Juventus Season 2014-2015

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

2 - 1

Giulio Migliaccio (25')

Fernando Llorente (39')
Andrea Pirlo (45')

Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Massimiliano Irrati

Player Ratings: Juventus 2-1 Atalanta

Feb 20, 2015
 

Juventus

1 G. Buffon - Made a fantastic save to deny Baselli in the first half and barely had another stop to make.

4 M. Cáceres - The Uruguayan got forward regularly and forced a good save from Sportiello, but he lost Migliaccio on the goal.

19 L. Bonucci - His header led to Llorente scoring the equaliser, but he was frequently out of position at the back.

3 G. Chiellini - It was a comfortable game at the back for the Italy international, who kept Denis quiet throughout.

20 S. Padoin - Pushed forward frequently and was rarely caught out by Emanuelson going the other way.

8 C. Marchisio - The Italy international put a couple of decent deliveries into the box but did not make much of an impact.

21 ANDREA PIRLO - Displayed his trademark incisive passing and scored an absolute belter to secure the points.

6 P. Pogba - The Frenchman played a few decent passes but really ought to have scored with a second-half header.

37 R. Pereyra - Combined well with his team-mates and was always forward-thinking. Denied a goal by Sportiello's save.

10 C. Tévez - The Argentine looked lively but never really managed to get into areas where he could test Sportiello himself.

14 Llorente - Scored his team's equaliser with an opportunistic strike and was always looking to get in behind.


Substitutes

26 S. Lichtsteiner - Came on for Pogba in the 65th minute and was very bright out wide.

 

9 Álvaro Morata - Replaced Llorente in the 74th minute and stretched the opposition with his pace.

11 K. Coman - Brought on for Tevez in the 89th minute.


 

Atalanta

57 M. Sportiello - The keeper made a number of brilliant saves but was eventually beaten by Llorente and could do nothing to deny Pirlo.

6 G. Bellini - Defended well for periods but was guilty of sitting far too deep and inviting pressure.

13 A. Masiello - Stuck as close to Llorente as possible and did a good job of frustrating him for long periods.

8 G. Migliaccio - Put in a number of strong challenges to break up the play and scored with a brilliant header.

5 L. Scaloni - Made his first Serie A appearance in over a year and was solid defensively as well as offering an attacking option.

22 D. Zappacosta - Tried to offer protection to Drame and was quick to counterattack whenever possible.

21 L. Cigarini - Couldn't display his quality in midfield as he was forced to defend with Juve dominating the ball.

16 D. Baselli - Operated in behind Denis and forced a great save from Buffon. Always lurking around the box.

93 B. Dramé - Operated at left-back and frequently afforded Caceres and Lichtsteiner more space than he should have.

28 U. Emanuelson - Lacked sharpness when in possession but supplied the corner which Migliaccio headed home.

19 G. Denis - The Argentine received very little service, but when it did come his way he strayed offside too often.


Substitutes

7 M. D'Alessandro - Came on for the injured Zappacosta in the 51st minute but struggled to have a positive influence.

99 R. Boakye - Brought on for Denis in the 71st minute but didn't offer anything more.

10 A. Gómez - Replaced Baselli in the 83rd minute.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

2 - 1

Giulio Migliaccio (25')

Fernando Llorente (39')
Andrea Pirlo (45')

Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Massimiliano Irrati

Juventus win, but fail
to convince against Atalanta

Feb 21, 2015
 
They hoped it would be easy. They hoped they would glide their way to another victory to boost their confidence. Yet on Friday evening, in front of their own fans, Juventus suffered against a determined Atalanta side who, against the run of play, opened the scoring. The Old Lady won in the end but not as comprehensively as she would have hoped.

For one thing, Stefano Colantuono has constructed a determined side that possess the right spirit. They may have conceded a lot of space to Juventus, which is unusual for them, but they showed courage going forward and were intelligent in profiting from Juve's obvious flaw -- the slowing down of pace in the final third.

This particular point irks the critics. Juventus will push and move men forward, but just at a time when the opponent is not yet organised and swift play is required, the Bianconeri lose momentum and slow things down, resulting in a well-executed block or tackle by the defence. When pushing forward with pace, players must think quickly and maintain concentration so as to create opportunities at a faster rate than defences have time to arrange themselves. Instead, it's a repeat of the same one-twos in congested areas that eventually lead to the opponent winning the ball.

Always on hand to win back possession just outside the box and counter-attack with pace, Atalanta read the game well and benefitted from Juve's imprecision. While Martin Caceres exploited the space on the right flank in an attempt to deliver the right pass or the right cross into the box, Juventus grew too attached to the notion of pushing through centrally in the second half. This made it easier for Atalanta to steal the ball and push.

These are the games when one cannot help but miss Kwadwo Asamoah. Not only would he have managed more on the left wing, utilising the space available to him, but he would have always been on hand to rescue his team from the away side's counter-attacks. An intelligent man who understands how to balance his tasks, he would have made the difference on the night.

Thankfully for Juventus, Fernando Llorente did. The player, under a mountain of pressure especially since Alvaro Morata's recent improvement, managed a scrappy, confidence-boosting goal to equalise for his side. While he earned applause and quiet appreciation for his efforts, many continue to accuse the player of being sub-par for a side like Juve.

He doesn't have the pace of Morata, the creativity of Carlos Tevez or the mobility of other strikers, but he doesn't deserve the criticism. There are few who work as hard as he does in the box, occupying the centre-backs and using his strength to control and shoot. Boasting a towering physique, he's the player who draws defenders away and battles consistently to hold the ball up to help those around him.

He may not always be the most elegant. And he has a habit of succumbing to frustration by registering fouls. But against the Nerazzurri on Friday, he demonstrated what a fine touch he has, taking balls into his stride as he moved forward. Admittedly he hasn't been prolific and he has limitations on a technical level, but at least Llorente always fights, displaying the Juve mentality.

While Llorente's goal brought relief, Andrea Pirlo's brought back the beauty. Scoring an outrageously delightful goal from distance, demonstrating true technique and ability, the player effectively won the game for his side. Not because he was always on hand to look for the right avenues going forward, and not even because his goal proved to be the winner. No, Pirlo won the match for Juve by owning the midfield both offensively and defensively.

Jumping to win headers, intercepting passes and stealing possession, Pirlo ensured Atalanta were consistently interrupted as they tried to move quickly up the field. His defensive contributions on the night proved valuable and entertaining, earning the Italian standing ovations and continuous applause from the fans who heralded his achievements. He may have disappointed recently, but when Pirlo wants to turn the magic on, opponents -- and critics -- are forced to sit and admire.

Fighting to the end and reverting to a 3-5-2 formation to win the match, Juventus showed maturity but perhaps should not have suffered so much against a side decimated by injuries and struggling to climb the table. However, they will be happy to realise that when they remain determined and humble, they can seal victories, which should stand them in good stead for Borussia Dortmund.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

2 - 1

Giulio Migliaccio (25')

Fernando Llorente (39')
Andrea Pirlo (45')

Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Massimiliano Irrati

Juventus 2 - Atalanta 1: Initial
reaction and random observations

Feb 21, 2015
 
It didn't take very long for Juventus to venture down a road they've gone down so many times in recent years. You know the one — possession galore, scoring chances aplenty and nothing to show for it whatsoever. It was, just like Sunday against Cesena, a frustrating-beyond-belief kind of game where Juve had over 80 (!!!) percent of the possession in the early stages of the first half.

And that's even before Atalanta took the lead on what was basically their only real moment of attack-minded football in the first half. (It had to be a goal from a set piece/corner kick, didn't it? Check that one off the list.)

Yet, in the span of six minutes as the first half was beginning to come to a close, Juventus scored one of the scrappiest goals of the season (Fernando Llorente's) and one of the prettiest courtesy of Andrea Pirlo's 30-yard bolt of lightning. Just like that, Juve turned their fortunes around in a game they were far from impressive.

Heck, they were far from playing a solid game at all.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@Pirlo_official: "After Sunday’s performance in Cesena, our only aim for tonight was getting the three points."

I mean, that's a good way to look at it to try and get right in Serie A. But was this really an inspiring performance when it comes to going into the Champions League showdown with Borussia Dortmund just four days away? Not really. Juventus created opportunities, sure, but when you're playing against a relegation-battling team that was far from full strength, you want the league's best to impose their will. Juve had possession, but didn't take full advantage of it.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was thinking "Don't pull a Cesena!" as the second half went on and Juventus couldn't find a third goal to double their lead and essentially put the game to bed.

You just hope the win gives the squad some confidence going into a massive week. I know the overall performance wasn't all that inspiring. That's for damn sure.

JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen
.@OfficialAllegri: "The team showed a positive reaction and did well to see out the win, something we didn’t see in Cesena."


Random thoughts and observations

I am going to get the Fernando Llorente discussion out of the way quickly.

Do I think he was great against Atalanta? No. But Llorente really did work his tail off Friday night. There was a time where Llorente would be involved in a huge number of Juve's ventures forward, holding up playing and dishing the ball off to his teammates. And while his goal was ugly, he did something he hadn't done since the middle of December — actually find the back of the net.

If anything, Llorente's goal, his fifth in Serie A this season, will give him some much-much-much-needed confidence going forward. Based on how things have gone for him the past six months, any kind of goal is something to be happy about. I think that's something we can agree about.

I don't know how many times I watched Pirlo's goal during halftime, but it was a lot. So beautiful, so out of nowhere, so important. That's what gave Juventus the three points Friday night. So thank you, Andrea.

Quiz question for the masses: When was the last time a Pirlo goal was a non-free kick? Go ahead.

It's no secret around here that I am one of the biggest Martin Cáceres fanboys there is. He was great in the first half against Atalanta, bombing up and down the right wing in his return to the starting lineup. He hasn't missed a beat at all — when he's actually healthy, of course — since shifting out wide as a right back since Max Allegri's been using his 4-3-1-2 formation.

Allegri walked a tightrope with playing Paul Pogba from the start against Atalanta fully knowing that a yellow card would mean the French dynamo wouldn't be part of Juve's trip to Roma next weekend. Luckily for all of us (and Allegri), Pogba didn't get that yellow card before he came off for Stephan Lichtsteiner in the 64th minute. Bullet dodged.

Who's actually going to be suspended against Roma? A certain Simone Padoin. Let's just start praying for a win right now, people.

I'm just going out on a limb and declare it right here: One of the young players Atalanta trotted out Friday night will be a Juventus player sooner rather than later. That's just a hunch. (Or maybe it's knowing a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to Beppe Marotta.)

Our Champions League coverage will get going soon, but one quick thought: After watching Atalanta counter like they did, even thinking about somebody like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang kick into gear and run full speed at Juve's defense may well give me nightmares. Seriously, trying to stop Dortmund's counterattacking ways will be so important to keeping them off the scoreboard Tuesday night.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

2 - 1

Giulio Migliaccio (25')

Fernando Llorente (39')
Andrea Pirlo (45')

Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Massimiliano Irrati

Llorente: Goal Against Atalanta
Gives Me Confidence

Feb 21, 2015
 
Juventus striker Fernando Llorente has stated that the goal he scored in the 2-1 victory against Atalanta gives him confidence.

The Spaniard scored his side’s equaliser on Friday night in what was only his sixth goal of the season, and his first since the 3-1 away win against Cagliari on December 18.

“This goal gives me confidence because I haven’t scored in while,” he told Mediaset.

Llorente then went on to say that his side are ready to face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Round of 16 UEFA Champions League tie.

“I don’t know if thinking about the Borussia Dortmund game affected our performance tonight, but we are ready to face them,” he said.

“We actually had a lot of chances to score, it is a pity that we only managed to convert two of them.

“The competition with [Alvaro] Morata can only be beneficial to the team so that everyone can give their best to the side, and it gives the coach [Massimiliano Allegri] more choices.

“Allegri decides on how we play and who plays, but the most important thing is Juventus.

“We’ll have to play really well against Dortmund because they have a lot of quality in midfield and attack; we can’t leave them any space.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

2 - 1

Giulio Migliaccio (25')

Fernando Llorente (39')
Andrea Pirlo (45')

Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Massimiliano Irrati

Pirlo: Juventus had to dig deep

The veteran midfielder was relieved to get three points against Atalanta
and is ready to turn his attention quickly to Borussia Dortmund.

Feb 21, 2015
 
Andrea Pirlo concedes Juventus were forced to "dig deep" in order to secure three points against Atalanta on Friday.

The champions went behind to Giulio Migliaccio's first-half header before Fernando Llorente bundled home from close range and Pirlo completed the turnaround with a sensational strike from distance.

"Our only target tonight was getting the three points and putting in a good display following last Sunday's performance in Cesena," the 35-year-old told reporters after the match.

"It wasn't an easy game. But even though we fell behind, we managed to dig deep and grind out a result."

Pirlo is confident Llorente will be given a timely boost after getting back on the scoresheet in Turin.

"Fernando required that confidence boost and we hope the goals will now start flowing for him," he said. "He's someone we need."

Attentions now turn to Juve's Champions League last-16 first leg with Borussia Dortmund next week and Pirlo is determined to deny the Germans an away goal.

'"It'll be crucial to win without conceding," he said. "We're not going to focus on their league position but for how they've gone about in the Champions League so far. From tomorrow we’ll begin preparing for Borussia Dortmund."

 

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA

2 - 1

Giulio Migliaccio (25')

Fernando Llorente (39')
Andrea Pirlo (45')

Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Massimiliano Irrati

Juventus 2-1 Atalanta: Andrea Pirlo
wondergoal wins Borussia Dortmund warmup

Fernando Llorente and Andrea Pirlo got the goals
as Juventus came from behind to beat Atalanta 2-1 in Turin.

Feb 21, 2015
 
Ahead of the massively important first leg against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, much of the debate surrounding Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus concerned how he would treat the Atalanta match. Would it be a dress rehearsal for the Dortmund game, picking a first-choice team and working on some of the tactical maneuvers designed to beat the German defense? Or would it be a second-string starting XI, with several starters rested in hopes of seeing them at their best in the Champions League?

In the end, Allegri chose the middle road, naming a largely first-choice XI, with Patrice Evra seeding the left-back slot to Simone Padoin and Arturo Vidal left out in the hope that he can completely recover from a slight muscular injury. Carlos Tévez returned from suspension, partnering Fernando Llorente up top, while Giorgio Chiellini returned to the center of defense.

Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono was forced into wholesale changes after four starters against Inter picked up cards earning suspensions, including Benalouane's red. Perhaps the biggest miss was Maxi Moralez, with the diminutive Argentine ruled out through injury. Atalanta responded by packing the team with fullbacks and set out to defend and hit quickly on the counter. Their plan was largely effective, and they even took the lead through a Giuseppe Migliaccio header, but as the game wore on their energy levels dropped and once Andrea Pirlo scored a brilliant go-ahead goal in the 45th minute Atalanta struggled to find a way back.

It was not an entirely convincing performance from Juventus, who took the foot off the gas for long periods of the second half. With huge games against Dortmund and at Roma in the next week it is important to note that nobody seemed to pick up any injuries, although Simone Padoin did see a yellow card that will rule him out of the upcoming Roma match.

Three important points extend Juventus' lead atop the table to 10, with Roma facing Hellas Verona on Sunday, but Juventus have certainly played better at different points of the season. With everything on the line against Dortmund, Turin will hope to see the Old Lady in her very finest on Tuesday night. 
 

MATCH SUMMARY

Juventus kicked off and almost immediately Atalanta's intent became clear — forming two lines of four and dropping off into their own half. Juventus passed the ball patiently, waiting for an opportunity to invent something in the final third. Carlos Tévez looked the most likely to have something come off, and his early flick nearly created a chance only to see Martín Cáceres' cross was blocked out for a corner. Pirlo's corner almost resulted in an early opener, as Llorente made a good run past the near post, but his volley skewed wide. It would have been a spectacular finish.

Leonardo Bonucci found Llorente with a magnificent through ball 11 minutes in, but the linesman raised his flag. Another combination down the right between Llorente, Tévez, and the overlapping Cáceres saw the Uruguayan's cross cut out. Not everything was going Juventus' way, however, as Atalanta showed a glimpse of potential with an instinctive Luca Cigarini ball over the top, well read by Bonucci. Pirlo nearly set up the opener with a fantastic pass through for Llorente, but the striker was just put off by Massiello.

Twenty-four minutes in, Atalanta had the best chance of the game, as Urby Emanuelson raced upfield on the counter after an excellent touch from Germán Denis. The attack unravelled slightly but eventually the ball fell for Daniele Baselli all alone in front of goal, forcing Buffon into a vital save. The Atalanta man really should have put his side into the lead, and from the resulting corner the 1-0 did come. Giuseppe Migliaccio escaped Cáceres' marking and got ahead of Claudio Marchisio at the near post, somehow flicking his header perfectly in off the far post.

Juventus reacted immediately with a Tévez effort, then Paul Pogba nearly made something happen following a fantastic roulette on the touchline, but Roberto Pereyra's finish was weak after Tévez played him in. Llorente had another chance on 33' when Pogba played a quick ball to his feet, but he could not quite turn and fire in time. It was Pogba creating again in the 38th, as the French international played a brilliant cross-field ball through the entire Atalanta defense, but Cáceres' shot was well-saved.

