Pre-Season Friendlies
Juventus
Jul 22, 2017 11.00pm
1
2
HT : 0 2
FT MetLife Stadium
Barcelona
  • Claudio Marchisio 43' yellowcard
  • Giorgio Chiellini 63' goal
  • goal Neymar 15'
  • goal Neymar 26'
  • yellowcard Aleix Vidal 35'

Live Commentary: Juventus 1-2 Barcelona - as it happened

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Juventus 1-2 Barcelona - as it happened
© Getty Images

Barcelona began their pre-season preparations with a 2-1 victory over Italian champions Juventus in the International Champions Cup in New Jersey on Saturday night.

Neymar netted a first-half brace for Barcelona, before Giorgio Chiellini headed Juventus back into the match just past the hour mark.

The Italian champions could not find a leveller in a much-improved second-half performance, however, as Barcelona came out on top in the glamorous pre-season fixture.

Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's minute-by-minute live commentary of the action below.

12.55amSo there we have it. The referee brings the second period to a close with Barcelona running out 2-1 winners over Juventus in the International Champions Cup. What a terrific pre-season clash! Thanks for joining Sports Mole for our live coverage once again. Until next time!

90 min+2FULL-TIME: Juventus 1-2 Barcelona

90 min+1We are into the first of two additional minutes here.

89 min... Luis Suarez's free kick is into the stands.

89 minBarcelona have a free kick in a dangerous area as Chiellini fells Luis Suarez...

89 minCHANCE! Roberto fires wide of the Juventus post after dancing into the box!

88 minIt is almost like a basketball game at the moment, with the end-to-end nature of the contest bringing gasps from the fans. There is still time for Juventus to grab a leveller, but Barcelona are currently in control of the possession as we head for the final moments of this pre-season clash.

86 minLuis Suarez continues to cause problems in the final third of the field, with the striker first looking to slide a pass into Turan, before just being ruled offside after making another darting run. Luis Suarez has done everything but score in the second period, although there is still time for that to happen!

84 minBit of possession for Barcelona as we move closer to the final five minutes of action. It must be said that this pre-season friendly has been excellent. The standard has been very high indeed.

82 minCLOSE! Alena just misses the Juventus post with a curling effort.

80 minLuis Suarez has had plenty of service in the second period, but it has not quite happened for the striker in front of goal. Down the other end, Costa once again shows his pace to drive into the Barcelona box, but the on-loan Bayern Munich attacker's strike is comfortable for Ortola.

77 minCHANCE! Super chance for Juventus to level as Higuain meets a low cross from Rincon, but the Argentine misses the crossbar. That really should have been 2-2 here!

75 minCHANCE! Luis Suarez finds Denis Suarez inside the Juventus box, but it is another smart save from the Italian club's new goalkeeper, who drops down to claim. Still 2-1 here.

73 minThe tempo of the match has just slowed in the last couple of minutes, which is not that surprising when considering the temperature out there. The match has been played at a very high tempo.

71 minLuis Suarez wants a free kick just outside the Juventus box after going down under pressure from Chiellini, but the referee is not interested. There is no doubt that the centre-back caught Suarez.

69 minJUVENTUS SUB! Benatia is replaced by Romangna.

68 minCHANCE! Alba finds Denis Suarez inside the Juventus box, but the Spaniard can only fire into the stands. A lot of space is starting to open up all over the park here.

66 minStill a solid 25 minutes of football left to play here, and I would be surprised if we had seen the last of the goals, especially considering the amount of attacking players that are currently on the field.

64 minJuventus are back in this match as Chiellini heads home from close range! Barcelona goalkeeper Ortola failed to make contact on a corner from the left, and Chiellini was on hand to pounce.

63 minGOAL! Juventus 1-2 Barcelona (Chiellini)

62 minSAVE! Smart work from Ortola as the Barcelona goalkeeper keeps out Dybala's effort.

60 minJUVENTUS SUBS! Dybala, Cuadrado, Higuain, Sandro and Costa have all entered!

59 minLittle over 30 minutes of football remaining tonight, and Barcelona still lead 2-0 courtesy of Neymar's brace in the first period. Juventus still have Higuain and Dybala on their bench tonight, and it would be a surprise if we did not see the Argentine duo in the second period.

