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JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) Juventus V Borussia Dortmund – Champions League Preview: Bianconeri Looking For Advantage Against Improving Schwarzgelben Feb 23, 2014 Juventus are set to host Borussia Dortmund at the Juventus Stadium in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie. The Italian champions finished second in Group A on 10 points, three points behind last season’s runners-up Atletico Madrid. On the other hand, Dortmund topped their respective group with 13 points, but snatched the top spot on goal difference after tying with Arsenal on points tally and head-to-head. Previous meetings between both sides were most notable in the 1990s, having met one another in nine encounters, including a two-legged UEFA Cup final and a Champions League final. The Bianconeri were able to bag the UEFA Cup in 1992/93 after defeating Die Schwarzgelben 6-1 on aggregate; however, Dortmund gained revenge in the 1996/97 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin as they went on to lift their first and only Champions League crown up to date at the expense of Juve, defeating them 3-1. Despite having a nine point lead at the top of the Serie A table, Juventus are experiencing a dip in form recently. La Vecchia Signora have now drawn two of their last six encounters, against Udinese and Cesena respectively, as well as achieving a hard-fought 2-1 win versus Atalanta on Friday. On the other hand, Dortmund have experienced a calamitous 2014/2015 season, hovering near the relegation zone for most of the Bundesliga campaign. However, the 2013 Champions League runners-up have returned to winning ways in past weeks with three wins out of three. Even though both teams are on opposite sides of the spectrum when it comes to league form, that was not the case in the group stages of the Champions League. Juventus sealed progression on the final group game, whilst Dortmund became the first team to book their place in the knockout stages with four consecutive group wins. Juve coach Massimilano Allegri is set to miss the services of Romulo and Kwadwo Asamoah due to injury, whilst Alessandro Matri, Andrea Barzagli, and Luca Marrone are doubtful. German international Kevin Grosskreutz remains the only player Jurgen Klopp will miss for sure, but Ciro Immobile, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Sebastian Kehl, Sven Bender, Erik Durm, and Mats Hummels are doubtful for the game. Form Guide: Juventus (W-W-D-W-D-W) Borussia Dortmund (D-D-L-W-W-W) Expected Starting XIs Juventus (4-3-1-2): Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio; Vidal; Tevez, Morata. Borussia Dortmund (4-2-3-1): Weidenfeller; Piszczek, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer; Gundogan, Sahin; Kampl, Mkhitaryan, Reus; Immobile.

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) Juventus - Borussia Dortmund Preview: Klopp's resurgent troops eye win in Turin BVB may be 12th in the Bundesliga standings but they will arrive in Italy on a high after three victories in a row. Feb 23, 2014 Jurgen Klopp has never shirked from the fact that Borussia Dortmund have flirted with disaster this season, but three Bundesliga wins in a row suggests they are beginning to find the form that has served them so well in Europe. Dortmund impressively finished top of Champions League Group D with just one defeat, scoring 14 goals, which set up a last-16 meeting with Juventus. And yet Klopp's men went into the mid-season break in the Bundesliga's bottom two, seemingly embroiled in a relegation battle. For a club more used to fighting it out at the summit with Bayern Munich, many anticipated a revival in 2015, but it took a couple of games to begin - a 1-0 home loss to Augsburg at the start of February apparently the nadir. Wins over Freiburg, Mainz and Stuttgart have seen Dortmund climb to the relative comfort of mid-table, putting them in good shape ahead of Tuesday's trip to Turin. Meetings between Dortmund and Juve have been surprisingly scarce, but the last one proved memorable for the German side. Munich played host to the 1996-97 Champions League final, where Karl-Heinz Riedle scored twice and Lars Ricken was on target in a 3-1 triumph against Juve. Dortmund's name has not been engraved on the trophy since then, with their Wembley defeat to Bayern two years ago the closest they have come. Juve's wait has been longer. The Italians were the holders when Dortmund won it, having beaten Ajax the year before - another Champions League success secured by a side on familiar soil, as the final was played in Rome. It makes for a positive omen if Dortmund care for such coincidences, given that the showpiece is in Munich this season. But advancing past Juve represents a sizeable challenge, with Massimiliano Allegri's charges unbeaten in normal time since October's Serie A reverse to Genoa. Boasting a nine-point advantage at the top of the table, Juve look set for a fourth consecutive Italian title, but they have not made it past the last eight of the Champions League since the 2002-03 campaign when they were eventually beaten by Milan in the final. The hosts had Arturo Vidal back in full training on Sunday following a minor injury, while Klopp will hope the flu bug that has affected his team will clear up and increase the options at his disposal, with the likes of Erik Durm, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Mats Hummels and Jeremy Dudziak having been impacted. OPTA FACTS Juventus and Borussia Dortmund last met in the final of the Champions League back in 1997. The Ruhr side won 3-1 in Munich. Dortmund have won their last two encounters with Juventus, both in the Champions League: in November 1995 and May 1997. Dortmund have never kept a clean sheet against Juventus in their seven competitive encounters. Juventus have made it to the knockout stages of the Champions League for only the second time in the past six seasons (2012/13 and 2014/15). Juventus have only lost two of their last 28 Champions League games on home soil (W17 D9), both were against Bayern Munich. Only Monaco (4) scored fewer goals than Juventus (7, like Basel and Leverkusen) in this season’s group stages among the 16 teams still left in the competition. The Old Lady had only four different goalscorers, the lowest tally alongside Monaco. Borussia Dortmund have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for the third consecutive season, which hadn’t happened since their three straight appearances in the latter stages from 1995/96 to 1997/98. Borussia Dortmund have won only one of their last eight Champions League knockout games played away from home (D3 L4, including final 2013 in Wembley), it was against Zenit St Petersburg in February 2014 (4-2). LAST FIVE MATCHES Juventus W D W D W 2/20/15 - Juventus 2 - 1 Atalanta 2/15/15 - Cesena 2 - 2 Juventus 2/7/15 - Juventus 3 - 1 Milan 2/1/15 - Udinese 0 - 0 Juventus 1/28/15 - Parma 0 - 1 Juventus Borussia Dortmund W W W L D 2/20/15 - Stuttgart 2 - 3 Borussia Dortmund 2/13/15 - Borussia Dortmund 4 - 2 Mainz 2/7/15 - Freiburg 0 - 3 Borussia Dortmund 2/4/15 - Borussia Dortmund 0 - 1 Augsburg 1/31/15 - Bayer Leverkusen 0 - 0 Borussia Dortmund

Sturaro Can’t Wait To Start Juventus Adventure Feb 23, 2015 New Juventus arrival Stefano Sturaro can’t hide his excitement at getting started at his new club. The 21-year-old Italian youth international had agreed to join the Bianconeri from Genoa at the end of the season, but had his move brought forward by six months. “I’m finding myself well, and for this I have to thank my teammates because they are proving to be excellent help,” Sturaro told Filo Diretto. “It’s all new for me, but I’m fortunate that there’s [Alessandro] Matri and [Paolo] De Ceglie here, with whom I’ve already played with. “When the call came from Juventus I felt happy, not really surprised, because I was owned by Juventus and I knew I was going to be there soon anyway. “I’m very happy and I cannot wait to start this new adventure.” Sturaro made 13 league appearances for Genoa this season, but has yet to debut for the Bianconeri since moving last month.

