The story appears on

Page A16

February 19, 2021

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeSportsSoccer

Pirlo鈥檚 鈥榗lueless鈥 Juventus under fire after Porto flop

Andrea Pirlo鈥檚 Juventus was branded 鈥榗lueless and devoid of ideas鈥 as its UEFA Champions League last 16 campaign stumbled midweek with a blundering 1-2 first-leg defeat at Porto.

Two quick-fire goals at the start of each half punished the Italian champion before Federico Chiesa rescued an away goal late with the second leg in Turin on March 9.

鈥淐oming onto the pitch like that without focus is unacceptable, there was too much superficiality,鈥 former Juventus coach Fabio Capello told Sky Sport.

鈥淚n the first half (Rodrigo) Bentancur鈥檚 huge mistake, in the second eight defenders were not careful against three Porto players. This cannot happen鈥.

For Juventus it was the fourth straight away game in the UCL last 16 which it failed to win.

Pirlo鈥檚 side had been hit by injuries, with Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Bonucci, Juan Cuadrado and Arthur all sidelined.

Captain Giorgio Chiellini was forced off with a muscular problem in the first half with Matthijs De Ligt ending the game limping, with Pirlo revealing that Alvaro Morata 鈥渇elt faint鈥 and had to lie down after the final whistle.

鈥淲hen you concede a goal like that so early on, it knocks your confidence,鈥 said Pirlo, in his first campaign as Juve coach. 鈥淭he players let their heads drop and Porto were able to play the game that they wanted to play.

鈥淲e shouldn鈥檛 have played like that and it鈥檚 a shame. We could have done better.鈥

For Corriere Dello Sport it was Juventus鈥檚 鈥渨orst match of the season鈥 blasting the Turin side as 鈥渄istracted and superficial.鈥

Star striker Cristiano Ronaldo was described as 鈥渁 ghost鈥 on his return to Portugal.

鈥淭he Juventus team instinctively let itself be conditioned by Ronaldo鈥檚 performance.

鈥淎n unwatchable Juve, perhaps the worst of the season saved by Chiesa鈥檚 goal.鈥

Both sides are two-time European champs with Juve鈥檚 last title in 1996 and Porto鈥檚 in 2004.


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend