UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Juventus held to goalless draw at Brugge; Red Star Belgrade edged out by 10-man PSV
UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Juventus held to goalless draw at Brugge; Red Star Belgrade edged out by 10-man PSV
Juventus had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Belgian champions Club Brugge in a lacklustre Champions League clash on Tuesday.
Juve, who has now drawn more than half of its 30 games in all competitions this season, is 14th in the table on 12 points.
Brugge is 17th on 11, with places from nine to 24 booking a spot in the knockout phase playoffs.
The Belgian side travels to Manchester City in the final league phase game on Jan. 29, when Juventus hosts Benfica.
“All the teams that have played here have had difficulties, they defend very well,” Juve coach Thiago Motta told Sky Sport.
“We could have done better, respecting the opponent and not taking away their credit because they have caused many difficulties. We have suffered very little but not created enough to win.”
The two sides started off cautiously and had only one attempt each in a dull first half, both off target.
The tempo increased slightly after the restart, when Brugge produced their best chance to break the deadlock through forward Ferran Jutgla, who nutmegged defender Pierre Kalulu before his low attempt flew just wide of the left post.
Motta introduced fresh legs in the 66th minute, replacing forwards Timothy Weah and Samuel Mbangula with Francisco Conceicao and Kenan Yildiz.
But little changed in terms of overall play and, while Juventus had more possession, chances were few and far between.
Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet stretched to deny midfielder Manuel Locatelli from distance late on, saving the only goal-bound effort in the match.
“Difficult match, they prepared it very well. They were closed but they pressed well,” Locatelli said. “We could have done more.”
Juve has won three of four previous meetings between the sides, including the two most recent in the 2005-06 group stage.
The 19-time Belgian champions Brugge is unbeaten in all competitions since a 3-1 loss at AC Milan in late October.
Luuk de Jong scored a brace of goals as 10-man PSV Eindhoven put in a commanding first-half display but was then forced to hold on for victory in a 3-2 Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade at a freezing Stadion Rajko Mitic on Tuesday.
Ryan Flamingo scored the Dutch club’s third goal but when he was sent off early in the second period, the momentum shifted towards the home side and Red Star Belgrade netted through headers from Cherif Ndiaye and Nasser Djiga.
PSV remains on course for the playoffs with 11 points from its seven matches, while Red Star is out of contention having managed three points from the same number of fixtures.
PSV hit the front as De Jong rose to meet an outswinging corner from Joey Veerman and powered his header from 15 yards into the far corner of the net. He added a second from another Veerman corner shortly afterwards.
The visitors had a third before halftime and again it came from a corner as Red Star could only clear the ball to the edge of the box and centre back Flamingo volleyed home a thunderous strike.
But Flamingo’s joy turned to disbelief when he received a straight red card five minutes into the second period after he brought down Nemanja Radonjic on the edge of the box and was deemed to be the last defender.
Red Star felt it had a chance with a numerical advantage and pulled two goals back as Ndiaye and Djiga scored with headers, but despite heavy pressure in the closing minutes, they couldn’t find an equalising goal.
