Moise Kean’s solitary goal secured a narrow victory over Malmo, sending Juventus through to the next phase as group winners ahead of Chelsea.
Juventus had to better Chelsea’s result on the evening to secure the top spot in their Champions League group. An early Moise Kean goal was enough to secure the three points, although much hinged on the outcome in Russia, where a tense game was ongoing.
Chelsea seemed destined to seal the top spot as they were heading towards an impressive win in Russia. Zenit had other plans as they crashed the Blues party with a late equaliser in stoppage time, helping Juventus finish as group winners.
The game itself looked pretty standard considering Juventus’ performances this season. Massimiliano Allegri shook up things and changed his system to accommodate a more attack-minded outlook than the drab 4-4-2, which has yielded mixed results this term.
Federico Bernardeschi’s brilliant side-footed pass found Kean, who put a neat finish past the Malmo keeper. Juventus could have added to the lead, although they squandered plenty of chances to do so. However, the Bianconeri handled things astutely in their defence, never letting Malmo a whiff at the goal. Here’s how Juventus players rated during their narrow win at home to Malmo.
Mattia Perin – 6/10
Perin started ahead of Szczesny in the Juventus goal and had a quiet evening as Malmo barely troubled the defence. He did make some smart saves when needed while commanding his area well.
Koni De Winter – 6/10
A good full-debut for youngster De Winter. He kept things quiet and showed efficiency going into attacking areas. Games like these should help him develop, as more opportunities could be forthcoming in domestic cup ties.
Daniele Rugani – 5.5/10
A rare game under the belt for Rugani, who will be delighted at the clean sheet that helped his side progress as group winners. Defensively, he was barely tested by the Malmo attackers on Wednesday night.
Leonardo Bonucci – 6/10
The senior centre-back marshalled the Juventus defence alongside Rugani and enjoyed a fairly comfortable evening as most of the game was played much ahead of him. Bonucci did well in possession as Juventus kept constant pressure on the opposition.
Alex Sandro – 5/10
Sandro had a relatively quiet game without much to show for his usual forays into the final third, although he looked sturdy at the back when called into action.
Adrien Rabiot – 5/10
Rabiot had an off night playing in a more attacking system, as he proved ineffective for large parts. Yet he had a glorious chance to double Juve’s lead in the last ten minutes, but could not make it count.
Arthur – 7/10
A rare start for the Brazilian midfielder, who took his chance by putting in a solid performance. He barely gave the ball away in what was a composed midfield display.
Federico Bernardeschi – 7/10
Bernardeschi proved his attacking talents to become a problem for Malmo defence. Provided the assist to Kean’s goal from outside of the left foot while coming close to scoring himself, forcing a good save.
Paulo Dybala – 4.5/10
Dybala occupied the advanced attacking midfield role for most parts on Wednesday night. Dybala got on the ball regularly, but failed to create chances for his teammates while he did not pose a goal threat himself either.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 6/10
Deployed in an unusual wide attacking midfield position on the left side, the midfielder had a decent game overall, as he kept things ticking along smoothly. Moved into a more central role in the latter stages and pressed the opposition well.
Moise Kean – 7/10
A rare start for the former Everton striker, as he went about to impress his manager. He did take his chance with both hands, as he scored the goal that secured the top spot in the group for Juventus.
Substitutes
Alvaro Morata – 3/10
He barely had any impact after coming on the pitch.
Mattia de Sciglio – 5.5/10
Had a few minutes under his belt upon return from injury. Kept things tight at the back and protected the lead.
Juan Cuadrado – 5/10
Shored up things and kept the ball well in possession while missing a good chance to score himself.
Marco Da Graca – N/A
Not much of an impact for a rating.
Fabio Miretti – N/A
No impact to get a rating.