Black & White & Read All Over - UEFA Champions League: Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund — Full match coverage"Alla Juventus vincere non è importante. È l'unica cosa che conta."https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47437/blackwhiteread-fave.png2015-03-03T19:00:04+01:00http://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/rss/stream/78597902015-03-03T19:00:04+01:002015-03-03T19:00:04+01:00Juventus, Dortmund have all to play for in Germany
<figure>
<img alt="Don't worry, Paul Pogba's got this" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iHnc4gcNZkOk7i6bw9U189kz5BY=/0x105:1568x1150/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45793896/GettyImages_464358294.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Don't worry, Paul Pogba's got this | Lars Baron/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A 2-1 result leaves everything up for grabs, but aside from the result there were plenty of encouraging signs for Juventus fans. </p> <p>The final score read 2-1 in Turin, and in terms of chances the difference could have been more. While Juventus at times struggled to pass the ball out from the back, any ball to the strikers caused massive problems for the Borussia Dortmund defense. Sander Ijtsma (@11tegen11 on twitter) created an expected goals (ExpG) model based on where and how a shot is taken, for example, if it is a header, or assisted by a cross or through ball. Each shot is given a decimal value representing the likelihood of a goal being scored. The data for this does not include defensive positioning, so underrating of 1-on-1 chances like Marco Reus' goal happens.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="JuveBVBxG" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UCFW2f9peWKaGu1Lm7mrx7TGwKI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3458012/JuvDorxG.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>(<a href="https://twitter.com/11tegen11/status/570339474581819392" target="_blank">SOURCE</a>)</p>
<h5>Juventus- Borussia Dortmund Expected Goals</h5>
<p>The Germans were as expected in terms of philosophy, throwing bodies forward in an aggressive press and trying to either quickly hit the striker (with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang providing frequent support) or get Marco Reus cutting infield. Juventus produced something of a classic Italian performance, sitting deep and breaking with assurance and pace, making sure your opponent cannot hurt you while knowing all the while that you can hurt them. Combined with Italian teams going 5-for-5 in advancing from the round of 32 in the Europa League, it was a week to have the old-timers smiling.</p>
<p>Of course, there were mistakes, like Giorgio Chiellini's tragic attempt to use his right foot. But with the result so finely balanced — Spanish statistician Mister Chip says it's the most balanced, with the first-leg winner advancing 283 times in European competition, and the second-leg host overturning the deficit 278 times — the tie will be won at Signal Iduna Park.</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="2-1 very balanced" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ac91v7A2UFN6CyqtCDREpdtn5LE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/3458016/2_1balanced.0.png">
</figure>
</p>
<p>(<a href="http://twitter.com/2010MisterChip/status/570340558062759938" target="_blank">SOURCE</a>)</p>
<h5>A first leg final score of 2-1 leaves it all to play for in Germany</h5>
<p>Jürgen Klopp came into the first leg with a somewhat changed side. Kevin Kampl came down with a virus on route to Turin, and likely as a result of his absence Aubameyang was brought back to the right flank. Juventus youth product Ciro Immobile was given a chance to leave a mark against his former team, but his poor form with the German side proved more powerful than the law of the ex.</p>
<p>Perhaps even the bigger surprise was the formation that Klopp sent his men out in, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan taking the place Shinji Kagawa as the team tried to battle for the midfield with a 4-3-3. Nuri Sahin is certainly not a natural holder, and his limitations as the lone man in front of the back four were repeatedly exposed. Not that those behind him did much better, with Sokratis Papastathopoulous in particular spending much of the evening chasing Álvaro Morata's shadow. For a detailed and complete tactical analysis, I highly recommend<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ultimouomo.com/sfuggire-alla-pressione/"> Fabio Barcellona's piece</a> in L'Ultimo Uomo (Italian).</p>
<p>It would be very surprising to see Klopp repeat the choice of a 4-3-3 formation — which he seemed to abandon in the league but returned to for this match, perhaps to try and keep the midfield more secure and the tie in the balance ahead of a return leg in Germany. He partly succeeded, in keeping the scoreline close, and with a healthy Kampl and Aubameyang up top there is every chance for Dortmund to advance.</p>
