JUVENTUS SEASON 2016-2017

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PESCARA - JUVENTUS

 

        0-2

 

Gonzalo Higuaín 22'

Gonzalo Higuaín 43'

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 32

 

Saturday, April 15th, 2017 - 3:00 p.m.
Adriatico Stadium, Pescara
Referee: Marco Di Bello

 

 

 

Allegri optimistic about Dybala’s ankle injury

 

 

Manager’s post-match comments after 2-0 win

 

 

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/15/15313324/allegri-optimistic

-paulo-dybala-ankle-injury-juventus-pescara-recap-post-match-comments

 

Apr 15, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus beat the league’s bottom club Pescara 2-0, but what will really have the Bianconeri nervous will be the condition of Pualo Dybala who went off early in the second half with an ankle injury.

After the game manager Massimiliano Allegri said -

“It was an impact where he twisted it, there’s reason to be optimistic.”

On the game itself, with Gonzalo Higuain grabbing a brace -

“The lads did well to win today, but we had to manage the game better and not waste our energy. It was hot, it was all a chase and we didn’t use the space well.

“The lads were good but we could have done better with the ball in the second half, the ball didn’t glide well but the pitch was beautiful.”

Juan Cuadrado laid on the first goal for Higuain -

“Juan Cuadrado? He has room for improvement, sometimes he gets kicked because he doesn’t release the ball quickly enough, so he needs to improve in that. He’s becoming important though.”

Allegri was asked about facing Barcelona on Wednesday -

“Barcelona will come at us right away, the first half hour will be very important. We need to play for a goal, a bit like in Napoli [in the Coppa Italia].

“We need to play with courage and self-belief, we have the chance to reach the Semi-Final and it won’t be easy.”

Juve now are eight points clear for the Scudetto after Roma drew today -

“Currently Roma can get 90 points, which means we need to get 91.

“There are still difficult games to come, we’re thinking about Wednesday and then Genoa.

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dzeko: ‘Enough Juventus talk’

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101195/dzeko-‘enough-juventus-talk’

 

Apr 15, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Roma striker Edin Dzeko doesn’t want to talk about Juventus - “I don’t care about them, we dropped two points and that’s it”.

 

The Giallorossi were held to a 1-1 draw by Atalanta, a result which allowed the Old Lady to move eight points clear at the top of Serie A.

 

Wojciech Szczesny conceded the Scudetto race after the match, but his teammate doesn’t want to discuss the issue.

 

“Juventus? I don’t care about them, we dropped two points and that’s it,” Dzeko told reporters after the match.

 

“In the first half we got it wrong from a physical point of view, we were strong in the second half but unfortunately we didn’t win.

 

“Can Atalanta top Juventus in Week 34? I’m thinking about Pescara, enough talk of Juventus. We’re still second and we have to look forward.”

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PESCARA - JUVENTUS

 

        0-2

 

Gonzalo Higuaín 22'

Gonzalo Higuaín 43'

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 32

 

Saturday, April 15th, 2017 - 3:00 p.m.
Adriatico Stadium, Pescara
Referee: Marco Di Bello

 

 

 

Serie A round-up: Juventus strengthen position

at top of Serie A with victory over Pescara

 

 

Juventus extended their lead at the top of Serie A after they eased to a 2-0

victory at Pescara to strengthen their grip on a sixth successive Scudetto title.

 

 

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11854/10839019/serie-a-round-up-

juventus-strengthen-position-at-top-of-serie-a-with-victory-over-pescara

 

Apr 15, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

A first-half brace from Gonzalo Higuain was enough for the league leaders to seal all three points - a result that leaves Pescara 12 points from safety with six matches to play at the bottom of the table.

AC Milan defender Cristian Zapata scored with the last kick of the match to snatch a point from arch-rivals Inter in a pulsating 2-2 derby draw.

 

Milan dominated the early exchanges, but trailed 2-0 at the break following strikes from Antonio Candreva and Mauro Icardi in the last nine minutes of the first half.

Alessio Romagnoli prodded in eight minutes from time to give Rossoneri hope of a comeback before Zapata pounced on a Manuel Locatelli header to volley home in the seventh minute of stoppage time and claim an unlikely point to remain two points ahead of Nerazzurri in sixth.

Roma slipped eight points behind Juventus in second place after being held to a 1-1 home draw by high-flying Atalanta.

Atalanta took the lead when Andrea Conti's left-wing cross was met by a thunderous volley from Jasmin Kurtic, leaving Wojciech Szczesny static.

Edin Dzeko tapped into an empty net to equalise five minutes into the second half, but could not get a winner as Giallorossi suffered a blow to their slim title chances while the visitors stay in fifth.

Luis Alberto scored a stoppage-time equaliser to earn Lazio a valuable point in their hunt for European football after drawing 2-2 at Genoa.

Giovanni Simeone headed the hosts ahead, but Luca Biglia equalised on the stroke of half-time after he tapped home the rebound to his saved penalty.

Goran Pandev's header squeezed past Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha to put Genoa back in front before Alberto fired into the bottom corner in the first minute of added time.

A stoppage-time penalty from Manuel Pasqual moved Empoli five points clear of the relegation zone following a 2-1 success at Fiorentina.

Omar El Kaddouri put the visitors ahead at the break, but Cristian Tello levelled with a fine finish halfway through the second half before Pasqual's late spot-kick winner.

Joao Pedro scored a brace for Cagliari as they stormed to a 4-0 win over Chievo, with Marco Borriello and Marco Sau also getting on the scoresheet.

A late Simy goal cancelled out Andrea Belotti's penalty to earn a 1-1 draw for relegation-threatened Crotone at Torino while it remained goalless in the match between Palermo and Bologna, with Erick Pulgar seeing red in the first half for the visitors.

Sassuolo ended a seven-match winless streak after they came from behind to beat Sampdoria 2-1.

Sampdoria took the lead in fortuitous fashion when Matias Silvestre's long-range effort deflected off team-mate Patrik Schick and wrong-footed goalkeeper Andrea Consigli before bouncing into the bottom corner.

Antonino Ragusa levelled four minutes after the break with a composed finish when he latched onto a defence-splitting pass from Lorenzo Pellegrini before Francesco Acerbi sealed a much-needed win by heading home Pellegrini's corner from close in.

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PESCARA - JUVENTUS

 

        0-2

 

Gonzalo Higuaín 22'

Gonzalo Higuaín 43'

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 32

 

Saturday, April 15th, 2017 - 3:00 p.m.
Adriatico Stadium, Pescara
Referee: Marco Di Bello

 

 

 

‘Pescara will fight to the end’

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101196/‘pescara-will-fight-end’

 

Apr 15, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Zdenek Zeman admits “relegation seems to be sealed” after Pescara’s loss to Juventus but “we have to try as long as it’s not mathematically certain”.

