03 June 2015
Group A
Juventus 2-0 Malmo, 16 September 2014, Juventus Stadium
A second-half Carlos Tevez double allowed the Bianconeri to get this season’s Champions League campaign off to a victorious introduction with a 2-0 Group A success over Malmo.
A tense first-half in which the hosts dominated possession but found clear-cut chances hard to come by eventually gave way to a more open second, with a moment of genius on 59 minutes shattering the Swedes’ robust rearguard.
Kwadwo Asamoah it was who unlocked the defence with a sublime backheel, and Tevez made no mistake by dispatching a clinical finish into the bottom corner.
The best was yet to come from the Argentine though as, on the stroke of 90 minutes, he celebrated breaking his 14-game Champions League drought in style by curling home a glorious free-kick that sent Juventus Stadium into delirium.
Atletico Madrid 1-0 Juventus, 1 October 2014, Vicente Calderon
A solitary Arda Turan effort on 75 minutes saw Atletico Madrid emerge victorious on matchday two at the Vicente Calderon.
The Bianconeri will have every reason to rue their misfortune after a resilient defensive display at the home of last year’s finalists was ultimately undone inside the game’s dying embers.
Turan it was who decided an affair lacking in genuine goalscoring opportunities, guiding Juanfran’s cross beyond Gigi Buffon for a result that placed all four Group A teams on three points following Malmo’s win over Olympiacos in Sweden.
Olympiacos 1-0 Juventus, 22 October 2014, Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium
Pajtim Kasami’s first-half strike and Roberto’s second-half goalkeeping masterclass ensured Juventus came away from Greece empty-handed as Olympiacos claimed a 1-0 victory at the Karaiskakis Stadium.
If the opening 45 minutes belonged to Michel’s men, the reverse can be applied to the second period after the Bianconeri laid siege to the hosts’ goal in their attempts to claim what would have been a fully deserved share of the spoils.
Juventus 3-2 Olympiacos, 4 November 2014, Juventus Stadium
Two goals in 46 second-half seconds allowed Juventus to breathe new life into their Champions League campaign with a 3-2 triumph over Olympiacos on a scintillating night of European football in Turin.
All seemed to be going according to plan when Andrea Pirlo raised the roof courtesy of a trademark free-kick on 21 minutes, only for the visitors to draw level 180 seconds later as Alberto Botia nodded home from a corner.
Another header, this time from Delvin Ndinga, turned the game on its head just past the hour-mark, but substitute Fernando Llorente pulled the Bianconeri level four minutes later with a knockdown that ricocheted off the post and then Roberto before trickling over the line.
With the wind now fully in the hosts’ sails and an electric atmosphere at Juventus Stadium propelling them further forward, Paul Pogba slammed home from the edge of the area on 66 minutes to complete a pulsating comeback that took the Bianconeri level on points with the Greeks in second place of Group A.
Malmo 0-2 Juventus, 26 November 2014, Swedbank Stadion
Second-half goals from Llorente and Tevez enabled Juventus to keep their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages alive thanks to a deserved 2-0 success over Malmo in Sweden.
In spite of a heavy playing surface hampering their traditional passing game, Massimiliano Allegri’s men dug in to depart the Swedbank Stadion as worthy winners, countering the hosts’ early exuberance with an accomplished second-half display.
A tightly-contested opening 45 minutes, in which Claudio Marchisio went close on two separate occasions, gave way to a more free-flowing second period that produced the breakthrough when Llorente rounded Robin Olsen before tapping home four minutes after the restart.
A typical poacher’s finish from Tevez wrapped up the victory with two minutes to play, meaning the Bianconeri would only require a point from December’s final Group A clash against Atletico Madrid to secure their safe passage through to the competition’s last 16.
Juventus 0-0 Atletico Madrid, 9 December 2014, Juventus Stadium
A goalless draw with Atletico Madrid at Juventus Stadium took the Bianconeri into the Champions League last 16 as Group A runners-up on 10 points.
Allegri’s men enjoyed the better of the affair as they took the game to the reigning Spanish champions from the very off but were ultimately forced to settle for a share of the spoils after the visitors held out to top the group.
