The Italian newspapers lauded the performance of Manuel Locatelli who delivered a midfield masterclass as Juventus prevailed over Manchester City.
The Bianconeri direly needed a victory to put an end to their three-man winless run in the Champions League which threatened the club with a catastrophic elimination.
Thiago Motta’s men proved up the the task, deepening the Cityzens’ wounds with a 2-0 win at home. Dusan Vlahovic broke the deadlock when Goal-line technology confirmed his goal, while Weston McKennie came off the bench to seal the win with an overhead kick.
Naturally, the two goalscorers earned high grades on the player ratings of the most prominent newspapers in the Italian media (via IlBianconero). Nevertheless, the defenders also got major props for warding off Erling Haaland and company.
Michele Di Gregorio produced several astonishing saves to preserve a clean sheet, while the entire backline was excellent, including club captain Danilo who bounced back in style.
Juventus players celebrating victory over Man City
Moreover, Locatelli reigned supreme in the middle of the park, shielding the defense amiably while bringing the ball outside the dangerous areas with some clinical passing.
Therefore, the midfielder earned the highest marks on several accounts, while Kenan Yildiz was picked as the Man of the Match by others after wreaking havoc on the left flank and creating Vlahovic’s goal.
Gazzetta dello Sport
Di Gregorio 7,5
Savona 6,5
Kalulu 6,5
Gatti 7,5
Danilo 7
Locatelli 7,5
Thuram 6,5
Conceicao 7
Koopmeiners 6
Yildiz 7
Vlahovic 7
Thiago Motta 7,5
McKennie 7
Weah 6,5
Douglas Luiz N/A
Mbangula N/A
Tuttosport
Di Gregorio 8
Savona 6,5
Kalulu 7
Gatti 8
Danilo 8
Locatelli 8,5
Thuram 7
Conceicao 7
Koopmeiners 6,5
Yildiz 7,5
Vlahovic 8
Thiago Motta 8
McKennie 8
Weah 7
Douglas Luiz N/A
Mbangula N.A
Il Corriere dello Sport
Di Gregorio 7,5
Savona 6,5
Kalulu 7
Gatti 7
Danilo 7
Locatelli 7
Thuram 6,5
Conceicao 6
Koopmeiners 6
Yildiz 7
Vlahovic 7
Thiago Motta 7,5
McKennie 7
Weah 6,5
Douglas Luiz N/A
Mbangula N/A
Calciomercato.com
Di Gregorio 7
Savona 6,5
Kalulu 6
Gatti 7
Danilo 6,5
Locatelli 7
Thuram 6
Conceicao 6,5
Koopmeiners 5,5
Yildiz 7,5
Vlahovic 7
Thiago Motta 8
McKennie 7
Weah 7
Douglas Luiz N/A
Mbangula N/A