Napoli
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Pepe Reina – 7/10
Reina didn’t do much wrong to concede two goals to a Juventus side which was tentative in the attack at its best. He made quite a few Neuer-esque clearances off his line to foil Juve’s attacking forays. Sadly, for both the goals conceded he couldn’t have done much to save them as both were the results of glaring defensive lapses.
Elseid Hysaj – 7/10
Napoli’s right back had a solid first half to keep Sandro and Chiellini in check. He really struggled against the dynamism and pace of Cuadrado yet he somehow hangs on to his defensive pride. It was a performance which was just enough to save the day.
Vlad Chiriches – 6/10
The Romanian captain had a serious lapse of concentration which led to Bonucci’s opening goal. He committed the fundamental crime of ball watching instead of keeping a tight leash on his man in a set-piece situation. For someone with his quality and experience, the expectations are much higher than his display in Turin tonight.
Kalidou Koulibaly – 7/10
He was rock-solid to keep a lethal duo of Higuain and Mandzukic quiet for almost 70 minutes. He looked at ease against his former teammate Higuain, who had difficulty in dealing with him. Nonetheless, it was a day where fortune didn’t favor his team but surely was on his side.
Faouzi Ghoulam – 5/10
It was a nightmare in Turin for the Napoli’s left back. The Algerian defender was taken to the cleaners by Juve’s deadly duo of Mandzukic and Higuain who switched their positions frequently. And he was the major guilty party in orchestrating Higuain’s second goal. Awful positioning coupled with abstract marking will be Ghoulam’s 90 minute summary in Turin.
Marques Allan – 7/10
Allan was very effusive in the first half where he along with Hamsik ran the Juve midfield ragged with some intense pressing and quick passing. He lacked energy at times in the second half to sustain his crazy pressing and was rightly substituted. The complexion of the tie would have been a bit different if he had lasted the entire match at full strength.
Amadou Diawara – 8/10
The teenage midfield prodigy showed us why he is one of the most highly rated youngsters in Europe. He was the perfect shield to Napoli’s defense with his tenacity and strong tackling. His ability to win the ball quickly gave Napoli’s ferocious midfield a strong plinth to harass their Bianconneri counterparts.
Marek Hamsik – 7.5/10
The Gli Azzurri captain had a sizzling first half as he effortlessly ran the show in midfield. He was pivotal in Napoli’s slick and dizzying passing which troubled the hosts for large swathes of the game. Sadly he couldn’t match up to the Juve’s revamped midfield in the last quarter of the game. It was an inspiring performance by the Slovakian midfield dynamo.
Jose Callejon – 8/10
He was by far the best player for the visitors in the Juventus stadium and he deservedly scored Napoli’s only goal of the game. His slippery movement, ability to run at the defenders almost at will and a pure striker’s instincts gave Napoli that cutting edge in absence of Milik. If his other attacking counterparts had stepped up then it would’ve been a tad too much even for this Juventus defence to handle. It was a sharp display by the Spaniard against the best team in the league.
Dries Mertens – 6/10
He looked lost against the burly presence of Juve’s three centre-backs. The Belgian who deployed in the central role in a front three lacked physical as well as the tactical presence to lead an attacking line comprising of two fluid inverted wingers. He failed miserably in filling Milik’s goalscoring shoes.
Lorenzo Insigne – 6/10
The Neapolitan winger was at his erratic best as he washed all his hard work off with his flimsy passing. He gave Lichsteiner and Barzagli a run for their money with his sly movement but his miserable end product made all his lethal movement and guile benign. He was non-existent in the second half.
Substitutes
Emanuele Giaccherini – 6/10
The most memorable part of his time on the field was the rousing reception he received from the home fans. It was a quiet performance by the former Juventus man who had dazzled the very ground with his skills.
Piotr Zielinski – 6/10
Post his arrival; Allegri’s boys had snatched the control of the game from Napoli. And he barely did anything to stem the rotting tide.
Omar El Kaddouri – 6/10
Another Napoli substitute who got lost in the melee. The Moroccan midfielder couldn’t match up to a patched up Juventus midfield in the final ten minutes of the game.
