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Arsenal 2 Juventus 0
Another Champions League play-off round, another first-leg deficit to overcome. Juventus are an excellent League side, but always seem to have problems extending their League dominance in a Cup-playoff format.
Arsenal dominated the game and won deservingly as Juve trailed to a first-half Cesc Fabregas goal and a second-half Thierry Henry effort.
The difference may have been tiredness in the bianconeri players. Arsenal had their weekend game called off, giving them nine days of rest, while Juventus played the entire second-half of their weekend match against Roma with ten men.
Juve again finished with less players on the field than when they started after first Camoranesi and then Zebina were sent off within a few minutes of each other in the closing stages of the game. Both will miss the return leg, along with Patrick Vieira, who picked up a yellow card and will be suspended.
Vieira is becoming this season's version of Michael Owen, who moved to Real Madrid from Liverpool seeking better chances of winning the Champions' League, but ended up watching his former club progress further than his current.
At least he's more likely to win the Serie A than Michael Owen ever was to win the La Liga. Michael Ballack be warned.
I'm not saying Juventus can't progress to the next round, but though Nedved and Del Piero are likely to return, they're without their first-choice right-flank players and the midfielder they paid £13million for.
To score two goals against a defence that just set a record for successive clean sheets in the competition with their seventh may be asking too much.
Bayern Munich 2 Juventus 1
Juventus were close to full-strength but Bayern still managed to avenge last season's pair of 0-1 losses to Juve. Capello started with his favoured first-choice strikers (Trezeguet & Ibrahimovic) despite Del Piero's recent good form, while Giannichedda replaced the injured Vieira.
Abbiati concedes
The bianconeri started poorly and fell behind to a speculative shot from Sebastian Deisler after it went in off Abbiati's thigh. The goalkeeper was expecting a cross and tried to re-adjust himself to make the save.
Juve fought back briefly but Martin Demichelis made it 2-0 to the German club when the Argentinian lost his marker and headed in a Deisler cross from a corner. The Serie A Champions ended the match with four strikers but only managed a 90th minute goal from Ibrahimovic off substitute Del Piero's corner.
Interestingly Deisler was suffering from depression last season, but he won't be feeling any of it last night.
Ballack delays contract talks
His club may not share his joy though, as rumors indicate club captain Michael Ballack will delay contract talks until the summer, when his contract expires. Given that he is being coveted by almost all of Europe's top clubs, which includes long-time admirers Manchester United and last night's opponents Juventus, much will seemingly depend on how far Bayern progress in the Champions League.
Should he learn from history? Michael Owen joined Real Madrid from Liverpool in 2004, believing that the Galacticos gave him a better shot at the Champions League than a new manager with his beloved Liverpool. The Reds won the 2005 Champions' League.
