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JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Player Ratings: Juventus 1-0 Monaco Apr 14, 2015 Juventus secured a crucial 1-0 win over Monaco in their Champions League Quarter Final first leg clash at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday. A powerful Arturo Vidal penalty in the second half was enough to settle the tie, with neither side able to break through their opponent’s defence with any regularity. The spot-kick came after Ricardo Carvalho clumsily brought down Alvaro Morata as he was clean through on goal, with Vidal making no mistake from the spot to send Danijel Subasic the wrong way. Juventus Gianluigi Buffon – 6.5 – Confident - Looked at ease on the ball and pulled off a good save from Silva early in the second half. Was not called upon often, but his distribution was solid and the veteran keeper is still a commanding figure between the posts. Stephan Lichtsteiner – 6 – Unreliable - The Swiss full-back looked dangerous on the attack, able to beat his man and provide some decent crosses. He lacked the same confidence in defence, often put on the back foot and failed to cope with the pace and directness of Martial and Carrasco. Leonardo Bonucci – 6 – Laboured - He was caught out of position in the first half and seemed to struggle to keep up with the pace of the game. Improved considerably after the break and looked more assured. Giorgio Chiellini – 6 – Uncomfortable - Another to struggle with the sheer pace of Monaco’s attack, Chiellini was often found chasing back towards his own goal. Used his physical presence to assert himself as the match wore on, but never looked completely at ease. Patrice Evra – 7 – Relentless - Never stopped running, finding space afforded to him by Juventus’ formation. His crossing was dangerous and his running was powerful, allowing the Frenchman to link up well with those in front of him. Arturo Vidal – 7 – Composed - Began poorly, with wayward shooting and some sloppy passes, but regained his composure to take the game by the scruff of the neck to dominate the midfield. His penalty was cool, powerful and emphatic. Andrea Pirlo – 6.5 – Rusty - Started the match poorly, with his passing unusually inaccurate. Having just returned from a long injury lay off, Pirlo looked off the pace but did provide a moment of magic, a wonderfully weighted ball over the top putting Morata through to win the penalty. Claudio Marchisio – 5 – Disappointing - His passing was wayward and he struggled to find his man with through balls. Although he managed to work space for shots, they tended to be off target. He seemed to lack urgency in the heart of the midfield. Roberto Pereyra – 6 – Reliable - Drifted out of the game somewhat early on but found his rhythm with some forceful dribbles and neat touches. Carlos Tevez – 6.5 – Unfortunate - Was involved in most of Juventus’ attacks but the Argentine struggled to fashion space for himself to shoot. Aside from a first half volley, he saw little action in front of goal but was a key component of many Juve attacks. Alvaro Morata – 6.5 – Energetic - Aside from an early close range effort which was smashed over, the Spanish striker had few chances. He never stopped running however, including a mazy dribble through the entire Monaco defence. It was his intelligent run which drew the penalty. Substitutes Andrea Barzagli – 5.5 – Quiet - Came on midway through the second half but had little to do. Looked calm on the ball on the few occasions he saw it. Alessandro Matri – N/A Stefano Sturaro – N/A Monaco Danijel Subisic – 6.5 – Unlucky - Untested in the first half, he was solid when called upon after the break and could do nothing about Vidal’s wonderful penalty. His distribution was excellent. Andrea Raggi – 6 – Solid - Solid if unspectacular, the full-back rarely stepped out of position and provided some well-timed blocks, standing firm against Pereyra. Ricardo Carvalho – 5 – Clumsy - The veteran Portuguese centre-back was at fault for the goal, hauling down Morata as he was clean through and could consider himself lucky not to have seen red. He looked slow and lethargic on the few occasions Juve ran directly at him and was fortunate that the Bianconeri did not challenge him more often. Aymen Abdennour – 6 – Strong - Dealt with everything Juventus threw at him in the first half, with some powerful headers preventing Tevez and Morata getting clean through on goal. Struggled with the pace and trickery of Tevez in the second half. Layvin Kurzawa – 5.5 – Quiet - Provided some dangerous crosses but generally had a quiet game. He struggled to make an impact going forward and Pereyra and Evra caused him some problems. Fabinho – 5 – Peripheral - Failed to make his mark on the game and seemed to drift in and out. Started in midfield but was moved to right-back when Berbatov came on. Was equally ineffective in both positions. Geoffrey Kondogbia – 7 – Rugged - Made his presence felt early on with some tough tackles and powerful runs. Took the game to Juventus, never letting Vidal settle. Showed some neat footwork and ambition to get forward and press the home side. Joao Moutinho – 5 – Anonymous - A disappointing performance from the Portuguese midfielder. Never got a foothold in the game and had little influence on proceedings, as the match seemed to pass him by. Yannick Ferreira Carrasco – 6.5 – Threatening - Despite missing a glorious chance early on, Carrasco was a constant thorn in the side of the Juventus defence. Pacy and direct, he also provided some excellent crosses and was a bright spark for the French side. Anthony Martial – 6.5 – Mixed - Was a constant danger in the first half as he linked up to devastating effect with Carrasco. The Juventus back line struggled with his pace and he left Lichtsteiner for dead on numerous occasions. Seemed to disappear in the second half and will be disappointed that he couldn’t continue his bright start. Nabil Dirar – 7 – Dangerous - His quick feet and intelligent movement saw him threaten down the right flank throughout the first half, keeping Evra on his toes. An injury straight after half time ended what promised to be an excellent display. Substitutes Bernardo Silva – 6.5 – Hard-working - Made a crucial tackle in his own box before almost scoring at the other end, only being denied by a fine stop by Buffon. A mazy dribble was the highlight of an impressive performance. Dimitar Berbatov – 5 – Ineffective - Should have scored with his first touch, a glancing header from a corner which went narrowly wide. Did little else to suggest he should have started though, in a quiet 25 minutes on the pitch. Matheus Carvalho – N/A

JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Evra: 'Juve can become great' Apr 14, 2015 Patrice Evra warned Juventus suffered by being favourites against Monaco. “We felt that tension and anxiety.” The former Manchester United left-back spoke to Sky Sport Italia after the 1-0 Champions League quarter-final victory. The second leg is on April 22. “It’s still open. We must respect Monaco and we didn’t underestimate them the way Arsenal did. Alright, 1-0 is not a great result, but it puts us in a good position to qualify. “We still have a lot to do and above all must maintain respect for Monaco. Every time I play with this jersey, I try to respect those who came before me and that’s a huge responsibility for me.” Evra is one of the most experienced players in the Bianconeri squad and pointed out reaching the semi-finals would be a milestone. “Juve are a good team, but going through would make us into a great team. I remember at Juve the Coach and President said the task was to qualify and everyone was so happy when we went through, they were celebrating in the locker room. To me it had always seemed normal to reach the quarter-finals.” At the same time, the lack of experience at this level almost proved costly, as Juventus started in shaky fashion. “Against Borussia Dortmund people said it was 50-50, even after the first leg, whereas as soon as we drew Monaco everyone assumed we would win comfortably. “Being favourites put pressure on us and we did feel that tension in the first 20 minutes. I felt the anxiety and we had to shake that off.”

JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Player Ratings: Juventus 1-0 Monaco Apr 14, 2015 Juventus 1 G. Buffon - Used all of his experience to position himself excellently to save three dangerous Monaco attempts on his goal. His recent sterling form continues. 26 S. Lichtsteiner - The chief supplier for one or two Juventus attacks, and wasn't caught out of position too often. 19 L. Bonucci - Went about his business with quiet authority, and made sure that Monaco's shooting chances were limited in the second period. 3 G. Chiellini - Not shy to step outside of the defensive line, and he usually did so to great effect. A rock at the back. 33 P. Evra - The full-back, like Lichtsteiner on the opposite side, was measured in his approach and wary of the Monaco threat down the flanks, especially in the second half. 23 Arturo Vidal - A typically tireless display from the Chilean, who broke up attacks with regularity. It was his emphatic penalty that separated the sides. 21 A. Pirlo - It was his defence-splitting pass that caught Carvalho out, causing him to foul Morata for the game-deciding penalty kick. 8 C. Marchisio - A little slow to get back on a few occasions, but his effort could not be faulted. 37 R. Pereyra - The Argentinian was a busy man, quick to assist the full-backs while helping his side to dominate possession. 10 C. Tévez - Sprayed some great passes forward to set up his team-mates, but his own shooting was well below his usual standards. 9 Álvaro Morata - Though his end product was lacking, he got himself into some great positions, with one such move leading to the spot-kick after he was fouled by Carvalho. Substitutes 15 A. Barzagli - Shored up the defence even further late on. 27 S. Sturaro - A decent cameo appearance where he got a few touches. 32 A. Matri - Didn't really contribute a whole lot in attack Monaco 1 D. Subašić - Didn't do a whole lot wrong and could hardly be blamed for the penalty. Saved everything else that came his way. 24 A. Raggi - A solid job defensively, even though his attacking contributions were non-existent. 6 Ricardo Carvalho - An otherwise solid display was ruined by a late clip on the heels of Morata, which led to the penalty. 5 A. Abdennour - A typically accomplished showing from the Tunisian, who met the combative Juve attackers stride for stride. 3 L. Kurzawa - Got forward more often than Raggi on the opposite side, getting in position for a few shooting opportunities. 2 Fabinho - Mopped up loose ends effectively in the middle, and dropped into the back four when needed to similar effect. 22 G. Kondogbia - The midfielder wasn't shy to have a pop from long range, but he couldn't repeat his feat against Arsenal. 8 João Moutinho - Often starved for the ball but made up for it with intelligent positioning to help out the defence. 17 Y. Ferreira Carrasco - Thwarted by Buffon twice, and sent two other good chances over the bar, but he was by far the most prominent threat to the Juventus defence. 23 A. Martial - His pace was a useful outlet but he provided little with the ball at his feet. 7 N. Dirar - Some quick passing in the final third was key in a few attacks, but he couldn't sustain his threat. Substitutes 15 Bernardo Silva - Saw a low effort at the end of a break saved by Buffon. 9 D. Berbatov - The striker glanced a free header off the mark shortly after his introduction. 12 Matheus Carvalho - A late cameo.

JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Max Allegri says Juventus deserved slim victory against Monaco Apr 14, 2015 Max Allegri said he was pleased that Juventus will take a slim advantage to Monaco after a "deserved" 1-0 win in the opening leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Tuesday. Arturo Vidal converted a 57th-minute penalty for the only goal of the match, though Allegri said he was not concerned by the slim margin of victory against a strong Monaco defence. "Overall I think the result is deserved," the Juventus manager told Sky Sport Italia. "Obviously, it's a quarterfinal, so anyone who thought we won 3-0 was kidding themselves. They have the strongest defence in the Champions League and Ligue 1." Allegri said that Juventus can't be content with their single-goal advantage as they prepare for the second leg, set for next Wednesday in the principality. "I am always optimistic, but we know that we need to score in Monaco to go forward," Allegri said. "This is a tough side to play against and paradoxically it was easier against Borussia Dortmund because of their style of football. "Monaco know their limitations and therefore play to stop the opposition playing. It means waiting a little longer and making an extra five or six passes to find the right breakthrough. "It's only normal there was pressure around this match, especially as we were the favourites, but we were too hasty and therefore made simple mistakes with our passing. In these situations, you must always have the patience and calm to play your game." Although Juventus controlled 64 percent of possession, Gianluigi Buffon did have to make four saves and Allegri said he was content with the clean sheet. "The result is good, as we didn't concede on home turf and that is a small advantage," Allegri said. "It will be different in Monaco, but they proved how organised they are in defence today with pace and technique in attack. "They above all caused us problems in the first 15 minutes, as we waited for the pass between the lines rather than have the patience to wait for the right trajectory to open up." Allegri handed a surprise start to Andrea Pirlo, who has been sidelined by a calf injury since February. "Pirlo had a good 70 minutes, which is excellent considering he hadn't played for 50 days," Allegri said. "Set plays can be decisive in these GAMES and I needed great quality on the passes to break through those tiny spaces, and in fact his pass was decisive for the penalty. "Carlos Tevez had also been out for six days, so he too wasn't quite as sharp as usual."

JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Chiellini: Juventus deserved to beat Monaco The defender conceded that the Serie A leaders were repeatedly caught on the break in the opening 20 minutes but he argued that they merited Arturo Vidal's spot-kick winner. Apr 14, 2015 Giorgio Chiellini admitted that Juventus started poorly in their Champions League quarter-final, first-leg clash with Monaco but felt that the Italian titleholders were ultimately good value for their 1-0 win. The Bianconeri initially struggled to break down their Ligue 1 opponents in Turin, while also looking vulnerable on the counterattack during the opening quarter. However, Massimiliano Allegri's men gradually took control and earned a crucial first-leg lead courtesy of Arturo Vidal, who slammed home a 57th-minute penalty after striker Alvaro Morata had been felled by Ricardo Carvalho. Having triumphed 3-0 at Signal Iduna Park in the away leg of their last-16 meeting with Borussia Dortmund, Juventus will be supremely confident of reaching the last four, but Chiellini is warning his team-mates that Monaco at the Stade Louis II will be a far trickier proposition. "We knew that we would have to face a difficult opponent," he told Sky Sport Italia. "We got our approach wrong in the first 20 minutes, when we had to suffer their quick counterattacks. "Then, we improved and the result was deserved. But Monaco are a tough team to play because, unlike Borussia, they don't make the play and just counterattack quickly. "But it will be the same game as in Dortmund. A 2-1 or 1-0 lead, it doesn't change anything. We're going up against an even tougher team." Midfield ace Vidal has struggled for both form and fitness this season but Chiellini is hopeful that the Chilean's match-winning goal will serve as a catalyst for a strong finish to the remainder of his campaign. "Arturo has been doing okay for a while now," the Italy international added. "We're happy that he's scored and we hope that he can be an added value for us the final stage of the season." Juventus travel to Monte Carlo for the second leg of their last-eight tie with Monaco on April 22.

JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Juventus Set New Stadium Box Office Record In Monaco Tie Apr 14, 2015 Juventus have set a new record for matchday earnings at the box office from their Champions League quarter-final against Monaco. This is the second time that the Bianconeri have reached this stage of the competition since moving into their Juventus Stadium home. In 2013, they contested a Champions League quarter-final when they welcomed Bayern Munich in the second leg of their meeting but were beaten 4-0 on aggregate by the eventual winners. Against Monaco, every seat in the ground was filled with an official attendance of 40,801 with the club taking in €3,017,692 on a successful night all round for the club after Arturo Vidal’s penalty kick put them in the driving seat for qualification. The previous record for the club was held from the last round when they beat Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their last 16 tie.

JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Juve Win First Leg vs. Monaco, 1-0 Apr 14, 2015 Juventus took a crucial advantage in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Monaco on Tuesday evening, booking a 1-0 in the first leg of their encounter. ESPN FC confirmed the result for the Italian giants, which puts them in good stead for next week's return fixture on the French Riviera. As one of the competition's biggest remaining underdogs, Monaco may have been expected to bring a defensive and withdrawn approach to Turin, which is precisely how they lined up to begin with. However, that isn't to suggest the Ligue 1 giants wouldn't pose any sort of threat, with Goal.com's Robin Bairner confirming their method of putting bodies behind the ball: Robin Bairner @RBairner Only a minute into #Juventus - #Monaco and it's already clear that the visitors will get everyone behind the ball at every chance Leonardo Jardim appeared to have gotten his tactics spot on, as the Italian hosts proved susceptible to the quick break on numerous occasions. Kris Voakes of Goal.com agreed that the Bianconeri looked like the second-best outfit for much of Tuesday's first half, with Monaco carrying on their fine form in continental competition: Kris Voakes @krisvoakes #Juventus second best at the moment. Approach is flat, atmosphere is flat, #Monaco causing problems on every attack. While the Ligue 1 side may have struggled to maintain great passages of possession, it didn't dilute the quality of what unfolded when they did manage to find space on the ball. Bairner again highlighted just how strong Monaco looked in absorbing pressure before dishing it back in equal measure, just as they did at the Emirates Stadium earlier in this campaign: Robin Bairner @RBairner #Monaco proving every bit as good on the break as they did away to Arsenal. YFC misses great possibility after fine play from #Martial. The Juve support will undoubtedly feel it was long overdue, but as the clock ticked nearer to the half-time whistle, that's when the hosts finally begon to gain an edge through increased tempo. Just prior to the end of the opening 45 minutes, Arturo Vidal had the half's best possibility to score only to waste a fine opportunity carved open by Carlos Tevez. Fortunately for manager Massimiliano Allegri, that sway in momentum appeared to carry through half-time and into the second period, where Juve competed with a little more initiative. And it paid off in the 56th minute, as Ricardo Carvalho showed his age by committing a clumsy challenge on Alvaro Morata. Vidal was on hand to convert the resulting spot-kick from 12 yards out. Conceding first against top-tier Italian opposition is never an easy thing to come back from, and Allegri's men did their part to shield the advantage from there. As pointed out by The Sun on Twitter, stopping the Juventus metronome in midfield was a challenge the visiting side struggled to overcome as possession flowed in favour of the home outfit: The Sun - Football ✔ @TheSunFootball 67 mins: Juventus' three midfielders (Pirlo, Vidal and Marchisio) have completed more passes (163) than the entire Monaco team (158) In the end, Vidal's finish from 12 yards out proved to be the decider in what was a far more tender encounter than some might have envisioned, with Monaco far from out of semi-final contention. The two teams will meet again next Wednesday for the return fixture, but the French representatives will no longer have the convenience of being able to sit back and await their foes. An away goal may have made a great difference this evening and Jardim may rue his team's missed opportunities, although scoring against the Serie A titleholders would never be an easy feat. For now, the advantage sits firmly in favour of Juventus. But with only a single goal separating the two teams, this clash is only just begun. Player Grades Arturo Vidal: A- The Chile international may not yet be back to his best, but Vidal sprung back from a disappointing start Tuesday to finish as one of the match's most impressive performers. Once Juve's midfield tandem is in full swing, there aren't many evident ways to stop it. Vidal once again proved to be a versatile utility man capable of sitting or being the one to thrust forward and dish out the damage. Geoffrey Kondogbia: B+ Competing against a midfield like the one reigning supreme in Turin right now is an intimidating task, but French youngster Geoffrey Kondogbia showed glimpses of why he's so highly valued as a Ligue 1 prospect. Per WhoScored.com, Kondogbia won all four of his attempted tackles and managed to emerge as one of Monaco's main threats on goal. Gianluigi Buffon: A- The 37-year-old veteran is deserving of his praise in fending off Monaco's challenge all evening, having had to reject his fair SHARE of enemy advances. The Italian stalwart showed there's spring in his legs yet by making four saves and proving to be Juve's hero more times than Allegri may have been comfortable with. Post-Match Reaction Jardim and Allegri were at loggerheads over how they felt Tuesday's result should have looked, with each coach defending his team's efforts. Unsurprisingly, Juve boss Allegri enforced that his side deserved to claim the first-leg advantage, speaking to Sky Sport Italia (h/t Football Italia), and picked out the talismanic Andrea Pirlo as his key man: The result is good, as we didn’t concede on home turf and that is a small advantage. It will be different in Monaco, but they proved how organised they are in defence today with pace and technique in attack. They above all caused us problems in the first 15 minutes, as we waited for the pass between the lines rather than have the patience to wait for the right trajectory to open up. Pirlo had a good 70 minutes, which is excellent considering he hadn’t played for 50 days. Set plays can be decisive in these matches and I needed great quality on the passes to break through those tiny spaces, and in fact his pass was decisive for the penalty. Carlos Tevez had also been out for six days, so he too wasn’t quite as sharp as usual. The visiting manager wasn't in agreement with his Italian counterpart, however, and insisted Monaco should not have come away from Turin with a one-goal deficit. Jardim also looked ahead to the second leg, via Get French Football: Get French Football @GFN_France Leonardo Jardim, Monaco manager: "We came here to get a better result than this. We will have to show another side to ourselves next leg."

JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Juventus 1-0 Monaco: Bianconeri Take Narrow Lead To The Principality Apr 14, 2015 Juventus defeated Monaco 1-0 to secure a slender first-leg advantage in their Champions League quarter-final clash on Tuesday. A penalty just short of the hour mark from Arturo Vidal was all that separated the two sides, despite the Bianconeri having dominated possession for long spells of the contest. Juventus began on the front foot, with the returning Andrea Pirlo sweeping a delicious pass to the left edge of the penalty box into Alvaro Morata’s path, only for the Spaniard to squander the opportunity. The balance of power then briefly shifted in Monaco’s favour, as highly-rated forward Anthony Martial found Yannick Ferreira Carrasco free in the area, but his fellow attacker could only shoot straight at Gianluigi Buffon. Carrasco tried to atone for his miss when sending in a deflected effort, which was touched wide by the experienced 37-year-old to deny the Monegasque outfit an opening goal. It was time for Juve to step up a gear, which they duly did thanks to a period of possession leading to a wonderful chance for Carlos Tevez. Claudio Marchisio sent in a pinpoint delivery from the left, only for the Argentine to scuff his volley into the deck. Further attempts from Marchisio and the ever-industrious Arturo Vidal flew over the bar as Juventus continued to dominate, but they were almost caught out on the break again when Martial went shoulder-to-shoulder with Giorgio Chiellini. He beat the Italy international for pace, but Chiellini stuck with the promising 19-year-old and utilised his significant physical presence to see off the danger. On the stroke of half-time, a sublime through-ball with the outside of Tevez’s foot found Vidal in space, but he somehow managed to balloon his shot. Massimiliano Allegri’s men came out with all guns blazing at the start of the second period, and despite a scare when away substitute Bernardo Silva failed to beat Buffon at his near post following a swift counter-attack, it was the Serie A leaders who broke the deadlock. A fantastic floating long ball from Pirlo set Morata away on the chase and he was felled by Champions League-winning defender Ricardo Carvalho during the pursuit. The Portuguese centre-back clipped Morata’s heels just inside the box, thus handing the home team a golden chance to take the lead from the spot. Chilean midfielder Vidal stepped up confidently and smashed the ball into the top left-hand corner to put Juventus in front. Morata fired a whisker wide of the upright as Juve attempted to extend their lead, but it was yet another Monaco replacement who came closer still when Dimitar Berbatov directed his clever header just over the crossbar. It seemed the Bianconeri were happy to hold on to their one-goal advantage as they brought defender Andrea Barzagli on for the influential Pirlo, and so it proved when a scrappy climax to the game failed to bring about any further goals ahead of an intriguing second leg.

