Barcelona 0-3 Juventus: 5 hits and flops as Cristiano Ronaldo's brace sinks the Catalans | UEFA Champions League 2020-21
Barcelona's long unbeaten run at the Camp Nou came to a crushing end after Juventus ran out 3-0 victors in a top-billing Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Barcelona hadn't lost at home since the 3-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in May 2013. However, two penalties from Cristiano Ronaldo on the either side of a Weston McKennie wondergoal brought the streak to a halt.
Despite boasting 59% possession and attempting 20 shots (in comparison, Juventus had just eight), the Blaugrana failed to create many clear-cut opportunities. Captain Lionel Messi was the only threat coming from Barcelona.
The defeat also condemns Ronald Koeman's side to second in Group G behind Juventus, courtesy of an inferior head-to-head record. They now face the prospect of a tough draw in the last 16.
Here are the hit and flop performers from the match.
Hit: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
It just had to happen, isn't it? Cristiano Ronaldo, back at the Camp Nou and facing his old rivals after two years and eight months, scores twice. How poetic. Who cares if both his strikes on the night came from the spot? The Portuguese ace left his mark in Catalonia once again, just like old times.
What's also important to note is these were his first, and possibly last, pair of goals against the Blaugrana in the Champions League. He hadn't scored against them in Europe in their previous five meetings. So that's another anomaly erased.
On a night when Ronaldo was finally reunited with his old foe Messi on the pitch, he managed to come out on top. Even though performance-wise, the Argentine was better.
Flop: Clement Lenglet (Barcelona)
We spoke about the penalty-scorer, now let's talk about the man who conceded both the penalties. Lenglet had a poor game by all standards. Even though the first penalty was a bit soft to concede, there's no hiding the fact that he looked unsettled all night.
As the Bianconeri laid seige on Barca's goal, the Frenchman had a hard time in dealing with Ronaldo, Morata, and McKennie. He deepened his side's woes with a handball inside the box, which allowed the Portuguese ace to gleefully convert another penalty.
He went into the books for that too, rounding off another calamitous night just days after the horrific showing in the defeat to Cadiz in the league.