Once again the resulting corner provided the goal, as Llorente tapped in following Bonucci's header and a bit of pinball in the box. Atalanta managed a bit of a response, but soon enough were once again pinned into their own half.

Things were calmly moving to halftime, with Atalanta sinking back and Juventus tapping around 5-yard passes, easing towards the Atalanta box, and then it happened. Pogba faked a shot, tapped it across to Marchisio, who knocked it back for Pirlo. The Atalanta midfield was slow to react, and Pirlo instantly saw his chance, taking one touch to set it up and thundering a beautiful strike into the far corner. The ball was struck so purely it barely rotated in the air, just knuckling away from Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello at the last second.

The second half started fairly quickly, with both sides having even-numbers situations on the counter in the first five minutes, but Tévez and Emanuelson showed too much to their defenders. The visitors lost Davide Zappacosta to a thigh injury soon after, taking some of the bite out of their counterattack. Juventus had two chances to wrap up the points soon after, first with Llorente and Tévez just failing to combine and then when Pogba saw point-blank header brilliantly saved following a good run from Tévez and Pereyra's cross. Marchisio went down in the box with a hand on his shoulder, but the referee played on and, following some heated discussion, gave Marchisio a yellow card. A minute later Il Principino caught a high boot to the face, also in the box, and again the referee saw nothing in it.

Emanuelson threatened again on the counter, drawing a yellow for Padoin, before Pogba could have a third, leaving Atalanta midfielders in his wake, but Tévez' shot was blocked. Atalanta had a chance for an equalizer, but Denis' header lacked power. Stephan Lichtsteiner came on for Pogba in the 65th minute, switching the formation to 3-5-2 and saving the midfielder from a possible yellow card which would bring a suspension against Roma.

The Swiss Express was quickly involved, knocking Tévez' cross back into the box for Llorente, but the big striker could not quite get there first. Lichtsteiner continues to be involved down the right, but his final ball never quite found its target. The clock began running down and Atalanta struggled to create much, resorting to hopeful attempts from long range.

Álvaro Morata came on for Llorente for the last 15 minutes, nearly creating something in the 82nd when his cutback went to Pirlo then Tévez, but the final effort was blocked. Two minutes later the young Spaniard was again racing down the flank, but Massiello recovered in time.

Atalanta had a couple of chances late, as Cigarini blasted a hopeful effort and then Scaloni sent in a dangerous cross for Migliaccio, but this time he was unable to get his header on target.

Kingsley Coman came on for the final five minutes and was instantly dangerous, turning the Atalanta defense inside and out but his eventual cross was too close to Marco Sportiello. Stoppage time played out without too much danger, as Juventus extended its lead over Roma to ten points.

 

LE PAGELLE

Buffon: 6.5 Not all that much to do, but was quick off his line and made an excellent save on Benassi. Migliaccio's header left him no chance.

Cáceres: 6 A constant presence on the attacking flank and usually strong defensively. However, he lost Migliaccio on the goal.

Bonucci: 6 Usually strong and good covering ground, as well as playing a few dangerous long balls. Could perhaps have been more aggressive with Denis in the buildup to Benassi's chance.

Chiellini: 6 Covered ground and won his tackles, as well as contributing to a few attacks.

Padoin: 5.5 At times was a good outlet down the left, and was fairly untroubled defensively except for one header late on.

Marchisio: 6 Failed to make an impact with his shooting, but always involved and running for the team.

Pirlo: 7 Vital contributions to both goals, and could have easily created another. Did his defensive work well too.

Pogba: 6.5 At times looked absolutely unstoppable, but at others faded from the match.

Pereyra: 5.5 One of Tucu Pereyra's more forgettable matches, as he put in a couple of crosses, dribbled and got in good positions, but probably should have contributed to a goal somehow.

Llorente: 6 The big man got the nod again, and was very useful winning high balls as well as getting into dangerous positions, but was a touch sluggish getting his shot off.

Tévez: 6 Vital as ever in the Juventus buildup, Tévez does not quite have the luck in front of goal that he did earlier this year, but remains Juventus' most potent attacking threat.

 

Substitutes

Lichtsteiner: 6 Immediately made an impact as an outlet down the right. It will be interesting to see who starts at right-back on Tuesday.

Morata: 6 Always threatening in space, and another who should maybe be given a chance on Tuesday.

Coman: N/A Only on for a few minutes, but showed his potential with fantastic pace and elusiveness.


Coach:

Allegri: 6 Very much job done in this one, getting three points and on to the Champions League with no injuries and no yellow card for Pogba.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

-

Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Looking at Borussia Dortmund's dangermen

Tuesday night will see Borussia Dortmund travel to Juventus Stadium, and despite their dire
domestic form through the first half of the season, BVB remain one of Europe's most dangerous teams.

Feb 22, 2014

Juventus plays Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in a match that could go some way to defining both teams' seasons. The German side has finally hit a bit of form at the worst possible time for Juventus fans, with a return to form and fitness for players like Ilkay Gündoğan and Marco Reus contributing to a run of three straight wins. Going back to the 4-2-3-1 — turning into a pressing 4-4-2 in defense — that has served them so well in recent seasons, Jürgen Klopp's men will surely pose problems for the Juventus team, and especially the back four. In this piece I'll take a look at some of BVB's best.

Marco Reus is the first name on the teamsheet when healthy, and for good reason. Very creative and effective cutting in from either sideline, and almost impossible to dispossess, the German is simply one of the best around. The winter signing of Kevin Kampl from Red Bull Salzburg has spread some of the creative burden, with the Slovenian offering something of a mirror image on the opposite wing. Although their mutual understanding needs work at times, when it does click they can unlock defenses with ease. Kampl tends to start on the right and cut infield deeper, with Reus making infield runs higher and from the left. Switching positions at will and both good, fast dribblers capable of scoring from distance or playing the killer pass, Reus and Kampl will make sure that the Juventus fullbacks and midfielders have their work cut out for them.

In the last few games, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has become the clear first-choice striker for Klopp. Unbelievably fast, Aubameyang also has the stamina to make explosive runs all game long and from sideline to sideline, stretching the defense and breaking the last line. An instinctive first-time finisher, Aubameyang will miss his fair share but when he gets it right his shots leave the keeper no chance. Aubameyang's incredible speed makes him important to the pressing game as well, as he is always eager to close down a center back or goalkeeper who takes one touch too many. Any ball over the top or into the channels gives Aubameyang a chance, and the Juventus defense will have to communicate and always be aware of the Gabonese dangerman.

Ilkay Gündoğan is finally back to something near his best, providing an important link between attack and defense, often simply by playing balls over or through the opposing defense, as well as offering a goal threat of his own. Very good technically and eager to contribute all over the pitch, alongside Nuri Sahin he provides the shield in front of the back four and is an important component of Dortmund's high press.

Dortmund's characteristic High Pressing will be one of the most important battles of the game, as Juventus try and move the ball upfield with short passes using Andrea Pirlo, Giorgio Chiellini, and Leonardo Bonucci as a base. If Juventus can consistently move the ball into midfield under control, and have time to look up and play accurate balls for the strikers, they should be well on the way to progressing. If Dortmund can force turnovers in the attacking zone the Schwarzgelben will be very tough to control.

Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio will need to be precise in receiving the ball from their back line, and if they are consistently able to keep things moving forward it will be a big step for Juventus. Once that initial press is broken Dortmund remain a team with issues in defense, particularly if Mats Hummels is not able to recover from flu. Robert Weidenfeller, Neven Subotić and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have not inspired much confidence this year, and if Juventus can ask questions of them goals are likely to be the answer.

Andrea Pirlo remains one of the likeliest sources of inspiration for the Old Lady, with his magnificent range of passing potentially deadly against a team that leaves space in behind like Dortmund. The Bearded Maestro will also be on set-piece duty, another area that has provided trouble for Klopp's men this season.

Carlos Tévez will be, as always, hugely involved in the offensive third. With Gündoğan and Sahin in midfield Dortmund hardly have the most solid base, and at times both will lose 50/50 balls and provide a clear run through on the defense. Like Reus on the other side, Tévez has the dribbling, strength, creativity, and finishing to make his chances count.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

-

Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Pirlo: 'One more Champions League'

Feb 22, 2014

Andrea Pirlo said he wants to “win another Champions League before retiring” as Juventus host Borussia Dortmund.

On Tuesday there is the first leg in the Round of 16, kicking off in Turin at 20.45 CET.

“I came to Juve in order to win and we achieved that. I am very happy, but now we must make the next step up the ladder,” Pirlo told La Stampa newspaper.

