Dusan Vlahovic bagged a late winner as Juventus secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Sassuolo to reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals.
Juventus advanced through to the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia thanks to a narrow 2-1 victory over US Sassuolo on Thursday night. It was a riveting encounter between two entertaining teams that produced an exciting watch for any neutral.
It was a routine start to the game for Juventus, as they found the opener within the third minute through Paulo Dybala. But they were largely rattled by Sassuolo’s quality attack that tested Mattia Perin in goal on multiple occasions. Their relentless pressure in the first half meant the Juventus defence caved under pressure, with Hamed Junior Traore levelling the scoreline in the 24th minute.
The home side were quite lucky to go into half-time with the score tied at 1-1. However, they came out all guns blazing in the second half, pushing more men forward in an attempt to restore the lead. The shift in momentum helped the Bianconeri create a host of goalscoring opportunities, and they may have even scored three or four goals had it not been for an inspiring performance from veteran goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo.
The 40-year-old managed to keep out almost everything Juventus threw at him but was ultimately denied by a Dusan Vlahovic effort in the 87th minute that deflected off one of his defenders to find the back of the net. It was a truly unlucky moment for Sassuolo, who had given everything to keep the game level up until the final few minutes of the game.
Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Juventus players in their fortunate victory over the Neroverdi this midweek.
Mattia Perin: 7.5/10
Mattia Perin had an extremely busy first half as Sassuolo wreaked a lot of havoc going forward. The Juventus goalkeeper, though, did not disappoint, pulling off multiple saves to keep his team in the contest and deny the opposition from taking the lead in the first 45 minutes. The Italian deserved a clean sheet with such a resolute display in between the sticks.
Perin is a great goalie, he deserves to be a starter for a top 10 team in Serie a
— Juve News (@juvenewsFC) February 10, 2022
Mattia De Sciglio: 6/10
It was not the best of performances from Mattia De Sciglio. Starting as the right-back, the defender lacked the solidity to deal with the marauding presence of Traore on the flanks. He also offered very little going forward, leading to an indifferent display.
Leonardo Bonucci: 5/10
Leonardo Bonucci made his return to the team but looked extremely rusty, to say the least. He showcased a very pedestrian piece of defending that allowed Traore to bag the equaliser in the first half. His overall marking was a bit off as well, while the veteran also missed a golden opportunity to score in the second half.
Matthijs de Ligt: 6.5/10
Matthijs de Ligt had a better defensive outing than his partner. He was firm in his tackles and tried his best to keep Gianluca Scamacca at bay. The Dutchman was unlucky not to score in the second half as his headed effort from close range hit the post.
Alex Sandro: 5.5/10
It was yet another disappointing performance from Alex Sandro, who struggled to provide any inspiration going forward. He also got caught out in possession more than once, and it is apparent Juventus need to upgrade his position in the summer.
Denis Zakaria: 6.5/10
Denis Zakaria was not as influential as he was against Hellas Verona. Nevertheless, his work ethic and understanding of the game was crucial in helping Juventus put together something substantial in midfield. He improved after half-time as well, before being replaced around the hour mark.
Locatelli and Zakaria NEED to start together, Locas impact was clear since he got subbed on.
— andrea (@calcio_andrea) February 10, 2022
Arthur Melo: 6/10
Arthur Melo was a disappointing performer in the middle of the park for Juventus. The former Barcelona man was unable to offer creative essence in the build-up play whilst allowing Sassuolo to dominate the proceedings during the first half. He was replaced during the final phase of the game.
Juan Cuadrado: 6/10
Juan Cuadrado was given a rare start in an attacking position due to the absence of Federico Bernardeschi and Federico Chiesa. Unfortunately, the Colombian could not make much of a difference and is more fitted to a right-back role, as it gets him less traction from defenders.
Paulo Dybala: 7/10
Paulo Dybala was extremely fortunate to grab the early opener. However, the Argentine wisely used that momentum to become the creator-in-chief for Juventus in the final third. Indeed, the attacker created multiple goalscoring chances throughout the game, and his link-up play with the likes of Weston McKennie and Dusan Vlahovic was truly impressive.
Weston McKennie: 6/10
Weston McKennie had a difficult first half as he struggled to dominate the game using his skill on the ball. He got isolated on multiple occasions, losing possession quite easily. The American international also squandered multiple scoring opportunities, though two of his efforts hit the post. He improved in the second half, but it was far from an impressive display from the midfielder.
Dusan Vlahovic: 8/10
It was a predatory attacking display from Dusan Vlahovic, who was not truly involved much in the game but latched on to every moment that required his aid. Indeed, the number nine utilised his marvellous positioning sense to make runs in behind the backline, while his physical presence in the final third made life difficult for the Sassuolo centre-back.
The best angle of Vlahovic’s goal ?pic.twitter.com/pYEgKbaYqK
— Ralphie (@powellyowl) February 10, 2022
What was particularly impressive about Vlahovic’s performance was his sheer willingness to test Pegolo. The striker attempted a total of five shots, one of which ended up finding the back of the net, though in a rather fortunate manner. Vlahovic has been a massive coup for Juventus, and the player has the potential to become a massive asset for the club in the future.
SUBSTITUTES
Alvaro Morata: 6.5/10
Alvaro Morata added more guile and intelligence into the Juventus attack after replacing De Sciglio around the hour mark. He offered good support to Vlahovic and had one of his attempts brilliantly saved by Pegolo.
Manuel Locatelli: 6.5/10
Manuel Locatelli added more freshness in the Juventus midfield during the final 30 minutes of the proceedings. He made occasional surges forward to help with the transition.
Adrien Rabiot: 6/10
Adrien Rabiot did not make much of a difference after coming on for Arthur during the final phase of the game.
Kaio Jorge: N/A
A late replacement for Vlahovic. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
(Featured image courtesy of Kirill Venediktov/UEFA/Wikimedia)
