Juventus” data-scaytid=”1″>Juventus will need a remarkable performance to reach the Champions League semi-final after numerous mistakes in their 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Juventus will need a remarkable performance to reach the Champions League semi-final after numerous mistakes in their 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
The Bianconeri were still unbeaten in the Champions League this season and kept five consecutive clean sheets going into the first leg of this quarter-final. Their track record in Munich was perfectly even thanks to a 1-0 win in 2004, a draw and a defeat. Juve also knocked German teams out in all five previous quarter-finals.
Mirko Vucinic was still suffering from flu symptoms, so Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella started in attack. Javi Martinez was suspended and Holger Badstuber injured, but Bayern were fresh from a 9-1 Bundesliga victory over Hamburg.
It was the worst possible start for the Bianconeri. Andrea Pirlo gave the ball away and David Alaba hit a speculative long-range effort that took a deflection off Arturo Vidal. Gigi Buffon was heading the wrong way and had to change direction, but slipped and couldn’t quite get there in time to keep out the shot in the opening 30 seconds.
Juve’s run of four consecutive clean sheets in Europe was ended in bizarre fashion, but did not lose heart and Pirlo’s free kick landed on the roof of the net, then Vidal’s snapshot whistled wide.
Bad news for Bayern, as Toni Kroos hobbled off with a suspected groin strain to make way for Arjen Robben. The Dutch international almost scored within three minutes of coming off the bench, as he pounced on an Andrea Barzagli error to shoot from seven yards, forcing Buffon to parry with his ankle.
Barzagli gave the ball away again in the final third and Franck Ribery’s counter-attack was deflected inches past the near post. From that corner, a Dante glancing header went wide. Daniel Van Buyten also protested as Giorgio Chiellini stopped him getting to another corner.
Bastian Schweinsteiger’s free kick floated just over the far top corner, but Juve were under pressure and continually giving the ball away in the final third. Another error allowed a Thomas Muller counter and Robben fired wide of the near post from a very promising position.
Matri at full stretch just failed to get on the end of a long pass and Manuel Neuer plucked it off his foot. Robben’s weak angled drive was into Buffon’s arms and Ribery flashed a ball across the six-yard box, but Mario Mandzukic couldn’t make contact under pressure from Chiellini.
Schweinsteiger blasted over the bar, but Juve finally created a chance in first half stoppages when Bonucci’s glancing header from a Pirlo corner landed on the roof of the net.
Surprisingly, Antonio Conte made no changes at the break and Buffon parried a Mandzukic counter-attack at the base of the near post. The goalkeeper also had his palms stung by a fierce Alaba free kick.
Bayern remained in control and doubled their lead when Buffon palmed a long-range Luiz Gustavo effort into the path of Mandzukic, who reacted quicker than the Juve defence to roll across for Muller’s tap-in. There were suspicions of offside on Mandzukic in the build-up. It was only the sixth time in all competition this season that Juve had conceded more than one goal.
Vucinic and Sebastian Giovinco were thrown on for the ineffective Matri and Quagliarella. Vidal was booked for a handling offence and will be suspended for the second leg.
Juve finally had a shot on goal on 69 minutes when Vidal stung Neuer’s gloves from eight yards, but on the counter Ribery did the same to Buffon. Paul Pogba replaced Federico Peluso, as Juve moved to a 4-4-2 system in the final 15 minutes.
Stephan Lichtsteiner was harshly booked for simulation when he burst into the box and clattered into Dante, as the English referee thought he went looking for the contact. Ribery was fortunate to escape even a free kick when he stamped his studs on Vidal’s calf.
Alaba charged down a Pogba strike in the box, but as the move continued Bonucci ballooned an attempt high and wide. Buffon got down to beat away a Muller snapshot and was glad to see the Bayern forward fire the follow-up over the bar.
Bayern 2-0 Juventus
Scorers: Alaba 1 (B), Muller 63 (B)
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Lahm, van Buyten, Dante, Alaba; Luiz Gustavo, Schweinsteiger; Muller, Kroos (Robben 16), Ribery (Shaqiri 92); Mandzukic (Gomez 90)
Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Lichtsteiner, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Peluso (Pogba 75); Matri (Vucinic 65), Quagliarella (Giovinco 65)
Ref: Clattenburg (ENG)