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Juventus player ratings vs Napoli: Ronaldo was worth every penny

By John Vaccaro

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TURIN, ITALY - 2018/09/29: Mario Mandzukic (L) of Juventus FC celebrates with Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring a goal during the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and SSC Napoli. Juventus FC won 3-1 over SSC Napoli. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ALLIANZ STADIUM, TURIN, ITALY - 2018/09/29: Mario Mandzukic (L) of Juventus FC celebrates with Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring a goal during the Serie A football match between Juventus FC and SSC Napoli. Juventus FC won 3-1 over SSC Napoli. (Photo by Nicolò Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images) /
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TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 29: Mario Mandzukic of Juventus scores the goal of 1-1 during the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Tullio Puglia – Juventus/Juventus FC via Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 29: Mario Mandzukic of Juventus scores the goal of 1-1 during the Serie A match between Juventus and SSC Napoli at Allianz Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Tullio Puglia – Juventus/Juventus FC via Getty Images) /

CF: Paulo Dybala 6.5/10

Dybala played really well on Wednesday against Bologna, but was unable to follow that up in this match. It’s not entirely his fault. He has been struggling to fit so far this season and isn’t being used optimally in the formations with only one striker up front. It’s hard to blame Dybala for the fact that Allegri forced him into this match when Federico Bernardeschi would’ve fit better in the starting lineup, but I can blame him for the performances he give in these situations. He didn’t add much to the Juve attack and his biggest contribution was losing a ball that ended up with Ronaldo who turned it into a shot on target. Until Allegri can find a way to fit Dybala into a lineup that also includes Mandzukic and Ronaldo, he needs to be benched for these big matches.

ST: Cristiano Ronaldo 10/10

I won’t give many perfect scores over the course of the year, but this performance was certainly deserving of it. Cristiano Ronaldo was incredible for Juve in this match. He was directly responsible for all 3 Juve goals. His cross to Mandzukic for the first was perfect. He set up Mandzukic’s second by forcing the save from Ospina. His header gave Bonucci a chance he had no choice but to finish. With 3 goals and 4 assists now in Serie A, Ronaldo is quickly living up to his price tag after everybody freaked out at his slow start to the season. These are the types of performances Juve brought him in for and they’ll be hoping he continues to shine in the big moments.

ST: Mario Mandzukic 9.5/10

Mario Mandzukic once again delivered in a big moment for Juve. His endless effort has consistently paid off during his time at Juve and it was a difference maker against Napoli. He perfectly took advantage of the opportunities that Ronaldo created. Mandzukic and Ronaldo seem to have already built chemistry just 8 matches into the year. He is a player that has been overlooked at times during his Juve career, but he was impossible to miss against Napoli. Just a fantastic match for Mandzukic.

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