Juventus managed a 2-1 win over AS Monaco in the second leg in Turin to advance to the finals of the UEFA Champions League.
Juventus had been impregnable in the knockout phases of the current iteration of the UEFA Champions League leading up to the game. With a 2-0 lead already established in the first-leg, the result looked to be set in stone.
However, the Old Lady continued their stellar displays with 2 goals in quick succession to end the first-half with a 4-0 aggregate lead. AS Monaco, though, managed to do what the likes of Barcelona could not do over two legs, as Kylian Mbappe found the back of the net.
Mbappe’s goal may have halted Juventus’ shutout record but their undefeated run goes on and as Juventus find themselves in the final of the UEFA Champions League for the second time in 3 years, we take a look at some of the players who stood out for various reasons – positive and negative – and the overall impact of the result.
Stars
Dani Alves
Probably one of the worst pieces of business that Barcelona has conducted in the recent years, was when they let Dani Alves leave on a free transfer. And as the Brazilian performs day in and day out for Juventus, he has gone on to further vindicate the aforementioned feeling.
On Tuesday, as Monaco came looking to mount an impossible comeback, of sorts, Dani Alves made sure their task-at-hand was multiplied, with his technical prowess. The 34-year-old completed 90% of his passes and thundered a shot past the Monaco custodian just before half-time to extend their lead to 4-0 on aggregate.
The veteran misplaced just 3 passes and was absolutely scintillating during the entirety of the proceedings. Now, Dani Alves will be facing a familiar foe, in Real Madrid, in the finals of the UEFA Champions League.
And while his former team could not make it too far in the competition, he would surely love to one-up Los Blancos to delight both his current employers and his former ones.
Joao Moutinho
Joao Moutinho’s performance flew under the radar for many as AS Monaco failed to win, both on the night and in aggregate. The Portuguese, though, was the standout player for his side and perhaps the best player on the pitch as he sprayed passes with ease.
João Moutinho is quality for ?? and he was #ASMonaco‘s best player in #JuveASM: 3 shots, 1 assist, 66/69 (96%) passing, 4 chances created. pic.twitter.com/dubBD7QUbj
— Jason Foster (@JogaBonitoUSA) May 9, 2017
He ran the show in the middle of the park and was the architect of Kylian Mbappe’s goal. The midfielder created 5 chances during the match and had a passing accuracy of 95%.
The player was a visual treat against Juventus and the amount of chances created by the playmaker bodes well for his talent, especially against a side as defensively stout as Massimiliano Allegri’s men.
Duds
Falcao
Falcao has managed to re-establish himself as one of the most menacing forwards in Europe, with AS Monaco, after a couple of disappointing seasons in the Premier League. However, the first-leg against Juventus saw a shade of the Falcao of old, albeit one that had failed in England.
Fantastic intervention by Chiellini to clear cross out for a corner before it could get to Falcao on the back post! #Juventus #JuveASM #UCL pic.twitter.com/dckG7Y2VyP
— Jason Foster (@JogaBonitoUSA) May 9, 2017
Much was expected out of the forward in the second leg, but he failed to live up to those expectations. He had just one attempt towards goal, which was unable to find the target either. He failed to muster up even a single take-on against Juventus and was really struggling to find space upfront.
Analysis of the Impact
Mbappe too good to stick
It was Kylian Mbappe who managed to break Juventus’ streak of shutouts – a goal that meant the Frenchman had now scored 6 goals in the knockout phases, behind only to Cristiano Ronaldo. 6 goals in 6 games would surely drive up his price and while Monaco would not want to part with the player, it is likely to be out of their hands.
1 – Kylian Mbappe is the only player to score from open play against Juventus in this season’s Champions League. Lonely. pic.twitter.com/3LvY24ZJNj
— Jack Grimse (@JackGrimse) May 9, 2017
Real Madrid reached the finals along with Juventus and both the sides have been linked with a move for the 18-year-old. Mbappe could look at the result of the semi-final to gauge the gap between AS Monaco and the aforementioned duo, which could see him move to newer pastures.
Danijel Subasic ready for the Premier League?
Danijel Subasic has been impressive for Monaco in the recent times. The 32-year-old was impressive again on the day, with 4 saves against Juventus, without which the scoreline would have looked rather depressing for the visitors.
The player has been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal recently and his performances are likely to pique the interest of the Premier League duo. Subasic, at 32, could be lured by the riches of the Premier League along with the allure of playing in England.
Subasic has garnered a wealth of experience under his belt and the summer could be the best opportunity for him to try his hand in the Premier League.
