Juventus 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen: 5 Players who impressed/were poor | UEFA Champions League 2019-20
Juventus hosted Bayer Leverkusen in an encounter that effortlessly ended with three goals and three points for the Turin giants in UEFA Champions League.
With this win, Juventus have taken first position in the Group D standings, with Atletico Madrid in second place, thanks to goal difference. When the Italian and Spanish giants clashed in the first matchday, they had to share the spoils. However, the Bianconeri's win against Bayer puts them above Atleti, whose two-goal win against Lokomotiv Moscow now has them chasing the Turin giants.
The match was a one-sided affair for the hosts who gave the opposition defence a lot of trouble. Bayer, on the other hand, managed to finish the game without a single shot on target, leaving Wojciech Szczesny with barely any work.
Juventus' first goal came early in the 17th minute, courtesy of Jonathan Tah's head and Gonzalo Higuain's right foot. Juan Cuadrado sent a long ball towards Higuain, but Tah got there first with his head. However, the ball landed gracefully for Higuain, allowing the Argentinian to position himself with a great first touch and take a shot past Lukas Hradecky into the left-bottom corner of the goal.
61 minutes into the game, quick play by the two forwards Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo saw Federico Bernardeschi put his name on the scoresheet. Higuain laid the ball to Ronaldo on the left and ran into space in time to pick up the return pass. The Argentinian dashed past his marker and sent a low cross to the middle of the box where Ronaldo was rushing into, but the Portuguese missed his chance. However, the loose ball found Bernardeschi who was right behind Ronaldo, and the 25-year-old slotted in a one-time shot under the keeper's arms in the middle of the goal.
An 88th-minute goal by Cristiano Ronaldo - who had hounded the Bayer defence and deserved an award - was enough to put Juve in top spot above Atletico Madrid on goal difference.
A through-pass by Paulo Dybala through the legs of an unfortunate Sven Bender was all Ronaldo needed to run onto the ball and take a one-time shot beyond the keeper flailing reach and into the middle of the goal.
Without further ado, let's take a look at three players who impressed, and two players who played poorly:
#5 Juan Cuadrado was impressive for the Turin giants
The marauding right-back was a thorn in Bayer Leverkusen's defence, unofficially aiding Juventus with the first goal early on in the game. His creative and attacking acumen was strong, as he made two key passes, three dribbles, and was only dispossessed once.
In defence, Cuadrado was just as efficient. He made two tackles, three interceptions, and two clearances, ensuring that Bayer would not get a goal in from his flank.
The 31-year-old created a lot of trouble for the entire Bayer team, and he was fouled five times - higher than anyone else on the pitch - for his efforts.