<p>However, Sahin will remain a liability on the back foot, and no matter the center backs Klopp puts out, there will be chances for the Juventus strikers. It was, in some ways, an excellent tactical performance from Juventus last Tuesday night, with only one massive unforced error leaving things so finely balanced. But in front of the <i>Südtribune </i>the <i>Schwarzgelben</i>'s virtues will be magnified. It's all to play for in three weeks' time, and this writer can hardly sleep for the excitement.</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/3/3/8128389/juventus-borussia-dortmund-uefa-champions-league-round-of-16-first-leg-reviewdanpchavez2015-02-26T22:40:14+01:002015-02-26T22:40:14+01:00Andrea Pirlo set to miss three weeks with calf injury
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T-wlwsMctBfNIHHC2gImyM_InNI=/0x97:2000x1430/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45776388/GettyImages_464261274.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There will be a little less beard in your life for a few weeks. I hope you guys can handle that.</p> <p>Undergoing tests for the past days has resulted in a definitive answer for Andrea Pirlo. That final verdict, unfortunately, will leave Juventus without its No. 1 midfield maestro option for the next three weeks. Thank goodness to squad depth.</p>
<p>Juventus have announced that the 35-year-old Pirlo, who came off injured in the first half of Juve's 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night, will miss the next three weeks with "a first grade tear" in the midfielder's right leg. It means Pirlo will miss Juventus' trip to the Stadio Olimpico for the top-of-the-table clash against Roma on Monday, as well as the first leg of the Coppa Italia showdown with Fiorentina next week.</p>
<p>The official word, <a href="http://www.juventus.com/juve/en/news/working-towards-the-giallorossi" target="_blank">courtesy of juventus.com</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Missing from today's workout was Andrea Pirlo, who underwent a series of tests after departing Tuesday's Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund early due to a calf injury. These revealed a first grade tear of the gastrocnemius muscle in the midfielder's right leg. He is expected to be fully recovered within 20 days.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>While he is going miss some important games over the next three weeks, the timetable outlined by Juventus suggests that Pirlo will be available for Max Allegri when Juve travels to Germany for the second leg against Borussia Dortmund on March 18. Between now and then, Juventus will play four games — three in Serie A, and the aforementioned Coppa Italia tie at Juventus Stadium next Thursday night.</p>
<p>Could Pirlo's absence give an opportunity for, say, somebody like Stefano Sturaro to see some game action after his loan tenure with Genoa ended early last month? I hope so — at least in the Coppa Italia. It's pretty much a certainty that Claudio Marchisio will slide over into the regista role, with Roberto Pereyra coming into the starting lineup to take Pirlo's spot. At least, that's what happened the last time Pirlo missed time, and with all of those players healthy and available during this new injury absence, it's easy to think that it will be the plan of action once again.</p>
<p>And with the way Marchisio has played the last few months, the move to regista shouldn't be a problem at all. He's proven that he's more than capable there before, and I feel safe in saying he will prove vital there when he steps onto the Olimpico field against Roma in a couple of days.</p>
<p>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css">
</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/2/26/8112983/juventus-andrea-pirlo-calf-injury-serie-a-2015Danny Penza2015-02-25T09:20:09+01:002015-02-25T09:20:09+01:00Juventus grab narrow advantage after first-leg win
<figure>
<img alt="Alvaro Morata side foots home to put Juventus 2-1 up against Borussia Dortmund." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/w1TN-83WKSx0oORvaiNPlLQ-Hpc=/0x15:3088x2074/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45768274/GettyImages_464320522.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Alvaro Morata side foots home to put Juventus 2-1 up against Borussia Dortmund. | Lars Baron/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Bianconeri recover from Giorgio Chiellini's error to take narrow advantage to Signal Iduna Park in two weeks’ time.</p> <p>Well, that was intense, wasn't it?</p>
<p>Borussia Dortmund were pretty much what we expected — quick, skillful, aggressive (a little too aggressive for my liking) and at times defensively shaky. For Juventus, Max Allegri took an unfamiliar approach — but not unexpected — by mainly ceding possession to Dortmund, giving them little space and trying to hit them on quick counter attacks. This was the first time in this season's Champions League that we've had less possession than our opponents.</p>
<p>"We prepared this tactic, to invite Borussia forward, clog the midfield and therefore create spaces behind them. At this level you can't try to dominate your opponents, so we aimed to make the most of their defensive weaknesses" said Allegri after the game. It worked pretty well, as apart from the goal — which came as a result of an unforced error — Dortmund did not have many dangerous opportunities. This was in part helped by Jürgen Klopp's strange decision to play their in-form striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out wide on the right; it's fair to say that Ciro Immobile was much less of a threat up front.</p>
