Gigi Buffon Is Superman Once Again for Juventus Against Lyon

Asked about criticism of his recent performances on Mediaset show Tiki Taka, Gigi Buffon offered a swift response. “I live to make them eat their rash words,” the Juventus and Italy captain said (h/t Football Italia), and on Tuesday night at the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, he did just that.

Faced with a Lyon side who had lost four of their last five fixtures, the Italian giants—who have tasted defeat just once this term—should have dominated. But while the 1-0 UEFA Champions League win recorded by the Bianconeri appears routine, it was anything but.

Indeed, throughout the first months of 2016/17, coach Massimiliano Allegri’s men have become specialists in making life difficult for themselves, yet they continually emerge victorious.

Their previous game was a 2-1 win at home against Udinese that saw them fall behind to a Jakub Jankto strike, with Buffon taking much of the blame for allowing that goal.

Letting the Czech Republic midfielder’s effort squirm under his body, the 38-year-old’s error came just days after his blunder for Italy against Spain. In that match, he ran out of his area to make a clearance, completely missing the ball and allowing Vitolo to score in what was eventually a 1-1 draw.

In between his two mistakes, Buffon was awarded the Golden Foot in Monaco and told reporters he would not discuss his performances. "In this job you accept criticism and give answers on the field," he said, per Goal's Ben Spratt, with Juve’s disjointed performance in Lyon giving him the perfect opportunity to do just that.

There were 34 minutes on the clock when Leonardo Bonucci tangled with Mouctar Diakhaby at a corner, and the defender was booked as the French side were awarded a penalty. Up stepped Alexandre Lacazette, but Buffon dived the right way and pulled off the save to keep his team in the tie.

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BUFFON YOU LEGEND!!!! SAVES LACAZETTE'S PENALTY KICK

THOUGHT HE LOST IT THO?!?! 樂樂樂 pic.twitter.com/Wo2cHDdQFd

— ItalianFootballTV (@IFTV_Official) October 18, 2016"

It was a stop that sucked the confidence from the Lyon striker but failed to inspire Juventus, whose best chance of the first half came from a surprisingly powerful Gonzalo Higuain header from the edge of the box.

After the break, the game became much more open. Fouls began to be committed all over the pitch, but few clear chances were created until Nabil Fekir turned past Dani Alves and prepared to shoot.

Just 12 yards out, he seemed certain to score as Buffon dived low and to his right. Coming across to cover, Bonucci was too late to block the shot and could only deflect it. Somehow, his goalkeeper reacted, sticking up a trailing hand and pushing the shot over the bar to safety.

It was an incredible save, one Buffon had no business making given his age, his recent form and the degree of difficulty. Yet ever since breaking into the team at Parma over two decades ago, the Carrara native has made a career of making that type of extraordinary stop with startling regularity.

Amassing a record number of caps for Italy (currently 165), he is a 10-time Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year, the most expensive player in his position and winner of almost every trophy the sport has to offer.

Almost. On a CV that includes a FIFA World Cup triumph in 2006 and a vast assortment of other titles, the one glaring omission is, of course, the Champions League. Twice—in 2003 then 2015—he has reached the final with the Bianconeri, denied first by AC Milan and then Lionel Messi and Barcelona.

The man himself has attempted to downplay that fact (see the quote above from May 2016), but he continues to discuss the importance of that elusive victory, expressing his hopes ahead of the clash with Sevilla last month.

“I want to underline that the dream is not mine, it is of Juve and all the players, the club and the Juve World,” Buffon told reporters at a press conference. “At the end of the day, Juve haven’t won this trophy since I started my career. We’ve both been chasing it this whole time and want to crown that dream together.”

Team-mate Patrice Evra told UEFA’s website (h/t FourFourTwo) that Buffon “deserves it” when asked about Juve’s chances of Champions League glory, while the Azzurri veteran has been equally vocal with one of the club’s summer signings.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

“I asked Dani Alves to help us, above all us older members of the team, to achieve the dream we are still chasing and help us push the bar a little higher,” Buffon told Sky Italia back in August (h/t Football Italia). “He is rather accustomed to certain targets and victories, so I think in that sense his experience can really help us.”

However, one of Juve’s younger players clearly has much to learn about the game at this level. Mario Lemina would make the Old Lady’s task in Lyon infinitely more difficult when he was sent off after 54 minutes, prompting Allegri to reshuffle his side and send on Juan Cuadrado.

Yet it would once again be Buffon who was called upon to deliver, first smothering a dangerous effort from Lacazette with Fekir lurking in the box before pulling off yet another amazing stop to deny an unmarked Corentin Tolisso header.

Perhaps that was finally enough to inspire those around him. Alves sent Cuadrado away down the right and after a few stepovers, the Colombian quickly glanced around for support. Lyon held firm, and nobody was available for a pass, so the winger took matters into his own hands.

“I tried to make the play, looked up and couldn’t see anyone in the middle,” he told Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia) shortly after the final whistle. “So I tried to hit a missile and it worked.”

It certainly did, and the Bianconeri escaped with three valuable points. Allegri was quick to admit that Juve “owe our clean sheet to Buffon's performance" at his post-match press conference, but he was also keen to demand improvement from the rest of his team when he spoke to Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia):

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We must try to play better, be relaxed and not too hasty in our passing, as when Lyon sit back like that, you need patience. The same thing happened against Udinese, as we ran some risks there too.

We do have to play better in so many areas, including running off the ball. If we don’t run as much as AC Milan this weekend, we’re going to be in trouble.

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That clash with the coach’s former club at San Siro on Saturday now looms large for a team that has not played well this term. However, they still sit top of the table in both Serie A and the Champions League and are yet to concede a single goal in the latter competition thanks to their captain.

"People can organise my funeral, but there's nobody there," Buffon quipped to Mediaset Premium (h/t FourFourTwo) as he left the field in Lyon, but perhaps the banner at Juventus Stadium during the Udinese game said it best.

“Even Superman is at times ‘just’ Clark Kent,” read the sign lifted by supporters on the vociferous Curva Sud. “Gigi is always our superhero.” He was against Lyon and will be again, there should be no doubting him.