BARCELONA: Juventus put on a masterclass of defensive football to reach the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday, frustrating Lionel Messi and earning a 0-0 draw against a Barcelona side hoping for another miraculous comeback.
The second-leg stalemate sealed a 3-0 win on aggregate and came six weeks after Barcelona’s historic 6-1 thrashing of Paris Saint-Germain, when the home side became the first team to ever overturn a 4-0 loss in the competition.
The Italians visitors made sure there would be no more miracles at Camp Nou by displaying all the poise and experience that PSG had sorely lacked in the previous round.
Monaco beat Dortmund 6-3 on aggregate
“We knew Barcelona were ready to risk everything tonight, but we closed down all the spaces,” Juventus centerback Leonardo Bonucci said.
“Scoring three in the first leg and not conceding at the Camp Nou is the evidence that we are a great team. I think every team would like to avoid us now.”
True to the Italian tradition of defending an advantage, goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon had little work to do until late in the game, as Massimiliano Allegri’s side expertly absorbed Barcelona’s passing attack that ultimately produced few good scoring opportunities.
And when Messi did get free inside the area, Barcelona’s all-time leading scorer squandered both his chances to spark a fightback.
The only miracle seen in Barcelona this time was Juventus not getting a late goal, with the Spanish side barely having the legs to recover when defending.
Barcelona forward Neymar was consoled by former team-mate Dani Alves, now playing for Juventus, after the final whistle while Barcelona’s fans cheered their team despite the elimination.
Juventus joins Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Monaco in the semi-final draw on Friday.
Monaco advanced after beating Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in its quarter-final, second leg on Wednesday for a 6-3 aggregate win.
Teenager Kylian Mbappe and forward Radamel Falcao struck early to put Monaco on its way.