Juventus

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Juventus Falls Flat, Benfica Soars: What Went Wrong?

Angel Di Maria - Benfica - Dusan Vlahovic - Football - Juventus - Player Ratings - Thiago Motta - UEFA Champions League - Weston McKennie

Juventus’ recent clash against Benfica ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat. Let’s break down this thriller and uncover the stunning facts!

In a tense UEFA Champions League matchup on January 29, 2025, Juventus faced a bitter defeat against Benfica, losing 2-0 at their home ground, Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy. The pressure was palpable for the Bianconeri, with Weston McKennie stepping up as the captain in a crucial match that could have seen them leap closer to top eight standings. However, the absence of key players and an injury to defender Pierre Kalulu early in the match hampered their performance significantly. Despite a strong lineup featuring Dusan Vlahovic and Tim Weah, Juventus struggled to find their footing against a well-coordinated Benfica squad led by the experienced Angel Di Maria.

As the match progressed, it became evident that Juventus was not firing on all cylinders. The team’s collapsing defense allowed Benfica to capitalize on their opportunities, leading to both goals scored against the Bianconeri. This marked a bitter continuation of a difficult period for manager Thiago Motta, as the team sought to regain some momentum amid a series of disappointing results. Player ratings reflected the struggle, with many Juve players falling short, echoing the sentiment that they simply weren’t in the same league as their opponents that evening.

The fallout from the loss has sparked discussions around the club’s future strategies, especially as director Cristiano Giuntoli assured fans that there will be no further sales in the transfer market, signaling faith in the current squad despite the recent setbacks. On the defensive end, questions about team formation and injuries are looming, especially after McKennie had to play in a makeshift left-back position due to a selection crisis. The dynamics of the squad seem to be under scrutiny as the management plans for upcoming fixtures amidst their Champions League campaign.

As Juventus prepares for more domestic and international challenges, fans are left wondering how long this slump will last. Interestingly, while Juventus may be struggling in Europe, they have a rich history in the Champions League, with two victories under their belt. Benfica, on the other hand, boasts a record as one of the most successful clubs in Portugal, and their win against Juventus only adds to their burgeoning legacy in the tournament. The outcome leaves both players and fans reflecting on strategies as passion for the game ignites the hopes of a rapid turnaround for Juventus in this changing football climate.

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Image courtesy of "ESPN"

Benfica 2-0 Juventus (Jan 29, 2025) Game Analysis - ESPN (ESPN)

Expert recap and game analysis of the Benfica vs. Juventus Uefa Champions League game from January 29, 2025 on ESPN.

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Image courtesy of "Black & White & Read All Over"

Juventus vs. Benfica 2025 live stream: Team news and how to watch ... (Black & White & Read All Over)

When: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Where: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy. Official kickoff time: 9 p.m. in Italy and the Central European time zone, ...

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Image courtesy of "Goal.com"

USMNT star Weston McKennie captains Juventus, Tim Weah starts ... (Goal.com)

Weston McKennie and Tim Weah were named to Juventus' starting XI, but the Americans couldn't turn the tide in a 2-0 Champions League loss to Benfica.

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Image courtesy of "Football Italia"

Kalulu injury blow for Juventus against Benfica (Football Italia)

Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu was forced to be substituted in the early stages of a Champions League match against Benfica, and the visitors scored just ...

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Image courtesy of "Yahoo Sports"

Champions League line-ups: Juventus vs. Benfica (Yahoo Sports)

Juventus bring Dusan Vlahovic back into the starting XI with Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao, as they need a win against Angel Di Maria's Benfica.

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Image courtesy of "Juventus.com"

Squad List | Juventus-Benfica (Juventus.com)

Juventus end the League Phase of this season's UEFA Champions League competition with a home fixture against Portuguese outfit Benfica. The...

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Image courtesy of "Goal.com"

How to watch today's Juventus vs Benfica Champions League game ... (Goal.com)

Where to watch the UEFA Champions League match online between Juventus and Benfica, including live streams, TV channels, kick-off time and more.

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Image courtesy of "JuveFC"

How Juventus can break into the Champions League top eight today (JuveFC)

Had Juventus defeated Club Brugge in their last Champions League match, their position in the standings could have been significantly better, with a realistic ...

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Image courtesy of "Football Italia"

Thiago Motta makes McKennie Juventus captain for Benfica in ... (Football Italia)

McKennie will line-up as a left-back again for the Bianconeri in a selection crisis, with only four natural defenders called up to the travelling squad.

