Messi and Barca are down and out
Resilient Juventus end Barcelona dreams and leave Neymar in tears
Lionel Messi and Barcelona suffered a painful Champions League exit after being held to a goalless draw by Juventus in the Nou Camp.
Miracles rarely come in twos and so it proved last night as Juventus eliminated a Barcelona side unable to reverse their 3-0 first-leg defeat.
replicating last month’s comeback against Paris saint-Germain, which saw the catalans win 6-1 at the Nou camp after losing the away leg 4-0, was always likely to be an impossible dream even for lionel Messi and co.
and, of course, the Old lady of Turin is not the type to spook easily.
Why would she? With Giorgio chiellini and leonardo Bonucci immense in front of the evergreen Gianluigi Buffon, there was no way through.
Bonucci said afterwards: ‘scoring three in the first leg and not conceding here is the evidence that we are a great team. i think every team would like to avoid us now.’
‘Juventus is a great team and they were better than us,’ Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said. ‘it was a difficult result to turn around, although we tried until the end.’
Messi had a real chance to light the touchpaper on 18 minutes, but he fired wide after the ball came to him in the area from luis suarez.
When Juve defender alex sandro then headed an andres iniesta cross clear, it dropped to the scorer of Barcelona’s sixth goal against PsG. This time, however, sergi roberto’s volley went high and wide.
Messi tested Buffon with a shot that deflected en route to goal, but the 39-year-old still dealt with it. The italian keeper is determined to retire with his proud record of not conceding a goal to the argentine genius intact.
Gonzalo Higuain was then denied by Barca keeper Marc-andre ter stegen as the visitors again threatened on the break.
First blood was soon to be drawn, but it was the wrong kind for Barcelona as Messi clashed with Miralem Pjanic and fell on his face, cutting himself in the process.
Neymar subsequently clattered into Pjanic and was booked for retaliation shortly before half-time. Barca now needed three goals in 45 minutes against a team who had only conceded two goals in 865 minutes in the champions league. Neymar sent a shot high over Buffon’s bar and Messi then did likewise.
Messi was getting increasingly close to opening the scoring. This time, with a low shot just wide of Buffon’s far post.
and, for once, suarez wriggled clear of chiellini to win a free-kick. Messi took it, but his effort sailed over. even when Juve wobbled defensively, Barca could not take advantage. Buffon fumbled a Neymar corner but Messi volleyed over.
as Juve ran the clock down, Dani alves kept possession high up the pitch. it had been a very happy return to his old stomping ground — even though he had to comfort weeping fellow Brazilian Neymar at time-up.
alves was wearing a Barca shirt when these teams met in the 2015 final. a lot has changed since then.
The italians have moved forward, Barca have gone backwards — and out of the champions league.