- Chelsea make €80m offer for Juventus striker Vlahovic – sources – ESPN ESPN
- Todd Boehly to spend again! Chelsea table €80m transfer bid for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic Goal.com
- £69 Million Offer Already Made: Chelsea and Manchester United Given Green Light in Fight for ‘Monster’ Striker Last Word On Sports
- Chelsea transfer news: ‘Compete’ striker wants to join the Blues The Chelsea Chronicle – Chelsea FC News
- Journalist claims Chelsea have already made an offer for 23-year-old Serie A star Sportskeeda
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Tag Archives: Juventus
Juventus 1 (2) – Sevilla 2 (3): Initial reaction and random observations – Black & White & Read All Over
- Juventus 1 (2) – Sevilla 2 (3): Initial reaction and random observations Black & White & Read All Over
- Erik Lamela’s defining moment! Sevilla star’s heroics take club past Juventus and into another Europa League final – but Jose Mourinho’s Roma await Goal.com
- Roma to play Sevilla in Europa League final as Mourinho gets chance for 6th European trophy The Associated Press
- Roma coach Mourinho emotional reaching Europa League final: An honour to work with these guys Tribal Football
- Ivan Rakitic details how Sevilla plan to beat Juventus tonight JuveFC
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Paul Pogba paid €100,000 to extortionists
World Cup winner Paul Pogba paid €100,000 ($100,000) to an organised group, including his brother, that was trying to extort him for millions, French officials said Tuesday.
French prosecutors are investigating allegations that Pogba was the target of extortion by his brother, Mathias Pogba, and childhood friends from the east suburbs of Paris, where they grew up. They demanded €13 million from the France midfielder, and repeatedly intimidated him, claiming he didn’t support them after he became an international star.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (U.S.)
No charges have yet been made, prosecutors said, but sources told ESPN that Pogba told the police that the group told him he owed them money for looking after him as a youngster and that they expected a cash payback.
An official close to the investigation confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday that Pogba told investigators he had already paid €100,000.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with official practice during an ongoing investigation.
According to French media reports, Paul Pogba told investigators the alleged extortionists wanted to discredit him by claiming he asked a witch doctor to cast a spell on another French star, Kylian Mbappe.
Paul Pogba denied the allegation.
Mathias Pogba on Sunday appeared to address the witch doctor claim in a Twitter post, directed at Mbappe: “Kylian, do you understand now? I have nothing against you, what I am saying is for your own good, everything is true and known, the witch doctor is known!”
Mbappe has not responded and has not commented on the scandal that appears to stem from a family feud.
A source told ESPN that the Mbappe family is monitoring the situation.
France team coach Didier Deschamps has been aware of the issue between Pogba and his brother for some time and is monitoring the situation as well, sources told ESPN.
The president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, downplayed the scandal that includes two of France’s stars just four months before the World Cup.
“These are just rumors at this point,” Le Graet said in an interview with Radio Monte Carlo on Monday.
Regarding Paul Pogba, who is currently sidelined by a knee injury, Le Graet added: “I love Paul. I hope this does not call into question his [World Cup] spot on the French side.”
The case became public after Mathias Pogba posted on social media last weekend threats to share “explosive” revelations about his brother, Rafaela Pimenta (Paul’s agent), and Mbappe.
In Instagram videos, Mathias seemed to be reading a statement in Italian, Spanish, English and French promising “great revelations.”
“All this is likely to be explosive,” Mathias added.
According to ESPN sources, a childhood friend of Pogba who spent a lot of time in Pogba’s house in Manchester, stole €200,000 via one of his credit cards.
France’s public broadcaster BFM reported Tuesday that Pogba made the payment in April after he was threatened by masked, armed men in a Paris apartment in March while he was in France for national team matches.
The group also made demands of Pogba at the Juventus training center in Turin.
He said Mathias was among them, according to reports by France-Info, also a public broadcaster.
In response, Paul Pogba issued a statement through his lawyer that said his brother’s claims were “in addition to threats and extortion attempts by an organised gang against Paul Pogba.”
The Paris prosecutor’s office said on Monday it opened an investigation this month into attempted organized extortion, which is being handled by anti-corruption police. It would not provide further details involving an ongoing investigation.
Paul Pogba, aged 29, won the World Cup with France in 2018 and returned this summer to Juventus after six seasons at Manchester United.
Mathias Pogba, three years older, is also a soccer player who has spent most of his career with lower-tier teams in Europe.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig; Real Madrid, Juventus eyeing Chelsea’s Timo Werner; FC Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong to Bayern on loan?; Cristiano Ronaldo seeking Manchester United exit; No movement on Konrad Laimer; & MORE!
