Juventus Season 2015-2016

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Bayern Munich 4-2 Juventus
TEAM RATINGS

http://www.goal.com/en/match/bayern-m%C3%BCnchen-vs-juventus/2176182/ratings?ICID=MP_MS_6

Mar 16, 2016

Bayern München

1 M. Neuer - It was an erratic and nervy first half for the goalkeeper, who never looked comfortable when being put under pressure by Juventus’ hard-working front line. However, he improved after the break and put in an excellent performance from then onwards.

21 P. Lahm - Was one of Bayern's best defenders throughout. Was largely solid inside his own half of the pitch and was always looking to charge forward at every opportunity.

32 J. Kimmich - The youngster struggled when trying to deal with Morata in the first half but vastly improved in the second period as Juventus dropped off and he was able to push forward.

5 M. Benatia - Really struggled during a tough opening 45 minutes that saw him get torn apart by the Juventus front line every time they put him under pressure. As a result, he made way for Bernat at half-time.

27 D. Alaba - Was beaten far too easily by Lichtsteiner in the build-up to Juventus’ opening goal but looked better pushing forward, which he was allowed to do more from the second half onwards.

14 Xabi Alonso - Put in a solid if unspectacular display at the base of midfield, where he largely performed well before making way for Coman as Bayern switched into attack mode.

11 Douglas Costa - Largely impressed down the right wing as he continually put Sandro and Evra under plenty of pressure, and he finally was able to set up Lewandowski for his goal with a beautiful cross over to the far post.

25 T. Müller - Constantly made a nuisance of himself in front of goal, where he never stopped trying and was all over the Juventus defenders. He was finally rewarded for his efforts in the final minute of normal time when he beat Bonucci to head in an all-important equaliser.

23 A. Vidal - Was arguably one of Bayern’s most impressive players throughout, mainly due to his purposeful runs forward and brilliant defending in the middle of the pitch.

7 F. Ribéry - Continually impressed down the left wing, where he looked to be back at his best. Penetrated the penalty area time and time again and caused the Juventus back line plenty of problems with his wonderful skill.

9 R. Lewandowski - What was originally a tough night turned into an excellent one for the Polish striker, who popped up in the 73rd minute to fire his side back into the game with a lovely header at the far post.

Substitutes

18 Juan Bernat - Replaced Benatia at half-time and looked far more solid defensively whilst also offering a much-needed attacking threat down the wing.

29 K. Coman - Came on and made all the difference. The youngster injected a sense of urgency into a tiring Bayern side and set up Muller's equaliser before finishing the job with a great goal of his own in extra-time.

6 Thiago Alcântara - Featured for the final 10 minutes of extra-time and put Bayern into the lead with the goal that would prove to be the death of Juventus.

Juventus

1 G. Buffon - Despite being beaten four times, it was a great night for the veteran goalkeeper, who pulled off a plethora of good saves to keep his side in the game right to the end.

26 S. Lichtsteiner - Performed excellently on the right flank, where he constantly put Ribery under an incredible amount of pressure and looked great when bombing forward.

19 L. Bonucci - Initially put in a fantastic shift in the middle of an impressive Juventus defence but started to struggle as time wore on, resulting in him being beaten far too often.

15 A. Barzagli - Like Bonucci, the centre-back looked excellent for 80 minutes before struggling against a Bayern front line that refused to give up.

33 P. Evra - Was largely solid down the left wing, where he was constantly put under pressure but dealt with it well before a poor attempted headed clearance resulted in Bayern's third goal.

16 J. Cuadrado - Looked incredibly sharp at both ends of the pitch. Was always on hand to drop back and defend when needed before picking apart Bayern on the counter-attack. Was rewarded with his side’s second goal of the game, which was wonderfully worked and executed by the Colombian.

6 S. Khedira - Performed excellently in the heart of the Juventus midfield, where he defended resolutely and was pinpoint with his passing, particularly in the build-up to his side’s opening goal.

11 Hernanes - It was a solid performance by the Brazilian, who stuck to his task well and closed down the space available to the Bayern midfield with a determined display in the centre of the pitch.

10 P. Pogba - Fired his side into the lead with just five minutes on the clock and performed brilliantly from then onwards as he put in a determined display at both ends of the pitch.

12 Alex Sandro - Started as a left midfielder but largely occupied a deep defending role, which he performed well before Coman came on to pitch and constantly gave him a headache with his pace and trickery.

9 Álvaro Morata - The Spanish striker was, quite simply, fantastic. Led the line wonderfully well with a hard-working and strong performance, one that continually caused problems for Bayern’s struggling back line. Constantly impressed when breaking forward, which was evident in his great work in the build-up to his side’s second goal.

Substitutes

27 S. Sturaro - Came on for Khedira and initially made a good impact but struggled against a determined Bayern side as the game wore on.

17 M. Mandžukić - Put in a good shift after replacing Morata up front, but he was continually frustrated by his old teammates, who did well to contain him.

37 R. Pereyra - Featured late on and during extra-time but was unable to find much joy in what was a largely quiet performance.

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Juventus 2 (4) - Bayern Munich 4 (6): Initial
reaction and random observations

It was cool. Then it wasn't.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/3/17/11249196/juventus-bayern-munich-2016-champions-league-round-of-16-final-score-result-initial-reaction

Mar 16, 2016

You see, I was all prepared to have this be the Champions League version of a post-game hype post. Juventus were causing us to love life. Things were great and Juve were absolutely shocking every single one of us with a two-goal lead over Bayern Munich on its home field. It was crazy, absolutely crazy.

Juve were so good for about 65 or 70 minutes. They were taking it right at Bayern Munich when the experts told you the tired clichés about how the Italian team would just sit back and defend. Then Bayern got a goal and put its foot not just on the gas pedal but through the freaking bottom of the car. And then the good vibes came crashing down.

It's hard to explain. Or, I can just sum things up in one short sentence like I did on Twitter when Kingsley Coman put the final nail in Juventus' European coffin.

BWRAO ‎@JuventusNation
This is stupid.

Okay, so it's more detailed than just that, but man, this one hurts.

Juventus had the game. Juventus were on the brink of eliminating Bayern Munch. Forget the missed chances, Álvaro Morata not being offside even though they said he was, the other bad calls by the ref, the save by Manuel Neuer right before halftime. Forget that stuff.

There's one thing that we should all look at and

Four UNANSWERED goals in the span of 37 minutes.

That's not going to get it done at any level. Doesn't matter if it's against a relegation battler or a team trying to advance to the next round of the Champions League like Juve were trying to do on Wednesday night.

Juventus' rock-solid defense suddenly looked more than just a little human. And even with Giorgio Chiellini being out injured, it was just about as full strength as you could have gotten. That was good for Juve, until it went completely bad. For one of the few times in his time at Juventus, Patrice Evra showed his age — two mistakes leading to two Bayern Munich goals, the first resulting directly in the strike that sent things to extra time.

And extra time, well, yeah. That was that after Bayern took the 3-2 lead on the night.

The whole #BeHeroes campaign was close to being exactly that. Then it all came crumbling down with a major dash of Bavarian red thrown into the mix. The underdog almost pulled the upset, then fell apart at the completely wrong time.

Random thoughts and observations

I underestimated how Juventus would approach this game, and I am stupid.

I thought Juventus were going to the quarterfinals, then disaster struck.

As we found out, the injuries didn't totally kill the strength of Juventus' starting lineup. What it caused was Juve's options off the bench to be even that much more limited. Stefano Sturaro for Sami Khedira was the right sub in theory, but who could have predicted that the former would give Juve next to nothing after coming on? I know I didn't.

Morata sure did live up to his Mr. Champions League billing Wednesday night. That run and assist to Cuadrado on Juve's second goal is something we'll probably not talk about as much as we should because of how the game turned out. He was fantastic, and that's the kind of player that we've been waiting to see for weeks now. Good on you for showing out on the big stage, Álvaro.

A lot of folks will blame Allegri for taking Morata off when he did. It's not like it didn't take away the threat of Juve being that much more dangerous on the counterattack. I don't want to sound like an Allegri homer here, but did you see how hard Morata was working during his time on the field? Maybe, just maybe, his tank finally hit empty. And if that's the case, then I want to know why Mandzukic was preferred over somebody like Simone Zaza who can come close to matching Morata for pace.

Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci really did have incredibly meh games. Wrong time for one.

A lot like the team as a whole, Paul Pogba was GREAT for the vast majority of regular time. But he definitely fizzled out as time went on late into the second half and extra time. So much for having a happy belated birthday party that involved and spot int he Champions League quarterfinals.

Four goals allowed in one game. Six goals allowed over two legs. Defense, where you at?

I really don't know what else to say. I'm going to go somewhere and yell obscenities now. Lord knows I've done that enough already today. It just won't be at the television this time.

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Allegri explains Juve choices

http://www.football-italia.net/81425/allegri-explains-juve-choices?

Mar 16, 2016

Max Allegri felt Juventus “went too deep" when leading Bayern Munich and explained his choices.

The Bianconeri were 2-0 up, but were pegged back to 2-2 in stoppages and fell 4-2 in extra time.

