Socrates

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Juventus Beat Chelsea: What We Learned From Juve's Triumph Over the Champions Nov 21, 2012 Struggling Chelsea faced an in-form Juventus side Tuesday night in the Champions League, and very little went right for the visitors. Within first five minutes, Petr Cech was forced to push Stephan Lichsteiner's volley onto the post, and the pressure rarely let up from there. Though Eden Hazard had a great chance to put his side ahead inside ten minutes after a brilliant winding run from Oscar, the hosts were far the better team on the night. Chelsea, setting up in a defensive wing-back formation, had problems from back to front, while Juventus created chances consistently from all sides. It's no mean feat beating the champions of Europe so comprehensively, putting them in danger of elimination to boot. How did they do it? Roberto Di Matteo's Selection of Cesar Azpilicueta Was a Puzzling Mistake Roberto di Matteo inserted Cesar Azpilicueta into his starting 11 as a right wing-back to deal with Juventus wing-back Kwadwo Asamoah for only his fifth appearance of the season. The move looked ill-fated from the start, as Asamoah was pushing on beyond Azpilicueta and facing off against Branislav Ivanovic in the first minute. In fact, it was unclear throughout the match exactly what role Azpilicueta was meant to play, as the Chelsea defense often reverted to the simple flat back four to which they're more accustomed. Azpilicueta did little to quell the attacking prowess of Asamoah, and offered next to nothing going forward. He was duly substituted after 60 minutes. Chelsea's Defensive Tactics Were a Mess Beyond the puzzling selection of Azpilicueta, di Matteo's defensive tactics cost Chelsea control of the match. Playing without a striker should have given Chelsea much more control over the middle of the park, but they seemed content to sit deep and let Juventus dictate the pace of play. Juventus, meanwhile, took advantage of Chelsea's tentativeness, sending players forward at every opportunity. Without a recognized striker, Chelsea lacked a target for outlet passes from their defensive posture, as well as for crosses. Though they troubled Juventus on the counter, they were unable to take advantage of the few chances they managed to create. Andrea Pirlo Is Not the Sole Threat from Juventus's Midfield England supporters are just getting over their nightmares of Andrea Pirlo from the quarterfinal of Euro 2012, but the Chelsea fans now know the midfield maestro isn't the only quality player directing traffic in Turin. Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal turned in lively performances against Chelsea, building on their strong seasons and ever-growing confidence. The two midfielders play slightly advanced of Andrea Pirlo, and alternately pop up between Chelsea's midfield and defense. They are not shy from crashing into the penalty area to get on the end of crosses, as Vidal showed in the splendid move that led to his goal. Asamoah Was a Constant Threat Kwadwo Asamoah had a splendid match, getting up and down the left side and always looking to put in dangerous crosses for the two strikers. What he lacked in technique and passing ability, he more than made up for in pace, power and crossing ability. Azpilicueta couldn't deal with him, and Ivanovic didn't have the pace to contain him. His 40th-minute cross was was nearly bungled in by David Luiz and Ashley Cole before the latter managed to clear it off the line in the nick of time. His 46th minute cross was nearly met by the onrushing Lichsteiner before Ashley Cole managed to divert it clear. His diligent work was finally rewarded with an assist on 60 minutes when he quietly slipped behind Ivanovic on the left and found Vidal across the center. Juventus Will Be a Dangerous Team to Face If They Reach the Knockout Stage Juventus's massive victory over Chelsea could be a harbinger of things to come from the Turin side. Can they go on and win the Champions League? They may not be as good a pure football team as the likes of favorites Barcelona, and they will never complete as many passes as the Catalan giants. Nevertheless, they attack relentlessly with speed, power, and incisive movement. Their use of two strikers, increasingly uncommon in world football today, allows them to get the ball forward early without resorting to hopeful long passes. Though they may not defend with the same numbers, or intent, as great Italian sides of the past, they nevertheless can call on three international center-halves and one of Italy's great goalkeepers to keep things tight at the back. And despite their quick style of attacking, they have the calming influence and experience of Andrea Pirlo to keep the ball in midfield when needed. Before they can worry about the next phase, they face a tough task in Donetsk, where they will most likely have to get a point to advance.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Juventus vs. Chelsea: 6 Things We Learned Nov 21, 2012 Juventus secured a vital victory in the Champions League to push the champions toward the exit. Chelsea mixed it with the Bianconeri in the opening stages, but Juve began to gain a stranglehold on the game as the match went on, claiming the three points that puts qualification in their hands. The Bianconeri just need a point away to Shakhtar in the final match to secure progression from Group E, as they hold a superior head-to-head record over the Blues. Chelsea must beat Nordsjaelland and hope that the Ukrainians can do them a favour and beat the Italian champions. Here are six things we learned from the game. Kwadwo Asamoah Is Becoming One of the Most Dangerous Players in Europe Kwadwo Asamoah was bought from Udinese this summer where he had thrived as a centre midfielder. Antonio Conte, with an embarrassment of midfield options, decided to turn the Ghanaian into a left midfielder. The move has been a revelation and Asamoah is proving to be one of the best in Europe in this role. It is scary to think that he is actually better through the middle. Asamoah was able to drive at Branislav Ivanovic throughout the match, using his searing pace and power to knock the ball past the Serbian and deliver dangerous crosses into the penalty area. With strikers willing to drop deep or pull wide, such as Sebastian Giovinco and Mirko Vucinic, Asamoah is able to combine well and drive into the middle when afforded the opportunity. Eden Hazard Is Not the Answer in Attack—for Now Eden Hazard was selected to start ahead of Fernando Torres in attack for Chelsea against Juventus in a move that left many bemused. Torres deserved to be left out of the lineup, but his replacement was a troubling matter for Roberto Di Matteo, who did not have any obvious alternatives at his disposal. Daniel Sturridge was absent through injury, which begs the question as to why Romelu Lukaku was allowed to leave on loan when no reinforcements were summoned. Hazard has played the role of a "false nine" before, sometimes with the Belgium national team, but for him to be effective, Chelsea needed to provide plenty of support from the deeper areas and service on the deck, rather than in the air. Chelsea would have to sacrifice width if they were to pursue this idea any further, as Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata, to an extent, left the former Lille star isolated in the middle. A Christmas tree formation might be a solution that Di Matteo experiments with moving forward, as Torres' form does not look like improving at all. Juventus Could Win the Champions League Juventus entered this Champions League campaign without a clear idea of where their expectations should realistically lie. The Bianconeri were sensational last season—claiming the scudetto in an undefeated season—but without European action, the true quality of this side remained somewhat of a mystery. Juve are unbeaten in the Champions League, despite facing two difficult opponents and are showing what a quality outfit they really are. Only one area can be highlighted as being somewhat mediocre and that is the attack. Fabio Quagliarella is in the midst of a purple patch while Mirko Vucinic is one of the most technically gifted players in Italy, but Sebastian Giovinco is still not proven at a club of Juve's stature, so this might be an area that Juve look to strengthen in the January transfer market. If they can add a potent goal scorer to an already formidable squad, Juve can realistically stand a chance of winning the Champions League. Ramires Is One of Europe's Most Athletic Players Without Ramires, Chelsea might have been further embarrassed at the Juventus Stadium due to the Brazilian's incredible athleticism, stamina and pace to be able to extinguish many Juve counterattacks. The former Benfica star covered an enormous amount of ground to be able to prevent the game from getting out of hand before Sebastian Giovinco ensured the score line was probably as emphatic as the game itself. As Chelsea went for it, throwing on Fernando Torres in place of Jon Obi Mikel, Ramires was left isolated with Oscar his only help against what many would consider the best midfield in Europe. It is a credit to Ramires that Chelsea were still in the game in the closing stages despite opening up, as he disrupted the Bianconeri counterattacks and initiated Chelsea's own. Who would you say can match Chelsea's midfielder for athleticism? Kwadwo Asamoah? Yaya Toure? Fernando Torres Is Done at Chelsea It is fair to assume after Chelsea's 3-0 defeat to Juventus that Fernando Torres' future at Chelsea is over. The Spaniard was omitted from the starting lineup, despite no natural alternative at the manager's disposal due to Daniel Sturridge's injury. In the Blues' biggest match of the season so far, their £50 million signing could not be trusted to deliver the goods, so unless Roberto Di Matteo is fired, Torres' future looks very bleak. Rafael Benitez has been immediately linked with the Blues' hot seat if Pep Guardiola shuns the overtures from Roman Abramovich, and it is only this scenario where you can imagine the Spaniard rekindling his Liverpool form at Stamford Bridge. Roberto Di Matteo Is Not the Man to Deliver Winning Attractive Football Roberto Di Matteo confirmed against Juventus that he is not the man capable of delivering success for the Blues along with free-flowing, attacking football. We have witnessed some lovely play from the Blues this season, but it is becoming apparent that this is likely due to an abundance of technically gifted players rather than attacking tactics from the Italian manager. Decisions when not afforded a fully fit squad or a tactical dilemma such as only needing a point at the Juventus Stadium to maintain control on their destiny in Europe have shown Di Matteo's true colours. Di Matteo selected Ryan Bertrand as a winger in the Champions League final and he replicated such a move tonight by opting for Cesar Azpilicueta as a right-winger to double up on the dangerous Kwadwo Asamoah. Eden Hazard as a "false nine" might not be conceived as totally negative when you consider Fernando Torres' form, but Di Matteo might have selected the likes of Victor Moses ahead of Azpilicueta in order to maintain an attacking balance to the formation. It is not always a manager with bold, risky tactics that produces attacking football, but establishing a solid foundation to the side that keeps clean sheets can give the attacking players more license to work their magic. With the Blues persistently leaking goals at the back without John Terry, the burden to rush their attacks in pursuit of an equaliser or a goal to get back into the game is hurting the side. Ultimately then, Di Matteo must be held accountable and as all managers know under Roman Abramovich, time is precious.