Porto 2-1 Juventus: 3 takeaways as late Chiesa strike gives Juve hope

Juventus fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Porto in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, leaving them with it all to do in the second leg next month.

The visitors got off to the worst possible start at the beginning of both halves with Mehdi Taremi charging down Wojciech Szczęsny’s desperate clearance for the opener before Moussa Marega finished off a neat Porto sequence to double the hosts’ lead just after the restart.

Federico Chiesa, though, handed Juve a lifeline late on as he halved the deficit with a controlled strike from Adrien Rabiot’s cross.

Here are three takeaways from Juventus’ performance on Wednesday night.

Dreadful

It’s fair to say that Rodrigo Bentancur’s characteristic error which culminated in an early Porto opener was the very definition of a tone-setter. This was a dire Juve display, one that rivals their pitiful 1-0 defeat in Lyon this time last year – a result which signalled the beginning of the end for Maurizio Sarri in Turin.

Bentancur’s unforced error was the first example of four from the Bianconeri in the opening five minutes. The majority of the visitors’ build-up sequences culminated in the empty stands of the Estádio do Dragão as opposed to the feet of Juve attackers (I don’t think the diagonal switch out to Alex Sandro is working guys). That’s the harsh truth.

Credit has to go to Porto for disrupting Juve in this regard, however. Sergio Conceição’s 4-4-2 was nothing extraordinary, but it involved astute pressing schemes to trap the Bianconeri in certain zones and suffocate them in their own third. The intensity of both sides – in all phases – was in distinct contrast. While Porto, spearheaded by the imperious Sergio Oliveira in midfield, condensed the pitch expertly and hurried around the turf like a pack of ravenous hyenas, Juve rather looked like a side bereft of this ‘energy’ phenomenon. Laboured would be an understatement.

Juve’s press was dysfunctional, their counter-press bypassed on multiple occasions, while the fluidity in attack which had defined their bright start to the calendar year had escaped them. Overall, this was an insult to the “total and collective” approach Andrea Pirlo has been keen to implement since his arrival.

It wasn’t until Pirlo made changes halfway through the second period where Juve possessed a frequent source of penetration in behind. Up until that point, all of Juve’s play was in front of Porto’s block. A 67-year-old Pepe would’ve excelled against that lifeless Bianconeri side for the opening 60 minutes.

Overwhelmed Kulusevski

Pirlo’s decision to omit Alvaro Morata from the XI was certainly a bold one, especially considering the Spaniard’s impressive record in Europe this season. Instead, Il Maestro handed starlet Dejan Kulusevski a golden opportunity to state his name on the continental stage, under the brightest lights.

Ah. Opportunity blown.

The Swede was poor. While there’s little doubting that Juve’s inability to progress upfield with any efficiency was certainly a factor in his forgettable showing, the former Parma star lacked any sort of assertiveness and belief against a veteran who simply overwhelmed the 20-year-old with his aggression, timing, and savviness.

Pepe did a job on Kulusevski in this one. The defender was particularly proactive in his approach to stopping the youngster from exerting his influence from between the lines, constantly forcing him to question his technique – culminating in frequents moments of sloppiness – by astutely jumping from his position to hassle the Swede from behind.

The Estádio do Dragão lights shined just a little too bright for Kulusevski tonight but there’s no questioning that he’ll be back. There’s just too much talent there.

An improved finale?

Morata’s introduction after the hour mark sparked an improvement. Something just clicked in the minds of every Juve player on the field: “Hey, why don’t we try and run in-behind?”

The Spaniard proved the catalyst in an altered Juve approach. Suddenly, Cristiano Ronaldo was making darts in the channel, Kulusevski almost created an opening following a burst through the right half-space, while Adrien Rabiot’s – yes, him – penetrative run on the left flank culminated in Chiesa’s lifeline.

Ultimately, Juve’s rediscovery of a simple art form – a key focus in Pirlo’s coaching dissertation – means they leave Portugal with a glimmer of hope heading into the reverse fixture in Turin on 9 March.

And hey, perhaps they should’ve had a penalty in the dying embers too, but I don’t think Juventini can feel too aggrieved with that decision considering the monstrosity that their side embarked on in the opening hour of the contest.

It brought back many unwanted memories of that turgid, sterile ‘Sarriball’ nonsense.