“It’s a shame to be eliminated after a performance like that, against a Bayern side that has extraordinary players,” the Coach told Mediaset Premium.

“Football is wonderful because with a minute to go in the first half, Juan Cuadrado could’ve made it 3-0, Alvaro Morata had important chances and Stephan Lichtsteiner could’ve scored a crucial goal.

“Mario Mandzukic hit the goalkeeper square on in extra time and we could’ve opened it up again even after going 4-2 down.

“Winning 2-0 at half-time was not easy, we played with character and should’ve controlled the last two balls better. Above all on the first goal we should’ve put it out for a throw-in.”

Morata had a goal incorrectly disallowed for offside in the first half, but Allegri shrugged off the questions.

“There’s no point talking about the referee. I only compliment my team. It was an important test for us, even with a new line-up we played on level terms with one of the favourites to win the Champions League.

“It’s a shame, we are upset, but have to put this aside because on Sunday there’s the Turin Derby and then the break will let us recover some of the injured players.”

Allegri was asked about his substitutions, specifically replacing man of the match Morata with Mario Mandzukic.

“I introduced someone fresh like Mandzukic who could hold the ball up. I thought Bayern’s two little defenders at the back couldn’t put up with him.

“Unfortunately, he then went very deep and they raised the two centre-backs. We should’ve been sharper in our goal-scoring opportunities and do some situations better.

“It’s a shame, as with the equaliser we should’ve been sharper and more clear-headed. They weren’t doing much at all and it wouldn’t have been a danger.

“After 70 minutes we lost intensity, that is football…”

The final goal was scored by Kingsley Coman, who is on a two-year loan with option to buy from Juventus.

“He had a good game and with the goal was able to run into open space. He’s improving a lot and can do very well in Germany, because he’s in a team eight steps above the rest and therefore has space to show his quality.”

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Cuadrado: 'Juve have regrets'

http://www.football-italia.net/81427/cuadrado-juve-have-regrets?

Mar 16, 2016

Juan Cuadrado had “regrets” after Juventus went out of the Champions League to Bayern Munich.

The Colombian scored to put them 2-0 up at the Allianz Arena, but the hosts fought back for 2-2 and won 4-2 in extra time.

“There are regrets after such a great performance for over an hour. Football is like that, there were two minutes left to go before they equalised,” Cuadrado told Sky Sport Italia.

“It will help us grow and it’s understandable to lose to a great side like Bayern Munich. Now we have to focus on Serie A.

“There are moments when things go your way, others when they don’t, but you need the strength to get over it because life goes on.”

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Pogba: 'Juve could've done more'

http://www.football-italia.net/81429/pogba-juve-couldve-done-more?

Mar 16, 2016

Paul Pogba concedes Juventus “could’ve done more” after exiting the Champions League to Bayern Munich.

He had opened the scoring within five minutes by making the most of a Manuel Neuer error.

The Bianconeri were 2-0 up after 69 minutes, but were pegged back to 2-2 and lost 4-2 in extra time at the Allianz Arena.

“We started the game perfectly and only missed the third goal to finish it off. This is football, we can’t do anything about it now,” Pogba told Mediaset Premium.

“We could’ve won it, but the details made the difference in the end. We are all down, we could’ve done better.

“After the second goal, they lifted their game. Bayern have so many strong players, above all as individuals.”

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Buffon: Juventus go out with heads held high

The Juve goalkeeper feels the Italian giants leave the Champions League with their heads held high.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2016/03/16/21390232/-?

Mar 16, 2016

Gianluigi Buffon was proud of Juventus' performance despite their dramatic Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

The Serie A champions appeared to be on their way to the quarter-finals when they went 2-0 up in the opening 45 minutes courtesy of goals from Paul Pogba and Juan Cuadrado, but Robert Lewandowski pulled one back before Thomas Muller's 91st-minute header sent the match to extra time.

Thiago Alcantara and Kingsley Coman then struck to send Bayern through at the expense of Juventus, but Buffon feels they gave a good account of themselves irrespective of the final outcome.

"This is a defeat that should make us understand that we are better than last season. We are going out with or heads held high," Buffon was quoted as saying on the official UEFA website.

"Football results depend on chances. They attacked a lot in the second half and they took advantage of their chances.

"It's always a pity to concede a goal in the last minute of a game, but I'm proud of my team."

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Allegri rues Juventus' profligacy

The Juventus coach was unable to hide his disappointment
with his side's Champions League exit to Bayern Munich.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2914/champions-league/2016/03/16/21390672/-?

Mar 16, 2016

Massimiliano Allegri believes Juventus would have eliminated Bayern Munich in the Champions League round of 16 had they been more clinical in front of goal.

Juventus were leading 2-0 after 45 minutes of play in the second leg at Allianz Arena on Wednesday, but they were unable to hold on to their 4-2 lead on aggregate as goals from Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller saw the game go to extra-time.

Thiago Alcantara and Kingsley Coman then ended Juve' Champions League ambitions, but Allegri feels things could have ended differently had his team been more clinical.

"It's a shame to be eliminated after a performance like this, against a Bayern who have extraordinary players," Allegri told Premium Sport.

"One minute before the half-time whistle, [Juan] Cuadrado could have scored the 3-0, [Alvaro] Morata got some chances and [stephan] Lichtsteiner could have scored. We had to be more clinical in front of goal. We could have done better in some situations. We had to be more calm.

"It was not easy to be 2-0 up after 45 minutes. We showed character. We had to defend better with those last two balls. They were unable to create anything and were not dangerous. But then from the 70th minute on everything changed. That's football.

"It is useless to talk about the referee now. I can only give my team a compliment. It was an important test for us. We played against one of the favourites with a new team. We are sad, but we have to move on because we have the derby against Torino at the weekend."

Juventus loanee Coman played a key role in Bayern's comeback with a goal and an assist and Allegri acknowledged the France international's display in Munich.

"Coman? He put in a good performance and scored when we gave away too much space," Allegri added.

"He has developed a lot. Germany suits him because he gets more space there to showcase his qualities."

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Bonucci: 'Proud of Juventus'

http://www.football-italia.net/81431/bonucci-proud-juventus?

Mar 16, 2016

Leonardo Bonucci was “proud and honoured” to be part of Juventus after their Champions League exit to Bayern Munich.

The Bianconeri were 2-0 up until the final 20 minutes at the Allianz Arena and ran out of steam in extra time for a 4-2 exit.

“Pride. I am proud and honoured to be part of this group,” wrote Bonucci on Instagram.

“We were so close. It’s true, that doesn’t count, but within ourselves we must be aware that this game will help us mature even more.

“No point feeling sorry for ourselves, let us look forward. On Sunday there is a game to be won. That has to be our only thought.”

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Juventus manager Max Allegri explains
his subs against Bayern

Allegri's comments after a tough loss in Munich.

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/3/17/11250532/juventus-manager-max-allegri-explains-subs-bayern-munich-0216-champions-league

Mar 16, 2016

For about two-thirds of Wednesday night's game, Juventus were pulling off a shock 2-0 win at UEFA Champions League favorites Bayern Munich. However, the tide turned towards the hosts after substitutions made by both sides , with Bayern equalizing the game and aggregate score late in time added on, and then scoring twice against an exhausted Juve in extra time.

It was a heroic performance by the Bianconeri, but in the end none of that counts as they are knocked out of the Champions League, the last bastion for this team that has conquered all in Italy year after year.

After the game, this is what the manager Massimiliano Allegri had to say -

"It's a shame to be eliminated after a performance like that, against a Bayern side that has extraordinary players.

"Football is wonderful because with a minute to go in the first half, Juan Cuadrado could've made it 3-0, Alvaro Morata had important chances and Stephan Lichtsteiner could've scored a crucial goal.

"Mario Mandzukic hit the goalkeeper square on in extra time and we could've opened it up again even after going 4-2 down.

"Winning 2-0 at half-time was not easy, we played with character and should've controlled the last two balls better. Above all on the first goal we should've put it out for a throw-in."

Striker Alvaro Morata had an amazing game, and was very unfortunate to have a goal disallowed for offside when he was very clearly on side. Allegri refused to comment on the refereeing though -

"There's no point talking about the referee. I only compliment my team. It was an important test for us, even with a new line-up we played on level terms with one of the favourites to win the Champions League.

"It's a shame, we are upset, but have to put this aside because on Sunday there's the Turin Derby and then the break will let us recover some of the injured players."

In the minutes after the game, fans have criticized the manager for his substitutions. Allegri felt he made the right choice, but refused to outright blame his players -

"I introduced someone fresh like Mandzukic who could hold the ball up. I thought Bayern's two little defenders at the back couldn't put up with him.

"Unfortunately, he then went very deep and they raised the two centre-backs. We should've been sharper in our goal-scoring opportunities and do some situations better.

"It's a shame, as with the equaliser we should've been sharper and more clear-headed. They weren't doing much at all and it wouldn't have been a danger.

"After 70 minutes we lost intensity, that is football..."