56 minCHANCES! Couple of chances for Barcelona in quick succession, but Luis Suarez cannot find a route past Juventus goalkeeper Szczesny, before Turan misses a tap-in at the far post.

55 minCHANCE! Opportunity for Juventus as Pjanic finds space inside the Barcelona box after a smart cross from Bentancur, but the midfielder's effort is high and wide.

53 minSo, both managers, as expected, rung the changes at the break. Not too much has occurred in the early stages of the second period, with both teams just settling into developments. Just a reminder that Neymar netted twice in the opening 45 minutes to put Barcelona in a strong position here.

51 min

49 minI am still working my way through the Juventus changes, but Chiellini has been introduced at the back. Asamoah is still at left-back, while Mandzukic continues at centre-forward. Pjanic has seemingly replaced Marchisio, although I am still waiting for official confirmation here.

48 minBarcelona's second-half XI: Ortola; Semedo, Marlon, Umtiti, Alba; Busquets, Alena, Roberto; Arda, Suarez, Denis

47 minSUBS! So, as expected, both managers have made wholesale changes at the interval. Let me find out exactly what has occurred, and I shall let you know. Always fun this bit!

46 minRESTART! Juventus resume the action here...

12.03amBENCH WATCH! Alena, Busquets, Munir, Luis Suarez, Denis Suarez and Turan are among those that will be hoping to feature in the second period, in addition to summer signing Nelson Semedo. As for Juventus, the Italian champions have the likes of Douglas Costa, Alex Sandro, Juan Cuadrado, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala in reserve. There are some serious players on both benches tonight.

11.57pmSTATISTICS! Two-goal Barcelona have dominated the possession with 63%, while they registered 11 attempts - five of which were on target. Juventus, meanwhile, failed to hit the target with any of their four attempts. There have actually also been two bookings, with Vidal carded for Barcelona, and Marchisio for Juventus. There has been a bit of a bite to proceedings here!

11.52pmSo there we have it. The referee brings the first period to a close with Barcelona leading 2-0 courtesy of a double from Neymar, who has been just sensational in New Jersey tonight. Juventus have had their moments in the final third, but it is Barcelona that lead by two goals at the interval.

45 min+1HALF-TIME: Juventus 0-2 Barcelona

45 minCROSSBAR! Messi hits the crossbar with a free kick from a dangerous position.

44 minCillessen has been strongly linked with a move to Crystal Palace in recent weeks, but the Netherlands international starts for Barcelona tonight due to the absence of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has been given more time off following his involvement for Germany at the Confederations Cup. In all honesty, it has been a very comfortable first period for the goalkeeper!

43 minBOOKING! Marchisio (Juventus) is booked for his challenge on Neymar.

42 minHandbags at dawn as Neymar clashes with Marchisio in the middle of the park.

40 minLichtsteiner is breathing heavily at the moment, and that is an indication of the type of match that Neymar is having down Barcelona's left. The Brazilian might well be replaced at the interval, which gives him around five minutes to complete his hat-trick. I would certainly not bet against it.

38 min... Messi's effort is straight into the wall.

38 minBarcelona have a free kick just outside the Juventus box as Lemina brings Neymar to the deck. Messi actually carried on and hit the crossbar, but the whistle had already been blown for a foul...

35 minBOOKING! Vidal (Barcelona) is booked for a poor challenge on Bentancur.

34 minJust a reminder that both managers are expected to make wholesale changes at the interval, which will be fun for me! We could see two completely different XIs in the second period of this match.

32 minJuventus are just struggling to keep the ball at the moment, and it must be said that Alcacer has been impressive for Barcelona, with the striker's movement causing all sorts of problems here.

30 minJuventus are in all sorts of bother at the moment, and that is mainly down to Neymar, who has been absolutely sensational in the opening 30 minutes of this match. What a player he is.

27 minJust sensational. Neymar scores his second of the match as the Brazilian dances into the Juventus box before firing the ball into the far corner of the net. Juventus' defence were scared to touch him, and the forward is at the double in New Jersey. PSG will be watching closely I am sure.