<p>Two complaints I have from this game. Firstly, Juve again wasted too many chances to get a third or even fourth goal. The most upsetting of these was Roberto Pereyra's in the 85th minute. Great pass first by Claudio Marchisio to Man of the Match Álvaro Morata, who then played the Vidal wannabe through, only for him to scuff his shot (despite Dortmund keeper Roman Wiedenfeller being poorly positioned). When, oh when, are we going to improve in this area?</p>
<p>Secondly, why were Juve trying to play the ball out from defence and midfield so often, given how aggressively Dortmund were pressing us? Juventus gave the ball away too many times like that. As even Michael Cox (of Zonalmarking.net) noted, Allegri's men were much more effective when either quickly playing out of or bypassing the midfield all together - as was the case on both of our goals.</p>
<p>One other thing; While the game was not dirty by any means, I did feel like the referee let Dortmund get away with a lot of their aggressive play at times. Juve definitely should have had more fouls.</p>
<p>I hope the Juventus players have learned from the few mistakes they made Tuesday night, and work towards not repeating these. The second leg is going to be extremely difficult, and Signal Iduna will give Dortmund a big lift. I'm still only 50 percent confident that Juve can knock out Dortmund (as there's more to winning than just having great players). But in the first leg, Juve showed that they can step it up against the top teams in Europe. In two weeks, they'll have the opportunity to show that they belong on this stage by knocking one of them out.</p>
<p><strong>MATCH SUMMARY</strong></p>
<p>Dortmund made a bright start to this game, with some quick passes in midfield leading to Immobile shooting over from just outside the box. Dortmund had the best of the early exchanges, but Juventus took the lead in the 13th minute with a great counter attack. Morata and Carlos Tévez exchanged passes on the half-line before the young Spaniard sprinted down the left on Dortmund's goal, cut back and had what seemed a weak shot/cross. However, Wiedenfeller spilled this right into the path of Tevez for El Apache to tap into an open net. A brilliant start for Juve!</p>
<p>Alas, our dream start soon turned sour. Under no pressure, Chiellini goes to control a ball and inexplicably slips and presents Marco Reus with a one-on-one opportunity and the German international coolly sent Buffon the wrong way to equalize for Dortmund. It was the all-important away goal that we desperately wanted to avoid conceding, and it was extremely disappointing to concede via an unforced error.</p>
<p>Dortmund continued to press and were definitely on top after this and Juve looked to be struggling to contain them, but they still had their chances. On 21 minutes, Juve created a half chance with Tévez hooking a cross back from the goal line for Morata, who headed wide from around the penalty spot. A few minutes later, Juve had another chance, this time from an Andrea Pirlo free kick which met Leonardo Bonucci at the far post for him to head high and wide. A late challenge on Dortmund right back Lukasz Piszczek by Paul Pogba resulted in the former being substituted for Matthias Ginter.</p>
<p>Five minutes later, Juventus were forced into a change of their own, with Pirlo having to come off with a calf injury. Pereyra was his replacement. This did not turn out to be a detrimental loss, as a further five minutes after that, Juve retook the lead. A long pass from the back by Bonucci found Tevez, who spread the ball out wide for Pogba, who in turn played a one-time pass into the middle for the wide open Morata to side foot into the bottom corner. A goal and an assist for Juve's most in-form player at the moment.</p>
<p>The first chance of the second half fell to Dortmund and Immobile; after Juve failed to clear their lines, the ex-Juve man spun but fired straight at Buffon. On 61 minutes, quick passing and movement up front by Juve led to a Lichtsteiner cross for Morata to flick on, which eventually fell for Tevez who lashed over from 12 yards out.</p>
<p>While Dortmund had the majority of the possession, Juve were still creating chances. Pogba played in Marchisio, who layed off to Tevez, who then somehow wriggled free amidst a sea of Dortmund legs to get a shot on goal which was deflected wide for a corner. Tevez then took advantage of a slip by Ginter in the Dortmund defence to unleash a strike on goal, which Wiedenfeller pushed out for a corner. Chiellini headed over on the corner. On 80 minutes, Juve failed to clear a Dortmund free kick, and Blaszczkowski whipped in a cross from the right which Hummels headed over.</p>
<p>The last chance of the game fell to Juve. On 86 minutes, Marchisio played in Morata who controlled and then slid a pass through to the onrushing Pereyra who got into a great position in the box but then scuffed his shot wide. It was a great chance and would have given us that much desired two goal cushion going into the second leg.</p>
