Juventus 1-0 Malmo: Player ratings as Bianconeri win Group H after Chelsea falter

Juventus claimed a slender 1-0 victory over Malmo to conclude their Champions League group stage, but Chelsea’s 3-3 draw with Zenit meant it was enough to win Group H.

It appeared that Juve would saunter to victory on Wednesday, but the Bianconeri’s performance got flatter as the contest wore on with their performance in front of goal abhorrent.

An early Moise Kean header was enough to hand Juve the all-important win, but there’s no doubting that Massimiliano Allegri will be somewhat concerned about his side’s performance against a poor Malmo side.

Here are the Juventus player ratings from their Champions League win on Wednesday.

Goalkeeper & Defenders

Mattia Perin (GK) – 6/10 – Stepping in for Wojciech Szczesny, Perin only had to deal with tame long-range efforts on a rare start.

Koni De Winter (RB) – 7/10 – The Belgian became the youngest starter for Juventus in Champions League history on Wednesday. De Winter was assured as he saw plenty of the ball in the first half with Bernardeschi and Dybala occupying zones down the right. The youngster ventured forward when necessary with his pass selection safe and smart. His performance suggested we’ll see plenty more of the teenager moving forward.

Daniele Rugani (CB) – 6.5/10 – Rugani won several duels in the opening period that enabled his side to sustain pressure. He also made a timely intervention late on in the first half to deny Antonio Čolak from having a sniff at goal. The Italian was assertive throughout despite rarely being tested.

Leonardo Bonucci (CB) – 6.5/10 – The Italian returned to the side for a comfortable defensive outing. He didn’t have to exert himself in this one at all, with his performance in possession typically cool and efficient.

Alex Sandro (LB) – 5.5/10 – The Brazilian started brightly with a pair of successful one-vs-one sequences high down the left touchline. However, that was as aggressive as we saw the left-back all evening. The veteran wasn’t poor, but he wasn’t the reliable source of width Juve needed when Allegri switched to the 4-4-2 after the restart.

Midfielders

Federico Bernardeschi (RM) – 7/10 – How about that assist? Outside of the boot. On the money. You’re welcome, Moise. The sequence epitomised Bernardeschi’s current form. He’s playing with a swagger right now with Allegri gifting him plenty of freedom from various roles. The Italian was Juve’s creative force tonight, although his execution declined later on in the bout.

Arthur Melo (CM) – 6.5/10 – The Brazilian scrapped his way through Wednesday’s contest, showing plenty of grit and industry. Something we can’t always say about the metronomic midfielder. In possession, he was typically secure and press-resistant but offered little by way of progression and penetration. That’s what he is and he desperately needs a premier ball-progressor (Manuel Locatelli) alongside him if he is to be effective.

Adrien Rabiot (CM) – 5/10 – Rabiot offered the occasional thrust in possession but little spark. The Frenchman needed a big performance in this one, but he flattered to deceive for the most part with the contest passing him by somewhat.

Rodrigo Bentancur (LM) – 7/10 – It was an unusual role for Bentancur, who played in a more advanced position on Wednesday evening. In possession, he typically occupied the left half-space beyond Malmo’s midfield line and without the ball, he sought to press Malmo’s right centre-back from his left midfield position. The Uruguayan returned to the pivot in the second half as Allegri went 4-4-2. Overall, Bentancur was magnificent out of possession, with a couple of his high turnovers culminating in Juventus chances.

Forwards

Paulo Dybala (SS) – 6/10 – Dybala freelanced in this one. Early, he interchanged smartly with Bentancur and saw a lot of the ball out on the right before drifting more infield as the first half wore on. He enjoyed the right half-space again; finding pockets of space despite the depth of Malmo’s block. The Argentine offered some innovation in and around the final third, but was often stationed too deep to have a major impact in his 45 minutes of action.

Moise Kean (ST) – 5.5/10 – The Italian grabbed his third goal of the season with a close-range header to open the scoring for the hosts. However, the young Italian was poor thereafter – particularly in front of goal. His decision-making needs serious improvement.

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Substitutes

Alvaro Morata – 4/10

Mattia De Sciglio – 6/10

Juan Cuadrado – 5/10

Fabio Da Graca – N/A

Fabio Miretti – N/A