7 JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) CL: Juve squeeze past Monaco Apr 14, 2015 A contentious Arturo Vidal penalty gave Juventus the 1-0 Champions League quarter-final victory over Monaco. The decider will be in the Principality on April 22, where ASM have won only twice in the competition this season. The Bianconeri were the favourites on paper in this first leg quarter-final, but fresh from a shock defeat to Serie A bottom club Parma and facing a Monaco side that eliminated Arsenal with a 3-1 win in London. They’d scored only seven goals in their eight games so far, but conceded fewer than any other club in the Champions League this season. Andrea Pirlo made his first appearance in three weeks, but Paul Pogba was still sidelined and Andrea Barzagli only fit for the bench. The visitors missed Jeremy Toulalan and opted for Ricardo Carvalho and Anthony Martial rather than Wallace and Dimitar Berbatov. Carlos Tevez’s snapshot bounced right in front of the goalkeeper, but Danijel Subasic did well to calculate the rebound, while Layvin Kurzawa blasted not far over the bar. Gigi Buffon performed a crucial save on nine minutes when Martial burst past Leonardo Bonucci and rolled across for the unmarked Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco. Moments later Buffon palmed a deflected Carrasco effort round the base of the far post and Kurzawa’s free header was wide from a corner. Tevez wasted a golden opportunity when Claudio Marchisio’s cross found him totally unmarked from seven yards, but he only aimed a weak volley into Subasic’s arms. Aymen Abdennour was decisive to stop Alvaro Morata tapping in from close range, but Juve had 73 per cent possession in the first half-hour and did precious little with it. Giorgio Chiellini went shoulder-to-shoulder with Martial as they sprinted on to a long Moutinho pass, risking both a penalty and red card, then Patrice Evra ballooned a smart Pereyra assist over. On the stroke of half-time Arturo Vidal sprung the offside trap and controlled well, only to curl his finish over the bar one-on-one. Nabil Dirar went off with a knee injury and Tevez was unable to tap in a corner, then Monaco threatened on the counter with Buffon palming a Bernardo Silva shot round the near post. However, Ricardo Carvalho clumsily ran into the back of Morata as they went for a long Pirlo ball, giving away the penalty. However, replays suggest the contact was slightly outside the box. Vidal took on the responsibility despite some errors from the spot and converted into the near top corner, giving Juve the lead with his first Champions League goal of the campaign. The Chilean hadn’t found the net in this tournament since a hat-trick against FC Copenhagen in November 2013. Buffon palmed a Geoffrey Kondogbia long-range strike over the bar and Morata hit the side-netting. Dimitar Berbatov came off the bench and his first touch was a free header over the bar from a corner. Juve moved to a 3-5-2 in the final 15 minutes and Fabinho stopped Morata tapping in a Vidal cross from five yards. In stoppages Stephan Lichtsteiner passed a great opportunity straight into the arms of Subasic. Juventus 1-0 Monaco Scorers: Vidal pen 57 (J) Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Pirlo (Barzagli 74), Marchisio; Pereyra (Sturaro 87); Tevez, Morata (Matri 83) Monaco: Subasic; Raggi (Berbatov 71), Ricardo Carvalho, Abdennour, Kurzawa; Fabinho, Kondogbia, Moutinho; Ferreira-Carrasco, Martial (Matheus 87), Dirar (Bernardo Silva 51) Ref: Kralovec (CZE)

JUVENTUS - MONACO 1 - 0 Arturo Vidal (57' - Penalty) Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Juventus 1-0 Monaco: Vidal on the spot to hand Italian champions advantage The Chilean's second-half penalty was all that separated the sides in Turin in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. Apr 14, 2015 Juventus will take a narrow advantage back to Monaco after Arturo Vidal's penalty sealed a 1-0 first-leg in the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday. The Chile international clinically dispatched his seventh goal of the season in all competitions in the 57th minute, although Monaco claimed that Ricardo Carvalho's foul on Alvaro Morata had occurred outside the area. Andrea Pirlo made his first Juve appearance since suffering a calf problem against Borussia Dortmund in the previous round back in February, and the playmaker had a hand in the victory. It was his lofted pass from deep which Morata looked likely to latch onto until he stumbled under contact from Carvalho, with replays suggesting the initial foul had taken place outside the box. Vidal's successful penalty was a welcome relief, after the midfielder had earlier wasted a gilt-edged possibility to break the deadlock at the end of the first half. Carlos Tevez was also guilty of profligacy prior to Vidal's winner, while Monaco - although still well in the tie - may rue Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco's inability to convert from close range in the opening stages. As it is, Leonardo Jardim's men will go into next week's return leg at Stade Louis II needing to overturn a one-goal deficit to reach the last four of this competition for the first time since 2004, when they were runners-up. Juve begon the brighter, but survived a real scare in the 10th minute when Ferreira-Carrasco fired straight at Gianluigi Buffon from 10 yards after being picked out by Anthony Martial. Claudio Marchisio's cross from the left picked out Tevez unmarked at the far post, but the Argentinian striker's volley six yards out was weak so Danijel Subasic was able to make a comfortable save shortly before the half-hour. Monaco felt they should have had a penalty when Martial went down under a challenge from Giorgio Chiellini six minutes before the interval, but referee Pavel Kralovec was uninterested in their appeals. Juve wasted another golden opportunity on the stroke of half-time, when Vidal blazed over after getting on the end of Tevez's superb ball with the outside of his right foot. Monaco suffered a blow at the beginning of the second half when Nabil Dirar was forced off injured, and his replacement Bernardo Silva had an effort beaten away at his near post by Buffon. Soon afterwards Juve took a deserved lead, Vidal sending a superb spot-kick into the top left-hand corner after Morata had been clipped by Carvalho. Monaco responded and Buffon had to tip over Geoffrey Kondogbia's effort from range in the 63rd minute. The remainder of the match proved largely uneventful with Juve seemingly content to protect their lead, leaving the tie firmly in the balance heading into the return leg in eight days' time.

