Turin (Italy) (AFP)
Cristiano Ronaldo must not have liked in front of his screen: Barcelona, led by a great Lionel Messi, came to recover his health (2-0) on the field of Juventus, deprived of his Portuguese star in quarantine, Wednesday during the 2nd day of the Champions League.
This success, the score of which could have been much heavier, will probably not be enough to put everything in order in the Catalan house after the defeat to Real Madrid and the resignation of President Bartomeu.
But he offered a first prestigious victory to the new coach Ronald Koeman, with goals from Dembélé, at the start of the match, then Messi himself, on a penalty at the end of the match.
A lesson in Catalan football that will be able to meditate on the novice Andrea Pirlo, whose Juventus, too muddled, appeared more than ever in "construction".
If Ronaldo could not honor the appointment, for lack of the necessary negative test for Covid-19, Lionel Messi was therefore there, and there.
He lit the Catalan game in an axial position of N.10.
As if everything, finally, could return before Barcelona, a few weeks after the soap opera of the real-false start of the six-fold Ballon d'Or.
- Juve to torture -
From the start, Barcelona tormented the Turin defense where Bonucci, uncertain due to muscle pain, was present but not at his best.
In just two minutes, Messi had seen a strike countered in extremis and Sczensky had already had to work to repel an attempt by Pjanic before being saved by his post on a dry strike from Griezmann!
The Turin goalkeeper will have less luck on the next offensive: Dembélé, receiving a bright change of wing from Messi, was going to provoke the Italian defense and his shot, deflected by Chiesa, left no chance for Sczcesny (14th).
The result was like this one-sided start: everything often went too fast for Juve.
With Barcelona masters of the ball and the tempo, to the point that it was sometimes embarrassing to see the Turinese running behind the ball confiscated by the Blaugranas.
Barcelona could have made the break earlier but Messi, after a sumptuous exchange with Griezmann, did not take advantage of the Frenchman's heel (23rd), then again missed the frame in the second half (60th).
Then Dembélé and Griezemann, in an ideal position, tangled their brushes when it came time to conclude (35th).
Griezmann again had a great opportunity, too crossed (75th).
- Three offside for Morata -
And it was not until the entry into play of Ansu Fati to see the Spaniards get the penalty of 2-0 (90th), while Juve was reduced to ten for a few minutes after the exclusion of Demiral.
Juventus, with an ambitious system with Chiesa and Kulusevski on the wings, never managed to overwhelm the Catalan defense, yet deprived of Pique.
And Dybala may have come back down to look for the balls to try to boost the pace, nothing worked.
Under these conditions, Pirlo could only count on a miracle and Morata believed three times to offer him.
But the Spaniard's three goals were invalidated for offside!
The third, just after the break, for a few centimeters, at least had the merit of giving the Turinese a little more confidence, but the rare attempts were not framed (Kulusevski, Rabiot).
To mark Wednesday night, someone was definitely missing.
A Ronaldo whose encouragement from a distance, wearing the white and black jersey on Instagram, was not enough, but who has already checked the date of the return match against Messi, on December 8.
© 2020 AFP