Juventus 2-2 Bayern Munich: Five Talking Points

In the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 clash, Juventus came back from 2-0 down and salvaged a 2-2 draw at the Juventus Stadium on Tuesday.Thomas Muller, who had missed a golden opportunity earlier in the game, opened the scoring for the visitors, while Arjen Robben doubled their lead 10 minutes into the second half with a trademark Robben goal, cutting in from the right flank before finishing past the helpless goalkeeper.At 2-0 down, Juventus looked down and out, but a mistake from Joshua Kimmich, a midfielder who was playing as a centre back, meant Paulo Dybala could bring a goal back for the hosts, which the Argentine took. And soon after that, two substitutes, Alvaro Morata and Stefano Sturaro combined as the latter scored and ensured the reigning Italian champions go into the return leg with a real possibility of going through.Here are the major talking points from the match.

#1 Bayern\'s away blues continue

Bayern haven’t won any of their last six away knockout games

2-0 up with over an hour played and Pep Guardiola would have been thinking that his away leg problems in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages was finally coming to an end. After all, Bayern hadn't won their last 5 away games in the knockout stages, drawing two and losing the other three.

Yet, as fate would have it, their problems only continued as the hosts mounted a spirited comeback and made it 2-2 and ensured Bayern extended that streak to 6 games. While those two away goals mean they are still favourites to go through, their inability to keep a clean sheet meant they messed up the opportunity to seal the tie in the away leg.

Will they live to rue this? History would suggest probably not, but then again Juventus have shown that they can come from behind and do the improbable.

#2 Positivity always pays off

Allegri tactical switch paid rich dividends

When you have won 15 of your last 16 matches and haven't conceded a goal in over 14 hours and are leading your league, after being close to the relegation zone at the start of the season, no matter who you are playing, you don't start the game by playing like an underdog. Not only that, you don't also go ultra-defensive and trying to play for a 0-0 at home.

While it is true that Bayern have a slew of world-class performers, replete with precision, pace and panache, they also had a midfielder in central defense and had to play David Alaba and Philipp Lahm, two players who usually play in midfield, in defence. With all that in mind, Juventus' first half performance couldn't have been a more polar opposite of the way they should have approached the game.

After going 2-0 down, however, they decided to finally go forward and attack. In the end, that was the difference between being out of the tie at 2-0 to still having a glimmer of hope at 2-2. That should serve as enough proof to Allegri that if the opponent has a weakness, one should attack it and that positivity always pays off.

#3 Defenders are there for a reason

Joshua Kimmich was at fault for both goals

Injuries can happen to any team. No matter how good or bad you are, irrespective of the strength and depth of your squad, if you get too many injuries in a particular position, like Bayern Munich, it is sure to have an impact on the performance. With Jerome Boateng and Holger Badstuber out through injury, Guardiola started with a defense with a combined height of 5ft 7in.

Playing against one of the most physical sides in Europe, who have plenty of height, that didn't look like the brightest thing to do. Especially when one of your centre back is a midfielder and the other is arguably one of the world's versatile players, whose talents are wasted at centre back.

So it was no surprise to see that Joshua Kimmich, who was at fault for both goals that Bayern conceded. With Mehdi Benatia on the bench, Pep could have used him rather than a midfielder in Kimmich. Although the Moroccan did come on, it was only after Juventus had scored and had all the momentum they needed to level the score.

#4 A big game that lives up to its billing

An entertaining and enthralling encounter

Far too often, clashes between two top sides end as a tactical stalemate with neither side especially intent on pushing home the advantage. Thankfully, the clash between the reigning German champions and the reigning Italian champions wasn’t one such occasion.

Although the scoreline favours the away team, who have two away goals in the bank, Bayern and Pep especially will be disappointed with not winning, despite dominating the first hour of the game and having enough chances to put the game beyond Juventus.

As it happened, though, Juventus, who came into the game having won 15 of their last 16 matches, got two goals and set up a thrilling return leg at the Allianz Arena in two weeks time. If that game turns out to be half as entertaining as this one, then this will go down as one of the most memorable knockout stage ties for neutrals to watch.

#5 Bayern are a joy to behold

Alaba showcased his versatility

They may not have won the game, they might have let a 2-0 away lead slip, they might not even have fit centre-backs playing for them, but all of that takes nothing away from the simple fact that Bayern Munich are simply amazing to see, not just the football they play and the goals they score, but also in terms of the positioning of their players and their tactical fluidity.

When you have players like Philipp Lahm and David Alaba, who can play almost every position on the pitch with consummate ease, you know you are not just watching a football team consisting of 11 players but poetry in motion.

At times, Lahm, who was supposed to be playing right back, would pop up on the right side of the opponent’s penalty box, at other times, Alaba would be operating as the central playmaker, with Arturo Vidal playing as an auxiliary centre back.

Pep Guardiola certainly made a couple of errors with regards to selection but when it comes to the style of football, Bayern represents the closest any team has come to replicating Netherlands’ Total football and for that alone, they should be applauded and admired, even if they don’t do the simple things right at times.