Hellas Verona vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Serie A
Juventus travelled east to Verona on Sunday evening, taking on an already-relegated opponent having clinched the Serie A themselves with two rounds to spare. That left the game feeling extremely meaningless on both sides, and a heavily rotated Bianconeri eventually lost 2-1 to former coach Gigi Delneri’s side.
Despite missing a plethora of players to both injury and suspension, it was a match Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri still wanted to win—a matter he discussed during his traditional pre-match press conference.
“We want to sign off the Serie A season as best we can and then prepare for the Coppa Italia final against a fired up Milan side,” the coach told reporters on Saturday, only to see his team fail to do just that 24 hours later.
What follows is a look at the best and worst performances from the game at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, highlighting the individual displays that decided this penultimate fixture of the season for both sides.
Winner: Luca Toni (Hellas Verona)
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If there was one man looking to give 100 percent in this encounter, it was undoubtedly Hellas Verona striker Luca Toni. As discussed in this match preview, the 38-year-old has announced his intention to retire at the end of the season, meaning this was his final home outing for the Gialloblu.
The 2006 World Cup winner—who represented Juventus in the 2010/11 campaign—has played for the club for three years, claiming Serie A top-scorer honours last term when he bagged 22 goals. His last match at the Bentegodi was perfect, with Toni netting a first-half penalty to ensure he signed off in style.
Loser: Simone Zaza (Juventus)
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While Toni was enjoying the end of his career at one end of the field, Simone Zaza looked incredibly frustrated at the other. The Juventus striker had one goal ruled out for offside and picked up yet another yellow card—a booking which took his tally for the campaign to nine in all competitions despite making just eight starts.
Winner: Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
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As he has all season, Paulo Dybala delivered even when Juventus struggled. Netting a late penalty that was ultimately little more than a consolation goal for the Bianconeri, he continued a pattern seen earlier this season.
Indeed, even as the team around him faltered in the opening 10 matches of 2015/16—losing four times and winning just three games—Dybala had already notched four goals and two assists, in turn making no mistake to dispatch the spot-kick against Hellas.
Loser: Alex Sandro (Juventus)
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Still battling with Patrice Evra for the starting berth at left-back, Alex Sandro’s performance on Sunday evening did little to further his cause. The Brazilian conceded the penalty that led to Toni’s opening goal—and was subsequently booked—for what appeared to a poor decision after a clash with Eros Pisano.
A needless lunge late in the second half would compound Sandro's miserable outing as he was sent off by referee Fabio Maresca, with his overall performance perhaps making a Coppa Italia start for Evra increasingly likely.
Winner: Juventus (Mario Lemina)
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It should come as little surprise that Mario Lemina did well despite a lacklustre Juventus performance—the Gabon international merely continuing his eye-catching run of form in the centre of midfield.
Ever since Claudio Marchisio was ruled out with a season-ending injury, Lemina has stepped in admirably, prompting Juventus to make his stay at Turin a permanent one. According to the club’s official website, they paid Olympique de Marseille a fee of €9.5 million and signed the player to a four-year contract after he initially joined on loan last summer.
Against Hellas, WhoScored.com statistics show Lemina—who cannot be blamed for the side’s shortcomings elsewhere on Sunday—made two tackles, two interceptions and blocked one shot. The 22-year-old also completed 51 of his 58 pass attempts (87.9 percent) and looked solid throughout this 90-minute display.
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