Champions: Juve, not enough Perin: Tourè launches Stuttgart. Bologna knocked out against Aston Villa

John

By John

Juventus-Stuttgart 0-1

Marker: 47′ st Toure.

JUVENTUS (4-2-3-1): Perin 7.5; Savona 5.5 (10′ st Cambiaso 5.5), Danilo 5, Kalulu 5.5, Cabal 6; Thuram 6 (45′ st Rouhi sv), McKennie 5.5 (10′ st Locatelli 5.5); Conceicao 5 (10′ st Weah 6.5), Fagioli 5.5, Yildiz 5; Vlahovic 4.5 (24′ st Adzic 5.5). On the bench: Pinsoglio, Daffara, Gatti, Mbangula. Coach: Thiago Motta 5.5.
STUTTGART (4-2-3-1): Cloud 6; Vagnoman 6, Rouault 6.5, Chabot 6.5, Mittelstadt 6; Atakan Karazor 6, Stiller 6; Millot 6.5, Undav 6 (29′ st Rieder sv), Leweling 6; Demirovic 6 (17′ st Tourè 6.5). On the bench: Bredlow, Seimen, Al-Dakhil, Keitel, Kratzig, Stenzel, Chase, Malanga. Coach: Hoeness 6.5.

REFEREE: Eskas (Nor) 6.

NOTES: clear sky, soil in perfect condition. Booked: Demorovic, Rouault, Danilo. Danilo sent off in the 39th minute for a double yellow card. Corners: 10-4 for STUTTGART. Recovery: 1′; 7′

The first defeat of the season has arrived for Juve, at the Stadium Stuttgart passes in the 92nd minute. Throughout the match, however, the Germans legitimized the victory, they also missed a penalty and hit a super Perin several times, but in the end Touré gave away the first three points of this Champions League. Thiago Motta loses Douglas Luiz during the warm-up due to a slight muscle strain and launches Thuram from the 1st minute with Fagioli, while McKennie gets up on the three-quarter line with Conceicao and Yildiz behind Vlahovic. Danilo is back in defense and Cabal is confirmed, with Cambiaso rested ahead of the Italian derby against Inter. Hoeness chooses Demirovic as the sole striker and has Chabot, an old Italian acquaintance from his past between Spezia and Samp, lead the back four. The two coaches had identified a great objective on the eve of the game, «It will be curious to see who will take the lead in the game» they said practically in unison. And Stuttgart does it, finding the target after three minutes with a shot from Mittelstadt controlled by Perin. The Germans continue to win the ball back immediately and move forward, Vagnoman misses the target but in the 28th minute they are one step away from taking the lead: Millot’s through ball, Demirovic’s movement behind Danilo and Kalulu and a right-footed shot which is miraculously deflected onto the pole from Perin. And another great save is also needed with the goalkeeper’s calling hand to lift Undav’s aerial attempt for a corner. And Juventus? The Bianconeri’s maneuver doesn’t work, Conceicao and Yildiz are hounded by their respective neighbors and Vlahovic is left too alone. Thus, the only attempt was a long-range free kick from Fagioli which went wide. During the first half, the German fans applauded for the banner in support of the flood victims: “Romagnoli as well as Emilians, never give up”. The second half opens with Stuttgart taking the immediate lead, but referee Eskas recognizes a handball in Undav’s control and cancels everything. Thiago runs for cover and chooses to change three players, with Weah, Locatelli and Cambiaso replacing Conceicao, McKennie and Savona. Juve doesn’t shake, Perin confirms himself as the best on the pitch ever with two other great interventions on Demirovic and Millot. The attempts (blocked) by Thuram and (central) by Yildiz charge the Stadium, in the 68th minute Vlahovic is called back to the bench and Adzic comes on. Yildiz is anticipated two steps from the goal line by a perfect defensive diagonal from Vagnoman, but on the reversal in front Danilo is booked and on the following free kick he raises his leg too much on Rouault: Eskas needs the VAR to award the penalty and extract the second yellow for the Brazilian, Perin also gets excited from the spot and blocks Millot’s shot. The referee granted seven minutes of injury time, in the 92nd minute Touré slipped between the Juventus defenders and this time found the net, causing the two thousand German fans to explode. Juve attempts a desperate final assault, but Nubel doesn’t have to make any saves. It’s a German celebration at the Stadium, it’s the first splash for Thiago: a completely different performance will be needed against Inter on Sunday.

Aston Villa-Bologna 2-0

Markers: 10′ st McGinn, 19′ Duran.

ASTON VILLA (4-2-3-1): Martinez 6.5; Konsa 6, Diego Carlos 6.5, Pau Torres 6, Maatsen 6; Onana 6 (1′ st Barkley 5.5), Tielemans 6.5 (34′ st Kamara sv); Bailey 6.5 (21′ st Ramsey 6), McGinn 6.5 (21′ st Philogene 6), Rogers 7; Duran 6.5 (21′ st Watkins 6). On the bench: Olsen, Cash, Mings, Buendia, Digne, Nedeljkovic, Bogarde. Coach: Emery 6.5.

BOLOGNA (4-1-4-1): Skorupski 5.5; Posch 6, Beukema 5.5, Lucumì 5, Lykogiannis 5.5; Freuler 6; Orsolini 5 (1′ st Odgaard 5.5), Fabbian 5.5, Urbanski 5 (22′ st Moro 6), Ndoye 6 (33′ st Iling-Junior sv); Dallinga 5 (22′ st Castro 5.5). On the bench: Bagnolini, Ravaglia, Holm, Casale, Corazza, Pobega, Juan Miranda. Coach: Italian 5.

REFEREE: Joao Pinheiro (Por) 6.

NOTES: clear evening, soil in good condition. Booked Orsolini, Posch, Lykogiannis, Barkley, Freuler. Corners 5-4. Recovery time: 2′, 3′.

No trend reversal. If Bologna doesn’t know how to win in the league, often drawing, another defeat comes in the Champions League. Second English away match after Liverpool and second knockout: this time at Villa Park in Birmingham. The European destinies of the rossoblù remain hanging on the results of the next home matches against Monaco and Lille, which must be won at all costs in order to hope to secure a pass for the playoffs after the small home point obtained against Shakhtar. Italiano’s gang was looking for a turning point victory at Aston Villa. To achieve this he would have had to subvert the predictions and the trend of a season which saw him play 10 matches and win only one before the match against the Villans. Opposite them was the third team in the Premier League and one of the leaders of the Champions League: nothing to be done. The rossoblùs try at the start, creating problems for Emery’s team on Posch’s field changes for Ndoye: the Swiss puts Urbanski, Dallinga and Fabbian in a position to score, but Martinez says no, keeping Aston Villa in the game, who he then begins to take measurements and show himself forward. Durán came close to scoring from a Tielemans corner, Bayley, McGinn and Rogers tested Skorupski before half-time, signaling what was to come in the second half. Aston Villa grows: Bailey wastes from three meters on the development of a set piece by Tielemans, then it is McGinn who surprises Skorupski and the rossoblù defense with a cross shot from a set piece. Bologna takes the blow and doesn’t respond. Aston Villa sinks with Rogers providing an assist for Duran, who anticipates Lucumi and closes the score: a lethal one-two between the tenth and 19th minute of the second half. Bologna, in their third Champions League match without a goal, confirms their difficulties in front of goal and Dallinga struggles to replace Zirkzee. The Italiano’s team stops at the post hit by Beukema five minutes from the end, with the defender who heads a corner ahead of Konsa. The performance is there, but only at times, with the team falling towards the end, thanks to the absences of the injured Aebischer and Ferguson. Bologna falls again and is forced to chase both in the Champions League and in the championship. For Emery’s Aston Villa it is the third consecutive victory with a clean sheet.

Results of the third day of the Champions League matches played today:

Milan-Bruges 3-1
Monaco-Red Star 5-1
Arsenal-Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0
Aston Villa-Bologna 2-0
Girona-Slovan Bratislava 2-0
PSG-PSV Eindhoven 1-1
Real Madrid-Borussia Dortmund 5-2
Sturm Graz-Sporting Lisbon 0-2
Juventus-Stuttgart 0-1