 

The Delfini were beaten 2-0 by the League leaders at the Adriatico, a result which saw the Bianconeri move eight points clear at the top.

 

“We started pretty well against a Juventus team which has won five or six Scudetti in a row,” Zeman said on Radio Rai.

 

“We’re also disappointed about the second goal which effectively killed the game off, if we’d gone into the break at 1-0 then we could possibly have had something to hope for.

 

“Relegation seems to be sealed, but we have to try as long as it’s not mathematically certain. I hope the team can play on par with all the opponents we face after Roma.

 

“I’m evaluating the players who did well in Serie B last year, the difference this year is between B and A. I hope I can keep the good ones to have a good Serie B campaign.

 

“We’ll look around for players who can help us.

 

“Barcelona-Juve? Juventus aren’t like Paris Saint-Germain, I think they’ll maintain their important advantage.”

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PESCARA - JUVENTUS

 

        0-2

 

Gonzalo Higuaín 22'

Gonzalo Higuaín 43'

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 32

 

Saturday, April 15th, 2017 - 3:00 p.m.
Adriatico Stadium, Pescara
Referee: Marco Di Bello

 

 

 

Cuadrado: 'Juve level with Barca'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101205/cuadrado-juve-level-barca

 

Apr 15, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juan Cuadrado assures Juventus “go to Camp Nou aware that we’re a big club and can play on level terms with Barcelona.”

 

The Bianconeri won the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final 3-0 in Turin and the decider is on Wednesday night.

 

“It’s going to be a very difficult match, as always,” Cuadrado told the official Juventus website.

 

“We know their strength, that they are champions who will certainly be fired up and eager to overturn the result.

 

“However, we go to Camp Nou aware that we’re a big club and can play on level terms with Barcelona. We must play with organisation, as a unit, to then make the most of any spaces they allow us.”

 

Max Allegri made surprisingly few changes to his line-up for the 2-0 Serie A victory in Pescara and extended their lead at the top of the table to eight points.

 

“Today’s win was worth five points and not three, because Roma were held to a draw and we must break further and further away. We knew we had to get a result at all costs, so I am happy.”

 

Cuadrado provided the assist for Gonzalo Higuain’s opener at the Stadio Adriatico.

 

“We are starting to get a good understanding going and the same goes for Paulo Dybala. I know that even if I don’t look, they will be in that area for me to pass it to.”

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JUVENTUS - BARCELONA

 

3-0  -  

 

Paulo Dybala 7'

Paulo Dybala 22'

Giorgio Chiellini 55'

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - FIRST LEG

 

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Juventus Stadium, Turin
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)

 

 

 

 

Messi in attack, messy in defence - Barca back line

a worry ahead of Juventus & Madrid tests

 

 

Luis Enrique's side beat Real Sociedad to stay in the race for La Liga,

but they will need to defend better than this in their next two matches.

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/news/722/la-liga/2017/04/15/34641622/-

 

Apr 15, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Four hundred and ninety eight and counting. Lionel Messi closed in on 500 goals for Barcelona with two against Real Sociedad on Saturday night and they turned out to be very important. Because at the other end of the pitch, the Catalans were decidedly shaky throughout.

 

Luis Enrique's side had conceded five in their last two games: two in the 2-0 loss at Malaga in the Primera Division at the weekend and then three more in their Champions League quarter-final first leg away to Juventus on Tuesday.

 

That is not good enough for a team looking to win the biggest trophies and it carried on at Camp Nou on Saturday as Barca cruised into a 2-0 lead through Messi (via one sensational strike from outside the box and another from close range), only to let the Basques back in it. Not once, but twice.

 

Real Sociedad pulled a goal back for 2-1, and although Paco Alacer (in for the suspended - and badly missed - Neymar) restored the Catalans' two-goal advantage almost immediately, Xabi Prieto struck to close the gap again ahead of the interval.

 

 

 

It seems in recent times that every time a rival side attacks against Barcelona, it ends up in a goal. Samuel Umtiti was unfortunate for the first as the ball bounced off his body and went in, but Prieto was allowed time and space to march clear and slot home the second.

 

Barca's best defender, Gerard Pique, failed to make a tackle or an interception in the opening 70 minutes of the match, while the midfield featuring the under-fire Andre Gomes alongside Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets appeared to provide little in the way of protection either.

 

Real Sociedad are a good team and are challenging for a place in Europe next season and Barca have struggled against the Basques at Anoeta in recent years. But at Camp Nou, the Catalans had won their last 18 matches versus the northern outfit, scoring 51 goals in the process.

 

They added another three here to keep up that ratio, while Messi's double sees him move to within just two of an amazing total of 500 strikes for the Catalan club - and that at the tender age of 29.

 

But Messi will know that Barca need to be better than this and when the final whistle sounded, his was a serious expression despite the win. And moments later, he was immersed in deep conversation with fellow forward Luis Suarez.

 

It is not hard to imagine what they may have been saying. Because Barcelona's brilliant attack remains the best around and that gives the team a chance of beating any adversary - especially when Messi is on his game. And he has been for most of this season.

 

But at 3-0 down in the tie against Juventus, Barca need a performance in attack and also in defence on Wednesday to have any hope at all of producing a comeback and knocking out Massimiliano Allegri's impressive side. And the same applies for the Clasico clash at the Santiago Bernabeu next Sunday, which will be key to the outcome of La Liga.

 

Messi's magic means this team is capable of anything, even when Neymar is not there, but in order to compete for La Liga and also the Champions League, the defence (be it three or four at the back, as against La Real) will need to do much better than they did on Saturday.

 

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PESCARA - JUVENTUS

 

        0-2

 

Gonzalo Higuaín 22'

Gonzalo Higuaín 43'

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 32

 

Saturday, April 15th, 2017 - 3:00 p.m.
Adriatico Stadium, Pescara
Referee: Marco Di Bello

 

 

 

Gonzalo Higuain, Daniele Rugani shine

as Juve cruise past lowly Pescara

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/club/juventus/111/blog/post/3104927/gonzalo-higuain

-and-daniele-rugani-shine-as-juventus-cruise-past-lowly-pescara

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

 

Gonzalo Higuain grabbed another brace to help Juventus defeat Pescara 2-0 and take another step forward to winning the club's sixth consecutive league title.

It was clear that many of the Juve players had their minds elsewhere and thus played a less than enthralling game, relying on certain individual moments of beauty and a determined Higuain to make the difference.

