Juventus triumphed 2-1 over Tottenham at the MCG tonight in their final of two matches at this year’s International Champions Cup.
The Old Lady had the fast start with their two goals coming in the opening 15 minutes through big guns Paulo Dybala and Mehdi Benatia. An uninspiring 40 minutes followed before the game was brought to life just after the hour mark, when the impressive Erik Lamela converted in the 67th minute.
Neto came to the fore late in the piece with a smart save to deny Tottenham an unlikely equaliser in a game which Juventus had controlled from the opening stages.
Which players performed poorly in front of another disappointing MCG crowd?
Dominic Ball (Spurs)
Ball struggled in the heart of a young Tottenham defence, particularly early against the class of the Juventus attack. The youngster turned the ball over in the opening minutes for Dybala’s goal, being dispossessed by Roberto Pereyra after a poor first touch. It didn’t get much easier for Ball from there, almost gifting Dybala another chance with a stray back pass to Michel Vorm. All in all, it was a difficult first outing as a Tottenham player.
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Vincent Janssen (Tottenham Hotspur)
The new signing at White Hart Lane admittedly struggled for support and supply as a lone striker for Spurs in his first outing for his new club. Janssen will get better with time at Tottenham and with better players around him, evidenced by Erik Lamela’s inclusion in the second half. However, with Tottenham fans having high hopes for the striker, he struggled to have any influence on the game, couldn’t find time on the ball and lacked any kind of impact on the match in an ordinary first-up encounter.
Hernanes (Juventus)
Hernanes had a largely forgettable night at the MCG in midfield. With midfield partner Miralem Pjanic putting in a solid shift alongside him, Hernanes cruised by and lacked any sort of urgency. The Brazilian was responsible for a fatal turnover in the lead-up to Tottenham’s goal, where – similar to Ball in the first half – the much more experienced Hernanes was caught napping and stripped by Victor Wanyama. It capped off a disappointing night for the 31-year-old.
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