Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim credited Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon's "incredible saves" for his side's 2-0 Champions League semifinal first-leg loss on Wednesday.

A pair of goals from Gonzalo Higuain gave the five-time defending Serie A champions a sizable advantage as they head back to Turin for the second leg, though the Ligue 1 side weren't without opportunities.

However, the 39-year-old Buffon was in immaculate form on the night, with his final save -- a last-minute tip-over from Valere Germain's header -- extinguishing Monaco's hopes of taking a much-needed goal to Italy.

"Juventus started well, but after 10 to 15 minutes, we evened up things. We had a little bit more possession, some crosses and play in the final 30 metres," Jardim said. "But I think being clinical made the difference. From three situations, Juventus scored two goals, and we scored none from our three. There were some good saves from Gianlugi Buffon.

"Our lack of a cutting edge was in large part due to his work in goal: He pulled off two or three incredible saves ... I spoke to the players, I told them that we need to believe. And the best thing to do to continue to believe, even if we have just a five percent chance of qualifying for the final, would be to win at Nancy in the league on Saturday.

"Winning there would give us the chance of playing the second game in Turin with high motivation. I want to say to everyone that they must support the team on Saturday."

Meanwhile, teenage striker Kylian Mbappe admitted Monaco lacked the necessary experience to beat a disciplined and composed Juve on the night.

Gianluigi Buffon denied Monaco on a number of occasion on Wednesday. Getty

"We lacked a little experience, but above all a bit of a clinical streak, because we created a lot of chances we didn't put away," he said. "They had two clear-cut chances and scored twice.

"We work every day to face great players, it's a great experience and will allow us to improve more quickly. Buffon produced some saves this evening. We're going to try and work well in training to score in the return leg."

Midfielder Bernardo Silva also acknowledged the 2015 Champions League runners-up's superiority, saying: "We gave everything, but today Juventus played a lot better than us, they were superior.

"We didn't start the game well, Juventus were very intelligent. We played against one of the best teams in the world, it wasn't easy. We going to try and do better in the return leg, it's not over.

"They defended very well, it's not easy to find space against an experienced defence that works very well. We're going to have to study this match with the return leg in mind. We'll have to try and score early to do better."