Pescara had started the match aggressively, applying pressure to try to make an impact, but against a side boasting such technical superiority, they could not compete. Juventus instead waited for their chances and produced with efficiency to seal another three points. 

Positives

Defensive strength will always be part of Juve's DNA and it was great to watch the young Daniele Rugani play with so much character and composure. The future of Juve's back line, the youngster demonstrated his passing range, maintained his concentration throughout the match and ensured safety at the back. A future defensive icon.

Negatives

The ankle injury Paulo Dybala suffered in the 54th minute forced him off the pitch and he could be in doubt for the match against Barcelona on Wednesday evening. In a match against a side that is practically relegated, a little rotation may have saved Massimiliano Allegri a lot of worrying. There was no need for so many attacking stars to start this match.   

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- Perhaps Allegri didn't need all his best players on the pitch against a side that are almost certain to be relegated and the Dybala injury will weigh heavily on him. Angered by the team's pedestrian play for much of the game, but it was another routine win for the Bianconeri.  

Player ratings (1-10; 10=best; players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Neto, 6 -- Infrequently called into action but rarely looked entirely comfortable at the back.

DF Stephan Lichtsteiner, 6 -- A standard performance from the full-back who pushed forward and helped provide balance.

DF Andrea Barzagli, 6 -- Produced a great moment of defending in the first half. Composed and intelligent, he wasn't too troubled by the opponent.

DF Daniele Rugani, 7 -- Concentrated and determined, the player acted as a vice-Bonucci, looking for the right passes, neutralising the opponent and providing security. Excellent.

DF Kwadwo Asamoah, 6 -- Played a very good game, pushed forward with ambition while never missing a beat defensively -- tackling, intercepting and winning back possession with desire.  

MF Miralem Pjanic, 5 -- Perhaps his defensive contributions against Barcelona wore him out as Pjanic was barely interested today. Low on concentration, lethargic in his movements.  

MF Claudio Marchisio, 6 -- The lack of continuity has impacted the player who always attempts to establish a rhythm for the side. Proved better at directing play in the second half.

Gonzalo Higuain scored both of Juve's goals and will look to build on that confidence against Barcelona in midweek.

MF Juan Cuadrado, 6 -- Not the best at releasing the ball quickly and can still prove so frustrating, but when he applies himself well, he's vital for the team due to his ability to create. Produced the assist for the first goal.

MF Paulo Dybala, 6 -- Managed little on the day, looking a little tired. As always produced an exciting move or two but the ankle injury will weigh heavily on the club.

MF Mario Mandzukic, 6 -- Once again the attacker acted as Juve's best defender, recovering possession 12 times, more than any other player. He also managed to set up Higuain's second goal. A team player offering balance to the side.  

FW Gonzalo Higuain, 7 -- Another brace for the forward who continues to demonstrate efficiency and determination. Played for the team, fought for the ball and finished to perfection. Now he needs to score in Europe. 

Substitutes

MF Tomas Rincon, 6 -- Helped to provide defensive security. Always does what is asked of him.

MF Stefano Sturaro, 6 -- Always prepared to fight for his team, always plays with determination.

MF Mario Lemina, N/A -- Not offered any time to make an impact.

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PESCARA - JUVENTUS

 

        0-2

 

Gonzalo Higuaín 22'

Gonzalo Higuaín 43'

 

 

 

 

MATCHDAY 32

 

Saturday, April 15th, 2017 - 3:00 p.m.
Adriatico Stadium, Pescara
Referee: Marco Di Bello

 

 

 

Chiellini: 'Pescara intimidation'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101230/chiellini-pescara-intimidation

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Giorgio Chiellini warns Juventus can’t just defend at Barcelona and accuses Pescara of “intimidation” after the Paulo Dybala injury.

 

The Bianconeri won 2-0 at the Stadio Adriatico on Saturday with a Gonzalo Higuain brace to extend their lead at the top to eight points.

 

However, Dybala limped off after a series of tough Sulley Muntari tackles and he has a fight to be fit for Camp Nou on Wednesday.

 

“A game like Pescara, in the middle of a Champions League quarter-final, hid a thousand dangers,” said Chiellini on Sky Sport Italia.

 

“We could’ve finished the game off earlier and the secret to dealing with so many tournaments is to kill opponents off early, but I think the Coach can be satisfied.

 

“The Scudetto race isn’t over yet, but Roma’s slip-up with Atalanta does give us more breathing room. It always did depend on us and still does.

 

“I am optimistic that Dybala will be fit for Wednesday, but it would’ve been better not to see him get kicked around like that.

 

“The situation was not dealt with very well. At the start there was a real attempt at intimidation from Pescara players, but I hope it can all go well and Paulo can be available.”

 

Juventus won the first leg 3-0, but are well aware that Barcelona recovered from a 4-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the last round.

 

“It’s impossible to think we could go to Barcelona in order to defend the 3-0 lead. It will be very difficult to keep a clean sheet there. We know that we’re only halfway through and still have to prove the maturity of this squad.”

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/tables/serie-a/13?ICID=TP_TN_110

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Luis Enrique 'sure' Barcelona 'will be

close to the comeback' vs. Juventus

 

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/barcelona/story/3104934/luis-enrique-sure

-barcelona-will-be-close-to-the-comeback-vs-juventus

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Luis Enrique has set the stage for another Champions League comeback, confidently suggesting that Barcelona will, at some point during the game, be back in their quarterfinal tie with Juventus.

Barca overturned a 4-0 first leg deficit to beat Paris Saint-Germain 6-5 on aggregate in the last round, but they will find things just as tough coming from 3-0 down against a Juve side who have conceded just twice in Europe this season.

However, after beating Real Sociedad 3-2 in La Liga on Saturday, Luis Enrique promised that his team would risk everything on Wednesday when they welcome the Italian champions to Camp Nou.

"I am sure that at some point during the game we will be close to the comeback," the Barca boss predicted in a news conference.

"We will risk so much that I wouldn't even rule out playing with eight forwards... we haven't got anything to lose.

"We have to be at our very best, flawless, but we will fight to end and this win [against La Real] is a good place to begin preparations for the game against Juve."

Lionel Messi scored twice on Saturday and created the third goal for Paco Alcacer as Barcelona edged a nervy five-goal affair, with all the goals coming in the first half.

"The team showed a great attitude in what was a difficult game in terms of confidence, coming into it with the weight of the previous two results on our minds," Luis Enrique said in reference to the defeats in Malaga and Turin.

"You didn't have to be Einstein to know that we were going to suffer at times, but we were able to deal with the frustration of conceding two goals and manage the game well."

Not for the first time, the Barca boss was also forced to defend Andre Gomes, who was once again whistled by sections of the home support before being replaced by Andres Iniesta in the second half.