26 minGOAL! Juventus 0-2 Barcelona (Neymar)

25 minI must admit that I expected this match to be quite considered and slow in the early stages, but the opening 25 minutes has been played at the same intensity as a European tie between these two teams. It has been cracking entertainment as well, with both teams playing their part tonight.

23 minBit of possession for Barcelona in the last couple of minutes, with Juventus looking to counter when they manage to take control of the ball. Surely there will be a few goals in this match.

21 minIt has been a decent response from Juventus over the last few minutes, with the Italian champions threatening from a couple of corners in quick succession. Bentancur rises at the far post to meet a delivery from Marchisio, but the midfielder's effort was always dropping wide of Cillessen's post.

19 minBarcelona simply cannot afford to allow Neymar to leave, but the Spanish giants would be powerless if PSG activate the release clause of the Brazilian. For me, he would be worth every penny of the £180m price that is being touted around. He is just a special, special footballer.

16 minBarcelona make the breakthrough in the 15th minute as Neymar collects a smart pass from Alcacer before lifting his effort into the far corner of the net. It just had to be him didn't it!

15 minGOAL! Juventus 0-1 Barcelona (Neymar)

14 minCHANCE! Wonderful chance for Juventus to take the lead as Sturaro finds the head of Mandzukic with a brilliant cross, but the striker's header is just wide of the post!

13 minJust a few signs that the match is starting to settle, with Barcelona enjoying a period of possession in a non-threatening position. The game simply has to settle due to the heat and humidity out there!

11 minIt must be said that the opening 11 minutes of this match have completely flown past. Juventus appeared a little overwhelmed in the early moments, but the Italians are now enjoying more of the ball. That said, it is Barcelona that are looking the more likely to make the breakthrough here.

9 min... Messi's free kick fizzes wide of the post.

8 minIt is almost like a basketball match at the moment as both teams continue to commit numbers in the final third of the field. Counter-attack after counter-attack continues to arrive, although Barcelona look the more incisive, and have another free kick in a dangerous position here...

6 minIt must be said that the tempo has been very high in the early exchanges, with Juventus now putting the pressure on Barcelona's defence. I would be surprised if we did not have goals here!

4 min... Neymar's free kick is straight into the Juventus wall.

3 minSturaro brings Messi to the ground just outside the Juventus box...

3 minCHANCE! Another opportunity for Barcelona as Neymar feeds Messi, who looks to pick out his fellow South American with a low cross, but Buffon manages to bundle it clear!

2 minHalf-chance for Barcelona inside the opening couple of minutes as Neymar races down the left before looking to feed a pass into Messi, but the weight of the ball is just too strong. It must be said that there is a wonderful atmosphere inside the stadium. The supporters are up for this one.

0 minKICKOFF! Barcelona kick things off in New Jersey...

11.04pmThere has been a late change to the Barcelona XI! Alcacer starts ahead of Luis Suarez!

11.02pmHere we go then - the two sets of players have joined us on the pitch ahead of the first 45 minutes of action. Both managers will fully utilise their squads tonight, and we should have a good indication of where both teams are ahead of the new campaign. It is Juventus against Barcelona in New Jersey.

10.58pmAugust 11 and August 14 will then bring both legs of the Spanish Super Cup against Real Madrid, before Barcelona open their 2017-18 La Liga season away to Real Betis the following weekend. Right, kickoff is now just around the corner in New Jersey. Let's hope for an entertaining fixture!

10.55pm

10.52pmIn terms of what is ahead for Barcelona, next up is a clash with Manchester United in the early hours of July 27, before the small matter of a match with Real Madrid three days later. The Spanish giants will then return to Europe to take on Brazilian team Chapecoense in the Joan Gamper trophy.

10.48pmThere has been huge speculation surrounding the future of Neymar in recent days, but the Brazilian is here, and he starts for Barcelona. The story is that he has been told to leave Barcelona in order to escape the shadow of a certain Messi, and PSG are said to be prepared to activate the forward's release clause. It is certainly one to keep an eye on over the next few weeks!

10.45pmA hugely impressive first leg saw Juventus record a 3-0 victory over Barcelona in Turin, and a goalless draw in the return match at Camp Nou saw the Italians breeze into the semi-finals. Barcelona fell well short of their usual standard in the Champions League last term, and there is no question that the supporters will be looking for improvement in the new campaign.

