Champions League: Bruno Guimarães shows his worth vs Juventus

Just a month after being signed by Lyon from ‎Athletico Paranaense, Bruno Guimarães produced a masterclass against Juventus in the Champions League.

Now that all of the first legs in the Champions League round of 16 have been completed, we can take a moment to really look back on the matches and what sort of impact they made. While many players performed well throughout this string of matches, the performance of Bruno Guimarães on Wednesday might just be the most impressive, since this is essentially his first month in European football.

The Brazilian midfielder was sensational in the middle of the park, despite coming up against an imposing opposition in Italian champions Juventus, who had the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala, and Miralem Pjanic in their XI.

Guimarães’ reputation before coming to Lyon was that of a complete, modern midfielder, capable of doing the dirty work in midfield but also possessing a wand of a right foot that can pick out a long pass with ease or drive forward into dangerous positions.

Well, that reputation wasn’t a myth. He showed all of those qualities and many more in this performance, as he adds his name to the ever-growing list of Brasilerao players who have made a seamless transition to European football. Smart clubs would be looking down in Brazil for talent on a consistent basis.

Guimarães won a whopping 88% of his duels vs Juventus, essentially proving that he dominated the midfield battle alongside Lucas Tousart. While Juventus had some big names in midfield, Sarri’s very stubborn style of management continues to fail in its goal to get the best out of them. Guimarães took advantage of the rigidity and lack of energy in the Bianconeri midfield, feasting on them all night.

The Brazilian also completed 100% of his dribble attempts, and pitched in magnificently off-the-ball as well, with 4 interceptions and 3 tackles.

All in all, it was a performance synonymous with Guimarães’ reputation as a complete midfielder who is impossible to tie down. Juventus could certainly have used some of his dynamism in midfield…

It seems as if Lyon have picked up a gem in Bruno Guimarães, as the 22-year-old has taken to European football like a duck to water, turning down the need for an adjustment period and getting straight into doing what he does best – controlling games by being dominant with and without the ball.