AS Monaco vs. Juventus, Champions League 2015: Scoreless draw enough for Bianconeri

The first half was curiously one-sided, with Juventus sitting very deep in a defensive shell, inviting Monaco forward to attack at will. The hosts gladly accepted the invitation, playing a high press that kept Juventus off-balance and creating numerous scoring chances that they just couldn’t quite finish off. Still, they successfully kept Juve pinned back, forcing them to play more and more defensively and taking the teeth out of their counter attack in the process.

To give credit where it’s due, Juventus did manage to shield away Monaco’s attacking efforts, but they struggled badly when they were on the ball, having a difficult time passing through Monaco’s relentless pressing. Even Pirlo and Buffon had moments of indecision and nerves, something you hardly ever see. They were able to counter more effectively with balls over the top a few times in the second half, but by and large Monaco continued their relentless attacking pressure.

Juventus recorded a 1-0 win at home to AS Monaco in the first leg of their quarterfinal in Turin a week ago, and will look to hold onto their narrow advantage when these sides face-off again in the principality on Wednesday. Monaco’s performances in Europe this season have shown that they’re no slouches, and the Italian champions will have to be sure to defend well against Leonardo Jardim’s dangerous counter-attacking outfit.

However, the good news for the bianconeri is that they did manage to score in the first leg. That is going to force Monaco to change from their naturally reactive strategy to a more proactive one, perhaps ruining their typically strong defensive shape in the process. Juventus will no doubt get chances, and if they can score an away goal or two, this tie could be over pretty quickly.