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) Borussia Dortmund are rejuvenated and ready for Juventus, Champions League Three Bundesliga wins in a row have given Dortmund back their swagger, and gives Juventus something to think about as Tuesday's round of 16 first leg approaches. Feb 22, 2014 "Here comes trouble, here comes the danger!" That song from Chronixx was on the brain as I watched Borussia Dortmund rack up their third Bundesliga win in a row on Friday night. Granted, these wins have come against three of the teams that were possibly in worse form than Dortmund; Freiburg (currently 16th, relegation playoff spot), Mainz (currently 11th, but sacked their coach after the Dortmund loss as they had one win in their last 12) and Stuttgart (bottom of the league). However, given Dortmund's form before the win against Freiburg (three losses and two draws in their previous five games), this run of form has returned the belief to Dortmund and their fans. They can salvage their season, and with 12 league games still to go, a Europa League place is very much a possibility. Hell, with 10 points between them and fourth place, a Champions League spot isn't out of the realm of possibility, either. Regardless of the strength of the opposition, from watching Dortmund's play, one can see that the team is regaining their confidence. Jürgen Klopp's effervescent celebrations and his bear-hugs for his players after substitution have returned. While things are definitely improving for BVB, there are still problems to sort out. Here, we will discuss some of those and see how they stack up in current form against our boys. DORTMUND STRENGTHS Dortmund's gegenpressing One of the key facets of BvB's success under Klopp, 'gegenpressing' means to press the opposition right after losing possession, i.e. to press as an organized unit the moment you transition to defense. Juventus has notably had problems against teams that employ this tactic. Most recently, Cesena experienced some success pressuring Juve's defence and midfield into making numerous mistakes, some of which were punished. In the Champions League, games against Olympiakos (away) and Atletico Madrid also bore this out. So, going into battle against one of the "best in the biz" at employing this tactic does not fill me with much confidence. Dortmund's counterattacking Their strength in pressing leads well to their strength in counterattacking. If a team wins the ball high up the pitch and soon after they themselves have lost it, they are in the best position to attack an opponent that has just transitioned to attack and will be poorly set defensively. Dortmund has excelled in this department over the years, and are well equipped with players who have the speed (both physically and of thought) and the skill to cause damage to the best of teams on the counter. Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Between the Bundesliga and the Champions League, these two have either scored or assisted on 30 of BvB's 42 goals so far this season. They have been in especially good form in recent weeks, with both racking up goals and assists in their last three wins — Reus, three goals and an assist; Aubameyang, four goals and an assist. In Reus, Dortmund has one of the best and most versatile attacking midfielders in the game. And in Aubameyang, they have a devastatingly quick and deadly striker currently in great form. DORTMUND WEAKNESSES A shaky defence In the Bundesliga, they've conceded 31 goals in 22 games. While this isn't terrible by Bundesliga standards — in fact, it puts them at eighth best — it's terrible for a top team. Even in this current run of good form, they have conceded 4 goals in those those games. Further, Dortmund have conceded 10 goals as a direct result of individual errors. This shows a propensity for the regular defensive brain fart. Their back four of Lukasz Piszczek, Neven Subotic, Mats Hummels and Marcel Schmelzer have only recently reconvened their partnership — which was a huge part of their run to the Champions League final in 2013 — after injuries to various members and are trying to rebuild their chemistry. The highly-rated Hummels has looked like a shadow of the defensive rock he has been touted as. Stand-ins like ex-Milan flop Sokratis Papastathopoulos and young German international Matthias Ginter have fared no better. Their goalkeeper, the usually reliable Roman Wiedenfeller, has had his share of clangers which resulted in being him dropped for the reserve keeper Micthell Langerak. He has since regained his place. They have done better overall in the Champions League, conceding four in their previous six games. However, expect Juventus to have their fair share of chances created. Conversion of chances Despite being able to create chances, Dortmund have struggled to consistently put these away. Currently, Dortmund have the fourth-worst conversion rate in the Bundesliga. They share a parallel with us here, as we also struggle to consistently put away the numerous chances we create. These have been the major reasons for Dortmund's below par domestic season so far. So how can Juventus limit Dortmund's strengths while at the same time exploiting their weaknesses? Employ the same gegenpressing strategy As mentioned above, Dortmund are currently not the best defensively, with loads of defensive errors (some unforced). So why not put that defence under constant pressure, with the expectation that they will commit more errors? Of course, this would require a lot physically and mentally from our players, and who knows whether our players are physically prepared to carry out this tactic. But, we're playing to accomplish one of the goals we set ourselves for the season (reaching at least the quarterfinals on the Champions League), so why not? Putting Ilkay Gundogan and Nuri Sahin — their Pirlo-type players — under the same pressure that they will inevitably put Pirlo under will also be key. For this reason, I would start both Arturo Vidal and Roberto Pereyra, as they both naturally do a lot of running and would have the energy to hustle and harry opposing players for the majority of a 90 minute game. I would also sit Claudio Marchisio over Pirlo, as I think Pirlo's much superior passing ability would give Juve an outlet for quality balls when switching from defence to attack when we would be inevitably be put under pressure. Increased composure in front of goal This clearly goes without saying, but we have shown ourselves to get anxious in front of goal especially when there's a lot on the line. However, we have to show that confidence and swagger to prove that we belong on this stage. We will get chances - we've only struggled to create chances against Atletico, and this Dortmund is no Atletico - so our worry should really only be finishing them. Isolate and attack their fullbacks Piszczek and especially Schmelzer are both susceptible to being taken to the cleaners by skillful players. We should exploit this weakness, pulling both out of position and creating space in behind them for the likes of Carlos Tévez, Álvaro Morata or the late runs of Vidal and Paul Pogba to make the most of. Better defending on set pieces While Dortmund have not been particularly threatening on set pieces this season, they do have players who are dangerous at corners and free kicks. Their centre backs, Subotic and Hummels, are both very good in the air and have both scored from corners in recent games. We have been lapse in this area recently; the last thing we want is to give away a cheap away goal due to a corner (a la Olympiakos). Concentration will be key As many pundits have opined, this is most likely the tightest and hardest to call tie of the round of 16. It may very well come down to who makes less mistakes or who can capitalize on their other's mistakes better. At the end of the day, concentration will be key. We cannot afford any silly mistakes, as Dortmund will make us pay. Let them work for their chances, if anything. Max Allegri faced Barcelona in the 2013 Champions League with Milan, and played an almost perfect home leg, winning 2-0. That game saw an unexpectedly aggressive Milan, who were intense, who harried their opponents at every opportunity, and quickly closed down on any space, limiting the chances created by Barcelona. I am expecting to see Allegri employ a similar strategy against Dortmund on Tuesday. Hopefully, regardless of whether he does or doesn't, the result is similar.

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) Chiellini: Juventus Will Give Our All Against Borussia Dortmund Feb 22, 2014 Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has insisted that the Old Lady will give their all to earn a victory in their upcoming Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. The Bianconeri will play host to the struggling Bundesliga team in the first of two round of 16 meetings between the sides and the 30-year-old understands that the visitors will be difficult to overcome, though he confirms that the Turin giants will do everything possible to advance in the tournament. Chiellini spoke through a video posted on his official Twitter page about the approaching battle with Borussia Dortmund and commented on Juve’s dream of winning the Champions League. “Hello, everyone. We are currently preparing for this great match against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday,” said the Italian international. “We know that we will be facing a great team but we will give our all because we all still dream of continuing this Champions League adventure together.”

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) How Borussia Dortmund Will Try to Carry Newfound Momentum into Juventus Clash Feb 22, 2014 Borussia Dortmund will take a moment's rest from their Bundesliga recovery this week when they make the short trip south to Turin, where they will face Italian giants Juventus in the first leg of their knockout clash in the UEFA Champions League. Jurgen Klopp's side certainly have a bit of buzz around them of late, having won three games in a row now in the German Bundesliga and managed to climb to 12th spot in the table. While they're still not challenging the big boys at the top of the table, this represents a welcome change from the doldrums of relegation battles. When the former German champions take to the field on Tuesday night they'll have a certain wind in their sails and an incentive to really match their Italian opponents on the night. Dortmund have built up and incredible amount of momentum over the past month, and it's now time to see if they have enough to knock out Juventus. The first thing we should consider is that in a rather odd and somewhat peculiar fashion, Dortmund's Champions League form this season has remained completely unaffected by their complete breakdown in the German domestic game. Klopp's side may have spent the past six months nosediving towards the bottom of the Bundesliga, but at the very same time, we've seen then vanquish Anderlecht, Galatasaray and, most impressively, Premier League side Arsenal when it has really mattered. Although Dortmund will undoubtedly take courage and an unquestionable amount of confidence from their recent league form, their Champions League form has been almost impeccable of late and should really suggest the German side are at the very least Juventus' equal. Where Dortmund will mostly likely hope to hurt Juventus will be in attack, where the German side are undoubtedly more talented and have reclaimed their incentive for scoring goals of late. Klopp has recently reverted back to his winning formula of sticking Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang up front while his attacking three of Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa and new signing Kevin Kampl take to either playing off him or weaving through balls for the lightning-quick forward to run on to. The recent news of Reus signing a contract extension has truly galvanised the side and the forward's form, while Kagawa has finally returned to this squad with a turn in form since the new year. Add to that Aubameyang's incredible goalscoring tally of late—four goals and an assist in the last three games alone, according to WhoScored.com—and you have a team that have come 180 degrees since their dreadful start to the season and are now scoring for fun. Much of this has been down to the reintroduction of Ilkay Gundogan and Nuri Sahin to the centre of midfield—the real nucleus of Klopp's attacking intent. Both midfielders have suffered with niggling injuries and poor form this season, but they now finally look fit and exceptionally influential in how Dortmund play football and attack other sides. Fortunately for Dortmund, this may be the best time to ask questions of the Old Lady's defence as Massimiliano Allegri's side have looked far from composed in front of their own goal so far this year. In fact, of the 13 goals the Italian champions have conceded in this entire Serie A campaign, four have come in their last three games, with a somewhat disheartening 0-0 draw with Udinese coming before that. In European competition this season, we've also seen the Italian giants stumble against decent opposition and once again concede more goals than expected back home. Olympiakos managed to put four past them in two games, while Atletico Madrid also broke through to win 1-0 in their first group-stage meeting. Quite simply, Juventus don't look like a team who can rely on keeping a clean sheet in the Champions League right now, and it'll be up to Dortmund to put them to the task.

