03 November 2015
Borussia Dortmund 1-3 Juventus
UEFA Cup Final 1st Leg, 5 May 1993
When flicking through past encounters between German and Italian clubs, it would be impossible to overlook the fascinating rivalry between Borussia Dortmund and Juventus.
Although the pairing won’t mean much to younger fans of both sides with last season’s Champions League knockout round encounter representing their first meeting in 18 years, the Black and Yellows and the Bianconeri crossed paths a staggering seven times in four years in the mid-1990s, contesting two major finals in the process.
The historic clubs’ maiden meeting fell in May 1993, an occasion that would provide the Old Lady with a third UEFA Cup trophy, a record at the time. In the first of the final’s two legs, Giovanni Trapattoni’s men couldn’t have got off to a worse start at the Westfalenstadion, falling behind to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge’s precise finish with the outside of his boot with just two minutes on the clock.
It would not take long however, for il Trap’s charges to make their mark on the tie as a move straight from the training ground pulled them level within the half hour.
Quick thinking from Andreas Moller and Gianluca Vialli shuttled the ball at pace into the feet of Dino Baggio on the corner of the Dortmund box for the midfielder to apply an equally sharp finish, placing his effort low into the far corner with his left foot for what would be his first of three strikes in the two-legged affair.
With the Borussians reeling, it was another Baggio, this time Roberto, who gave the visitors the lead, converting Vialli’s flighted cross from close range to put the Bianconeri firmly in control and to silence the boisterous home crowd.
But il Divin Codino was not finished there and would go on to add his second and Juve’s third with a quarter of an hour remaining, spinning on a six-pence just inside the penalty area to roll home after more fine work from Vialli.
With three away goals to their name, Juventus were to ease to the trophy a fortnight later, D.Baggio (2) and Moller, capping off a resounding 6-1 aggregate victory at the Stadio delle Alpi.
Bayern Munich 0-1 Juventus
Champions League Group Stage Matchday 4, 3 November 2004
A superb performance from Gianluigi Buffon, a fourth consecutive victory in the Champions League group stages and a last-gasp winner for Alessandro Del Piero ensures that November 2004’s meeting between Juventus and Bayern Munich earns a place in this classic trio of clashes with German clubs.
While not a vintage encounter in the traditional sense of goals and end-to-end action, the Bianconeri’s away victory 11 years ago to the day at Munich’s Olympic Stadium, was a lesson in how to get results on the road in Europe’s premier club competition.
With their backs against the wall for vast periods of the game, Juve had a certain Gianluigi Buffon to thank for our now veteran skipper’s series of stellar stops from Claudio Pizarro and Roy Makaay to keep the scores deadlocked at 0-0 as the clock ticked towards the final whistle.
“It was a tough game, we had to stay focused throughout and remain on our guard. When you’re called into action and your team needs you, you need to be ready. That’s especially true as a goalkeeper for Juventus, you must be prepared for anything, no matter how the match is going.”
These were the words of Super Gigi shortly after full-time and it was the Bianconeri stopper’s numerous interventions that provided the platform from which his team-mates could go on to snatch all three points seconds from the game’s conclusion.
Just moments before Buffon’s post-match retrospective warning of staying alert, Alessandro Del Piero’s tap-in from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s superb assist punished their Bavarian hosts’ momentary lapse of concentration to wrap up a fourth 1-0 win on the bounce in the 2003/04 Champions League for Fabio Capello’s men, a run that would see them comfortably top their group by six points.
Borussia Dortmund 0-3 Juventus
Champions League 1st knockout round, 18 March 2015
Last March’s stunning 3-0 triumph on the Bianconeri’s last visit to Borussia in the competition’s last 16 is worthy of remembrance not only for the quality of the performance produced by Massimiliano Allegri’s side but also for its significance in the context of their season as a whole.
By blowing away the 2013 finalists in their own imposing backyard, Juve proved that, once more, they were a force to be reckoned with among Europe’s elite.
Holding a slender 2-1 lead from the first leg, their hunt for a precious away goal lasted a matter of minutes, Carlos Tevez blasting home from distance to send the travelling Bianconeri into raptures behind the goal.
Stout defending, a characteristic of the Old Lady’s run to the Berlin final, preserved that one-goal advantage deep into the second half and would offer the necessary foundation from which Allegri’s men could strike on the counter attack.
And so it was with 20 minutes remaining, as Claudio Marchisio’s precise pass sent Tevez charging into space before squaring to Alvaro Morata for the simplest of finishes, the second of the Spaniard’s magical European scoring streak that came to an end in this season’s 0-0 draw with tonight’s opponents at Juventus Stadium.
With the home side looking to close a now gaping three-goal deficit, it was Tevez’s agility and clinical finishing in the final third that blighted Jurgen Klopp’s team for a third and final time as the Argentine lashed past Romain Weidenfeller 11 minutes from time to round off a magical night in Westphalia.
Should the Bianconeri go in search of inspiration ahead of tonight’s visit to Borussia Monchengladbach, they need look no further.
