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The surprising nature of the Champions League continues to enthral us as the season of comebacks gave us yet another story to celebrate and if you are an Atletico Madrid fan then forget.
Juventus played Atletico Madrid at the Allianz Stadium in Turin as they looked to overcome a 2-goal deficit and reach the quarterfinals of the tournament this year. The task was never going to be easy and most of the fans and critics would've counted Juventus out owing to Atletico's advantage from the first leg.
But Massimiliano Allegri's men did the remarkable as they beat the Spanish giants 3-0 at home to seal their passage into the last-8 of the tournament.
This monumental victory shall be cherished by Juventus' followers for years to come by as very rarely does it happen that a team comes back from a 2-0 loss to win the second leg in a stunning manner as the Italian club did.
With all that being said, here, we list 5 men who played a huge role in winning the game for Massimiliano Allegri:
#5 Leonardo Bonucci
There is simply no doubt in the Italian being amongst the very best defenders on the planet and he just showed the road why he’s ranked so highly. Bonucci was rock-solid throughout the evening as Juventus maintained a clean sheet.
His defensive attributes were on display as the Juventus backline successfully resisted any Atletico attack. Bonucci was at the heart of the matter as he spearheaded the Juventus backline who stepped on the field with a mission and that mission was to score goals and simply not let one in!
While the Italian didn’t have any say in scoring goals, he surely didn’t let any in as the Bianconeri celebrated a famous victory over the Spanish giants at the Allianz Stadium. Bonucci's presence enhances the performance of those around him and Juventus' famous victory over Atletico Madrid supports this statement.
#4 Joao Cancelo
The Portuguese international didn’t play any part in the first leg of this fixture which took place at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. The former Benfica man was given a chance to impress as Juventus looked to beat Atletico Madrid at home to reach the last 8.
The task wasn’t supposed to be easy as Atletico held a 2-goal advantage and with the magnitude of talent they possess in the attacking department, goals were expected to come.
But Juventus were focussed at the back as the Bianconeri successfully dodged any Atletico attack to maintain a clean sheet. One solid member of the backline who turned out to be quite a performer for Juventus was Joao Cancelo.
The Portuguese had a vibrant evening and even recorded an assist!
#3 Blaise Matuidi
The Frenchman had a decent evening as he reminded the world once again of how good he is. Matuidi’energy was terrific as he outran most of the players on the field and his temperament was even better.
Not once did Matuidi commit any error as Juventus completed a sensational comeback to oust Atletico Madrid. His electrifying presence and rigid support from the midfield allowed the Juventus frontline to play with a lot more freedom.
The Frenchman wasn't impressive in Juventus' first-leg defeat to Atletico in Madrid as he often looked out of pace and at some points a bit out of shape but the second leg was where Matuidi was seen in his efficient best as he helped Juventus knock off a mighty robust Atletico Side.
Massimiliano Allegri did realise that in order to overcome this Atletico Madrid side, he needs an imposing midfield presence in his side and up stepped Blaise Matuidi and ensued Juventus' successful passage to the last 8 of the tournament
#4 Federico Bernardeschi
The Italian winger was a constant threat throughout as the Atletico backline found it too hard to contain Bernardeschi. It was his beautiful pass in the 27th minute into the box that set things up for Juventus as his tempting ball in the box was successfully sent to the goal as Cristiano Ronaldo rose above all to score a sensational header.
The mood was set then as Juventus successfully claimed the mountain and knocked Atletico Madrid out. Federico’s movement at the right troubled the Atletico defenders as the Italian seemed like a live wire on the field who was motivated to help his side reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
The Italian was involved in the penultimate phase - an apparent foul on him by Angel Correa resulted in Juventus winning the penalty and rest, we all know!
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
Who else but the former Real Madrid superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese returned to haunt Atletico Madrid once again in the champions league as he scored yet another champions league hattrick against Los Colchoneros and helped Juventus record a monumental win.
Cristiano didn’t enjoy a really pleasant evening 2 weeks back when Juventus crashed to a 2-0 loss against Atletico at Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid.
The former Real Madrid winger was at his prolific best as he scored 3 goals to ensure his side’s progression into the quarterfinals of the tournament. Cristiano’s energy was commendable with the Portuguese looking determined all through the evening as he aimed to help Juventus reach the last-8 of UEFA Champions League.
Juventus' first goal was a Cristiano classic as the Portuguese stood tall above the rest and scored a beautiful header to set up the mood and the world knew that a comeback was on. At 34, the Portuguese ace is showing no signs of slowing down!
