Dusan Vlahovic was once again the hero for Juventus against Empoli, as the Bianconeri took a giant step towards UEFA Champions League qualification.
January signing Dusan Vlahovic continued his purple patch as Juventus won 3-2 against Empoli in their Serie A fixture at the Carlo Castellani Stadium on Saturday.
In a week when both Milan clubs dropped points, Juventus have not just strengthened their hold on the fourth spot, but are also just seven points off the top. It represents an impressive turnaround for a side that has struggled to get going all season.
The Bianconeri got off to an excellent start as Moise Kean handed them the lead in the 32nd minute. Szymon Zurkowski equalised for the home side in the 39th minute, before Vlahovic restored Juventus’s lead in first-half stoppage time. The Serbian scored his second of the night in the 66th minute, giving Juventus breathing space.
Andrea La Mantia gave Empoli late hope with his 76th-minute strike, but the Old Lady held on to secure all three points on the night. Juventus now have 50 points with 11 games left to play. Atalanta have two games in hand and currently trail the Turin giants by six points. While they could yet draw level, Juventus’s win will increase the pressure on La Dea, their closest rivals for the fourth Champions League spot.
???????'? ?????? ???? ???????? ✅#EmpoliJuve #ForzaJuve pic.twitter.com/jpaW0kWOf0
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) February 26, 2022
With a favourable set of games to come, Massimiliano Allegri’s side could go on a run that could guarantee them a seat at Europe’s top table. With several players set to return from injury, Juventus could be set for a strong finish to the season. The Hard Tackle looks at how the Bianconeri players fared on the night.
Wojciech Szczesny: 5/10
The Polish international could do little about Empoli’s equaliser, but was beaten far too easily at the near post for the home side’s second. Thankfully, the Bianconeri saw out the game to secure all three points.
Danilo: 5/10
In recent weeks, the Brazilian international has impressed, but he was off the pace against Empoli. He failed to clear the ball effectively in the build-up to Empoli’s first goal and was unable to do much going forward. Juventus will need him to step up in the games to come.
Leonardo Bonucci: 6/10
The veteran brought calmness to the backline and was largely available to snuff out the opposition attack when needed. There was little he could do about either goal, but helped the side close out the game at the end.
Matthijs de Ligt: 6/10
The Dutchman continued his fine spell of form and was a rock at the back. There were a few shaky moments, but he recovered well to snuff out several attacks.
No time to think! Let’s get ready for Coppa Italia. Forza, Juve! ⚪⚫ pic.twitter.com/54LjMYO1il
— Matthijs de Ligt (@mdeligt_04) February 26, 2022
Luca Pellegrini: 6/10
The Italian left-back was defensively solid and kept the Empoli flank quiet on the night. He also got forward when he could and did well to play through Adrien Rabiot in the lead up to Juventus’s opener.
Juan Cuadrado: 6/10
The Colombian international was not afraid to put in the hard work and ran himself into the ground. However, he lacked the cutting edge in the final third and saw several opportunities go begging. Cuadrado did, however, grab an assist for Vlahovic’s opening goal.
Denis Zakaria: 6/10
The Swiss international did well to recycle the ball and almost gave the visitors the lead after being played in by Vlahovic. Unfortunately, he had to be taken off in the first half due to an injury. Zakaria is proving to be an inspired signing for Juventus.
Initial reports suggest Juventus will lose Denis Zakaria for at least two weeks to a muscular injury, meaning there are nine players out of action going into the Coppa Italia semi-final with Fiorentina https://t.co/Bl8RVd9PLi #Juventus #Fiorentina #SerieA #CoppaItalia
— footballitalia (@footballitalia) February 26, 2022
Arthur Melo: 7/10
The Brazilian put in one of his better performances in the white and black jersey. He occupied the deep role and played a key part in setting up his side’s second and third goals. More of the same would be a welcome addition to Juventus, who continue to display an acute lack of imagination at times.
Adrien Rabiot: 6/10
The Frenchman put in a much better performance than the one he showcased against Villarreal earlier in the week. Rabiot looked much sharper on the night and played key roles in Moise Kean’s opener and Vlahovic’s second strike of the night.
Dusan Vlahovic: 9/10
The Serbian international has proven to be an inspired signing and continues to bail Juventus out repeatedly. He was involved in anything good that Juventus did going forward and kickstarted the move that led to Kean’s opening strike. He showed excellent composure to score his brace and has a key role for the club in the months to come. Vlahovic appears to be the reliable scorer the Turin giants were keen on adding to their ranks.
2 – Dusan #Vlahovic has just become the second player in the #SerieA history to have scored for two different teams against #Empoli in a single campaign, after Krzysztof Piatek in 2018/19 (Genoa and AC Milan). Decided. pic.twitter.com/bGguXMoVZ4
— OptaPaolo ? (@OptaPaolo) February 26, 2022
Moise Kean: 7/10
The youngster looked up for the match and put in a performance that was significantly better than his recent showings. Kean will be glad to have ended his goal drought and will hope to play a bigger role in the games to come.
SUBSTITUTES
Manuel Locatelli: 6/10
He replaced Zakaria in the first half and put in an excellent performance on the night, playing as a box to box midfielder.
Alvaro Morata: 6/10
He came on in the second half and was involved in feeding Vlahovic for his second goal. Quiet, but impactful.
