Juve go in search of historic European comeback

There have been three occasions in history where Juventus have suffered a 2-0 defeat in the first-leg of a Champions Cup or Champions League tie.

The Bianconeri have not yet managed to overturn the deficit, despite coming very close on two occasions. This statistic will serve as a motivational boost to Antonio Conte who will be striving to achieve what his predecessors Cestmyr Vycpalek, Carlo Parola and Fabio Capello could not.

The first time Juventus tripped to a 2-0 loss was in October 1973 when Dynamo Dresden provided the opposition. In pursuit of qualification for the next round, the Bianconeri were quick out of the blocks and took the lead through Furino with just nine minutes on the clock. Even though the Germans managed to draw level barely 15 minutes later via Rau, this failed to dampen Juve spirits as the team rallied to nearly pull off an unlikely comeback. Altafini and Cuccureddu were both on the scoresheet before the interval to provide Vycpalek’s side with a 3-1 lead at the break. However, 15 minutes from the final whistle, Sachse found the back of the net for the visitors to reduce the deficit and eject the Bianconeri from the competition.

Two years later, Juventus again faced up against a German outfit, this time Borussia Moenchengladbach. They were a highly competitive team featuring several players from the national side which won the World Cup in 1974, most notably Vogts and Bonhof. The strike pairing was comprised of future Ballon D’Or winner Simonsen and current Bayern coach Heynckes. The match saw Bettega and Gori establish a two-goal lead before the interval. However, the Germans came back strong in the second half with goals from Danner and Simonsen that sealed a 2-2 draw in Turin along with a place in the quarter-finals.

The most recent occurrence of a 2-0 defeat in a European first leg was seven years ago in 2006, when the Bianconeri travelled to London to face Arsenal. However, the hosts failed to overturn the deficit at the Stadio delle Alpi as the encounter ended in a goalless draw. Buffon and Chiellini are the only survivors from the current Juventus side.