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Juventus 3:0 Chelsea - This Is The Real Juventus! Nov 21, 2012 For the first time in a long time, the real Bianconero spirit comes through in the Champions League, and against the holding winners too! POST-GAME REFLECTION It's been almost a full day since referee Cuneyt Cakir blew the final whistle at Juventus Stadium and I've been rocking this album on repeat the whole time. My love for Kanye's idiotic-turned-genius music aside, I believe it really epitomizes what Juventus did today. I'll do my best not to repeat what every other website/pundit has or will say about this game, but c'mon, we played the Champions League winners, in a must-win situation, in our brand new stadium, with zero-to-none European experience (as this core group), and we truly dominated almost every aspect of the clash while putting 3 goals past Petr Cech and keeping a clean sheet. Not only that, but the way in which we did it was beyond impressive. I'm rarely one to exaggerate performances but you saw it - apart from a couple chances on the break-away it was all Juventus for most of the game. Ladies and gentlemen, your very own Juventus class of 2012! Hokay, here's why I'm beating the dead horse with this Graduation theme. Some experienced, quality players may have worn the bianconero jersey within the past couple years (Buffon, Pirlo, Vucinic, Chiellini, and Barzagli come to mind), but if you really think about it, this is still a young team. A young project. Parts of it were already there, but the new path we've taken was laid out just 18 months ago, with a coach whose only coaching experience was leading minor Italian teams through the ranks of Serie B. Yet, here we are - Champions of Italy in the first year and after struggling to find our form in the Champions League, emerging victorious when it was most necessary. Is the job done yet? Far from it. But the first huge test in Europe came along and we passed it with flying colors. What was a nervous, boyishly-looking team when the CL group stage begun is now a determined, refocused, deadly team that rises to the occasion. There will be ups and downs along the way - that is only normal. Heck, we could lose in Donetsk and not even qualify for the final rounds of the CL. But these players now know - they have been there, and they have done it before. They've elevated to that level of European competition with the pressure on their shoulders and the fatigue in their legs. They are no longer the kids that only win in Italy; they are the united, gritty, dangerous motherfuckers that represent Italy in the brightest of lights throughout Europe. It's time for teams all across the old continent to fear the Old Lady again. TACTICAL THOUGHTS Chelsea - People have and will say that Chelsea got lucky winning the Champions League last year, and they may be partially correct. Still, despite all that and their recent lack of wins, I still consider them a top quality team. In Torino, they tried to switch some things up to better show the quality of their team and players, but unfortunately for them it didn't work out. Zonal Marking has already put up a pretty interesting opinion of Di Matteo's tactical breakdown, but I'll try to complement that view. Honestly, it was time Fernando Torres sat down from the start and Chelsea started using it's attacking midfielders in a more advanced role. The scoring talent among Mata, Hazard, and Oscar is definitely big enough to compensate for the lack of finishing Torres provides. Playing Hazard as a false 9 was very interesting, but I really think he failed to make the most of it. His strength is running at the defense, not playing with his back to the goal and letting it off for others. Playing as a false 9 should have enabled him to run with the ball even as the most advanced player in Chelsea's formation, but it didn't happen that much on the day. He's such a talented player that he can definitely do whatever is asked from him with decent success, but if you're going to get creative, might as well use your players in their most effective positions. In addition, Di Matteo's 4-2-3-1 set up left a pretty big gap between the 2 holding midfielders and the attacking trio up top. Mata failed to track back, Ramires was at times more interested in a half-assed tackle hoping for a chance on the counter, all the while the MVP trio pushed forward more often and more determined. In fact... Juventus - ...most of Chelsea's issues I opined about above really came from Juventus' ferocious attacks on goal. We saw glimpses of those attacks against Pescara and Lazio, but even in a high-risk game like today Juventus really pushed forward with numbers and pace. One thing I LOVE seeing in our midfield finally, is the switch of positions among the MVP. Up until the Inter match, all of Vidal, Pirlo, and Marchisio had their own slice of the midfield carved up and they mostly operated within it. Lately, the three have been moving around a lot more - and most importantly, there has been a lot more vertical movement rather than horizontal. We know we can control possession around the box at this point, but it was Marchisio's and Vidal's runs that were sorely missed in some of those stale games earlier this season. Speaking of runs, the tactical "surprise on the night" if you will, came from the recently-frustrated Sebastian Lichtsteiner. Since the space between Mata and Ashley Cole was so big, the Swiss train of old was back at his best, running his heart out and often cutting in behind Cole and into the middle. LE PAGELLE Buffon: 7.5 - The passion, grinta, and focus to win a game of today's challenge had to start from the very back and our tough-guy-in-pink capitano made sure that happened. Gigi was quiet, but superb. Rarely challenged by Chelsea's counter-attacks, he made his mark in the few occasions the ball came dangerously in his box. Somehow managed to block Hazard's early shot with his trailing leg, then pulled up right on time to close down Mata's angle on a potential volley. Also, not sure if you noticed, but he looked a lot more secure with long balls. When he would otherwise punch a swerving ball in a crowd, today he went up and confidently pulled most long balls to his chest before letting it off for one of our defenders. I'm personally ecstatic for his clean sheet - it was well deserved. Barzagli: 7 - Was caught out of position only once or twice in defense and mostly stayed very tidy in the back. Not only that, but he spent a lot of time in Chelsea's half providing a back pass opportunity for Lichsteiner and Vidal who were trying to wreak havoc down the right. Bonucci: 7.5 - It may be a bit generous, but c'mon - did you see that goal-saving sliding block? It was perfectly timed. That, his really nice and accurate balls to our wings out of the defense, and his pace to stay with Hazard, Mata, and Oscar on their bursts was more than enough for a 7.5 in my mind. Chiellini: 7.5 - If Arturo Vidal's performance wasn't so effective on every end of the pitch, Chiellini would've been my man of match - easy. Vintage performance from our center back, whose only error was a bad pass which could've led to an early Chelsea goal. Other than that, he was ALWAYS either in front of his man or right there behind him to cause a disturbance, and did well to help out in attack as well. Lichtsteiner: 7.5 - Now this is a Forrest Gump I can get used to! For the first time in a big game, the Swiss came out not only prepared mentally, but also on queue technically. Did ever so well to create down the right flank and was always an option for Pirlo and co. Was prevented from scoring early by a great reflex save from Cech, then continued to link up well with Vidal and Quagliarella. Gave Ashley Cole a lot of trouble. If only Mr. Eta Beta was a bit more generous at times, he would've bagged a goal for sure. Keep this up Stephan! Pirlo: 7 - Early on I was petrified of his advanced position on the pitch. Given the nature with which our whole team attacked, I really hoped he would stay back more and try to hit up long balls over the defense as he usually does. While he managed to do so in decent volume, he also spent a lot of time right outside Chelsea's box, pressing and waiting to start up an attack. Thank God Marchisio and Vidal were around to switch with him and cover back when needed. He was rested, and it showed. A lot of his delivery was pin-point, and his set piece plays from corner kicks were a pleasant surprise. Oh, and this has to be mentioned - Pirlo tackled against Chelsea! He was getting stuck in and was determined to win that ball back. Great to see him play passionate defense as well. Marchisio: 7 - Claudio's and Arturo's level of fitness is absolutely incredible. I recently read an article by James Horncastle in which Borussia Dortmund's coach talked about how being physically in shape and having stamina enabled you to perform and show your technical skill more effectively. I absolutely agree with that, and these two guys are an example of that each and every day. Principino had a great shot in the first half which Cech saved but most notably - everytime he was needed on the pitch, he was there. On offense, on defense, in midfield, on the flank, he was truly everywhere. Warrior. Vidal: 8 - King Arturo is officially back. Rising to the occasion the same way he put Juventus on his back in the first leg in London, Vidal was, erm, vital for Juventus once again. Not only scoring that decisive second goal to put the game to rest, but his overall coverage of the field was spectacular. He notched a great assist on the third goal too. Again, warrior. Asamoah: 7 - After a bit of a dip in form, Kwado was up against a solid centre-back-turned-full-back and a helping Azpilcueta the whole game. Still he managed to beat Ivanovic on a couple of runs and made the perfect back pass to Vidal for the second goal. Was obviously helped out by Stephan's more active role on the right which we have to see more of. Quagliarella: 7 - Our most in-form striker continued his fine form with another goal in the Champions, again against Chelsea. His runs were a lot better today mostly because Vucinic did the bulk of the hold up play. When lined up alongside Giovinco, Gio's first touch can often betray him and spoil the run Quagliarella makes behind him. With Vucinic, the pass comes in a bit later but the control that Vucinic has makes it a lot easier for him to position himself correctly for the right run. A great instinct deflection on Pirlo's shot and a couple mild shots on goal at Cech was really what I mostly remember from him in the game. Key timing on that first goal though. Wish he is less selfish sometimes. Vucinic: 6.5 - It may be harsh on the Montenegrin, but he missed a sitter in the box, took some wild shots when he should've passed the ball, and was too quiet at times. He did very well to put Asamoah through for the second goal and that shouldn't go unnoticed. Subs: Caceres: 6.5 - Lichtsteiner ran so much that by the 60th minute he was visibly gassed. Caceres brought a fresh set of legs and his interception started the play for the 3rd goal. Giovinco: 7 - Was energetic and immediately made an impact with his offense and then icing-on-the-cake goal. The goal didn't help his reputation of scoring only when we have a comfortable lead though. Pogba: sv - Conte/Alessio: 8 - It wasn't so much Conte's genius that won the game but the lack of one by Di Matteo. In fairness though, the way in which Juventus attacked made it very difficult on Chelsea to get out of their box on a more consistent basis. It was encouraging to see the faith the coach has in these players to pull off something like that in such an important game. THINGS I THINK I THINK Dat Stadium - Mamma mia what a crowd at the Juventus Stadium! That place was visibly shaking from minute 1 and the support that they gave our players was fantastic. Games like these is exactly what's going to make our fortress irreplaceable. The fans were absolutely fantastic.