"In [Michael] Laudrup's first year he was whistled," he said. "[Ronaldo] Koeman was in his first year, too. Sandro [Ramirez] and Munir were whistled recently as well. So it can be overcome.

"But it's pathetic to criticise your own players. It's the worst thing a fan can do to a player on their own team. What the players need is confidence, nothing else."

 

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Pique: 'Barca can overturn Juve'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101219/pique-barca-can-overturn-juve

 

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Gerard Pique believes Barcelona can complete another epic comeback against Juventus and conquer Real Madrid in La Liga too.

 

The Bianconeri won the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final 3-0 in Turin thanks to a Paulo Dybala brace and Giorgio Chiellini header.

 

After the second leg on Wednesday at Camp Nou, the Blaugrana face a Liga showdown with Real Madrid next weekend.

 

“We came back from losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain and we’ve won at the Bernabeu many times in recent years, so I am sure we can do both,” Pique told TV3.

 

“If we can turn things around with Juventus, then we’ll go to Madrid fired up and ready to win there too. We can do both.

 

“We are not in the best situation, but we have what it takes to turn this around. I am confident, we can do it.”

 

Barcelona started out with a 3-4-3 system in Turin and on Saturday went back to 4-3-3 for their hard-fought 3-2 win over Real Sociedad.

 

“It doesn’t make that much difference. They are different solutions, but we feel just as comfortable with three or four at the back. The good thing is that it gives us options when facing different types of opponents.”

 

N.B. They feel comfortable at the back and they got 3 goals from Juve and 2 from Real Sociedad! 

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Alcacer: 'PSG tougher than Juve'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101222/alcacer-psg-tougher-juve

 

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Paco Alcacer insists Barcelona have nothing to fear from Juventus, because “on paper Paris Saint-Germain were harder to overcome.”

 

The Bianconeri won the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final 3-0 and the return is at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

 

“On paper Paris Saint-Germain were harder to overcome, as we lost the first leg 4-0 that time, but we still got through,” Alcacer told Spanish reporters.

 

They achieved that with a momentous 6-1 victory on home turf, decided with the last kick of the game.

 

“We’ll try to complete the comeback this time as well and will keep pushing to the very end.”

 

Barça squeezed past Real Sociedad 3-2 in La Liga on Saturday evening.

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Juventus' Max Allegri 'optimistic'

after Paulo Dybala picks up knock

 

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/3104982/juventus-

max-allegri-optimistic-after-paulo-dybala-picks-up-knock

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Juventus boss Max Allegri says he is "optimistic" that striker Paulo Dybala will be fit to face Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday after picking up an ankle injury on Saturday.

Dybala left the 2-0 win at Pescara in the 54th minute after being caught by a late tackle.

And Allegri downplayed the severity of the injury for the man who scored two of Juventus' three goals in the first leg of their quarterfinals clash earlier in the week.

"Dybala took a blow, there is a distortion," the coach told Mediaset Premium. "But, with four days to recuperate before Barcelona, you have to be optimistic."

The straightforward win over Serie A's bottom side put Juventus eight points clear of Roma with six games to play, and Allegri said he was targeting 11 more points before celebrating the title.

"We have to get to 91 points -- Roma can do 90," he said. "Now we have to think about Wednesday [against Barca].

"Compliments are nice, but it takes more balance in football. We must not get excited or depressed."

Gonzalo Higuain scored both of Juve's goals before the break, but Allegri said he would have liked to have seen more scoring in the second half.

"Juve deserved to win," he said. "In the second half, we wasted some time - we had plenty of space in front of us and we were not good at exploiting it.

"When we had possession of the ball, we had to do better."

 

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Dybala expected to face Barcelona

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101225/dybala-expected-face-barcelona

 

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus are confident Paulo Dybala will recover from a sprained ankle in time to face Barcelona on Wednesday at Camp Nou.

 

The forward bagged a brace in the 3-0 first leg victory of their Champions League quarter-final.

 

He limped off during Saturday’s 2-0 Serie A victory at Pescara following a series of particularly crunching Sulley Muntari tackles.

 

La Joya has bruising and a slight sprain to the right ankle, which did swell up a little after the game.

 

Dybala was spotted leaving the Stadio Adriatico with strapping around the ankle that was meant to prevent further swelling and keep it still.

 

There is confidence that the Argentine will be fully recovered for Wednesday’s trip to Camp Nou.

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Enrique: 'Eight strikers for Juve!'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101226/enrique-eight-strikers-juve

 

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Barcelona Coach Luis Enrique warned he could “go at Juventus with eight strikers” in the Champions League quarter-final.

 

The first leg ended 3-0 in Turin and, although the Blaugrana did come back from a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, the Italians are a different prospect.

 

“We’re now in that phase when teams are hurting us with very little and that ultimately has repercussions for our confidence,” said Lucho after a 3-2 Liga victory over Real Sociedad last night.

 

“We’re still alive on all fronts and this win strengthens us. It’s a good place to start the comeback against Juve.

 

“Surely at some point in the game, we’ll be close to the comeback. We’re going to risk so much that we could even go at them with eight strikers, seeing as we have nothing to lose.

 

“The fans must have faith in these players, who have won everything. We’re a team of champions.

 

“What’s happened is that we’ve got used to always eating beluga caviar. That can’t always be maintained.

 

“We need to improve if we want to pull off the comeback, but we’ll give everything.”

 

The tension is starting to get to the fans at Camp Nou and Luis Enrique turned angrily on the boo boys.

 

“Now the fans are applauding Paco Alcacer, but at first there were murmurs of discontent.

 

“What’s changed? Now he’s playing with confidence. Players don’t need more doubts.

 

“Laudrup was whistled in his first year, so was Koeman. Now it’ll be necessary to see if Andre Gomes overcomes the whistles or not.

 

“Sandro and Munir were also whistled recently. It’s pathetic to criticise your own players, it’s the worst thing a fan can do with a player in their own team.

 

“No-one can take Iniesta’s position away. He’s a unique and indisputable player. Asking if there’s anyone better than Iniesta is ridiculous.”

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Neymar: 'Juve, we're still Barcelona'

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101232/neymar-juve-were-still-barcelona

 

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Neymar is confident the 3-0 defeat to Juventus can be overturned. “It doesn’t matter which team we’re facing, the fact is we are always Barcelona.”

 

The second leg of the Champions League quarter-final is at Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.

 

“We have to believe that we can do it,” Neymar told Canal Esporte Interativo.

 

“The other day my father told me something and it really stuck in my head. I think it’s absolutely true. He said it doesn’t matter which team we’re facing, the fact is we are always Barcelona and that doesn’t change.

