Juventus were unlucky in their 2-0 home defeat to Barcelona, as following the Ousmane Dembele opener, Alvaro Morata had three goals ruled offside, Merih Demiral saw red and Lionel Messi converted a penalty.
2020/2021 UEFA Champions League
0-2
Match Reports
The Bianconeri were forced into changes, as Cristiano Ronaldo was still testing positive for COVID-19, with Giorgio Chiellini, Matthijs de Ligt and Alex Sandro injured. Leonardo Bonucci passed a last-minute fitness test to start, with ex-Barca midfielder Arthur on the bench. The Blaugrana were in turmoil after losing the Clasico, while President Josep Maria Bartomeu and his entire board resigned last night. Philippe Coutinho, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Samuel Umtiti and suspended Gerard Pique missed out, but on-form Ansu Fati was surprisingly benched.
Barca came tearing out the gate with three chances in the first two minutes. Leo Messi’s effort was charged down by Bonucci, then on the corner Wojciech Szczesny parried a Miralem Pjanic strike and Antoine Griezmann’s follow-up thumped the inside of the post.
The Blaugrana did break the deadlock when Ousmane Dembele twisted and turned on the edge of the area, his shot eventually taking a deflection off Federico Chiesa to loop over Szczesny into the net.
Alvaro Morata had the ball in the net moments later, but VAR confirmed he was offside when he started the run.
Messi scuffed his finish wide after a Griezmann back-heel flick, and Morata had another goal ruled offside, this time as he came sliding on to the Juan Cuadrado cross.
Szczesny had to make a double save when Dembele and Griezmann tried to walk it into the net.
Morata thought he had finally got the equaliser when Cuadrado acrobatically volleyed Chiesa’s cross back from the right and the Spaniard turned in first time. However, after a very long VAR check, the third Juventus and Morata goal of the night was ruled offside.
Messi fired wide of the target, as did Adrien Rabiot, but Danilo needed a desperate sliding tackle on Messi after he had turned Bonucci to dribble into the box.
Griezmann was sent clear by Messi, but his angled drive shaved a coat of paint off the far post. Juventus ended the match with 10 men, as Merih Demiral received his second yellow card in the closing stages.
Federico Bernardeschi completed the dismal night by clattering into the back of Ansu Fati for an entirely avoidable penalty, which Messi converted into the top corner.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
2' Messi's shot blocked
3' Griezmann hits the post
14' GOAL! Juventus 0-1 Barcelona (Dembele)
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15' OFFSIDE! Morata’s goal disallowed
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29' AGAIN OFFSIDE! Morata’s goal disallowed
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52' Messi's free-kick blocked
55' Disallowed! Morata scores but the goal is offside
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67' Subs! Fati in, Dembele out
79' Yellow Card! Rabiot booked
85' Second Yellow Card! Demiral sent off
91' Penalty Goal! Juventus 0-2 Barcelona (Messi)
Line-ups
Juventus XI: Bonucci, Szczesny, Cuadrado, Danilo, Morata, Dybala, Rabiot, Demiral, Bentancur, Chiesa, Kulusevski
Subs: Buffon, Ramsey, Pinsoglio, Bernardeschi, Arthur, Frabotta, McKennie, M. Portanova, A. Riccio, K. De Winter
Barcelona XI: Messi, Pjanic, Alba, Neto, Griezmann, Roberto, Lenglet, Dembele, De Jong, R. Araújo, Pedri
Subs: Busquets, Braithwaite, Alena, Firpo, Pena, Trincão, Dest, Arnau Tenas, Riqui Puig, Fati