<p><strong>PLAYER RATINGS</strong></p>
<p><strong>Buffon: 6.5</strong> Another solid performance by old reliable. An assured performance deserved of a clean sheet.</p>
<p><strong>Lichtsteiner: 6</strong> Performed admirably against one of the best players in Europe, with Reus overall being menacing rather than outright dangerous. Got forward well when the opportunity arose.</p>
<p><strong>Bonucci: 6.5</strong> Was back to his solid self as he has been for most of the season so far. Started the play which led to Juve's second goal, and late in the game made a key interception when Aubameyang would have been clean through.</p>
<p><strong>Chiellini: 5</strong> Still can't get over that slip. Yes, I know, these things happen, but why did it have to happen tonight? Sigh. He did very well subsequent to that however, but being solely at fault for Dortmund's goal can't get him above a 5. Hopefully he makes up for it by getting the winning goal in the second leg.</p>
<p><strong>Evra: 6</strong> Solid performance by the veteran Frenchman, who is now looking like the player who was a stalwart for Man United for so many years. Was caught out of position on a few occasions, but nothing particularly noteworthy.</p>
<p><strong>Marchisio: 6.5</strong> Our best midfielder on the night. Made some key interceptions to win back possession and was involved in most of our chances created in the second half.</p>
<p><strong>Pirlo: 5</strong> Unfortunate that our maestro went off after 35 minutes. He played some good passes out of midfield to help alleviate pressure, but he also lost the ball a few times. Thankfully we did not miss him.<br> <br><strong>Pogba: 6</strong> Assisted on Morata's goal and showed some flashy touches, but was not as effective as we would have liked.</p>
<p><strong>Vidal: 5.5</strong> An aggressive performance by Vidal, which resulted in a yellow card. Could maybe have had a penalty when tripped in the box late on, otherwise did not do much offensively. Lost the ball in midfield a few times as well when trying to play out from midfield.</p>
<p><strong>Morata: 7</strong> A goal and an assist, another man of the match performance by Morata. Would have had two assists if Pereyra had finished his great chance — again, how could he not score there?</p>
<p><strong>Tevez: 6.5</strong> Performed the way we would expect from Tevez. Notched up his 4th goal in this season's Champions League and was also involved in our second goal. Since Conte took over, Juve's forwards have always had chemistry. But the Tevez-Morata partnership seems to be the best we've had since then to now, as they are both so quick and tricky. Long may it continue!</p>
<p>Subs</p>
<p><strong>Pereyra: 5</strong> Did a lot of running and was generally busy, but missed the best chance to give Juve that two goal cushion we desperately hoped for by scuffing his shot wide.</p>
<p><strong>Padoin: N/A</strong> Came on for Vidal late on and made no real impression.</p>
<p><strong>Coman: N/A</strong> Came on to give Tevez a much needed break. Gave up a chance to Dortmund by taking too long on the ball, but thankfully nothing came of it.</p>
<p>Coach</p>
<p><strong>Allegri: 6.5</strong> Set up the team pretty much as expected, and in my opinion, took the right approach. Can't be blame for the goal conceded which we know he really wanted to avoid. He will have his work cut out in the second leg, however.</p>
<p>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css">
</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/2/25/8105827/juventus-borussia-dortmund-uefa-champions-league-round-of-16-match-recapJohann Burnett2015-02-25T00:05:21+01:002015-02-25T00:05:21+01:00Juventus 2 - Borussia Dortmund 1: Initial reaction
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H5C-uBzZgRhvaaT7BVC5SJOPHqc=/285x22:2730x1652/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45765854/GettyImages_464321360.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Marco Luzzani/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Juventus had just seen their lead — and Giorgio Chiellini — slip away mere minutes after Carlos Tévez gave his team a 1-0 advantage. They looked every bit of a team that was shaken, giving away possession and while seeing Borussia Dortmund start to truly take over the game and impose their will and high pressure. It wasn't looking good for Juventus as the first half went on — their lead was gone, and so was their ability to command what was directly in front of them.</p>
<p>Then, on a quick counterattack, Álvaro Morata happened, with a tip of the hat to Paul Pogba and his beautiful assist.</p>
<p>And then, after a second half of defensive stands, a Juventus win happened, which is almost always a good thing.</p>
<p>What was expected to be a close tie is still exactly that. Juventus heads to Germany for leg No. 2 in two weeks with a slim 2-1 advantage after Marco Reus' first-half strike on Chiellini's massive blunder gave Dortmund the away goal they so desired. Juventus' goal was to keep Dortmund off the scoreboard, but when you have gift-wrap the opposition an equalizer as easy and simple as that one, all those hopes go flying out the window.</p>
<blockquote data-partner="tweetdeck" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/carlitos3210">@carlitos3210</a>: "The return leg? Even if we had won 3-0 tonight it still wouldn't be over." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JuveBVB?src=hash">#JuveBVB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash">#UCL</a></p>
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/570344172265164800">February 24, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<p>Honestly, I love that attitude. Carlitos knows. And after watching the first leg, so do a lot of us here.</p>
<p>Juventus rebounded nicely after Morata's goal gave them the lead for what proved to be for good. But Dortmund are dangerous even though they aren't the same kind of team they were a few years ago. They still have talented players, they still have Jürgen Klopp, they still have the second leg at home. Juventus got the first step mostly right, but there's still a second leg to be played in an atmosphere that's just as imposing as the one at Juventus Stadium.</p>
<p>It's not over, but it was never going to be because these two teams are both out there to prove a point. Tuesday night was a good win, but I won't truly celebrate until we get the chance to see Gigi Buffon giving out hugs to anybody willing after Juventus advances to the Champions League quarterfinals.</p>
<p>Hopefully we <i>actually</i> get to see that.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialAllegri">@OfficialAllegri</a>: "It was a fair result. We could have scored more but I’m happy with the win and our overall performance." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JuveBVB?src=hash">#JuveBVB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash">#UCL</a></p>
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/570349159431032832">February 24, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p><b>Random thoughts and observations</b></p>
<ul>
<li><span>Because of the nine-hour time difference between Italy and where I live here in the U.S., all of the morning news from Italy pops up online right as I'm about to head to bed. Some predicted lineups had Fernando Llorente starting over Morata. Man oh man, I sure am happy that didn't happen. Morata continues to impress, continues to score goals, continues to prove why Allegri switching from one Spaniard last month to another was the right choice. This is a young player with tons of potential starting to truly realize it. That, my friends, can be a wonderful thing.<br><br></span></li>
<li><span>Watching this Morata-Tévez partnership develop has been fun. They both track back on defense, they compliment each other so well. And, as proven against Borussia Dortmund, they're setting up each other and causing all kinds of trouble in the final third.<br><br></span></li>
<li><span>Remember when people said Tévez couldn't get the job done in Europe? How's that working out?<br><br></span></li>
<li><span>There are few Juventus-related things that bring me so much joy as hearing the aftermath of a Juventus goal whenever they're playing a big game at Juventus Stadium. It's not just loud, it's defining. <br><br></span></li>
<li><span>You know who was pretty reliable following Dortmund's goal? Giorgio Chiellini. A lot like the team, he could have crumbled. Instead, he was solid in the second half as Juventus defended their 2-1 lead.<br><br></span></li>
<li>Tonight was proof that Juventus can survive in the Champions League without Andrea Pirlo being a focal point in the team. A big reason for that was how Roberto Pereyra played after replacing Pirlo late in the first half. He's one of the few players that is able to dribble at players<br><br> </li>
<li>One of my biggest worries was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the jetpacks he has attached to his heels kicking it into full gear as he goes on a counterattack. For the most part, Dortmund's speed demon was pretty quiet against Juventus. That's in part because Patrice Evra was consistent as all hell at left back, but also because Jürgen Klopp decided, for some reason, to start Ciro Immobile and push Aubameyang out wide.<br><br> </li>
<li>When Marco Reus ran at what looks like 80 percent or so, he was still able to blow past Juventus defenders. As scary as Aubameyang's speed is, Reus' acceleration is a close second.<br><br> </li>
<li>If Juve were able to put away even one of their handful of second-half chances, going to Germany with a two-goal advantage would have me sitting so much more comfortably.<br><br> </li>
<li>Just a reminder for everybody: Juventus is pretty good at home.<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>Juventus' home form in all competitions: WWDWWDWWWDWWWWWWWWWWWWDWWWWDWWWWWWWWWWDDDWWWWWW Goals: 110 Conceded: 28 <a href="http://t.co/3GfYcxOVFp">pic.twitter.com/3GfYcxOVFp</a></p>
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) <a href="https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/570338912024932353">February 24, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Yeah, that's pretty good.<br><br> </li>
<li>Anybody ready for Roma on Monday night? I like knowing that Juventus is heading into a big game after playing well the game before. That just so happened to be another big game.</li>
