First-half goals give Juve victory over Dortmund
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Article summary
Juventus 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
First-half goals from Carlos Tévez and Álvaro Morata gave the Italian champions a narrow lead to take to Germany despite Marco Reus's reply.
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• Juventus claim narrow first-leg advantage against Dortmund in Turin
• Carlos Tévez gives Juve early initiative from close range (13)
• Marco Reus swiftly replies (18) but Álvaro Morata restores home advantage (43)
• Juve have better of second half yet fail to add to their lead
• The second leg is on 18 March, with the quarter-final draw two days later in Nyon
Juventus will take a narrow lead to Borussia Dortmund after edging a gripping first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie.
In a repeat of the 1997 UEFA Champions League final, Juventus scored first as Carlos Tévez prodded in from close range, but Marco Reus swiftly responded for the visitors. Although Dortmund had more possession it was Juve who struck next, Álvaro Morata restoring their lead before the break, and that proved enough to give the Italian champions the edge.
In an open first half, the Bundesliga team were first to threaten as former Juve forward Ciro Immobile clipped a shot just over the home crossbar. Dortmund looked the more enterprising side early on but that adventurous approach proved costly as Juventus broke quickly. Morata's low drive was only parried by Roman Weidenfeller and Tévez scrambled in the loose ball despite the presence of defender Marcel Schmelzer.
Dortmund were not behind for long, and it was another defensive slip that invited the goal. Giorgio Chiellini lost his footing to present the ball to Reus, who made no mistake, advancing to slot past Gianluigi Buffon.
Chances continued to flow, Morata and Leonardo Bonucci both heading just past the post, before Juve's creative impulses suffered a blow as Andrea Pirlo limped off. No matter; moments later, an incisive move made it 2-1. Tévez found Paul Pogba down the left, and the Frenchman's low cross was sidefooted in by Morata.
Both teams regrouped at the interval and clear opportunities proved harder to come by, Tévez slicing wide the most promising on the volley. The Argentinian went closer as the game moved towards its conclusion, steering a shot a metre wide of Weidenfeller's right-hand post.
The away side were not without some menace of their own, Immobile firing too high and Henrikh Mkhitaryan dragging an attempt wide. Weidenfeller then saved from Tévez before Morata set up substitute Roberto Pereyra, whose effort flashed across the face of goal to leave the tie in the balance.
