Final result: Leipzig-Juventus 2-3
LEIPZIG (edited by Paolo Lora Lamia)
Gulacsi 6 – The action that leads to the advantage starts from his rejection on Fagioli. He is also ready on a few other occasions, having no major responsibility for the 3 goals conceded.
Geertruida 6 – As the match progresses, he moves up the right with more and more consistency, putting some inviting balls in the middle. From 87′ Poulsen sv.
Lukeba 5.5 – Great substance on his part in the first half, but also taking a risk with a contact on Vlahovic. In the final, he fails to avoid Conceicao’s goal.
Orban 5 – After an orderly first part of the match, he takes the lead in a negative way by sleeping on the ball slammed into the goal at the start of the second half by Vlahovic which kickstarts Juve’s comeback.
Raum 5.5 – On his side he guaranteed push until the last second of injury time, but proved to be revisable in defending against Conceicao at 2-3.
Baumgartner 6 – When it comes to battle in midfield, he doesn’t hold back. On the right, he often leaves the spotlight to Geertruida. From 46′ Henrichs 5.5 – He enters the field by placing himself in the central area, with Haidara moved to the right. Not a great recovery from him.
Seiwald 6 – A mastiff of the midfield, who fights for every ball. He alternates a forward presence with moments in which he gets closer to his area to help when not in possession. From 87′ Vermeeren sv.
Haidara 6 – Like his midfield partner, he is useful in both phases to turn the action from defensive to offensive. After the interval, he sacrifices himself on the right. From 75′ Nusa 6 – Good entry, with an opportunity in the final part of the match that plays.
Simons 6.5 – It starts from the left and then centralizes, but does not illuminate – at least at the start – the German maneuver as its qualities dictate. Among the best in the second part of the match.
Openda 7 – Always on the move, he keeps the Juventus defense in constant apprehension. He plays the finisher in the 1-0 lead, taking a woodball in the second half and causing Di Gregorio to get a red card. From the 90th minute André Silva saves.
Sesko 7.5 – His first half certifies his status as a great striker. After 30 rather anonymous minutes, he made great use of an assist from Openda by beating Di Gregorio on the way out. Then he was glacial from the spot, but his brace wasn’t enough.
Marco Rose 5.5 – Despite the two injuries suffered by Juventus, the numerical superiority and the advantage found with Sesko’s penalty, they missed a great opportunity for a big shot in Europe.
JUVENTUS
By Gregory 5 – He can do nothing on the Leipzig net, he tries to come out on Sesko but the attacker goes over him with a precise lob. In the second half he touched the ball with his hand outside the area although it must be said that he did everything he could not to hit it.
Savona 6 – This is Thiago Motta’s surprise lineup this evening. Very attentive in the defensive phase, he makes good diagonals, closing inside the penalty area and demonstrating personality despite his young age. From the 61st minute Douglas Luiz 5.5 – Not even time to note his entrance as he slightly widens his arm, even if he wants to protect his face, and hits the ball with his hand causing the 2-1 penalty.
Kalulu 7 – Scale in the center of the area with the insertion of Savona on the right from the first minute. Leipzig’s forwards are certainly not easy customers. His intervention on Simons and Openda in the second half was providential.
Bremer sv – Not even five minutes left on the clock and he has to leave the field due to a knee problem. The twisting seems to be unnatural, let’s hope it’s nothing serious. From 4′ Gatti 7 – He had to play from the first minute, in the end he came on after four minutes, also inheriting the captain’s armband from Bremer. He doesn’t miss a save, demonstrating that he entered the game with the right mentality.
Cambiaso 6.5 – He makes a few too many mistakes, risking a lot, especially in his three-quarters. He was surprised by Sesko’s cut, following a suggestion from Openda, who scored the opening goal. He redeems himself in the second half by serving the equalizer to Vlahovic and saving on Silva in added time.
Beans 7 – Always gets into the heart of the game, moves the ball from one side of the pitch to the other. In the first half he looks for the conclusion, with a deflection from Vlahovic, which however does not worry Gulacsi. Once again he played as a leader in the middle of the field.
McKennie 6.5 – In the defensive phase he plays in line with Fagioli but when he attacks he raises his center of gravity by joining Koopmeiners in a 4-1-4-1. He tries to enter the opponent’s area and from one of these incursions Koopmeiners hits the post, with a spectacular slide on the ball which stops Simons’ restart.
Nico Gonzalez sv – At minute eight he suffers from an adductor problem. He tries to resist but in the end he is forced to raise the white flag. From 11th Conceiçao 7.5 – Like Gatti he comes in cold and suffers a bit. In the final, however, he finds the right leap which is worth three points, overcoming Raum and piercing Gulacsi with a precise diagonal.
Koopmeiners 6.5 – High playmaker of Thiago Motta’s team. It does a good job at containment. As soon as he has space to strike he looks for the conclusion. At the beginning of the second half he hits the post at the end of a great team action.
Yildiz 5.5 – The Juventus number 10 is certainly heavy in its own right, in the Champions League it is even more so. As soon as he has the ball at his feet he always tries to aim at the opponent to try to enter the opponent’s penalty area but he doesn’t make an impact. From the 61st minute Perin 6.5 – He enters and must immediately be beaten by Sesko on the penalty for the momentary 2-1. In the end he is practically bombed but uses reactivity and reflexes to block the goal.
Vlahovic 8 – Four goals in two games. He seems to have really unlocked himself. The first goal is a true striker when he anticipates Orban in the area following Cambiaso’s low cross. The second is simply a pearl that is set at the intersection of the poles.
Thiago Motta 7.5 – Not even a quarter of an hour on the clock and he is forced to review his plans, immediately burning two substitutions and two slots due to injuries to Bremer and Nico Gonzalez. His team does not give up and wins three important points despite two VAR interventions that could cut anyone’s legs.