“I’d like to win another Champions League before retiring. We will not fall into the trap of confusing Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga status with their real quality. You cannot underestimate a match like this.”

The midfielder has lifted this trophy twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007, but Juventus haven’t won this competition since 1996.

“When it feels like a chore to come to training, I will be the first to raise my hand and say that’s enough, I quit. However, that moment is not now.”

Known for his cool demeanour and nicknamed ‘The Maestro’ of free kicks, Pirlo doesn’t see himself that way.

“Perhaps I should get more fired up and angry, both in life and on the pitch. That’s just the way I am.

“As for free kicks, I am not a maestro, but a student, because in life there is always something new to learn.”

Meanwhile, Pirlo scored a stunning goal to give the Bianconeri a 2-1 victory over Atalanta on Friday, avoiding another draw after Cesena.

“We were angry against Atalanta, because we threw away two points at Cesena and that should never happen again.

“Right now we have a 10-point advantage over Roma, but it’s nothing really. With one defeat and a draw, Roma would be right up there with us. Serie A remains open.”

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Q & A WITH THE YELLOW WALL

Feb 22, 2014

In our latest Q&A session we sit down with Stefan Buczko of The Yellow Wall Pod which is part of the Football Collective network of team sites along with JuveFC.com. Stefan spoke to us about the upcoming Champions League match with Borussia Dortmund.

How do you see the tie – Can Dortmund progress past the last 16?

It’s hard to assess in what kind of shape Borussia Dortmund are in, as are yet to be tested by a big caliber side in 2015. Fact is, they are currently on the mend and they have fared well in the Champions League, otherwise they wouldn’t play against a team that came second in their group. Juventus are favourites for the tie, but if the black and yellows show their Champions League face, it’ll be a nail biter for both sets of fans. It’s unfortunate scheduling for Dortmund, that they play their big rivals FC Schalke in the game after and BVB fans will value a win more against their hated neighbours than in the Champions League, considering league points must be the priority. Then again it might be the last two times in a long time Borussia Dortmund will hear the magic anthem before kick off and the players will probably give their all to add two more.

Where has it gone wrong for Dortmund in the Bundesliga ? What would you highlight as the main problem ?

A lot of things must come together for such a great team to plummet all the way down, so it’s hard to single one factor out. It’s a mix of poor fitness levels after a insufficient preseason, injuries, loss of confidence combined with misfortune and a lack of cleverness. Comical individual errors at the back and atrocious finishing upfront was Dortmund’s undoing in a lot of games, where they were not the weaker team, but the sheer opposite from efficiency.

How do you rate ex-Juve striker, Ciro Immobile? What’s the fans opinion of him?

It’s Immobile’s first season at Dortmund and he found it hard to find his way into a struggling side. Too often he still looks disconnected from the rest of the team and harshly wasted a few sitters in the league. It’s probably not going as well as he had hoped, since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is now running the show as BVB’s lone striker. The fans don’t feel too enthusiastic about the Italian striker yet, but he’s demonstrated from time to time – especially in the Champions League – that there is greatness in him. He might show it on a consistent level if he actually had the chance to do so – strikers only function with the trust of the coach and a few games in a row to find into their groove. Currently I wouldn’t expect him to start in Turin.

Which Juventus player do you fear the most ?

Apart from Pirlo’s free kicks, it has to be Paul Pogba. Dortmund defenders are very susceptible to players with a high amount of individual skill and the Frenchmen is generously blessed with talent.

Who is Dortmund’s key-player ?

Borussia Dortmund’s biggest strength is usually their collective, but Marco Reus is the difference maker upfront. He can produce the extra ordinary to tilt a close game into Dortmund’s favour.

What are your thoughts on the Juventus defence ? How do you rate it?

It’s the best defense in Italy, bolstered with a lot of experience. I imagine it won’t be easy for Dortmund to create chances against them. Like most teams that are dominating their domestic league, Juve control most games in their opponent’s halves and thus make the distance to their own goal very long for their opponents. The whole team basically consists of players who have a strong physique and know how to make a tackle. I assume they have more tricks up their sleeve and more cheekiness than Dortmund do, but I haven’t watched enough Juve games to know for sure how their domestic prowess translate to Europe. In Italy they are probably seldomly confronted with a tenacious and relentless pressing like Dortmund’s and I can’t predict how the bianconeri will deal with it.

What do you think is Juve’s biggest weakness ?

Putting it into the context of the tie, it’s probably pace or the lack thereof at the back. I don’t know how offensively Allegri will set up his side, but if they will look to control the game, they will have to be on their toes. Once the likes of Marco Reus or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are unleashed it’s tough to contain them. Gigi Buffon better be quick off his line, or he might be in trouble.

Are pressing and counter attack still BVB’s strengths?

Yes, they are. While Borussia Dortmund struggle against sides, that sit back and don’t allow much space for counter attacks, they exhale against proactive sides. Their Champions League campaign has shown just that, as Arsenal, Galatasaray and Anderlecht all made the mistake to give Dortmund space to exploit. Teams in the Bundesliga have adapted to pressing and developed strategies to set up against it, a lot teams in Germany have copied Dortmund’s approach and thus are less prone to fall for it, but in Europe Dortmund can still use it as a weapon.

Is there an actual fear of relegation among the fans?

After winning the last two games, the fear of relegation has probably decreased among the fans. The trend is going in the right direction and it looks like there will be at least three worse teams than Dortmund this season, but the threat of relegation is still very much around. So far Dortmund hover just above the drop zone and will need to chip in few more performances before they are actually out of danger, but currently it looks like they will – but momentum can just as easily slip away, as it comes.

What worries you the most about facing Juventus?

Injuries. If Dortmund don’t make it into the next round, they at least can focus on the league then, but it would be horrible if another key player will pick an injury, because the black and yellows had enough trouble with injuries so far and really need to push on in the league. Especially ahead of the derby it would be catastrophic, if Jürgen Klopp had to shuffle around too much. The Dortmund coach finally found a working outfit, but come to think of it, he’ll have to rotate anyway. Forgive me, if I’m a bit panicky.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Lahoz ref for Juve-Borussia

Feb 22, 2014

Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz will officiate the Champions League game between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.

The official was appointed by UEFA for the first leg Round of 16 tie on Tuesday night.

Lahoz will be supported by assistants Pau Cebrian Devis and Roberto Diaz Perez del Palomar.


Meanwhile, the other game on Tuesday between Manchester City and Barcelona has been assigned to German referee Felix Brych.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Allegri: I inherited an extraordinary Juventus side

The Juventus boss hailed the veteran midfielder after his 30-yard striker earned
the reigning Italian champions a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Atalanta on Friday.

Feb 22, 2014

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says he inherited a squad of extraordinary professionals when he succeeded former coach Antonio Conte in Turin last year.

The reigning Italian champions earned a hard-fought victory over Atalanta on Friday to go 10 points clear at the top of the table, coming behind to earn their 36th victory in their last 40 home league games after Giulio Migliaccio headed the visitors into a surprise first-half lead.

It was the second time this season that Juve have fallen behind at home and come back to win, after going 2-1 down to Roma in October, and Allegri was delighted with the reaction of his players after goals from Fernando Llorente and Andrea Pirlo earned a 2-1 victory.

“I inherited a legacy of extraordinary group of professionals, accustomed to working with intensity,” he told Franco Ordine.

“The team showed a strong reaction and did well to see out the win, something we didn’t do in last week’s 2-2 draw with Cesena.”

Juve will now turn their attentions to Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 first-leg clash at home to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

The Old Lady failed to progress past the group stage last season and Allegri never made it past the quarter-finals during his time in the competition with previous club Milan, but he denies he has a 'Champions League complex'.

“There is no complex,” he said.

“Now my Juve is more mature and we reached this point by finishing top of our group.

“Now we have to take a permanent place among the top eight teams in Europe because then we will be closer to a final which means we get more favorable draws in the future.”

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

How Borussia Dortmund Will Try to Carry
Newfound Momentum into Juventus Clash

Feb 22, 2014

Borussia Dortmund will take a moment's rest from their Bundesliga recovery this week when they make the short trip south to Turin, where they will face Italian giants Juventus in the first leg of their knockout clash in the UEFA Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp's side certainly have a bit of buzz around them of late, having won three games in a row now in the German Bundesliga and managed to climb to 12th spot in the table.

While they're still not challenging the big boys at the top of the table, this represents a welcome change from the doldrums of relegation battles.

When the former German champions take to the field on Tuesday night they'll have a certain wind in their sails and an incentive to really match their Italian opponents on the night. Dortmund have built up and incredible amount of momentum over the past month, and it's now time to see if they have enough to knock out Juventus.