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Vidal revels in 'perfect' night for Juventus The Chile international was delighted with the way things panned out for the Serie A champions, but stressed they need a similar performance against Shakhtar Donetsk. Nov 21, 2012 Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal said his side's 3-0 Champions League victory over Chelsea was "the perfect night". Goals from Fabio Quagliarella, Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco helped the Bianconeri to a vital win, and second place in Group E, much to the delight of the Chile international. "It was the perfect night, we played an incredible match against a great side like Chelsea and now we are very happy. We just have to keep on like this until the end," Vidal was quoted as saying on the official Uefa website. "We were eager to win this game. It was so important so that we could continue to grow as a team. It's not over yet – there is another game – but if we play as well as we did tonight it will be an interesting game for us against Shakhtar." The 25-year-old also took the time to hail the influence of the club's supporters on Tuesday night's game. "When our fans support us like they did tonight our hearts become bigger on the pitch. It's so important to have this kind of support from our fans in this stadium." Juve resume Serie A action on Sunday when they travel to AC Milan.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Alessio calls on Juventus to replicate Chelsea display The Bianconeri assistant coach was delighted with his side's performance on Tuesday, but has made it clear they have not yet finished the job. Nov 21, 2012 Angelo Alessio has called upon Juventus to replicate their display in the 3-0 win over Chelsea when they face Shakhtar Donetsk in their final Champions League group stage encounter. The Serie A champions need just a point in Ukraine to book their ticket for the knockout phase of the competition, and Alessio has insisted that Juve need another stellar performance in order to achieve just that. "Our last game will be extremely important as we are not through yet, but we will play the same way we did tonight," Juve's assistant coach said at a press conference. "We like to play football – we did everything we could to win, and were rewarded with an important victory. Both teams have great players and it was a beautiful game. "I have to compliment the whole team on this game. We wanted to maintain a high pace over the 90 minutes, we wanted to force them to defend. "Of course we were playing against a big team like Chelsea so it's inevitable that they had a few chances as well." Juventus currently sit second in Group E with nine points from five games, trailing leaders Shakhtar by one point.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Fragile Chelsea show Di Matteo the value of Terry amid Champions League horror show Gary Cahill and David Luiz combined to concede the Blues' 20th goal in 10 games as the champions of Europe were blown away by Juventus in a 3-0 rout. Nov 21, 2012 COMMENT By Jay Jaffa What has happened to the house that Jose built? The modern Chelsea, the multiple Premier League winners, the FA Cup plunderers, the European champions, were all built on a dauntless backline capable of repelling even the most incisive attacks. But as the full-time whistle blew in the Stadio Juventus, a shell of the blue curtain so indomitable against Barcelona and Bayern Munich in 2011-12 was presented to the millions watching the Old Lady triumph 3-0. In days gone by Petr Cech could go an entire match barely being noticed – remember the 2004-05 season and the preposterously minute 15 goals they conceded in 38 Premier League games? His reputation may be ascending once more, but this is down to his prominent role in any Chelsea matchday narrative. There is only so much the six-foot five-inch Czech shot-stopper can do and it became brutally clear that those operating in front of him were conceding far too much space in and around the penalty box to keep Cech out of the firing line. Inevitably the bundle of chances that came Juve's way would yield at least a couple of goals. Though Roberto Di Matteo chose to play three centre-backs with Ashley Cole and Cesar Azpilicueta as wing-backs, the performance had echoes of the 3-1 defeat to Napoli in last season's edition of the Champions League. That night, also minus John Terry, the Blues looked panicked against an Italian side vibrant in their movement and direct in their probes. On Tuesday night, it was a repeat as Gary Cahill and David Luiz were shackled together once more. They may have had the additional assistance of Branislav Ivanovic, but the outcome was similar. Sebastian Giovinco's 91st-minute strike was the 20th goal Chelsea had conceded in the last 10 games the pair had started together – a world away from the bolted iron door the Blues defence was a mere six months ago. And against Juventus, hardly a side blessed with world-class strikers, there was pandemonium in the penalty box. There was an element of fortune for the first two goals, certainly, but David Luiz was pulled all over the pitch and did little to further the claims of those who label him as a top-class defender. At one stage he appeared so disoriented, a long ball hit him on the back as he retreated towards goal. Cahill did not fair much better and was perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty after a clumsy tangle with Mirko Vucinic. Fabio Quagliarella, for all his enigmatic ability around the box, has only scored 12 goals in the whole of this calendar year. Vucinic likewise. This was not a goalscoring front line but it was up against a porous defence all too aware of its vulnerability. This leads us onto the absence of the club captain, Terry. Putting to one side the various misdemeanours we do not need to revisit, there still stands a top-class centre-back. The 31-year-old may be discovering that all the fearless blocks and tackles he has made over the years are ravaging his body, but his supporters are being served a constant reminder of his quality. Unfortunately it is via his absence in the first team. The four games he missed through suspension saw 10 goals conceded but in many ways it is the intangible aspects to Terry's game that Chelsea miss the most. It is a familiar theory: "Captain, Leader, Legend" reassures one banner at Stamford Bridge. Take him out of the starting XI and carnage ensues. For all the potential of David Luiz, he looked rudderless, a bedraggled sailor without his skipper. Cahill must live with the ignominy of failing both a club and international test to be Terry's rightful heir. On current evidence, he is a long way short. Much has been made of the attacking wealth at Di Matteo's beck and call but he is discovering in the most painful of ways that transition from a team of meticulous efficiency to a Barcelona MK II is not as simple as spending a fortune on gifted attackers. Granted, the best chance of the game (aside from Giovinco's which was at a stage where the game was over) fell to Eden Hazard and had he opened the scoring instead of Quagliarella, the post-mortem may be different. It was always unlikely that Chelsea would sail through this season, blowing everyone away with the glittering football Roman Abramovich has craved for so long but the small cracks seeping in must be at least mildly distressing. John Obi Mikel and David Luiz's on-pitch spat hinted at frustration with Chelsea's play and dampened an already dreary night. The club are already without the sidelined Frank Lampard and the departed Didier Drogba, but losing Terry is one absent figurehead too many for the new Chelsea to manage. Often in times of strife you find out more than you expected of the characters around you and as Cech spoke to the ITV cameras afterwards and touched upon the idea of destiny in football it was hard not to wonder. Destiny may have led to European glory last season, but it looks as if a different path entirely has been mapped out for the Blues this year. If it helps solve the conundrum at the back, Di Matteo, Abramovich, et al will force a smile through the Turin grimace. Small mercies and all that.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Cech: Chelsea defeat to Juventus a huge disappointment The Blues keeper expresses his despondency at the fact that the club's Champions League progression is no longer in their own hands following a 3-0 humbling in Italy. Nov 21, 2012 Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech admits that his side's 3-0 Champions League defeat by Juventus was a "huge disappointment". The Blues' convincing defeat leaves the Old Lady requiring just one point against already-qualified Shahktar Donetsk in their final Group F game to prevent the holders from reaching the knockout stages. "We said before the game we had our destiny in our own hands but not anymore," Cech told reporters after the match. "Now we have to do our bit to win our last game and hope destiny will be kind to us. "Being realistic, Juventus played really well and they need a point. Shakhtar have already qualified so they don't need to take a chance on the result. "It is a very sad moment because last season the Champions League was like a dream. I wouldn't say it's a nightmare but it's a huge disappointment." The 30 year-old praised the Bianconeri's performance but argued that his team contributed to their own downfall by not being clinical in front of goal. "I think we showed much better spirit than in the last few games," he continued. "We did well and created some chances but, in such an important game, if you create chances you have to take them and that was the difference. "They went ahead with a lucky deflection and the second goal was a deflection as well but they put on a very good performance and they did really well."

