Monaco vs. Juventus: Winners and Losers from Champions League Game
Juventus secured a 0-0 draw against AS Monaco to reach the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday, as they won 1-0 on aggregate against the French side.
Arturo Vidal's first-leg penalty proved to be the difference between the two sides over 180 minutes, as the Italian champions put in a characteristically obdurate defensive display to frustrate and eventually subdue their earnest opponents.
Monaco started brightly and caused Juve a few brief moments of panic, with Bernardo Silva lively and Geoffrey Kondogbia increasingly willing to try to test Gianluigi Buffon from range. But the visitors held firm and squeezed the life out of the contest the longer it went on, eventually seeing out the final 15 minutes with impressive poise.
They now await their semi-final opponents in Friday's draw, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid the other teams in the hat.
Click on for some winners and losers from Wednesday's game.
Winner: The Juventus Defence
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Over 180 minutes against one of the top eight sides in Europe, Juventus did not concede a single goal. The stereotype about Italian sides being defensive-minded is an old and often lazy one, but in this case it seems particularly apt.
On Wednesday, the Old Lady's three-man defence did not put a foot wrong all evening, at least not once Giorgio Chiellini had slipped over in the opening minute and picked up a booking for a rather egregious handball. After that, however, Monaco never found a way to knock the veteran off his game—with Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli proving to be similarly rock-solid in front of goal.
With Patrice Evra and Stephan Lichtsteiner patrolling the flanks (at least until the shape changed in the second half), Juventus always looked like they'd secure the goalless draw that they needed to win the tie. That was particularly important, considering how impotent they were occasionally at the other end (according to Opta, they had just two shots in the first half).
It is an invaluable trait to have—and perhaps one only they, of the four teams left in the competition, possess.
The defence was the secret of Juventus' success in this tie and will be the key to their hopes in the semi-finals.
Loser: Leonardo Jardim
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It is difficult to brand anyone from Monaco a "loser," as theirs was a determined effort, and they forced a team that most would consider to be their superiors to dig deep in order to beat them. Put in the context of their other results, particularly the last-16 victory over Arsenal, this was a commendable Champions League campaign for the French side.
Manager Leonardo Jardim deserves a great deal of credit for that, having fashioned a team that puts a lot of store in its defensive organisation but also has a number of flair players who can create opportunities in the final third. It is a nicely balanced side, and Jardim will doubtless have put himself on the radar of other teams in Europe with the work he has overseen.
Nevertheless, he is perhaps the Monaco staff member who, above all others, will have things to learn from this game. It should not be ignored that Monaco failed to score in 180 minutes of football against the Italians, and indeed they barely even looked like they'd score during that period.
As the second leg entered the final 15 minutes, when Monaco absolutely had to throw caution to the wind, it was notable how easily Juventus strangled the life out of the game; Jardim had no tactical answer for the defensive adjustments his opposite number had made.
Jardim's substitutions failed to make an impact, either (although Dimitar Berbatov's half-time introduction did slightly shift the dynamics), which is perhaps the thing that the Portuguese will reflect on most. His defensive work was in evidence on this night, but in the end Monaco fell short because they—and their manager—could not find a way to influence things at the other end.
Winner: Massimiliano Allegri
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Bringing Juventus back into the semi-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2003 (when they would ultimately lose in the final), Massimiliano Allegri has enhanced his own reputation by returning his side to Europe's elite.
Initially viewed as an uninspiring appointment when he replaced Antonio Conte at the start of the season, Allegri has continued much of the good work implemented by his predecessor while drastically improving their results in Europe. In the process he has revitalised his reputation following the disappointment of his time at AC Milan.
Allegri faces his biggest challenge yet in the semi-finals, as whoever Juve draw will be overwhelming favourites to reach June's final in Berlin. That is in the future; for now, this victory represents tangible, significant progress for a club that has been away from Europe's top table for too long.
As Allegri said after the game, via UEFA.com:
"Tonight I want to celebrate with the fans—it is turning into a great year for Juventus. There were signs of us becoming a great European team again. We did not have great games in either leg but Monaco are pretty good—we knew they would be. We did not have many chances but we defended well.
Monaco produced two big performances, but we had to be brave and we were. It is always difficult reaching the semi-finals but we made it, all credit to our players. We are a group and we gave it our all. Although we did not play a great game, we were ready for every situation and we did what we had to do.
"
Loser: Alvaro Morata
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Juventus' evening could have been slightly more comfortable if Alvaro Morata had been on better form. The Spaniard seemed to be at the centre of the visitors' handful of decent openings, but time and again a poor touch saw the opportunity slip away from his side.
In the second half in particular, there was a mistake of note that summed up Morata when the Spaniard sprinted clear in a two-on-one attack but somehow contrived to lose the ball rather than pass to the onrushing Carlos Tevez. The Argentinian was absolutely furious at the wastefulness, and justifiably so. Massimiliano Allegri withdrew Morata soon after—Fernando Llorente his replacement.
At 22, Morata is young (and he did win the penalty that ultimately decided the tie), so it is wise not to draw too many conclusions from one subpar performance. Nevertheless, Allegri will have been slightly concerned by what he saw from the forward, and it might be Llorente who gets the nod in the semi-final stage of the competition.
Winners: Aymen Abdennour and Bernardo Silva
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If Monaco eventually ran out of steam in this tie, that isn't to say that a number of their players did not come out of the contest with great credit. Geoffrey Kondogbia was a constant presence in both matches, putting himself in the shop window with his combative displays, while Anthony Martial and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco also look to be very promising prospects for the future.
On this night, however, it was Bernardo Silva and Aymen Abdennour who really excelled. Silva was his side's one reliable attacking threat, picking apart Juve's fortifications (especially in the first half) and threatening to create chances with his skill and vision. His crosses caused a couple of problems, with one cutback almost squeezing in off the fortunate Andrea Barzagli.
It was Abdennour, however, who was perhaps the overall star of the show. In a game featuring one of the best defences in Europe, Abdennour looked every bit as good as his opponents—shepherding a relatively inexperienced back line with confidence and authority.
At 25, the Tunisia international has plenty of room to grow but is already an outstanding defender. It is hard to gauge exactly how much he might cost to prise away from Monaco, but it is not hard to imagine that a number of clubs will attempt to find out this summer.
