02 June 2015
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup last 32: Barcelona 2-4 Juventus (agg.), 1970/71
Back in October 1970, Juventus and Barcelona locked horns for the very first time, having been drawn together in the last 32 of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.
During the first leg at the Nou Camp, legendary playmaker Helmut Haller gave the visitors an early lead on 12 minutes.
Roberto Bettega then added a second just after the interval to put Armando Picchi’s side firmly in control of the tie, only for Marcial Pina to pull one back for the Spanish giants 14 minutes from the end.
The return leg in Turin two weeks later witnessed the Old Lady begin like a train, scoring twice in the first 23 minutes through Bettega and Fabio Capello, and in spite of Lluis Pujol’s strike for Barcelona in the dying embers, they progressed 4-2 on aggregate.
European Cup quarter-finals: Barcelona 2-1 Juventus (agg.), 1985/86
Fifteen years later, the duo once again crossed paths at the quarter-final stage of Europe’s elite competition, with Juventus approaching the game as defending champions.
A tightly-contested first leg in Spain was ultimately decided by Julio Alberto’s spectacular long-range strike nine minutes ahead of the half-time break.
The return clash at the Stadio Comunale saw Terry Venables’ Blaugrana take a giant step towards the semi-final following Steven Archibald’s finish on the half-hour mark.
Three-time Ballon d’Or winner Michel Platini gave the Bianconeri some hope with a goal 60 seconds before the interval, but Barcelona, who would be beaten by Romanian outfit Steaua Bucharest in the final, stood firm to set up a last four shootout with Gothenburg. *
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Cup Winners’ Cup semi-finals: Barcelona 3-2 Juventus (agg.), 1990/91
After brushing RFC Liege aside 6-1 in the quarter-finals, Juventus faced Barcelona for a place in May 1991’s final at Rotterdam’s Stadion Feijenoord.
It only took Luigi Maifredi’s men 12 minutes to go in front during the first leg in Spain, Pierluigi Casiraghi tapping into an empty net following a defensive mix-up from the Blaugrana rearguard.
But back came the hosts who turned the match on its head in a 19-minute second-half blitz, with Hristo Stoichkov hitting a brace before Ion Andoni Goikoetxea added a third with a quarter of an hour remaining.
Due to the Bianconeri’s away goal, the visitors defended for their lives in the return clash at the Stadio delle Alpi, repelling attack after attack.
However, there was little Barcelona could do when Roberto Baggio curled home a trademark free-kick to give the Old Lady a lifeline on 61 minutes. But despite pouring forward for the final half hour, they were unable to bag that all-important second.
Champions League quarter-finals: Juventus 3-2 Barcelona (agg.), 2002/03
The most recent meeting between the two European powerhouses, a Champions League last eight clash, came back in April 2003.
During the first leg at the Stadio delle Alpi, Paolo Montero had put Marcello Lippi's charges a goal to the good before Javier Saviola’s strike ensured it was advantage Barcelona for the return encounter a week later.
Determined to cancel out the away goal, Juventus went in front on 53 minutes through Pavel Nedved. But Xavi, who is in line to make his last Barcelona appearance this weekend, equalised to send the game into extra-time.
With penalties looming, Marcelo Zalayeta stooped to head in Alessandro Birindelli’s cross and send the travelling faithful wild as the Bianconeri secured a semi-final showdown against Real Madrid.