Entra Matri.

Occasione per Berbatov.

Ecco Berbatov.

ARTURO VIDAL 1-0

Vidal tira.

Rigore!

Pereyra non sei Ronaldo.

Si é svegliato Morata.

JUVENTUS - MONACO - Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) HT 0-0: Juve survive Monaco scares Apr 14, 2015 Juventus and Monaco are goalless at the break, but Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal wasted great chances while risking at the back. The Bianconeri were the favourites on paper in this first leg quarter-final, but fresh from a shock defeat to Serie A bottom club Parma and facing a Monaco side that eliminated Arsenal with a 3-1 win in London. They’d scored only seven goals in their eight games so far, but conceded fewer than any other club in the Champions League this season. Andrea Pirlo made his first appearance in three weeks, but Paul Pogba was still sidelined and Andrea Barzagli only fit for the bench. The visitors missed Jeremy Toulalan and opted for Ricardo Carvalho and Anthony Martial rather than Wallace and Dimitar Berbatov. Carlos Tevez’s snapshot bounced right in front of the goalkeeper, but Danijel Subasic did well to calculate the rebound, while Layvin Kurzawa blasted not far over the bar. Gigi Buffon performed a crucial save on nine minutes when Martial burst past Leonardo Bonucci and rolled across for the unmarked Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco. Moments later Buffon palmed a deflected Carrasco effort round the base of the far post and Kurzawa’s free header was wide from a corner. Tevez wasted a golden opportunity when Claudio Marchisio’s cross found him totally unmarked from seven yards, but he only aimed a weak volley into Subasic’s arms. Aymen Abdennour was decisive to stop Alvaro Morata tapping in from close range, but Juve had 73 per cent possession in the first half-hour and did precious little with it. Giorgio Chiellini went shoulder-to-shoulder with Martial as they sprinted on to a long Moutinho pass, risking both a penalty and red card, then Patrice Evra ballooned a smart Pereyra assist over. On the stroke of half-time Arturo Vidal sprung the offside trap and controlled well, only to curl his finish over the bar one-on-one. Juventus 0-0 Monaco (Half-Time) Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio; Pereyra; Tevez, Morata Monaco: Subasic; Raggi, Ricardo Carvalho, Abdennour, Kurzawa; Fabinho, Kondogbia, Moutinho; Ferreira-Carrasco, Martial, Dirar Ref: Kralovec (CZE)

JUVENTUS - MONACO - Tuesday, April 14th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic) Pirlo 'makes the ball sing' Apr 14, 2015 Juventus director Beppe Marotta said Andrea Pirlo “can make the ball sing even when standing still” against Monaco. The first leg of the Champions League quarter-final kicks off at 20.45 CET. “We have the same motivation, regardless of opponents or tactics. These games are won via motivation as well as quality,” Marotta told Sky Sport Italia. “We are playing at home, we know the second leg will be more difficult, so we have to get the best result this evening.” Pirlo is thrown straight into the starting XI, his first appearance since picking up a calf strain on February 24. “This is his first game back, so he doesn’t have 90 minutes in his legs, but Pirlo is one of the few players who can make the ball sing even when standing still. “Massimiliano Allegri saw this and will try to make the most of his characteristics.”

Clamoroso Vidal. Doveva essere goal.

Finalmente una punizione per noi.

Sono tutt'altro che malleabili questi francesi.

Fortissimo Martial, come giá si sapeva.

Martial bravissimo ma bravissimo anche Gigi.