10.42pm

10.38pmBarcelona landed their 29th Copa del Rey title last season after overcoming Alaves in the final of that particular competition, but they lost out to Real Madrid in La Liga. Their Champions League journey, meanwhile, came to an end in the quarter-finals after losing 3-0 to Juventus on aggregate.

10.35pmAs for Barcelona, the Spanish giants have re-signed Gerard Deulofeu from Everton this summer, in addition to spending more than £20m on right-back Nelson Semedo from Benfica. Their only major departure has been Cristian Tello to Real Betis, although Jeremy Mathieu has also been allowed to leave on a free transfer, with the experienced centre-back moving to Sporting Lisbon.

10.32pmIn terms of departures, key centre-back Leonardo Bonucci has moved on to AC Milan in what was an incredible deal, while Kingsley Coman has joined Bayern on a permanent transfer. Elsewhere, goalkeeper Neto and centre-forward Simone Zaza have both left for Valencia ahead of the new campaign.
© AFP

10.28pmIt has been a busy summer transfer window for Juventus, with Juan Cuadrado and Medhi Benatia joining on permanent deals from Chelsea and Bayern Munich respectively. Wojciech Szczesny has arrived from Arsenal, while Mattia De Sciglio and Rodrigo Bentancur have moved from AC Milan and Boca Juniors. Brazilian attacker Douglas Costa has also joined the Italian champions on loan from Bayern.

10.25pmAs mentioned, this is Juventus' first match since they lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final. After this clash, they will face Paris Saint-Germain in the early hours of Thursday morning, before taking on fellow Italian side Roma on July 30. The Turin giants will then return to Europe to take on Tottenham Hotspur on August 5, before facing Lazio in the Italian Super Cup on August 12.

10.22pmAllegri's team fell just short in the Champions League, however, as they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid in the final. There is no question that Juventus were second best on that particular night, but they continue to move in the right direction, and will be looking for another successful year.
© SilverHub

10.19pmI shall discuss both teams in the build-up to kickoff, but Juventus are classed as the home side tonight, so I shall start with the Italians. Max Allegri's side landed a 33rd Serie A title last season, while the Old Lady also won the Coppa Italia to make it a domestic double. There is no doubting that Juventus are the dominant force in Italian football, and have been for some time.

10.16pmThe two teams are in, and we are now just about 50 minutes from kickoff in New Jersey. Local time is 5.16pm, and the temperature is 32 degrees, which should make for an interesting match. I am not sure that the intensity will be as high as their Champions League semi-final last season!

10.13pmAs for Barcelona, Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez all start for the Spanish giants tonight. Neymar's inclusion is particularly interesting when considering that the Brazilian has been strongly linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain over the last few days. Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Ivan Rakitic also all make the XI, while there are chances to impress for squad players Jasper Cillessen, Aleix Vidal, Lucas Digne and Sergi Samper as new head coach Ernesto Valverde takes charge for the first time.
© AFP

10.10pmThe big news from the Juventus camp is that there is a first appearance for 20-year-old midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who joined the Italian champions from Boca Juniors earlier this summer. Medhi Benatia is also included after completing a permanent transfer from Bayern Munich, while Mario Mandzukic will lead an attack that also includes Mario Lemina and Stefano Sturaro.

10.07pmTEAMS! JUVE: Buffon; Lichtsteiner, Benatia, Barzagli, Asamoah; Khedira, Marchisio; Sturaro, Lemina, Bentancur; Mandzukic BARCA: Cillessen; Vidal, Pique, Mascherano, Digne; Samper, Rakitic, Iniesta; Neymar, Suarez, Messi

10.04pmBefore anything else, let me bring you up-to-speed with the all-important team news for this match. Does Neymar start for Barcelona amid suggestions that the Brazilian will join Paris Saint-Germain this summer? Are there any new faces in the Juventus XI? Let's run through the teams here...

10.01pmEvening all! Sports Mole's live pre-season coverage continues from the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey as Italian champions Juventus face Spanish giants Barcelona in the International Champions Cup. The result is not important here, but both managers will be keen to open their pre-seasons with a good performance. Stay tuned, and you will not miss a moment of this glamour friendly!
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