30 September 2015
As Massimiliano Allegri’s men prepare to take on Sevilla for the first home Champions League match of 2015/16, Juventus.com takes a look back at these six classics.
Juventus 3-0 Steaua Bucharest, 1995
Juventus’ first ever home match in the rebranded Champions League made for a memorable evening in the Stadio delle Alpi as they saw off Steaua Bucarest 3-0.
Angelo Di Livio fired in from a tight angle to put Marcello Lippi’s men in front in the 35th minute. Just four minutes later, Alessandro Del Piero bent a beautiful shot from outside the box into the top-right corner to double the hosts’ lead before the break.
And the Bianconeri needed just four minutes of the second half to score a third goal, when Fabrizio Ravanelli headed in from close-range, wrapping up the win to rise to six points after just two group games.
Juventus would end up winning the Champions League that season.
Juventus 1-0 Manchester United, 1996
The Old Lady’s famous win over Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils boiled down to a superb counter-attack that began from a Manchester United throw-in into the Bianconeri box.
Didier Deschamps, Zinedine Zidane and Alen Boksic had their own ideas about what to do in ten seconds of utter brilliance, as the Croatian forward dinked a lovely ball over goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.
The victory was a sign of things to come as Marcello Lippi's men would go on to reach the Champions League final later that season.
Juventus 5-1 Feyenoord, 1997
A five-star Bianconeri cruised to a comfortable victory against Feyenoord on 17 September 1997.
The fireworks began in just the third minute when Alessandro Birindelli’s cross cut through the Dutch outfit’s defence and Alex Del Piero was at hand to shoot past Jerzy Dudek.
Juve’s number ten doubled his personal tally eight minutes later from the penalty spot after Zinedine Zidane was brought down in the box.
And Filippo Inzaghi turned in Dimas’ cross from the left to give the hosts a 3-0 lead at half-time.
In the second-half Jean-Paul van Gastel pulled one back for the visitors, but Zidane’s classy flick over Dudek and Birindelli’s late free-kick ensured that Marcello Lippi’s men would complete a convincing win to get off to the best possible start to a Champions League campaign which would see them go all the way to the final.
Juventus 2-1 Panathinaikos, 2000
Juventus prevailed against a dangerous Panathinaikos side courtesy of a late David Trezeguet winner at the Stadio delle Alpi.
Edwin Van der Sar pulled off a brilliant save to keep the hosts on level terms before Alessio Tacchinardi volleyed in off the crossbar, rebounding also off the back of Greek stopper Antonios Nikopolidis to give Carlo Ancelotti’s men a 35th minute lead.
But the visitors pressed for an equaliser and would find one in first-half stoppage time, when their free-kick bounced off the Bianconeri’s defensive wall, spinning into the path of Ioannis Goumas and the centre-back made no mistake with a 30-yard drive that sailed into the top corner, ensuring that the sides entered the break with the score tied at 1-1.
The second period proved just as close-matched, with the Greeks providing stern opposition until David Trezeguet rose highest at a corner to head home an 83rd minute corner.
Juventus 3-0 Rapid Vienna, 2005
The Bianconeri made it back to back wins in their group with a 3-0 victory over Rapid Vienna on 27 September 2005.
David Trezeguet opened the scoring in the 27th minute when he neatly dispatched Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s cross from close-range.
The hosts would have to wait until the 82nd minute to double their lead, Adrian Mutu it was to shimmy past his marker before firing home from the left.
And three minutes later Ibrahimovic added a third goal, as he volleyed in Pavel Nedved’s pinpoint cross.
Fabio Capello’s men would eventually qualify for the knockout stages as group leaders.
Juventus 1-0 Zenit, 2008
Nothing separated the two sides until the 76th minute when Alessandro Del Piero fired in a free-kick from all of 40 yards to send supporters at the Stadio Olimpico into raptures.