The first thing we should consider is that in a rather odd and somewhat peculiar fashion, Dortmund's Champions League form this season has remained completely unaffected by their complete breakdown in the German domestic game.

Klopp's side may have spent the past six months nosediving towards the bottom of the Bundesliga, but at the very same time, we've seen then vanquish Anderlecht, Galatasaray and, most impressively, Premier League side Arsenal when it has really mattered.

Although Dortmund will undoubtedly take courage and an unquestionable amount of confidence from their recent league form, their Champions League form has been almost impeccable of late and should really suggest the German side are at the very least Juventus' equal.

Where Dortmund will mostly likely hope to hurt Juventus will be in attack, where the German side are undoubtedly more talented and have reclaimed their incentive for scoring goals of late.

Klopp has recently reverted back to his winning formula of sticking Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front while his attacking three of Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa and new signing Kevin Kampl take to either playing off him or weaving through balls for the lightning-quick forward to run on to.

The recent news of Reus signing a contract extension has truly galvanised the side and the forward's form, while Kagawa has finally returned to this squad with a turn in form since the new year.

Add to that Aubameyang's incredible goalscoring tally of late—four goals and an assist in the last three games alone, according to WhoScored.com—and you have a team that have come 180 degrees since their dreadful start to the season and are now scoring for fun.

Much of this has been down to the reintroduction of Ilkay Gundogan and Nuri Sahin to the centre of midfield—the real nucleus of Klopp's attacking intent.

Both midfielders have suffered with niggling injuries and poor form this season, but they now finally look fit and exceptionally influential in how Dortmund play football and attack other sides.

Fortunately for Dortmund, this may be the best time to ask questions of the Old Lady's defence as Massimiliano Allegri's side have looked far from composed in front of their own goal so far this year.

In fact, of the 13 goals the Italian champions have conceded in this entire Serie A campaign, four have come in their last three games, with a somewhat disheartening 0-0 draw with Udinese coming before that.

In European competition this season, we've also seen the Italian giants stumble against decent opposition and once again concede more goals than expected back home. Olympiakos managed to put four past them in two games, while Atletico Madrid also broke through to win 1-0 in their first group-stage meeting.

Quite simply, Juventus don't look like a team who can rely on keeping a clean sheet in the Champions League right now, and it'll be up to Dortmund to put them to the task.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Chiellini: Juventus Will Give Our
All Against Borussia Dortmund

Feb 22, 2014

Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has insisted that the Old Lady will give their all to earn a victory in their upcoming Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

The Bianconeri will play host to the struggling Bundesliga team in the first of two round of 16 meetings between the sides and the 30-year-old understands that the visitors will be difficult to overcome, though he confirms that the Turin giants will do everything possible to advance in the tournament.

Chiellini spoke through a video posted on his official Twitter page about the approaching battle with Borussia Dortmund and commented on Juve’s dream of winning the Champions League.

“Hello, everyone. We are currently preparing for this great match against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday,” said the Italian international.

“We know that we will be facing a great team but we will give our all because we all still dream of continuing this Champions League adventure together.”

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Borussia Dortmund are rejuvenated and ready
for Juventus, Champions League

Three Bundesliga wins in a row have given Dortmund back their swagger, and gives

Juventus something to think about as Tuesday's round of 16 first leg approaches.

Feb 22, 2014

"Here comes trouble, here comes the danger!" That song from Chronixx was on the brain as I watched Borussia Dortmund rack up their third Bundesliga win in a row on Friday night.

Granted, these wins have come against three of the teams that were possibly in worse form than Dortmund; Freiburg (currently 16th, relegation playoff spot), Mainz (currently 11th, but sacked their coach after the Dortmund loss as they had one win in their last 12) and Stuttgart (bottom of the league). However, given Dortmund's form before the win against Freiburg (three losses and two draws in their previous five games), this run of form has returned the belief to Dortmund and their fans.

They can salvage their season, and with 12 league games still to go, a Europa League place is very much a possibility. Hell, with 10 points between them and fourth place, a Champions League spot isn't out of the realm of possibility, either.

Regardless of the strength of the opposition, from watching Dortmund's play, one can see that the team is regaining their confidence. Jürgen Klopp's effervescent celebrations and his bear-hugs for his players after substitution have returned. While things are definitely improving for BVB, there are still problems to sort out. Here, we will discuss some of those and see how they stack up in current form against our boys.


DORTMUND STRENGTHS

Dortmund's gegenpressing

One of the key facets of BvB's success under Klopp, 'gegenpressing' means to press the opposition right after losing possession, i.e. to press as an organized unit the moment you transition to defense. Juventus has notably had problems against teams that employ this tactic. Most recently, Cesena experienced some success pressuring Juve's defence and midfield into making numerous mistakes, some of which were punished. In the Champions League, games against Olympiakos (away) and Atletico Madrid also bore this out. So, going into battle against one of the "best in the biz" at employing this tactic does not fill me with much confidence.


Dortmund's counterattacking

Their strength in pressing leads well to their strength in counterattacking. If a team wins the ball high up the pitch and soon after they themselves have lost it, they are in the best position to attack an opponent that has just transitioned to attack and will be poorly set defensively. Dortmund has excelled in this department over the years, and are well equipped with players who have the speed (both physically and of thought) and the skill to cause damage to the best of teams on the counter.


Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Between the Bundesliga and the Champions League, these two have either scored or assisted on 30 of BvB's 42 goals so far this season. They have been in especially good form in recent weeks, with both racking up goals and assists in their last three wins — Reus, three goals and an assist; Aubameyang, four goals and an assist. In Reus, Dortmund has one of the best and most versatile attacking midfielders in the game. And in Aubameyang, they have a devastatingly quick and deadly striker currently in great form.


DORTMUND WEAKNESSES

A shaky defence

In the Bundesliga, they've conceded 31 goals in 22 games. While this isn't terrible by Bundesliga standards — in fact, it puts them at eighth best — it's terrible for a top team. Even in this current run of good form, they have conceded 4 goals in those those games. Further, Dortmund have conceded 10 goals as a direct result of individual errors. This shows a propensity for the regular defensive brain fart.

Their back four of Lukasz Piszczek, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer have only recently reconvened their partnership — which was a huge part of their run to the Champions League final in 2013 — after injuries to various members and are trying to rebuild their chemistry. The highly-rated Hummels has looked like a shadow of the defensive rock he has been touted as. Stand-ins like ex-Milan flop Sokratis Papastathopoulos and young German international Matthias Ginter have fared no better. Their goalkeeper, the usually reliable Roman Wiedenfeller, has had his share of clangers which resulted in being him dropped for the reserve keeper Micthell Langerak. He has since regained his place.

They have done better overall in the Champions League, conceding four in their previous six games. However, expect Juventus to have their fair share of chances created.


Conversion of chances

Despite being able to create chances, Dortmund have struggled to consistently put these away. Currently, Dortmund have the fourth-worst conversion rate in the Bundesliga. They share a parallel with us here, as we also struggle to consistently put away the numerous chances we create.

These have been the major reasons for Dortmund's below par domestic season so far.

So how can Juventus limit Dortmund's strengths while at the same time exploiting their weaknesses?


Employ the same gegenpressing strategy

As mentioned above, Dortmund are currently not the best defensively, with loads of defensive errors (some unforced). So why not put that defence under constant pressure, with the expectation that they will commit more errors? Of course, this would require a lot physically and mentally from our players, and who knows whether our players are physically prepared to carry out this tactic. But, we're playing to accomplish one of the goals we set ourselves for the season (reaching at least the quarterfinals on the Champions League), so why not? Putting Ilkay Gundogan and Nuri Sahin — their Pirlo-type players — under the same pressure that they will inevitably put Pirlo under will also be key.

For this reason, I would start both Arturo Vidal and Roberto Pereyra, as they both naturally do a lot of running and would have the energy to hustle and harry opposing players for the majority of a 90 minute game. I would also sit Claudio Marchisio over Pirlo, as I think Pirlo's much superior passing ability would give Juve an outlet for quality balls when switching from defence to attack when we would be inevitably be put under pressure.

 

Increased composure in front of goal

This clearly goes without saying, but we have shown ourselves to get anxious in front of goal especially when there's a lot on the line. However, we have to show that confidence and swagger to prove that we belong on this stage. We will get chances - we've only struggled to create chances against Atletico, and this Dortmund is no Atletico - so our worry should really only be finishing them.


Isolate and attack their fullbacks

Piszczek and especially Schmelzer are both susceptible to being taken to the cleaners by skillful players. We should exploit this weakness, pulling both out of position and creating space in behind them for the likes of Carlos Tévez, Álvaro Morata or the late runs of Vidal and Paul Pogba to make the most of.