Kingsley Coman, who is on loan to Bayern from Juve, was the main destroyer for the hosts and Allegri was asked about the player -

"He had a good game and with the goal was able to run into open space. He's improving a lot and can do very well in Germany, because he's in a team eight steps above the rest and therefore has space to show his quality."

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Alvaro Morata typified Juventus
courage in painful loss to Bayern

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/italian-serie-a/12/blog/post/2831236/alvaro-morata-typified-juventus-courage-in-loss-to-bayern

Mar 16, 2016

It's a bitter pill to swallow, a disheartening defeat. After overcoming their psychological fears to play with courage and tenacity to score two goals, Juventus eventually succumbed to a Bayern Munich side determined to show the brilliance of their attack, winning 4-2 (after extra time) on the night and 6-4 on aggregate.

Massimiliano Allegri is a man renowned for making the right substitutions. If he ever makes a mistake, it's usually done at the start, in the choices he makes for his starting XI. On Wednesday night, in the Allianz Arena, the tactician opted for a 4-5-1 formation hoping that Juan Cuadrado's and Alex Sandro's offensive ability and pace in the wide areas, would restrict Bayern's attacking ability. He was right.

Led by a brilliant Alvaro Morata, a player who always impresses on European nights, the Bianconeri played with offensive courage, pressing high up the pitch and forcing errors from a woeful German back-line. Predatory in their nature, they knew that if they applied enough pressure, Bayern would surrender to errors and surely enough, they opened the scoring within the first five minutes.

A beautiful run from Morata led to Cuadrado scoring the second and Juventus were flying. They finally realised their potential and truly enjoyed the game. By contrast, their opponents, blessed with all the talent in the world, proved static and shocked. Sloppy in possession and lacking the urgency required to overcome a tight Bianconeri defence, Bayern faltered. They had underestimated the Italians who they thought would simply defend.

While Allegri got his starting lineup spot on and Guardiola got his wrong, the reverse was true when it came to substitutions. Guardiola quickly took off the liability that was Mehdi Benatia and looked for a way to provide width, bringing in Kingsley Coman -- the player on loan from Juve who made all the difference.

Allegri, rather bizarrely, opted to take off Morata, the perfect player for a team playing a counter-attacking game. Mario Mandzukic simply couldn't offer the same ability as he's a player perfect for holding play but not one who will chase balls down and make fast intelligent runs forward. With Cuadrado also taken off, Juventus had little going forward.

Falling deeper and deeper, they eventually tired from defending for such a long stretch of time and Bayern scored two to force extra time. The momentum was with them and Juve collapsed to concede another two. It was all over. This will indeed prove to be a valuable learning experience for Allegri's young squad, one that impressed for so long despite the absence of three star players. There's always next year.

Player ratings

Gianluigi Buffon, 6 -- Great save on Thomas Muller but there was nothing he could really do to avoid the goals scored, the defence fell too deep inviting pressure.

Stephan Lichtsteiner, 6 -- Good defensively but brilliant on the attack. Consistently pushed forward and showed courage to put the opponent under pressure.

Leonardo Bonucci, 5 -- At a time he needed to be cold and not emotional, Bonucci failed, making the errors that counted. Lost Robert Lewandowski and fell apart even more in extra time.

Andrea Barzagli, 7 -- A little nervy on occasion but while Barzagli showed composure and ensured Lewandowski had a frustrating night, he failed to maintain the brilliance in extra time.

Patrice Evra, 5 -- Exhibited maturity for much of the game but Coman's arrival hurt him. Lost possession to allow Bayern to score their second.

Juan Cuadrado, 7 -- What a finish for the second goal. Pushed forward and overlapped to perfection. His pace troubled Bayern and forced them back while his defensive contributions were necessary.

Sami Khedira, 6 -- Truly played for the team, pressing well and reading play impressively.

Hernanes, 6 -- Covered the spaces well, pressed and passed well. Didn't disappoint.

Paul Pogba, 7 -- What a wonderful opening goal and excellent performance from the player who supported Morata well and tracked back to cover the spaces to halt Bayern. Tired out eventually.

Alex Sandro, 7 -- A wonderful performance from the player who is always accurate, showed courage to attack and always offered the ball carriers an option for the pass. Suffered with Coman's arrival.

Alvaro Morata, 8 -- The player of the night, the best Juventus had to offer. His perfect dribble forward, overcoming three players to deliver the assist will be remembered for some time. He fought and proved to be a vital player for a team that looked to counter-attack with pace. He not only provoked errors but exploited them too.

Substitutes

Stefano Sturaro, 5 -- How did he miss that chance? Sloppy and wasteful in possession, this was not his night.

Mario Mandzukic, N/A -- Played his usual game of sacrifice and defended with heart but not the right man to replace Morata.

Roberto Pereyra, N/A -- Terrible performance. Failed to close down Thiago Alcantara and was too aggressive in his attitude.

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Bayern Munich Coach Praises Juventus
After Champions League Tie

http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2016/03/bayern-munich-coach-praises-juventus-after-champions-league-tie/?

Mar 16, 2016

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola praised Juventus for their performance in their last 16 tie in the Champions League despite eliminating the Italian giants 6-4 on aggregate.

Die Roten overturned a two-goal deficit and won the second leg 4-2 on Wednesday night but the Bayern tactician was impressed with how the Bianconeri gained an early lead.

“Luckily a great team is gone from the Champions League and it is not us,” Guardiola told Mediaset Premium. “If you want to win you have to beat the big teams in Europe and Juventus are impressive.

“They went ahead with goals from Cuadrado and Morata. Perhaps the disallowed goal was onside but thats football, it happens.

“They are a great team and to score four goals against an Italian side is not easy. After going 2-0 down against the Italians, coming back is hard because patience is needed.

“There is only one regret and that is the way we started. I hope this serves as a lesson for the quarter-finals whoever we play.”

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Alvaro Morata Shows in Bayern
Loss How Vital He Is to Juventus

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2625428-alvaro-morata-shows-in-bayern-munich-loss-how-vital-he-is-to-juventus?

Mar 17, 2016

Juventus went into the second leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash with Bayern Munich facing the toughest of challenges, the Turin-based side trailing their opponents on away goals and forced to play without some of their music most influential players.

The day before Wednesday's meeting at the Allianz Arena, the club's official website revealed leading scorer Paulo Dybala and key midfielder Claudio Marchisio had injuries, the duo joining defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Martin Cacreres on the sidelines.

Those absences forced Massimiliano Allegri into a tactical reshuffle, and the Juve boss once again found an almost perfect solution. Starting the clash with a four-man defence, the coach deployed Alvaro Morata as a lone striker with wingers Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado regularly providing support from the flanks.

The impact of the two South Americans was discussed in a previous post, and both men were heavily involved in a number of promising attacks in the early going. Yet perhaps the most important shift was to allow Paul Pogba a much freer role, the Frenchman given licence to join Morata whenever possible.

OptaPaolo ✔ ‎@OptaPaolo
7 - Á. Morata has scored 5 goals & assisted 2 in Juventus' last 9 #UCL games in the KO stages. Star.

Just five minutes had passed when that decision paid dividends, Stephan Lichtsteiner pouncing on a mistake from David Alaba to feed Pogba, who hit a low shot beyond Manuel Neuer to hand Juve a surprising lead.

The 23-year-old continued to disrupt Bayern's usual rhythm, his advanced position allowing him to break up attacks before they began. And Juve soon doubled their advantage, Morata breaking away before delivering a perfectly measured pass to Cuadrado.

He paused to outfox Philipp Lahm before firing the ball home, an excellent finish to a wonderful attacking move from the Bianconeri. The Colombian was denied a second goal by a sprawling Neuer—with Lichtsteiner then blasting the rebound over the bar—yet the first hour of the match undoubtedly belonged to Morata.

The Madrid native saw a 22nd-minute effort incorrectly ruled out for offside, robbing him of the goal his performance in Munich undoubtedly deserved. As the FourFourTwo Stats Zone graphic in the tweet below highlights, Morata took four shots, completed four of his six take-on attempts and connected with 90 per cent of the passes he made.

Adam Digby ‎@Adz77
.@AlvaroMorata vs FCB: 4 shots, 4/6 take-ons, 9/10 passes, 1 tackle, 2 clearances, 1 interception (via @StatsZone)

He also worked hard without the ball, winning one tackle while making two clearances and an interception before being withdrawn in the 71st minute. However, after replacing Morata with Mario Mandzukic, Juventus became far too negative, sitting deep in their own half and relinquishing the initiative they fought so hard to gain.

Bayern punished that decision mercilessly. They subsequently netted four unanswered goals and eliminated the Bianconeri, leaving the visitors ruing their mistakes but filled with a huge amount of pride, as Gigi Buffon explained to reporters shortly after the final whistle:

It is one thing to be eliminated from the competition, but it’s another altogether to be sent home after that result and that performance. I am very proud of the team we are. This match has shown us that we are playing on a different level compared to last year.

We are constantly improving as a group and tonight should give us great belief in achieving our goal of going all the way in this competition within the next two years.

To do so, the Old Lady must have Morata at the level he showed here, a vastly improved performance in comparison with his recent form, which has seen him fall behind Dybala and Mandzukic in the pecking order.

