Alex Sandro Shines in Juventus' Champions League Win over Manchester City

Manchester City visited Juventus Stadium on Wednesday night, losing 1-0 in a match that ensured the hosts qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Both sides were hit by injuries, but the Turin giants named a surprising starting XI that eventually proved to be the decisive factor in their victory.

The visitors arrived without Wilfried Bony, Vincent Kompany, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, David Silva and Pablo Zabaleta, while the Bianconeri lost Kwadwo Asamoah, Martin Caceres, Sami Khedira and Roberto Pereyra.

Hernanes was also suspended, but Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri opted for a 3-5-2 formation that saw Juan Cuadrado and Alvaro Morata drop to the bench.

City managed just one shot on target over the entire course of the game, meaning Mario Mandzukic’s 18th-minute volley proved to be enough to seal the points.

Yet it was perhaps the creator of that chance for the Croatian striker who delivered the most important performance of the night—Alex Sandro picking out Mandzukic’s run with an excellent ball from deep on the left.

Paul Pogba’s initial pass was crucial to the move, but the Brazilian full-back’s assist was the punctuation mark on a fabulous all-round display, one which shows just how significant his arrival is proving to be for the Bianconeri.

As the graphic in the tweet below shows, Sandro completed 28 of his 32 pass attempts on Wednesday and succeeded in two of the four take-ons he attempted. His powerful, high-octane runs constantly kept Bacary Sagna and Jesus Navas on the back foot and gave Juventus an outlet as they broke forward.

It also highlights that Sandro recovered the ball five times, won all four of his tackles and made five interceptions. His defensive diligence is proving just as important as the impact he has on the Juve attack.

Navas and Sagna toiled to no avail on that flank for the English side, with the former Porto man shutting them down almost completely, making one clearance and committing just one foul in his 78 minutes on the field.

The player has proved to be an able deputy for Patrice Evra over recent weeks, clearly establishing himself as a viable long-term replacement for the French left-back.

Sandro believes there is much more to come too, as the summer signing discussed the game and life with the Bianconeri, per the club’s official website:

"

I’m starting to pick up Italian and the group as the atmosphere in the dressing room is perfect for me to learn and develop. We want to move forward and repeat performances like this in the future.

You can feel the positivity in the squad at the moment. Personally, I’m gradually finding my feet here and I hope to continue in the same vein.

"

Having already provided a match-winning assist against Torino and Milan in his two previous outings, the display against Manchester City also prompted his coach to single out the 24-year-old for praise shortly after the full-time whistle.

“Alex Sandro did very well this evening and he is an excellent signing,” Allegri told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia). “Players like him need to be allowed to settle in, as nobody is ready to give their best in a new environment straight away.”

Squawka.com

It appears he has now done just that, with statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com noting he has averaged 1.4 tackles, 1.9 interceptions and 1.2 clearances in his nine appearances thus far. Meanwhile, the above graphic—provided by Squawka.com—highlights just how impressive he has been in challenges, winning a high percentage in each category.

Undeniably a major factor in their win over Manchester City on Wednesday, Sandro has already shown he will play an important role for Juventus in the future as he continues to shine for the Old Lady.