Dusan Vlahovic struggled to find the back of the net once again as Juventus slumped to a 1-1 draw in the derby against Torino.
Juventus lost vital ground in the race for top four in the Serie A as they were held to yet another draw on Friday, this time to city rivals Torino. The 1-1 result means the Bianconeri remain in fourth place with 47 points, having played two games more than fifth-placed Atalanta, who are currently on 44 points.
It was a disappointing game for the visitors, who were not potent enough to cause any real damage going forward. While Massimiliano Allegri’s men did look threatening going forward, they were unable to consistently trouble the Torino defence. In fact, it was Torino who dominated the proceedings for the majority of the first half, creating a couple of goalscoring opportunities.
However, it was Matthijs de Ligt who scored the opener, latching on to Juan Cuadrado’s cross in the 13th minute. After that period, Juventus struggled to break through the Torino defence, with star striker Dusan Vlahovic having a bad day at the office.
While Torino remained defensively resilient, they also deserve credit for showing ambition going forward. They were rewarded with an equaliser around the hour mark when Andrea Belotti’s stunning volleyed effort beat Wojciech Szczesny. The goal was enough to seal a point for Il Toro as they remain in contention for a top half finish come May.
Here at The Hard Tackle, we will run the rule over the Juventus players in their disappointing draw with Torino in the iconic Derby della Mole this Friday.
Wojciech Szczesny: 6/10
Wojciech Szczesny may have done better to prevent Belotti from scoring the equaliser in the second half, considering the shot was almost straight at him, albeit with exceptional power. He did not have much else to do as Torino only mustered one shot on target.
Juan Cuadrado: 6.5/10
Juan Cuadrado produced an excellent cross to set up de Ligt’s opener early on in the proceedings. However, he could not translate his consistency from set-pieces to his open play output, with the right-back struggling to play out from the back, even conceding easy turnovers on multiple occasions.
Alex Sandro: 6/10
Alex Sandro was asked to fill in at centre-back in the absence of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Given the left-back’s recent form, it was always going to be a disaster, and it certainly was, with the Brazilian notably failing to keep tabs on Belotti in the lead up to Torino’s equaliser.
Matthijs de Ligt: 7.5/10
Matthijs de Ligt was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dire evening for Juventus. The defender made an impression right from the start, showing hunger to find the opener in the 13th minute. It was followed by some excellent defensive work to keep Torino at bay throughout the remainder of the first half. The Dutchman required more support from his troops.
De Ligt easily the best CB in Serie A, imagine if he was as protected as other CBs that play in a back three
— Martín V (@Napoleonismo) February 18, 2022
Luca Pellegrini: 5/10
Luca Pellegrini had a difficult game at left-back, struggling to deal with Torino’s intense pressure. It led to him losing possession a few times while struggling to cope with the pressure from Tommaso Pobega and Wilfried Singo. He was deservedly subbed off at half-time by Allegri.
Denis Zakaria: 6.5/10
Denis Zakaria made his return to the starting eleven after settling for a place on the bench against Atalanta. The Swiss international made a good start to the game, notably delivering an exquisite through ball to create a chance for Adrien Rabiot. But his performance regressed after that, with the midfielder unable to offer any creativity or dominance in the middle of the park.
Manuel Locatelli: 5/10
Manuel Locatelli was equally ineffective in the Juventus midfield. He found it difficult to assert control in the middle, often struggling to deal with the intense pressure from Pobega. Locatelli certainly needs to improve with his consistency after a mixed start to life at Juventus.
Seeing Manuel Locatelli playing football reminds me of Claudio Marchisio.
— Max Aimé-Thierry (@maxaimethierry) February 18, 2022
Adrien Rabiot: 6/10
Adrien Rabiot was preferred ahead of Weston McKennie by Allegri. It worked well in the beginning, with the Frenchman forcing a save from Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. But his influence faded as the game progressed.
Paulo Dybala: 6/10
Paulo Dybala had a poor game, to say the least. He was not able to impose his dominance in the final third, often failing to break the shackles of the Torino defence that remained organised. It led to a tame display from the Argentine, who picked up a knock as well, forcing his substitution minutes after the restart.
Dusan Vlahovic: 6/10
The Torino defence did an exemplary job of taming Dusan Vlahovic. The Serb offered a physical presence in the final third, but it was not enough to cause any real danger. He was not afforded a single goalscoring opportunity, and it appears the youngster is slowly coming back to Earth after a dream start to life at Juventus.
Bremer with a sensational performance. Completely took Vlahovic out of the game
— Matteo Bonetti (@Bonetti) February 18, 2022
Alvaro Morata: 6.5/10
Alvaro Morata was arguably the most impressive Juventus attacker on the night, which is not a good sign at all for Allegri. Indeed, the former Real Madrid sensation offered very little penetration in the final third, but it was his link-up play with Vlahovic that was slightly promising.
SUBSTITUTES
Mattia De Sciglio: 6/10
Mattia De Sciglio was brought in for Pellegrini at half-time. The former AC Milan starlet offered more solidity on the flanks, but the offensive endeavour was missing.
Weston McKennie: 5.5/10
Weston McKennie replaced Dybala in the 51st minute, either due to injury or as a precaution. The American did not make much of an impact as Juventus rarely troubled the Torino defence in the second half.
Moise Kean: 5.5/10
Moise Kean replaced Vlahovic during the final phase of the game, with Allegri hoping the Italian’s introduction could add more energy and enthusiasm to the Juventus attack. But it was not to be.
Arthur Melo: 6.5/10
Arthur Melo offered more intensity and commitment after coming on for Locatelli. The Brazilian should have been introduced much earlier.
