Miralem Pjanic’s two goals from the penalty spot helped a 10-man Juventus side to come away from Mestalla Stadium with a 2-0 win in their Champions League opener against Valencia.
The midfielder struck in the 45th and 51st minute and the Serie A-outfit stood strong to secure the win after Cristiano Ronaldo’s controversial sending off in the first half after an altercation with Jeison Murillo.
Daniel Parejo had his own penalty saved at the death by Wojciech Szczesny.
Here is our report card from the clash.
30 SECOND-REPORT
Juventus struggled to get going early on in the game as Valencia did well to stifle them. The two forwards, Rodrigo and Michy Batshuayi, played their parts as well, blocking off passing lanes into Pjanic in the middle.
Juve were forced to play more risky or longer passes which generated turnovers, from where the hosts launched some threatening attacks.
Ronaldo’s sending off naturally had a big impact on proceedings just when the away side were starting to get to grips with the encounter. However, they pulled together and with the help of a couple of penalties, were able to secure the win.
What was particularly impressive was their ability to hold on to possession with 10 men when they could. They ended the night with 46 per cent of possession, despite Ronaldo’s dismissal in the 29th minute.
THE GOOD
Valencia’s start – For the 15 minutes, Juventus couldn’t get a look in. They weren’t allowed to settle and Valencia must be credited for the intensity with which they started the game. Within a 4-4-2 formation, every outfield player worked hard to put pressure on the visitors. They didn’t allow the away side to pass through them and forced their play wide instead.
Juventus’ team work – Something Juve have prided themselves on in the last few years is their ability to pull together and work as a unit. That has come into question early on in the new season as they haven’t been the most convincing in a few of their performances. Some have suggested that the arrival of Ronaldo has altered the dynamic within the team. That’s especially interesting since they were most impressive in their efforts after the Portugal forward’s sending off. They came under intense pressure, but held firm despite being a man down.
THE BAD
Valencia in the final third – Valencia had the upper hand in terms of the run of play for much of the encounter, but failed to capitalise on their dominance. Part of that was down to Juventus’ exceptional back-line, which was typically well organised on the night.
However, their decision-making in the final third left much to be desired. Meanwhile, of their 26 shots at goal, more than twice that of Juventus’ (10), only six were on target. Parejo’s missed penalty at the death summed up their night in front of goal.
Juventus’ lack of direction – What exactly was head coach Massimiliano Allegri’s game plan going into this encounter? On evidence of how his side approached the game early in proceedings, it’s hard to tell.
They didn’t seem to have a clear path going forward and seemed to be caught somewhere between a 4-4-2 and 4-3-3.
Perhaps that came down to Ronaldo, as well. He isn’t expected to track back and so remained up front with Mario Mandzukic without possession, making it a 4-4-2.
Having been crowded out in the opening exchanges, he started to peel off to the left flank when Juventus had the ball and with Federico Bernadeschi pushing up on the other side, they morphed into a 4-3-3.
However, the switches only seemed to confuse the midfielders looking for a pass and left Juventus vulnerable down the left if Blaise Matuidi didn’t react quickly enough and shuttle out wide.
TACTICAL TURNING POINT
Ronaldo’s sending off – No surprises here. The sending off will remain the main topic of discussion and had huge tactical implications. Juventus were starting to grow into the game by creating chances from wide when Ronaldo was given his marching orders.
It meant Mandzukic had to lead the line on his own, while Juventus adopted two banks of four behind him. They remained compact and restricted Valencia largely to shots from distance.
That didn’t suit the hosts either as the onus was then on them to break down Juventus who benefited from two penalties and drove home the advantage.
👀 Here's a closer look at @Cristiano's red card 🔴
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) September 19, 2018
What are your thoughts on the decision...?#UCL #beINUCL #VCFJuve #Cristiano pic.twitter.com/yVG18XuWW1
VERDICTS
VALENCIA: D
They started very well, but really needed to score when they were on top and didn’t test the keeper enough. The red card should’ve helped them, but they seemed short of ideas to break down the opposition and conceded two penalties that proved to be the difference.
JUVENTUS: B+
A rather sluggish start from the Serie A giants, but the red card really put them up against it away from home and they responded brilliantly. Their defensive instincts came to the fore and perhaps showed that despite the arrival of one of the greatest goal-scorers of all-time, Juventus’ strength still lie in their stellar rearguard.
