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Juventus put an end to their awful run of form in the Serie A, as they secured an easy 3-1 victory over Udinese at the Allianz Stadium. Maurizio Sarri opted to start the trident of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain for the very first time in this fixture and they proved influential for the hosts, as they recorded their first victory in three league outings.
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The reigning champions extended their unbeaten run at home to 28 games, thanks to a brilliant first-half performance. Ronaldo scored with his first two shots on the goal, breaking the deadlock in the ninth minute followed by another first-time finish in the 37th minute to double the scoreline. Defender Leonardo Bonucci added a third before the interval as the away side failed to deal with a corner, to give Juve an unassailable lead at half time.
It was a show of power by the hosts and it proved too much for the visitors who stood no chance against the pumped-up home team, who were eager to bounce back after a 3-1 drubbing at the hands Lazio last time around.
So, as the club went atop the Serie A table, at least temporarily, here is our roundup of the three reasons which led to a much-needed win for The Old Lady.
#1 Maurizio Sarri fields the lethal trident of Ronaldo, Higuain and Dybala
We got the first glimpse of the fearsome trio of Argentina and Portugal internationals in the second half of the Champions League fixture against Bayer Leverkusen. Both of the goals in that fixture were a result of some fine interplay between the trio and this synergy in the final third might've prompted Sarri to field Ronaldo, Dybala and Higuain together in tonight's fixture.
The players combined very well, especially in the first half with Dybala placed in the No.10 role just behind Ronaldo and Higuain in the two-striker system. They were heavily involved in testing the opposition defence in the first-half and were the reason for their two-goal advantage in under 37 minutes.
Dybala and Ronaldo combined for the first goal, while Higuain was the creator of the second goal for the former Real Madrid man. Though the trident worked well together, we can't assume this to be the norm for Sarri. It will be fascinating to see if they are all selected again for a trickier run of fixtures as the season progresses.
#2 Juventus' squad players shone in absence of regular starters
Though Juventus haven't been particularly plagued by injuries this season, key players like Giorgio Chiellini, Sami Khedira face long spells on the sidelines. First choice goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny also pulled out of the match at the last moment. Due to the absence of these stars and also because of the tight schedule before the winter break, Sarri fielded a squad with six changes from their outing in the Champions League.
These changes comprised of the inclusion of veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon between the sticks, a 21-year-old Merih Demiral in defence, while Rabiot and Betancur started in the centre of the park. All of the players performed their duties well, but it was defender Demiral who impressed the most in just his second game of the season.
He made a couple of crucial blocks in the second half when Udinese looked dangerous going forward, while also contributing to Bonnuci's third goal. Juventus possess impressive depth and quality in the squad, which might prove to be indispensable for Sarri as they look to compete on all fronts this season.
#3 Ronaldo rises to the occasion
Bianconeri dominated the first 45 minutes of the game and their best player in the first-half was none other their top scorer, Cristiano Ronaldo. They needed a win in the league after earning only a single point in their last two outings and boy did Ronaldo step up.
It was the 34-year-old's night, in which he found the back of the net two times with his first two attempts on goal, one with his right foot and the other with the left one, taking his tally for the season to nine goals. He has now scored five goals in last four appearances for the club.
Although Ronaldo isn't as quick as he used to be, he remains as lethal as ever in front of goal. Both of his goals came from first-touch finishes and that just goes to show us his effectiveness in the final third. Such was his determination to find the back of the net that he could've easily scored a hat-trick in the game, but he ran out of luck in the second half, as he saw one of his shots saved by Juan Musso, while the second one bounced off the post.
The Portuguese had a great game and managed a total of six shots, three of which were on target, completed one dribble and made 46 passes, with an impressive completion rate of 90%. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner hitting form is a great sign for the club, as Juve look to get their title challenge back on track.
