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Your support makes all the difference.Argentine striker Javier Saviola scored a late equalizer as Barcelona rallied to draw 1–1 with Juventus in a first–leg quarter-final of the Champions League last night.
Barcelona stretched its the unbeaten streak to 16 matches in the prestigious European competition.
"We made some decisive errors on Saviola's goal," Juventus midfielder GianLuca Zambrotta said. "We should not have allowed this goal, which could turn decisive in the second leg."
The 21–year–old Saviola scored on a quick counterattack in the 78th minute with a shot slightly deflected by Uruguayan defender Paolo Montero, who had put the home team in front with a first–half goal.
Montero, a tough center half usually moving on attack on free and corner kicks, scored from an angled position in the 16th minute off a save by Barcelona's Argentine goalkeeper Roberto Bonano, who parried a bicycle kick by Alessandro Del Piero.
Montero's goal made up for the absence of Juventus regular French striker David Trezeguet, who was sidelined with a dislocated shoulder, forcing coach Marcello Lippi to start Del Piero as the only forward.
Barcelona, initially overwhelmed by Juventus' defense and midfield, definitely improved after fielding Gaizka Mendieta and Gerard as second–half substitutes.
Saviola, fed by Dutch teammate Patrick Kluivert, tallied his seventh goal in this season's Champions League shortly after teammate Gabri cleared a goal shot by Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids with Bonano out of position.
Gabri will miss the next match after getting a yellow card in Turin.
In the closing minutes, with both sides tired and less attentive, Kluivert went close to scoring the game winner for the visiting team, but 'keeper GianLuigi Buffon deflected the ball with his right foot.
In injury time, Del Piero's substitute Marco Di Vaio, returning from injury, squandered a scoring chance kicking wide from 10 meters.
Barcelona, out of contention for the title in the Spanish "Liga" but coming off 13 wins and one draw in Champions League action, deserved Wednesday's draw with an aggressive second half following a dull first period.
The Spanish team will take a useful away goal into the second–leg scheduled in Barcelona on April 22.
Either Barcelona or Juventus, a two–time Champions League titlist, will play in the semifinals against the winner of the Real Madrid–Manchester United quarter.
About 60,000 fans supported the home team in rainy weather which made the pitch slippery.
Juventus: Buffon; Thuram, Ferrara, Montero, Zambrotta (Zalayeta, 65); Camoranesi, Tacchinardi, Tudor (Birindelli, 60), Davids; Nedved, Del Piero (Di Vaio, 80). Substitutes not used: Chimenti (gk), Iuliano, Pessotto, Conte.
Barcelona: Bonano; Gabri, Puyol, De Boer, Reiziger; Overmars (Luis Enrique, 82), Xavi (Gerard, 73), Motta, Riquelme (Mendieta, 63); Saviola, Kluivert. Substitutes not used: Valdes (gk), Andersson, Christanval, Rochemback.
Referee: L Michel (Slovakia).
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