Celtic 0-3 Juventus: 5 Questions in the Wake of Unconvincing Bianconeri Victory

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Juventus recorded a commanding 3-0 victory at Celtic Park on Tuesday night as this UEFA Champions League tie looks all but finished.

Andrea Pirlo recorded his first ever win on Scottish turf as goals from Alessandro Matrio, Mirko Vucinic and Claudio Marchisio did the damage, but this win was far from convincing.

Here's five questions arising in the wake of the game.

Is That It for Celtic?

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Wow, what a crushing result.

In no way did Celtic deserve to be on the wrong end of a 3-0 scoreline, but you don't always get what you warrant in football and that dressing room will be a mixture of stunned silence and shock.

In past years, the Bhoys' European success has been founded on a solid showing at home. Before Tuesday evening's encounter, they'd lost just two of their last 61 UEFA Champions League games at home.

Better make that three of 62. Is there anyone who really believes this side, who dominated but remained toothless at home, can travel to the Juventus Stadium and pull of a world-class upset?

Must I Clean My Spectacles, Juventus?

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Too often we tune in to see Juventus dominate possession, create tons of chances and fail to score.

In fact, the only position that genuinely needed shoring up in January (save for left-wing-back due to Kwadwo Asamoah's involvement in South Africa) was striker, because Antonio Conte's side do everything but stick it in the net.

Tonight was an entirely different story, and it's difficult to believe that was the Old Lady we saw play. In total, they managed just eight shots, with six on target. Yet they scored three goals.

In contrast, Juve's disappointing loss to Sampdoria in January yielded just one goal from 19 attempts.

Was Neil Lennon a Victim of His Own Methods?

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On November 7, 2012, Celtic beat Barcelona 2-1 at Celtic Park to put one foot in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

The possession-hungry Blaugrana dominated the ball from start to finish as the Bhoys soaked up pressure and counterattacked with pace, and eventually took the lead through a Victor Wanyama header.

Barca came again, relentlessly, but Tony Watt's sucker-punch strike was enough to grab three points.

On February 12, 2013, Celtic dominated play but were undone by three counterattacking goals from Juventus.

Lennon's tactics—the ones he used against Tito Vilanova and the ones many expected him to use against Antonio Conte—were hijacked and deployed to beat him.

A Change of Perception for Juventus?

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Juventus have been viewed by many as a team who can lift the UEFA Champions League trophy in May.

Their stellar performances against tough Group Stage opposition in Shakhtar Donetsk and Chelsea has seen them pass a horrific early test, and with a five-point lead atop the Serie A table, most expected the Old Lady to waltz this game.

Instead they were subjected to intense pressure and had to play on the counterattack, and for long periods looked second best despite housing superior personnel.

Some will say the Bianconeri are over-hyped. Some will suggest they simply did exactly what they needed to do. What's your view?

Is There a Deeper Squad in World Football?

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The depth of Juventus' squad is simply astounding.

Missing Giorgio Chiellini, Simone Pepe, Mauricio Isla and several more, while also easing Kwadwo Asamoah back to match fitness, they still managed to name the following bench:

Paul Pogba, Sebastian Giovinco, Simone Padoin, Luca Marrone, Nicolas Anelka and Fabio Quagliarella.

With Asamoah resting, De Cegile out and Chiellini dealing with a long-term injury, Antonio Conte fielded what is arguably Juve's fourth-choice left-wing-back in Federico Peluso.

When Peluso limped off, Padoin came on and slotted in.

Alessandro Matri made a surprise start, but in the end both strikers were subbed off for a rest. Bringing on a proven striker in Anelka as a comfort option? If only every club had that option.

The depth of this squad is astounding, and it's right up there with the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

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