Juve 2-2 Spurs: The reaction in Italy

By Football Italia staff

Juventus drew 2-2 with Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of their Champions League Last 16 tie, but how did the Italian newspapers see it?

The Bianconeri had been 2-0 up through Gonzalo Higuain, who missed a penalty to make it 3-1, but the English side came back to take an away goal advantage.

This morning’s Gazzetta dello Sport notes “there’s nothing irreparable in a 2-2, but what amazes and ultimately worries is the manner in which this 2-2 arrived”.

The pink newspaper’s match report praised the “British spirit” of the visitors, but “Tottenham had shown their dark side, a defence which can panic at any moment”.

After the 2-0 though Juventus “inexplicably lowered the centre of gravity and surrendered - to an English team - almost 67 per cent of possession”.

Gazzetta concludes by saying “it will have to be another Juve” in London if the Bianconeri are to progress.

For the first 10 minutes, notes Corriere della Sera, “Tottenham were in disarray, tender as butter, dazed and distracted”.

In his match report, Alessandro Bocci was stunned that “the most cynical team in the league” couldn’t close out the game a 2-0, “going from everything to nothing on a night of frustration”.

Gianluigi Buffon also came in for criticism, with the newspaper saying Christian Eriksen’s free-kick “will weigh heavily on his conscience”.

Tuttosport called it “an evening of great football” but its front page declares today that Juve had “too much fear”.

La Stampa began by asking how “a team which such an absolutely unpresentable defence” managed to top a group with Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid.

“The answer,” concludes the Turin newspaper, “was Juventus”.

Spurs got “a deserved draw” after being 2-0 down, which “puts Juventus in a very dangerous position for the return leg in London, because usually English teams are transformed at home and their efforts are increased a hundredfold”.

La Stampa concludes that “the road to Kiev [for the Champions League final] is now very much uphill.”

Watch Serie A live in the UK on Premier Sports for just £9.99 per month including live LaLiga, Eredivisie, Scottish Cup Football and more. Visit: https://www.premiersports.com/subscribenow