Juventus vs. Barcelona Takeaways: Delight at the Camp Nou

Juventus defeated Barcelona 3-0 at the Camp Nou to win their Champions League group.

Maybe it’s time to believe. Days after a come-from-behind Derby Della Mole win over Torino, Juventus had another massive fixture at the Camp Nou. Both Barcelona and Juve have been fighting for first place in their Champions League group, but the Bianconeri needed to win by three goals in order to actually take the group.

And win by three they did.

Cristiano Ronaldo converted two penalties, and Weston McKennie had an emphatic acrobatic finish for his second goal in as many games.

Here are three takeaways from Juve’s victory.

Juventus took Lionel Messi out of the game

Lionel Messi had seven shots on target, four dribbles completed, and three key passes for Barcelona, according to WhoScored.com, so it’s not as if he was a total non-factor for the home side. But Juve did an excellent job of making sure Messi didn’t actually cause them problems.

If you can hold Barcelona to a clean sheet, then that means you did a great job of defending Messi. It’s really that simple. He and Antoine Griezmann are the only players who can actually hurt you, but because Messi demands so much of the ball, he’s the main focal point.

Alex Sandro and Matthijs de Ligt were masterful. Sandro knew this would be a huge game for him, and he rose to the occasion with four tackles and five interceptions. Immense stuff.

Juan Cuadrado does it again

This weekend, Juan Cuadrado assisted both late goals in the 2-1 win over Torino, and the derby hero added another assist to his record at Barcelona. Cuadrado now has eight assists in all competitions this season, and European football fans need to be talking more about the impact Cuadrado is having this season.

In a more attacking role under Andrea Pirlo, Cuadrado’s chance-creation is flourishing. He’s so unselfish and so good at creating dangerous chances for other players. There is not a single player on Juventus who is better at picking out an incisive pass or cross than Cuadrado, whose one-two with Weston McKennie was absolutely delightful.

Cristiano Ronaldo laughs in the face of pressure

This match was billed as Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi, and while neither of them actually dominated this match, Ronaldo is the one who walks away the literal victor. And he scored two of Juve’s three goals.

We can “Penaldo” our way into a conversation we really don’t want to have, but someone has to kick those penalties. And I don’t think there is anyone on this planet you’d rather have taking penalties than Ronaldo, who sent Marc Andre ter Stegen sprawling in the wrong direction both times.

Ronaldo’s penalties are a reminder of how the No. 7 makes high-pressure situations look so easy. He lives for the biggest moments in football, and Juventini will point to this result as a reason for why they are happy they have Ronaldo in the side. The left forward gets the job done.