FCPJuve talking points

#FCPJuve: Five talking points

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#FCPJuve: Five talking points
#FCPJuve: Five talking points
#FCPJuve: Five talking points

Advantage Juve!

Going to Porto’s Estadio do Dragao was never going to be easy, especially when you consider that Nuno Espirito Santo’s side had not lost at home since April 2016, so for the Bianconeri to come away with a 2-0 victory represents a great result and one that puts them firmly in the driving seat to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.

This is just the halfway point of the tie, however, and Marko Pjaca and Stephan Lichtsteiner speaking after the game were right to point out that an early Porto goal in Turin would alter the dynamics of the contest and so they need to stay on their toes in order to see off Porto in the return leg on 14 March.

Super subs!

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Marko Pjaca’s goal to break the deadlock just five minutes after coming on the pitch would, in itself, have been sufficient in bringing a smile to Massimiliano Allegri’s face, but for Dani Alves to then add a second within 60 seconds of his own introduction to the field was the stuff of ‘super sub’ dreams.

Just a coincidence? Well, in football you can lay foundations for your own fortune and Allegri’s decision to bring on two players, both of whom quite clearly showed enthusiasm, confidence and an ability to insert fresh impetus into the match, reaped significant rewards.

Marko off the mark!

He was mentioned earlier of course, but Pjaca deserves a point of his own, if the number of comments singing his praises on the club’s official Twitter and Facebook profiles is anything to go by.

Since signing from Dinamo Zagreb in the summer, it’s been far from a straightforward first season for Marko, who suffered injury in September and only returned to action again in mid-January.

In recent weeks, however, the Croatia international has begun to show signs of the undisputed talent he possesses, starting from the first whistle in the wins over Crotone and Palermo, meaning the next logical objective was to score his first Juventus goal.

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The opening strike in a Champions League knockout stage match away to Porto isn’t a bad place to do it! Congratulations, Marko and keep up the great work!

No way past Numero Uno

The Bianconeri have now kept eight clean sheets in 11 matches, but last night’s was certainly one of the most important, preventing Porto from getting off the mark and leaving them with an uphill battle to get back in the tie when the two sides face off in the return leg on 14 March.

Respect

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Last night’s was a great victory, no doubt, but also a great show of respect between two undisputed legends of the game.

The sight of Gianluigi Buffon and Iker Casillas hugging one another at the final whistle serves as a lesson that, beyond the result and competitiveness of any football match, there’s also a correct way of approaching and playing the game.

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