Borussia Dortmund vs. Juventus: Score, Grades, Reaction from Champions League
Carlos Tevez scored a fine double as Juventus beat Borussia Dortmund 3-0 at the Westfalenstadion on Wednesday to claim a 5-1 aggregate win and advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Tevez scored a stunner early on to give Juventus all the momentum, and from there Dortmund could never get in the game.
Alvaro Morata claimed the second in the 70th minute, with Tevez ensuring the victory nine minutes later, and now Juve advance to the last eight for the first time since 2013.
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Leading 2-1 on aggregate from the first leg, Juve made the perfect start as Tevez fired a wonderful strike into the top corner from 30 yards out in the third minute.
The shot was well-struck by the Argentine and flew from the left-hand side of the box into the goal, though Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller was slow to react and could arguably have done better, per BBC Sport's John Bennett:
It was exactly the start Juve would have wanted, giving them a two-goal aggregate cushion to protect, playing away from home.
And they allowed Dortmund to play on to them, the Italians defending staunchly as Jurgen Klopp's men dominated possession but could not carve out any genuine opportunities.
Juventus' main man in the centre of midfield, Paul Pogba, limped off midway through the first half and was replaced by defender Andrea Barzagli, enforcing a tactical change from manager Massimiliano Allegri, per Serie A News:
The half-time whistle came with Juventus having been comfortable since their goal and Dortmund finding only half-chances from Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and desperately needing to improve.
After the break, it was the Italians who created the first chance, Tevez playing through Morata on the break only for Weidenfeller to divert his dinked effort wide after 50 minutes. Five minutes later, Weidenfeller was called into action once again as Morata found himself in a good position but was denied well by the German shot-stopper's legs.
Dortmund simply could not find a decent outlet as they were smothered in attack by Juve, their dominance in possession failing to translate into dominance on the scoreboard, per football writer Cian Carroll:
"Dortmund with all the possession and absolutely no idea what to do with it. The same week Paul Lambert visits. Coincidence?
— Cian Carroll (@CianByName) March 18, 2015"
They were punished for their disorganised defending and high line in the 70th minute. Tevez was played through once again, and he held the ball up well to square it to the onrushing Morata, who tapped into an open net.
It was well-deserved for the Italian outfit and gave Juve a 4-1 aggregate lead, effectively sealing their passage through to the last eight of the Champions League.
If their quarter-final place was in any doubt, Tevez sealed it once and for all with a well-taken second goal in the 79th minute, Dortmund's defensive line beaten again by a Roberto Pereyra ball to the 31-year-old, who the set himself and fired home.
It was a clinical performance from Juventus against a poor Dortmund side, and the Italians will be a force to be reckoned with in the last eight of Europe's premier competition.
As for Dortmund, the task becomes trying to salvage their domestic campaign after a catastrophic start to the season.
Selected Player Ratings
Carlos Tevez: A
Tevez gave Juventus the perfect start with a stunning early goal which left Dortmund chasing the game and the tie. He took the third well, having been played through by Pereyra.
The former Manchester United man was composure personified in the buildup to the second goal, holding up the ball after beating the offside trap and squaring selflessly to Morata for a guaranteed goal.
Roman Weidenfeller: B -
Dortmund's goalkeeper was culpable for the first goal. Despite a terrific strike from Tevez, the ball was near enough to Weidenfeller for him to have gotten a hand on it.
The German made some fine saves early in the second half to keep his side in the tie and could do little about the second and third after the Dortmund defence let him down.
Marco Reus: C
Undoubtedly one of Dortmund's biggest stars and one of the finest attacking talents in the world, Reus could simply not make an impact on Wednesday.
Often on the ball in open play and at set pieces, the 25-year-old failed consistently to find a decent final ball and was rarely a threat to the Juventus defence.
Post-Match Reaction
Both Klopp and skipper Mats Hummels were candid about Dortmund's performance after Wednesday's match, admitting that Juventus were simply the better side.
Hummels noted the second half as key, and Dortmund did indeed seem to lose their shape after the break, Juventus capitalising on the defensive weaknesses with great precision, per the Champions League:
