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Juventus player ratings vs Valencia: Juve overcomes Ronaldo red card

By John Vaccaro

19th September 2018, Mestalla, Valencia, Spain; UEFA Champions League football, Valencia versus Juventus; Miralem Pjanic of Juventus Turin scores for 1-0 from a penalty kick in the 43rd minute (photo by Pedro Salado/Action Plus via Getty Images)
19th September 2018, Mestalla, Valencia, Spain; UEFA Champions League football, Valencia versus Juventus; Miralem Pjanic of Juventus Turin scores for 1-0 from a penalty kick in the 43rd minute (photo by Pedro Salado/Action Plus via Getty Images) /
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VALENCIA, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 19: Jose Luis Gaya of Valencia competes for the ball with Joao Cancelo of Juventus during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Valencia and Juventus at Estadio Mestalla on September 19, 2018 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images)
VALENCIA, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 19: Jose Luis Gaya of Valencia competes for the ball with Joao Cancelo of Juventus during the Group H match of the UEFA Champions League between Valencia and Juventus at Estadio Mestalla on September 19, 2018 in Valencia, Spain. (Photo by Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images) /

LB: Alex Sandro 7/10

The match against Valencia was a masterclass by Juve’s defense and Sandro was a big part of that. He combined well with Ronaldo before the red card and provided 6 crosses and 1 key pass. Once Juve had the lead he became more focused on the defensive effort and was part of a back line that didn’t allow Valencia any freedom. It wasn’t anything memorable, but it was still a good performance from Sandro.

CB: Leonardo Bonucci 7.5/10

This was a good start to Bonucci’s redemption story. During the match against Valencia it looked as though his pairing with Giorgio Chiellini had never been separated. They absolutely shut down Valencia’s strikers for the majority of the match. Michi Batshuayi, Rodrigo, and Kevin Gameiro never looked even remotely threatening over the course of the match. Bonucci played a big part in that. He also completed an incredible 97% of his passes. If he continues to perform this way in the Champions League then Juve fans may forgive him sooner than later.

CB: Giorgio Chiellini 8/10

Much like the rest of defense, Giorgio Chiellini was fantastic against Valencia. He had an impressive 10 clearances and blocked 4 shots while making a tackle and 2 interceptions. He was an integral part of Juve’s defensive performance. However, as the captain his most important contribution was keeping the squad organized. When Ronaldo was sent off Juve never lost a step and Chiellini’s leadership was a big part of that. Juventus really couldn’t have asked for a better captain in this situation.

RB: Joao Cancelo 9/10

I’m running out of nice things to say about Joao Cancelo. He has gotten more and more impressive with each match he’s played for Juve. The match against Valencia was no exception. He didn’t have his normal impact on the attack, but he was phenomenal defensively. He completely neutralized Gonzalo Guedes and Jose Gaya, preventing two of Valencia’s best players from having any impact on the match. His 3 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 2 clearances were instrumental in keeping Valencia from even getting a whiff of goal. Cancelo continues to prove he was worth the 40 million euros Juve paid for him.

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