Juventus hit the crossbar with Gonzalo Higuain and forced a last-gasp Sergio Rico save, but Sevilla successfully frustrated them for a 0-0 draw.

See how the night unfolded and give your views on our LIVEBLOG.

In the other game of this group, Lyon swept Dinamo Zagreb aside 3-0.

Juventus hit the crossbar with Gonzalo Higuain and forced a last-gasp Sergio Rico save, but Sevilla successfully frustrated them for a 0-0 draw.

See how the night unfolded and give your views on our LIVEBLOG.

In the other game of this group, Lyon swept Dinamo Zagreb aside 3-0.

The Bianconeri were considered among the Champions League favourites and the extent of their star-studded squad was evident by the fact Miralem Pjanic was benched in favour of Mario Lemina and Kwadwo Asamoah, while Patrice Evra and Dani Alves provided experience down the wings. Sevilla had won the Europa League for three years running, but were transformed by Jorge Sampaoli into an all-attack side.

Franco Vazquez was used as a False 9, as Samir Nasri and Benoit Tremoulinas were sidelined, Timothee Kolodziejczak suspended.

Sami Khedira was making his 50th Champions League appearance and wasted the first chance of the game after eight minutes, slicing an angled drive well wide when sent clear by a Paulo Dybala through ball.

The German international missed another sitter on a Dybala pass, this time firing straight at Sergio Rico, as did Gonzalo Higuain moments later.

Leonardo Bonucci drilled off target and Higuain chested down a ball for Dybala, but the ex-Palermo man had to spin round to avoid a Rico sliding tackle as the goalkeeper made up for his poor clearance.

Sevilla were far more defensive than expected and the Bianconeri continually ran into a wall of yellow. The referee also told the Spaniards off for time-wasting after just 32 minutes.

On the stroke of half-time Sevilla had a corner, but ex-Milan defender Adil Rami was booked for a wrestling-style grapple with Giorgio Chiellini.

The Bianconeri were increasingly frustrated as the match wore on. Dybala blasted over from a Patrice Evra cross after sneaking up behind Escudero, but Higuain thought he’d scored on 59 minutes only for his header to smack against the bar from 12 yards on a Dani Alves assist.

Pjanic, Alex Sandro and ex-Sampdoria winger Joaquin Correa were introduced to break the tactical deadlock. It was Correa who had a great chance within minutes, turning Chiellini inside out with some fancy footwork to blast across the face of goal, just past the far top corner.

At the other end, Dani Alves rolled across the six-yard box and Rico got a fingertip to it, preventing the Dybala tap-in. Higuain horribly side-footed a volley high and wide from Khedira’s ball over the top.

Chiellini and Rami were wrestling again, this time in the Sevilla box on a corner, while Nico Pareja crucially blocked Higuain from meeting Pjanic’s assist from point-blank range.

Marko Pjaca came off the bench late on and had timid penalty appeals rejected for the tiniest of nudges in the back.

Juventus had a huge chance in stoppages, Alex Sandro sneaking up behind Mariano for a free header on the Dani Alves cross, but Sergio Rico scrambled across for a fantastic save to punch it off the line at the base of the near post.

Dani Alves also hit a volley straight at Rico, as Juventus remained frustrated by the 0-0 draw on home turf.

Juventus 0-0 Sevilla

Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Dani Alves, Khedira, Lemina, Asamoah (Pjanic 68), Evra (Alex Sandro 68); Higuain, Dybala (Pjaca 86)

Sevilla: Rico; Mercado, Rami, Nico Pareja, Escudero; N'Zonzi, Kranevitter (Mariano 78); Vitolo, Iborra, Sarabia (Correa 64); Vazquez (Carriço 90)

Ref: Aytekin (GER)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tickets Kit Collector