</ul>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet">
</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/2/25/8103947/uefa-champions-league-round-of-16-juventus-borussia-dortmund-final-score-initial-reactionDanny Penza2015-02-24T21:40:13+01:002015-02-24T21:40:13+01:00Álvaro Morata puts Juventus in front of Borussia Dortmund<iframe src="https://vine.co/v/OQYMuJhAM2U/embed/simple" width="600" height="600"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>Juventus re-takes the lead courtesy of young Spaniard Alvaro Morata.</p></p></div>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/2/24/8103825/alvaro-morata-puts-juventus-in-front-of-borussia-dortmundDanny Penza2015-02-24T19:15:02+01:002015-02-24T19:15:02+01:00Game Time Thread: Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/planhEcht1VTB9WF14J_wBdDiSk=/0x232:1999x1565/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45754016/461165358.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>THE CHAMPIONS!!!!</p> <p>And now we bring you to the main event. Okay, so the first leg of the main event, but you know what I mean.</p>
<p>For weeks — and, to be honest, probably months — we've been waiting for Juventus' round of 16 tie against Borussia Dortmund to arrive. That day is finally upon us, and within a matter of minutes, the two teams will be walking onto the field as Juventus Stadium fills up to full capacity. It's a night that can go so far in determining how Juventus' season will play out even though there's still a second leg left to play in a couple of weeks.</p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3608425/mustreads.css" rel="stylesheet">
</p>
<p>So if you were expecting a nice and relaxing Tuesday, this might not be your cup of tea.</p>
<p>It's pretty well known at this point that Dortmund are starting to seriously rebound from their disastrous first half of the Bundesliga season. After spending weeks on end in the relegation zone, Dortmund are now clear of any relegation thoughts for the time being and hitting their stride right as they make the trip to Juventus Stadium.</p>
<p>Sounds ... lovely, doesn't it?</p>
<p>Yeah, right.</p>
<p>But this is Juventus' chance show they can hang with a team that is two years removed from the Champions League final and has proven to be one of the tougher teams in Europe this season. Dortmund, for all their faults and slip-ups in domestic competition this season, has gotten the job done in the Champions League. Juventus, however, had their annual struggles in Europe with qualification for the knockout round being anything but textbook. (Like it ever is, though.)</p>
<p>With all of that being said, just go ahead and watch this here hype video. I think you're going to like it.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/td_qG_xsc2g" height="315" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Like the video says, the time is now. Buckle up, folks.</p>
<p>Starting lineups for both Juventus and Borussia Dortmund will be available RIGHT HERE when they become available. No offense to Simone Padoin, but unless he's being brought on with three minutes to go with Juventus up a goal or two, let's have the big guys take care of this one. But, by all means, feel free to revert back to your role as Juventus' very own human victory cigar. That sounds like a grand idea to me.</p>
<p><i>UPDATE: STARTING LINEUPS ARE IN!</i></p>
<p><b>Juventus XI (4-3-1-2): </b>Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Marchisio, Pirlo, Pogba; Vidal; Tévez, Morata</p>
<p><b>Juventus bench: </b>Storari, Caceres, Ogbonna, Padoin, Pereyra, Coman, Llorente</p>
<p><b>Borussia Dortmund XI (4-2-3-1):</b> Weidenfeller ; Piszczek, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer; Gündogan, Sahin; Mkhitaryan, Reus, Aubameyang; Immobile</p>
<p><b>Borussia Dortmund bench: </b>Langerak, Ginter, Kirch, Kagawa, Kuba, Kehl, Ramos</p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet">
</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/2/24/8081289/uefa-champions-league-game-time-thread-juventus-vs-borussia-dortmundDanny Penza2015-02-23T20:30:28+01:002015-02-23T20:30:28+01:00Champions League Preview: Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WYWVzCasZJH_KBTsrL0KHO5wpbY=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45748948/460207248.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By now, we've figured out that Borussia Dortmund isn't having a good season in the Bundesliga. While they've gotten themselves out of the relegation zone and into the middle of the pack in recent weeks, there still aren't all those glistening and wonderful thoughts and feelings when it comes to how Dortmund — which just picked up its third straight league win on Friday night — are playing this season.</p>
<p>Let's just go ahead and ask Jürgen Klopp what he thinks about his Dortmund's season as a whole, shall we?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://vine.co/v/OF6lDw1EhWz/embed/simple" width="480" height="480" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<script src="https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js"></script>
</p>
