Juventus Player Ratings vs Salernitana: 9/10 for MOTM Dybala; Morata, Locatelli, Kulusevski get 7.5 or more

Paulo Dybala produced a match-winning display as Juventus secured a vital 2-0 victory over Salernitana on Tuesday.

After back to back defeats to Chelsea and Atalanta, Juventus returned to winning ways on Tuesday, getting the better of Salernitana 2-0. The three points help retain their seventh spot in the league table, as they look to make their way back to the top four after a disastrous start to the campaign.

It was always going to be a relatively easy test against a Salernitana side that is currently dawdling at the bottom of the league table. However, Juventus had to be patient with their approach, as they dealt with a low defensive line from the home side. They deserve credit for dominating the game but not rushing things – a quintessential Juventus approach that led to the opener from Paulo Dybala in the 21st minute.

The visitors continued to dominate the proceedings, although Salernitana made it difficult for them to double their lead. It was a similar story in the second half, as the hosts remained resilient at the back. In fact, it was the minnows that started to push forward in search of the equaliser. They created multiple scoring opportunities as well, exposing the Juventus backline that looked extremely shaky in defending the pressure.

Salernitana, though, could not make full use of their scoring opportunities, with Luca Ranieri notably missing the best chance of the game. It proved to be costly in the end, as they were finally caught out by a switch of play from Dybala, with Alvaro Morata eventually doubling the lead in the 70th minute.

Juventus had the opportunity to further add to their tally late in the game, but Dybala’s missed penalty meant they had to settle for a 2-0 victory. Here, at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Juventus players in their win over Salernitana this midweek.

Wojciech Szczesny: 6/10

Wojciech Szczesny had a relatively quiet game as Salernitana failed to register a single shot on target despite all their pressure in the second half. The goalkeeper was perhaps lucky not to be tested, especially by Luca Ranieri, whose attempt could have ended in the back of the net if it was on target.

Juan Cuadrado: 6.5/10

Juan Cuadrado’s marvellous free-kick attempt almost led to a goal for Juventus in the first half. It was the highlight of an otherwise decent performance that saw the Colombian offered optimum support forward. But at the same time, he looked very shaky at the back, especially on the instance where Juventus gave away a glorious opportunity for Ranieri to level the scoring.

Matthijs de Ligt: 6.5/10

Matthijs de Ligt is yet to recover his shaky run of form. While the centre-back did considerably improve his performances from the last few matches, he still looked susceptible when Salernitana got forward. He did play a vital role in the build-up, moving the ball forward whenever it was required.

Giorgio Chiellini: 6.5/10

Giorgio Chiellini was unfortunate to have his goal ruled out due to Moise Kean being in an offside position. Defensively, he did not look all that confident and had occasional problems keeping up with Simy. May have conceded if the opposition had a better set of attackers.

Luca Pellegrini: 7/10

A good performance from Luca Pellegrini. The left-back used his marauding runs forward to make life difficult for the Salernitana defender. And unlike Cuadrado on the opposite flank, he was much more solid defensively.

Rodrigo Bentancur: 7.5/10

Rodrigo Bentancur played a vital role in Juventus’ second line of press. His energy and aggression embodied the spirit of Massimiliano Allegri’s men throughout the game. As such, the midfielder recovered multiple balls in midfield and kept things tidy, despite making some questionable decisions in the final third.

Manuel Locatelli: 8/10

Manuel Locatelli was by far the best performing Juventus midfielder on the evening. The Italian international showcased immense quality on the ball, even creating a few early goalscoring opportunities. His role in the build-up play was also essential in helping Juventus breach the Salernitana defence. A top performance from the midfielder.

Dejan Kulusevski: 7.5/10

Dejan Kulusevski was not the most active player for Juventus in the final third. But he looked very promising, at times, with his combination play. The Swede certainly excels in quick one-twos, which helps him squeeze through tight areas of the pitch. He notably assisted Dybala’s important opener with a delightful bit of link-up play.

Paulo Dybala: 9/10

Paulo Dybala was the undisputed man of the match in this 2-0 win over Salernitana. The Argentine offered the spark Juventus were missing in their offensive unit while the attacker also made an impression with his combination play and, more importantly, his occasional switch of plays.

It made life difficult for the Salernitana defenders, who had no answer to Dybala’s dynamism and creativity in the final third. The attacker also scored the all-important opener, although he will be disappointed to have missed two excellent goalscoring opportunities late in the game, including the missed penalty.

Federico Bernardeschi: 7/10

Federico Bernardeschi kept up the pressure on the Salernitana defence with his energy and movements on the left flank. The winger did make an impression with his involvement in the proceedings,  but he certainly was not one of the best performers on the pitch.

Moise Kean: 6/10

It was not the best performance from Moise Kean, who struggled to make himself useful in the final third. On the contrary, the Italian ended up being in an offside position during Cuadrado’s free-kick, which ruled out Chiellini’s goal in the first half. The forward was subbed off around the hour mark.

SUBSTITUTES

Alex Sandro: 6/10

Alex Sandro replaced Pellegrini at left-back midway through the second half. He kept up the pressure with his marauding runs forward but had one or two issues defensively.

Alvaro Morata: 7.5/10

Alvaro Morata was not overly involved in the proceedings, but he had an immediate impact, as a clever flick led to the second goal for Juventus. The former Real Madrid starlet also won the late penalty, which was missed by Dybala.

Adrien Rabiot: 6/10

Adrien Rabiot replaced Bernardeschi late in the game to offer more energy in the second line of press.

Matias Soule: N/A

A late replacement for Kulusevski. Did not play enough to warrant a rating.