 

“That means we can do it. We did it once and we can do it a second time.”

 

Paris Saint-Germain had won their first leg 4-0, but were beaten 6-1 with the last kick of a thrilling Round of 16 tie.

 

While that was a huge achievement, Juve are much stronger defensively than the Ligue 1 giants.

 

“We have to give everything we’ve got. If all goes well, there will be another remuntada,”continued Neymar.

 

“I believe in this team and in our potential. We’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. We have to step on to that field and do our best.

 

“Of course, it’s going to be very difficult, as Juve are a great team, very well-organised and it’ll be tough to turn this around. We’ll have to run twice as hard.

 

“It remains the same chance we had last time against Paris Saint-Germain, which is we have a one per cent chance of qualifying and the other 99 per cent is faith, hard work and – God willing – the goals will come.”

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Pique: Barcelona 'have nothing to lose' ahead of Juve clash

 

 

The defender insists his side have nothing to lose ahead of their

Champions League quarter-final second-leg against the Serie A giants.

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champions-league

/2017/04/16/34660232/-#article-comments

 

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique believes the pressure will be off Luis Enrique's side when they take on Juventus in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

 

Juve hold a 3-0 aggregate lead heading into Wednesday's encounter at Camp Nou, with Paulo Dybala's double and Giorgio Chiellini's second-half header having claimed a convincing first-leg win.

 

Barca came back from a similarly bleak position in the last round against Paris Saint-Germain, however, and Pique insists that the Catalan giants have nothing to lose, stating a good performance will set them up perfectly for the upcoming Clasico against Real Madrid.

 

"I feel good and I am ready for playing against Juventus," Pique told reporters after Barca's 3-2 LaLiga win over Real Sociedad.

 

"The team played in Turin without any confidence, and that made us soft. But if we play with confidence you will see another team.

 

"We are in a difficult situation, but these things happen in a season. We will have nothing to lose.

 

"We only had a few chances [in the first leg], but I am sure Camp Nou will be hard for Juventus. We did it once already.

 

"The Juventus game and El Clasico are closely linked. If on Wednesday we make a comeback it would give us confidence, if we won't it will be much harder going to Madrid.

 

"It is going to be a big week."

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

How should Juventus approach Barcelona at

the Camp Nou on Wednesday night?

 

 

What Juventus did right in Turin and how they should play in Camp Nou.

 

 

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/16/15285420/barcelona-juventus

-2017-uefa-champions-league-quarterfinals-leg-2-max-allegri-luis-enrique-tactics

 

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals last Tuesday night in Turin. With three goals in hand, how should Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri approach the return tie at Camp Nou? Martin Connolly has covered brilliantly in his review of the match. Here I will discuss Juventus defensive strategy to complement his analysis and preview a glimpse of what may happen in the second leg.

Allegri's masterpiece

Barcelona has the most feared front three with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, but they failed to score in Turin. They had their chances, but for the most part, especially in the first half, Juventus has defended brilliantly to contain them. Barcelona managed to 16 shots, but only were four on target. (For comparison, Juventus has shot fourteen times with eight on goal, according to WhoScored.com.) To successfully combat Barcelona, most teams use a high-intensity high press to disrupt their buildups. Juventus also used an occasional high press to pressure them. However, for the most part, they sat in a pretty deep defense. Allegri has designed a spectacular defense scheme while the team executed it to almost perfection.

Juventus' defensive scheme in Tuesday’s game mimicked basketball's "double team" defense. In a basketball game, sometimes two defenders will defend an elite scorer together and leave his teammate wide open if this teammate is not in his shooting range, say the 3-point line. If a player is not efficient in shooting at a certain distance, he poses little threat in that distance. It is, therefore, economical to not defend him but someone else who poses more threat. Juventus played exactly that against Barcelona on Tuesday.

Barcelona had four extremely dangerous players to defend in a 1-v-1 situation. Messi, Neymar, Suarez and Andres Iniesta are excellent at getting past their markers. But the other five or six players posed little threat outside of the box — either because they did not run into the position or they just do not possess those attacking skills. This "double team" defense happened almost whenever Neymar tried to attack Juventus on the left side. Dani Alves received a lot of praise in defending Neymar, but Juan Cuadrado 's performance was under-appreciated because it was him who always came back to "double team" Neymar. Alves blocked his lane toward the byline while Cuadrado blocked his lane to cut inside. Most of the time Neymar could only pass back to Jeremy Mathieu, Samuel Umtiti or Javier Mascherano.

Juventus' players had a very clear idea on which players they had to defend with multiple defenders at all time (Messi, Neymar, and Iniesta) and players they would not mark or leave for a covering teammate if they had to double team someone else (Sergi Roberto, Mascherano, Mathieu):

(When Messi cut inside from the right side, three Juventus players marked Messi but left Sergi Roberto completely open. When the ball switched to the left side, both Cuadrado and Dani Alves only marked Neymar but not Mathieu.)

For the most part — especially in the first half — Barcelona's offense looked very stiffed. Their offensive phase relies on the creativities of Iniesta, Messi, and Neymar. All of these players were guarded by at least two Juventus players, with a third defender — usually Giorgio Chiellini or Leonardo Bonucci — providing cover. Allegri did not seem concerned about Juventus defending the crosses into the boxes. He was confident that Bonucci and Chiellini were superior to Suarez in these situations. With no creativity (other than that brilliant Messi's through pass to Iniesta), no change of the speed of the play (no counter attack opportunities) and inferior physicality up front, Barcelona could only generate very few genuine scoring opportunities.

"Football is very simple; you have to attacking and defending. You need both, and there’s no shame in being good at defending, in fact, it’s just as beautiful as a great attacking move." Allegri and Juventus put in a beautiful and spectacular defense performance in the first half.

Luis Enrique's adjustment

Barcelona had problems both in the defense and the offense in the first half. Offensively they could not find any gap in Juventus's defense. Defensively they could not contain Juan Cuadrado and Paulo Dybala, especially on the flanks. In the second half, Enrique switched to a 4-3-3 / 3-4-3 hybrid shape. He replaced Mathieu with Andres Gomes, who took the central defensive midfield role. Mascherano switched to the center back position while Umtiti occupied the left center back/left back role. Umtiti was an upgrade over Mathieu not only defensively but also offensively because he possesses good passing range that Mathieu lacks:

(Umtiti was able to pick out Iniesta for a vertical pass because Neymar moved close to the flank to drag Cuadrado and Dani Alves and Iniesta was able to move into that space).

Umtiti has the passing range to deliver vertical passes to Iniesta in these situations. With Neymar dragging at least one but sometimes defenders away, Iniesta had a lot of space to explore.

