Juventus ‘provoke fear’ after beating Barca Monaco’s Mbappe continues to shine
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Defender Bonucci declares no one will want to face Serie A giants after they oust the Catalans
distraught Neymar left the field in tears as Juventus held Barcelona to a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou on Wednesday to reach the Champions League semifinals 3-0 on aggregate.
Barca had overcome a 4-0 firstleg deficit against Paris SaintGermain in the last 16 with a dramatic 6-1 win back on home soil.
But Juventus showed why they boast the best defensive record in the competition as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were blunted as the Italians gained revenge for their defeat in the 2015 Champions League final.
“To not concede a goal in two games against Barcelona says a lot about the tactical level of the team,” said Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri. “They had more chances in Turin than they did tonight. The team defended very solidly tonight.”
Barca coach Luis Enrique said: “We tried with all our might, but we couldn’t find the route to goal. We played a very poor first half in Turin and that has cost us dearly. I will remember what happened in the first half there.”
Straight from kick-off the visitors seemed determined to learn from the French champions’ mistakes. Allegri’s men pressed high to prevent Barca dominating possession and enjoyed the better of the early chances.
Gonzalo Higuain volleyed over from the edge of the area before only a brilliant challenge from Gerard Pique prevented Juan Cuadrado’s cross providing Higuain with a tap in.
Barca had to wait 19 minutes for their first clear sight of goal as they intricately worked the ball around a packed Juventus box before Messi fired inches wide.
Juventus defender Bonucci said, “It’s not about who we don’t want to face because none of the other teams want to face us. Juventus provoke fear in everyone else and now our objective is to reach the final.
“We showed great unity and solidarity. We have belief in ourselves, because scoring three goals against Barcelona and keeping a clean sheet at the Nou Camp shows we are a great team,” he added.
French prodigy Kylian Mbappe continued his spectacular rise in European soccer, shattering records and firing a freescoring Monaco to the semifinals of the Champions League on Wednesday.
The principality side beat Borussia Dortmund 3-1 for a 6-3 aggregate win with the 18-yearold netting three times over both legs as Monaco joined Juventus, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the last four.
Mbappe became the youngest player to net five Champions League goals, the first to score in each of his first four games in Europe’s premium club competition, and also the youngest to find the back of the net in both legs of a quarterfinal tie.
A pacy forward with impressive temperament, Mbappe is the perfect weapon for Monaco, who have emerged as a formidable counter-attacking team.
Mbappe, who has now scored 16 goals in his last 16 competitive outings, is the most efficient striker in Europe in terms of goals scored per minute, ahead of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.
He has naturally attracted interests from Real Madrid and Manchester United even though Mbappe has been keeping his feet on the ground.
“After every achievement we have managed to stay focused and get back to work, that’s our strength,” he said after Wednesday’s win.
Mbappe struggled a bit in the second half, which suggested he still needed to toughen up physically.
“He puts a lot of intensity in his every move so it is normal that he gets tired,” former France and Barcelona winger Ludovic Giuly told French sports daily L’Equipe.