On Sunday, Juventus emerged victorious from a crucial Top-Four battle in Bergamo, overcoming Atalanta with two unanswered goals to climb up to second place.
While Samuel Iling-Junior and Dusan Vlahovic stole the limelight with their goals, Daniele Rugani was one of the unsung heroes for the Bianconeri.
The 28-year-old earned a rare starting berth, slotting in between Danilo and Alex Sandro in the back three, and he made the opportunity count.
The former Empoli man was excellent at the back, keeping Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata as quiet as possible.
Despite being reduced to a benchwarmer this season, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri still holds high esteem to Rugani, hailing him as one of the best defenders.
“Daniele has been at Juventus for many years and he is an important player because he is one of the best defensively, especially among Italians, he’s the best defender,” said the manager in his post-match interview with Juventus TV via JuventusNews24.
The Italian centre-back joined the club in 2015 and has been a member of the squad ever since, except for the 2020/21 season, when he spent his campaign on loan between Rennes and Cagliari.
This season, he has thus far made seven Serie A appearances, plus one in the Champions League and another in Coppa Italia.
But following his impressive displays against Atalanta and Napoli, he could be set to feature more prominently in the final weeks of the campaign.
