Pavlidis’ goals and Kokcu spread Motta’s team. Bianconeri outside the first eight
After Juve beautiful in half of Naples, Juve ugly in full of Turin. At the Allianz Stadium the Benfica benefits from the Juventus confusion and wins 0-2 thanks to the goals of Gospelis Pavlidis and Orkun Kokcu, one in time. The Portuguese deserve the three points, struggle the right and in the most appropriate moments and thus sink the lady in the last positions valid for the passage to the playoffs, a mirror of the mediocre journey of Thiago Motta’s team until this point. It is over for the infinite search for the turning point: not even the last day of the Champions League group infuses confidence in fans and clubs.
straw
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For the first time in the season Motta leaves Teun Koopmeiners on the bench by technical choice, but the surprise of Juventus’ formation is undoubtedly Timothy Weah right back, to complete the couple of defensive lateral “adapted” with Captain Weston McKennie. In front of Dusan Vlahovic returns and Kenan Yildiz is back on the trocar, while Bruno Lage sets Benfica as can between disqualifications and injuries. The terrible 4-5 against the Barcelona of the previous round is still in the eyes of the Portuguese fans when the game begins, but after 30 seconds Angel of Mary is already getting involved on the right: a minute passes and Andreas Schjelderup scares the bianconeri, passes a Other and Anatoliy Trubin saves on the close header by Samuel Mbangula. Translated: high rhythm, defenses under pressure and proactive teams as if to celebrate the champions League Wednesday binge on Wednesday evening. At 6 ‘Mattia Perin imitates his colleague Mando an attempt by Schjelderup, but in the quarter of an hour the umpteenth muscle problem of the disastrous season of the lady hits Pierre Kalulu, who gives way to Manuel Locatelli. The out of role is he, but at 16 ‘it is the other central Federico Gatti to open the door to Benfica with a bad timing on a very long launch of Fredrik aursnes: Alexander Bah serves everything only Pavlidis and the 0-1 is reality, in tap -in.
Risks and whistles
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The result unlocked Lage’s men do not need to force the games and the match takes on the appearance of the recurring nightmare of the bianconeri: building game against awaits awaits. Once the ideas of the always alive Francisco Conceiçao has been removed, Motta’s team then shows its worst side. The attempts are there, but they are confused and dotted with cross in the hands of Trubin, errors in hallway and misunderstandings from a summer friendly. At the end of the first half, while the Allianz Stadium disputes the players asking them to bring out the attributes, another cat of cats gives Arsnes the doubled ball, foiled by an excellent Perin. The first quarter of an hour of the second half passes anonymous as a winter draw, then slowly an always inaccurate Juventus tries to create something, woken up by a dangerous shot by Yildiz who strikes the outside of the net. Motta then tries to move the situation with Nico Gonzalez in place of Mbangula and Koopmeiners for Khephren Thuram: the Argentine immediately sgasa alone gaining a good punishment that Vlahovic does not use, but in general the relative liveliness that distinguishes the second half does not produce opportunities really dangerous goals.
game over
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While Juventus fits into himself action after action, the undeniable spaces left to the Portuguese lead to the beautiful doubling of Benfica, with Kokcu who signs a beautiful choral action in the restart at 81. A quick and effective action, as never in the whole game Juventus manages to be. “Fortunately, the first phase is over”, to be said to some Juventus fans, unexpressive in front of the umpteenth worse performance of the season. On Friday the draw will let us know if the bianconeri will face Milan or PSV Eindhoven in the playoffs, but if Juventus remains this, the difference risks being really little.
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