Match report: Champions League: PSG beats Juventus 2-1 as Mbappe breaks Messi’s record; Benfica routs Haifa 6-1
Full Time! Juventus 1-2 PSG
Soule gets the ball to Chiesa and he is through. Hakimi gets to him, but the Italian forward clings to the ball, beats the Moroccan but fails to find a shot on target, as it is intercepted at the edge of the box.
85’ Change for Juventus and a yellow card for Verratti
Ekitike gets a through ball for Mbappe and the Frenchman sprints to get to it. Ekitike gets to the box and Mbappe crosses to Ekitike. However, it is intercepted and cleared by the Juventus defence.
Offside! Locatelli shoots the ball into the net after a save by Donnarumma, but the Italian midfielder was offside. The score remains 2-1 to PSG at the moment.
74’ Change for Juventus
69’ GOAL! Mendes makes it 2-1 for PSG
68’ Double Change for PSG!
Save! Ramos goes for a shot from distance and his shot after a deflection, is somehow saved by Szczesny and Juve’s defenders get the ball away.
Juventus enjoying fair bit of possession, but there are no shots to show. Just then a cross from Fagiloli to Kostic is sent into te PSG box. Ramos clears it after a miskick.
Save! PSG attacks against the run of play. Messi gets the ball in the midfield, turns and delivers a clinical pass to Mbappe, who finds a shot on target. But Juve’s goalie makes an easy save to stop the shot .
Chance! Cuadrado gets a cross in from the right, but Donnarumma gets a glove on it, but fails to stop it. The ball ultimately lands for Bonucci, who shoots off-target.
Mbappe, Messi and Verratti keep trying to penetrate the web of white shirts that are limiting the crosses and passes. Allegri’s men completely on the defence at the moment.
Chance! Locatelli gets the ball along the left flank, gets the ball to Moretti. But the forward is dispossessed of the ball as it rolls to Donnarumma and the Italian kicks it out of danger.
Renato Sanches, Vitinha and Soler combine to try and beat Juventus, which is keeping a tight defence. The ball eventually balls for Mbappe, who puts his foot on the gas, makes a run into the box and forces a corner.
Juventus has five white shirts at the back, as it looks to limit Mbappe and Messi of attacking chances. Meanwhile Verratti fouls Moretti for a late challenge.
Second half begins!
Half-Time! All square in Turin at the midway mark
39’ GOAL! Bonucci steps up for Juventus with an equaliser
Chance! Milik gets the ball top Moretti whose shot is blocked by Marquinhos at the last moment. What a block this as PSG escape a potential equaliser.
Save! Mbappe and Messi combine with the Argentine playing it to Mbappe on hie left first and the French man passing it to back to him. Messi shoots and Szczesny saves it as the ball is then cleared by Kostic.
Miss! Kostic gets the ball into the final third and crosses to his right, for Moretti, but his shot is just wide off-target. The forward has made 12 starts for the old lady, but has not yet found a senior goal.
Shot! Mbappe tries a shot from distance as the ball whizzes past the goalkeeper, flying over the net.
Renato Sanches tries to get the ball rolling along the right flank, but is closed down, as he gets it back, deep into the midfield as Verratti gets to the ball.
Vitinha gets the ball to Mbappe on his left and tries a cross in the centre. But Juventus intercepts and clears the ball away from danger.
Shot! Cuadrado take on Bernat beats his to his right and shoots from distance. But this time too, Juventus has the shot off-target.
Forced substitution for PSG! A late challenge by Rabiot on Ruiz sees the Spaniard leave the field as Renato Sanches replaces him on the field.
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Chance! Juventus sees Locatelli try another shot from outside the box. The Italian goes with a right-footed curler that just misses the top-right corner - an attempt closer than his previous shot
13’ GOAL! Mbappe scores to give PSG an early lead
Offside! Alex Sandro delivers a long ball for Milik, after a pass from Locatelli, but the linesmen have the flag raised as the Juve forward is ruled ooffside.
PSG playing pinball at the moment with one-touch passes between Messi, Ruiz and Verratti, trying to enjoy possession and build an attack with small passes.
Chance! Kostic gets the ball back in attack, with his usual run along the left flank, crosses in the centre. Marquinhos intercepts, but the ball falls for Locatelli, who shoots just wide.
PSG taking control back in the game with five defenders eventually spreading out with Hakimi trying to drive the attacks along the wings as Juventus tries to attack against the run of play.
Messi is dispossessed of the ball and a raucous Juventus Stadium greets Kostic as he carries the ball along the left flank, tries to get it to Milik, but the ball is again intercepted and the attack comes to nothing.
Juventus starts on the offensive with it carrying the ball into the box, beats Soler. But the final pass for Milik is intercepted and cleared by Marquinhos.
Kick Off!
1:00 AM: HEAD-TO-HEAD
PSG and Juventus have met twice, with either side winning a game.
- PSG 2-1 Juventus (Champions League group stage)
- PSG 2-3 Juventus (Champions Cup – North America)
12:45 AM: FORM GUIDE
Juventus has three wins and two losses in its last five matches, while PSG comes into the game with four consecutive wins and no losses so far this season.
Juventus last five games:
- Lecce 0-1 Juventus
- Benfica 4-3 Juventus
- Juventus 4-0 Empoli
- Torino 0-1 Juventus
- Maccabi Haifa 2-0 Juventus
PSG last five games:
- PSG 4-3 Troyes
- PSG 7-2 Maccabi Haifa
- AC Ajjacio 0-3 PSG
- PSG 1-0 Marseille
- PSG 1-1 Benfica
12:30 am: Starting Lineups
Predicted Lineups
MATCH PREVIEW
Juventus faced Benfica needing all three points to maintain its Champions League knockout hopes. And it did pack its bags when the Portuguese powerhouses beat the Old Lady 4-3 at the Estadio da Luz.
Weston McKennie and Arkadiusz Milik scored two quick goals just before the 80-minute mark to set up a thrilling finish.
But the Juve lacked the stamina to score the two additional goals and their journey in the top division of Europe came to an end.
With Nicolo Fagioli scoring the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at Leece at the weekend, a three-game winning streak and three clean sheets in Serie A lifted Juve’s hopes.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team welcomes PSG to its base after winning each of its last three home games and scoring at least twice in five of its last six games on home soil.
However, they also run the risk of becoming just the second Italian team to lose five group games in a single Champions League campaign, joining 2004-05 Roma.
PSG comes into the match after a 4-3 win over Troyes, before which it secured its spot in the knockouts with a 7-2 victory over Maccabi Haifa.
Despite the rumours of rifts inside the team, Christophe Galtier’s attacking triumvirate, of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar, has been on song on-field and will be expected to do so against Allegri’s side.
Federico Chiesa returned to the Juventus squad for the first time since January on Wednesday after being selected for his team’s Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
Italy forward Chiesa has been out of action since suffering a serious left knee injury at the start of the year but is one of just three forwards in a line-up heavily affected by injuries.
(with inputs from AFP)
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