Not only did the formation change, but Enrique also instructed his midfielders, Gomes, Ivan Rakitic and especially Iniesta and Sergi Roberto, to move into Juventus' box area (or right outside) a lot more frequently with Neymar and Messi dropped back.

(While Messi was marked by Mario Mandzukic and Miralem Pjanic, Rakitic's movement to the right dragged out Alex Sandro, Sergi Roberto was able to find himself unmarked in a position previously marked by Alex Sandro).

Sergi Roberto was not simply a ball receiver, but more importantly, he also acted as bait to occupy and keep one of the two Juventus' center back from providing cover. In such case, Suarez would have a chance to attack Juventus defender in a 1-v-1 scenario.

(Messi dropped back with Mandzukic and Miralem Pjanic marked him. Sergi Roberto moved inside and occupied Chiellini, preventing him from covering for Bonucci and resulted in a 1vs1 situation of Suarez against Bonucci. Mascherano's vertical pass was sublime).

Barcelona found more success penetrating Juventus' defense in the second half. In the first half, they solely relied on Messi, Neymar and Iniesta to create chances but they rarely beat Juventus' double team. After the break, both Umtiti and Mascherano took more responsibilities in delivering vertical passes. With Neymar staying wider and dropped deeper, Juventus' defense was stretched further, and there was more space for Iniesta to move in. Very similar scenario happened on the middle/right side, with Sergi Roberto moving in and out of Juventus' box very frequently. These adjustments in the second half allowed them to generate more space for Messi, Iniesta and Suarez to operate and created more chances than they did in the first half.

 

What is going to happen at the Camp Nou?

Most of the changes will certainly come from Barcelona.

Sergio Busquets will return from suspension. It's hard to see Enrique replacing Iniesta, Messi, Neymar and Suarez in the starting lineup. There is a chance that he may opt to try Arda Turan on the right side to replace Rakitic, although it is still less likely. Who is going to play in defense is the biggest question. Mascherano is injured and not likely to play. Barcelona may field a defense like they did in the first leg — Sergi Roberto, Gerard Pique, Umtiti and Mathieu. This set of players featured the most in the recent weeks. However, Mathieu lacks the passing range that Mascherano possesses, which is an important attribute considering Barca need many of their midfielders to stretch and to occupy Juventus' defenders. And Enrique has already decided that this formation is ineffective.

Another solution is to play a back four but with Umtiti as the center back and Jordi Alba as the left back. This lineup requires Busquets to drop back to help initiate the buildup, and they will lack the immediate defense if they lose the ball in the midfield. Moreover, Alba will inevitably push up very high, and they will get caught up even easier than the current setup. But it may not matter because Barcelona needs to score three goals and they need to take that risk. It also does not matter because whoever they play, they cannot defend.

For Juventus, there should not be a significant shift in strategy and tactics compared to the first leg. Barcelona created more chances in the second half with those adjustments made at halftime, so Allegri may want to find ways to counter these tactics. What would be wrong is to think that you go to Camp Nou and play a counter-attacking game. Barcelona is prone to counter-attack, but their biggest weakness is not their susceptibility to counter-attack. They just cannot defend any attack. Of the eight goals Juventus and PSG put past Barcelona in these three games, only one goal was a result of a counter-attack. At least five goals are the direct or indirect results of standard build-up initiated from the keeper. The problem of relying on the counter-attack against Barcelona is that you can end up playing a very passive and reactive game. Barcelona is so good with the ball that you may not be able to force enough errors to generate the defensive-to-offensive transitions. PSG is more suited because they have very physically dominant midfield players that can smoothly transit from the defensive-to-offensive phase. And it was a disaster for them when they tried to sit deep in Camp Nou.

For Juventus, playing counter-attack is even more challenging if they play with the current lineup — and there is no obvious hint Allegri will change anything — and strategies. They need everyone to defend, and it's hard to generate quick defensive-to-offensive transitions. They should not defend and counter-attack. They should defend and attack. What we saw in the first half in the first leg is that even with much less possession, Juventus generated better scoring chances than Barcelona. The reason is that every time Barcelona attacked, they needed to solve three lines of very solid Juventus' defense. But when Juventus attacked (or any other team), there was almost only one line of defense they had to solve. Barcelona's front three posed almost zero resistance:

(just look at how easy Sami Khedira advanced the ball upfield on the first goal).

Their midfield's defense was also very soft. Rio Ferdinand is right when he called out the lazy defense of Barcelona's players.

Juventus will have less "absolute possession" against Barcelona no matter where they play. But they will have more "meaningful possession." Each possession is more meaningful for Juventus than Barcelona because they have less defensive structures to solve. Therefore, the possession is more likely to result in a shot/goal. They did exactly that in the first leg, taking advantages of the situations and scored three goals. If they can keep their calm, they should be able to do it again in the second leg.

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

 

Luis Enrique: 'Barcelona ready for Juventus,

Real Madrid double-header'

 

 

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/real-madrid/el-clasico/

news/enrique-barca-ready-for-juve-madrid_296166.html

 

 

Apr 16, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has insisted that his side will be ready for their huge double-header against Juventus and Real Madrid next week.

The Catalan giants will be bidding to overturn a 3-0 deficit in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Juve at the Camp Nou on Wednesday before facing La Liga leaders Real Madrid in El Clasico four days later knowing that defeat would all but rule them out of the title race.

Barca go into the games off the back of an unconvincing 3-2 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday, and Enrique believes that they can use their return to winning ways as a springboard to greater success.

"We will fight until the end. This win is a good starting point for the return leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League," he told reporters.

"We need the players to be confident and to improve in certain aspects. We go into the Champions League and El Clasico alive. I have seen my players prepared for any situation and we put in a huge effort.

"We were able to get a result against a really tough opponent who were perfectly organised. I take away the irreproachable attitude of my team. We have deserved the win even though it was difficult for us."

Barcelona currently trail Madrid by three points at the top of La Liga having played a game more than their fierce rivals.

 

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

Juventus optimistic that Paulo Dybala

will start against Barcelona  

 

 

 

http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2017/4/17/15323734/paulo-dybala-

injury-juventus-barcelona-2017-champions-league-quarterfinals-report

 

 

Apr 17, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

What went through your mind when you first saw Paulo Dybala be tackled by Sulley Muntari on Saturday afternoon? Probably something close to a combination of absolute worry, a couple of cuss words and then thoughts about who Juventus just so happens to be playing in just a few days after what proved to be a 2-0 win over Pescara.

So yeah, it wasn’t exactly the same kind of happy thoughts that we had when Dybala and his left foot capable of magic were doing wonderful things against Barcelona a couple of days earlier.

