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Although Juventus have not been at their greatest this season, they have still managed to maintain dominance over their counterparts in Serie A by securing all three points against Sampdoria to claim their ninth consecutive league title.
Sampdoria's mid-table obscurity allowed them to go into Sunday's fixture with nothing to lose, against a Bianconeri side that has seen a few shock defeats in recent weeks. Maurizio Sarri, however, will be glad that the Turin giants stepped up and mathematically ensured the title win.
The start of the first half saw a composed Blucerchiati team hold on to the ball and put pressure on a lacklustre Juventini side. Soon enough, however, Juventus found their rhythm, picked up the pace and started to maintain pressure on their opponents. They found it difficult to break down Sampdoria, so it took much of the first half and deep into injury time for Cristiano Ronaldo to finally open the scoring.
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It was a brilliantly taken free-kick, clearly practised on the training ground by Miralem Pjanic. 20 yards from goal with the chance for a perfect shot, the Bosnian opted to square the ball into the box instead. The quick pass found Ronaldo who directed a hard finish into the bottom corner of the goal, beyond Emil Audero's reach.
Right on the cusp of half time, Ronaldo's goal certainly would've improved Sarri's mood going into the changing rooms. It was an inspiring shot that immediately elevated Juventus and put them on course to being crowned champions of Serie A.
The second half saw Sampdoria's men drive forward for an opportunity to level the playing field but this strategy forward left gaps in the defence for Juventus to overcome easily. Problems were caused on both sides of the pitch but Claudio Ranieri's men looked unable to break down the Bianconeri's hardened defence.
The Blucerchiati's attacking commitment came back to bite them in the 67th minute as Juventus made their way to their second goal of the game. It was an incisive counter-attack spearheaded by Ronaldo, whose shot was saved but not dealt with properly. The rebound was caught quickly by substitute Federico Bernardeschi who slotted it home with relative ease.
Sampdoria certainly felt unlucky after that goal. Although they had played well, they were two goals down against a clinical Juventus side and were unable to find the answers to their problems in the final third.
Sampdoria midfielder Morten Thorsby later picked up his second yellow card after a clear foul on Pjanic and received his marching orders without arguments. Going one-man down didn't stop the visitors from surging ahead over and over again to find that elusive goal. However, it simply wasn't to be.
There were moments where Juventus could have stretched their lead even further but that didn't happen. Gonzalo Higuain missed a shot at an empty goal, Ronaldo's penalty hit the crossbar and Leonardo Bonucci's close chance was cleared off the line. However, all this was unlikely to have mattered as their work was already done. With two goals at home, they clinched their ninth consecutive Serie A title, which is a huge and unprecedented achievement.
Sampdoria, on the other hand, played quite well and can take their strong attacking ethic into their next few matches to ensure they finish the season on a good note.
Without further ado, here are the Juventus player ratings from their Serie A fixture against Sampdoria:
Juventus Player Ratings
Wojciech Szczesny - 8/10
Arguably one of the best players on the field on Sunday, Juventus' first-team goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny ensured that Sampdoria saw zero goals. He saved five shots, held down the fort and helped recycle possession accurately.
Danilo - N/A
Spending less than 30 minutes on the field, Danilo's injury saw him substituted for Federico Bernadeschi. He didn't have enough time to impact the game.
Leonardo Bonnuci - 7/10
While Leonardo Bonucci was competent in getting forward and nearly added to Juventus' tally with a sweet chance, he mainly helped his team recycle possession from the back and lifted accurate long balls forward for the attackers to work with.
Matthijs de Ligt - 6/10
Following Bonnuci's lead, the Matthijs de Ligt lifted balls over the top for the attackers to get to and helped to hold on to possession. The 20-year-old Dutchman actively held down the Juventus defensive line and played his part to ensure that Sampdoria did not score.
Alex Sandro - 8/10
Alex Sandro didn't get an assist or goal to his name but he certainly deserved one. The 29-year-old was competent in defence but that hardly stopped him from driving forward to the byline and wreaking havoc on the Sampdoria defence. A foul on Sandro led to Cristiano Ronaldo's missed penalty.
Miralem Pjanic - 7/10
While Miralem Pjanic didn't do much defensive work, he contributed greatly to creating and defining the rhythm of his team as he sourced out creative chances for the forward players. He capped off his performance with an assist from a smart free-kick play.
Blaise Matuidi - 5/10
Certainly, Blaise Matuidi could have put in a much better performance for Juventus on Sunday. Making only 37 passes in 90 minutes as a midfielder is quite surprising, especially in a case where your team pulled all the strings from the midfield. The 33-year-old also didn't do anything in attack but managed two tackles during the course of the game.
Adrien Rabiot - 7/10
Both Adrien Rabiot and Pjanic made up for Matuidi's dismal performance as they joined hands to put Juventus ahead. Rabiot hurtled forward and took his chances at goal and was also available in defence to constantly make interceptions.
Juan Cuadrado - 6/10
Juan Cuadrado loves to get forward constantly and got his chance to play in front with Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala on Sunday. However, Danilo's injury forced him into the right-back position once more. Although the former Chelsea man drove forward at times, he helped to recycle possession but did nothing of note.
Paulo Dybala - 6/10
Paulo Dybala was on the pitch for only 38 minutes before a muscle injury forced him to come off for Gonzalo Higuain. Though he didn't spend much time on the pitch, he linked well with Ronaldo and Cuadrado at the front.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 7/10
Juventus' star man Cristiano Ronaldo would be glad to have won the Serie A title and it is likely that he will be rested for the purpose of the upcoming Champions League matches. While he did score a powerful goal on the night, he failed to add to his tally from the spot.
Gonzalo Higuain - 6/10
Gonzalo Higuain certainly had a series of chances at goal but was unable to convert any. While he seemed rigid at times, the experienced striker also managed to miss a clear, easy chance. He linked well with his teammates and helped to spearhead Juventus' counter-attacking play.
Federico Bernardeschi - 7/10
Coming on for Danilo and switching places with Cuadrado, Federico Bernardeschi entered the game and flourished on the right wing. His rebound opportunity was well taken, and it set the tone for the rest of the game. While he could have done much more with his time on the pitch, Sarri will certainly be pleased with his contribution.
Daniel Rugani - N/A
Came on in the 77th minute but didn't do anything of note.
Rodrigo Betancur - N/A
Came on in the 77th minute but didn't do anything of note.