With just eight goals in all competitions this term—and only one since the end of January—there is much room for improvement from the Spaniard, but perhaps this outing can inspire him in the coming weeks.

His direct approach and pace in the transition from defence to attack make Morata an invaluable weapon for Juventus and Allegri, one they will undoubtedly need as they pursue a historic fifth consecutive league title.

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Juventus pay the price

Seemingly headed for the Champions League quarter-finals, Juventus were
eventually overwhelmed by Bayern Munich. Luca Cetta looks at where it went wrong.

http://www.football-italia.net/81445/juventus-pay-price?

Mar 17, 2016

For so long on Wednesday Juventus embodied the determination they knew would be needed to down Bayern. The belief they could advance shone through as the Bianconeri gave one of their most dogged and cunning European performances for some time. Bayern were on the ropes. But they were left to wonder what may have been as the Germans clawed back into the contest to go through to the last eight.

Massimiliano Allegri’s team had to score in Munich. That much was clear. As in the final half hour of the first leg, Juventus hounded the Bayern defence. Assuredness at the back and captivating counter-attacks made for an invaluable combination. So good was Juve’s first half they could have been four goals clear.

It was made all the more impressive given Juve’s recent injuries. Giorgio Chiellini failed to return in time and was joined this week in the treatment room by Claudio Marchisio and Paulo Dybala. When asked pre-game what he would do without the latter pair, Allegri shrugged: “What did I think when I was told about the injuries? That I’d best pick someone to play, because otherwise we’d go there with nine players.”

It was in keeping with Allegri’s philosophy. He knew Juventus faced an uphill climb after a 2-2 home draw. On the opposite side was a team that had won 16 of 17 home matches in all competitions and conceded just seven goals. The boss brushed off the setbacks and ensured his team got on with the job.

Paul Pogba’s opener showed the value in attacking the Bayern rearguard. Even with the return of Mehdi Benatia it was the weak link. The Frenchman was tasked with getting forward to help Alvaro Morata and did so to good effect in the first half. The Spaniard’s superb coast-to-coast run opened the door for Juan Cuadrado to double the advantage. Two goals clear at Allianz Arena, Juve were in paradise.

Further goalmouth incidents proved pivotal to the outcome. Morata had a goal ruled out for a wrong offside decision, while Manuel Neuer denied Cuadrado at the back post just before half-time. Even after the break were further chances to put the tie to bed.

At the other end a steely defensive resolve dealt with Bayern’s fearsome attack. This was, after all, a defence which has kept 10 consecutive Serie A clean sheets. It needed to be good and was. Juve allowed the Bavarians little joy out wide – Franck Ribery and Douglas Costa could not make a telling pass – and the home side looks short of ideas. It meant Pep Guardiola’s team had to throw everything at the Bianconeri.

When the pressure eventually told through Robert Lewandowski a feeling of inevitability crept in. With their tails up Bayern were not to be denied, although it took until injury time for Thomas Muller to net. Quick-fire extra time goals from Thiago Alcantara and former Juventus man Kingsley Coman settled the tie. The tenacious Patrice Evra had a hand in the decisive middle pair. Juve were so good for so long in dealing with what was thrown their way, however the veteran twice failed to clear and Bayern punished.

By extra-time Juve’s attacking verve was all but gone. Allegri deserves praise for how the Turin giants approached the game, but his substitutions helped swing the balance in Bayern’s favour. Those injuries stretched depth, but the new arrivals were ineffective.

Mario Mandzukic offered none of Morata’s attacking threat. Allegri: “I introduced someone fresh like Mandzukic who could hold the ball up...Unfortunately, he then went very deep and they raised the two centre-backs.” Stefano Sturaro did not present a way forward as Sami Khedira had. Nor did Roberto Pereyra provide an outlet like Cuadrado. Without a hold of possession, the action constantly returned to Juve’s defensive third and a tiring defence.“After 70 minutes we lost intensity,” Allegri said.

Compare his substitutions with Guardiola’s. Coman helped swing the game long before his sealer. His presence on the right alongside Costa stretched the Juventus defence. Thiago grabbed the vital third goal. Allegri out-thought Guardiola tactically, but the difference in substitutions proved telling in the final outcome.

Juventus can only wonder. They had Bayern for the taking. For a long time they looked set to advance. The difference was in those decisive moments at either end, and the changes which worked for one boss and left another to regret.

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

BAYERN 4 – 2 JUVENTUS – WE ARE
SAD, SHAKEN AND HURTING…

http://www.juvefc.com/bayern-4-2-juventus/

Mar 17, 2016

Sitting in my den of iniquity, the daylight gaining brightness and seeping through the rips in the curtains, I looked upon the entirety of extra time with my heart sinking with every passing second. Even the brief flurry of an always unlikely late comeback failed to register in my baleful glare any change. For we were beaten in the 91st minute, not the 120th. The capitulation and subsequent stay of execution was deeply painful for us all to endure. Yet now is the time for reflection, as we allow the despondency to work its way through our system, knowing that like everything else in life, it won’t last an eternity, no matter how horrid we presently feel.

It is all too easy and natural, when losing after finding ourselves so desperately close to an outstanding triumph, to embrace the blame game. Try to make sense of what hurts so much through pointing the finger, yet this helps nobody, neither ourselves or the accused.

I am proud of the club, the players, the manager, and each of every one of us, whose tides flow with Juve as the moon and the wind. The most valuable conclusion I can make of what transpired at the Allianz is as follows…

Firstly, and most poignantly, we were 90 seconds away from a victory which very few were confident we would achieve, or that any team could achieve, but Barcelona. Other than which, we were disastrously and unfairly hard done by the decision to wrongly disallow Morata’s goal.

The reasons for our collapse are myriad, yet to place the responsibility solely in Allegri’s lap is damn wrong. For we cannot enjoy and praise his success, without accepting that sometimes, like the players, like ourselves, he will fail. Yes, without any doubt whatsoever, the substitutions proved as much our undoing as the goal which never was, but I can understand Allegri’s thinking. We were tiring, which was naturally inviting pressure onto our rearguard and Bayern were inching ever closer. We had given so much, the decision to make was to try freshen the side, by turning to the bench.

It was strange to find Morata removed, for he had been our finest offensive weapon and despite his spurned opportunities, he created a goal beautifully, had another chalked off wrongly and gave his strongest performance of the season. Had he signalled to the bench his fatigue? Had Mandzukic been included when not fully fit. I suspect the latter. Why not Zaza instead? He is quicker, more focused on the final third and has suffered no injuries of late. Still, his experience on such a stage is nominal when compared to that of Mario.

The move to replace Sami Khedira was understandable, as he was walking more than running, and whilst in hindsight I scream into the past ‘NOT STURARO, BRING ON ASAMOAH’, at the time I agreed with the move.

The final sub, Pereyra, again made some sense, given his ability, yet in light of his complete absence of form after missing most the season, the move was questionable.

Every player brought on proved far less valuable than those they replaced. The subs backfired, in a huge way. In complete contrast to the first leg, one of many parallels, such as the flow of the game with the away side dominating, creating chance after chance, yet only managing 2 goals, before been clawed back to level terms.

I place no blame on Allegri. The experience will be enriching in the long run, for both manager and players. And we must understand where we were just a few months back. In dire straits in the league, suffering our worst injury crisis for many years, miles off the pace and facing a season of struggle wherein even champions league qualification seemed a very tall order indeed.

I could delve into analysis of the misfortune of suffering yet more injuries before the match, yet it will not change a damn thing. So I prefer to focus on the many reasons to be cheerful.

Presently, we have just lost to one of the top two sides on the planet, after dominating them on their own patch and finding ourselves within a whisker of deservedly beating them, we are top of the league and have the opportunity to complete the domestic double for the second year on the trot. We have two new world class players in our ranks, Sandro and Dybala, a strong nucleus, and if Pogba remains, we are only going to come back stronger next term. Even if Pogba departs we will receive a king’s ransom which can be reinvested in other proven talent.

We changed many players last Summer, lost three of world class calibre, have found two more in their stead and will find more in next transfer window. A team in transition, slowly finding its identity. Who took the battle magnificently to an established powerhouse of the elite. We emerge with our pride and respect nourished. And will be seen rightfully as a team no other wants to face next time the balls are swirling and the group stages are decided. Even more so in the knock-out phase.

I am happy to ponder us in the 3-5th bracket, alongside the two sides from Madrid, in my own global rankings. It signifies progress and a steady, consistent return to the upper echelons of continental football. To thrust ourselves to the very top, we simply need more of the same, more experience and to add greater talent to the squad in depth. All of which I see running on schedule. To reach the final, lose to one of the best sides of history, then be turned over, in odd circumstances, by a poor mistake by the officials and the side most feel as number 2 in the world, is no reason to cry and curse and feel anything other than our forward momentum.

Player Ratings

Buffon 6 - The legend made a couple of solid saves and blocks, and its a nod of respect to the remarkable quality in the Bayern offence to add, that its the first time I have seen Santo Buffon concede four goals in one match which he had no chance of saving. At 38, I believe I have heard whispers suggesting the elder statesman of the side will play until he is 40. End with a world cup and champions league victory in 2018! Why not eh?

