Young Boys 2-1 Juventus: Report, Ratings & Reaction as Swiss Side Stun Bianconeri

Young Boys ended their debut UEFA Champions League campaign on a high after they defeated Juventus 2-1 at the Stade de Suisse in the final UEFA Champions League group game.

Guillaume Hoarau opened the scoring against the run of play in the 29th minute from the penalty-spot, before curling home his second of the night in the 68th minute. 

Substitute Paulo Dybala rifled home in the 80th minute to reduce the deficit, before having an injury-time equaliser controversially ruled-out for offside, as the Swiss outfit held on to seal the victory.

The defeat for the Bianconeri didn't affect them much, as they sealed the top spot in Group H due to results elsewhere going their way, but the side from Bern bowed out of the competition.

YOUNG BOYS

Key Talking Point

The hosts made several errors defensively, initially allowing Juventus to pick holes in the back-line, but fortunately for them the Italians weren't clinical enough, as the Swiss side looked to make them pay on the break.

They did exactly that from the penalty spot, after substitute Alex Sandro caught Moumi Ngamaleu in the area, following a loose pass from Douglas Costa.  

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The second period followed the same pattern as the first, with the hosts (under-pressure) looking to seize their moment on the break. They nearly conceded within minutes of the restart, however, when goal-scorer Hoarau flicked the ball against his own bar, but the Frenchman managed to find the right net, following a swift break.

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Wölfli (5); Mbabu (6), Camara (5), Benito (5), Garcia (5); Sow (6), Lauper (6), Aebischer (6); Ngamaleu (6), Hoarau (8*), Fassnacht (6).

Substitutes: Wüthrich (N/A); Bertone (N/A), Schick (N/A)

STAR MAN - Hoarau didn't see much of the ball, which he probably predicted prior to kick-off, but he made the most of the opportunities that he was presented with. He combined well with teammate Moumi Ngamaleu and seemed to be an option for him when required. He managed to squeeze his spot-kick home to open the scoring, before curling home with a fine finish from outside the area.

WORST PLAYER - The side put in a magnificent display on the night so it seems harsh that Benito has the accolade for the match. However, he was caught out of position on numerous occasions during the match and his lack of concentration may have cost his side on another night.

JUVENTUS

Key Talking Point

The Bianconeri, who had already qualified for the knockout stages, took their time to adapt to the artificial surface they were playing on, which may have contributed to Cristiano Ronaldo fluffing his lines three times from close-range within the first 25 minutes.

However, despite dominating, all of La Vecchia Signora's creative display was undone when Costa's wayward pass put Sandro under pressure and led to the full-back impeding his man for the opener. They were caught napping in the second half and were punished yet again by Hoarau, who was clinical.

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The introduction of substitute Dybala changed the complexion of the game. He drilled home from the edge of the area to give them hope before rifling into the net, following a corner, although it was flagged offside.

Player Ratings

Starting XI: Szczęsny (5); Cuadrado (N/A), Rugani (6), Bonucci (5), De Sciglio (5); Bentancur (6), Pjanić (5); Costa (5), Bernardeschi (6); Mandžukić (5), Ronaldo (5).

Substitutes: Sandro (5); Can (5), Dybala (7*)

STAR MAN - Dybala came off the bench and made an instant impact with his goal, which gave the Bianconeri hope. His quick passing and teasing deliveries from set-pieces caused Young Boys a number of problems and he would have found the leveller in injury-time, had the flag not gone up against Ronaldo.

WORST PLAYER - Ronaldo was considerably below his best on Wednesday. He squandered several big opportunities in the first period and his touch unusually let him down on the night. He managed to provide the assist for Dybala, but it was an off-night for the Portuguese, who also hit the post. He then went on to interfere with Dybala's would-be leveller, which cancelled out the strike.

Looking Ahead

Next up, Juventus make the short trip to their city-rivals Torino for the local derby, hoping to maintain their unbeaten record in the league this season.

Meanwhile, Young Boys travel to bottom side Neuchâtel Xamax, hoping to maintain their 19-point lead at the top of the table.