But according to reports out of Italy on Sunday, Juventus are not just thinking good thoughts about Dybala’s status for Wednesday night’s trip to Spain to face Barcelona in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, but they’re also rather optimistic about No. 21’s chances of starting the latest biggest game of the season.

After being subbed out due to a foul by Muntari, there were doubts about whether he would be fit ahead of the match against Barcelona. Today the player presented himself at Vinovo to begin therapy. He wore a small ankle brace without taking to the pitch. A positive signal is that the Argentine forward did not undergo any diagnostic tests (which is typical for non-serious injuries). Dybala will probably resume training in the upcoming hours in order to be ready to start against Barcelona.

(Source: Gianluca Di Marzio)

Considering there was no official on Easter Sunday about Dybala’s health status posted on the Juventus website, this is the best we can go with. As much as Max Allegri was optimistic about the injury to Dybala after the Pescara win two days ago, there will be a lingering thought about La Joya’s injury status until we hear something from the club themselves.

But hey, optimism is good — even if it’s just from a relatively reliable source in the Italian media. It’s a lot better than pessimism or just flat out negative thoughts. It certainly is good to hear that the press is reporting that the possibility of Dybala playing rather than him being out for a couple of weeks and we’re left sweating his status going into any further Champions League games if Juventus do in fact advance on Wednesday night. So, feel free to spread the optimism. Maybe Paulo will hear of it.

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

Juventus' Giorgio Chiellini: Barcelona

'are like sharks who scent blood'

 

 

 

http://www.espnfc.co.uk/juventus/story/3105672/juventus-giorgio

-chiellini-barcelona-are-like-sharks-who-scent-blood

 

 

Apr 17, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Giorgio Chiellini has told Italy's Sky Sport that Barcelona are like "sharks who scent blood" as he warns that Juventus' Champions League quarterfinal tie is far from over.

Juve head to Spain on Wednesday with a 3-0 advantage from the first leg, but Barca's record-breaking recovery from a 4-0 first-leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the round-of-16 is enough of a warning that the tie still has some way to go.

Chiellini, who was part of the Juve team beaten 3-1 by Barca in the 2015 final, is therefore not jumping to any conclusions.

"We've only got half the job done," Chiellini said. "We've got to try to disrupt Barcelona's game and score because that would be a decisive injection of belief and a lot depends on our attitude.

"We need to be compact and show no fear. They are like sharks who scent blood and finish you off. We've got to keep them as far away from our goal as possible."

Barca are underdogs despite their 6-1 win over PSG in the last round because of Juve's defensive strenth and overall experience, but Barca coach Luis Enrique is of a different view and claims it may actually be easier to recover a three-goal deficit against Juve than it was to bounce back from four down to PSG.

"He's right -- mathematically speaking," Chiellini said. "Everybody tries to see things their own way and he's trying to prepare a comeback which would be historic, but we're going to try and spoil his last Champions League game on the Barca bench."

Juventus profited from an attacking lineup for their Champions League quarterfinal first leg victory against Barcelona.

Juve took a bold approach to the first leg with coach Massimiliano Allegri naming Mario Mandzukic, Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and Gonzalo Higuain in an attack-minded starting XI.

Many saw that as the key to their win with Barca not expecting to be attacked so ruthlessly and Allegri is hoping to be able to name the same team at the Camp Nou, although there are doubts over Dybala, who scored a brace in the first leg.

Dybala limped out of Juve's 2-0 win over Pescara on Saturday after being injured by former Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari.

Allegri said he is hopeful that the Argentine will be fit, however, and although he did not train on Sunday -- instead receiving physiotherapy -- it is reported that Dybala's ankle injury is not so serious and that he will be able to train again on Tuesday.

 

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

Mascherano to miss Juventus?

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101241/mascherano-miss-juventus

 

 

Apr 17, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Javier Mascherano is a doubt for Barcelona-Juventus, as the Argentine missed training with a calf injury.

 

The Blaugrana are seeking to overturn a 3-0 deficit from the first leg in Turin, having come back from 4-0 down against Paris Saint-Germain in the previous round.

 

However, they may have to attempt the comeback without Mascherano, as the midfielder missed yesterday’s training session with a muscular injury.

 

It’s not thought to be a serious problem, but the calf problem could still keep him out of the second leg of the Champions League Quarter-Final.

 

However, Arda Turan is likely to be available after shaking off an adductor problem.

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

Report: Javier Mascherano to miss Juventus clash

 

 

 

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/barcelona/injury-news/

news/report-mascherano-to-miss-juve-clash_296192.html

 

 

Apr 17, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

 

Javier Mascherano will reportedly miss Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Juventus.

The Argentine international picked up a calf injury in the first leg of the last-eight fixture - which Barcelona lost 3-0 - and sat out the Spanish club's 3-2 win over Real Sociedad at the weekend.

Barcelona hoped that the 32-year-old would be fit for the return match at Camp Nou, but according to Football Espana, Mascherano will be forced to miss the European tie after failing to train on Monday.

The central defender joined the Spanish giants from Liverpool in the summer of 2010, and has made more than 300 appearances since arriving at Camp Nou.

Mascherano's expected absence means that Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti should continue in central defence against the Italian champions this week.

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

Everyone wants Messi & Dybala together - but

can the two geniuses play in the same team?

 

 

Fitting the stars into the same starting XI could prove to be a difficult task -

but we could yet see the pair excel in Argentina and even Barcelona.

 

 

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1716/champions-league/2017/04/17/34679972/-

 

 

Apr 17, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

“Messi is Messi, who plays in Barcelona. I am Paulo.” Even amid the euphoria of a historic victory for Juventus, the man responsible for taming the Catalan beast was typically modest about his contribution. Unfortunately for Paulo Dybala, his protests may prove futile. Two top-drawer goals in Tuesday’s 3-0 win have inspired inevitable comparisons with Lionel Messi, his compatriot and idol who could only watch as the 23-year-old phenomenon took centre-stage.

 

So far the pair have enjoyed precious little playing time together in the same team. Injuries to both Messi and Dybala over the past 12 months have hampered Argentina hopes of making space for the dynamic duo in the same national team, and the sole occasion on which both men started for the Albiceleste ended in a disastrous first-half red card against Uruguay for the younger man, who left the field in tears.

 

Barcelona’s hopes of landing Dybala, meanwhile, would seem to have ended at least for the time being after Juventus tied 'La Joya' down to a lucrative new five-year contract almost immediately after his Champions League heroics. The question is, could the pair function together in a world-class team, or should Dybala be considered the heir to Messi rather than a partner in crime to the Barca wizard? Is there room in any team for two pint-sized geniuses who boast the best left feet in the business?

