The scriptwriters were running amok on Sunday night as Juventus debutants Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria both scored to help the Bianconeri to a 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona.
The Bianconeri were far from perfect in the victory, but they produced a menacing attacking performance in which Paulo Dybala, Dusan Vlahovic and Alvaro Morata all starred. It was Dybala who set up Vlahovic for his debut goal, while Zakaria was the beneficiary of some wonderful play from Morata to double Juve’s advantage against the run of play.
While Massimiliano Allegri will be thrilled by the immediate impact of the Bianconeri’s new arrivals, he’ll lament a sloppy display in the second period that lacked control.
Still, Juve were a bunch of fun to watch on Sunday night, and that’s something we’ve rarely said about the Old Lady this term. Perhaps a new lady is blossoming in Turin?
Here are the Juventus player ratings from their 2-0 win over Hellas Verona which moved them up to fourth in Serie A.
Goalkeeper & Defenders
Wojciech Szczesny (GK) – 6/10 – Szczesny wasn’t tested from a shot-stopping perspective, but he did well to claw away a couple of dangerous Darko Lazovic crosses. There was also a cool bit of footwork to avoid a Verona presser midway through the second half.
Danilo (RB) – 7/10 – Lazovic gave the Brazilian a workout and their battle was great to watch. Danilo was beaten on the outside a couple of times but he produced several brilliant last-ditch challenges to deny the visitors in the final third. His defending at the back post was quite magnificent as well.
Matthijs de Ligt (CB) – 7/10 – Kevin Lasagna didn’t get a sniff under De Ligt’s dominant eye. The Dutchman was put to the test in the second half after a quiet opening period, but he was excellent in the face of sustained pressure. While there was no standout defensive sequence, as such, De Ligt barely put a foot wrong.
Giorgio Chiellini (CB) – 6.5/10 – A scary-looking neck injury looked like it cut Chiellini’s evening short. Although, I’m sure the dogged vet is absolutely fine. The Italian produced a typically sound defensive display with blocks aplenty.
Mattia De Sciglio (LB) – 6.5/10 – Lord De Sciglio produced yet another sturdy performance. There isn’t much else to add, to be honest (he’s much quicker than I ever gave him credit for, by the way).