Juventus out-classed Barcelona 3-0 at the Camp Nou on Tuesday (December 8), claiming top spot in Champions League Group G and worsening an under-fire Barca with the club suffering back-to-back defeats for the first time under Koeman`s stewardship. A constant thorn in the Catalans' side while in Spain with Real, 35-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo scored two penalties to take his goal tally against Barca to an extraordinary 20 in 31 games. The third goal of the Italian champions was scored by Weston McKennie who overcame Marc-Andre ter Stegen with a stunning volley. Both sides had already qualified for the knockout stages before kick-off. They ended the group phase on 15 points each but Juve took first place by virtue of a superior head-to-head record.
"When you play with this desire and with this determination, then the technical value comes out", Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo said after the match. Juventus currently sits fourth in the Serie A and Pirlo added he wants the same determination even in the Italian championship. "When we are focused and have this determination we can do anything," he said.
Barcelona were set to finish top of the group, having beaten Juventus 2-0 in Turin, only for the Italian champions to better the result and move above them. Finishing second means the Catalans will, in theory, face tougher round-of-16 opponents when the draw is made on Monday (December 14) and tonight`s result puts Koeman under pressure.
"I am worried in this sense because I saw a team that went on the pitch without confidence, without aggression and this could be a theme to be afraid of", he said. But the Dutch coach still believes in the qualities of his side. "If we play with more confidence than we did in the first thirty minutes of the game we can beat all the opponents".
‘Not revenge’
Barcelona had beaten Juventus 2-0 but in that match, Cristiano Ronaldo was absent after he tested positive for the coronavirus. The Portuguese superstar made his presence felt in the game but Juventus coach Andre Pirlo said that there was no talk about revenge.
“For me, it`s not revenge because I`m used to being criticized. I received criticism when I was a player, and now it is normal that I am criticized even more as a manager. It was especially important for us to be courageous, to be confident in what we can do. When we are focused and have this determination, we can do anything. It is therefore important to maintain this level and this concentration because playing only a game as good as tonight is not satisfying. We must maintain this level also in Serie A matches,” Pirlo said.
