Juventus player ratings vs Atletico Madrid: Magic from Sandro and Cuadrado not enough

LB: Alex Sandro 7.5/10

This match was the tale of two halves of the field for Alex Sandro. He played an absolutely beautiful cross to Blaise Matuidi for Juve’s second goal, but he wasn’t quite so spectacular on the opposite end. He allowed Atletico to have way too much space on the right wing throughout the match. Remember when Juve fans spent months saying they didn’t want Kieran Trippier to replace Joao Cancelo? Well Trippier did whatever he wanted for most of this match. If it weren’t for great performances from Matthijs de Ligt and Leonardo Bonucci, Juve would have paid a steep price for the constant stream of crosses Sandro allowed.

CB: Leonardo Bonucci 8/10

This might be the most impressed I have been with Leonardo Bonucci since he returned to Juventus last year. Throughout last season he was a defensive liability, especially in big matches like this. Against Atletico, Bonucci was the most reliable we have seen him over the last couple of seasons. He stayed composed as Juve’s penalty area was bombarded with crosses from Atletico and kept the defense organized. His composure helped Juve keep Atletico’s attack bay for as long as they did and he was more of a leader than in any match where he was given the captain’s armband. I hope this version of Bonucci is here to stay.

CB: Matthijs de Ligt 8.5/10

This match was everything that Juventus signed Matthijs de Ligt for. He faced a seemingly endless stream of crosses throughout the match and stood tall in the middle of the defense time after time. He cleared out quite a few dangerous chances from Atletico, but unfortunately other players allowed a couple of goals to slip past them late in the match. This performance should definitively put any worries from the Napoli match behind de Ligt. This was just a glimpse at what de Ligt can provide for Juve and if he continues to play like this then his massive transfer fee was a steal.

RB: Danilo 6/10

I bet Kieran Trippier is looking much more appealing to Juve fans right now. While Trippier was tearing up the left side of Juve’s defense, Danilo wasn’t able to do much of anything for Juve. Danilo was just as guilty of allowing Atletico way too much space on the wing as Alex Sandro was, but he didn’t have an assist to rescue his day like Sandro did. The more I see Danilo play the more convinced I become that Mattia De Sciglio will actually be Juve’s first choice starter at right back whenever he is healthy.