Juventus 3-2 Genoa: Bianconeri player ratings as wasteful hosts survive upset | Coppa Italia 2020-21
Juventus launched their Coppa Italia campaign when they hosted Serie A strugglers Genoa at the Allianz Stadium on Wednesday night.
Both sides entered this fixture after securing wins in the weekend, as Juventus defeated 10-man Sassuolo 3-1, while Genoa beat Bologna 2-0 on home turf.
Juventus won four Coppa Italia titles in a row between 2015 and 2018, but since then, the Serie A champions have failed to taste success at the tournament.
Juventus begin their campaign aiming to make up for their 2019-20 Coppa Italia woes, where they lost in the tournament's finals to rival Napoli.
Tunisian forward Hamza Rafia scored a debut goal in the 104th minute to seal Juventus’ place in the quarter-finals after Genoa looked set to cause an upset at the Allianz Stadium.
Juventus could not have asked for a better start to the tie as central defender Chiellini roamed deep into the Genoa half. He threaded a defense-splitting pass to Kulusevski, who found the back of the net in the first minute.
Juventus continued to mount the pressure in attack, and after a series of missed chances, Alvaro Morata grabbed the host’s second of the night.
Kulusevski was once again involved in the Juve goal as he volleyed a one-time pass to Morata, who ran into the Genoa box before smashing his effort in the bottom corner.
The visitors were gifted a way back into the game when Lennart Czyborra scored a diving header from Goldaniga's whipped cross while he was unmarked by the Juventus defense.
Kulusevski missed a glorious chance to restore Juventus' two-goal advantage in the 31st minute. Ghiglione's poor clearance found the 20-year-old whose fiercely struck effort was pushed away by the Genoa shot-stopper.
Andrea Pirlo's men returned to the locker room at half time with a slender 2-1 lead after a series of wasted chances. Genoa's head coach would've been encouraged by his side's spirited performance.
In an exhilarating second half, Juventus would see Arthur and Manolo Portanova's goals disallowed for offside as the Bianconeri continued to mount pressure in attack.
However, the hosts failed to make their chances pay, and in the 74th minute, Davide Ballardini's men restored parity. Melegoni curled a sweetly-struck right-footed shot past Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
An 80th-minute introduction of word-class forward Cristiano Ronaldo did not make a difference for the Bianconeri, who were forced to an extra-time showdown by Genoa.
Juventus finally breathe a sigh of relief in the first half of extra-time, when debutant Hamza Rafia struck past Genoa goalkeeper Paleari in the 104th minute.
Juventus player ratings vs. Genoa
Gianluigi Buffon - 6/10
The veteran goalkeeper was undisturbed between the sticks, but there was little to nothing he could have done about Genoa’s two goals.
Giorgio Chiellini - 7/10
A classy display from the 36-year-old, who showed his abilities on both ends of the pitch. He created the assist for Juventus’ opener with a brilliant pass to Kulusevski.
Merih Demiral - 6.5/10
Merih Demiral put in a solid defensive display once again, to back his stellar weekend performance against Sassuolo. The 23-year-old has been impressive of late, as he looks to force his way into Andrea Pirlo’s plans.
Radu Dragusin - 6.5/10
Despite playing out of position on the right side of a back three, the Juventus youngster performed superbly, as he rewarded Andrea Pirlo’s decision to include him in the starting XI.
Rodrigo Bentancur - 5
Another disappointing performance from the Uruguay international. Bentancur was hooked off at halftime again after failing to make an impact in the Juventus midfield. The 23-year-old will aim to bring an end to his run of poor performances.
Arthur Melo - 6.5
Arthur Melo gradually grew into the game, winning tackles and contributing to the Bianconeri’s attack. The Brazilian will have to wait for his first goal in a Juventus jersey, however. His second-half strike was ruled out as Alvaro Morata had strayed offside.
Federico Bernardeschi - 6.5
Federico Bernardeschi put in an industrious contribution on the left side of the Juventus midfield. The Italian, however, failed to get on the scoresheet after missing a glorious chance in the first half.
Wesley - 6
It was a shaky performance from the 20-year-old, who was making his debut for the Old Lady. While the Brazilian showed flashes of his attacking prowess, he was largely lacking in his defensive contributions.
Manolo Portanova - 6.5
Portanova was handed his third appearance in a Juventus shirt. The 20-year-old forward was decent in his 77 minutes on the pitch, before making way for Hamza Rafia.
Dejan Kulusevski - 7.5
Dejan Kulusevski was simply a joy to watch in the first half as he finished with one goal and an assist. The 20-year-old scored the opener in the first minute of the game, before assisting Morata with a fine volley 22 minutes later.
The Sweden international should have grabbed his second of the night late in the first half, but he failed to find the target.
Alvaro Morata - 8
Alvaro Morata was one of the best players on the pitch for Juventus. The ex-Atletico Madrid striker finished with one goal and an assist, while also creating two big chances for the hosts.
Substitutes
Adrien Rabiot - 5.5
Rabiot replaced Bentancur at half time but failed to find his feet in the game. The French international lost possession on eight different occasions, while failing to complete a dribble in two attempts.
Leonardo Bonucci - 6.5
Bonucci replaces Chiellini in the 65th minute and would put on a vintage performance for the Bianconeri. He finished with one interception, three clearances, and one aerial duel won.
Danilo - 6
It was a fine performance from the Brazilian full-back, who came off the bench to make one tackle, two ground duels won, two clearances, one blocked shot, and one aerial duel.
Hamza Rafia - 8
Hamza Rafia was Juventus’ hero of the game. The Tunisian, who was making his Juve debut, scored the game-winning goal in the 104th-minute to book Juventus place in the quarter-finals.
Rafia was sensational after coming on in the 77th minute, as he finished with one goal, three successful dribbles, five ground duels won, and one tackle.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 7
The Portuguese international failed to score a goal, however he play a crucial role in setting up Juventus' 3rd goal and linked up well with Alvaro Morata for the short time he was on the pitch