'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Barcelona clinched a huge win in a 2020-21 Champions League Group G game after beating Juventus 2-0 at the Allianz Stadium in Turin.
A goal from Ousmane Dembele and a late penalty from Lionel Messi sealed a key victory on the road for the Blaugrana, who now lead the Bianconeri by three points.
The hosts were dealt a massive blow even before kick-off when Cristiano Ronaldo was ruled out of the game, and it was one from which Juventus never recovered from.
Andrea Pirlo's side was ran over by the rampant visitors, who were the better team right from the off, and to make matters worse, Alvaro Morata even had three goals chalked off for offside.
The defeat leaves the Serie A champions in danger of finishing second in the group, and the Bianconeri will have all to do at the Camp Nou in December. On that note, here are the five hits and flops in the match:
Also check out: Updated Champions League Standings 2020/21
Hit: Alvaro Morata (Juventus)
Just how unlucky can a player get? Alvaro Morata, who's had a fine start to life at Juventus, was denied not once, not twice, but thrice by the VAR!
He got the ball in the back of the net on three occasions, but every time, his effort was chalked off for offside, and rightly so.
Yet, we label him a 'hit' because of his fighting spirit. He never gave up. Morata wasn't too deterred by seeing his goals ruled out one after the other, He came back for more, troubling Barcelona's defence with intelligent movements and excellent positioning.
Flop: Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona)
This is quickly becoming a recurring theme now. Antoine Griezmann turned another stinker on the night and is still searching for his first goal of the season. Starting up front as the lone striker, the Frenchman was given another chance to prove himself but came a cropper instead.
He was a pedestrian for a vast majority of the match against Juventus and had one of the least touches on the ball. Griezmann misplaced plenty of passes too, but his most notable piece of action was wasting a glorious chance towards the end by dragging his shot narrowly wide of the post.
Nevertheless, Ronald Koeman continues to pin his faith on the star despite his consistently poor showings. But if Antoine Griezmann isn't able to find his best form soon, the Dutchman will be compelled to drop him to the bench.
Also check out: Complete Champions League Schedule 2020/21
Hit: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)
He wasn't the best player on the pitch nor was it his best performance for Barcelona, but Ousmane Dembele showed flashes of his brilliance as was evident from his nicely-taken goal, though it did take a deflection on the way.
The young Frenchman oozed confidence against Juventus, and his passes were promising too. His connection with Lionel Messi was a delight to watch, and fans will hope that it develops further going forward.
The 23-year old, whose stint with the Blaugrana has been hampered by recurring injuries, has only impressed in bits and pieces so far. But if he's able to maintain his current form, Dembele could finally play to his potential.
Flop: Paulo Dybala (Juventus)
Juventus were disappointing as was Paulo Dybala, who offered nothing in the way of attack and was largely pedestrian. What was more damning was a compelling lack of effort from his side as the Argentine seemed pretty disinterested in the game.
It's no secret that Dybala's form has been poor for some time. But he appears absolutely unperturbed by it and shows no character or heart in the face of his on-field crisis. That is really tragic to watch. Considering that he turns 27 next month, Dybala still hasn't grown into the leader that the Bianconeri faithful have been hoping him to be
Also check out: Champions League Top Scorers all-time
Hit: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
After his fairly disappointing performance in the Clasico last weekend, the Barcelona skipper was back to his marauding best, taking apart Juventus with his link-up play and lung-bursting dribbles.
Unlike in the recent games where he dropped a bit deeper to win back the ball, Lionel Messi stationed himself far up the field and orchestrated the attack. He even assisted Dembele for the opening goal.
With five key passes made, two big chances created, six dribbles completed and nine duels won, only a goal was missing from the Argentine's phenomenal display. He ticked that one off too when he coolly dispatched a late penalty to put the icing on the cake.
Also check out: Complete Champions League Results and live Scores 2020/21