 

Better defending on set pieces

While Dortmund have not been particularly threatening on set pieces this season, they do have players who are dangerous at corners and free kicks. Their centre backs, Subotic and Hummels, are both very good in the air and have both scored from corners in recent games. We have been lapse in this area recently; the last thing we want is to give away a cheap away goal due to a corner (a la Olympiakos).


Concentration will be key

As many pundits have opined, this is most likely the tightest and hardest to call tie of the round of 16. It may very well come down to who makes less mistakes or who can capitalize on their other's mistakes better. At the end of the day, concentration will be key. We cannot afford any silly mistakes, as Dortmund will make us pay. Let them work for their chances, if anything.

Max Allegri faced Barcelona in the 2013 Champions League with Milan, and played an almost perfect home leg, winning 2-0. That game saw an unexpectedly aggressive Milan, who were intense, who harried their opponents at every opportunity, and quickly closed down on any space, limiting the chances created by Barcelona. I am expecting to see Allegri employ a similar strategy against Dortmund on Tuesday. Hopefully, regardless of whether he does or doesn't, the result is similar.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Juventus - Borussia Dortmund Preview:
Klopp's resurgent troops eye win in Turin

BVB may be 12th in the Bundesliga standings but they will

arrive in Italy on a high after three victories in a row.

Feb 23, 2014

Jurgen Klopp has never shirked from the fact that Borussia Dortmund have flirted with disaster this season, but three Bundesliga wins in a row suggests they are beginning to find the form that has served them so well in Europe.

Dortmund impressively finished top of Champions League Group D with just one defeat, scoring 14 goals, which set up a last-16 meeting with Juventus.

And yet Klopp's men went into the mid-season break in the Bundesliga's bottom two, seemingly embroiled in a relegation battle.

For a club more used to fighting it out at the summit with Bayern Munich, many anticipated a revival in 2015, but it took a couple of games to begin - a 1-0 home loss to Augsburg at the start of February apparently the nadir.

Wins over Freiburg, Mainz and Stuttgart have seen Dortmund climb to the relative comfort of mid-table, putting them in good shape ahead of Tuesday's trip to Turin.

Meetings between Dortmund and Juve have been surprisingly scarce, but the last one proved memorable for the German side.

Munich played host to the 1996-97 Champions League final, where Karl-Heinz Riedle scored twice and Lars Ricken was on target in a 3-1 triumph against Juve.

Dortmund's name has not been engraved on the trophy since then, with their Wembley defeat to Bayern two years ago the closest they have come.

Juve's wait has been longer. The Italians were the holders when Dortmund won it, having beaten Ajax the year before - another Champions League success secured by a side on familiar soil, as the final was played in Rome.

It makes for a positive omen if Dortmund care for such coincidences, given that the showpiece is in Munich this season.

But advancing past Juve represents a sizeable challenge, with Massimiliano Allegri's charges unbeaten in normal time since October's Serie A reverse to Genoa.

Boasting a nine-point advantage at the top of the table, Juve look set for a fourth consecutive Italian title, but they have not made it past the last eight of the Champions League since the 2002-03 campaign when they were eventually beaten by Milan in the final.

The hosts had Arturo Vidal back in full training on Sunday following a minor injury, while Klopp will hope the flu bug that has affected his team will clear up and increase the options at his disposal, with the likes of Erik Durm, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Mats Hummels and Jeremy Dudziak having been impacted.


OPTA FACTS

Juventus and Borussia Dortmund last met in the final of the Champions League back in 1997. The Ruhr side won 3-1 in Munich.

Dortmund have won their last two encounters with Juventus, both in the Champions League: in November 1995 and May 1997.

Dortmund have never kept a clean sheet against Juventus in their seven competitive encounters.

Juventus have made it to the knockout stages of the Champions League for only the second time in the past six seasons (2012/13 and 2014/15).

Juventus have only lost two of their last 28 Champions League games on home soil (W17 D9), both were against Bayern Munich.

Only Monaco (4) scored fewer goals than Juventus (7, like Basel and Leverkusen) in this season’s group stages among the 16 teams still left in the competition. The Old Lady had only four different goalscorers, the lowest tally alongside Monaco.

Borussia Dortmund have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for the third consecutive season, which hadn’t happened since their three straight appearances in the latter stages from 1995/96 to 1997/98.

Borussia Dortmund have won only one of their last eight Champions League knockout games played away from home (D3 L4, including final 2013 in Wembley), it was against Zenit St Petersburg in February 2014 (4-2).


LAST FIVE MATCHES

Juventus W D W D W

2/20/15 - Juventus 2 - 1 Atalanta
2/15/15 - Cesena 2 - 2 Juventus
2/7/15 - Juventus 3 - 1 Milan
2/1/15 - Udinese 0 - 0 Juventus
1/28/15 - Parma 0 - 1 Juventus


Borussia Dortmund  W W W L D

2/20/15 - Stuttgart 2 - 3 Borussia Dortmund
2/13/15 - Borussia Dortmund 4 - 2 Mainz
2/7/15 - Freiburg 0 - 3 Borussia Dortmund
2/4/15 - Borussia Dortmund 0 - 1 Augsburg
1/31/15 - Bayer Leverkusen 0 - 0 Borussia Dortmund

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Juventus V Borussia Dortmund – Champions League Preview:
Bianconeri Looking For Advantage Against Improving Schwarzgelben

Feb 23, 2014

Juventus are set to host Borussia Dortmund at the Juventus Stadium in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie.

The Italian champions finished second in Group A on 10 points, three points behind last season’s runners-up Atletico Madrid. On the other hand, Dortmund topped their respective group with 13 points, but snatched the top spot on goal difference after tying with Arsenal on points tally and head-to-head.

Previous meetings between both sides were most notable in the 1990s, having met one another in nine encounters, including a two-legged UEFA Cup final and a Champions League final.

The Bianconeri were able to bag the UEFA Cup in 1992/93 after defeating Die Schwarzgelben 6-1 on aggregate; however, Dortmund gained revenge in the 1996/97 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin as they went on to lift their first and only Champions League crown up to date at the expense of Juve, defeating them 3-1.

Despite having a nine point lead at the top of the Serie A table, Juventus are experiencing a dip in form recently. La Vecchia Signora have now drawn two of their last six encounters, against Udinese and Cesena respectively, as well as achieving a hard-fought 2-1 win versus Atalanta on Friday.

On the other hand, Dortmund have experienced a calamitous 2014/2015 season, hovering near the relegation zone for most of the Bundesliga campaign. However, the 2013 Champions League runners-up have returned to winning ways in past weeks with three wins out of three.

Even though both teams are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to league form, that was not the case in the group stages of the Champions League. Juventus sealed progression on the final group game, whilst Dortmund became the first team to book their place in the knockout stages with four consecutive group wins.

Juve coach Massimilano Allegri is set to miss the services of Romulo and Kwadwo Asamoah due to injury, whilst Alessandro Matri, Andrea Barzagli, and Luca Marrone are doubtful.

German international Kevin Grosskreutz remains the only player Jurgen Klopp will miss for sure, but Ciro Immobile, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Sebastian Kehl, Sven Bender, Erik Durm, and Mats Hummels are doubtful for the game.


Form Guide: Juventus (W-W-D-W-D-W) Borussia Dortmund (D-D-L-W-W-W)


Expected Starting XIs

Juventus (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio; Vidal; Tevez, Morata.

Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Weidenfeller; Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer; Gundogan, Sahin; Kampl, Mkhitaryan, Reus; Immobile.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Chiellini: Juve can punish Dortmund

The defender feels his side are the strongest they have been for years
and believes his side can punish Dortmund if they give them space.

Feb 23, 2014

Giorgio Chiellini is confident that Juventus can punish Borussia Dortmund for their "risky" style of play when they meet in their Champions League knockout tie.

The Serie A champions are in good form heading into the last-16 meeting with Jurgen Klopp's men, who lie 12th in the Bundesliga having recently clawed their way off the bottom spot with three consecutive wins.

While Chiellini admits that Dortmund's counterattacking style makes them a dangerous team to come up against, he feels they take a lot of risks and his side should be looking to punish them for it.

"There is great respect and a desire to win, to go ahead and continue to dream in this European adventure," he told Rai Sport. "We feel stronger and more mature than in recent years.

"Dortmund have important players back from injuries that held them back in the first half of the season, but over two games anything can happen.

"We must not allow them to hit us on the counterattack, because they have players that are great when given space. But playing like that means taking big risks and, in the first part of the season, they conceded a lot of goals in open play because of it."

The centre-back says his side are looking forward to playing in the knockout stages and hopes they put in a performance to be proud of.

