Juventus

Barcelona academy director Patrick Kluivert has said he thinks defender Matthijs de Ligt "slightly regrets" his decision to join Juventus this past summer after being closely linked with a transfer to the Camp Nou.

The Blaugrana announced in January they had agreed a €75 million deal to sign De Ligt's former team-mate Frenkie de Jong in the summer, but their summer raid on Ajax stars ended there. 

Kluivert—whose son, Justin, plays for AS Roma—told Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Italia) about his talks with De Ligt regarding Barcelona, as well as his belief the defender may not be content in Turin:

"I didn't personally try to convince him about joining Barcelona. 

"I only told him about the positive aspects of Barcelona as a club and city.

"We are obviously talking about a great defender, and in the end he made a choice. I think he slightly regrets it now, but that's the way it is.

"In life, you must make choices, sometimes good ones and sometimes bad. You have to learn from your decisions."

Former Ajax and Netherlands icon Kluivert spent one season at AC Milan in 1997-98 before he left for the Camp Nou, making more appearances for Barca than any other club in his career (259).

De Ligt's move to Serie A hasn't been as smooth as hoped, with his first few months at the Old Lady dotted by several glaring mistakes and lapses in defence.

The 20-year-old recently boosted his reputation, however, after he scored his first goal for the Bianconeri in a 1-0 derby victory over Torino:

Netherlands star De Ligt was highly coveted by Europe's giants following a remarkable 2018-19 campaign as Ajax captain.

James Robson of the Evening Standard said Manchester United were interested before they ended up signing Harry Maguire from Leicester City for £80 million in August:

United were convinced De Ligt was on his way to Barcelona and dropped their pursuit.
Juve didn’t#mufc

— James Robson (@jamesalanrobson) July 17, 2019

Marca's Luis F. Rojo wrote in July that De Ligt's agent, Mino Raiola, was demanding exorbitant wages for his client, while Raiola's own fee from the deal is said to have been a major hurdle.

Juventus team-mate Leonardo Bonucci spoke to Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia) in October and said it was "inevitable" that De Ligt will one day "become, if not the best, one of the best defenders in the world."

It didn't help De Ligt or the Bianconeri as a whole to lose veteran centre-back Giorgio Chiellini following a serious knee injury in August, robbing Maurizio Sarri of his most experienced star in defence.

Chiellini spoke to Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Football Italia) and said he expects to return to fitness "between February and March," until which De Ligt will have to keep bearing the extra burden in Juve's defence.

Bleacher Report's Alex McGovern touched upon Chiellini's absence as one unexpected obstacle in what's already been a slightly bumpy season for the Serie A leaders:

Too many underperforming individuals are underpinning this: Ronaldo’s disappearing, De Ligt struggling, Rabiot barely turned up, Ramsey often unavailable. Unexpectedly Higuain+Cuadrado two of the top performers. No doubt Chiellini’s a big miss but biggest problems are attacking.

— Alex McGovern (@AlexMcGovern11) November 10, 2019

De Ligt recently admitted to Fox Sports (h/t Goal's Robin Bairner) that he felt "invincible" at Ajax prior to his transfer, although he backed himself to improve in Italy despite a slow start.

Barcelona sit top of La Liga but have looked as though they could use some more steel in defence this season, leading Kluivert to question whether his Dutch compatriot's summer judgement was well-placed.

Giorgio Chiellini believes he will return for Juventus before the end of the season from the anterior cruciate ligament injury he suffered in August. 

The 35-year-old picked up the injury in training just one match into the season—a 1-0 win over Parma in which he had netted the decisive goal—and had knee surgery to address the issue on September 3.

He told Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Football Italia):

"I think I'll be back on the pitch between February and March.

"Unfortunately, there's still a long way to go. I'm spending a few days abroad, but tomorrow I'll return to continue my rehabilitation and it's going very well. But you do need a lot of patience.

"They are doing very well without me, but I hope that I will be back during the spring, to help out by giving all that I've got, like they are doing."

The defender also called for "patience" while the team adapt to the demands of Maurizio Sarri, who replaced Massimiliano Allegri as manager in the summer.

He also praised his team-mates for continuing to pick up points during the transition and said the Bianconeri "always believe" they can win the UEFA Champions League.

Chiellini's injury thrust 20-year-old summer signing Matthijs de Ligt into the side perhaps quicker than expected.

