Borussia Dortmund vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Champions League
Many would have predicted it, but few would have believed it without seeing it for their own eyes: Borussia Dortmund have been knocked out of the Champions League rather convincingly by Juventus to the tune of five aggregate goals to one.
Jurgen Klopp's side were undoubtedly considered underdogs ahead of the tie, considering their troubles in the Bundesliga this season, yet there was little suggestion that Massimiliano Allegri's side would be so incredibly ruthless on the night.
The famous Black and Yellow side will be hurting after a thorough defeat in front of their own fans, but in truth, the better side comprehensively won over both legs.
Here are the winners and losers from Juventus' 3-0 win over Dortmund.
Winner: Carlos Tevez
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This may come as little surprise to some football fans, but Carlos Tevez is having an outstanding season at Juventus this year.
According to Transfermarkt, the Argentinian striker has scored 21 goals and made seven assists in all competitions this season, but he will now happily add another two goals and an assist to his name following a complete annihilation of Dortmund on Wednesday night.
Whether he was scoring from distance, running straight at four frightened and retreating defenders or simply passing the ball along the six-yard line, Tevez was simply outstanding and the real difference between the two sides over the course of both legs.
Loser: Roman Weidenfeller
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Although most Dortmund fans would argue Roman Weidenfeller wasn't entirely at fault for Tevez's first goal of the night, none could say they were surprised to see the German goalkeeper struggling to get to the shot.
It was a brief moment in a game full of action that has come to characterise the German shot-stopper's time at the Bundesliga outfit of late; not exactly at fault, but far from the exceptional standard this club and its manager expects.
Time is running out for Weidenfeller, and with the coming summer transfer window, many will expect Klopp to upgrade the talent between the posts for his side.
Loser: Sven Bender
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In the 62nd minute of Wednesday night's game, Sven Bender was substituted off for Adrian Ramos and did little to hide his frustration as he quickly pulled off his jersey and slumped down in one of the seats in the Dortmund dugout.
Rather than an act of defiance, Bender was well aware of his complete ineptitude in the hour of football that had proceeded. For not the first time this season—by any stretch—the German international had started for Klopp's side and offered very little.
At this point, there's not much one can say in Bender's favour. He has little reason to expect a starting place when all others are fit, and whenever he has had a shot in the team this season he has been terribly poor, as we saw on Wednesday night.
Loser: Dortmund's Attack
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The key problem for Dortmund when they were slumming it out in the relegation zone of the Bundesliga table was the simple fact they couldn't score goals. Unfortunately, that problem seems to have returned with similar consequences.
Wednesday's Euro knockout now means Klopp's side haven't scored in 270 minutes of football over the course of the their last three games.
The German giants may have a whole host of exciting, attacking talent, but they certainly aren't firing on all cylinders at the moment.
Winner: Massimiliano Allegri
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At the end of the day, it was a match and night for Juventus to remember, as Allegri took his Juventus team to a new stage in the European competition that Antonio Conte simply never could.
Although the Italian champions were always considered favourites for the tie, it was a truly impressive feat to overcome Dortmund by such a margin. For that, each Juventus player deserves credit, but not as much as the man who orchestrated it all; Allegri.