I'm a student of free-kicks - Pirlo The veteran is often lauded as a master of the set-piece art but remains keen to further hone his ability from dead ball situations. Feb 22, 2015 Juventus star Andrea Pirlo has described himself as a student of free-kick taking and says he can still improve his quality from set-pieces. The 35-year-old is widely acknowledged as one of the best free-kick takers in world football after mastering the knuckle ball-style execution made famous by former Brazil midfielder Juninho Pernambucano. Pirlo scored a stunning goal from open play as Juventus beat Atalanta 2-1 on Friday night, but remains modest over his ability to produce the spectacular from dead ball situations. He told La Stampa: "When it comes to free-kicks, I am not a maestro, but a student, because in life there is always something new to learn.” The former Italy international signed a contract extension until June 2016 having originally joined the club on a free transfer after leaving AC Milan in 2011. He has since gone on to win Serie A three times with the Bianconeri and looks set to add another title to his resume as Juve sit nine points clear at the top of the table. But while he has enjoyed great domestic success in Turin, Pirlo has been unable to add another Champions League crown to the two he won during his time with Milan and he admits he wants to taste European success again before retiring. "I came to Juve in order to win and we achieved that. I am very happy, but now we must make the next step up the ladder,” he said. I’d like to win another Champions League before retiring. Regarding the club's upcoming last-16 clash with Borussia Dortmund, Pirlo added: "We will not fall into the trap of confusing Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga status with their real quality. You cannot underestimate a match like this.” His future beyond his current deal remains uncertain but despite being in his mid-30s the former Milan man retains the desire to continue playing. "When it feels like a chore to come to training , I will be the first to raise my hand and say that’s enough, I quit. However, that moment is not now.”

Bonini: Conte Pays More Attention To Detail Than Allegri Feb 22, 2015 Former Juventus player Massimo Bonini believes that the current Italy boss Antonio Conte provides more attention to detail than the current Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri. The Old Lady are on top of the Serie A table with 54 points, having established a comfortable seven point lead over second-placed Roma and are on their way to a fourth straight Scudetto. “Compared to Conte, Allegri certainly has a different character,” said the 55-year-old to Tuttomercatoweb.com “Conte probably transmits more attention to the simpler things, but again it also depends on the players.” he continued. Bonini also hoped that the Old Lady’s 2-2 draw against Cesena last week is a one-off episode and does not become a habit. “I hope it was just a blip,” he said. “The championship is won by beating the small and medium teams below yourself.” The former Bologna man was then asked whether Juventus should make a move for Paris Saint-Germain centre forward Edinson Cavani. “I’d take him right away. He is a fantastic player not only because he scores, but also because he is a complete player. He’s also similar to [Carlos] Tevez.” Bonini wore the Bianconeri jersey more than 190 times from 1981 to 1988, before moving to Bologna where he made more than 100 appearances.

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) Allegri: I inherited an extraordinary Juventus side The Juventus boss hailed the veteran midfielder after his 30-yard striker earned the reigning Italian champions a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Atalanta on Friday. Feb 22, 2014 Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri says he inherited a squad of extraordinary professionals when he succeeded former coach Antonio Conte in Turin last year. The reigning Italian champions earned a hard-fought victory over Atalanta on Friday to go 10 points clear at the top of the table, coming behind to earn their 36th victory in their last 40 home league games after Giulio Migliaccio headed the visitors into a surprise first-half lead. It was the second time this season that Juve have fallen behind at home and come back to win, after going 2-1 down to Roma in October, and Allegri was delighted with the reaction of his players after goals from Fernando Llorente and Andrea Pirlo earned a 2-1 victory. “I inherited a legacy of extraordinary group of professionals, accustomed to working with intensity,” he told Franco Ordine. “The team showed a strong reaction and did well to see out the win, something we didn’t do in last week’s 2-2 draw with Cesena.” Juve will now turn their attentions to Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 first-leg clash at home to Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. The Old Lady failed to progress past the group stage last season and Allegri never made it past the quarter-finals during his time in the competition with previous club Milan, but he denies he has a 'Champions League complex'. “There is no complex,” he said. “Now my Juve is more mature and we reached this point by finishing top of our group. “Now we have to take a permanent place among the top eight teams in Europe because then we will be closer to a final which means we get more favorable draws in the future.”

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) Lahoz ref for Juve-Borussia Feb 22, 2014 Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz will officiate the Champions League game between Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. The official was appointed by UEFA for the first leg Round of 16 tie on Tuesday night. Lahoz will be supported by assistants Pau Cebrian Devis and Roberto Diaz Perez del Palomar. Meanwhile, the other game on Tuesday between Manchester City and Barcelona has been assigned to German referee Felix Brych.