"Our team's strong and has developed steadily in recent years, we want to show that in Europe," he added. "But this should not be a chore, we must play with enthusiasm, like a dream, but without feeling the weight of responsibility of representing Italy in Europe."

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Juventus-Borussia Dortmund Betting:
BVB to test Bianconeri backline in Turin

Massimiliano Allegri's side rarely look as assured in defence in Europe as in Serie A
and Al Hain-Cole expects them to come under pressure against a sharp attacking outfit.

Feb 23, 2014

Juventus will be out for European revenge when they host Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 tie.

The sides have not met since the Germans came out on top in the 1997 final, although the Bianconeri are favourites with Paddy Power to avenge that defeat by taking a valuable first-leg lead here.

Having endured a disappointing domestic season at odds with their European efforts so far, Jurgen Klopp’s men will come into this match in reasonably high spirits after three consecutive league wins and are available at to secure a victory.

Three of the last six matches at the Juventus Stadium have resulted in draws in this competition and you can get odds of on the sides cancelling each other out in this one.

While Dortmund will be aiming to continue their recent form revival, Massimiliano Allegri’s team will be trying to finally translate their Italian dominance to the European stage.

Despite winning the last three consecutive Serie A titles, the hosts have only reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League once since 2006 - a woeful record for such a prestigious club.

One factor in this underperformance in recent seasons has been a failure to replicate the defensive excellence that has inspired their domestic supremacy in the Champions League.

Having conceded just 60 goals in their last 100 league fixtures, the Italian champions have let in 17 in the previous 14 in Europe, keeping just two clean sheets in their last seven in front of their own fans.

This potential weakness at the back is sure to be tested against Dortmund, who have forged a reputation as one of the most feared attacking outfits in Europe over the past couple of seasons, scoring 40 goals in their last 20 matches.

With this in mind, odds of are not to be missed on both teams finding the net for the fifth time in seven Champions League matches at this ground, and third in four in Europe for Dortmund.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Dortmund are the favourites vs Juventus - Kohler

The former defender, who won domestic and European trophies with both sides,
gives the upper hand to Jurgen Klopp's side in the European clash.

Feb 23, 2014

Borussia Dortmund are in good shape to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the expense of Juventus, according to Jurgen Kohler.

The German side have started to put their abysmal start to the season behind them ahead of Tuesday's last-16 clash with Juventus in Turin, having won each of their last three league games to climb from bottom of the Bundesliga to 12th.

Juventus, though, have lost just once in Serie A this season and straddle the league by a comfortable nine points.

Despite their inconsistency this season, former Juve and Dortmund defender Kohler suggests Jurgen Klopp's men still have the advantage heading into the tie.

"Dortmund are still in the Bundesliga relegation battle, so the Champions League is seen as a bit of an inconvenience because the priority is the league. BVB are not out of the woods yet," he told Kicker.

"Nevertheless, they have a good chance of progressing to the quarter-finals. Juventus are no longer a world class team. They have Paul Pogba, who is a huge talent, and the former Leverkusen midfielder Arturo Vidal - but it ends there.

"Juve are solid and in Italy they are the outright top team, but they no longer have the talents of the old days. The entire Serie A is in a period of transition, lagging years behind economically and in a sporting sense.

"The infrastructure is outdated, their own young players are not sufficiently promoted, instead there is a flood of average players from abroad.

"Against Juve, Dortmund are therefore the favourites, although I do not necessarily expect a magnificent evening for them. They need time to develop self-confidence in the Bundesliga.

"Until they return to their strength - with their own system and playing style - I don't think BVB will be as big a hit as they were in 2013 when they reached the Champions League final. But until then it's a long, hard road."

Kohler was part of the Dortmund side which defeated Juventus - whom he played for before his BVB stint - in the 1997 Champions League final, which was the last time these two teams met.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Borussia Dortmund Duo Confident Ahead Of Juventus Tie

Feb 23, 2014

Borussia Dortmund star duo Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan are confident their side can overcome Juventus in their upcoming Champions League tie.

The Bianconeri meet the German giants on Tuesday evening in what looms as a Champions League final rematch from 1999, as they look to make a serious run in Europe’s elite competition.

“We are happy with how we have played in the last three league games, and now we are fully convinced we can play on par in Turin,” Reus told Tuttosport.

“These three wins in a row have allowed us to come unstuck mentally and restore faith in our potential,” Gundogan added.

“Much of the credit goes to our coach who always told us that, sooner or later, we would get back to being the true Dortmund.

“We confirmed it in the Bundesliga, now we have to do it in the Champions League and playing against a good team like Juventus is even further motivation.”

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Buffon tells Reus: We all know who
the best goalkeeper of all time is

The Juventus and Borussia Dortmund stars discussed their careers, playing styles
and heroes before predicting who would win Tuesday's big Champions League game.

Feb 23, 2014

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus met for a humorous one-on-one interview ahead of their clash in the Champions League - and both agree the Italian is the greatest goalkeeper of all time.

Reus asked Buffon who the best No.1 ever is and he mischievously replied: "Well, we should speak about the second best because we all know who the best is..."

"You, of course," the Germany star admitted.

The PUMA-sponsored duo discussed Tuesday's game, with both predicting wins for their own teams, their favourite films, beard growth, and whether it is better to win 4-3 or 1-0.

"Do you prefer shots to the left or the right side of the goal?" Reus cheekily asked, with Buffon replying, "Would I still be playing at the top level at the age of 37 years if I had any weaknesses?"

You can watch the entire exchange between Buffon and Reus below.

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Reus: Juventus tie is 50-50

The winger believes the two sides are evenly matched and predicts
the contest will be decided by the finest of margins over the two legs.

Feb 23, 2014

Marco Reus says Borussia Dortmund's last-16 Champions League clash with Juventus is a 50-50 tie with no clear favourite.

While Dortmund have struggled domestically and sit 12th in the Bundesliga, they have impressed in Europe again after reaching the final and quarter-finals of the competition in each of the last two seasons.

BVB finished top of Group D ahead of second placed Arsenal, while Juve qualified for the knockout stages having sealed the runners-up spot in Group A behind Atletico Madrid.

Reus, who recently signed a new contract with the club until 2019, is expecting the tightest of contests but has drawn confidence from their efforts in Europe prior to Christmas.

"Juventus are really a strong team," he told Kicker. "The chances of qualifying I think are about 50/50. We are proud enough to say that we can eliminate them if we deliver a top performance. On the top-level it is brutally difficult, though.

"We have seen in the first round that we are different in the Champions League than in the Bundesliga. We have beaten Arsenal and Galatasaray in Istanbul. The top level has its own laws. It is certainly very interesting. For every player in the world the motivation is particularly high."

The 25-year-old is yet to win a major trophy at Dortmund since joining the club from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2012, with just two DFL-Supercup medals to his name, but he is targeting league and European success in the years ahead.

"Winning the league is still a major goal. I want to achieve it at least once more," he said. "I wil give everything to achieve that and I have a large and strong feeling that it will happen eventually.

"We have already seen how beautiful it is to be in a Champions League final. And we are still hungry to win the Champions League sometime."

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Can Ciro shatter Juventus dreams?

As Ciro Immobile returns to Turin, Luca Cetta recalls the list of players
to have represented both Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.

Feb 23, 2014

He had high hopes of emulating Robert Lewandowski, but life in Dortmund hasn’t exactly gone to plan for Ciro Immobile. As Borussia Dortmund prepare to face Juventus, Coach Jurgen Klopp joked Immobile’s recent illness may be in his head: “In his case, I have to determine if it’s really about his fitness or the fact that we are playing Juventus next week.”

Battling ill-health last Friday was not exactly the ideal 25th birthday for Immobile, who watched on as his side won for the third time in succession. The striker is expected to be fine tomorrow, yet his participation from the first whistle is doubtful – sick or not. In a way, Immobile’s start to life in Germany mirrored that of the club. Like Dortmund, he’s experienced happier times in the Champions League, bagging four goals compared to three Bundesliga strikes.

If Immobile felt more at home against Arsenal than Augsburg, it was a reflection of Borussia’s form. It took until December – 14 matches – to equal their four European victories. But where the team has picked up after the winter break, Immobile has not found his range.

He’ll be hoping a meeting with Juve is the spark needed. Before December’s draw the Italian international stated a desire to face Juventus, but only in the semi-finals. The Round of 16 clash may be premature in Immobile’s mind, but his aim is to eliminate the Bianconeri.

Immobile returns to the peninsula following his reported-€20m summer move, one that – indirectly at least, he last played for Torino in Serie A and was only co-owned by Juventus – was the latest in a list of transfers between the clubs. An occurrence which peaked during their frequent 1990s battles.