Lichsteiner 6.5 – Stephan tackled well, covered and supplied decent support on the flank. He has more work when Cuadrado plays, and faired well enough against top drawer opponents. Missed a chance when finding himself in front of goal on his left peg, yet considering he is a fullback, I cannot criticise, for its welcome enough to see him finding such chances.

Bonucci 6 – Unfortunately, my memory suggests that I was disappointed with Big Leo, for losing his player on a couple of all too important occasions. His standards have been set so high, that this performance must be seen as below par. The burly stopper was unable to find time on the ball to distribute from the back and resorted to too many fouls and dramatic efforts at play-acting to suggest he had been hard done by, some of which he got away with, some he didn’t. World class on occasion, yet not last night.

Barzagli 7 – The rock gave his best, worked tirelessly and fought damn hard. I cannot presently bear to watch the goals again, other than the first two, and so cannot confirm if he was at fault for any we conceded, yet I saw a commendable, solid showing of dear Andrea.

Evra 6 – Like many of his comrades, he ran out of steam. And once the wind stopped blowing in his sails, and the spritely Coman entered the fray, his age began to show. His mentality and intelligence and wealth of experience is welcome, yet this game proved to me that we need to implement Sandro or purchase a new LB for next season. I must add that Douglas Costa was superb, yet matched on the whole by Evra, until he moved central for our old chum Kingsley to take his place on the wing, when our destiny took a turn for the worse. Perhaps that was Guardiola’s plan. Wear the frenchman down then bring on his young compatriot. Patrice gave his all, yet it was simply not enough.

Cuadrado 7 – We saw exactly why I have problems with accepting the Colombian is good enough to compete at the very top. He took his goal remarkably well, it was a brilliant piece of control and composure. Yet just before half time was called, he had what seemed an easier chance, and tamely failed. His pace is a wonderful asset for the side, yet his lack of consistent potency in the box lets him down time and time again. I’d be happy enough if we sign him, yet not at all bothered if we send him back to Chelsea. As a squad player, especially when deployed high up the field, he can be a match winner as much as a persistent failure. With the right coaching, perhaps his composure could become more telling, which when added consistently to his lightning fast feet and simple tricks on the ball, would make him a much better player. However, as things stand, for me, he is mainly making up the numbers presently. And had others been fit, I expect he would have begun on the bench. Regardless, I salute his effort and well taken goal.

Khedira 7 – I was worried about his fitness, as always, yet he was formidable. His intelligence on the ball and in the tackle is a joy to behold when he is in such form. Not in any way overawed, picked out smart passes and displayed exactly why, when fit, he remains good enough to mix it with the very best.

Hernanes 5 - This is where the ratings become tricky. I simply didn’t see him, though felt or assumed when we were in the ascendency that he was making himself useful. Yet how, when, where? Perhaps he was covering? Drawing players away from the action? Yet the fact remains, I simply never saw him. Maybe he looks a little similar to a short haired Khedira from a distance? And in the thick of the fray, I gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was Khedira! What is for certain, is that he did not impose himself on the game, as all and any central midfielders must, as a bare minimum. Due to my total non-recollection of his participation aside from his grimace as he faced a free kick from the flank…

Pogba 7.5 - Took his goal brilliantly, created for others, recycled the ball gloriously and reminded many why he has the reputation of one of the most complete midfielders in the game, even at the tender age of just turned 23. Much of our potential to further improve next season is rooted in whether he remains in our colours or departs. When you see Pogba tired, you know we have been in a very serious battle. And tired he was, yet he kept going, to his credit. Driving the team onwards, always seeking the ball. A commendable showing.

Sandro 7 – The Brazilian, finally afforded a role as a true winger, proved a sabre sharp thorn in the Bayern side throughout. Tackling, bombing forward, dribbling, spreading the play, all of his endeavour deserved better than the result we were forced to accept. A very bright future indeed. And yet another amazing signing. When I see a player who improves game after game, I am thankful of his presence in our ranks.

Morata 8 - Immense. His pace and control and awareness are world class. Yes yes! He missed a couple of chances, but he made a goal through his incredible dribbling at manic speed and was horrifically unlucky to have a legitimate goal called wrongly offside. He caused Bayern no end of trauma. As much as I am a fan of the industry and grit of Mandzukic, the Spaniard proved he is back, and we must integrate him into the starting XI for the remainder of the season, make him feel loved, allow him to blossom, pray he chooses to stay…if he has any choice in the matter. In terms of how? That is Allegri’s job, not mine. The only issue with Morata is that sometimes I sense he still feels he is playing for Real Madrid! Which is ridiculous…or is it? For he fires up almost solely when we face the strongest sides, as if such is his confidence and expectation, that he doesn’t need to focus so potently against weaker opponents. Considering his injury problems, and haphazard season, this was a sterling performance.

SUBS

Sturaro 4 – He has a lot more to offer than what we saw against Munich. His lack of games of late revealed itself awfully and regrettably, yet I am convinced of his mental strength and after such a wretched outing, he will bounce back ever more determined to prove himself worthy of the shirt. My instincts lead me to conclude that Allegri saw him as our lucky charm in Europe, for good reason, and he trains as a natural apprentice to Khedira. Unfortunately, he was shocking. 4

Mandzukic 4.5 – Other than a chance to strike on goal in extra time, when he fluffed his lines, Mario was woeful and no threat whatsoever. He had assuredly been told to stay high, attack the centre-backs, replace Morata as our reference point in attack, use his strength to hold up the ball and allow others to flow past him, to then find. The reality was far from those ideals. For Mario played more in the midfield than the final third, did little of use with the ball, appeared aggressive, nothing else. Poor pace, schoolboy control, a terrible end to his European campaign. He has done ever so well whilst Morata has been recuperating from his physical and emotional travails, yet now we must accept, that the Croatian is a squad player, at best. And is too one dimensional to trouble the likes of Bayern. Picked a poor time to offer a useless performance. 4.5

Pereyra 4 – Injured for most of the season, barely a taste of regular first team action this calendar year, he was a strange choice to bring on in the 89th minute, when Asamoah or Zaza would have surely potentially offered more vitality. Still, his former ability – of last season – to link the midfield and attack was perhaps worth a roll of the dice, yet it was a serious risk at such a vitally important pivot of proceedings. Roberto was shocking in every aspect of the game. At best, he is a player who needs a steady run of games to regain his rhythm, at worst, he may prove a one season wonder. And that season was now long ago. 4

Allegri 6.5 - Whilst his substitutions played into Bayern hands, the manner in which he set up the team, in a fashion I have not seen before, nor expected, proved absolutely perfect. I take the rough with the smooth. Given the titan performance of Bayern in the first leg, we would not have been in with a shout, were it not for Allegri’s alterations. He wrought from our patched up ranks a phenomenal performance, which went so close to making our shared dreams reality. I remain, very happy indeed to have him as our Manager.

Conclusion

The battle was almost won, yet lost. We gave a wonderful account of ourselves, ran out of steam after giving our everything, which was so nearly perfect. Ask yourselves if you would have preferred to find us listless and dominated and beaten 4-0 or to have ridden the rollercoaster of emotions which transpired? I will always opt for the bliss and the agony. One never comes without the potential for the other.

You often learn more in life from a defeat than you do from a victory. For Victory teaches us little, Defeat teaches us how to become victorious. I believe this to be the case with Juve. We know where we belong and are well on our way to reaching our destination.

The odd formation of Cuadrado and Sandro as true wingers worked a treat. I believe that this is where we can glean the best of the still blossoming Sandro, and if we can add a comparably consistent counterpart on the right flank, we will become…something similar to the Bayern side which just put us to the sword.

There is work to do for Beppe and his hatchet-man Paratici; they have got us this far and I have total confidence they will continue to work diligently to forge our path ever deeper on our journey to rejoining the best of the best. We are clearly, not far off at all. 90 seconds! So look upon this as doom and gloom if it suits and brings you some solace, whilst I will smile, and be proud, of what we have achieved and what I know we will achieve. For of all the drenched with brutally earned wealth teams like PSG, Chelsea, Man City…Juve have a soul, a heart and I am so amazingly proud of our effort and quality and spirit. And to feel that my own heart beats in time…

We came so close, yet this isn’t to be our year…I am convinced, such a result is merely the – to be expected – birth pains of the creation of a side set to year upon year rub shoulders with the elite, for that is where we are headed, and that is where we shall find ourselves.

So have faith, my fellow Juventini, we are well on our way to supreme glory…

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Elkann: ‘Juve great despite refs’

http://www.football-italia.net/81449/elkann-%E2%80%98juve-great-despite-refs%E2%80%99?

Mar 17, 2016

John Elkann says ‘Juventus dominated Bayern Munich despite the referees’ and underlines that ‘we still have important objectives’.

The President of FIAT and member of the club’s Board of Directors reflected on last night’s defeat to the German side in the Champions League, during which Alvaro Morata had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside.

“The refereeing element is unpredictable, it is in every match, but Juve showed that they know how to play well despite the referees,” Elkann said to Mediaset.

