Juventus” data-scaytid=”1″>Juventus crashed out of the Champions League after a 2-0 home defeat against Bayern Munich, as Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro silenced the Turin crowd.
Juventus crashed out of the Champions League after a 2-0 home defeat against Bayern Munich, as Mario Mandzukic and Claudio Pizarro silenced the Turin crowd.
The Bianconeri had a mountain to climb in order to reach the Champions League semi-finals, having lost the first leg 2-0 in Munich. Arturo Vidal and Stephan Lichtsteiner were suspended, so Paul Pogba and Simone Padoin stepped into the starting XI with Fabio Quagliarella replacing the injured Sebastian Giovinco. Bayern won the Bundesliga last week with six games to spare and welcomed Javi Martinez back from his ban, though Toni Kroos suffered a thigh strain.
As Antonio Conte requested, the atmosphere in the Juventus Stadium was deafening and a huge banner read: ‘Never give up, because when you think it’s all over, that is the moment where everything begins.’
After 84 seconds Mirko Vucinic scuffed his shot at Manuel Neuer, then Giorgio Chiellini went down in agony after a clash with Mario Mandzukic that saw the striker very harshly booked and therefore suspended for Bayern’s next game.
Mandzukic went close to a goal on the counter, but turned wide under pressure from Padoin. Philipp Lahm tripped Claudio Marchisio right on the edge of the box for a free kick, from which Andrea Pirlo hit a missile that Neuer punched out from under the bar with great difficulty.
Padoin tackled Ribery to win back possession and Vucinic threaded through for Pogba down the right, who flashed a ball across the six-yard box, but Asamoah was a fraction too late to get the final touch.
Quagliarella smashed a long-range attempt high and wide, while Thomas Muller volleyed off target. Daniel Van Buyten requested a substitution, making way for Jerome Boateng, the brother of Milan star Kevin-Prince.
Pogba’s first touch let him down in the D when Vucinic pulled back and he hesitated, allowing the shot to be charged down.
David Alaba’s screamer surprised Gigi Buffon in the first leg, but this time a corner fell to the full-back for a powerful shot and the goalkeeper was ready, flying to palm it away.
Juve went close from a free kick that was not dealt with, as Quagliarella and then Bonucci couldn’t finish it off from six yards. In first half stoppages Ribery scuffed a weak effort into Buffon’s arms, while Vucinic’s chipped pass for Padoin was crucially deflected out for a corner.
Straight after the restart, Vucinic sprinted at the Bayern defence and was eventually sandwiched between red shirts on the edge of the box for a free kick. Pirlo’s effort was deflected off the wall and into Neuer’s arms.
Quagliarella cut in from the left and his daisy-cutter whistled inches past the base of the upright. Pirlo’s misplaced pass sparked a Muller counter, then Quagliarella spun round to sting Neuer’s palms, but was offside anyway.
Chiellini fell in the box under a Boateng challenge, but play continued and Robben’s fantastic curler cracked against the upright from the edge of the area.
However, it was Bayern Munich who took the lead in Turin. A Robben free kick found Javi Martinez’s outstretched foot, forcing a great reaction save out of Buffon, but there was no stopping Mandzukic with a diving header to follow it up from a couple of yards.
Juventus now needed four goals to qualify. From their corner, Bayern went on the counter and Muller ballooned over the bar. Vucinic wasted a good chance when needing one extra touch and allowing Neuer to smother at his feet, then the goalkeeper blocked a Pogba strike.
Muller drilled wide at the end of a well-worked move and Buffon at full stretch fingertipped a Robben solo effort round the base of the upright, as all belief had long seeped out of the Juventus Stadium.
In stoppages, Bayern made it 2-0, as Schweinsteiger set up substitute Claudio Pizarro for a low angled drive that went through Buffon’s legs.
Juventus 0-2 Bayern (0-4 agg)
Scorers: Mandzukic 64 (B), Pizarro 91 (B)
Juventus: Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Padoin (Isla 69), Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio (Giaccherini 78), Asamoah; Vucinic, Quagliarella (Matri 66)
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Lahm, Dante, Van Buyten (Boateng 35), Alaba; Schweinsteiger, Javi Martinez; Robben, T Muller, Ribery (Luiz Gustavo 80); Mandzukic (Pizarro 83)
Ref: Carballo (SPA)