13 March 2017
06/03/2013: Juventus 2-0 Celtic
Juventus headed into their home match against Celtic on the back of a 3-0 first-leg win in Glasgow, but they were in no mood to rest on their laurels in Turin, Alessandro Matri opening the scoring after 24 minutes.
The goal stemmed from a fine interception on the press by Andrea Barzagli, the defender releasing Fabio Quagliarella down the left, whose initial shot was blocked by Fraser Forster only for Matri to bundle home on the rebound.
Gianluigi Buffon produced a brilliant save to keep out Kris Commons’ wickedly deflected shot and Arturo Vidal spurned a couple of good chances to double Juve’s lead before half-time.
After the interval, Quagliarella soon got another sight of goal, his curled effort towards the corner met by Forster’s gloves, but it would not take long for the former Italy forward to get his name on the scoresheet.
On 65 minutes, Andrea Pirlo’s exquisite lofted pass located Vidal, who laid the ball sideways for Quagliarella to stroke home with ease, handing the hosts a 5-0 aggregate victory en route to the quarter-finals where they faced Bayern Munich.
24/02/2015: Juventus 2-1 Dortmund
The Bianconeri seized the advantage in their Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund with a 2-1 first leg win at Juventus Stadium.
Carlos Tevez handed the hosts the lead in the 13th minute, tapping into an open net after Borussia keeper Roman Weidenfeller spilled Alvaro Morata’s left-wing cross.
Just five minutes later though, the visitors were back on level terms when Giorgio Chiellini slipped over and Marco Reus nipped in and fired into the bottom corner.
Juve’s response was positive and they deservedly got their noses back in front on 42 minutes, Morata side-footing home Paul Pogba’s centre.
And Massimiliano Allegri’s men might have helped themselves to even more goals after the interval, Tevez coming close on three occasions, Chiellini heading over the bar and Roberto Pereyra shooting narrowly wide late on.
Taking a slender 2-1 lead into the return leg at Dortmund, the Bianconeri eventually ran out 5-1 aggregate winners after a comprehensive 3-0 victory at the Signal Iduna Park – proof that the Old Lady meant real business as she ultimately marched on to the Champions League final that year.
23/02/2016: Juventus 2-2 Bayern Munich
Paulo Dybala and Stefano Sturaro hauled the Bianconeri from the clutches of defeat to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the last season’s last 16 home leg against Bayern Munich.
Pep Guardiola’s German champions dominated the early proceedings, their intense pressing game forcing Juve back into their final third for the majority of the first half.
And the pressure eventually told after 43 minutes when Thomas Muller slotted in the opener. Then just 10 minutes into the second half, Arjen Robben whipped an unstoppable left-footed drive inside Buffon’s far post.
From the moment the Dutchman’s effort flew in however, the Old Lady rolled up her sleeves and never once looked back, fighting her way into the contest again in scintillating fashion.
Capitalising on Joshua Kimmich’s mistake, Mario Mandzukic gathered the loose ball and played in Dybala, who kept his cool to stroke in his first ever goal in the Champions League.
Then on 76 minutes, the hosts completed the comeback when Sturaro crashed home an equaliser in the six-yard box.
Both Sturaro and Morata, whose headed knockdown it was that set up Juve’s second strike, were substitutes, as Allegri eventually won the tactical battle that Guardiola had looked set to run away with in the opening exchanges.
Bayern would stage a fightback of their own at the Allianz Arena in Munich to ultimately secure a 6-4 aggregate victory (after extra time), the Bianconeri exiting the competition disappointed, but with heads held high and determined to go further in this year’s UCL campaign.
