Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Juventus defeated Borussia Dortmund, 2-1, in the first leg of its round-of-16 clash with the German side on Tuesday in Turin.
Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata each scored a goal in the first half to hand the Italian side a slim advantage heading into the second leg on March 18.
Marco Reus found the back of the net five minutes after Tevez's 13th-minute opener, but Dortmund could not put a second away goal past Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Here's a look at the winners and losers from Juventus' first-leg victory.
Winner: Alvaro Morata
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Alvaro Morata was a key factor on both sides of the pitch for Juventus, as he played a role in each goal and helped out defensively on set pieces.
On the 13th-minute strike scored by Carlos Tevez, Morata broke loose on the left side of the penalty area and played a cross through the box. Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller had trouble with the cross, which allowed Tevez to pounce and open the scoring.
Morata then shifted into a scoring role in the 42nd minute when he found a ton of space in the box. The 22-year-old broke free in the center of the penalty area and coolly finished off a Paul Pogba pass to hand Juventus a lead at the half.
The Spanish forward also made two clearances on set pieces, which helped ease pressure on the Juventus defense. Morata almost earned a second assist in the 86th minute, but Roberto Pereyra hit his shot off to the right of goal.
By providing contributions in all aspects of the game, Morata was able to dispel the myth that forwards do not defend at all in big matches.
"We know they are a good team, but we did what we had to do and everything went right," Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri said after the match, per the Champions League Twitter account.
Loser: Marcel Schmelzer
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On both Juventus goals, Marcel Schmelzer was left looking at the scorer instead of chasing him down in the box.
In the 13th minute, Carlos Tevez beat Schmelzer as the Juventus forward slotted home the rebound created by Roman Weidenfeller. On the second Juventus strike, Schmelzer was the defender closest to Alvaro Morata in the penalty area when the Spaniard hit his shot past Weidenfeller.
While Schmelzer wasn't the only Dortmund defender who deserved blame on the two goals, he didn't do much to clean up the mistakes.
The 27-year-old was also ineffective moving forward, as only one of his seven crosses was of the accurate variety.
With plenty on the line in the second leg, Schmelzer and the Dortmund back four have to secure the area in front of Weidenfeller to avoid conceding an away goal. In attack, the left-back needs to be more accurate with his passes in order to create more scoring opportunities.
Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN.com wrote: "The thing with Borussia Dortmund this season is that from here on it can go either way, but if they fail to close the gaps in the back four, they will bid goodbye to Champions League for at least the next 18 months, despite, arguably, being the better side."
Winner: Marco Reus
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On a night when most of his teammates in attack were quiet, Marco Reus was a constant threat in the final third.
Reus scored the lone Dortmund goal of the match in the 18th minute when he capitalized on a slip by Giorgio Chiellini. Although the path to goal was left wide open for Reus after the blunder, he still had to keep his composure and beat Gianluigi Buffon.
Reus continued to cause some concern in the Juventus back four as the match went on due to his skill on the ball. The 25-year-old was fouled on two occasions and earned an 80.6 percent pass accuracy in his attacking role.
For Dortmund to earn a victory in the second leg, Reus must continue to challenge the likes of Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba, who are vulnerable to conceding a few free-kicks over a 90-minute span.
"We know we can defend better than we did but everything is still up for grabs in this tie," Reus said after the match, per the Champions League Twitter account.
Loser: Giorgio Chiellini
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A few opportunities were presented to Giorgio Chiellini to alter the final outcome of the match, but he failed to make up for his defensive error with a goal.
Chiellini's slip in the 18th minute allowed Marco Reus to dart into the penalty area and beat Gianluigi Buffon, which handed Dortmund a crucial away goal.
The Italian defender did make his presence known on set pieces but saw two chances fly over the bar in the second half. His best attempt in front of goal came in the 78th minute, when his header connected with a corner kick. Instead of capitalizing on the chance, the center-back directed his shot over the goal.
Due to his inability to make up for his first-half mistake, Chiellini and his teammates still have plenty of work to do in the second leg to finish off their German opponents.
Winner: Carlos Tevez
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Carlos Tevez was a menace in the final third for Juventus, as he attempted four shots, made one key pass and opened the scoring in the 13th minute.
With his first-half strike, Tevez extended his terrific form in front of the net for the Serie A leaders. In his last 10 games in all competitions, the Argentinian forward has scored on eight occasions, per Squawka.
The former Manchester United and Manchester City player also became the 10th player from Argentina to score more than 10 goals in the Champions League, per Infostrada Sports.
Tevez almost scored a second in the 71st minute, but his shot drifted a few inches wide of the post. He also challenged Roman Weidenfeller with an effort from the center of the penalty area in the 77th minute.
With a dangerous weapon like Tevez up top, Juventus has a ton of potential to score a key away goal in Germany. If he can finish off one more goal against the Bundesliga side, Tevez should be playing in the quarterfinal round of the competition.
"The return leg will be tough, in the [Champions League] you must never think that the result of a game is predictable," Tevez said after his side's victory, per the Champions League Twitter account.
Loser: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang entered Tuesday's game in Turin with four goals in his last three league matches.
In 90 minutes on the pitch, the 25-year-old created a single shot (which sailed off target) and managed just 38 touches in the defeat.
The shocking performance from the forward came as a surprise to many, especially after he netted three goals and contributed two assists in six group matches.
When the second leg rolls around on March 18, Aubameyang must deliver in front of net for Dortmund. If he is once again ineffective in the final third, he will allow the Juventus defense to focus on shutting down Marco Reus and Ciro Immobile.
If the Italian side succeeds in silencing the dangerous pair in attack because of another rough showing by Aubameyang, Dortmund's hopes of winning the Champions League will be dashed.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from WhoScored.com.