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Vidal an unlikely goal hero Nov 21, 2012 Arturo Vidal has admitted that he is surprised by his goal-packed start to the season with Juventus. The Chilean midfielder has scored nine goals in official games for the Old Lady this term, his latest coming in the 3-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday. “I’m happy to be scoring so many, I didn’t think I would begin the campaign like this in front of goal,” he noted. “It’s important to keep going on this path, but above all by helping the team to win. “It was a difficult game against Chelsea, but we played with intelligence. We put our head, heart and legs into this encounter. “It’s a message to everyone, showing that we’re strong in Italy but also in Europe.” Vidal has been a revelation in Turin since his 2011 switch from Bayer Leverkusen. “I’m happy to wear the shirt of Juventus, to play in front of these fans. “I’m living through a beautiful moment of my life.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Lichtsteiner: I can’t always play… Nov 21, 2012 Stephan Lichtsteiner was happy with his performance against Chelsea after returning to the Juventus starting line-up. The Swiss international hadn’t played since the November 3 defeat to Inter, but made an impression on the right in the 3-0 win last night. “You can’t play all of the games when you are a wing-back,” the former Lazio player commented. “It’s a role where you have to work very hard. “Nevertheless, I was able to play well this evening, just as all the team did, and I’m happy,” said the man who hit the post with the score at 0-0. “Chelsea were a bit tired after 60, 70 minutes of high intensity action and we did well to control the play. “I hoped to be able to score, given that I didn’t manage to at the start, but all’s well that ends well.” Lichtsteiner’s lack of action in recent weeks did lead to suggestions that his relationship with boss Antonio Conte had broken down. “You read too many newspapers,” he said after being asked about that speculation. “It annoys me when things are written about me that are not true.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Asamoah hails Juventus tactics Nov 21, 2012 Kwadwo Asamoah has credited Juventus boss Antonio Conte for masterminding the 3-0 destruction of Chelsea. The Old Lady beat the reigning Champions League holders on Tuesday with a victory that keeps their hopes of a last 16 place alive. “If we do what our Coach tells us then we know that we are a strong team,” the Ghanaian international noted. “We knew that if we managed to put our preparations into practice then we could cause Chelsea plenty of problems – and that’s precisely how it went. “We all played a great game and gained a deserved victory.” Asamoah played a crucial part in Juventus’ second goal as he assisted Arturo Vidal after some good work on the left. “It was a goal we have studied on the training pitch. I saw Arturo unmarked in the middle and just passed him the ball.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Chiellini: We still need a point! Nov 21, 2012 Giorgio Chiellini admits he has regrets that Juventus have still not qualified for the Champions League last 16 despite the emphatic win over Chelsea. “It’s shame that we can’t celebrate qualification after winning this tie,” the 28-year-old commented. “Now we need a point, a difficult and important one.” Juve are unbeaten in their group, but will need to get a result in Ukraine against Shakhtar Donetsk to get through. The Old Lady crushed the reigning European Champions with a 3-0 scoreline at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday. “It wasn’t easy,” the stopper added. “They have extremely dangerous attackers who can pounce when given space and we did afford them the odd opportunity. “However, it was a great Juventus performance. We’ve got back to playing a great brand of football following the Inter defeat. “We’re now playing with that intensity again which was missing at the start of the campaign.” Chiellini limped out of the game in the closing stages. “I suffered a muscle strain, but I don’t think it is anything too serious.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Di Matteo: 'Chelsea can still qualify' Nov 20, 2012 Roberto Di Matteo insists Chelsea “still have hope of qualifying” for the Champions League knockouts after their defeat to Juventus. “We wasted three big scoring opportunities before their opening goal,” he told Mediaset Premium after their 3-0 hammering. “The first goal in an important game like this is decisive. They were also a little lucky when Andrea Pirlo’s shot took a deflection off Fabio Quagliarella.” Juventus now need only a point against Shakhtar Donetsk, who are already qualified, so secure their spot in the next round and eliminate the reigning Champions of Europe. “Pressure? When you are the manager of a big club like this is it normal you’re going to get criticised if the results do not arrive. “Having said that, there was pressure last season too. We still have hope of qualifying, as mathematically it is possible.” Chelsea will go through only if they beat Nordsjaelland and Juve lose in Donetsk. There are already reports in the English media that Di Matteo might not even be on the bench by the time those games come round.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Cech: 'Juve deserved to win' Nov 20, 2012 Petr Cech concedes Juventus “deserved to win” against Chelsea and qualification is now in the Italians’ hands. “We showed much better spirit than the last games,” the goalkeeper said of the 3-0 defeat in Turin. “The first half it was very difficult, we did well and created chances, but if you create a chance you need to take it. That was the difference. “They went ahead with a lucky deflection, the second goal was another deflection but they did very well and deserved to win. We didn't cope very well. “We said before the game that we have our destiny in our hands, not any more. Now we need to do our bit, we need to win our last game and hope our fate is kind. “Being realistic Juventus played very well and they need a point and Shakhtar are already through. It is a very sad moment.” Chelsea won the Champions League much to the surprise of many last season, but could go out in the first round. “Last season the Champions League was like a dream, now this is a like …not a nightmare, just very disappointing.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Quagliarella: 'Almost impossible...' Nov 20, 2012 Fabio Quagliarella admits it was “almost impossible” that he scored against Chelsea with the same trick that had gone so close with Lazio. On Saturday his toe-poke on a long-range shot was saved under the bar by Federico Marchetti, but tonight it squirmed past Petr Cech during a 3-0 victory. “It was almost impossible to have the same opportunity, only this time I deflected it low and that probably helped it to go in. “A striker is always happy when he scores. It was also my third start in a row, which hadn’t happened in almost two years. “This was one of those game that are written in the history of the club. It’s a night we will never forget. “We all played on adrenaline and gave it everything we had to put in a great performance.” Quagliarella was asked how the five hitmen dealt with the constant rotation by Coach Antonio Conte. “It is never easy for strikers to deal with this rotation, but the Coach has been clear with us and said he will rotate all five forwards. It can happen that a forward plays three games in a row, then goes on the bench. We are aware of the situation and therefore relaxed.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Bonucci: 'This is Juventus' Nov 20, 2012 Leonardo Bonucci explained the approach against Chelsea. “If we sit back and wait, then we’re not Juventus.” The Bianconeri crushed Chelsea 3-0 in Turin to leapfrog them into second place in the Champions League group. “We knew that we had to keep believing and keep pushing. When we step on to the field as Juventus, then we can have our say in Italy or in Europe,” said the defender. “Tonight we dominated the reigning champions of Europe, so we proved that we are competitive and now go to Donetsk. We are not really built to defend, so we will go there looking for the win. “If we sit back and wait, then we’re not Juventus. We have shown over the last 18 months that our characteristics are attacking, pressing them in their own half and winning back the ball to pin teams back. We can’t do that if we are not aggressive. “Chelsea made the most of two or three mistaken movements, including mine, to go on the counter. We only allowed them two chances down to our errors. “All of us knew that we had to bring out more than 100 per cent from ourselves to beat the reigning European Champions. We had to fight for every ball and work to the last drop of sweat. That is Juventus.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Buffon: 'Juve sent a signal' Nov 20, 2012 Gianluigi Buffon believes the dominant win over Chelsea was “a sign for Juventus and for Italy” that silenced the doubters. “It’s wonderful, like many other victories with Juve, but when you give such a convincing performance – in tactical, physical, psychological terms – it’s a great sign for Juve and for Italy,” he said of the 3-0 Champions League result. “Some had doubts on us, but playing like this I think we cast those aside. We have our certainties and know that we still have to qualify. I hope we can do that. “If we should go out, at least we achieved nine points and it means we fought on level terms with everyone and got back to being competitive. That was our imperative. “We won in every area tonight. We were hungrier, sharper, more attacking, more creative and with a little more precision could’ve scored even more.” Juventus are now second in Group E with nine points, while Shakhtar Donetsk have qualified thanks to a 5-2 victory at Nordsjaelland. The Bianconeri will go through as long as they earn a point in Donetsk.