Player of the game: "Il Capitano" Giorgio Chiellini

There is a phrase in football that says fans like a striker, football analyst loves a good striker and managers adore a great defender. If this is true Pirlo loved Chiellini in this game because his performance was spectacular.

In a game with a tough and very adaptable team, who is willing to fight, the veteran defender played great. He was solid on every aspect of defense giving Juventus great solidity. He was able to win the individual matches against Keita Baldé, who has shown to be a very capable striker. The Juventus defender was very good at nullifying Sampdoria’s long ball game and at positioning himself to intercept any dangerous balls.

The captain of “la Vecchia Signora” made some great covers, helping the other Juventus defenders and making sure no scoring chances occurred. The perfect example occurred in the second half when Chiellini was able to block a direct shot from Fabio Quagliarella, which almost resulted in a goal.

We also saw an aggressive Chiellini who ran forward on various occasions, not only to intercept passes but also trying to push the team forward. Giorgio’s leadership was also shown, the way he screams and lead the line as the veteran player that he is.

This was one of his best performances this season, if not the best. Having Chiellini at this level will be crucial taking into consideration how many games Juventus will have to play this month.

Being able to rotate the defense without losing much is very important and having Chiellini at this level will be important. Juventus is happy to have “Il Capitano” back. A player that embodies the fighting spirit that made Juventus so successful and without a doubt a presence that makes everybody on the pitch fight from the beginning until the end.