A double by Alvaro Morata helped Juventus beat Sampdoria 3-1 on Saturday to continue their unbeaten run in the Serie A.
Sampdoria got off to a better start than the visitors, with Daniele Rugani rescuing Wojciech Szczesny’s blushes by preventing a goal around the 20-minute mark. However, Maya Yoshida’s own goal and Alvaro Morata’s wonderfully struck penalty helped the Bianconeri breeze into a 2-0 first-half lead, with Sampdoria proving light work for their clinical visitors.
However, the home side started the second half superbly and created chances, most notably winning a penalty after Adrien Rabiot’s handball. But goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny pulled off a stunning stop to deny Candreva from the spot.
Sampdoria were determined not to make it easy for the visitors and got rewarded for their proactive play when substitute Abdelhamid Sabiri’s deflected free-kick pulled one back for the Blucerchiati. The momentary panic caused by Sabiri’s goal subsided soon after thanks to Morata, who arrived late at the back post to head home and put the game to bed.
The victory reignited Juventus’s faint hopes of winning the Scudetto and continued their unbeaten run in the Serie A, which now stands at 15 games. Meanwhile, Sampdoria are struggling to distance themselves from the drop zone as they find themselves precariously placed in 16th in the league table.
Juventus after the 34th minute vs Sampdoria:
– 2 goals
– 1 shot on target which was a PK goalClassic Allegri ball ?? pic.twitter.com/vyy5FuXMAs
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) March 12, 2022
Wojciech Szczesny: 7.5/10
The Juventus goalkeeper got himself into the history books by saving his third penalty kick in a row in the Serie A. Apart from denying Candreva from the spot midway through the second half to preserve Juventus’ two-goal lead, the Polish international also made some very good saves on the night from Candreva and Sensi, in particular.
Danilo: 6/10
Danilo’s 100th appearance for Juventus was a fairly comfortable one against Sampdoria. The Brazilian put forth a solid albeit unspectacular performance. He did not make many forays forward, but was good defensively. Giovinco’s shot was intercepted by a fantastic sliding tackle from Danilo.
Daniele Rugani: 7/10
In the absence of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, Rugani has stepped up and taken the leadership role at the back. He put in a good shift and kept things tight by marshalling the backline. He defended the box admirably and defended Candreva’s dangerous set-pieces well, while also keeping Quagliarella at bay throughout. He made a whopping match-high 11 clearances and won 3 aerial duels – more than anyone on the pitch.
Matthijs de Ligt: 6.5/10
The Dutch centre-back was very solid defensively, making some good blocks and tackles. But against Sampdoria’s ageing front duo, he was never going to struggle. As always, the former Ajax captain was dominant in the air and cut off all the long balls to Caputo. He also constantly stepped up to make vital clearances.
Luca Pellegrini: 6/10
The young full-back was full of life down the left and was good on the ball. Pellegrini carried the ball effectively, and produced a couple of solid passes. He also helped out his defenders at the back and was able to reduce Candreva’s danger. That said, he provided nothing in terms of offensive productivity, with Sampdoria defenders brushing him off with power.
Juan Cuadrado: 7/10
The Colombian winger put on another energetic performance, running up and down the pitch, helping in both attack and defence. Just a fortnight after he forced Fiorentina’s Lorenzo Venuti to an own-goal with a teasing cross, Cuadrado once again prompted an own-goal courtesy of a powerful delivery towards the Samp goal, which Yoshida turned in.
The 33-year-old showed great industry and was dangerous when cutting in from the right-wing. He was also a handy outlet for Juve’s counter-attacks.
Arthur Melo: 8/10
The Brazilian midfielder was the engine in the middle of the park for Juve as he kept the ball and dribbled out of closed spaces to create chances. He was tenacious, made some timely defensive interventions, and also contained a tricky opponent in Sensi. He also picked out Kean with a great long ball that led to the penalty.
Arthur ran the show with his passing and attempted 80 passes at 95% accuracy, while he also completed all 10 of his attempted long balls.
Manuel Locatelli: 8/10
The UEFA Euro 2020 winner put on a dominant performance in the centre of the pitch against Sampdoria. He was confident and precise with his passes, and he safeguarded the backline with his strong defensive actions. He made some slick passes on the night and eventually found Morata with a fantastic cross at a crucial moment to kill the game off.
Adrien Rabiot: 6/10
While he gave away an unfortunate penalty kick with an outstretched arm, it was another average performance from the Frenchman. He did make some enterprising runs inside the opposition box, but his first touch always let him down. He also received a booking for a needless challenge.
Alvaro Morata: 9/10
Another impressive showing from Morata, who was lively from start to finish. The Spaniard repeatedly dropped back and brought others into play, while he picked out some great positions with his incisive moments.
?? Alvaro Morata in his last three Serie A games for Juventus:
⚽️⚽️ vs Sampdoria
⚽️ vs Spezia
?️ vs EmploliHe’s inform. #SampJuve #Juve pic.twitter.com/lYaGQPRNM6
— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) March 12, 2022
The Spaniard had an involvement in all three goals; he first picked out Cuadrado with a nice pass in the build to the first goal, then scored the penalty that Juventus won, before capping off a fine display with a clinical header from a tight angle, which effectively sealed the tie.
Moise Kean: 7/10
It was a much better performance from Kean, who won a penalty and was also involved in the opener. It was his layoff that sparked the counter-attack for Yoshida’s own goal. He tried to make things happen and caused Sampdoria defenders all sorts of problems with his explosiveness, constant running and turn of pace, while he also supported Morata well before being subbed off for Vlahovic.
Substitutes
Dusan Vlahovic: 5/10
Vlahovic had a couple of chances to score after coming on near the hour mark, but he could not convert and was undecisive up top. The Serb also created a big opportunity for himself using his strength, but had an overall ordinary display.
Alex Sandro: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
Mattia De Sciglio: N/A
Did not play enough to warrant a rating.
