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Juventus logo
Champions League | Semi-Finals
May 5, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Real Madrid logo

2-1

Morata (8'), Tevez (57' pen.)
FT(HT: 1-1)
Ronaldo (27')

Player Ratings: Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid

Sports Mole looks at who stood out during Juventus's 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final clash in Turin.

Juventus claimed a slender advantage in their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid courtesy of a 2-1 victory in the first leg this evening.

Alvaro Morata opened the scoring against his former club after less than 10 minutes, but Cristiano Ronaldo's record-breaking 76th Champions League goal ensured that the sides went into the break all square.

Carlos Tevez proved to be the difference, however, winning a penalty for his side before firing the subsequent spot kick straight down the middle.

Here, Sports Mole looks at who stood out during an entertaining clash in Turin.


Carlos Tevez of Juventus celebrates as he scores their second goal from a penalty during the UEFA Champions League semi final first leg match between Juventus and Real Madrid CF at Juventus Arena on May 5, 2015© Getty Images

JUVENTUS

Goal

Gianluigi Buffon: Made one smart stop to deny Kroos in the first half and was left helpless and stranded for Madrid's goal. Was not as busy as he may have been expecting (6/10)

Defence

Stephan Lichtsteiner: Kept Isco very quiet on his flank and also posed a threat going forward himself, spurning one particularly good chance shortly before Ronaldo's equaliser. (7/10)

Leonardo Bonucci: Solid alongside Chiellini at the heart of the defence. Madrid's tactics in the second half played into his hands as they continued to cross balls into the box, which Bonucci was happy to deal with. (7/10)

Giorgio Chiellini: The gnarled old war horse was in his element. Left bandaged and bloodied, but seemed to enjoy himself up against Ronaldo and Bale, which is more than can be said for the majority of defenders. (8/10)

Patrice Evra: Not quite as effective going forward as Lichtsteiner on the opposite flank, and defensively the Madrid goal came down his side. (6/10)

Midfield

Claudio Marchisio: Was busy in midfield and played his part in the opening goal in addition to having a few long-range efforts of his own. (7/10)

Andrea Pirlo: Not quite the faultless metronome we are used to seeing in the Juventus midfield. Gave the ball away more than usual and was caught dallying in possession once or twice. (6/10)

Arturo Vidal: Played as the more advanced of the midfielders and, while his impact in the final third was limited, he put himself about in the middle of the park and contributed to his side's success. (7/10)

Stefano Sturaro: Certainly not the biggest name on the field tonight, but he played a big part. Was a constant threat during his side's spell on top at the start of the match and gave the Madrid defence a difficult time throughout. (7/10)

Attack

Carlos Tevez: Showed no signs of being homesick as he proved to be the difference between the two sides. This was Tevez at his best as he set up the first goal before winning the penalty with a brilliant counter and converting the subsequent spot kick. (9/10)

Alvaro Morata: Madrid may be regretting letting the Spaniard go. Opened the scoring against his former club with a simple tap-in, and proceeded to pose a threat to the visiting defence throughout his time on the field. (8/10)

Substitutes

Andrea Barzagli: Came on for Sturaro shortly after the hour mark and helped Juventus to repel the Madrid pressure as the match wore on. (7/10)

Fernando Llorente: Had two late chances to put his side into an eminently more comfortable position. He couldn't have done much more with the first, but the second - a stoppage-time header at the back post - was a real missed opportunity. (5/10)

Roberto Pereyra: Replaced the brilliant Tevez with less than five minutes remaining and didn't have time to make an impact. (6/10)


Real Madrid's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg football match Juventus vs Real Madrid on May 5, 2015© Getty Images

REAL MADRID

Goal

Iker Casillas: A bit of a mixed bag. May feel that he could have done better with the opening goal having parried the ball straight to Morata, but it was a good save to deny Tevez in the first place. Was also sloppy with his distribution on more than one occasion, but did make a few early saves to keep his side in it. (6/10)

Defence

Dani Carvajal: Suckered into giving away a penalty by Tevez, needlessly lunging in having done the hard work of forcing the striker away from goal. That lapse in concentration may prove costly. (5/10)

Pepe: Unusually one of the more composed of the Madrid defenders. As a unit they struggled to deal with Tevez and Morata, but Pepe held his own at the heart of the defence. (6/10)

Raphael Varane: Hasn't yet reached his potential, and this was another steep learning curve for the young defender. Made a few mistakes, including one late on that he was very fortunate to get away with. (5/10)

Marcelo: Was particularly poor in the first half, with his passing and crossing leaving a lot to be desired. Improved a little after the break, but still not exactly a commanding display from the Brazilian. (5/10)

Midfield

James Rodriguez: Got the assist for the goal with a clever looping cross over Buffon, but really should have sent his side into the break ahead when he rattled the crossbar with a diving header from point-blank range. (6/10)

Sergio Ramos: Endured one of his poorest performances of the season. Once again played out of position, but that does not excuse the wayward nature of his passing. (4/10)

Toni Kroos: By no means the worst Madrid player on the night, but didn't create too much of note either. A low drive that tested Buffon in the first half was about as good as it got. (6/10)

Isco: Didn't get much joy up against a stubborn Juventus defence, particularly in the second half. (6/10)

Attack

Gareth Bale: Returned to the starting XI, but may as well have stayed on the bench. Was barely involved at all as he struggled to get the better of a wily and experienced Juventus defence in an unfamiliar centre-forward position. (4/10)

Cristiano Ronaldo: As ever, looked like Madrid's most dangerous player, but even he struggled to get much joy against this Juventus defence. His 76th Champions League goal would have been one of the easiest yet, but other chances were few and far between. (6/10)

Substitutes

Javier Hernandez: Looked bright when he came on, almost finding Ronaldo with a flick within a minute of his arrival and also sending a dangerous ball across the face of goal late on. (6/10)

Jese Rodriguez: Replaced the ineffective Bale in the 86th minute but didn't have enough time to change the course of the match. (6/10)


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Carlos Tevez of Juventus scores their second goal from a penalty during the UEFA Champions League semi final first leg match between Juventus and Real Madrid CF at Juventus Arena on May 5, 2015
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Match Analysis: Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid
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