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Q & A WITH THE YELLOW WALL Feb 22, 2014 In our latest Q&A session we sit down with Stefan Buczko of The Yellow Wall Pod which is part of the Football Collective network of team sites along with JuveFC.com. Stefan spoke to us about the upcoming Champions League match with Borussia Dortmund. How do you see the tie – Can Dortmund progress past the last 16? It’s hard to assess in what kind of shape Borussia Dortmund are in, as are yet to be tested by a big caliber side in 2015. Fact is, they are currently on the mend and they have fared well in the Champions League, otherwise they wouldn’t play against a team that came second in their group. Juventus are favourites for the tie, but if the black and yellows show their Champions League face, it’ll be a nail biter for both sets of fans. It’s unfortunate scheduling for Dortmund, that they play their big rivals FC Schalke in the game after and BVB fans will value a win more against their hated neighbours than in the Champions League, considering league points must be the priority. Then again it might be the last two times in a long time Borussia Dortmund will hear the magic anthem before kick off and the players will probably give their all to add two more. Where has it gone wrong for Dortmund in the Bundesliga ? What would you highlight as the main problem ? A lot of things must come together for such a great team to plummet all the way down, so it’s hard to single one factor out. It’s a mix of poor fitness levels after a insufficient preseason, injuries, loss of confidence combined with misfortune and a lack of cleverness. Comical individual errors at the back and atrocious finishing upfront was Dortmund’s undoing in a lot of games, where they were not the weaker team, but the sheer opposite from efficiency. How do you rate ex-Juve striker, Ciro Immobile? What’s the fans opinion of him? It’s Immobile’s first season at Dortmund and he found it hard to find his way into a struggling side. Too often he still looks disconnected from the rest of the team and harshly wasted a few sitters in the league. It’s probably not going as well as he had hoped, since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is now running the show as BVB’s lone striker. The fans don’t feel too enthusiastic about the Italian striker yet, but he’s demonstrated from time to time – especially in the Champions League – that there is greatness in him. He might show it on a consistent level if he actually had the chance to do so – strikers only function with the trust of the coach and a few games in a row to find into their groove. Currently I wouldn’t expect him to start in Turin. Which Juventus player do you fear the most ? Apart from Pirlo’s free kicks, it has to be Paul Pogba. Dortmund defenders are very susceptible to players with a high amount of individual skill and the Frenchmen is generously blessed with talent. Who is Dortmund’s key-player ? Borussia Dortmund’s biggest strength is usually their collective, but Marco Reus is the difference maker upfront. He can produce the extra ordinary to tilt a close game into Dortmund’s favour. What are your thoughts on the Juventus defence ? How do you rate it? It’s the best defense in Italy, bolstered with a lot of experience. I imagine it won’t be easy for Dortmund to create chances against them. Like most teams that are dominating their domestic league, Juve control most games in their opponent’s halves and thus make the distance to their own goal very long for their opponents. The whole team basically consists of players who have a strong physique and know how to make a tackle. I assume they have more tricks up their sleeve and more cheekiness than Dortmund do, but I haven’t watched enough Juve games to know for sure how their domestic prowess translate to Europe. In Italy they are probably seldomly confronted with a tenacious and relentless pressing like Dortmund’s and I can’t predict how the bianconeri will deal with it. What do you think is Juve’s biggest weakness ? Putting it into the context of the tie, it’s probably pace or the lack thereof at the back. I don’t know how offensively Allegri will set up his side, but if they will look to control the game, they will have to be on their toes. Once the likes of Marco Reus or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are unleashed it’s tough to contain them. Gigi Buffon better be quick off his line, or he might be in trouble. Are pressing and counter attack still BVB’s strengths? Yes, they are. While Borussia Dortmund struggle against sides, that sit back and don’t allow much space for counter attacks, they exhale against proactive sides. Their Champions League campaign has shown just that, as Arsenal, Galatasaray and Anderlecht all made the mistake to give Dortmund space to exploit. Teams in the Bundesliga have adapted to pressing and developed strategies to set up against it, a lot teams in Germany have copied Dortmund’s approach and thus are less prone to fall for it, but in Europe Dortmund can still use it as a weapon. Is there an actual fear of relegation among the fans? After winning the last two games, the fear of relegation has probably decreased among the fans. The trend is going in the right direction and it looks like there will be at least three worse teams than Dortmund this season, but the threat of relegation is still very much around. So far Dortmund hover just above the drop zone and will need to chip in few more performances before they are actually out of danger, but currently it looks like they will – but momentum can just as easily slip away, as it comes. What worries you the most about facing Juventus? Injuries. If Dortmund don’t make it into the next round, they at least can focus on the league then, but it would be horrible if another key player will pick an injury, because the black and yellows had enough trouble with injuries so far and really need to push on in the league. Especially ahead of the derby it would be catastrophic, if Jürgen Klopp had to shuffle around too much. The Dortmund coach finally found a working outfit, but come to think of it, he’ll have to rotate anyway. Forgive me, if I’m a bit panicky.

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) Pirlo: 'One more Champions League' Feb 22, 2014 Andrea Pirlo said he wants to “win another Champions League before retiring” as Juventus host Borussia Dortmund. On Tuesday there is the first leg in the Round of 16, kicking off in Turin at 20.45 CET. “I came to Juve in order to win and we achieved that. I am very happy, but now we must make the next step up the ladder,” Pirlo told La Stampa newspaper. “I’d like to win another Champions League before retiring. We will not fall into the trap of confusing Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga status with their real quality. You cannot underestimate a match like this.” The midfielder has lifted this trophy twice with Milan in 2003 and 2007, but Juventus haven’t won this competition since 1996. “When it feels like a chore to come to training, I will be the first to raise my hand and say that’s enough, I quit. However, that moment is not now.” Known for his cool demeanour and nicknamed ‘The Maestro’ of free kicks, Pirlo doesn’t see himself that way. “Perhaps I should get more fired up and angry, both in life and on the pitch. That’s just the way I am. “As for free kicks, I am not a maestro, but a student, because in life there is always something new to learn.” Meanwhile, Pirlo scored a stunning goal to give the Bianconeri a 2-1 victory over Atalanta on Friday, avoiding another draw after Cesena. “We were angry against Atalanta, because we threw away two points at Cesena and that should never happen again. “Right now we have a 10-point advantage over Roma, but it’s nothing really. With one defeat and a draw, Roma would be right up there with us. Serie A remains open.”

JUVENTUS - BORUSSIA D. - Tuesday, February 24th, 2015 - 08:45 P.M. Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee:‬ Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) Looking at Borussia Dortmund's dangermen Tuesday night will see Borussia Dortmund travel to Juventus Stadium, and despite their dire domestic form through the first half of the season, BVB remain one of Europe's most dangerous teams. Feb 22, 2014 Juventus plays Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in a match that could go some way to defining both teams' seasons. The German side has finally hit a bit of form at the worst possible time for Juventus fans, with a return to form and fitness for players like Ilkay Gündoğan and Marco Reus contributing to a run of three straight wins. Going back to the 4-2-3-1 — turning into a pressing 4-4-2 in defense — that has served them so well in recent seasons, Jürgen Klopp's men will surely pose problems for the Juventus team, and especially the back four. In this piece I'll take a look at some of BVB's best. Marco Reus is the first name on the teamsheet when healthy, and for good reason. Very creative and effective cutting in from either sideline, and almost impossible to dispossess, the German is simply one of the best around. The winter signing of Kevin Kampl from Red Bull Salzburg has spread some of the creative burden, with the Slovenian offering something of a mirror image on the opposite wing. Although their mutual understanding needs work at times, when it does click they can unlock defenses with ease. Kampl tends to start on the right and cut infield deeper, with Reus making infield runs higher and from the left. Switching positions at will and both good, fast dribblers capable of scoring from distance or playing the killer pass, Reus and Kampl will make sure that the Juventus fullbacks and midfielders have their work cut out for them. In the last few games, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has become the clear first-choice striker for Klopp. Unbelievably fast, Aubameyang also has the stamina to make explosive runs all game long and from sideline to sideline, stretching the defense and breaking the last line. An instinctive first-time finisher, Aubameyang will miss his fair share but when he gets it right his shots leave the keeper no chance. Aubameyang's incredible speed makes him important to the pressing game as well, as he is always eager to close down a center back or goalkeeper who takes one touch too many. Any ball over the top or into the channels gives Aubameyang a chance, and the Juventus defense will have to communicate and always be aware of the Gabonese dangerman. Ilkay Gündoğan is finally back to something near his best, providing an important link between attack and defense, often simply by playing balls over or through the opposing defense, as well as offering a goal threat of his own. Very good technically and eager to contribute all over the pitch, alongside Nuri Sahin he provides the shield in front of the back four and is an important component of Dortmund's high press. Dortmund's characteristic High Pressing will be one of the most important battles of the game, as Juventus try and move the ball upfield with short passes using Andrea Pirlo, Giorgio Chiellini, and Leonardo Bonucci as a base. If Juventus can consistently move the ball into midfield under control, and have time to look up and play accurate balls for the strikers, they should be well on the way to progressing. If Dortmund can force turnovers in the attacking zone the Schwarzgelben will be very tough to control. Paul Pogba and Claudio Marchisio will need to be precise in receiving the ball from their back line, and if they are consistently able to keep things moving forward it will be a big step for Juventus. Once that initial press is broken Dortmund remain a team with issues in defense, particularly if Mats Hummels is not able to recover from flu. Robert Weidenfeller, Neven Subotić and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have not inspired much confidence this year, and if Juventus can ask questions of them goals are likely to be the answer. Andrea Pirlo remains one of the likeliest sources of inspiration for the Old Lady, with his magnificent range of passing potentially deadly against a team that leaves space in behind like Dortmund. The Bearded Maestro will also be on set-piece duty, another area that has provided trouble for Klopp's men this season. Carlos Tévez will be, as always, hugely involved in the offensive third. With Gündoğan and Sahin in midfield Dortmund hardly have the most solid base, and at times both will lose 50/50 balls and provide a clear run through on the defense. Like Reus on the other side, Tévez has the dribbling, strength, creativity, and finishing to make his chances count.

