Cristiano Ronaldo Misses Penalty but Juventus Beat Chievo 3-0 in Serie A

Juventus returned to Serie A from their winter break with yet another win, beating last-placed Chievo 3-0 on Monday. Douglas Costa, Emre Can and Daniele Rugani all scored their first goals of the season, while Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty.  

Chievo gave Juventus a good battle but were undone by two great goals in the first half. Costa's effort came on the end of a weaving run, while Can clinically finished off a great team move.

Ronaldo's penalty in the second half was a good one, but 39-year-old goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino produced an even better save. The former Real Madrid man missed several great chances to add to the lead late, but Rugani headed home to put the visitors to bed.

The Bianconeri remain unbeaten in the competition and lead the standings by nine points.

Juventus Have to Stick With the 4-4-2 When Pjanic Returns

Miralem Pjanic's suspension forced manager Massimiliano Allegri to shift his formation around a bit, abandoning his favoured 4-3-3 for a very attacking 4-4-2. Federico Bernardeschi and Costa started in wide roles, with Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala pairing up front. In midfield, Can and Blaise Matuidi got the nod ahead of Sami Khedira.

The result was stellar, with both Costa and Bernardeschi finding tons of success out wide. The Brazilian has steadily improved as the season has gone on and his first goal of the campaign was a beauty, prompting this reaction from goalkeeper Mattia Perin:

Dybala had his struggles―especially with his positioning―but recovered enough to hand Can the second goal on a platter. His clever dribble and perfect assist isolated the German in front of goal, and he easily beat Sorrentino.

Sportswriter Adam Digby loved it:

Outside of those goals, Juventus created plenty of chances, mainly through Bernardeschi. That continued after the break, with Ronaldo missing a few good looks and having his penalty saved―although the video assistant should have overturned the decision to award the spot-kick to begin with.

A lack of creativity has been one of Juventus' biggest issues throughout the season, with Pjanic and Dybala often tasked with making things happen through the centre against teams that crowd the box.

The 4-4-2 formation Allegri used on Monday greatly helps prevent such problems. Costa and Bernardeschi took over the brunt of the creative duties out wide, with Ronaldo and Dybala focused on getting in the box and finishing chances. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner had a poor day; if he had been on his game Juventus could have won this match by four or five goals.

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In Can Matuidi and Rodrigo Bentancur, Allegri has three strong midfielders with range who can aid Pjanic with his defensive duties and free him up to focus on creating. And as long as Mario Mandzukic remains out injured, Dybala will stay in the starting XI; the new formation puts him in a position he's far more comfortable in than on the wing in the regular 4-3-3.

The next outing against Lazio Roma will be a far bigger test for the Italian champions, but even with Pjanic returning to the side, the 4-4-2 should be here to stay.

What's Next?

Both teams are back in action on Sunday. Juventus face a difficult trip to the capital as they visit Lazio, while Chievo will host Fiorentina.