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Alessio: 'Chelsea tactics helped' Nov 20, 2012 Assistant manager Angelo Alessio hinted that Roberto Di Matteo’s tactical choices actually helped Juventus to beat Chelsea. Fabio Quagliarella and Mirko Vucinic were chosen for tonight’s 3-0 victory in the Champions League. “Antonio chooses the strikers based on form and the characteristics of the opposition,” said Conte’s assistant. The opener saw Quagliarella toe-poke an Andrea Pirlo strike to surprise Petr Cech. It was a very similar move to the one against Lazio on Saturday which Federico Marchetti saved with an extraordinary leap. “Deflections are not practiced. On Saturday Marchetti did well to deny it, but this time it was a little wider and he was able to score. “We all wanted this type of game, keeping the tempo up, pressuring Chelsea and pinning them back. Of course we were bound to allow a few counters, but that was all.” The final match is away to already-qualified Shakhtar Donetsk and a draw would suit both teams – it’d be enough for the Ukrainians to stay top and for Juve to secure second place. “We realise how important the final game will be and we’re not qualified yet. We must play the same way we did today.” Alessio was asked about Chelsea’s unusual tactical choices, in which they left Fernando Torres on the bench. “This team is made to play at this tempo and unfortunately at times we allow some counter-attacks, but we wanted this victory at all costs. “Shakhtar and Chelsea are two great teams and have champions with real technical quality. Tonight we faced a Chelsea side without a reference point in attack and perhaps that helped us tonight. “I want to thank our marvellous fans who accepted Antonio’s invitation to create a cauldron in the stadium and we dedicate the win to them.”

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 'Juventus have proved doubters wrong' - Buffon The veteran keeper has hailed his side's win over Chelsea as one for the whole of Italy, and believes they dominated the European champions in every department. Nov 20, 2012 Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that his side have proved that they belong in the Champions League, having recorded a 3-0 win over Chelsea. Goals from Fabio Quagliarella, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco were enough to seal a vital three points for the Serie A leaders, who are now poised to progress to the knock-out stages of the competition. "It's wonderful," he told reporters. "Some had doubts about us, but I think we cast those aside by playing like this. We have our certainties and know that we still have to quality. I hope we can do that. "When you give such a convincing performance - in tactical, physical, psychological terms - it's a great sign for Juve and for Italy. "If we should go out, at least we achieved nine points, which means we fought on level terms with everyone and got back to being competitive. That was imperative. "We won in every area tonight. We were hungrier, sharper, more attacking, more creative and with a little more precision, we could have scored even more." Juventus need a mere point from their trip to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donetsk to confirm their place in the next phase of the competition.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Juventus destroy the European champions to prove they are back among the elite The Bianconeri thrashed Chelsea to move to within a single point of the last 16, and with it made a clear statement of intent to the continent's big boys. Nov 20, 2012 COMMENT By Kris Voakes | Italian Football Writer In many ways, it was the perfect evening. Juventus started well, scored goals at the right times, and restricted Chelsea to the odd dangerous counter-attack. As statements of intent go, the Bianconeri’s 3-0 mauling of the Champions League holders was among the most convincing you could get. The Old Lady is not just alive and kicking, she’s singing from the rooftops and back among the best Europe has to offer. Yes, Juve are not qualified yet, and they face a tricky trip to Donetsk on December 5 needing a draw to finish off the job. Yes, they lived dangerously at times as the Premier League outfit threatened to pick them off on the break when the game was still in the balance. But the Bianconeri dominated for long periods, controlled the midfield, made twice as many chances as the Blues, and forced Petr Cech into a number of saves which ensured he was the visitors’ busiest player. Make no mistake about it, this was a booming declaration that Juventus are back. Their Scudetto triumph gave them a leg up; it was their first step on the road back to redemption after the Calciopoli scandal ripped the heart out of the club. But a club’s European record is the real measure of its success in most eyes in the 21st Century, and an outfit that has so often failed to convert domestic dominance into continental crowns in the past needs to be in amongst the greats of the game to be taken seriously. Their performance at Juventus Stadium was cutting, it was controlled and it was convincing. Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio once more had the better of the game across the middle. Fabio Quagliarella showed the striker’s instinct the Bianconeri have sometimes lacked in poking home the opening goal, and once Vidal fired in a deflected second, Chelsea looked more than ready to throw in the towel. Sebastian Giovinco’s injury-time clincher was simply the icing on the cake. After their difficulties in the early part of the campaign, they are now in a great position to advance. And if they do, they will be a big threat. None of the Barcelonas, Real Madrids, Manchester Uniteds or Bayern Munichs will relish facing the Old Lady come February, with Juve now a very different prospect to the side which briefly flirted with a return to Europe with little success in 2008 and 2009. Forget those two campaigns, they weren't reflective of the great Turin club at their best. Forget even their horror show against Nordsjaelland. At this moment in time, they look ready for the task. They’re still maybe a striker short of being among the very best, and if there was one warning tonight it was that their tendency to occasionally leave their back three exposed can cause them a few scares. But the positives massively outweigh the negatives, and the high-energy, slick style with which they try to play the game whoever the opposition deserves to be applauded. Juventus are well and truly back, and they need just one more point to give themselves a chance to ruffle the feathers of those they’ve had to sit back and watch for the last six years. It’s in their hands now.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670‎ Player Ratings The Blues' European defence hangs by a thread after goals from Fabio Quagliarella, Arturo Vidal and Sebastian Giovinco give the Italian champions a comprehensive victory in Turin. Nov 20, 2012 Juventus Gianluigi Buffon - On the occasions when his team's high pressing left him exposed, he made smart saves to deny Hazard and Mata. Commanded his penalty area superbly. Giorgio Chiellini - Occasionally found it difficult to deal with Hazard's pace and trickery but, on the whole, marshalled his defence well. Andrea Barzagli - Defended with aggression and conviction, ensuring that Chelsea got no change from long, hopeful balls upfield. Leonardo Bonucci - Struggled with the fluidity of Chelsea's attack and resorted to cynical fouls when his lack of pace was exposed. Stephan Lichtsteiner - Attacked with real intent down the right flank and only a superb reflex save from Cech prevented him from opening the scoring early on. Claudio Marchisio - Showed, aggression, energy and poise in the midfield, and his well-timed runs into the penalty area caused panic in the Chelsea defence. Andrea Pirlo - Controlled proceedings from midfield, regularly escaping the attentions of Oscar and exerting much more of an influence than in the game at Stamford Bridge. Kwadwo Asamoah - Kept good width on the left, attacking whenever he got the chance and regularly clipping in dangerous crosses. Showed great awareness to pick out Vidal for the decisive second. Arturo Vidal - A bundle of energy in the centre of the park, working tirelessly from box to box and keeping the ball well for his team. Deserved his goal, even if it came courtesy of a deflection. Mirko Vučinić - Showed some neat close control and clever movement, but his finishing was tame. Fabio Quagliarella - Like Vucinic, made intelligent runs in the final third to create space for midfield runners, and showed great improvisation for his goal. Substitutions Martín Cáceres - Replaced Lichtsteiner with just over 20 minutes to go as Juve shut up shop. Sebastian Giovinco - Came on for Vucinic with seven minutes left, and helped himself to the easiest of goals. Paul Pogba - What a nice experience for the young french player those few minutes in a great Champions League match. Chelsea FC Petr Cech - Made some superb stops as his side largely weathered what seemed an unending storm for the first hour. Beaten by deflections for two Juve goals and made a strange decision to rush out for the third. By then, though, the game was already over. Branislav Ivanovic - His decision-making was suspect all evening and the fact that most of the hosts' success came down his flank says everything about his performance. Ashley Cole - Made a heroic last-ditch clearance to stop Juve heading into the break with a two-goal lead but his efforts were ultimately in vain. David Luiz - His usual confident self on the ball but his positioning once again left something to be desired and his general demeanour was not of someone who fully appreciated the seriousness of the situation. Gary Cahill - Little better than his defensive partner at stemming the tide of Juve goal attempts and the movement of Quagliarella and Vucinic troubled him all evening. César Azpilicueta - Selected to provide an extra shield for Ivanovic as well as contrbuting to Blues attacks, he did neither, and was anonymous until his withdrawal for Moses on the hour. Ramires - Looked uncomfortable when penned in around his own penalty area, making several questionable decisions on the ball, and being given precious little opportunity to showcase his blistering pace from midfield. Oscar - His run early on to set up Hazard's chance was a delight but thereafter he faded to the periphery. John Obi Mikel - Looked slow to make decisions on the ball, but that might also be explained by the fact that he had no options. Eden Hazard - Unlucky to miss a golden opportunity early on and worked tirelessly for the cause up front alone but was starved of service after the break. Juan Mata - Buzzed around expectantly on the halfway line and in the final third but, all too often, the play never reached him. Substitutions Victor Moses - Showed energy and enthusiasm when he replaced Azpilicueta with half an hour left, but a minute after his arrival Vidal ended the match as a contest. Fernando Torres - Replaced Mikel on 71 minutes with the game already lost. Was anonymous again. He should not be judged on tonight but on the string of listless performances which led to him relegated to the bench in favour of a midfielder.