Juventus: 3 takeaways as the Bianconeri crash out of the Champions League

Juventus succumbed to yet another early Champions League exit despite claiming a 3-2 victory over Porto on Tuesday night.

The visitors, who took a 2-1 advantage with them into the second leg, were gifted the lead from the penalty spot before a Bianconeri resurgence after the restart tilted the tie in the Italians’ favour. However, Porto held on after Federico Chiesa’s brace and Mehdi Taremi’s red card to force the game into extra time where they’d claim a vital second away goal through Sergio Oliveira’s daisy-cutter of a free-kick.

Adrien Rabiot’s header restored hope for the hosts but the dogged visitors were able to see through the remainder of the extra period to progress into the last eight.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday night.

What. A. Game.

This was an absolute classic and another example of the contrasting style match-up delivering on intrigue, suspense, drama, and unrivalled entertainment.

While the Bianconeri perpetually probed as the protagonists, Sergio Conceição’s Porto fulfilled their role of the plucky antagonists to this action thriller perfectly. They were not merely plucky, however. In fact, it’s fair to say that barring a 14-minute spell in the second period on Tuesday, Conceição’s side comprehensively outwitted, outmanoeuvred and outplayed Pirlo’s desperate Juve.

Porto’s approach was certainly more conservative in Turin, with Conceição deploying a 6-3-1 – akin to how Diego Simeone recently set-up his side in defeat to Chelsea – which involved both full-backs working closely alongside the immortal centre-back pairing of Pepe, who produced a legacy-defining performance, and Chancel Mbemba. Wingers Jesus Corona and Otavio, meanwhile, dropped into the defensive line with midfield duo Sergio Oliveira and Matheus Uribe diligently alternating between blocking space and pressing Juve’s midfield pivot.

Thus, the onus – which only increased following Mehdi Taremi’s Robin van Persie in the Nou Camp-esque dismissal – was all on Juve.

The absence of a bona fide creator, however, meant they found it incredibly difficult to penetrate – even if they scored three times – considering their territorial superiority. Their creative woes and one-dimensional nature were further exacerbated after Leonardo Bonucci, who provided a penetrative source from deep with his long balls in behind, and Chiesa were both substituted.

The Old Lady were static for the majority, seemingly bemused by the sheer resilience that exuded from the visitors. Overall, they struggled to conjure up solutions that didn’t involve a wicked Juan Cuadrado delivery; space invader Aaron Ramsey had his habitat compromised by Porto’s distinct compactness, the midfield pivot circulated possession efficiently but offered little in the final third, while Cristiano Ronaldo had seemingly displaced his ‘clutch gene’ in favour of the ‘anonymous gene’.

Juve’s number seven will be remembered for his shenanigans during the wall for Oliveira’s tie-clinching free-kick as opposed to any heroics in the Porto box.

Despite their struggles, though, the hosts were able to play their part in an extraordinary tie – albeit one that won’t be remembered fondly in Turin.

Two stellar showings

While Pepe’s heroics and Oliveira’s Costinha moment will undoubtedly make the headlines, it’s worth noting the tremendous efforts of Chiesa and Cuadrado for the home side.

The Colombian functioned as Juve’s creator-in-chief and certainly didn’t disappoint; delivering a monster 32 crosses, producing 12 key passes (via WhoScored) on the night and an assist for Chiesa’s headed effort.

Cuadrado’s complete stat-line on the night tells the entire story, this was a simply incredible performance from the auxiliary right-back – especially if you take into account how isolated he was down the right with Juve failing to create any sort of superiorities in wide areas throughout.

Chiesa, meanwhile, was well on his way to achieving hero status among Juventini after his three goals in the tie had put the Bianconeri in a great position to advance. After netting a pivotal away goal in Portugal, Chiesa ignited a blunt Juve with a pinpoint second-half strike at the Allianz before claiming a brace with a fine header.

The young Italian embodied the grinta that defined the previous-era Juve and his efforts were commended by Alessandro Del Piero post-match. “I want to congratulate you, Federico. Not only for your performance and goals, but for coming to speak after the game, because you are a young boy, but you already speak like an adult, and for being hungry to improve,” he said.

Two players who certainly don’t deserve to be watching the quarter-finals from their couches.

A hugely damaging exit

The current context makes Tuesday’s premature European exit incredibly tough to take, especially for Andrea Agnelli, who’s suddenly emerged as a leading figure in deciding the future of European football – which, by the way, isn’t exactly a good thing.

Nevertheless, it was Agnelli who was so keen to bring Ronaldo to Turin and Agnelli who craved an identity shift. His project, however, is yet to suffice on the continental stage.

Juve’s Champions League eliminations have got progressively worse since reaching the competition’s epilogue in 2017. In the last three years, they’ve been eliminated by an albeit super Ajax team, a faltering Lyon and now a wildly inferior – talent-wise – Porto.

If Ronaldo was drafted in to win the Bianconeri their first European crown since 1996, which he was, then there’s no denying that his signing, thus far, has been a failure despite domestic success. Juve are further away from grasping European glory than they ever were under Massimiliano Allegri or even Antonio Conte. That’s the reality.

And as James Horncastle notes in his recent piece for The Athletic, a huge decision is on the horizon for Agnelli & Co: Paulo Dybala or Ronaldo? Surely only one can remain a Bianconeri player past the summer.