Germans made their way to Serie A once the borders to foreigners reopened in 1980. Inter led the charge, responding to Milan’s Dutch trio with the West German trident of Lothar Matthaus, Jurgen Klinsmann and Andreas Brehme. West Germany’s Italia ’90 success led to further arrivals and Juventus grabbed a slice of the pie.

It started with Thomas Hassler that summer, but his stay lasted only a season. That didn’t deter Juve, who signed a pair of world champions from Bayern Munich. Stefan Reuter only featured during 1991-92, while Jurgen Kohler became a defensive mainstay partnered by Brazilian Julio Cesar, signed alongside Hassler.

Reuter was the first to make the move to BVB, but in stepped another German to fill Juve’s foreign quota. The exciting Andreas Moller – who had played for Dortmund earlier in his career – graced the Stadio delle Alpi and ended his first season with a UEFA Cup triumph over the Yellow and Blacks.

When Marcello Lippi took charge in 1994, Portuguese international Paulo Sousa became the Old Lady’s midfield lynchpin. Cesar and Moller traded Turin for Dortmund. Kohler added to the list a year later. When he left, Juventus had ended their Scudetto drought and knocked Dortmund out of the UEFA Cup semi-finals.

The battles would shift to the Champions League stage, where Ottmar Hitzfeld and his ever-growing army of ex-Bianconeri would slowly turn the tide. The next addition to the ranks was Paulo Sousa, who ended his Juventus stint on a high as a Champions League winner. He was one of the final pieces of the puzzle as Dortmund sought European glory.

Such was the Bianconero tinge that when the pair met in the 1997 Champions League Final Borussia started four ex-Juventus players. Only Julio Cesar was not included in the 16-man squad on a night which ended with Dortmund – and those who traded white for yellow – celebrating a maiden European crown. Kohler highlighted his affection for his former club by draping a Juventus scarf thrown to him during the lap of honour around his neck.

As if to make the journey come full circle, Hassler joined Borussia in 1998.

Sunday Oliseh would end a short Juventus stint in 1999 to call the Westfalenstadion home, but there would be no further transfers between the clubs until 2007, with both enduring difficult years. Juventus were newly promoted following Calciopoli and Dortmund had survived the threat of bankruptcy when Robert Kovac signed.

Now there’s Immobile. In four prior meetings with Juventus he has scored once. Starter or not tomorrow he can offer valuable insight about the Old Lady and her players as both a teammate and opponent. “Ciro gave us trouble when he was at Toro, and he can do the same for Borussia,” Gianluigi Buffon warned in December.

Massimiliano Allegri has stressed the importance of Juventus not conceding at home in this first leg. But could Immobile join the group of Dortmund’s ex-Juventini to shatter Bianconeri dreams, while rekindling his own fortunes?

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Echoes of the 1997 Champions League final
as Juve prepare for Dortmund

Feb 23, 2014

The challenge is mouth-watering. The anticipation is growing. The favourite? There isn't one. Juventus versus Borussia Dortmund is one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the Champions League and it's not only because the mere thought of it conjures up the familiar scent of nostalgia.

It was 1997 when the perennial German underdogs became winners of the Champions League against what was arguably Europe's best team, Juventus. While Corriere della Sera ran with the headline "Juve -- a night of tears and anger", Sportsmail's Jeff Powell wrote, "Juventus Old Boys beat up the Old Lady herself."

"Beat up" was perhaps hyperbolic but the scenes could never be forgotten. The Old Lady had deployed an array of illustrious talent -- including soon-to-be World Champions Zinedine Zidane and Didier Deschamps -- and dominated the match, yet frustration was the only emotion to be felt as Karl-Heinz Riedle scored two goals in five minutes to shock the Bianconeri and stun onlookers.

The Italian media raged against the injustice witnessed in the Olympiastadion. That same Corriere della Sera piece referred to the event as "an evening without God." Juventus struck the post twice but grew livid with referee Sandor Puhl's decisions that involved disallowing a Christian Vieri goal for what appeared to be an unintentional handball and for refusing to award Marcello Lippi's men two clear penalties.

Among the chaos, Juventus made a fan out of this writer. Alessandro Del Piero's back-heel goal was an audacious moment of brilliance. It quickly became apparent that to not support a side that played with such elegance and appeared harshly penalised was both mystifying and inexcusable. Winners will always be cheered but then there were those who fell in love with the talented losers.

Since then, fortunes have changed and both teams have experienced difficult moments and a return to glory. Juventus are back to dominating Italy with hopes of dominating Europe, while Dortmund, albeit experiencing a difficult season, have secured the role of Germany's second superpower in football.

What makes the tie so interesting is that it's a clash of two teams who rose through the ranks because of a mutual belief in the value of intensity. While there are obvious differences in the philosophy and style of play between the two sides, neither club could have collected so many trophies had it not been for the belief that stamina, relentless running and gut-wrenching determination is, and perhaps always will be, the difference maker.

Fortunate to have visionaries in charge, both Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp put their faith in the power of psychology. They didn't simply construct well-balanced sides with a specific style of play, but emotionally charged a squad and created a unit that sacrificed for one another and believed in the collective, adopting a warrior mentality. Each goal was celebrated with wild abandon, each victory cherished with passion.

"If we don't go at 200mph then we're just an ordinary team," explained Antonio Conte when asked on what made his Juve so special. He wanted them to fight, to sacrifice and to respect themselves and the shirt. Mediocrity was not to be tolerated and with one speech, given in the gym in pre-season, Andrea Pirlo believed. As did the rest of the squad. "This squad, dear lads, is coming off two consecutive seventh-place finishes. It's crazy. Shocking. I am not here for this, so it's time to stop being crap."

As for Klopp, he believed that to push yourself to the limit is to put one hand on the trophy. "I want us to go to the limit every time. There's a saying: a good horse only jumps as high as it needs to. I've put it differently for my team: a really good horse jumps as high as it can. To give everything on the pitch, that's what we train for."

Intensity, passion and intelligence are what define the two teams yet the strategies differ entirely, at least on a superficial level. Juventus are obsessed with possession and always look to control the tempo of the game, relying on Pirlo's geometry and the players' technique and combinations to score. By contrast the Germans boast electric pace and transition with perfection. Masters of gegenpressing, they press ferociously to win back possession and minimise the space for the opponent before inflicting their strengths.

So why the failure domestically? The real question is can we describe Dortmund's domestic performances as woeful or unlucky. Both. Statistics show that on average, Die Schwarzgelben are not as efficient at pressing as they once were, allowing the opponent one more pass than usual. However, barring that statistic, the team are still in good shape and one cannot help but feel for a side that still creates an abundance of chances yet is incapable of converting opportunities.

It hardly helps that expectations are high and confidence is low, turning excellent players into average men on the pitch. Henrikh Mkhitaryan is now referred to as "Missataryan" on account of how incapable he has at scoring -- thanks, Mino Raiola, but Juve don't need him -- while the former king of passes, Nuri Sahin has seen his passing accuracy stats take a tumble.

However, things are picking up and BVB have now accrued three consecutive victories. Klopp is attempting to achieve consistency by forcing his squad to train on a terrible pitch, that way the players maintain their concentration levels. It seems to have worked yet the German side still has a few weakness the Italians can exploit.

Possessing a weak defence that surrenders when pressured, Juventus must play with maximum intensity so that they may overwhelm the opponent with their attacking game. Imprecision and sloppy behaviour will simply not be tolerated and it's time Massimiliano Allegri's men play a mature and intelligent game, keeping the ball and isolating the defenders in hopes of provoking mistakes.

Out of 21 matches Juventus have played at home against German opponents, they have won 14. Can they make it 15 on Tuesday evening?

[Socrates 8516]

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D.

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Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)

Pirlo Focused On Borussia Dortmund Test

Feb 23, 2014

Juventus talisman Andrea Pirlo quickly turned his attention to Champions League action following a crucial winning goal against Atalanta.

The 35-year-old play-maker hit a blockbuster from 35 yards on the stroke of half-time on Friday evening after Fernando Llorente hauled them level six minutes earlier, but didn’t dwell on his team’s 2-1 Serie A success for long when setting his sights firmly on Tuesday’s huge clash with a resurgent Borussia Dortmund.

“It’s always nice to score important goals,” Pirlo tweeted on Monday.

“Now maximum focus and commitment is on the game tomorrow.”

Many observers believed that veteran Pirlo would be rested against Atalanta with a view to the Bianconeri’s round of 16 tie with Dortmund, but he instead featured for the entire 90 minutes and notched his first goal since scoring in the derby win over Torino on November 30 to put Juventus nine points clear at the top.