JUVE SPOT ON AS PIRLO WORKS HIS MAGIC
IN the end, it took a searching ball from the boot of Andrea Pirlo to settle this tie, a 70-yard pass that caught out Monaco defender Ricardo Carvalho. The former Chelsea player was more than a touch unlucky with the decision of Czech referee Pavel Kralovec to award Juventus a penalty — and was booked for protesting that the initial contact with Alvaro Morata was made outside the area. But Pirlo’s work for the night was done. Within minutes of Arturo Vidal scoring from the spot, Juve’s coach Massimiliano Allegri gave those 35-yearold legs a well-earned rest. The Italians are 90 minutes from a semi-final now and they will need Pirlo for the second leg in the Stade Louis II next Wednesday to add the vital composure as they close in on the last four. Even with Pirlo patrolling the centre of the Old Lady’s midfield again, they failed to find their rhythm against a durable Monaco side. The conductor has been missing for nearly two months — out of a team who are top of Serie A by 12 points — because of an injury to his calf. He made it here for the first leg to engineer almost every attack in the first half. The hosts failed to score in the opening period simply because Vidal, usually so dependable in this Juve side, had a bad night. He earned a deserved rebuke from Carlos Tevez when he screwed wildly over the Monaco crossbar and there was a frown from Pirlo on the stroke of half-time. The Chilean was clean through on that occasion, streaking down the lefthand side of the penalty area before his shot cleared the bar again. Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco had a couple of decent chances to put the French ahead in this game but came up against the formidable figure of Gianluigi Buffon, failing to take his opportunities in the 10th and 12th minutes of this edgy first leg. After that, Monaco sat back, allowing Pirlo to dictate the game. Tevez had a chance saved at the far post and Patrice Evra sent another chance over the French bar. The search for the opening goal went on, with visiting substitute Bernardo Silva bringing the best out of Buffon with another save at his near post. In the end Juve achieved the breakthrough, rewarded with their penalty when Morata went down inside the area under Carvalho’s innocuous challenge.