15 September 2014
Ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League opener against Malmo, Juventus.com takes a look back at the last time the Bianconeri locked horns with Swedish opposition in Europe’s premier club competition.
In August 2004, Djurgardens IF travelled to the Delle Alpi for the first of two third round qualifying matches. The Swedes had set up the tie courtesy of a 2-0 aggregate triumph over Lithuanian title-holders FBK Kaunas and felt confident of upsetting the odds against a strong Juventus outfit.
Indeed it was the visitors who started the brighter of the two sides, testing Gigi Buffon twice through Matias Concha and Frederik Stenman inside the first three minutes.
And their battling qualities in torrential Turin rain soon paid off as they were awarded a golden chance to take the lead a minute before the break after Alessio Tacchinardi felled Johan Arneng in the box.
Andreas Johansson kept his cool to slot home the resulting penalty and four minutes after the interval, it was two. An intelligent exchange of passes between Stenman and Tobias Hysen played in the latter to double the lead with a crisp finish.
But the visitors barely had enough time to celebrate as a wounded Juventus pulled one back a minute later through David Trezeguet’s close-range finish following Gianluca Zambrotta’s shot.
Now with the wind firmly in their sails, Fabio Capello’s men continued to commit bodies forward and levelled matters when Emerson headed substitute Ruben Olivera’s cross home just shy of the hour mark
Further chances fell the Bianconeri’s way as they pushed for a winner but the visitors stood firm to hold out for a share of the spoils.
It was a different story entirely in the second leg, however, as a ruthless Juventus, bolstered by the return of Pavel Nedved, marched on through to the group stages courtesy of a 4-1 triumph.
In front of a capacity crowd in Stockholm, Capello’s charges took no prisoners and gained an early foothold in the affair when Alessandro Del Piero opened the scoring with just ten minutes played.
A Johan Arneng piledriver midway through the first-half threatened to knock Juventus off course, but they regained control of their European destiny ten minutes later thanks to Trezeguet’s emphatic finish.
On 54 minutes, Nedved all but booked the Bianconeri’s spot in the last 32 when he danced through the defence before slotting home, while an unmarked Trezeguet made absolutely sure with a classic poacher’s finish three minutes from time.