 

Picking a professional football XI is not merely a case of filling the squad with superstars. Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez do not work so effectively as a forward trident solely because they are outrageously talented footballers, but because each man’s strengths and style perfectly complement the work carried out by the other two. Dybala’s improvement over the last six months is a testament to that fact. A relative slow starter at Juve, the youngster has improved immeasurably - certainly on the Champions League stage, having already starred domestically last term - since coach Massimiliano Allegri gave him a free role just off Gonzalo Higuain in and around the area.

 

He may start somewhat more central than Messi, who has license to roam on the right at Camp Nou, but the heat maps compiled from the pair’s league outings at the weekend, albeit a curtailed one for Dybala who was taken off injured, show a remarkable similarity in the position each occupies for their club.

 

Messi vs Real Sociedad                                                                                  Dybala vs Pescara

 

 

Messi, of course, is involved in every aspect of Barcelona’s approach, to a far greater extent than Paulo. Even on Tuesday, Dybala’s finest hour, Leo touched the ball 20 more times, completed more passes and took more shots than his compatriot. But the decisive moments of the clash all belonged to the younger man.

 

Dybala touched the ball four times in the area, double the number Messi managed. And two of his three shots finished with Marc Andre ter Stegen picking the ball dejectedly out of the net, while the Barca standard-bearer was all but suffocated under the relentless attention of the imperious Giorgio Chiellini. The statistics from the Champions League clash tell their own story: Messi was forced due to his own team’s shortcomings to continually strive to create something from nothing, while the former Palermo and Instituto man revelled in a Juve side whose balance and potency far outstripped that of the visitors.

 

Messi vs Juventus                                       Dybala vs Barcelona

 

 

Champions League catastrophes notwithstanding, Leo remains the finest player of his generation. At 29 he remains at the height of his powers, with an outrageous 45 goals in 44 Barcelona outings this season, dragging a less-than-convincing Blaugrana to the final stages of La Liga and in Europe. Moulding a partnership between the five-time Ballon d’Or winner and his apparent heir is a conundrum that will need to be solved by Jorge Sampaoli or whomever eventually takes the reins of the troubled Argentina team, and if both Messi and Dybala are set on replicating their club roles that task will be made extremely difficult.

 

 

It is difficult, but not impossible. Sampaoli has an impeccable track record in this sense. The ex-Chile coach drew on his Bielsista heritage to build a winning team around three key players: the irrepressible Arturo Vidal working box-to-box, the mercurial playmaker Jorge Valdivia pulling the strings in a stationary trequartista role and Alexis Sanchez roaming the final third from out wide.

 

So effective was the system that the identity of the centre-forward was almost irrelevant; a mediocre front-man like Eduardo Vargas finished top scorer in Chile’s 2015 Copa America triumph almost by default, fed incessantly by the stars around him in a glorious demonstration of dynamic team play. Neither Vidal, nor Valdivia, nor Sanchez were indispensable on their own, but as a trio they were too strong for anything the rest of South America could muster in defence.

 

As the years roll by it is not inconceivable to imagine Messi dropping back down the pitch, sacrificing his prodigious goal tally to take a more integrated role in the team and thus prolong his career. Dybala then would be left to take a starring role popping up across the penalty area, working off Messi’s incursions and stretching the defence to breaking point. Having failed to find a single reliable creative partner in the Argentina team since Juan Roman Riquelme’s retirement in 2009, Leo ironically could find himself performing the role of the Boca Juniors idol to help Dybala succeed him as the best player on the planet.

 

At Camp Nou, too, the impossible task of finding a successor for Andres Iniesta would suddenly be made a lot easier if Messi took up creative duties in the middle of the field, carving out the spaces for his young compatriot to make hay. It is hard to see right now, but in the modern game, no successful tactic or playing style lasts forever.

 

 

Those who belong to the elite of world football are continually adapting in their quest for greatness. The teenage Messi who began as Ronaldinho’s creative foil went on to practically create the false nine position (or, at least, perfect it), before reinventing the wheel again in his move to the right.

 

Dybala too began life in the rough and tumble of Argentina’s Nacional B as a support striker, dropped back down the field upon moving to Italy and has now returned to his first position with the Old Lady. The pair may seem too similar to function as a duo, but if each can adapt their game ever so slightly to accommodate the other there is no reason not to think they can form a formidable partnership in the years to come.

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

Neymar: 'Barcelona can overcome Juventus'

 

 

 

http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/barcelona/champions-league/

news/neymar-barcelona-can-overcome-juventus_296193.html

 

 

Apr 17, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Barcelona forward Neymar has insisted that the Spanish champions can still overcome Juventus to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Juventus recorded a 3-0 victory in the first leg of their quarter-final in Turin last week, leaving Barcelona with a mountain to climb as they bid to continue their journey in the competition.

Luis Enrique's side turned around a 4-0 deficit in the round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain, however, and Neymar is confident that his side can shock the Italian champions to progress.

"The other day, my father told me something, which has been in my head and I think is true," Neymar told Canal Esporte Interativo. "We can face a different team, but Barcelona will always be the same. And we can do it. We've done it once and we can do it a second time.

"We have to give the maximum in everything. If everything goes well, there'll be another comeback. I believe in the team and our potential. It's all lost as it stands, so we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"We have to enter the field and do our work. It'll be very difficult, especially as there's a big deficit. Juve are a great team, one that's very well-structured, so it'll be difficult to turn the tie around. We'll have to run twice as much."

"It's the same situation as against PSG, we have a one-percent chance of going through and the remaining 99% consists of running and having faith. God willing, the goals will come."

Neymar is currently serving a domestic suspension, but the Brazilian is available for the Champions League.

[Socrates 8524]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BARCELONA - JUVENTUS

 

  -  

 

 

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS - SECOND LEG

 

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 - 8:45 p.m.
Camp Nou Stadium, Barcelona

Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)

 

 

 

Dybala fit to face Barca?

 

 

 

http://www.football-italia.net/101250/dybala-fit-face-barca

 

 

Apr 17, 2017

 

Tifosibianconeri English page - CLICK HERE

 

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala reportedly “trained normally” on Monday morning, making him “very likely” to face Barcelona.

 

Dybala suffered an ankle strain against Pescara on Saturday, and Gazzetta dello Sport claims he spent much of the following day receiving treatment at Juve’s Vinovo training complex.

 

However, the newspaper adds the injury “has subsided” and that it was proved by the Argentine’s presence in training.

 

The Bianconeri travel to Barca for Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg with a 3-0 lead from the first game in Turin, courtesy of a Dybala brace.