Bayern Munich’s victory at the Allianz Arena over Conte’s Juventus, was undoubtedly more comprehensive than any calcio could have imagined. The 2-0 defeat in many ways, flattered Juve, who were completely overpowered in all areas of the field. Here are the positives and negatives which the Juventini can take from their club’s worst performance of the season:
 
Negatives
 
Nerves: Although natural for a group of players with little experience of the Champions League knockout rounds; the anxiety felt by Juventus’ players was extremely worrying, and did little to quell the Juventini’s aortic discomforts that were prevalent before kick off. The jittery Giorgio Chiellini in the tunnel, and the gulp of Arturo Vidal once “that” music gave way to the cheers of the Bayern Munich faithful, made the early goal seem inevitable. Bayern Munich’s past experiences in the latter stages of the Champions League, proved pivotal, as the Bavarians were able to find the extra gear, whilst the shaking hand of the Old Lady failed to do so. Last night’s game was a classic case of one team crumbling under pressure; and the other revelling in it.
 
The Big Players Under Whelmed: To have had any chance of getting a positive result in Bavaria, La Vecchia Signora’s protagonists had to perform. Ultimately, the uncharacteristically horrendous performances of Andrea Bazagli, Andrea Pirlo, Gianluigi Buffon and Claudio Marchisio, players the Juventini rightfully expect to perform on the biggest stage, were the architects of Juve’s poor showing. The lethargy of both Claudio Marchisio and Andrea Pirlo in midfield, meant that Arturo Vidal was forced to doing the work of three players, which even for a player of Vidal’s calibre, is impossible. Due to Marchisio’s incompetence, in particular, allowed the irrepressible Bastian Schweinsteiger dictate the pace of the game.
 
Heynckes Outwitted Conte: Jupp Heynckes laid out the blueprint of how to defeat Conte’s Juventus last night. The high pressure game adopted by the Bavarians, made it impossible for La Vecchia Signora’s three centre backs to play the ball into midfield and start attacks, and meant that Juventus were pegged back into their own half for lengthy spells. Conte’s insistence to play out from defence, even after it was apparent that it was not working, was an immeasurable error by the Juventus coach. Juve and Conte did not tactically adapt to the opposition; something which is necessary when playing a team of Bayern Munich’s calibre. The 3-5-2 was doomed to fail against a 4-2-3-1, which had an emphasis on attacking the wide areas. Juventus were left completely stretched and outnumbered due to the use of this system, when a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-4 could have been used very effectively.
 
Certain Players Lack Champions League Quality: I am referencing, in particular, Fabio Quagliarella and Alessandro Matri. It has been obvious for two years that Juventus’ strike force would not be effective against truly world class outfits like Bayern Munich. Although the supply from the midfield was unsatisfactory at best, when the ball did land at the feet of either Matri or Quagliarella it stayed there for, at the most, half a second and then possession was turned over. Their inability to hold onto the ball when given the chance and bring others into play, once again made explicit Juve’s need for a world class individual attacking talent. Juventus are a great unit who are exceptionally well drilled, but that is not enough at the highest level. Every great team has had a standout player, the one player who can create something from nothing; Juventus, to get to the next level, need this player.
 
Positives
 
Learning Curve: The defeat, though comprehensive, will be a very humbling lesson for Antonio Conte and his burgeoning Juve. To become one of the top 8 teams in Europe, after barely being one of the top 8 teams in Italy, in the space of two years is an exceptional achievement. This Juventus will benefit from having experienced a midweek main event for the first time, and will surely learn from the mistakes made at the Allianz Arena 
 
It’s Not Over ‘Til The Old Lady Sings: Juventus were awful, really dreadful; the last time they were that dreadful was when they had a coach who thought it was a good idea to play three right backs… whilst being a goal down (here’s looking at you Zaccheroni). However, the tie is not over yet. There is a chance of redemption for La Vecchia Signora next Wednesday night at the Juventus Stadium, where they could not possibly play any worse. Fino Alla Fine…