Pogba would cost Real Madrid €100 million - Raiola If the Blancos want to sign the Juventus midfielder in the summer transfer window then they need to equal their world-record fee, the agent has proclaimed. Feb 21, 2015 Real Madrid would need to equal their world-record transfer fee of €100 million to sign Paul Pogba from Juventus this summer, according to the midfielder's agent, Mino Raiola. Pogba's days at the Scudetto holders are looking increasingly numbered and this week Chelsea and Manchester City emerged as leading the race to sign the 21-year-old ahead of the European champions and Paris Saint-Germain. However, Real Madrid have a track record of splashing out more cash than any of their rivals and they have been frequently mentioned as frontrunners when a potential summer move for Pogba is mooted. Raiola has expressed that La Liga's table-toppers need to match the triple-figure sum they spent on luring Gareth Bale away from Tottenham if they want the France international to be on their books next season. "If Real Madrid want him then they should call me," the agent told Marca. "Madrid are a dangerous club to move to, as the pressure can hurt players' careers, but Pogba is ready. "He is very focused on his life and his career. Nothing is insurmountable for him. I know he's liked a lot by Madrid coaches Zinedine Zidane and Carlo Ancelotti, but Paul's only thinking about Juve right now. "Money's not a problem for clubs like Real Madrid. The cost of signing him would be €100 million - whoever signs him gets the star of the next generation of players." Raiola also suggested that Juve's prize player - who they signed from Manchester United almost three years ago on a free transfer - has more than a little bit of PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic about him. "There is no one like Pogba," the agent added. "He's dominated interest in the transfer market for a year and a half. "Only seven clubs in the world can afford Pogba. He is the up-and-coming player with cojones like Ibrahimovic."