<p>So much said in just a six-second clip with no words actually spoken. That is Dortmund's season — sans the past three or four weeks — in a nutshell, and how their well-regarded manager has reacted to a team that was in the Champions League final just two years ago has fallen so fast in its own domestic competition.</p>
<p>But what we've come to discover about this Dortmund team is pretty remarkable, really. While they have struggled beyond belief — Klopp's and everybody else's — for a large part of the Bundesliga season, their form in Europe has almost been the complete opposite. In their six group stage games, Dortmund won the first four of them. Outside of their 2-0 loss to Arsenal in late November, Klopp's men allowed all of two goals in this season's group stage.</p>
<p>That's not exactly how a team that is currently sitting mid-table in their respective league would be expected to play in Europe. I mean, the team sitting in 10th in Serie A entering this past weekend's set of games isn't doing much of anything in the Champions League this season, people.</p>
<p>(This is where we take a moment to point and laugh at Inter. Why? Because it's never not appropriate.)</p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3608425/mustreads.css" rel="stylesheet">
</p>
<p>There's no reason to think Euro Dortmund won't show up at Juventus Stadium with its Bundesliga form suddenly looking brighter these past few weeks. Juventus, on the other hand, has not been anything close to impressive over the same period of time. And we all know how "interesting" Juve's European form has been this season. There was the unwritten rule of starting the group stage slow, then a loss in Spain, and finally the mad scramble to qualify for the knockout stages. It's become the regular deal at this point — something we may never truly figure out as to why it happens.</p>
<p>The No. 1 goal, as both manager Max Allegri and his players have said in recent days, is to keep Dortmund off the scoreboard in the first leg so they can head to Germany with a straightforward way of making it to the quarterfinals. With BVB possessing so much attacking depth, doing that will be the biggest challenge Juventus has over the court of the 90 minutes Tuesday night.</p>
<p>Can the Juventus defense, which has been far from stellar in recent games, rise to the occasion? I really don't know, but I'm pretty sure Allegri isn't changing his tone as we are less than 24 hours away from kickoff in Turin.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialAllegri">@OfficialAllegri</a>: "We must keep a clean sheet tomorrow. I believe we have an excellent chance of getting through to the next round." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash">#UCL</a></p>
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/569906922222198784">February 23, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</p>
<p>Then it's been decided! Now all that's left is to actually do it. What could possibly go wrong...</p>
<p><b>GOOD NEWS</b></p>
<p>The first leg is at Juventus Stadium. You don't need to remind me about the last time Juventus went to Germany for the first leg of a Champions League encounter. That wasn't very fun.</p>
<p><b>BAD NEWS</b></p>
<p>If it isn't obvious, it should be. Dortmund are starting to hit their stride right as they come to Juventus Stadium. No more last-place club here. Have they had a disappointing domestic season? Sure, but now they're actually starting to resemble the team that has been playing well in Europe this season.</p>
<p><b>WHAT TO WATCH FOR</b></p>
<p>1. How Juventus handles Dortmund's lightning-quick counterattack.</p>
<p>I'll be completely honest, thinking of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang with even the slightest bit of open field in front of him scares the living daylight out of me. He is the living, breathing and all too real definition of the danger Dortmund has when it comes to speed to burn up top — and he's not the only one, too. Marco Reus is easily one of the best wingers in the game today and is capable of taking over a game without much hesitation. Dortmund switching back to a 4-2-3-1 has enabled them to get their mojo going once more, as well as playing a formation that truly fits their strengths. Dortmund has so much speed that they can go from defense to attacking third in a flash. It won't solely be on Juventus' defense to slow down the counter, either. It will be based on Juve's midfield and defense trying to be as cohesive unit to try and slow down an opposing team that is sooooo quick.</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/gianluigibuffon">@gianluigibuffon</a>: "We're up against one of the best teams in Europe. They can beat anyone and we have respect for them." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JuveBVB?src=hash">#JuveBVB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash">#UCL</a></p>
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) <a href="https://twitter.com/juventusfcen/status/569905310950952961">February 23, 2015</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<p>2. The health status and effectiveness of Arturo Vidal.</p>
