Opinion: Veretout the machine in midfield haunts Juve

Unquestionably Roma's man of the match in the dramatic 2-2 draw with reigning champions Juventus, Jordan Veretout's energy, relentless running power and determination saw him pose as a constant thorn in Juve's side.

Setting the tone exceptionally for his teammates to follow, the Frenchman worked his socks for the Giallorossi - while also showing his intelligence and guile in a wonderful all-round display.

Despite a slowish start to the clash, he quickly stamped his mark on the game, rising to the occasion by bagging a first half brace.

His first was a coolly taken penalty while his second a masterful finish on his left foot following a barnstorming run from deep, where his first touch was exceptional to take the ball away from Weston McKennie so he had room to finish.

There was so much more to like about his offensive efforts, as his movement was a crucial component towards his success.

To start with, how he dropped back in between the central defenders saw him help the Giallorossi gain a 4v3 overload when building out from the back.

On top of this, his positioning also ensured Roma had additional cover in the event of a turnover so his backline weren't exposed vs. the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Aaron Ramsey and Dejan Kulusevski 1v1.

As a result of this, a Juve mid would often be drawn out to press him, which created spaces for dual 10s in Pedro and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to exploit to connect and build passages of play.

In addition, his positioning meant Roma had better horizontal coverage, thus enabling the wingbacks, especially Leonardo Spinazzola, to maraud forward freely knowing there was coverage at the back.

When the opportunity presented itself for Veretout to embark on one of his customarily damaging penetrative runs from deep, he duly took it. So hard to track due to the fact the defenders were usually preoccupied by other threats, his goal offered a testament to his aptitude here.

Meanwhile, with the ball at his feet, the 27-year-old passed the ball coherently to keep things ticking over in midfield to get the ball into the wingbacks and the feet of the frontmen.

While he usually played safer passes, he did switch the angle of attacks and break the lines on occasion to bypass the Juve rearguard.

Typically fierce and tenacious in his defensive work, Roma's ball-winning and pressing machine undertook his duties with vigour. Chiming in with a slew of interventions to break up play and recover possession for the home side, his physicality and energy were crucial.

Moreover, his pressing was at a high level too, where he parlayed smarts with his fearless approach. Usually tasked with stopping McKennie, Juve's new signing found life tough when Veretout was harrying him with gusto.

Responding sharply to triggers like if his man was receiving in an open body shape, with their back to goal or about to inherit a poor pass, Veretout pounced. In addition, by standing a few yards off his man to give the ball holder the perception his marker was free before rapidly springing to press was vital.

Reading the play so brilliantly not just in these pressing traps but in general play, this saw him make quality decisions with his positioning too. Recognising when to hold his post, shift across, retreat to support his defenders or take over a marking assignment, it was positive to see him frequently take the right course of action.

Although he was frustrated Roma couldn't capitalise on going ahead twice, Veretout was still full of praise for the team's performance against the premier team in the country.

Having now drawn (on the pitch, at least) their opening two games despite putting in strong showings, surely a win isn't far away - especially if Veretout can keep producing such sparkling showings.