Giorgio Chiellini ran the defensive masterclass at Camp Nou, as Tom Scholes rates the Juventus squad.
Gigi Buffon: 7
The veteran was rarely tested by the famous Barcelona front three, but Buffon was always there to save the day when needed. Given how this Juventus side have set up defensively during their run in the Champions League this season, you genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if Buffon didn’t concede another goal.
Alex Sandro: 6
Giorgio Chiellini ran the defensive masterclass at Camp Nou, as Tom Scholes rates the Juventus squad.
Gigi Buffon: 7
The veteran was rarely tested by the famous Barcelona front three, but Buffon was always there to save the day when needed. Given how this Juventus side have set up defensively during their run in the Champions League this season, you genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if Buffon didn’t concede another goal.
Alex Sandro: 6
Another solid performance from the Brazilian in Spain tonight, who managed to nullify the threat of Neymar practically all night. Much like the first leg, Sandro mixed his attacking duties and defensive responsibilities well, and has proven to be a huge player over the course of the two legs.
Leonardo Bonucci: 7
Another big game and another fantastic defensive performance from arguably the best defender in Europe. His positional play is unreal, and he is always there to cut out any danger and clear any second balls. I lost count of how many crosses Bonucci cut out, and he was a titan from the first whistle right up until the last.
Giorgio Chiellini: 9
What a performance from Giorgio Chiellini! Easily the Man of the Match, the 33-year-old was able to clear literally anything that came his way and showed how well he works alongside Bonucci in their telepathic partnership. Chiellini was the man to stop any Barcelona attacks this evening and showed everyone how good he really is. Clearance after clearance, tackle after tackle and header after header, Barcelona failed to work out how to beat the big Italian and to be honest, there was no getting past him tonight.
Dani Alves: 7
Alves was signed in the summer for nights like this, big European nights away to some of the biggest teams in the world where he can use his experience to guide his side through. Alves’ experience and knowhow in this kind of game was there for all to see tonight, as his performance was typical of that of a seasoned veteran who knew exactly what was needed against his former club.
Miralem Pjanic: 6
Not exactly the most vintage of Pjanic performances this season, but the role the Bosnian played this evening was still incredibly important. His technique and skill on the ball meant that the Juve defenders had an outlet right in front of them who could turn defence into attack almost in the blink of an eye. Sometimes Pjanic’s role in the side can be understated, but tonight he was a vital part to this Bianconeri machine.
Sami Khedira: 6
Similar to Pjanic, Khedira was hugely important to tonight’s performance, without being at his finest. The World Cup winner was really solid alongside Pjanic and remained quite robust against a Barcelona side who tried to bypass the midfield, but faltered early on. Again, it may not have been a vintage Khedira showing this evening, but nevertheless he did the job he needed to do.
Juan Cuadrado: 6
The Colombian proved to be a very useful attacking outlet at times tonight and was arguably Juve’s biggest threat going forward in the second half. His lack of end product at vital times could have proved costly for Juventus, but thankfully for Cuadrado, it didn’t. He was going straight for the throats of the Barcelona full-backs and at times had half of the pitch at his mercy, but whether it was due to a lack of support or poor decisions, Cuadrado never made his mark on the game.
Paulo Dybala: 6
A solid game for the little Argentine, whose performance in the first leg set this tie up perfectly for the Bianconeri. After being a doubt for the game with a slight ankle injury, Dybala and Higuain at times linked up quite well and could easily have had a goal too, but maybe on a different night Dybala would have been a Man of the Match candidate.
Mario Mandzukic: 6
The impact and role of Mario Mandzukic can sometime be forgotten. The Croatian is of course usually a striker, but he has become a huge part of Allegri’s plan out on the left wing, a role he has claimed for himself. Mandzukic’s tracking back and defensive performance meant that Barcelona could attack down that left-hand side at will and achieve very little, something that was key to Juve’s success.
Gonzalo Higuain: 5
Higuain gets a lot of criticism for his performances in big games, and tonight will only feed that reputation even more. The striker made some good runs at times during the first half, but snatched at some of his chances and failed to really get into the game at times in the second 45 minutes. He looked extremely tired in the last quarter of the game, and maybe that contributed to his lack of involvement.
Subs:
Andrea Barzagli N/A
Mario Lemina N/A
Kwadwo Asamoah N/A