The Dutchman spent the win against Parma on the bench as Chiellini partnered Leonardo Bonucci in defence, but he has been Sarri's go-to centre-back while the veteran has been out.

Daniele Rugani has played just twice in all competitions, while Merih Demiral—who also arrived in the summer—has got on the pitch once.

Bleacher Report's Dean Jones reported Arsenal and Manchester United are interested in the latter ahead of the January transfer window. However, Chiellini's injury could put paid to such a move.

Too many underperforming individuals are underpinning this: Ronaldo’s disappearing, De Ligt struggling, Rabiot barely turned up, Ramsey often unavailable. Unexpectedly Higuain+Cuadrado two of the top performers. No doubt Chiellini’s a big miss but biggest problems are attacking.

— Alex McGovern (@AlexMcGovern11) November 10, 2019

Alex McGovern, also of B/R, has not been overly impressed with Juventus this season but noted Chiellini's injury is just one of several factors:

Sarri also took time to implement his philosophies at Chelsea, and that was still ongoing when he left the club for Juve at the end of last season.

However, as Chiellini noted, the team have continued to pick up results even if their performances have not been especially convincing.

The Bianconeri are top of Serie A with 32 points from 12 games, and they're one of only two teams still unbeaten in Europe's top five leagues along with Liverpool. They're also top of Champions League Group D with 10 points from four matches.

Juventus have time to improve their performances before the business end of the campaign.

Although he'll need time to get back to form and fitness, Chiellini's return should help in that regard and give the side more options in defence as they juggle multiple competitions in the second half of the season.

Juventus midfielder Emre Can has said he is unhappy at his lack of game time in Turin amid rumours linking him with Manchester United.

According to Goal's Matt Dorman, the Bianconeri are prepared to field offers of around €35 million (£30 million) in January, and United are said to be weighing up making a bid. Can told Kicker (h/t Dorman) of his situation in Italy:

"I'm just an ambitious guy who always wants to compete at the highest level. But I'm also learning from this tough time when things are not going the way I was hoping. I'm not playing games from the start, so I'm not happy, but I will stay strong and keep working on myself. I'm often in the gym before or after training, doing extra shifts. I want to be ready. A lot can always happen in football."

Can joined Juve from Liverpool on a free transfer last year. He made 37 appearances in all competitions under Massimiliano Allegri in his first season, having missed eight games after requiring surgery on a thyroid nodule.

However, the German has not enjoyed a promising start to life this season under Maurizio Sarri. Can was left out of Juve's UEFA Champions League squad for the season, which he said made him feel "angry and upset," per Bild (h/t Football-Italia).

He then took to Twitter following those comments:

Out of respect to Juventus and my team mates, whose success has always been my first priority, I won’t say anything more and will continue fighting on the pitch.

Yours,

Emre

— Emre Can (@emrecan_) September 4, 2019

Can has barely got on the pitch, as he's played just four times for Juve this season, and only one of those was a start. Still, football writer Grace Robertson believes he would be a strong acquisition for United or a number of other teams:

Everyone seems to think it's funny that Emre Can would be an upgrade but idk Emre Can would be an upgrade for a lot of teams.

— Grace Robertson 🏳️‍⚧️ (@GraceOnFootball) October 18, 2019

United entered the season lacking midfield options. Marouane Fellaini left for the Chinese Super League in January, while Ander Herrera joined Paris Saint-Germain in a free transfer in the summer, and neither were replaced. They have been left even shorter by Paul Pogba missing most of the campaign with an ankle problem.

Football writer Huw Davies observed United's unconvincing midfield in their 1-1 draw with Liverpool in October:

Actually, that’s underselling it. Liverpool’s reserve three (Milner, Keita, Ox) is MILES better.

— Huw Davies (@thehuwdavies) October 20, 2019

Can developed into a fine player during his time at Anfield. He's an excellent passer who can create chances from deep, and he's a strong ball-winner when the team are out of possession, making him a fine possible acquisition at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo said on Sunday he understands why he has been substituted in Juventus' last two games and explained that he has been playing for his club and Portugal while not fully fit.

The Portugal international told reporters he does not enjoy being taken off but knows why Juve boss Maurizio Sarri chose to replace him against AC Milan and Lokomotiv Moscow.