“Juve are a great team, they showed that by dominating the game against Bayern.

“If you look at what happened in Turin and Munich, the refereeing was an unfavourable factor. Despite that, we were winning.

“It seemed like a semi-final or final on a sporting level. There are players who had an extraordinary game like Cuadrado. The duel with Coman was also nice – he showed he’s a great player.

“I’m very sorry for the result: we had the game in our hands, it’s a shame to have lost it at the last moment. Now we have the Derby and there are still important objectives, like the league and Coppa Italia.”

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Pep Guardiola, Max Allegri, Bayern Munich
and Juventus all deserve credit

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/uefa-champions-league/2/blog/post/2831403/credit-pep-guardiola-max-allegri-bayern-munich-and-juventus

Mar 17, 2016

There's a little gimmick that TV networks occasionally use during political debates. They lock a focus group of voters in a room and give each one a small device with a knob, which are supposed to turn left or right, based on how well they think each candidate is doing. This is then logged and it appears as a graphic on the screen in real time, offering up an instant, virtual electrocardiogram of feedback and judgment.

I thought about that on Wednesday during those incredible 120 minutes between Bayern Munich and Juventus. For a while, Bayern manager Pep Guardiola was a fool, a crazed dogmatic zealot, a tactical fundamentalist wed to arrogant notions that, like Icarus, would cause him to crash and burn. Juve boss Max Allegri, meanwhile, was the underdog genius, once again surpassing expectations by concocting a tactical witches' brew to befuddle his more heralded opponent.

And then the tide began to turn. Suddenly, Guardiola was Guardiola again: The gold standard, the serial winner, the most coveted managerial mind of our era, able to convey to his players both the mental fortitude to bounce back and the tactical/personnel tools to do it.

And Allegri was the guy who had blown it: Crumbling when it most mattered, too much of a tinkerer with his substitutions, too much of a coward to stick to the original front-foot gameplan and, instead, retreating to the age-old safety blanket of the counter-attack.

I guess this is why snap judgments are so risky. And why it's often best to reflect 24 hours later.

Do that and what you'll look back on is an exceptional game, featuring two of the very best teams in the world leaving everything out on the pitch. So many focused on the turnarounds, the games within games of the tie's 210 minutes: Bayern won 2-0 from minute 1-60, Juventus triumphed 4-0 from 61-160 and then Bayern thumped their opponents 4-0 the rest of the way.

But, in fact, the games told a different story. The first leg in Turin had shown two clubs playing poorly during two different stretches of the game. Wednesday in Munich was, for the most part, two teams playing well -- very well in spurts -- and when one pulled ahead it was because they moved to another level, not because the opposition dropped off.

Clubs analyze games after the fact and managers reflect on what they could have done differently. Some fault Guardiola for leaving out Thiago Alcantara and Kingsley Coman from the start. That's easy to say after the fact. Would Coman have been as effective from the first minute? And who should have made way for him?

Others point to the fact that his system places undue stress in key defensive positions: One mistake and the opposition are through on goal. That's what happened last night on Juve's first goal and the one soon after that was -- as replays showed -- incorrectly flagged offside.

But that's the basis of Guardiola's system. It's predicated on winning the ball high up the pitch. If you break his press, you're in a one-one-one situation and one slip puts you through. You may not like it, but the concepts have been part of his football for the past decade.

It's what makes him who he is and it has been hugely successful precisely because its positives outweigh its negatives, at least when implemented by him with the type of players he had at Barcelona and has at Bayern.

The fact that Bayern were stunned by Juve's onslaught for the first hour or so on Wednesday night is as much down to what Allegri threw at them as it was to any deficiencies on their part.

Juve's manager was missing arguably his best defender (Giorgio Chiellini), his most experienced midfielder (Claudio Marchisio) and his best attacker (Paulo Dybala), so had to conjure up a different look. Just what it was, was hard for anyone to discern, let alone Guardiola and Bayern.

Antonio Gagliardi, an analyst with the Italian FA, tweeted: "Juventus defend low with a 5-4-1, they press with a 4-4-2 and they attack with a 4-2-3-1. Systems in the future will become ever more fluid."

He's right. What Juve did tactically was something hugely difficult to pull off and something for which Guardiola was totally unprepared; in part because Juve had never done it before and in part because most of Bayern's opponents this season -- especially the ones with the quality to actually do some damage -- don't shape-shift in that way.

It's a credit to Allegri, but it's also down to the players. You can draw up the best scheme in the world, but if you don't have guys with the intelligence and tactical preparation to apply it and the intensity and technique to execute it, you're not getting far.

Allegri was criticized by some for replacing Alvaro Morata with Mario Mandzukic. It obviously didn't work, but I have less of a problem with it than do others. Allegri explained that the idea was for Mandzukic to offer a big physical target to hold the ball and let Juve move up the pitch, while providing a threat on set pieces.

The problem, Allegri said, was that others simply couldn't get close enough to him. Hindsight is 20/20 but when you consider that Morata has lasted 90 minutes in less than 20 percent of his appearances this season and that Mandzukic was hugely motivated against his former boss -- he probably likes Guardiola about as much Jose Mourinho does -- it's not such a crazy notion.

So, where does this leave the two teams?

For Juventus, it's confirmation that, at least against Europe's best, they can hold their own. Since Allegri's arrival last year, they have beaten Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City home and away, knocked out Real Madrid, battled Bayern to a stand-still and, in last year's Champions League final, were level with Barcelona in the second half. If such intangibles as confidence and mentality actually exist, there is no question that they live in this squad.

"This defeat must teach us that we have moved up another notch compared to last season." said Gigi Buffon, Juve's skipper. "The growth process continues at pace."

He's right. Juve were as good on Wednesday night as anything they showed last year, when they came within 90 minutes of the treble. If expected goals are your thing, then this and this sum it up neatly.

Plus, with Chiellini, Marchisio and Dybala, they likely would have been even better. It's certainly a far more constructive message than that spewed out after the game by Juventus executive Beppe Marotta, who is usually rather more measured, when he complained about the officiating and talked about "needing protection in European football."

It's 2016. If you want to blame refereeing errors, fine. But don't trot out anything even remotely alluding to the need to the old chestnuts of political power and influence over referees. It's unbecoming.

As for Bayern, there are still plenty who see this in black and white terms. If Guardiola wins the Champions League during his spell in Munich, then he will have succeeded. If he comes up short, he will have failed. It's a binary equation that makes no sense to me but hey-ho. If folks don't understand that chance and probability and the quality of the opposition are beyond a manager's control, there's only so much you can do.

As far as I'm concerned -- and, more importantly, as far as many in the Bayern hierarchy have told me -- Guardiola has already succeeded. He introduced concepts and an evolution that has simply made his players and the club better. And that's a manager's first job.

When Bayern were on their way out, right up until -- who else? -- Thomas Muller's dramatic stoppage-time equalizer, some people took glee at making sweeping pronouncements: Guardiola bottled it, he's a fraud. He can no longer do it in big games. Tiki-taka is dead.

(The idiocy of that previous statement leaves you lost for words; thinking you can sum up the current Bayern team in eight letters and thinking what you see is what Guardiola's Barca played in 2008.)

But how about looking at it a different way? How about noticing that, late in the game, Guardiola got Bayern to played differently, with crosses and directness and an aerial assault that was entirely distinct from what they'd done earlier? How about noting that such a shift actually requires a fair dose of humility?

It comes with the territory, I guess. When you're on top, some turn you into some kind of infallible messiah, spreading a universal footballing truth. And that, inevitably, leads to a backlash from those who are annoyed not so much by Guardiola himself, but by a portion of his fanatical cheerleaders.

He's not the first, by the way. It happened to Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson, Fabio Capello, Arrigo Sacchi and Johan Cruyff. Heck, Viktor Maslov and Bela Guttmann would have gotten it too if social media and the punditocracy had existed in their day.

Unless Bayern and Juventus somehow collapse and finish their domestic seasons empty-handed, Guardiola and Allegri have already succeeded, because they've made their teams better. And that's regardless of the fact that the latter will be watching the rest of the Champions League on TV or that the former could run into Barcelona and get tripped up in the next round.

Even if that's probably not what those folks with their little knobs in their little focus groups are thinking.

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

Rummenigge: 'Juve-Bayern too early'

http://www.football-italia.net/81474/rummenigge-juve-bayern-too-early?

Mar 17, 2016

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge complains Juventus should not have faced Bayern Munich so early in the Champions League.

The two giants went to extra time in the Round of 16, Bayern eventually going through 6-4 on aggregate.

“Our team proved their character, but it is not possible that Bayern and last season’s finalists met at this stage when there are games like Atletico Madrid-PSV Eindhoven or Wolfsburg-Genk,” said CEO Rummenigge.

“Juve were a great rival and if I think that last year’s beaten finalists went out like this…

“UEFA ought to reflect and introduce a seeding system for the draw. The knockout round depends too much on good luck.

“We need to change the system, because fate is too decisive at this early stage of the tournament.”