<p>You have to think that if Vidal is anywhere close to full strength, Allegri is going to give him a starting nod. While I don't necessarily like it, it's almost certain in my mind that he will be playing behind the strikers, too — a whole different matter that we've brought up a number of times already. Vidal returned to training with the main group on Sunday and is part of <a href="http://www.juventus.com/juve/en/news/juve+name+24-man+squad+for+borussia+dortmund" target="_blank">the 24-man squad that was called up by Allegri</a> for tomorrow night's first leg. So, now what? Well, it's pretty simple. Vidal's season has been marred by disappointing game after disappointing game. It won't take too many fingers to count how many games where Vidal has looked like the Vidal of old. And there's no denying that if Juve want to advance past Dortmund, Vidal will have to resemble his former self. That's an easy thing to say, but as we've seen this season, not exactly something that happens a lot of the time.</p>
<p>3. The overall contributions from Andrea Pirlo.</p>
<p>As much as I think a midfield three of Vidal-Marchisio-Pogba would work best of all against Dortmund, I don't see a situation where Allegri <i>doesn't</i> pick Pirlo — especially after how he played on Friday night against Atalanta. That means Pirlo will be the hub of the offense like he almost always is. And that also means it will dictate pretty much how Juventus will approach the game tactically. You might think that is a good thing because it's Pirlo and he's still capable of putting in a wonderful performance. You might think that's a bad idea knowing how Dortmund play and the likely defensive responsibilities that will come along with things Tuesday. Either way, Pirlo will have to be a two-contributor come tomorrow night. Maybe that same Pirlo that had the second-most amount of tackles Friday night will show his head once again. It will have lovely hair either way, you know.</p>
<p>4. The impact of Álvaro Morata.</p>
<p>I would like to think that Fernando Llorente getting the starting nod against Atalanta was to give Mr. Morata a rest with the Champions League on the horizon. As much as I wanted to see Morata play, I can definitely support Allegri's decision if it means the young Spaniard is rested and raring to go come kickoff Tuesday night. Morata has been very, very good these last few weeks since he because a regular starter. Can he keep it going against a Dortmund defense that has been relatively solid in European play this season? That's why we're going to be watching. If Morata plays anywhere close to what he has done in the new year, then the scoring chances for both himself and Tévez will open up. And so on and so on and so on. As much as we want to talk about Juventus keep Dortmund off the scoreboard in the first leg, they're going to need to find the back of the BVB net to put things even more in their favor.</p>
<p><b>My starting XI (4-3-1-2): </b>Buffon; Cáceres, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra; Vidal, Marchisio, Pogba; Pereyra; Tévez, Morata</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b>OFFICIAL KICKOFF TIME: 8:45 P.M. IN ITALY; 2:45 P.M. ON THE EAST COAST; 11:45 A.M. ON THE WEST COAST</b></p>
<p>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css">
</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/2/23/7983653/uefa-champions-league-preview-juventus-vs-borussia-dortmund-leg-1Danny Penza2015-02-22T23:40:55+01:002015-02-22T23:40:55+01:00What to expect against Borussia Dortmund
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Cnql4bCSofj5BXsSMQ1XaVgoNts=/113x183:3336x2332/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45747462/463965972.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Alex Grimm/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>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.</p> <p>"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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<h5><b>DORTMUND STRENGTHS</b></h5>
<p><b>Dortmund's gegenpressing</b><br>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.</p>
<p><b>Dortmund's counterattacking</b><br>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.</p>
<p><b>Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang</b><br>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.</p>
<h5><b>DORTMUND WEAKNESSES</b></h5>
<p><b>A shaky defence</b><br>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><b>Conversion of chances</b><br>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.</p>
<p>These have been the major reasons for Dortmund's below par domestic season so far.</p>
<p>So how can Juventus limit Dortmund's strengths while at the same time exploiting their weaknesses?</p>
<p><b>Employ the same gegenpressing strategy</b> <br>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><b>Increased composure in front of goal</b><br>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.</p>
<p><b>Isolate and attack their fullbacks</b><br>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.</p>
<p><b>Better defending on set pieces</b><br>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).</p>
<p><b>Concentration will be key</b><br>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet">
</p>
https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com/2015/2/22/8084393/borussia-dortmund-are-rejuvenated-and-ready-for-juventus-champions-leagueJohann Burnett