Juventus player ratings vs Atletico Madrid: Paulo Dybala’s unreal free kick wins Group D

We got a rare treat from Juventus on Tuesday.

For the first time since October 1st, their match-winning goal came in the first half of a match. It was an absolute wonder goal that sank Atletico Madrid in the first half this match.

We saw a different Juve in this match than the one we had seen in recent matches. They got out to a faster start than they had over the last month (something I felt they needed to do to win this match). They didn’t have any major lapses on the defensive end or moments where their play completely stagnated and allowed the opponent to take over the match. Instead, they played strong throughout the match and made sure the winner was never in doubt.

It still took them until first half stoppage time to get that goal. It was a Paulo Dybala free kick from a seemingly impossible angle that beat Jan Oblak 2 minutes into stoppage time. That was all the scoring we’d see from either side as Dybala delivered another win and a 1st place finish in Group D for Juventus.

GK: Wojciech Szczesny 7/10

Wojciech Szczesny must be a little bit relieved after this match. With the way Juve had been playing over the last few weeks, he had to be expecting to be busier against a strong squad like Atletico. Instead, he faced only 2 shots and dealt well with both of them. It was probably a refreshing break from the heavy workload he had been facing. Szczesny continues to be extremely reliable for Juve.