Juventus vs Barcelona: A look at their past encounters

This coming Wednesday, Barcelona take on fierce European rivals Juventus in the 2^nd matchday of the UEFA Champions League. Both teams have started the competition well, with the Italian champions beating Dynamo Kiev 2-0, and the Catalans gaining a convincing win over Ferencvaros. The match is scheduled to take place in the Allianz Arena at 9PM CET, with both sides expecting to put on a great matchup for their respective fans. Therefore in this article, we shall be looking at the past encounters between the two clubs; as Barcelona yet again face another tough test.

Barcelona 3-0 Juventus. 12/09/17

This match was fairly comfortable for the Blaugranas. Despite losing to Juventus the previous year, Barcelona looked like a rejuvenated side in this display, and this was reflected in the score line.

While the first half of the match was evenly sided- with possession quite balanced, and shots coming from both teams- Barcelona secured their first goal. In the 45^th minute, Messi had made a darting run from the halfway line and found Suarez to his left. Suarez had returned the pass and had allowed Messi to create space, enough to produce a shot. This shot was powerfully driven from the Argentinian, as it made its way into the bottom left corner. Experienced Italian goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon could not make the save, bringing the hosts to a 1-0 victory.

In the second half, Barcelona started in a more authoritative manner. They controlled the game well, dominated possession and created many chances. It wasn’t until the 56^th minute however, when Ivan Rakitic made it 2-0. After Messi had cut in from the side and passed the ball into the box, Juve’s defence proved far too strong and cleared it. This however fell onto Ivan Rakitic, who thereby tapped the ball in, and secured the second goal of the match. Shortly after, Messi had made it 3-0. A shot from outside the penalty box, had proved far too much for Buffon; as Barcelona closed an impressive display in the Camp Nou.  

Juventus 3-0 Barcelona. 11/04/17

After the famous ‘remontada’ against PSG, which saw Barcelona overturn a deficit of 4 goals, they encountered Juventus in the Quarter Finals of the UCL. Unlike PSG however, this tie ended in a disappointing defeat for the Catalans. A 3-0 loss at home, proved impossible to overturn at the Camp Nou, with the Bionconeri demonstrating its superiority.

The first half was one sided for the home team. Juventus controlled every aspect of the game, with  Barcelona looking very shaken and weak. This proved fatal in the 7^th minute, when fellow Argentinian Paulo Dybala opened the scoring. After an assist by teammate Cuadrado, Dybala was left free, converting his left foot shot into the first goal.

Fifteen minutes later, Dybala was there again to make it 2-0. After a run from Mandzukic on the left wing, a sliced pass into the penalty box fell onto Dybala. Consequently, his driven shot proved far too powerful for Ter Stegen to save, as he was effectively beat on to his left post. In the 55^th minute, Juventus proceeded to close the match; when Chiellini converted his header into the third and final goal of the night. Not the most impressive displays by the Catalans, who left Turin with their head down in disappointment.

Barcelona 3-1 Juventus. 6/06/15

The best match had to be left to the last. The UEFA Champions League Final in 2015, saw the Catalans taking home their 5^th Champions League trophy. After an exciting match against a very strong Juventus, the Blaugranas managed to pull through, completing the infamous ‘triplete’  for the second time in seven years.

The first goal of the match came relatively early, as soon as the 4^th minute. This goal  was scored by Ivan Rakitic, with an assist coming from Spanish veteran Andres Iniesta. After Iniesta had made a pass to the Croatian in the centre of the box, Rakitic had to tap it in; bringing the Catalans to an early lead. Despite the rest of the half being filled with intensity, action and pace from both sides, no further goals were scored.

On to the second half however, Juventus started strong. This was evident in the 55^th minute, when Spanish striker Alvaro Morata got his first goal. After Carlos Tevez had cut in to the box and shot, Ter Stegen had made the save. However, this deflected onto the path of Morata, giving him a relatively easy shot that had been converted successfully . This had a similar instance in Barcelona’s second goal. After Messi’s driven shot had been saved by Buffon, the deflection fell onto Suarez’s path; who then made it 2-1. In the dying minutes of the match, Neymar had finally secured the victory. After an assist by Pedro, Neymar took the chance and made it 3-1. The match ended in Barcelona’s favour; with the vibrant atmosphere in the club reflecting the mood of the Catalans.

Ethan Cleverly

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