"In the last three weeks, I have been playing despite not being fully fit. I don't like to be substituted, but I have been playing despite not being fully fit and I tried to help Juventus. I understand the substitutions, as I wasn't 100 percent. In these two games with Portugal I wasn't at 100 per cent either.

"In my career, I never had serious injuries, as I usually do between 50 and 60 games, but I am having some discomfort that prevent me from being at 100 percent. Someone should have said something, especially the coach or myself, but you know I don't usually talk to the press a lot. But I am very proud to sacrifice myself for the national team or for my club."

Ronaldo reacted angrily after being taken off after just 55 minutes of Juventus' 1-0 win over AC Milan before the international break:

Cristiano Ronaldo has been replaced.

Again.

Straight down the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/3daTGRfua8

— GOAL (@goal) November 10, 2019

The 34-year-old reportedly left the Juventus Stadium before the match had even finished after being seemingly frustrated by Sarri's decision to replace him.

Squawka Football noted how rare it is for Ronaldo to be taken off:

Cristiano Ronaldo has now been substituted as many times this season (2) as he was throughout the entire 2018/19 campaign.

Back-to-back withdrawals by Maurizio Sarri. 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/buA3aK5iBm

— Squawka (@Squawka) November 10, 2019

Sarri told Sky Sport Italia (h/t Metro) after the match that he had taken off Ronaldo because he was struggling with a knee injury and "he is not his best at the moment."

Ronaldo returned to action over the international break with Portugal and bagged a hat-trick in a 6-0 win over Lithuania. He was also on target in their 2-0 victory over Luxembourg, scoring his 99th international goal in the win.

ESPN FC noted how 2019 is his most prolific year in Portugal's colours:

Cristiano Ronaldo scored more goals in 2019 for Portugal than in any other year!

He's 34-years-old 🙌 pic.twitter.com/IvjNlOtkU3

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) November 17, 2019

Ronaldo has shown few signs of injury while on international duty but will now return to club side Juventus and link up with Sarri again. The Italian champions play Atalanta next in Serie A and then face a visit from Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League.

Patrick Vieira believes Cristiano Ronaldo is enduring a "difficult period" at Juventus, and the Turin club need "to understand why he is unhappy." 

Ronaldo was substituted for the second consecutive game in Juve's 1-0 win over AC Milan on Sunday, and his replacement, Paulo Dybala, went on to score the winner to put Juve back at the head of Serie A:

1 - Cristiano Ronaldo has been subbed off during the first 55' minutes of play for his first time for Juventus and also has been subbed off for two consecutive games for his first time with the Bianconeri. News.#JuveMilan

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) November 10, 2019

Here are the updated standings after Matchday 12. 💪🏻✅
How did your team do?
Let us know with an emoji. 😱😥🤗😍#SerieATIM #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/qAztT7hD0E

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) November 10, 2019

Upon being taken off by manager Maurizio Sarri, the Portuguese superstar headed straight down the tunnel, and there were reports he left the Allianz Stadium before the final whistle. 

Ronaldo, 34, has scored just one goal in his last five appearances, and Nice manager Vieira, a former Juve player, has said the Old Lady need to get control of the situation, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia):

"This shows how difficult it is to be a coach. Ronaldo is of different class, together with [Lionel] Messi and Neymar. They are the image of football today. It's important to understand why he is unhappy. From the outside, it seems like he is going through a difficult period. When a player like him stops scoring, there will be some frustration.

"I am not surprised to see Juventus always in first place, as here the player is at the service of the club, and when things are clear, the player can give his best on the field. At Juventus, the club is the real star."

Ronaldo has been relatively quiet for Juventus so far this term, but his return of five goals and one assist in 10 Italian top-flight appearances is still not bad.

He is a victim of the standards he has set himself in the preceding decade, but there was always likely to come a point when his age started to catch up with him.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid man should still have a big role to play in 2019-20, though, with Juve aiming to win Serie A again and triumph in the UEFA Champions League.

Old Lady goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny defended his team-mate after the Milan match, saying it was "normal" for Ronaldo to be angry at being substituted and hinting the Portugal captain has not been at 100 per cent fitness of late, per Perform (h/t AS).

The former Arsenal stopper also predicted Ronaldo "will return in better physical condition and, as he has always done, will make the difference in the decisive phase of the season."

