Juventus vs. Cesena: Winners and Losers from Serie A Game
After three straight league wins to open the campaign, Juventus hosted Cesena on Wednesday night, hoping to maintain their perfect start to 2014-15. Victories over Chievo, Udinese and Milan had seen Massimiliano Allegri’s squad notch up nine points without conceding a single goal, further boosting the confidence of the reigning champions.
Yet the new coach was taking nothing for granted in the buildup to the game, praising the Emilia-Romagna-based side in Tuesday’s pre-match press conference. Speaking to reporters at Juve’s training centre, per the club’s official website, Allegri said:
"Cesena are an aggressive side in good form who keep it tight at the back. They have only conceded nine corners in three matches and are very sound defensively.
Leagues are won by collecting points in these games, because it’s the only way of finding yourselves in a position of strength when approaching encounters with direct rivals.
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That challenge was made more difficult by the absences of injured duo Andrea Barzagli and Martin Caceres, which forced the Bianconeri to once again reshuffle their defence. Over the following pages is a look at the winners and losers from this encounter, which ended as a 3–0 win for the Turin giants.
Winner: Arturo Vidal (Juventus)
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The eagerly anticipated return of Arturo Vidal lived up to its billing, with the Chilean once again turning in a match-winning performance for Juventus. Scoring two goals, he was quickly back to being the driving force behind everything positive for the Bianconeri at both ends of the field.
WhoScored.com shows he weighed in with three tackles and an interception while completing 87 percent of his pass attempts.
Winner: Claudio Marchisio (Juventus)
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With Andrea Pirlo still out injured, it once again fell to Claudio Marchisio to deputise for his Italian international colleague. He did so with aplomb, putting on the kind of performance usually associated with the bearded genius.
WhoScored.com stats show just how influential he was, as he converted 123 touches into a staggering 105 completed passes, at a rate of 93 percent. No other player bettered those figures or his final tally of four tackles and three interceptions.
Winner: Stephan Lichtsteiner (Juventus)
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After last week’s win over Malmo in the Champions League, Stephan Lichtsteiner was highlighted as one of Juve’s poorest performers. Failing to capitalise on a number of gilt-edged chances to win the game, the full-back was unfortunate to receive such criticism, but finding a "loser" from that encounter was difficult.
He made amends against Cesena, turning in the kind of performance that has seen him establish himself as a fan favourite in Turin. Bagging the third goal from exactly the type of chance he squandered seven days earlier, the Swiss international can be proud of his display.
Winner: Nicola Leali (Cesena)
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Despite conceding three times, Nicola Leali turned in a credible performance in goal for the visitors. He made two excellent stops from Sebastian Giovinco and got a hand on Vidal’s penalty, making for an impressive display from the 21-year-old.
Loser: Emmanuel Cascione (Cesena)
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It was a bad night for midfielder Emmanuel Cascione, who was completely overwhelmed by the quality Juventus possess in the centre of the pitch. The 31-year-old suffered a torrid evening, giving away the penalty which led to Vidal’s opening goal of the game.
WhoScored.com shows he committed three further fouls, as he was unable to prevent the excellent play that has become a hallmark of the Bianconeri midfield.
