old started his career as a youth player for Juventus in 1996 and has been around Serie A, even playing for Milan in recent years. He then had stops at Lecce and Genoa in the past couple of seasons before joining Benevento, where he has been a key contributor. Lapadula is a hard-worker who does a good job of holding up play for others with his close control.
Juventus LM Federico Chiesa
In lieu of any other real options on the left-hand side of the midfield, Federico Chiesa has usually been the starter there for Juventus. After Cristiano Ronaldo, Chiesa has been Juve’s best player in the 2020-2021 season, which is a point that fans have been emphasizing in recent matches.
Chiesa has been on another level since the calendar flipped to 2021. He has six goals and six assists in Serie A, including three goals and three assists in his last five matches in all competitions. Expect Chiesa to be a standout again this Sunday.
Benevento LAM Gianluca Caprari
Gianluca Caprari has been Benevento’s best player in 2020-2021 thus far, and he is someone Juventus must keep an especially close eye on. He’s a big reason why Danilo is a player to watch on Sunday, because Danilo must deal with the threat Caprari carries.
The 27-year-old leads Benevento with five goals and four assists this season. Per WhoScored.com, he averages 2.2 fouls drawn per game, 2.0 dribbles completed per game, and 1.3 key passes per game. Caprari is one of Serie A’s best attacking players and a clear danger man for Benevento, especially when he links up with Lapadula, who is always aware of the runs Caprari makes. Highly-skilled, Caprari could be the key to an upset for the visitors.
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Juventus CM Adrien Rabiot
It’s hard for Juventini to predict exactly what they are going to get from French midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who is marvelous at times but is also just as likely to disappoint the fans. Rabiot has not quite lived up to expectations since joining on a “free” transfer in 2019, though he did have a great summer and start to the 2020-2021 campaign.
Hopefully, Rabiot can play a mistake-free game and continue his positive defensive contributions to the Old Lady. Rabiot has 10 tackles and 5 interceptions in his last three matches, and he scored an excellent equalizer in an eventual 3-1 win over Lazio.