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Image courtesy of "Yahoo Sports"

Champions League | Juventus 0-2 Benfica: Motta's men collapse (Yahoo Sports)

Angel Di Maria visited his old club, but Arthur Cabral and Alvaro Carreras were suspended, with Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia sidelined. ADVERTISEMENT.

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Image courtesy of "Football Italia"

Player Ratings: Juventus 0-2 Benfica – Motta sinks as Bianconeri ... (Football Italia)

Juventus suffered a 2-0 loss to Benfica at the Allianz Stadium. Check out the player ratings from our reporter in Turin.

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Del Piero hopes Juventus and Milan won't meet in Champions ... (Yahoo Sports)

Juventus and Milan could be paired together in the Champions League knockout playoff, but Alessandro Del Piero hopes the Serie A giants won't meet so early ...

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Image courtesy of "JuveFC"

Limp Juventus lose at home to Benfica 2-0 in Champions League (JuveFC)

Juventus were beaten 2-0 at home in the Champions League by Benfica, continuing a terrible week for Thiago Motta's men.

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Image courtesy of "Football Italia"

Giuntoli: 'Juventus market is closed' and no further sales planned (Football Italia)

Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli is not concerned by the surprising Thiago Motta choices against Benfica and assures their 'transfer market is ...

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Image courtesy of "Yahoo Sports"

Kalulu injury blow for Juventus against Benfica (Yahoo Sports)

Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu was forced to be substituted in the early stages of a Champions League match against Benfica, and the visitors scored just a ...

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Image courtesy of "beIN SPORTS"

Juventus deserved Benfica defeat, admits Motta (beIN SPORTS)

Juventus finished 20th of 36 teams in the first phase of the Champions League, earning 12 points from eight games.

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Image courtesy of "Yahoo Sports"

Official: Juventus release Kalulu injury update (Yahoo Sports)

Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu has been diagnosed with a thigh injury and will undergo new tests in 10 days to determine his recovery time.

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Image courtesy of "Black & White & Read All Over"

Juventus 0 - Benfica 2: Initial reaction and random observations (Black & White & Read All Over)

To have any sort of shot at putting a serious change into their final Champions League league phase table position Wednesday night, Juventus needed to put ...

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Image courtesy of "Juventus.com"

UEFA Champions League Play-off information (Juventus.com)

The match will be played on 11 or 12 February, with the date and time still to be decided, at the Allianz Stadium. Season ticket holders and J1897 Members can ...

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Thiago Motta takes responsibility for Juventus' defeat and refuses to ... (Yahoo Sports)

Juventus coach Thiago Motta takes responsibility for a 2-0 loss against Benfica and refuses to rule signings new players in the final day of the January ...

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Standout Stats | Juventus-Benfica (Juventus.com)

Juventus suffered defeat to Benfica in their final League Phase match-up in this year's Champions League competition. Below, the standout stats:

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Juventus, Milan & Atalanta Set for Tough Champions League Playoffs (Yahoo Canada Sports)

Atalanta and Milan wasted chances to avoid the dreaded Champions League playoffs in an intense league-phase finale. Meanwhile, Juventus slipped to another ...

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Image courtesy of "Football Italia"

Juventus fans lose patience as #Mottaout trending (Football Italia)

Juventus fans didn't only boo the team after a 2-0 loss to Benfica last night but seem to have lost patience with their coach as well as the hashtag ...

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Juventus deserved Benfica defeat, admits Motta (beIN SPORTS AUSTRALIA)

Juventus finished 20th of 36 teams in the first phase of the Champions League, earning 12 points from eight games.

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Image courtesy of "Yahoo Sports"

Juventus face defensive crisis for Inter and Champions League playoff (Yahoo Sports)

Pierre Kalulu is expected to remain out of action for at least three weeks, missing key games against Inter and in the Champions League playoffs and leaving ...

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Image courtesy of "Football Italia"

Official: Juventus release Kalulu injury update (Football Italia)

Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu has been diagnosed with a thigh injury and will undergo new tests in 10 days to determine his recovery time.

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Image courtesy of "Football Italia"

Vlahovic and Douglas Luiz ignored Juventus fans after loss to Benfica (Football Italia)

Most Juventus players faced furious fans after a 2-0 loss against Benfica on Wednesday, but Dusan Vlahovic and Douglas Luiz didn't join their teammates and.

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What Juventus Manager Thiago Motta said after loss to Benfica (Fall River Herald News)

Here is what Manager Thiago Motta said about Juventus loss to Portugal's Benfica in the Champions League.

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