Porto-Juve 2-1, Chiesa gives Pirlo a chance in the Champions League

In the first round of the round of 16 of Champions Taremi scored after 63 seconds, Marega doubles to 19 seconds from the start of the second half. Bianconeri in shock, in the final the former viola halves the passive. On the last action CR7 down in the box, but no referees intervention

Two lightning goals in the first leg of the first knockout round of Champions condemn Juve, defeated 2-1 by Porto: after 63 seconds the Iranian Taremi, in his first appearance as a starter, celebrates his first goal in the competition. For Juve it is the third fastest goal conceded in the Champions League. But that’s not all, because after 19 seconds of the second half the bianconeri suffer a 2-0, as well as the fastest goal since the beginning of all the second halves played by the bianconeri in the competition: Marega achieves it, with his second goal. At 82 minutes, Chiesa thinks about reopening the match, but above all the games in view of the second round, which will be played in Turin on March 9th. Beyond 90 ‘, in the last moments of recovery, the most discussed episode of the match: on a contact in the area between Zaidu and Ronaldo, the referee Del Cerro Grande decides not to grant the penalty, it is a dubious decision on which a review monitor would have been more appropriate.

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Shock

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Against a Porto able to play on two lines of four, with Marega and Taremi forward, Pirlo opposes the classic 3-5-2, with De Ligt between Chiellini and Danilo (Bonucci is on the bench but in fact he is out, as well as Dybala ), Alex Sandro on the left in the very uncomfortable role of vice-Cuadrado and Kulusevski alongside Ronaldo, with Morata on the bench. Everything is ready for a match devoted to patience and prudence, waiting to find the right trigger for Ronaldo. But Bentancur’s unfortunate back pass towards Szczesny, which becomes an assist for Taremi, shatters the plans of Pirlo and C. Porto continues to press high and to create density, Juve remains as if stunned, uncertain behind and in great difficulty in the phase of construction. The bianconeri do not take advantage of the flanks, constantly bumping into the wall raised by the Porto in the middle, without being able to either verticalize or trigger Ronaldo. The first and only Juventus shot is by Chiesa, after a quarter of an hour: it slams into Zaidu and ends up in a corner. At half an hour Chiellini asks for the change due to a problem in his right calf, Demiral replaces him. And the first half ends with an overhead kick from Rabiot deflected for a corner by Marchesin.

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Church reopens

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After a recovery played by Juve without intensity, the wait is for a roaring recovery, all pride and reaction. And instead here’s another patatrac: after 19 seconds Marega is alone a stone’s throw from Szczesny when he receives Manafà’s low-shot cross and scores 2-0. Juve is surprised but not shoulder. Indeed, with the entry of Morata something moves, and at minute 82 Chiesa finds the winning flash (and his second goal in the Champions League): an assist from Rabiot and a right flat on the fly that beats Marchesin. At 90 ‘a contact between Zaidu and Ronaldo leaves the suspicion of a penalty not granted. But in the meantime the 2-1 final reopens the games and gives Juve a load of confidence to be poured into the second leg. As long as it’s a different Juve.

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