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Juventus 3-0 Chelsea REVIEW: Were You Watching, Europe? Nov 20, 2012 Finally, another glorious European night in Turin! Reigning European Champions Chelsea FC visited the Juventus Stadium looking for the draw that would send them through to next round of the tournament with only the formality of beating Nordsjælland at home. Let’s just say they didn’t get what they came for! Here are Lars and John with the break down of the match that finally saw Juventus re-enter the hierarchy of top clubs. MATCH ANALYSIS (by Lars Pedersen) In what was a somewhat a surprise move, Chelsea coach Roberto Di Matteo decided to bench the under-performing Fernando Torres and start with Eden Hazard as a “false 9” in front of Mata, Oscar and the surprise inclusion Azpilicueta in a more advanced role. Much like in the group stage game between Italy and Spain at the European Championships, a striker-less formation did not manage to trouble the “BBC” back three too much, though. During the opening minutes, the course of the game was laid out pretty clear: Juventus pressured aggressively while Chelsea were quite contend with sitting back and sending away their pacey and tricky front three on the break. Both plans worked initially, as the Bianconeri piled on the pressure and created numerous chances in the first half hour, notably a Stephan Lichtsteiner finish in the fourth minute cleared onto the post by Petr Čech and a Claudio Marchisio long range shot after a smart corner-routine, again parried by the ‘keeper. At the other end, Chelsea looked very dangerous on the counter through Oscar, Mata and Hazard. In the 25th, Andrea Pirlo tried a smart under-the-wall free kick, but Cech was alert. The game settled for a while, Juve still seeing the most of the ball, but just after the half hour mark, first Leonardo Bonucci and then Pirlo gave balls away to some threatening Chelsea plays. However, the Juve pressure paid off soon after, as a hopeful Pirlo-shot was crucially deflected by Fabio Quagliarella, who made sure the ball got just enough spin to escape the unfortunate Cech in the visitors’ goal. Looking at the replay, Quags actually, like the effort so marvelously saved by Marchetti vs. Lazio at the weekend, had clear intend when putting his foot to the ball. As Top Strikers do! Juventus continued to press on for the remainder of the half, resulting in a few half chances and a huge scare, as Mata was denied by Gigi Buffon at point blank range after another swift play by Hazard. The second half continued as the first had finished, Juventus very much looking to extend their lead while the Blues still tried to penetrate the Juve defence with clever runs. Those were impressively stifled by the Bianconero back-line, whilst the home team threatened through Quagliarella and Pirlo before the hour. At the 61st minute, the Chelsea defence was carved open via a long throw-in from Giorgio Chiellini, a smart pass from Mirko Vucinic to Kwadwo Asamoah who laid it back for Arturo Vidal to fire a shot (deflected by Ramires) into an open net. 2-0, and the Juventus Stadium erupted with a hitherto withheld roar of triumph and relief. From the on it was rather smooth sailing for the Bianconeri, surrendering possession to the opposition, soaking up pressure and, crucially, not allowing for those dangerous counter attacks. The introduction of Victor Moses and Fernando Torres did little for Chelsea, whilst Martin Caceres came on for a burned-out Lichtsteiner to secure the right flank. Chelsea naturally sought the crucial goals in the last half hour, but to no avail, or indeed any real threat. Instead, Vucinic skied a golden opportunity in the 74th. Later he would make way for Sebastian Giovinco who was set to come on for Quagliarella, but at the last minute it was the Montenegrin who opted out, seemingly still not entirely fit. It proved a good move at any rate (Quags eventually subbed with Paul Pogba in the dying minutes), as Giovinco would go on to finish the game off, exploiting a quick counter-attacking move by simply prodding the ball home instead of taking on the bemused Cech, who was left rooted well outside his box. LE PAGELLE (by John Cascarano) Buffon 7.5 – At first I wanted to give Gigi a slightly above average score, only for lack of work. Then I began working off my notes, and considered the saves off of Hazard in the 9th minute off of a quick break, and off Mata who almost made it 1-1 during the first half. Although he otherwise had little else to worry about, those were pivotal saves at pivotal moments, and kept the game firmly in Juventus’ control. Extra .5 for always looking tidy on any dribbles or passes into the box, aggressively charging and scooping up any danger. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chiellini 7.0 – Another solid performance by Giorgio. Cleared away any danger and himself looked dangerous in the air on set pieces. I could pretty much copy and paste his pagelle game after game. Bonucci 7.0 – A couple of nice steals, and some slick defending by he and Barzagli off of a nice run of play by Ramires and Oscar. Constantly cleaning up in the back. I dare say…he’s looking like a sweeper. Barzagli 6.5 – Andrea capped off a Juventus defense which holistically gave fans little to be concerned with on the night. Constantly stayed on his men and somehow kept up in foot races against fast-breaking (and much faster) attackers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Asamoah 7.0 – Man, I love this guy. He didn’t seem like a typical left winger, and he really isn’t… but he’s getting the job done. Some nice fancy dribbling, good hustle, and some dangerous crosses, all night long. A great signing for his versatility alone. Marchisio 8.0 – I will probably be ridiculed mercilessly for giving Principino such a high score, but he was simply all over the field. Constantly running in the midfield, darting through gaps in space on both sides off the ball, and if not for (yet another) beautiful Cech save, would have opened the floodgates himself in the first half. Pirlo 6.5 – Has looked like a far more complete midfielder since joining Juventus, and nothing changed this evening. Every time he wins the ball, I get excited, but he’s been doing far more of that than I’d expected (bonus!). Credit for having the balls to constantly shoot from outside and make things happen (i.e. Quagliagol), but loses 0.5 for a dangerous giveaway in the 30th immediately after a wasted free kick straight at Cech. Vidal 7.5 – Our Top Player, and our top striker, period (I know he’s not a striker, that’s the point). The model of consistency in the midfield, and – much like Marchisio – seems to have a knack for coming up with a vital goal in a pinch when the strikers are running dry. Lichtsteiner 6.5 – Bombed up and down the field, nearly scored early on if not for Cech doing a Marchetti impression. A constant source of energy, I thought he was playing striker at times. Watching him shout at Quagliarella is always fun. ’68 Caceres 6.0 – Martin provided Stefan with some rest, and got off some nice crosses from the right side. This team is looking very deep. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vucinic 6.5 – Overall played well. Looked sharp, and moved well with the ball in tight spaces. Loses a .5 for missing a sitter in the second half that would have put the game away for certain (earlier). ’83 Giovinco 6.5 – Provided a perfect spark off the bench, playing well and making things happen immediately. Scored a goal off of a beautiful finish off of a beautiful run, but loses a .5 for proving that Napoleon’s complex is indeed real, and earning a foolish yellow card for removing his shirt afterwards. Hey, Seba… you’re not that jacked. Quagliarella 7.0 – Seemed to be trying too hard at first, with a couple of desperate shots straight to the keeper. Finally got it right this time, as a deflection off of Pirlo’s boot found its way past Cech (unlike against Marchetti last weekend). ’89 Pogba s.v. – Could you imagine being 19 years old and even warming up on the sidelines before a Champions League match against the defending champions? Neither could I. Glad he got some mop-up minutes at the end. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Conte / Alessio 9.0 – Completely out-managed, out-prepared, and out classed Di Matteo. The staff have done well thus far with one Conte tied behind their back. ANALYSIS WRAP-UP (by Lars Pedersen) Apart from the individual displays, impressive as they were, what Juventus should take away from this game is the very simple fact that they could. Being dominant in Italy doesn’t necessarily transfer to the European stage, especially not in these times of crisis. In holding her ground firmly and resoundingly against a team that is de facto an improved version of the one winning the Champions League six months ago, the Old Lady has every reason to believe that the progress she has made is indeed worthy of some of her previous incarnations. Finally. Andiamo ragazzi! http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xv8yg8_juvche30hig_shortfilms

