Juventus: 3 takeaways from a vital 3-2 win over Inter

Juventus knew they had to strive for perfection following an embarrassing 3-0 loss to rivals Milan. And next up after that debacle was a match against Sassuolo, which Juve won 3-1 despite facing a real challenge at the Mapei Stadium. That victory set them up nicely for Saturday afternoon’s home return to face Inter in the fourth Derby d’Italia this season.

Nothing could prepare them for the wackiness of this match, but Juventus managed to win 3-2 by showing a LOT more fight than what we’ve seen in most of their fixtures over the past couple of months. The Bianconeri deserved to win, despite all the controversy, and they are still alive in the top-four race.

Here are three takeaways from the match.

Juan Cuadrado is a Player of the Season candidate

Coming into this must-win match, Juan Cuadrado had never scored, though he did have a whopping 16 assists between the Champions League and Serie A. Cuadrado was already one of Juve’s best performers before the Derby d’Italia, but he really entrenched himself as a Player of the Season candidate behind Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 32-year-old even filled Ronaldo’s boots at the death, netting the winner from the spot with CR7 sacrificed so that Andrea Pirlo could take a more defensive approach. That gamble to take off Ronaldo did not hurt Juve, and Pirlo has Cuadrado to thank for using his veteran guile and steely nerves to win and convert the decisive penalty.

And Cuadrado’s first goal was yet another rocket in a match against Juve’s eternal rivals. He was brilliant throughout, controlling the match and working to support Danilo defensively. Juve would not still be in this Champions League race without the Serie A veteran.