It is true that Ronaldo often finds his best form in the second half of the season. A quick look at his record in the Champions League knockout stages is illustrative of that fact:

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more UCL knockout stage goals than the 2nd and 3rd highest scorers combined 🐐 pic.twitter.com/QMo4mDu5LA

— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) April 10, 2019

Sarri and Juventus will hope the international break gives their star man time to recover and get back to full fitness so he can find his best form again. 

Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has said he and his team-mates are not worried by Cristiano Ronaldo's reaction to being substituted against AC Milan. 

The superstar was replaced by Paulo Dybala just 10 minutes into the second half on Sunday, prompting the former Manchester United and Real Madrid attacker to walk off the pitch and down the tunnel. Dybala went on to score Juve's only goal after 77 minutes to claim three points in Serie A.

It was the second consecutive game in which Ronaldo has been substituted by Maurizio Sarri, but Szczesny said the team are not worried by rumours the Portuguese could quit Turin.

Speaking to Tuttosport (h/t Football.London's Andy Ha), the stopper explained Ronaldo's reaction was understandable:

"Ronaldo leaving? We are not worried, when a player of this level is removed from the pitch it is normal to get angry. He is a great player, but in this period, he is not doing very well.

"I think it is normal for a champion to get a little angry when he leaves the field. He will return in better physical condition and, as he has always done, will make the difference in the phase decisive of the season.

"We all know the qualities and personality of Cristiano."

Ronaldo joined the Old Lady at the start of last season and provided 27 goals and 10 assists in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.

The player's scoring ratio has remained strong during the current season. Six goals in 14 league and European matches have kept Ronaldo in Sarri's team.

However, Juve's dominance at the top of Serie A is being challenged by Inter Milan, and the two giants are separated by only a point at the top of the league.

At 34, Ronaldo is entering the twilight of his career, and his relationship with Sarri will be vital while considering his future.

The player remains one of the biggest names in the sport, and he will want to be at the heart of any success for the club he represents.

Dybala is a world-class option for Sarri on the Juve bench. If the Argentina international can hit a rich vein of form, he could claim Ronaldo's starting berth in the weeks ahead.

Juan Cuadrado is on the verge of signing a new contract at Juventus, according to club sporting director Fabio Paratici. 

After Juve returned to the top of Serie A with a 1-0 home win over AC Milan on Sunday, Paratici hinted the Colombian will soon commit to the club, per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia): "It's not completed yet, but we are very close."

Cuadrado, 31, has been a key player for Juve so far in 2019-20.

Under new manager Maurizio Sarri, he has played in 11 of the Old Lady's 12 Serie A games this term, mainly operating as a right-back. He only made 18 league appearances in all of last season. 

His current contract expires at the end of this term, and Juve are clearly eager to ensure they retain his services beyond next summer.

Given Sarri has made Cuadrado a key part of his first team, it would be a huge blow were he to leave for free next year.

Sarri has made an excellent start to his career as Juve boss since taking over from Massimiliano Allegri in the summer after a season in charge at Chelsea:

At this stage, in their first seasons at Juventus:

Conte in 2011 had 25 points
Allegri in 2014 had 28 points
Sarri in 2019 has 29 points

Sarri qualified for the Champions League last 16 with 2 games to spare, something that hasn't happened at Juve since 2008. [GdS] pic.twitter.com/RcJGLb3Cim

— JuveFC (@juvefcdotcom) November 8, 2019

Sunday's win over Milan was ugly, but it put them back one point ahead of Antonio Conte's Inter Milan:

Here are the updated standings after Matchday 12. 💪🏻✅
How did your team do?
Let us know with an emoji. 😱😥🤗😍#SerieATIM #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/qAztT7hD0E

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) November 10, 2019

Sarri also made a big call in replacing Cristiano Ronaldo with Paulo Dybala in the 55th minute, and the Argentinian scored the winner 13 minutes from time:

Ronaldo was subbed after a very average performance and his replacement Paulo Dybala has just put Juve 1-0 up

— Dean Jones (@DeanJonesSoccer) November 10, 2019

Cuadrado was again key as he completed 90 minutes for the third Serie A game running.

Juve are back in action in the Italian top flight on November 23, when they visit Atalanta after the international break. 

Cristiano Ronaldo has lost the ability to dribble past players, according to former Juventus player and manager Fabio Capello.

