Juventus vs Bayern Munich match report: Paulo Dybala inspires draw after Juve were two down in Turin
Juventus 2 Bayern Munich 2
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Your support makes all the difference.Juventus produced a stirring fightback to recover from two-goals down against Bayern Munich last night after being on the receiving end of a football lesson from Pep Guardiola’s side in the first hour.
Bayern went 2-0 ahead in the 55th minute when Arjen Robben’s precise left-foot finish added to a first-half piece of opportunism from Thomas Müller, a scoreline that scarcely reflected the visitors’ almost total domination.
Yet Juventus found a way back into the game when a Joshua Kimmich error in the 63rd minute allowed Paulo Dybala to pull a goal back, Mario Mandzukic playing the Argentine striker in on goal to slide the ball past Manuel Neuer.
Having been on the backfoot for so long, Massimiliano Allegri’s side suddenly found some belief. Juan Cuadrado had a 15-yard blast tipped over the bar by Neuer, Paul Pogba’s curling effort was only just wide before substitute Stefano Sturaro grabbed the equaliser just eight minutes after coming on. Again Kimmich was at fault, the Bayern central defender allowing Sturaro to force his way in front of him to turn in Mandzukic’s header from close range.
Bayern had dominated the first half to the extent that they enjoyed over 70 per cent possession and hemmed the home side into their own half for long periods. In just the third minute Gianluigi Buffon had to be alert to palm away an Arturo Vidal drive. Then a slick Bayern move involving Robben and Philipp Lahm opened up the Juventus defence down the right only for Robert Lewandowski to square the ball to Müller when clean through. Slightly surprised, the striker scuffed his shot.
Lewandowski should also have done better with a header from a Douglas Costa cross from the left, but still Bayern kept coming. Juventus’s only reprise came in the 11th minute when a Pogba ball released the pacy Dybala down the left only for Mandzukic to fail to connect with his cross to the far post.
Finally, the goal the German side had long been threatening arrived in the 43rd minute. Robben found space down the right and though his cross was overhit Douglas was able to return it into the middle at pace. Andrea Barzagli could only turn the ball away from goal and almost inevitably Müller was waiting 10 yards out to fire home.
Juventus tried to force the pace after the break but from one of their first attacks they were undone. In the 53rd minute a rapid Bayern counter ended up with Robben cutting in from the left to score with a vicious drive.
That looked to be it for Italian hopes before an unlikely recovery that will have ruined Guardiola’s night.
Juventus: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Barzagli, Bonucci, Evra, Cuadrado, Khedira (Sturaro, 68), Marchisio (Hernanes, h-t), Pogba, Mandzukic, Dybala (Morata, 74). Substitutes not used: Neto, Zaza, Rugani, Pereyra.
Bayern Munich: Neuer; Lahm, Kimmich, Alaba, Bernat (Benatia, 74), Robben, Müller, Vidal, Thiago, Douglas Costa, Lewandowski. Substitutes not used: Ulreich, Ribery, Rafinha, Alonso, Götze, Coman.
Referee: M Atkinson (England)
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