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus 2-1 Atalanta: Andrea Pirlo wondergoal wins Borussia Dortmund warmup Fernando Llorente and Andrea Pirlo got the goals as Juventus came from behind to beat Atalanta 2-1 in Turin. Feb 21, 2015 Ahead of the massively important first leg against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday, much of the debate surrounding Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus concerned how he would treat the Atalanta match. Would it be a dress rehearsal for the Dortmund game, picking a first-choice team and working on some of the tactical maneuvers designed to beat the German defense? Or would it be a second-string starting XI, with several starters rested in hopes of seeing them at their best in the Champions League? In the end, Allegri chose the middle road, naming a largely first-choice XI, with Patrice Evra seeding the left-back slot to Simone Padoin and Arturo Vidal left out in the hope that he can completely recover from a slight muscular injury. Carlos Tévez returned from suspension, partnering Fernando Llorente up top, while Giorgio Chiellini returned to the center of defense. Atalanta coach Stefano Colantuono was forced into wholesale changes after four starters against Inter picked up cards earning suspensions, including Benalouane's red. Perhaps the biggest miss was Maxi Moralez, with the diminutive Argentine ruled out through injury. Atalanta responded by packing the team with fullbacks and set out to defend and hit quickly on the counter. Their plan was largely effective, and they even took the lead through a Giuseppe Migliaccio header, but as the game wore on their energy levels dropped and once Andrea Pirlo scored a brilliant go-ahead goal in the 45th minute Atalanta struggled to find a way back. It was not an entirely convincing performance from Juventus, who took the foot off the gas for long periods of the second half. With huge games against Dortmund and at Roma in the next week it is important to note that nobody seemed to pick up any injuries, although Simone Padoin did see a yellow card that will rule him out of the upcoming Roma match. Three important points extend Juventus' lead atop the table to 10, with Roma facing Hellas Verona on Sunday, but Juventus have certainly played better at different points of the season. With everything on the line against Dortmund, Turin will hope to see the Old Lady in her very finest on Tuesday night. MATCH SUMMARY Juventus kicked off and almost immediately Atalanta's intent became clear — forming two lines of four and dropping off into their own half. Juventus passed the ball patiently, waiting for an opportunity to invent something in the final third. Carlos Tévez looked the most likely to have something come off, and his early flick nearly created a chance only to see Martín Cáceres' cross was blocked out for a corner. Pirlo's corner almost resulted in an early opener, as Llorente made a good run past the near post, but his volley skewed wide. It would have been a spectacular finish. Leonardo Bonucci found Llorente with a magnificent through ball 11 minutes in, but the linesman raised his flag. Another combination down the right between Llorente, Tévez, and the overlapping Cáceres saw the Uruguayan's cross cut out. Not everything was going Juventus' way, however, as Atalanta showed a glimpse of potential with an instinctive Luca Cigarini ball over the top, well read by Bonucci. Pirlo nearly set up the opener with a fantastic pass through for Llorente, but the striker was just put off by Massiello. Twenty-four minutes in, Atalanta had the best chance of the game, as Urby Emanuelson raced upfield on the counter after an excellent touch from Germán Denis. The attack unravelled slightly but eventually the ball fell for Daniele Baselli all alone in front of goal, forcing Buffon into a vital save. The Atalanta man really should have put his side into the lead, and from the resulting corner the 1-0 did come. Giuseppe Migliaccio escaped Cáceres' marking and got ahead of Claudio Marchisio at the near post, somehow flicking his header perfectly in off the far post. Juventus reacted immediately with a Tévez effort, then Paul Pogba nearly made something happen following a fantastic roulette on the touchline, but Roberto Pereyra's finish was weak after Tévez played him in. Llorente had another chance on 33' when Pogba played a quick ball to his feet, but he could not quite turn and fire in time. It was Pogba creating again in the 38th, as the French international played a brilliant cross-field ball through the entire Atalanta defense, but Cáceres' shot was well-saved. Once again the resulting corner provided the goal, as Llorente tapped in following Bonucci's header and a bit of pinball in the box. Atalanta managed a bit of a response, but soon enough were once again pinned into their own half. Things were calmly moving to halftime, with Atalanta sinking back and Juventus tapping around 5-yard passes, easing towards the Atalanta box, and then it happened. Pogba faked a shot, tapped it across to Marchisio, who knocked it back for Pirlo. The Atalanta midfield was slow to react, and Pirlo instantly saw his chance, taking one touch to set it up and thundering a beautiful strike into the far corner. The ball was struck so purely it barely rotated in the air, just knuckling away from Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello at the last second. The second half started fairly quickly, with both sides having even-numbers situations on the counter in the first five minutes, but Tévez and Emanuelson showed too much to their defenders. The visitors lost Davide Zappacosta to a thigh injury soon after, taking some of the bite out of their counterattack. Juventus had two chances to wrap up the points soon after, first with Llorente and Tévez just failing to combine and then when Pogba saw point-blank header brilliantly saved following a good run from Tévez and Pereyra's cross. Marchisio went down in the box with a hand on his shoulder, but the referee played on and, following some heated discussion, gave Marchisio a yellow card. A minute later Il Principino caught a high boot to the face, also in the box, and again the referee saw nothing in it. Emanuelson threatened again on the counter, drawing a yellow for Padoin, before Pogba could have a third, leaving Atalanta midfielders in his wake, but Tévez' shot was blocked. Atalanta had a chance for an equalizer, but Denis' header lacked power. Stephan Lichtsteiner came on for Pogba in the 65th minute, switching the formation to 3-5-2 and saving the midfielder from a possible yellow card which would bring a suspension against Roma. The Swiss Express was quickly involved, knocking Tévez' cross back into the box for Llorente, but the big striker could not quite get there first. Lichtsteiner continues to be involved down the right, but his final ball never quite found its target. The clock began running down and Atalanta struggled to create much, resorting to hopeful attempts from long range. Álvaro Morata came on for Llorente for the last 15 minutes, nearly creating something in the 82nd when his cutback went to Pirlo then Tévez, but the final effort was blocked. Two minutes later the young Spaniard was again racing down the flank, but Massiello recovered in time. Atalanta had a couple of chances late, as Cigarini blasted a hopeful effort and then Scaloni sent in a dangerous cross for Migliaccio, but this time he was unable to get his header on target. Kingsley Coman came on for the final five minutes and was instantly dangerous, turning the Atalanta defense inside and out but his eventual cross was too close to Marco Sportiello. Stoppage time played out without too much danger, as Juventus extended its lead over Roma to ten points. LE PAGELLE Buffon: 6.5 Not all that much to do, but was quick off his line and made an excellent save on Benassi. Migliaccio's header left him no chance. Cáceres: 6 A constant presence on the attacking flank and usually strong defensively. However, he lost Migliaccio on the goal. Bonucci: 6 Usually strong and good covering ground, as well as playing a few dangerous long balls. Could perhaps have been more aggressive with Denis in the buildup to Benassi's chance. Chiellini: 6 Covered ground and won his tackles, as well as contributing to a few attacks. Padoin: 5.5 At times was a good outlet down the left, and was fairly untroubled defensively except for one header late on. Marchisio: 6 Failed to make an impact with his shooting, but always involved and running for the team. Pirlo: 7 Vital contributions to both goals, and could have easily created another. Did his defensive work well too. Pogba: 6.5 At times looked absolutely unstoppable, but at others faded from the match. Pereyra: 5.5 One of Tucu Pereyra's more forgettable matches, as he put in a couple of crosses, dribbled and got in good positions, but probably should have contributed to a goal somehow. Llorente: 6 The big man got the nod again, and was very useful winning high balls as well as getting into dangerous positions, but was a touch sluggish getting his shot off. Tévez: 6 Vital as ever in the Juventus buildup, Tévez does not quite have the luck in front of goal that he did earlier this year, but remains Juventus' most potent attacking threat. Substitutes Lichtsteiner: 6 Immediately made an impact as an outlet down the right. It will be interesting to see who starts at right-back on Tuesday. Morata: 6 Always threatening in space, and another who should maybe be given a chance on Tuesday. Coman: N/A Only on for a few minutes, but showed his potential with fantastic pace and elusiveness. Coach: Allegri: 6 Very much job done in this one, getting three points and on to the Champions League with no injuries and no yellow card for Pogba. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Pirlo: Juventus had to dig deep The veteran midfielder was relieved to get three points against Atalanta and is ready to turn his attention quickly to Borussia Dortmund. Feb 21, 2015 Andrea Pirlo concedes Juventus were forced to "dig deep" in order to secure three points against Atalanta on Friday. The champions went behind to Giulio Migliaccio's first-half header before Fernando Llorente bundled home from close range and Pirlo completed the turnaround with a sensational strike from distance. "Our only target tonight was getting the three points and putting in a good display following last Sunday's performance in Cesena," the 35-year-old told reporters after the match. "It wasn't an easy game. But even though we fell behind, we managed to dig deep and grind out a result." Pirlo is confident Llorente will be given a timely boost after getting back on the scoresheet in Turin. "Fernando required that confidence boost and we hope the goals will now start flowing for him," he said. "He's someone we need." Attentions now turn to Juve's Champions League last-16 first leg with Borussia Dortmund next week and Pirlo is determined to deny the Germans an away goal. '"It'll be crucial to win without conceding," he said. "We're not going to focus on their league position but for how they've gone about in the Champions League so far. From tomorrow we’ll begin preparing for Borussia Dortmund." http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Llorente: Goal Against Atalanta Gives Me Confidence Feb 21, 2015 Juventus striker Fernando Llorente has stated that the goal he scored in the 2-1 victory against Atalanta gives him confidence. The Spaniard scored his side’s equaliser on Friday night in what was only his sixth goal of the season, and his first since the 3-1 away win against Cagliari on December 18. “This goal gives me confidence because I haven’t scored in while,” he told Mediaset. Llorente then went on to say that his side are ready to face Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of the Round of 16 UEFA Champions League tie. “I don’t know if thinking about the Borussia Dortmund game affected our performance tonight, but we are ready to face them,” he said. “We actually had a lot of chances to score, it is a pity that we only managed to convert two of them. “The competition with [Alvaro] Morata can only be beneficial to the team so that everyone can give their best to the side, and it gives the coach [Massimiliano Allegri] more choices. “Allegri decides on how we play and who plays, but the most important thing is Juventus. “We’ll have to play really well against Dortmund because they have a lot of quality in midfield and attack; we can’t leave them any space.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus 2 - Atalanta 1: Initial reaction and random observations Feb 21, 2015 It didn't take very long for Juventus to venture down a road they've gone down so many times in recent years. You know the one — possession galore, scoring chances aplenty and nothing to show for it whatsoever. It was, just like Sunday against Cesena, a frustrating-beyond-belief kind of game where Juve had over 80 (!!!) percent of the possession in the early stages of the first half. And that's even before Atalanta took the lead on what was basically their only real moment of attack-minded football in the first half. (It had to be a goal from a set piece/corner kick, didn't it? Check that one off the list.) Yet, in the span of six minutes as the first half was beginning to come to a close, Juventus scored one of the scrappiest goals of the season (Fernando Llorente's) and one of the prettiest courtesy of Andrea Pirlo's 30-yard bolt of lightning. Just like that, Juve turned their fortunes around in a game they were far from impressive. Heck, they were far from playing a solid game at all. JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen .@Pirlo_official: "After Sunday’s performance in Cesena, our only aim for tonight was getting the three points." I mean, that's a good way to look at it to try and get right in Serie A. But was this really an inspiring performance when it comes to going into the Champions League showdown with Borussia Dortmund just four days away? Not really. Juventus created opportunities, sure, but when you're playing against a relegation-battling team that was far from full strength, you want the league's best to impose their will. Juve had possession, but didn't take full advantage of it. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who was thinking "Don't pull a Cesena!" as the second half went on and Juventus couldn't find a third goal to double their lead and essentially put the game to bed. You just hope the win gives the squad some confidence going into a massive week. I know the overall performance wasn't all that inspiring. That's for damn sure. JuventusFC ✔ @juventusfcen .@OfficialAllegri: "The team showed a positive reaction and did well to see out the win, something we didn’t see in Cesena." Random thoughts and observations I am going to get the Fernando Llorente discussion out of the way quickly. Do I think he was great against Atalanta? No. But Llorente really did work his tail off Friday night. There was a time where Llorente would be involved in a huge number of Juve's ventures forward, holding up playing and dishing the ball off to his teammates. And while his goal was ugly, he did something he hadn't done since the middle of December — actually find the back of the net. If anything, Llorente's goal, his fifth in Serie A this season, will give him some much-much-much-needed confidence going forward. Based on how things have gone for him the past six months, any kind of goal is something to be happy about. I think that's something we can agree about. I don't know how many times I watched Pirlo's goal during halftime, but it was a lot. So beautiful, so out of nowhere, so important. That's what gave Juventus the three points Friday night. So thank you, Andrea. Quiz question for the masses: When was the last time a Pirlo goal was a non-free kick? Go ahead. It's no secret around here that I am one of the biggest Martin Cáceres fanboys there is. He was great in the first half against Atalanta, bombing up and down the right wing in his return to the starting lineup. He hasn't missed a beat at all — when he's actually healthy, of course — since shifting out wide as a right back since Max Allegri's been using his 4-3-1-2 formation. Allegri walked a tightrope with playing Paul Pogba from the start against Atalanta fully knowing that a yellow card would mean the French dynamo wouldn't be part of Juve's trip to Roma next weekend. Luckily for all of us (and Allegri), Pogba didn't get that yellow card before he came off for Stephan Lichtsteiner in the 64th minute. Bullet dodged. Who's actually going to be suspended against Roma? A certain Simone Padoin. Let's just start praying for a win right now, people. I'm just going out on a limb and declare it right here: One of the young players Atalanta trotted out Friday night will be a Juventus player sooner rather than later. That's just a hunch. (Or maybe it's knowing a thing or two about a thing or two when it comes to Beppe Marotta.) Our Champions League coverage will get going soon, but one quick thought: After watching Atalanta counter like they did, even thinking about somebody like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang kick into gear and run full speed at Juve's defense may well give me nightmares. Seriously, trying to stop Dortmund's counterattacking ways will be so important to keeping them off the scoreboard Tuesday night. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Juventus win, but fail to convince against Atalanta Feb 21, 2015 They hoped it would be easy. They hoped they would glide their way to another victory to boost their confidence. Yet on Friday evening, in front of their own fans, Juventus suffered against a determined Atalanta side who, against the run of play, opened the scoring. The Old Lady won in the end but not as comprehensively as she would have hoped. For one thing, Stefano Colantuono has constructed a determined side that possess the right spirit. They may have conceded a lot of space to Juventus, which is unusual for them, but they showed courage going forward and were intelligent in profiting from Juve's obvious flaw -- the slowing down of pace in the final third. This particular point irks the critics. Juventus will push and move men forward, but just at a time when the opponent is not yet organised and swift play is required, the Bianconeri lose momentum and slow things down, resulting in a well-executed block or tackle by the defence. When pushing forward with pace, players must think quickly and maintain concentration so as to create opportunities at a faster rate than defences have time to arrange themselves. Instead, it's a repeat of the same one-twos in congested areas that eventually lead to the opponent winning the ball. Always on hand to win back possession just outside the box and counter-attack with pace, Atalanta read the game well and benefitted from Juve's imprecision. While Martin Caceres exploited the space on the right flank in an attempt to deliver the right pass or the right cross into the box, Juventus grew too attached to the notion of pushing through centrally in the second half. This made it easier for Atalanta to steal the ball and push. These are the games when one cannot help but miss Kwadwo Asamoah. Not only would he have managed more on the left wing, utilising the space available to him, but he would have always been on hand to rescue his team from the away side's counter-attacks. An intelligent man who understands how to balance his tasks, he would have made the difference on the night. Thankfully for Juventus, Fernando Llorente did. The player, under a mountain of pressure especially since Alvaro Morata's recent improvement, managed a scrappy, confidence-boosting goal to equalise for his side. While he earned applause and quiet appreciation for his efforts, many continue to accuse the player of being sub-par for a side like Juve. He doesn't have the pace of Morata, the creativity of Carlos Tevez or the mobility of other strikers, but he doesn't deserve the criticism. There are few who work as hard as he does in the box, occupying the centre-backs and using his strength to control and shoot. Boasting a towering physique, he's the player who draws defenders away and battles consistently to hold the ball up to help those around him. He may not always be the most elegant. And he has a habit of succumbing to frustration by registering fouls. But against the Nerazzurri on Friday, he demonstrated what a fine touch he has, taking balls into his stride as he moved forward. Admittedly he hasn't been prolific and he has limitations on a technical level, but at least Llorente always fights, displaying the Juve mentality. While Llorente's goal brought relief, Andrea Pirlo's brought back the beauty. Scoring an outrageously delightful goal from distance, demonstrating true technique and ability, the player effectively won the game for his side. Not because he was always on hand to look for the right avenues going forward, and not even because his goal proved to be the winner. No, Pirlo won the match for Juve by owning the midfield both offensively and defensively. Jumping to win headers, intercepting passes and stealing possession, Pirlo ensured Atalanta were consistently interrupted as they tried to move quickly up the field. His defensive contributions on the night proved valuable and entertaining, earning the Italian standing ovations and continuous applause from the fans who heralded his achievements. He may have disappointed recently, but when Pirlo wants to turn the magic on, opponents -- and critics -- are forced to sit and admire. Fighting to the end and reverting to a 3-5-2 formation to win the match, Juventus showed maturity but perhaps should not have suffered so much against a side decimated by injuries and struggling to climb the table. However, they will be happy to realise that when they remain determined and humble, they can seal victories, which should stand them in good stead for Borussia Dortmund. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Player Ratings: Juventus 2-1 Atalanta Feb 20, 2015 Juventus 1 G. Buffon - Made a fantastic save to deny Baselli in the first half and barely had another stop to make. 4 M. Cáceres - The Uruguayan got forward regularly and forced a good save from Sportiello, but he lost Migliaccio on the goal. 19 L. Bonucci - His header led to Llorente scoring the equaliser, but he was frequently out of position at the back. 3 G. Chiellini - It was a comfortable game at the back for the Italy international, who kept Denis quiet throughout. 20 S. Padoin - Pushed forward frequently and was rarely caught out by Emanuelson going the other way. 8 C. Marchisio - The Italy international put a couple of decent deliveries into the box but did not make much of an impact. 21 ANDREA PIRLO - Displayed his trademark incisive passing and scored an absolute belter to secure the points. 6 P. Pogba - The Frenchman played a few decent passes but really ought to have scored with a second-half header. 37 R. Pereyra - Combined well with his team-mates and was always forward-thinking. Denied a goal by Sportiello's save. 10 C. Tévez - The Argentine looked lively but never really managed to get into areas where he could test Sportiello himself. 14 Llorente - Scored his team's equaliser with an opportunistic strike and was always looking to get in behind. Substitutes 26 S. Lichtsteiner - Came on for Pogba in the 65th minute and was very bright out wide. 9 Álvaro Morata - Replaced Llorente in the 74th minute and stretched the opposition with his pace. 11 K. Coman - Brought on for Tevez in the 89th minute. Atalanta 57 M. Sportiello - The keeper made a number of brilliant saves but was eventually beaten by Llorente and could do nothing to deny Pirlo. 6 G. Bellini - Defended well for periods but was guilty of sitting far too deep and inviting pressure. 13 A. Masiello - Stuck as close to Llorente as possible and did a good job of frustrating him for long periods. 8 G. Migliaccio - Put in a number of strong challenges to break up the play and scored with a brilliant header. 5 L. Scaloni - Made his first Serie A appearance in over a year and was solid defensively as well as offering an attacking option. 22 D. Zappacosta - Tried to offer protection to Drame and was quick to counterattack whenever possible. 21 L. Cigarini - Couldn't display his quality in midfield as he was forced to defend with Juve dominating the ball. 16 D. Baselli - Operated in behind Denis and forced a great save from Buffon. Always lurking around the box. 93 B. Dramé - Operated at left-back and frequently afforded Caceres and Lichtsteiner more space than he should have. 28 U. Emanuelson - Lacked sharpness when in possession but supplied the corner which Migliaccio headed home. 19 G. Denis - The Argentine received very little service, but when it did come his way he strayed offside too often. Substitutes 7 M. D'Alessandro - Came on for the injured Zappacosta in the 51st minute but struggled to have a positive influence. 99 R. Boakye - Brought on for Denis in the 71st minute but didn't offer anything more. 10 A. Gómez - Replaced Baselli in the 83rd minute. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Pirlo: Juventus Suffered Against Atalanta Feb 20, 2015 Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has stated that his suffered in their 2-1 win over Atalanta on Friday night. The Italian international’s long-range strike on the stroke of half-time proved to be the winning goal, extending Juve’s lead at the top of the table to 10 points, with Roma still to play on Sunday. “It was a beautiful goal,” he told Mediaset. “I’m happy that it proved to be the winning one too. “Atalanta have always played well away from home; we did suffer but we had the right spirit. “Allegri unsatisfied? It is normal for the coach to feel that way when the side is suffering on the pitch.” Pirlo then went on to say that the side are now focusing on the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. “We have to prepare ourselves for Tuesday’s game,” he concluded. “We are ready, and we’ll give it our best shot.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Player Ratings: Juventus 2-1 Atalanta Feb 20, 2015 Juventus beat Atalanta 2-1 at the Juventus Stadium in a dull Serie A clash on Friday evening. Giulio Migliaccio gave Atalanta a shock lead before Fernando Llorente leveled for the Bianconeri and Andrea Pirlo produced a moment of magic to score what would prove to be the match winning goal in the first half. Juventus Gianluigi Buffon – 6.0 – Quiet - Denied Baselli with a great save in the first half only to see Atalanta score from the resulting corner. Quiet game otherwise. Martin Caceres – 5.5 – Omen - Attacked well in the first half, final ball let him down. Now 38 consecutive appearances without defeat. Leonardo Bonucci – 6.0 – Bystander - Much like Chiellini, had little to do throughout the game. Dealt with most things comfortably, with the exception of build up to opening goal. Giorgio Chiellini – 6.0 – Untroubled - Had little to do. Only Juventus player who came close to preventing Migliaccio’s header. Simone Padoin – 5.0 – Wasteful - Offered little to his side. Persistently wasteful in possession going forward. Claudio Marchisio – 6.0 – Average - Nothing spectacular to note. Main talking point from his performance was booking for diving and continued spat with Scaloni. ANDREA PIRLO – 7.0 – Difference - Had a relatively quiet game. Dictated the pace in his usual fashion. May have received a lower rating were it not for his wonder strike which clinched the three points. Paul Pogba – 5.5 – Tame - Failed to influence the game one way or another in his hour or so on the pitch. Never got out of first gear, possibly keeping an eye on the upcoming Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund. Roberto Pereyra – 5.0 – Ineffective - Intended to be the attacking link in the midfield but largely failed to do anything productive. Carlos Tevez – 5.0 – Blunt - Uncharacteristically quiet. No threatening runs at defence and lacked usual bullishness. Fernando Llorente – 6.0 – Lucky - Only receiving a rating this high because he scored. Morata offered more in his short time on the field than Llorente could all night. Substitutes Stephan Lichtsteiner – 5.0 - Replaced Pogba with just under 30 minutes to play but did little to nothing. Alvaro Morata – No Rating Kingsley Coman – No Rating Atalanta Marco Sportiello – 7.5 – Standout - Made a number of good saves, the pick of which being from a close-range Pogba header. Denied Caceres in the first half and saved well initially before Juventus equalised. Andrea Masiello – 6 – Comeback - Not a bad reintroduction to Serie A after a three year absence. Made a brilliant recovery tackle to deny Morata late on. Lionel Scaloni – 5.5 – Basic - Not bad, but should have pressed Juventus attacks more. Gianpaolo Bellini – 6 – Comfortable - Failed to clear in the lead up to Juventus’ equaliser, but performed well otherwise. Boukary Drame – 5 – Mute - Offered nothing going forward, Zappacosta suffered as a result. Davide Zappacosta – 6 – Assured - The young versatile Italian performed to a good standard yet again for La Dea before having to come off with an injury shortly after half-time. Played on the left of midfield but looked as comfortable as he has everywhere else this season. Giulio Migliaccio – 6.5 – Battler - Thrived in his role and broke up several Juventus plays. Put his side ahead with a header. Luca Cigarini – 6 – Controlling - Kept possession well, as usual. At times dominated an albeit tame Bianconeri midfield along with Migliaccio. Urby Emanuelson – 6 – Shift - Played reasonably well on the right without doing too much going forward, largely due to his team not seeing much of the ball. Daniele Baselli – 5 – Frustrated - The youngster played in as one of La Dea’s more advanced players but possession became somewhat of a rarity. Denied by a brilliant Buffon stop at 0-0. German Denis – 5 – Rusty - Il Tanque looked like a man low on confidence and was suffering from a lack of game time. Poor first touch and looked heavy on his feet. A far cry from the Tanque we knew last season. Substitutes Marco D’Alessandro – No Rating Richmond Boakye – No Rating Alejandro Gomez – No Rating http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Match-winning genius or Achilles heel? Pirlo will make or break Juventus against Dortmund The 35-year-old playmaker was at his peerless best on Friday night, inspiring his side to a 2-1 win over Atalanta, but BVB will no doubt target the midfielder in Turin. Feb 20, 2015 By Mark Doyle Andrea Pirlo has never been bothered by pressure. "I don’t give a toss about it," he wrote in his autobiography, 'I Think, Therefore, I Play'. "I spent the afternoon of Sunday, 9 July, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup.” However, while Pirlo may be impervious to pressure of the mental variety, he is susceptible to physical pressure. Pirlo is one of the finest playmakers ever to play the game, a footballer of rare intelligence who moves the ball and his team-mates around the field like a chess master. For all Paul Pogba's dynamism, L'architetto remains Juventus' most important player. However, while he is their greatest strength, he is also their most glaring weakness - precisely because he is so important; so integral to how Juve play. Pirlo has been repeatedly targeted by opponents because to shut down Pirlo is to shut down Juve. Of course, Pirlo, genius that he is, is capable of outmanoeuvring any adversary. But he is also human and, at 35, increasingly prone to getting caught in possession when put under intense pressure, as evidenced by last weekend's 2-2 draw at Cesena. Pirlo had no such problems against Atalanta on Friday night. True, Juve fell behind to a header from Giulio Migliaccio (worryingly, it was a near identical goal to the one that the Bianconeri conceded in the 3-1 win over AC Milan a fortnight ago) but Pirlo was fantastic from start to finish, capping a come-from-behind win with a frankly ridiculous strike from 29 metres out. Predictably, Pirlo dictated the game throughout, but he didn't just distribute the ball with typical class and composure, he also recovered it five times. So dominant was the former AC Milan man, that it was he who was harrying others out of possession. However, it will be a very different story against Borussia Dortmund when Jurgen Klopp's men arrive in Turin on Tuesday night for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Bayern are a high-octane, high-pressing team and they will pile the pressure on Pirlo. BVB may not be fans of the way in which Bayern Munich regularly cast their eyes in the direction of Signal Iduna Park and its star players, but you can be sure that Klopp will have his players watching videos of their Bavarian rivals' quarter-final victory over Juve two years ago. Bayern beat Juventus 4-0 on aggregate, scoring two unanswered goals in both Bavaria and Turin, and the key to their commanding success was the way in which they never gave Pirlo a second to think, let alone play. Nothing has changed in interim. Yes, Max Allegri has replaced Antonio Conte as coach but the fact is that Pirlo remains the focal point of the Juventus team. With Dortmund now having been buoyed by three successive wins in the Bundesliga, one can be sure that they will arrive at Juventus Stadium reinvigorated. "It will be crucial to win without conceding. We're not focused on their domestic form, only on their Champions League exploits. Tomorrow we'll start thinking about preparing for the match" the midfielder said of Dortmund at full-time. Thus, the pressure on Pirlo will be intense. How he responds to it will clearly play a massive part in determining which side progresses to the last eight. http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