Ronaldo was substituted for the second game running by Juve manager Maurizio Sarri in Sunday's 1-0 home win over AC Milan, and although he has been struggling for fitness recently, the Portuguese superstar did not look happy about it:

Ronaldo wasn’t happy about being subbed off against Milan 😳 pic.twitter.com/et29grVY4W

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 10, 2019

Cristiano Ronaldo has now been substituted as many times this season (2) as he was throughout the entire 2018/19 campaign.

Back-to-back withdrawals by Maurizio Sarri. 🤷‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/buA3aK5iBm

— Squawka (@Squawka) November 10, 2019

His 55th-minute replacement, Paulo Dybala, went on to score the winner 13 minutes from time, which put Juve back at the top of Serie A:

Here are the updated standings after Matchday 12. 💪🏻✅
How did your team do?
Let us know with an emoji. 😱😥🤗😍#SerieATIM #WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/qAztT7hD0E

— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) November 10, 2019

Per Sky Sport Italia (h/t Josh Thomas of Goal), Capello was unimpressed with Ronaldo's reaction to being hooked, and he questioned the 34-year-old's current effectiveness on the pitch:

"I didn't like this, it wasn't nice. He must be a champion even when he comes off the pitch. The truth is that Cristiano Ronaldo hasn't dribbled [past] an opponent for three years. I did the La Liga commentary when he usually took the double step and left you there.

"Inside him is a super-champion, the best of all, but now there is Dybala and Douglas Costa, who made two sensational goals. Dybala in excellent condition, can make the difference, as can Douglas Costa. They win games without Ronaldo. Juve seemed dependent on him. Instead, the great squad and the quality of the players helps them win anyway. 

"Bravo Sarri, who had the courage to take him off. It takes personality, especially thinking that all the players in the squad can play and make a difference. Cristiano did it for a while, but now it's not him and he must recover—especially on a physical level. He does not have the speed and dynamism he has shown at other times."

Sarri also indicated after the match that Ronaldo was struggling with an injury.

Per Thomas, he said he had no issue with his star player's annoyance at having to come off:

"We must thank Ronaldo, because he made a sacrifice to be there at all tonight in a difficult situation. He did everything possible to play, but I saw he was not well and thought it best to take him off. It's only natural a player is going to be irritated to leave the pitch, especially when he worked so hard to be there." 

Sarri continued (h/t Football Italia): "It is affecting his performances and he is not at his best at the moment. All players who are trying to give their best will have at least five minutes of being annoyed when they are substituted, but a coach would in general be much more worried if he didn’t seem upset."

Ronaldo signed for Juve from Real Madrid for £100 million in July 2018:

Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid:

450 goals
131 assists
4 Champions League winner medals
4 Ballon d'Ors
2 La Liga titles

Directly involved in a goal every 65 minutes 😲😲😲 pic.twitter.com/MhPVOcO049

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) July 10, 2018

In his first season with the club, he helped the Old Lady claim their eighth consecutive Italian title and won Serie A's Most Valuable Player award.

Ronaldo's tally of 21 league goals in 2018-19, though, was his worst return in a top-flight campaign since his final season with Manchester United in 2008-09, when he netted 18 goals.

In each of his nine seasons with Real, he never failed to reach the 25-goal mark in La Liga, and in six of those campaigns, he made it into the 30s and 40s. 

So far in 2019-20, the Portugal captain has five goals in 10 Serie A appearances.

That is a decent, if unspectacular, return, but it is becoming apparent that Juve can win without him.

Given Ronaldo is now well into his 30s, it should not be a big surprise he cannot produce the remarkable consistency he was once capable of.

Sarri will know, though, that he can still be a huge asset for Juventus this season as they aim to win Serie A and the UEFA Champions League.

Most crucially, especially given his age, Ronaldo cannot play when he is not 100 per cent fit, and taking him off against Milan could well pay dividends in the long run.    

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly left the Juventus Stadium before the final whistle after being substituted in the 55th minute of Sunday's 1-0 Serie A win over AC Milan.

Manager Maurizio Sarri took Ronaldo off for the second game in a row, and the 34-year-old responded by giving his boss a "dirty look" and then muttered something before walking "straight down the tunnel," according to Reuters (h/t the Guardian).

Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) report Ronaldo then left the stadium three minutes before the end of the match in Turin.

Sarri spoke to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia) after the match about his decision to take his star man off so early on in the game.

