Juventus vs. Empoli: Winners and Losers from Serie A
Empoli visited Juventus Stadium on Saturday, the latest obstacle in the hosts' title run-in, but—in a hard-fought encounter—the Bianconeri were able to grind out a 1-0 win over their resolute Tuscan opponents.
In the days before the game, Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri explained in a press conference that the game "marks the beginning of a mini eight-match championship for us,” before underlining the task ahead of his players:
"We have an important but nonetheless slender lead over Napoli at the moment and we must ensure that it stays that way between now and May. Needless to say, this is a must-win game.
We’re expecting a tough encounter against what is a very well organized Empoli side that has nothing to lose. As has been the case for the majority of the campaign, we need to focus only on keeping our cool, finishing the year in style and most importantly ignoring what goes on around us.
"
A solid Empoli performance proved the coach's analysis to be correct, he will be thankful to have seen his side prevail. What follows is a look at the individual winners and losers from the game in Turin, highlighting the best and worst performances from the Serie A fixture.
Winner: Mario Mandzukic (Juventus)
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The scorer of the game’s only goal, Mario Mandzukic ended a 103-day goal drought by bagging for the first time since the December win over Carpi. Since then, the Croatia striker has laboured in front of goal but has still worked hard for his team-mates, registering vital assists against Atalanta and Torino last month.
He will be glad to have found his way back onto the scoresheet, while Juventus will be relieved to see Mandzukic help them to victory in a game where key forward Paulo Dybala was absent due to injury.
Loser: Mario Rui (Empoli)
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Unfortunate not to see a late challenge on Simone Zaza result in a penalty, Empoli’s Mario Rui was poor throughout this tough encounter. The Portugal native was responsible for playing Mandzukic onside, and statistics from WhoScored.com show he committed a team-high four fouls at Juventus Stadium.
Winner: Paul Pogba (Juventus)
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Turning in yet another fine display, Paul Pogba’s superb pass led to Mandzukic’s goal, while his overall contribution will no doubt have pleased even his harshest critics. Figures from WhoScored.com show the France international recorded a team-high five tackles while also weighing in with two interceptions and one blocked shot.
He made an even greater impact at the other end of the field, creating four clear scoring opportunities, completing three dribbles and connecting on 87.5 percent of his pass attempts.
Loser: Roberto Pereyra (Juventus)
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Coach Massimiliano Allegri must have been expecting Roberto Pereyra to provide some attacking impetus in midfield. Chosen ahead of Mario Lemina and Kwadwo Asamoah in the starting XI, the Argentina international failed in that task, turning in a disappointing performance.
His one shot was woefully off target, while substitutes Juan Cuadrado, Zaza and Asamoah surpassed any impact the 25-year-old had going forward.
Winner: Lukasz Skorupski (Empoli)
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Winner: Daniele Rugani (Juventus)
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Playing against his former club, Daniele Rugani should be satisfied with his Saturday night showing. Standing in for the suspended Leonardo Bonucci, the 21-year-old defender was immaculate in dealing with the likes of Massimo Maccarone in only his fourth Serie A start of the campaign.
Statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com show he made two tackles, one interception and two clearances. He also connected on 88.2 percent of his 34 pass attempts.
