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Cristiano Ronaldo scored two late goals to help deposed champions Juventus claim a 2-1 win over Udinese in a 2020-21 Serie A game on Sunday.
With Atalanta and Napoli failing to win their respective matches earlier in the day, Juventus were presented with a huge chance to strengthen their position in the top four. But it was Udinese who drew first blood barely ten minutes into the game when Nahuel Molina opened the scoring.
In-form midfielder Rodrigo De Paul pounced on a lapse in concentration from the Juventus defence as he sent his quickly-taken free-kick into the path of Molina, who made no mistake.
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With Juventus failing to get a grip on the game, the hosts held on to their one-goal lead heading into the half-time break.
Juventus dominated proceedings in the second half too, but Udinese held firm. The likes of Alvaro Morata and Dejan Kulusevski were thrown into the mix by Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo, but the Old Lady struggled to find the target.
With Juventus heading for their sixth defeat of the season, star man Cristiano Ronaldo singlehandedly led Juventus’ comeback.
He levelled the scores from the penalty spot in the 83rd minute. Juventus then completed the comeback, thanks to a characteristically headed goal from Ronaldo, who neatly scored off a cross from substitute Adrien Rabiot.
The result sees Juventus keep their hopes of a top-four finish alive as they move into third place, level on points with Atalanta and AC Milan. On that note, let's take a look at the Juventus player ratings from the game:
Wojciech Szczesny 5/10
The Juventus goalkeeper was let down by a lapse in concentration from his defenders that led to the opening goal. Wojciech Szczesny got a touch on the ball on its way in and probably should have done better with the save, though.
Danilo 6/10
The Brazilian full-back was impressive with his defensive duties all game but struggled to hit his stride offensively. Danilo finished the game with four tackles, three interceptions and two clearances.
Matthijs de Ligt 5.5/10
With Udinese sitting deep to defend their slender lead, the Juventus centre-backs were largely undisturbed. Matthijs De Ligt had no real trouble defensively and was useful in playing the ball out from the back.
Leonardo Bonucci 6/10
The Juventus captain was imposing at the defensive end of the pitch. Leonardo Bonucci was visibly frustrated by Juventus' lapse in concentration leading to the hosts’ opener. He ensured the Bianconeri were still in the game by limiting the attacking threat of Udinese.
Alex Sandro 6/10
It was a solid outing from the Juventus left-back. Sandro continued his string of impressive outings as he was a constant threat down the right side of the Udinese defence. He marauded forward in attack and was also diligent in his defensive duties.
Juan Cuadrado 5.5/10
The Juventus man put on an industrious performance. He was solid at both ends of the pitch, stopping Udinese's counters and whipping in dangerous crosses in attack. He came close to grabbing an assist when he drilled in a pinpoint corner-kick into the path of Weston McKennie, but the chance went begging.
Weston McKennie 6/10
The American international came close to scoring in the first half, but he failed to keep his header on target from six yards out. Otherwise, he was solid all game, chasing loose balls and linking up the defence and attack on several occasions.
Rodrigo Bentancur 5/10
The Juventus midfielder struggled to make an impact in the game. The Uruguayan was sloppy in possession and often failed to release the final telling pass. He often killed off Juventus attacks by holding onto the ball for too long.
Federico Bernardeschi 5/10
Federico Bernardeschi once again filled in for the injured Federico Chiesa. However, he had an underwhelming outing and failed to make his mark on the game. He struggled in midfield, as he was far too easily out-muscled and outplayed by Udinese.
Paulo Dybala 5.5/10
After a tame effort on goal in the first half, Paulo Dybala made no impact during his time on the pitch. The Argentine forward struggled to link up with Cristiano Ronaldo in the final third and failed to threaten Udinese. He was unsurprisingly taken off in the second half.
Cristiano Ronaldo 8/10
It was a tale of two halves from the Juventus superstar, who failed to make a telling contribution in the first half. However, Cristiano Ronaldo produced a world-class performance in the second half, as he scored two late goals to help salvage a win for Juventus.
Player ratings of Juventus substitutes
Dejan Kulusevski 5/10
The Sweden international had a decent outing after coming on for the struggling Bernardeschi. Dejan Kulusevski linked up well with his frontmen and also occasionally supported his defence.
Alvaro Morata 5/10
The Spanish striker was sent on by Andrea Pirlo to inject more life into the Juventus attack. He failed to find the target but expertly played his role to see out his team's comeback victory.
Adrien Rabiot 6.5/10
Adrien Rabiot had an immediate impact off the bench for Juventus. The French midfielder created the winner as he found Cristiano Ronaldo with a pinpoint cross.
Felix Correia 5.5/10
The 20-year-old Portuguese forward was handed his senior team debut by Pirlo. Felix Correia kept his passes tidy and simple and held his ground against the Udinese defence on Sunday.