"We must thank Ronaldo, because he made a sacrifice to be there at all tonight in a difficult situation. He did everything possible to play, but I saw he was not well and thought it best to take him off.

"It's only natural a player is going to be irritated to leave the pitch, especially when he worked so hard to be there. Over the last month, he has had this little knee problem, he had a knock in training and it hurt the collateral ligament. When he trains at high intensity or plays, it unbalances him, so he ends up overcompensating and it damages the calf and thigh muscles.

"It is affecting his performances and he is not at his best at the moment. All players who are trying to give their best will have at least five minutes of being annoyed when they are substituted, but a coach would in general be much more worried if he didn’t seem upset."

Ronaldo's replacement, Paulo Dybala, scored the only goal of the game on 77 minutes to keep the Italian champions top of the table ahead of Inter Milan heading into the international break.

Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker offered his thoughts on the incident:

Sarri substitutes Ronaldo for the 2nd time and he marches past him straight down the tunnel. Won’t end well, I suspect. Got to say, he’s a ballsy bugger is Sarri.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 10, 2019

Sarri also substituted Ronaldo in the 82nd minute of Wednesday's 2-1 win over Lokomotiv Moscow in the UEFA Champions League. His decision also produced an angry reaction from 34-year-old.

The Juventus boss told reporters after the match that he chose to replace Ronaldo because of some minor injury problems which made him fear he "would hurt himself."

Ronaldo has now been substituted as many times this season as he was in the whole of last campaign, according to Squawka Football.

The forward has started 10 of Juventus' 12 Serie A games this season and all of their Champions League matches, scoring six goals along the way for Sarri's side.

Yet Bleacher Report's Gianni Verschueren says he's not been himself recently:

https://twitter.com/ReverschPass/status/1193645370502451200

Ronaldo will now take a break from club action because of the international break. He has been included in the Portugal squad for Euro 2020 qualifiers against Luxembourg and Lithuania.

Juventus beat AC Milan 1-0 at the Allianz Stadium on Sunday to regain top spot in Serie A.  

Substitute Paulo Dybala netted the decisive goal for the hosts in the 77th minute.

Juve remain unbeaten in Serie A, while Milan have already lost seven times this season—only one fewer defeat than the entirety of last season—and won just once in their last five.

The first notable chance of the game fell to Juventus, when Gonzalo Higuain forced a save from Gianluigi Donnarumma after being slipped in by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Milan should have taken the lead, though, after a pair of dangerous crosses from Suso. Krzysztof Piatek could only head wide the former from just six yards out, while Wojciech Szczesny made a fine save to deny Lucas Paqueta's header.

Piatek had another promising chance at the end of the first half, but Szczesny was again on hand to deal with his strike:

❌ Juventus and Milan remain scoreless at half time, but the visitors have looked dangerous

🖐 Piątek forced this strong save from Szczęsny just before the break pic.twitter.com/9w4JhjQM61

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) November 10, 2019

ESPN FC's Andrew Cesare praised the Rossoneri's performance:

https://twitter.com/AndrewCesare/status/1193623995532357632

Blaise Matuidi came close to breaking the deadlock shortly after the break when he sent a curling effort narrowly wide, before Ronaldo was withdrawn after just 55 minutes having had a game to forget, per football writer Adam Digby:

Ronaldo off, Dybala on. Wow. Two games in a row that the no.7 hasn't lasted 90 minutes. Very interesting.

— Adam Digby (@Adz77) November 10, 2019

Szczesny had to be alert to deny Piatek again after he was slipped through by Paqueta, while Matuidi had another chance to break the deadlock when he fired just over from the edge of the 18-yard box.

The breakthrough finally came when Dybala picked up the ball on the edge of the area and wriggled free from Milan's defence before firing low past Donnarumma:

🗣 "Here goes DYBALA! Juve find their hero!"

⚫⚪ He came off the bench to replace Cristiano Ronaldo, and now the Argentine has delivered a great goal to give Juve the lead

😍 A beautiful drag back inside with his left foot and the finish with the right pic.twitter.com/Ifq2kykWF8

— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) November 10, 2019

More heroics from Szczesny kept out Hakan Calhanoglu soon after, while at the other end Higuain and Dybala both came close to adding a second for the Bianconeri late on.

                          

What's Next

Juve travel to Atalanta on November 23, while Milan host Napoli the same day.