Who made the difference against Monaco to secure a spot in the Champions League Final? Football Italia rates the Bianconeri.
Words: Tom Scholes
Gianluigi Buffon: 7
A safe night for the legendary goalkeeper, who had little to do, yet still had to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Some saves across the 90 minutes kept Buffon busy at times, but overall it was a comfortable night for the captain.
Dani Alves: 9
Who made the difference against Monaco to secure a spot in the Champions League Final? Football Italia rates the Bianconeri.
Words: Tom Scholes
Gianluigi Buffon: 7
A safe night for the legendary goalkeeper, who had little to do, yet still had to pick the ball out of the back of the net. Some saves across the 90 minutes kept Buffon busy at times, but overall it was a comfortable night for the captain.
Dani Alves: 9
What a performance from undoubtedly the Man of the Match! Tonight’s performance prompted talk about whether Alves is the best right-back of all time, and whilst that may be something to discuss at a later date, he’s certainly in the conversation. His wing play was a constant threat for Juve and he thoroughly deserved his goal, especially one as magnificent as that.
Leonardo Bonucci: 7
As a unit, Juve were solid (as per usual), yet they will all be disappointed that they weren’t able to keep another clean sheet against the deadliest attack in Europe. Bonucci was his usual solid safe in the back three, and he was able to keep some of the Monaco players at bay, despite the late Mbappe consolation.
Giorgio Chiellini: 7
Much like Bonucci, Chiellini was very safe tonight and was occasionally seen marauding forward at times. If anything, these two legs assured the world that there is no better defensive unit in the world than this at Juventus.
Andrea Barzagli: 7
What more can be said about a 36-year-old who can still perform so well at such a high level? It’s something that is testament to the work-ethic and skill level of Barzagli, who was superb once again, and looks like he could keep playing for years to come.
Alex Sandro: 7
Much like Dani Alves on the opposite flank, Sandro offered a good outlet on the left-hand side and was a constant threat for the majority of the evening. His energy and skill on the ball constantly kept Monaco on their toes tonight, and even though he almost flew under the radar this evening, no one can doubt the quality the Brazilian has.
Miralem Pjanic: 8
The orchestrator of this side, Miralem Pjanic is probably the most underrated midfielder in world football. He makes this team tick, he makes this team flow and he allows those in front of him flourish. Not many people can read a game like Pjanic can, but he can see runs before the forwards have even made them.
Sami Khedira: N/A
Unfortunately for Khedira, he was hauled off with a slight injury early on in the game.
Mario Mandzukic: 8
People have been asking where exactly does Mario Mandzukic play, because throughout the 90 minutes he can pop up anywhere at any time, much like he did tonight. When he saw Dani Alves get on the ball, Mandzukic made a darting run into the back post area to fire Juve into the lead, and that first goal summed up Mandzukic. He just kept attacking the Monaco back line all night and his goal was a reward for all his hard work.
Paulo Dybala: 7
The little magician was very fluid this evening, and whilst he didn’t get on the score sheet, he was still effective going forward. His movement allowed others to get into areas and when he dropped deep to get the ball, he was always able to find a teammate. It may not have been a glamorous performance like the first leg against Barcelona, but Dybala still played an important role to the victory.
Higuain will more than likely be remembered for nearly killing Kamil Glik after being stamped on by the former Torino man. A few missed chances will be the bane of Higuain, but his movement and link up play with Mandzukic was superb at times, and whilst he could have and should have scored at least once tonight, he was still huge to Juve tonight.
Subs:
Claudio Marchisio: 6
After making an early entrance for the injured Khedira, Marchisio teamed up very well with fellow central midfielder Pjanic, who held the midfield line well. His experience and knowhow in the middle of the park meant that the two in the middle dictated the game.
Juan Cuadrado: 6
After being dropped following his poor performance against Torino at the weekend, Cuadrado nearly scored with his first touch of his game. He provided a late outlet at times to run at the weary Monaco legs, and he did his job well.
Mehdi Benatia: N/A