Socrates · March 18, 2016

BAYERN - JUVENTUS

4 - 2

Aggregate 6 - 4[

Paul Pogba (5')
Juan Cuadrado (28')

Robert Lewandowski (73')
Thomas Müller (90'+)
Thiago Alcântara (108')
Kingsley Coman (110')

Round of 16 - Second leg
Wednesday, March 16th, 2016 - 08:45 P.M.
Allianz Arena, Munich
Referee:‬ Jonas Eriksson (Sweden)

TACTICAL ANALYSIS: ALLEGRI’S SUBSTITUTIONS FAIL TO FOLLOW GAMEPLAN AS JUVENTUS

BOW OUT IN DRAMATIC FASHION

http://www.thehardtackle.com/blogs/2016/03/18/tactical-analysis-allegris-substitutions-fail-to-follow-gameplanas-juventus-bow-out-in-dramatic-fashion/?

Mar 17, 2016

It was around the 68 minute mark that Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri decided to bring on Stefano Sturaro for Sami Khedira in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich. The Turin side were trailing two goals to one at this stage. Seven minutes and another substitution later, Juventus were on level terms. The two substitutes, Alvaro Morata and Sturaro, had combined brilliantly to score the equaliser, with the former being on the pitch for just one minute.
The 68 minute mark would prove crucial in the second leg as well. This time it was Juventus who led by two goals when Khedira was hauled off for Sturaro. Morata was substituted for Mario Mandzukic four minutes later and the game turned on its head.
Juventus had no one up front to counter-attack and their presence in midfield had suddenly gone missing. Robert Lewandowski pegged one back a minute after Morata’s substitution, and from that point on, things went spiralling downwards for Juventus, who were on the receiving end of three more goals before the night was done. The substitutions, which proved to be a boon in the first leg, turned out to be fatal in the second.

Bayern vs Juventus: Formation and starting lineups

What made the Old Lady tick before the substitutions?

Juventus’s gameplan was largely based on pressing Bayern’s makeshift backline. And if Bayern made it into their half, Morata maintained his position near the half-way line to counter-attack when the opportunity presented itself. These two tactics greatly impacted Bayern’s play. Lacking confidence on the ball, the two Bayern centre-backs — Joshua Kimmich and Medhi Benatia — were always immediately put under pressure, mainly by Khedira, Morata and Paul Pogba, making it difficult for Bayern to play out from the back.

Juventus managed to recover the ball 9 times in Bayern’s half before the substitutions were made. Bayern’s high line and possession play was also perfect for Morata, who is known for his direct running. Morata ran through the heart of Bayern’s team before slipping in a ball for Juan Cuadrado, who made no mistake to score the Old Lady’s second goal of the night.

Kimmich and Benatia lack speed, and found it very hard to contain the pacey Morata. The Spaniard was successful in completing 4 out of the 6 take-ons he attempted before being subbstituted on the night.

Masters in the art of defending — having just conceded 3 goals in 2016 (2 in the first leg) — Juventus found it fairly comfortable to contain Bayern, who had only 4 players in advanced attacking positions, with Xabi Alonso and Arturo Vidal trying to dictate play from the centre. With Morata keeping the centre-backs busy and Pogba and Cuadrado keeping the full-backs in check, Bayern — in spite of all their possession — were only able to muster two tame shots on target.

How did the substitutes alter the game?

Guardiola responded by bringing on Juan Bernat in place of Benatia, and moving David Alaba to the centre of defence. This served two purposes: Alaba could match Morata for pace and counter his direct running, and Bayern would be more comfortable playing out the back.

The Bayern boss also changed the shape from a conventional 4-2-3-1, where the full-backs overlap, to his own adaptation in which they drift inside. Kingsley Coman was also brought on for an ineffective Alonso to stretch the play. Allegri responded by bringing on Sturaro and Mandzukic in place of Khedira and Morata, so as to maintain the same intensity levels throughout the game.

It goes without saying that Paulo Dybala would have been a more like-for-like switch for Morata, but his injury meant that Mandzukic got the nod. Efficient with his back to goal and lacking in pace, the Croatian was unable to bring his strengths into the game and failed to contribute anything of note.

Without worrying about pace in behind, the Bayern centre-backs were also comfortable in joining in attacks and distributing play. Sturaro, on the other hand, was completely caught in transition in a match played with high intensity. The pressing from midfield was no longer there, and Juventus were pegged back deep in their own half.

After the substitutions, there were no interceptions or ball recoveries in Bayern’s half. Douglas Costa, who was operating centrally, found ample space to receive and distribute play. Coman also contributed with a goal and an assist.

Summary

The goals against Juventus were the Bianconeri‘s own doing, as the substitutes failed to find the rhythm to match the game’s intensity. However, Allegri has to be given credit for matching Bayern in terms of tactics over the two legs. Had Dybala and Claudio Marchisio been available, one wonders whether Allegri would have had enough ammunition left to finish the job he brilliantly started.

Socrates · March 19, 2016

TORINO - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 30
Sunday, March 20th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium, Turin
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

Dybala doubt for derby

http://www.football-italia.net/81458/dybala-doubt-derby?

Mar 17, 2016

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala is a doubt for the Derby della Mole with Torino, as he trained separately today.

The Argentinian international missed yesterday’s extra-time defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, as he’s struggling with a muscular injury.

The 22-year-old is also a doubt for Sunday’s derby, as he was not able to train with the rest of the team at Vinovo today.

“Paulo Dybala trained separately from the rest of the squad and his condition is being monitored day by day,” the Bianconeri confirmed on their official website.

As expected, Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio will not be fit to face the Granata, but will have time to recover for the visit of Empoli in Week 31, as next week is an international break.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

Socrates · March 19, 2016

TORINO - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 30
Sunday, March 20th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium, Turin
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

Juventus rule out Giorgio Chiellini for Sunday's
Turin derby, Paulo Dybala a major doubt

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2016/3/17/11255166/juventus-giorgio-chiellini-claudio-marchisio-paulo-dybala-injury-2016-serie-a

Mar 17, 2016

The days where we don't get some kind of injury news after a game are long gone. Luckily for us, this has nothing to do with any new injuries, which is a pleasant change from what we've been dealing with the last couple of weeks.

Instead, we got updates on those we already know are injured in Juventus' Thursday training report. Behold, the latest — and certainly not greatest because injuries are the bane of our existence as Juve fans this season — news regarding the current statuses of Giorgio Chiellini, Claudio Marchisio and Paulo Dybala:

Transferring directly from the airport to Vinovo, the players involved in the second leg in Bavaria underwent a thorough warm-down session to recharge their batteries in the build-up to Sunday afternoon's Derby Della Mole at Torino's Stadio Olimpico (kick-off 15.00 CET). Meanwhile, those not given game time in Munich focused on fitness drills.

Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio will not be fit in time for the fixture against Giampiero Ventura's charges, while Paulo Dybala trained separately from the rest of the squad and his condition is being monitored day by day.

Seeing as Marchisio was ruled out for three weeks on Tuesday, him missing out on the derby with the team his wife just so happened to support as a child isn't surprising at all. We probably won't be seeing Marchisio until the first week of April, when Juve will have just come out of the final international break of the 2015-16 season. And considering we don't truly have a timetable in terms of how long Chiellini will be out for, then I guess we should expect him to be out until we hear he's actually training with the main first-team group once again.

But Dybala is the one injury we're all wondering about.

Max Allegri let it be known at his pre-match press conference that it was his decision to keep Dybala out of the decisive second leg against Bayern Munich. While he said the injury wasn't serious, Allegri admitted that if Dybala had played against Bayern then there would have some serious risk of the situation getting worse and the talented Argentine potentially missing the rest of the season. Yeah, so apparently that was a distinct possibility.

And even though Juve are working with a slim three-point lead in Serie A, Allegri is proving to be more than just a little cautious with his No. 1 striker and goal-scoring threat. Could be worse, I guess.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

Socrates · March 20, 2016

TORINO - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 30
Sunday, March 20th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium, Turin
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

Dybala uncertain for Torino

http://www.football-italia.net/81498/dybala-uncertain-torino?

Mar 18, 2016

Conflicting reports on Paulo Dybala's condition make his presence in Juventus-Torino a puzzle.

It kicks off on Sunday at 15:00 CET - 14:00 GMT.

The striker had to skip the Champions League game against Bayern Munich last Wednesday, which the Bianconeri lost at the last second.

Dybala is needed by the Old Lady to keep up the Scudetto race against Napoli, but his presence for the Turin derby remains uncertain.

According to Tuttosport, the healing process is going well and the player declared he will be available for the game.

The giornalaccio rosa dello Sport, on the other hand, says that his condition is still doubtful and that Coach Max Allegri will be reluctant to risk another injury to the player's calf.

Both publications agree that the call-up with Argentina, which will follow the day after the game against Torino, is a factor. But while Tuttosport claim that Dybala wants to use Sunday's game to regain his form and shine with the Albiceleste, the giornalaccio rosa claims that the international games represent an additional risk which may encourage the 22-year-old not to play just before it.