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Why the Blues Can't Recover in 2012 Champions League Nov 20, 2012 Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo was surprisingly upbeat ahead of his team's must-win match against Juventus in the UEFA Champions League. Not that the manager isn't normally upbeat, but given the fact the Blues haven't won an English Premier League match in over a month and were heading towards elimination in the very competition where they triumphed so majestically last year, Di Matteo's confidence was both unexpected and refreshing. Commenting via The Telegraph, the Blues' boss had this to say prior to kickoff. I'm not thinking about my future, I'm preparing the game and the team for tomorrow, and have important decisions to make about that. We are confident we can have a good game and, hopefully, a good result. They need to have belief in themselves, and that's the most important aspect. We work together, and, at the moment, we're all in it together and believe we have a good group—a good team—and are pulling together. We believe we can get a positive result. However, after watching his side concede three goals to the defending Italian champions and placing themselves in a tough spot for the remainder of the tournament, Di Matteo's confidence had changed to misery; his high-flying spirit struck down by the depressing, somber reality of defeat. Following the loss, Di Matteo had this to say (per Sky Sports): I thought this was the team to beat Juventus, but if the result is negative you always face repercussions. We still have hope because mathematically it is still possible because Shakhtar can beat Juve at home. In a big club like this—if you have a few bad results—you are going to be under pressure but you have to live with it. And it's been like that from day one, and it's up to me to pick the players up now. While the manager does possess hope for the future of his team in the European competition, the truth is that this club is very unlikely to progress through the group-stages and into the final 16 of the tournament. Even those who are looking through the bluest of spectacles will concede that their path to the knockout rounds is incredibly unlikely. To progress, Chelsea would need to beat lowly Nordsjaelland at home—which is almost a given—but would be relying on Shakhtar Donetsk to beat the Italian giants in the final round—which is where the problems begin to come in for the West London club. Shakhtar have been one of the form sides in world football this season, which at first glance, seems to bode well for the Blues, who need the Ukrainian club to dominate their Italian opponents—similar to what they did when the two met earlier in the European competition. At home, Shakhtar have lost just three domestic matches in their past six seasons (yes, you read that right), and could well be too much for Juventus to handle. However, keep in mind that the Ukrainian club have already qualified for the knockout rounds; they do not need any points from their match against Juve and have nothing to play for, whereas the Italian giants have everything to play for. Shakhtar's place in the final 16 is guaranteed, and with a three-month lay off in the Ukrainian Premier League set to take place following their match against the Italian side, they simply will not risk injuring any of their star players ahead of the rest period. Their starting lineup will not be strong and in contrast, Juventus will do whatever they can over the next two weeks to ensure that their squad is as dominant and as ready as it could be to win one single football match. Oh, yeah, and they only need to draw. Their 3-0 demolition of Chelsea means that should they finish on equal points—which is what would happen in Juventus draw and Chelsea win their last match—the Italian champions would still progress through with the better head-to-head record. The West London club's future in the Champions League is not in their hands but on the boots of Juventus, and after watching the most recent performance of those boots, it seems highly unlikely that their future in the tournament will last anything longer than Matchday 6. Chelsea will finish third and be put into the round of 32 in the Europa League—a move that could well have some ironic yet frustrating consequences for the Blues, who are simply desperate for some new attacking life in their club. It seems there's a bigger problem taking place at Stamford Bridge than one loss this week and a loss the weekend before in the English Premier League. It's a problem that is working it's way through the whole club, and could well find some new pores to seep if current performances do not improve soon. Not once has the defending champion of the UEFA Champions League trophy been eliminated in the group-stages of the tournament. Not until this year, that is. At least Chelsea are making history.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Di Matteo uses Hazard upfront, but Chelsea lose the game elsewhere Nov 20, 2012 Juventus played excellently and comfortably defeated Chelsea. Antonio Conte went with on-form Fabio Quagliarella upfront alongside Mirko Vucinic, and used Stephane Lichtsteiner rather than Mauricio Isla on the right. Roberto Di Matteo dropped Fernando Torres in favour of Eden Hazard as a false nine – because he didn’t want to give Juventus’ three centre-backs a ‘reference point’. This meant he needed another wide player, and he wanted someone defensive-minded – this would have been Ramires were he not needed in the middle, so Cesar Azpilicueta became a cautious right-winger. But Juventus were the superior side – their opening two goals were both aided with deflections, but they created significantly more goalscoring opportunities over the course of the 90 minutes, and put Chelsea under constant pressure. Hazard upfront The surprises in Chelsea’s line-up, combined with the resounding defeat, will see Di Matteo’s starting selection questioned. In fact, the moves made sense on paper and were hardly disastrous on the pitch. The decision to start Hazard rather than Fernando Torres was completely reasonable. Torres had been extremely quiet in the first leg, not showing the appetite for physical battles against Juve’s centre-backs, nor the ability to make clever movements in the channels to get away on the break. It’s a thankless task, playing upfront alone against a back three, but Torres’ showing in the reverse fixture, combined with his poor run of form (which, realistically, now stretches back for three years), hardly made a convincing case for his selection. It’s got the point where Hazard is more adept at playing the Torres role (that is, the role of Torres at his peak, peeling off into wider zones before sprinting in behind) than Torres. Chelsea were playing on the counter-attack in the first half, and Hazard played the false nine perfectly well. He might have missed a fine goalscoring opportunity after Oscar’s excellent run, but he created a similarly good chance with some brilliant movement and good awareness of Juan Mata’s run, and produced a fine pass to find him. Chelsea were two composed finishes away from Di Matteo’s decision being judged a success. How would Torres have fared? It’s impossible to say – but there’s nothing to suggest he would have been a more promising outlet on the break, or a more reliable finisher in front of goal. Of course, when Chelsea fell behind, Juventus sat back and Hazard was forced to play more of a classic centre-forward role – this was predictably unsuccessful. Azpilicueta Di Matteo’s second key decision was using Azpilicueta on the right of midfield, and again, this broadly worked well on. There was a huge difference in the positioning of Azpilicueta and his equivalent on the opposite side, Mata. That’s entirely natural – Azpilicueta is a full-back, Mata is a playmaker. But while Azpilicueta kept the right flank secure in combination with Branslav Ivanovic, Chelsea’s clearest weakness in the first half was Lichtsteiner’s untracked runs from the right-wing-back position. It was he that hit the post in the opening minutes after a run behind Ashley Cole, and then later Cole was forced to clear off the line when Lichtsteiner tried to bundle the ball over the line. On other occasions, the wing-back found himself in space but wasn’t found quickly enough by the Juventus midfielders. The disparity on either side was stark – Azpilicueta forced Kwadwo Asamoah to retreat or play a sideways pass, where Lichtsteiner was free to attack. The first half average positions (courtesy of UEFA.com) - see how Mata (10) is in no protection to protect Cole (3), while Lichtsteiner (26) is higher up than Asamoah (22) Midfield In the centre of the pitch, Oscar again did a decent job on Andrea Pirlo – he was unfortunate to be caught out for Juventus’ opening goal, a Pirlo shot that was turned in by Quagliarella – but Juventus’ bravery in terms of forward running was remarkable. From an early stage they got numerous players into the box, with both Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal charging into goalscoring positions. Vidal found space between Ramires and Mata when Chelsea were defending, particularly when Juve attacked down the left and Ramires shuffled across the pitch. Pirlo, too, was happy to move ahead of Oscar and risk being caught on the counter-attack – Juve were seemingly confident their surplus of centre-backs would allow them to stop breaks, although a couple of times defenders were forced into tactical fouls. Juventus routines In combination with the midfield running, Juve replicated their pre-arranged strategy to drag Chelsea’s defenders out of position. Both Vucinic and Quagliarella are mobile, quick but competent with their back to goal – so when one moved deep and