Juventus beat Barca in the first leg of the quarter-finals

With two beautiful left-footed shots from Dybala and a header from Chiellini, Juventus defeated Barca 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

Goals: Dybala 7', 22', Chiellini 55'

As expected by Juventus fans, Coach Allegri's team quickly made a difference with two "first" goals. From the lead, the Serie A champions built a solid defensive counter-attack and scored another goal.

The standout performer in Juventus' victory was Paulo Dybala, who scored a superb double. With just seven minutes to go, Dybala opened the scoring for the home side with a low cross-shot from inside the box. Not long after, the No. 21 once again showed off his left-footed curling ability, beating Ter Stegen from close range.16 m.

Dybala's two goals soon made the difference. Photo: Reuters

Juventus fans did not have to wait long for the third goal. Just 10 minutes into the second half, defender Chiellini scored with a header into the far corner after a corner kick. This also sealed the 3-0 scoreline for the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Barca's heavy defeat may have been due to the early two goals conceded. After gaining a big advantage, Juventus pulled all their players back to their own half to play defensive counter-attacks. The tactics of the team with the strongest defense in Europe made it almost impossible for Barca to score, even when they had 70% possession.

Juventus not only defended well, but also showed how important it is to make the most of your chances. After Dybala scored two quick goals from two early chances, Chiellini scored from an aerial challenge that Barca's defence could have easily cleared with a more careful man-marking. Had goalkeeper Ter Stegen not saved a couple of other shots from Higuain and Mandzukic, the scoreline could have been higher.

Dybala's quick kick sent the ball spiraling into the far corner, in the opening goal situation.

While Juventus took the early advantage to win, Barca failed to replicate the form that brought them a 6-1 victory over PSG. Surrounded by 10 players in black and white stripes, the visitors' attack had almost no space to create opportunities. The most dangerous situation Barca had in the first half was Mathieu's cross for Suarez to finish, but the ball hit Bonucci and changed direction and flew wide of the post.

The Spanish side's efforts were also in vain in the second half. The ball was mostly passed outside the box, before being cleared by the Juventus defence or stopped by Buffon. Barca's best chance in the second half was a Messi cross that Umtiti missed with a header.

The referee also contributed to Barca not being able to score on the opponent's field when he refused to award a penalty in the 69th minute. Video footage of the incident showed Chiellini letting the ball touch his hand in the penalty area after Neymar's shot.

A three-goal deficit in the first leg leaves Barca with a huge task ahead of them. If they are to make the semi-finals, they need to win by at least four goals at the Nou Camp next week, which is difficult to do against a team with a solid defence like Juventus.

Chiellini didn't need to jump too high to head the ball to score for Juventus.

According to VNE