Dybala's final trials will take place during Saturday's training session, when Allegri will come to a decision as to whether to field him.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

Socrates · March 20, 2016

TORINO - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 30
Sunday, March 20th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium, Turin
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

Why Bruno Peres vs. Alex Sandro Will Be
the Key Battle in Torino vs. Juventus

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2625750-why-bruno-peres-vs-alex-sandro-will-be-the-key-battle-in-torino-vs-juventus?

Mar 18, 2016

Having suffered a heartbreaking UEFA Champions League exit on Wednesday, Juventus return to domestic action on Sunday with another tough test. Awaiting them after a short trip across town to the Stadio Olimpico will be derby opponents Torino, who won this fixture last season.

But while looking to add to Juve's misery following that Bayern Munich defeat, the Granata will be fully aware they have lost twice to their city rivals this term and that their 2015 victory came courtesy of two players no longer at the club.

Goals from Matteo Darmian and Fabio Quagliarella were responsible for ending Toro's 20-year barren spell against the Bianconeri, but the pair have since moved to Manchester United and Sampdoria respectively.

They can still rely on Bruno Peres, however, the Brazilian who scored a stunning goal against the Old Lady in the November 2014 edition of this clash, running 80 yards before netting an incredible solo strike.

Remarkably, it was one of just three occasions the 26-year-old has found the net since joining the club in 2014, but that has not prevented him from establishing himself as one of Italian football's finest wing-backs.

Torino's struggles this term have not appeared to affect his form, with WhoScored.com statistics showing he has created an average of 1.2 chances per game, which is the club's third-highest mark.

The same source also highlights his three completed dribbles per outing—more than all but two players in Serie A, Roma's Diego Perotti (3.6) and Franco Vazquez of Palermo (3.1).

He has also been a fine defender, WhoScored.com reporting averages of 1.9 tackles, one interception and one clearance per game over his 24 appearances this term. He will need to be at his best on Sunday, when he is likely to go head-to-head with Juve's Alex Sandro.

His compatriot has been a hugely effective weapon for coach Massimiliano Allegri since his move from FC Porto last summer, making some key contributions in vital matches, including October's win over Torino.

It was his pass that Juan Cuadrado turned home to seal that victory, the first in what became a club record of 15 consecutive triumphs. Sandro has netted twice himself and registered four assists in total, his crosses also responsible for creating vital goals against AC Milan and Manchester City.

OptaPaolo ✔ ‎@OptaPaolo
33 - Alex Sandro has created 33 goalscoring chances, more than any other defender in Serie A this season. Train.

Given Patrice Evra is 34, Sandro is clearly being groomed to take over the left-back role when the Frenchman moves on. But he has already begun to repay what the Juventus website revealed was a €26 million fee to secure his services last August.

As well as those attacking contributions, WhoScored.com’s figures highlight a strong defensive showing from the 25-year-old, as he averages 1.9 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.5 clearances. He credits the environment in which he plays for improving his impact on games.

“Juventus are a great club, and I’m delighted that they believed in me,” he told a reporter from Globo Esporte (h/t Football Italia) before going on to explain the reasons in that same interview:

What immediately struck me was the winning mentality. It’s like you get a chip put in your head when you come here, you know right away that you have to win. There’s great communication at Juve and a close-knit environment. From my teammates to the Coach and his staff, everyone has helped me blend in quickly.

Now he has done so, Sandro will hope to help Juventus return to winning ways against their neighbours, with his battle against Peres likely to have a major influence on the result.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

Socrates · March 20, 2016

TORINO - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 30
Sunday, March 20th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium, Turin
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

Dybala misses training again

http://www.football-italia.net/81508/dybala-misses-training-again?

Mar 18, 2016

Paulo Dybala is unlikely to face Torino on Sunday, as the Juventus forward trained alone again today.

The 22-year-old missed the midweek defeat to Bayern Munich, and was unable to train with the rest of the team yesterday.

There were conflicting reports this morning about whether he would be available for the Derby della Mole, but the Bianconeri’s training report suggest it’s unlikely.

“Having missed Juve’s midweek meeting in Munich through injury, Paulo Dybala did not train with the rest of the group as the Argentine continues to work towards a return to full fitness in time for the Bianconeri’s hectic end of season run-in,” a statement on the Old Lady’s official website read.

Dybala’s absence is a blow for Juve, and he’s provided 14 goals and eight assists in Serie A so far this season.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

Socrates · March 20, 2016

TORINO - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 30
Sunday, March 20th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium, Turin
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

Torino v Juventus Preview: Buffon
on brink of Serie A record

Juve are the visitors in a derby match that should see
Gianluigi Buffon make Serie A history in the early stages.

http://www.goal.com/en/match/torino-vs-juventus/2120672/preview

Mar 18, 2016

Gianluigi Buffon is four minutes away from setting a Serie A record of 930 minutes without conceding – which would surpass Sebastiano Rossi – in Juventus' derby at Torino on Sunday.

Massimiliano Allegri's men – who suffered a heartbreaking Champions League exit in midweek – have already set a milestone by keeping 10 consecutive league clean sheets, the last of which came in Friday's 1-0 win over Sassuolo.

Now Buffon is on a personal unbeaten streak of 926 minutes, with Rossi's mark set at 929, as he bids to become the goalkeeper with the longest top-flight run.

Juve go into the match on the back of a morale-sapping defeat to Bayern Munich, in which a 4-2 aggregate lead became a dramatic 6-4 defeat after extra time at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Domestically they continue to fly, though, and have a three-point lead over closest Scudetto challengers Napoli with nine matches remaining, boasting an unbeaten run that stretches back to October.

Juve winger Juan Cuadrado is hoping the loss in Germany will drive his team on for the conclusion of the campaign.

"It's just a shame that we conceded the equaliser with only a couple of minutes left on the clock, but that's football," he said.

"The whole team showed tremendous strength and put Bayern under pressure in both the first and second half of the contest. I'm satisfied with how we played throughout the match.

"Experiences such as these will serve to help us grow. Now we need to move on from this and focus on the derby against Torino this Sunday."

Star striker Paulo Dybala (calf) missed the Bayern game and is training individually as he attempts to be passed fit, but Giorgio Chiellini and Claudio Marchisio (both calf) are definitely unavailable.

Torino, who are 13th having only won two of their last 15 league games, will check on Alessandro Gazzi (hamstring).

"We have a squad with a lot of potential that can become excellent, but this year we have been giving away points and entire games," said head coach Giampiero Ventura after the 3-2 loss at Genoa – which came after his side led by two goals – last time out.

"Perhaps the team needs a little more character."

Torino won last season's derby 2-1 at Stadio Olimpico, but that was their only victory from the last 19 league derbies.

They are looking to make it two consecutive home wins over Juve for the first time since 1983, but Allegri's charges have already beaten them twice this season, 2-1 in the league and 4-0 in the Coppa Italia.

LAST FIVE MATCHES

Torino L D L D W

3/13/16 - Genoa 3 - 2 Torino
3/6/16 - Torino 1 - 1 Lazio
2/27/16 - Milan 1 - 0 Torino
2/21/16 - Torino 0 - 0 Carpi
2/14/16 - Palermo 1 - 3 Torino

Juventus L W W W W

3/16/16 - Bayern München 4 - 2 Juventus
3/11/16 - Juventus 1 - 0 Sassuolo
3/6/16 - Atalanta 0 - 2 Juventus
3/2/16 - Internazionale 3 - 0 Juventus
2/28/16 - Juventus 2 - 0 Internazionale

HEAD TO HEAD

12/16/15 - Juventus 4 - 0 Torino
10/31/15 - Juventus 2 - 1 Torino
4/26/15 - Torino 2 - 1 Juventus
11/30/14 - Juventus 2 - 1 Torino
2/23/14 - Juventus 1 - 0 Torino

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

Socrates · March 20, 2016

TORINO - JUVENTUS

-

MATCHDAY 30
Sunday, March 20th, 2016 - 3:00 PM
Olimpico Stadium, Turin
Referee: Nicola Rizzoli

Bonucci: ‘Juventus step forward’

http://www.football-italia.net/81511/bonucci-%E2%80%98juventus-step-forward%E2%80%99?

Mar 18, 2016

Leonardo Bonucci believes Juventus have taken “another leap forward”, despite defeat to Bayern Munich.

The Bianconeri went 2-0 up in Bavaria on Wednesday, but the German champions hit back late on to take the match to extra time, eventually winning 4-2 to progress 6-4 on aggregate.

“There’s awareness of having taken another leap forward,” Bonucci insisted in an interview with Sky.

“We showed we have the personality of a great team like Bayern. As we said at the beginning, Juve have to stay in the top eight and we deserved to, but that’s football.

“On our part there’s an awareness that we did something even more than last year, in terms of maturity and personality and also in terms of the quality of our play.

“But football can be decided by one ball, and a lost ball in the 90th minute can hurt you. We know that’s how football goes.

“Juve will come out even stronger from this slap, and even more convinced of our ability. What we have to do now is focus on Sunday’s game, because it’s a derby [against Torino].

“It’s lucky that we have such an important game, because our goal is to continue to win, after losing the Champions League our objective is to win the Scudetto and then go to Rome and win the Coppa Italia.”

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=SP_TN_127

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