- Barcelona faced a monumental task after losing the first leg of their quarter-final 3-0 in Turin last week
- Luis Enrique’s side endured a frustrating first half as nothing appeared to come off as Juventus held firm
- The Nou Camp backed Lionel Messi and Co to the end but Barcelona couldn’t find a way past their opponents
- Juventus join Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Monaco in the draw for the Champions League semi-finals
Miracles don’t usually come in twos and so it proved with Barcelona knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus, unable to claw-back the 3-0 first leg defeat.
Barcelona had made much in the build-up to the game of the fact that all their home games in the Champions League this season had given them a result that would qualify them. But the Old Lady was not spooked.
Why would she be? With Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci immense in front of the evergreen Gianluigi Buffon there was no way through. Barcelona could not score once, let alone three times.
There were positive early signs for Barcelona when Iniesta snapped into a tackle on Paulo Dybala and Neymar skipped past Dani Alves.
Luis Enrique had said before the game that if his team could score the first then the crowd would score the second and the third would follow naturally.
Messi almost made step one a reality on 18 minutes but he dragged his shot wide after the ball came to him in the area from Luis Suarez.
Barcelona were kicking in to the end where they worked the PSG miracle and when Alex Sandro headed an Iniesta cross clear it dropped to the author of Barcelona’s sixth goal against the French. This time Sergio Roberto’s volleyed finish went high and wide.
Dybala threatened on the break. In full flow he looks like nothing else in football at the moment both without the ball – with the half-mast socks and the all-black boots – and with the ball moving between the lines with speed, strength and close control. First Gerard Pique and then Samuel Umtiti went to ground with good tackles to deny him.
Messi tested Buffon with a shot that deflected en-route to goal but that the 39-year-old still dealt with – the Italian keeper, determined to retire never having been scored against by history’s greatest.
Gonzalo Higuain was denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen as Juventus again threatened on the break and with the intensity still cranked to the maximum, Iniesta was first into the book for a foul on Juan Cuadrado.
Suarez drew the second Juventus yellow this time for Sami Khedira who scythed him down but again the set-piece was disappointing. Even when Juventus wobbled defensively Barcelona were not taking advantage – Buffon fumbled a Neymar corner but Messi volleyed over.
Massimiliano Allegri took the tiring Dybala off and added Andrea Barzagli to the Juventus resistance. Luis Enrique had put on Paco Alcacer but Barcelona’s lack of options from the bench have been a problem all season. The coach’s next change was Javier Mascherano – a player who has never scored for Barcelona – with Sergio Roberto going off.
No one left their seat – they had seen this film before – but there was also a sense that it would not have a happy ending this time. As Barcelona ran the clock down it was Dani Alves keeping possession high up the pitch. It had been a very happy return for him.
He was wearing a Barcelona shirt in the 2015 final. A lot has change since then – the Italians had gone forward, Barcelon had gone backwards, and out of the Champions League.
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