drew a Chelsea centre-back up the pitch, the other would quickly sprint in behind. This happened a couple of times in the first half – an offside flag called a halt to one move – but it was most obvious in the second half when Quagliarella rounded Petr Cech, but couldn’t finish from a tight angle. It was also notable that Juventus had prepared a couple of clever corner routines – one resulted in a short corner and a backwards ball into the path of Marchisio, who forced Cech into a save. Another less successful strategy was for Pirlo to chip a short corner to a player in advance of the near post, who would flick the ball into the six-yard box. Substitutions Di Matteo’s first substitution was predictable, replacing Azpilicueta with the more attack-minded Victor Moses – but within 90 seconds, Chelsea had conceded a goal assisted by Asamoah, who had previously been shackled by Azpilicueta. It’s unlikely Azpilicueta would have been directly tracking Asamoah’s run – but he would have been in a deeper position than Moses was, which in turn might have pushed Ivanovic deeper and in a position to tackle Asamoah. Again, Juve’s commitment to brave runs paid off – nine seconds after a throw on the halfway line, they had four men inside the penalty box against Chelsea’s four defenders. That wrapped up the game. Di Matteo then put on Torres for Mikel, moving Oscar deeper alongside Ramires. Juve freshened things up with Martin Caceres replacing Lichtsteiner and Sebastian Giovinco on for Vucinic. This helped secure the win – Caceres brought both more defensive steel and renewed energy, while Giovinco kept making dangerous runs in behind a Chelsea defence playing an increasingly attack-minded game. Caceres set up Vucinic for a good chance, then made the interception that led to Giovinco scoring the third. Conclusion The decision to use Hazard didn’t cost Chelsea, nor did the decision to use Azpilicueta. Instead, they were prone to Juve’s midfield runs, the movement of their strikers, and the runs of Lichsteiner from right-wing-back (Asamoah on the other side only became a significant problem after Azpilicueta departed). In fact, they were were most exposed in the least experimental and least controversial parts of Di Matteo’s starting XI. That will prompt questions about his overall strategy at Chelsea, but his specific tactics for this game weren’t disastrous.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Tactical Analysis of UEFA Champions League Thriller Nov 20, 2012 Juventus hosted reigning European champions Chelsea at Juventus Stadium on Tuesday and were comprehensively beaten, 3-0. The match carried prime billing, but it became clear within 15 minutes that the Blues would be travelling home with nothing. The tactical battle was an interesting one and Roberto Di Matteo's struggles against a three-man defence continued, while the Italian's own experiment with Eden Hazard ended in failure. Here's a tactical breakdown of the match. Formations Juventus lined up in their typical 3-5-2 formation, using a regista in Andrea Pirlo and two midfield shuttlers in Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal. Chelsea took their usual 4-2-3-1 shape and modified it slightly, with Hazard playing something approaching a false-nine role up front. Cesar Azpilicueta played an odd role on the right-hand side. To Live and Die by the Wing-backs When we talk about three-man defensive systems, we often underline the importance of the wing-backs creating penetration. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it allows two players the freedom to run with the ball and literally drag their team forward 15, 20 or perhaps even 30 yards. Second, it stretches the pitch to its widest, giving the central midfielders room to play football. Di Matteo was clearly aware of the threat Kwadwo Asamoah carries from left-wing-back, as he deployed right-back Azpilicueta as an extra level of insurance in front of Branislav Ivanovic. On the other side, John Obi Mikel played a deeper role to help Ashley Cole defend against Stephan Lichtsteiner. These were the most important individual battles on the field and because The Old Lady won them, they controlled the game. Leonardo Bonucci vs. Eden Hazard The second important battle on the field was key to the Bianconeri blunting Chelsea's attack. Bonucci, who played the central role in a Juve back three, often found himself man-to-man with Hazard as he was sucked in to pressurise the false-nine. Lesser players would have been bullied by the Belgian's crafty runs, but the Euro 2012 finalist was up to the challenge. He broke up play with ease, totaling six interceptions and looking like the complete opposite of Fernando Amorebieta's failed attempts to man-mark Lionel Messi. RDM struggles This is the fourth time Roberto Di Matteo has come up against a three-man defence this season, and on no occasion has his team looked comfortable. The opening day of the English Premier League saw the Blues dominated at DW Stadium, but still manage to squeeze a 2-0 win on the counterattack. A draw against Liverpool and losses to Manchester City and now Juve can only point to an increasingly evident fact—the Chelsea boss still doesn't know how to overcome a 3-5-2 or a 3-4-3. Hazard was a pretty poor choice up front. With Victor Moses and Fernando Torres on the bench, opting to play the Belgian No. 10 was rather questionable. With his team struggling to control possession against five-man midfields in the past, it's feasible to suggest the Italian was playing a 4-6-0 to try to grind out proceedings. It didn't work. Overcompensation Chelsea were disjointed from the start and that's due to the formation. Azpilicueta played an entirely pointless role in this match, as Asamoah comprehensively owned the left-hand touchline despite being double-marked, and the Spaniard offered little in attack. He was reluctant to break forward with Oscar and Hazard and was never in line with Juan Mata on the opposite flank. This caused Chelsea's formation to become lopsided, Ramires to storm forward and plug the gap and Mikel to motion haplessly at the gaping holes Vidal and Marchisio were running through. Tactically speaking, this was an all-round disaster for Chelsea and Roberto Di Matteo.

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE (5th leg) - 20-11-2012 (8:45 p.m.) ................ JUVENTUS 3 - 0 CHELSEA Fabio Quagliarella (38′) Arturo Vidal (61′) Sebastian Giovinco (90+1′) Juventus stadium - Turin Referee: Cuneyt Çakir (Turkey) Attendance: 39670 Juventus embarasses Chelsea Nov 20, 2012 Chelsea's recent struggles continued in Turin, as they dropped into third place in Group E following a 3-0 loss to Juventus. The first half featured wide-open play from both sides, and each had quality opportunities in front of each other's goal. However, Juventus appeared to have the advantage while playing at home, and Fabio Quagliarella smartly deflected Andrea Pirlo's strike past Petr Cech in the 38th minute to make sure the score line reflected this. After the break, Chelsea continued to put pressure but never truly threatened to score against the Italians. Arturo Vidal doubled Juve's lead with a strike from distance that once again got past Cech on a deflection. The Blues goalkeeper then made a questionable decision to leave his line in the 90th minute and challenge Sebastian Giovinco, who slipped the ball past him to push the score to 3-0. Chelsea is now dangerously close to being the first team to win the Champions League and fail to reach the knockout stage in its next campaign. Grades Andrea Pirlo, Juventus: A- The ageless midfield maestro was once again instrumental to an important victory for his side. His intelligent and accurate passing ensured that Juventus maintained control of the match and their future in the Champions League. Near the end of the first half, he made a fantastic interception and quickly settled the ball and fired at Chelsea's goal. The shot was deflected into the goal, and his effort gave the Italian side the momentum it needed for a positive result. Juan Mata, Chelsea: C The stakes were clear heading into this match, and Mata failed to deliver. He certainly had a difficult task as he attempted to find space in a crowded midfield, but the Blues needed a top-class performance from its star player. Mata has been in incredible form recently, but this was not one of his better matches. He made little impact on the match, and without a major contribution from him, Chelsea was unable to score. Fabio Quagliarella, Juventus: B+ The veteran striker played the poacher's role to perfection in this match. His slight touch on Pirlo's shot proves that a player does not need to do much in order to make a massive impact on the game. His positioning and his movement were extremely intelligent throughout the match, and he ensured that David Luiz and Gary Cahill were constantly occupied. Eden Hazard, Chelsea: C+ Hazard started the game in an unfamiliar position, as Roberto Di Matteo opted to start the match in a False No. 9 formation. Playing out of position, the Belgian playmaker was not nearly as effective as he has been previously this season. Fernando Torres was eventually brought onto the field to give the Blues a natural striker, but Juventus had already fallen back into defensive tactics by this point, and Hazard was unable to cut down his team's deficit. Arturo Vidal, Juventus: A- Juventus dominated the midfield in this match through excellent play from both Pirlo and Vidal. Pirlo's strike from distance was deflected by his teammate, and he did not get credit for the goal. Vidal was more fortunate, as Chelsea's Ramires pushed his attempt past Cech. The Chilean's excellent performance certainly earned him a place on the score sheet. What's Next? Juventus are now in second place in Group E, while Chelsea drops to third. Shakhtar Donetsk is in first, and Juve will travel to play the Ukrainians in two weeks, while the Blues will host FC Nordsjælland. The Blues now need a victory in their final game, and will also need Juventus to lose to Donetsk.