JUVENTUS - ATALANTA 2 - 1 Giulio Migliaccio (25') Fernando Llorente (39') Andrea Pirlo (45') Friday, February 20th, 2015 - 8:45 PM Juventus Stadium, Turin Referee: Massimiliano Irrati Allegri 'not worried' by Borussia Feb 20, 2015 Max Allegri said he is “absolutely not worried” about facing Borussia Dortmund after Juventus squeezed past Atalanta 2-1. The Bianconeri had been trailing for only seven minutes all season until last week, when they fought back for a 2-2 draw at Cesena and today went behind to Atalanta. “It was a difficult start, as Atalanta defended well and we tried to play between the lines, but were too hasty and conceded a few counter-attacks. It requires patience and we’d eventually create the scoring opportunities,” Allegri told Sky Sport Italia. “We conceded on a corner, the same way as against Milan. We equalised from another corner and Andrea Pirlo’s great strike paved the way to victory. “He has two magical feet, especially the right, and when he shoots the ball takes strange trajectories. It was an extraordinary goal. “We cannot expect to win every match 3-0, as there are opponents and they aren’t just going to lie down and let us dominate. “I saw a team that was very concentrated today, albeit a little too hasty and therefore gave the ball away. We should’ve finished off the game after the break, but we were determined and focused to bring this victory home, all things we were lacking against Cesena.” Juventus particularly struggled in the last 15 minutes, but Allegri insisted it was to be expected. “Through these games we reach our final objective. We were a little tired and worked hard in training this month, as we didn’t have the chance during the winter break. We had to put some fuel in the old legs going into the final stage of the season. “Towards the end we didn’t control the ball well, which we usually do. This is the toughest part of the campaign. These games are good for us, as they get our feet back on the ground and remind us that nothing will be handed to us.” Giulio Migliaccio opened the scoring with a header from a corner, something Allegri expected. “I had told the defenders that Migliaccio always got the ball in the air, he’s got a magnet for it. Unfortunately in these situations it’s almost better not to mark them.” Juve face Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16. This evening BVB notched up a third consecutive victory, winning 3-2 away to Stuttgart. “We are in very good shape. Borussia are back on track and on Tuesday it’s the first of two games, so we have to play with balance and I am absolutely not worried by this match. “I think they are going to be two great games and I expect qualification to be decided only in the final minutes of the second leg.” http://www.goal.com/en/results-standings/69/italy-serie-a/table?ICID=SP_TN_111

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-JyL8CfV5M http://www.tuttosport.com/foto/calcio/serie_a/2015/02/20-90830_0/FOTO+Llorente-Pirlo+show.+La+Juve+vince+in+rimonta http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/bs9wk2-cdqW/Juventus+FC+v+Atalanta+BC