Heading into Tuesday evening in Group A of the Champions League it was Juventus who looked to seal their place in the Round of 16 with a draw against already qualified Atlético Madrid, who came in three points ahead of the Italian side.
Both sides battled hard but in the end settled on a 0-0 draw that sees both sides advance.
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Despite a goalless first half, Atlético came out full-tilt showing Juventus that they did not come to Turin merely to secure a point. The big chance of the opening stanza came in the seventh minute when the Spanish champions worked the ball well into Juve’s penalty area where it found Koke whose shot forced Gianluigi Buffon into a superb save.
In the 26th minute, Juventus had their chance to take the lead when Carlos Tévez went down just outside the area but Andrea Pirlo’s free kick went just over the bar.
The second half saw Atlético take the air out of the ball early, slowing the pace of the match. A curling corner from Gabi five minutes in forced Buffon into a scramble save to keep his Juve side afloat. With the Italian side pressing, Atlético did well to restrict their opponents by keeping the three lines tight and without getting stretched. As time ticked by, the play slowed with both sides understanding the significance.
A Juventus loss combined with an Olympiacos win over Malmo would have eliminated the Italian side from the competition but Massimiliano Allegri’s men kept their poise and will join Atletico into the Round of 16.
Lineups
Atlético: Moyà, Juanfran, Giménez, Godín, Siqueira, Mario Suárez, Gabi, Koke, Turan, Raúl García, Mandžukić
Goals: None.
Juventus: Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra, Pereyra, Pirlo, Pogba, Vidal, Tévez, Llorente
Goals: None
