13 September 2022
The UCL returns to Allianz Stadium on Wednesday night, as Juventus host Benfica in Matchday Two of the UEFA Champions League. The Bianconeri will be bidding to get their first win of the current campaign, following last week’s narrow 2-1 defeat to PSG in Paris. Ahead of the fixture we look back at our best games against Portuguese opponents in Turin to pump us up for the game!
UEFA Cup 1992/93: Juventus 3-0 Benfica
Following a slender 2-1 quarter-final first leg defeat in Lisbon, the Bianconeri needed to turn things around in Turin, but knowing that they had a vital away goal, thanks to Gianluca Vialli’s penalty.
Giovanni Trapattoni’s men began with a fast and ferocious start at the Stadio Delle Alpi and after just two minutes had swung the tie in their favour! An early corner kick caused chaos in the Benfica box and a mis-clearance from the visitor’s defence saw the ball fall into the path of Jurgen Kohler to tap into an empty net. Seconds before the end of the first half and Juventus extended their lead further in very similar fashion to the first goal, as Benfica struggled to deal with another corner kick and the ball fell this time into the path of Dino Baggio to blast in from close range. The Bianconeri killed the game off on 67 minutes when Fabrizio Ravanelli hit a low-angled drive across goal and into the back of the net to make it 3-0.
Juventus would eventually go on to win the UEFA Cup!
UEFA Cup 1994/95: Juventus 2-1 Maritimo
Another UEFA Cup year, another match against Portuguese opposition. This time the Bianconeri would come up against Maritimo in the Last 32 of the 1994/95 UEFA Cup. Having won the first leg in Portugal 1-0 thanks to a late Ravanelli winner, the Bianconeri were eager to end the tie in Turin early and once more that man, Ravanelli was involved as “La Penna Bianca” scored an outstanding first-time volley on a chipped pass to put Juve 1-0 up and two up on aggregate before the half.
Shortly into the second half, the Bianconeri effectively sealed the match and yet again it was Ravanelli with the goal, with Baggio’s pass falling into his path to slot past the goalkeeper one-on-one. Paulo Alves grabbed a late consolation 10 minutes from time for the away side but it would be Juve to progress to the next round.
Champions League 2001/02: Juventus 3-1 Porto
It was first vs second in Champions League Group E, coming into the penultimate matchday. Unable to be separated in Portugal, with a 0-0 draw between the two sides earlier on in the campaign, it was enthralling to see who if anyone would triumph in Turin.
It would be the away team to strike first blood, as Clayton’s free-kick on 13 minutes went all the way through a crowded box into the Bianconeri net. However, Juventus responded and, on half hour, hit back with a free-kick of their own, as Alessandro Del Piero hit an absolute beauty into the goal to make it 1-1 going into half time. Early in the second half, Juve turned the tie around with Paolo Montero hitting a bullet header from a corner into the Porto goal. David Trezeguet made the result secure 15 minutes from time, after some good closing down from Pavel Nedved had the Czech winger feed the Frenchman with a tap-in at goal to make it 3-1.
Champions League 2016/17: Juventus 1-0 Porto
A 2-0 first leg advantage already secured in Porto, the Last 16 tie between the two European sides was settled in the first half in Turin, when Maxi Pereira gave away a penalty for handball in blocking Gonzalo Higuain’s goal-bound shot. Paulo Dybala dispatched the subsequent spot kick which gave the Bianconeri a 3-0 lead on the night and ensured their passage through to the quarter-finals.
Champions League 2017/18: Juventus 2-1 Sporting CP
A decisive game at the Allianz Stadium in the Bianconeri’s Champions League group. Massimiliano Allegri’s men went behind after just 10 minutes or so of play when Gelson Martins went through on goal and Gianluigi Buffon’s brilliant point-blank save unluckily rebounded off of Alex Sandro into the Juve goal. However, the Bianconeri rallied and were level on half-hour with a sensational Miralem Pjanic free-kick finding the back of the Sporting net.
It would go on to be a tight game with Juve pressing for the win and it would eventually come six minutes from time. Substitute, Douglas Costa made an immediate impact when his cross found Mario Mandzukic at the back post with a diving header that sealed all three points for Juventus in the eventual 2-1 win.
