Juventus picked up a crucial three points at home to Olympiacos in Turin on Tuesday, but the Italian champions certainly didn't make it easy for themselves. They threw away an early lead and found themselves trailing in the second half, before coming from behind to seal the win with a quickfire double.
Juventus vs. Olympiacos: Final score 3-2, Juve win tumultuous game in Turin
Juventus came from behind to pick up a crucial three points against Olympiacos.
Valerio Pennicino
The hosts dominated the early exchanges, but despite bombarding the Olympiacos box with crosses, they struggled to carve out goal-scoring chances. Only a dipping Claudio Marchisio effort from distance tested the visitors' goalkeeper Roberto in the opening 20 minutes, and the Greek side looked content to sit back and try to hit their hosts on the counter.
However, Andrea Pirlo had other ideas. On the night of his centenary Champions League appearance, the midfield magician produced a brilliant free kick in the 21st minute, which left Roberto with no chance. Olympiacos, having failed to produce a single chance of note in the game's first quarter, found themselves behind. But not for long.
Just three minutes after conceding, the Greek side won a corner, and took full advantage of some lax Juventus defending to level the score. Alejandro Domínguez’s delivery was flicked on by defender Alberto Botía, with the ball just squeezing inside Gianluigi Buffon’s far post to equalize.
Despite the goal, Juventus’ grip over the game tightened as the halftime whistle approached. Just past the half hour Álvaro Morata should’ve scored after being slipped through on goal by Carlos Tevez, shortly before the bianconeri squandered another outstanding chance on Kwadwo Asamoah’s fizzed cross. Thanks to Juve’s profligate finishing, the game was goalless at the break.
It wasn't long into the second half before the Italian champions created another great chance to break the deadlock, though once again they failed to capitalize. Morata, Tevez and Arturo Vidal found themselves through against two Olympiacos defenders, though the latter couldn't control Tevez's through ball and the move broke down.
Eventually, Juventus were made to pay for their wastefulness in front of goal. Once again Olympiacos took full advantage of a set piece, with Delvin N’Dinga heading home just past the hour after Giannis Maniatis hooked a free kick back into the Juve box. There was suddenly panic in Turin, but the goal seemed to be just what the hosts needed to spark them into life.
Just four minutes later, Juve were level. A cross from the right was headed by an Olympiacos defender against Fernando Llorente and the base of the woodwork, before cruelly rebounding into off the boot of goalkeeper Roberto.
As if that wasn't bad enough for the Greek side, they found themselves behind just a minute later, through a goal worthy of winning any game. Once again Paul Pogba showed his class with a superb drive from the edge of the penalty area, which whistled unstoppably past Roberto and into the back of the net.
Olympiacos rallied, and almost pulled level after some individual brilliance from full-back Omar Elabdellaoui with just over 10 minutes left. However, his low drive flashed wide of Buffon’s far post, and Juve survived. They should have killed the game off in stoppage time after Tevez was fouled in the box by Luka Milivojević, though Vidals spot-kick was superbly saved.
Alas, it was all in vain for Olympiacos, with Juve running out 3-2 winners.
Juventus: Buffon; Asamoah (Pereyra 83’), Chiellini, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner; Pogba, Pirlo, Marchisio (Padoin 71’); Vidal; Morata (Llorente 58’), Tevez.
Goals: Pirlo (21’), Roberto (o.g. 65’), Pogba 66’.
Olympiacos: Roberto; Masuaku, Abidal, Botía, Elabdellaoui; Afellay, Milivojević, N’Dinga (Kasami 77’), Maniatis (Diamantakos 83’); Domínguez (Fuster 72’); Mitroglou.
Goals: Botía (24’), N’Dinga (61’).
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