Bayern Munich did not look like a squad just beginning to put things together early on, but did lose some focus during its 5-3 win over RB Leipzig in the DFL-Supercup. Here are some quick hitters on the match:
- The starting XI did shock me just a little bit. The inclusion of Jamal Musiala over Leroy Sané was surprising in a good way. With Kingsley Coman and Matthijs de Ligt not fully fit and Noussair Mazraoui not having fully proven himself yet, it was a chance for Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Benjamin Pavard, and Dayot Upamecano to put their respective talents on display:
- That said, it was a very choppy beginning to the match for both sides. Bayern Munich seemed to have trouble with players adjusting to being in different areas of the pitch than they might be used to. Spacing and running lanes were also an issue at times.
- In the 8th minute Marcel Sabitzer saved Manuel Neuer’s bacon after the captain had a pretty bad gaffe.
- Just following that, Dayot Upamecano made a boneheaded play that was luckily not ruled a penalty.
- Clearly, it was not exactly a great start for either team as the match, but things would quickly get better for Bayern Munich.
- In the 13th minute, Bayern Munich began to put some things together and Musiala capitalized one minute later with a goal. If only someone had been championing for Musiala to start for the better part of two seasons now?
- So, yeah, Musiala > Sané and it’s been this way since midway through last season.
- Bayern Munich’s formation was extremely variable. It was difficult to see what alignment was in play from possession-to-possession at times.
- Benjamin Henrichs is going to be trouble for Die Roten Bullen this season. It doesn’t seem like he makes the best decisions (which has been a problem for him in the past).
- Bayern Munich took a 2-0 lead when Thomas Müller, Musiala, and Gnabry strung together one-touch passes and set up Sadio Mané. It was a brilliant sequence for the Bavarians and one that seemed to decimate the hopes of RB Leipzig.
- I thought both Sabitzer and Pavard quietly were very solid in the first. The two players have been much maligned, but they were extremely steady. Pavard, however, did make a boneheaded decision of his own later.
- Musiala was totally disruptive. His turns when receiving the ball were off-the-charts good and RB Leipzig just couldn’t handle him.
- Lucas Hernández had a very strong performance as well.
- Musiala’s overall disruptiveness also setup Pavard’s goal, which made it 3-0 before halftime.
- André Silva’s second half header nearly put RB Leipzig on the scoreboard. The entry of Silva and Dani Olmo into the match helped turn the tide for Die Roten Bullen.
- Marcel Halstenberg’s header in the 59th minute, however, would not miss and RB Leipzig cut Bayern Munich’s lead to 3-1.
- Serge Gnabry put home the rebound of a shot from Müller in the 66th minute. Bayern Munich’s attack was relentless, but subbing off Musiala and Müller would prove to be detrimental.
- From here, Bayern Munich lost focus and got sloppy. Part of that had to do with Müller being subbed off the squad, subsequently running around like a chicken with its head lopped off.
- A risky and reckless challenge from Pavard gave RB Leipzig a penalty and Christopher Nkunku buried it to make it 4-2.
- Toward the end, the lack of focus became a big issue. Forwards and midfielders were borderline cherry-picking, defense got a little bit sloppy and Olmo made Bayern Munich pay with a goal to cut the lead to 4-3.
- In the throws of extra time, RB Leipzig went for it all, but left itself out of position and Leroy Sané found himself in a 1v1, which he won, and then deposited a shot into the net to clinch the victory.
- Overall, it was a fun and exciting match…and hey, it was a win! There is a lot of room for improvement and Julian Nagelsmann is certainly going to have his work cut out for him in terms of deciding who is in and who is out from match-to-match, but this team has a ton of potential.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:
It appears very likely that Timo Werner will be leaving Chelsea FC in the coming days or weeks, but where will he go? Based on a trio of reports, Real Madrid, Juventus, and RB Leipzig could be the most likely destinations:
As SPORT1 recently revealed, RB Leipzig wants Timo Werner back , there are even talks between the cup winner and Chelsea – but is Real Madrid now struggling in between? (REPORT: Leipzig wants Werner back!)
Two years after his 64 million move to London, Werner’s time with the Blues seems to be coming to an end. And now Real have him on their radar, reports Mundo Deportivo.
In principle, the royals are not looking for a striker, but they have lost Benzema backup Luka Jovic (Fiorentina). However, Borja Majoral (returned on loan from AS Roma) and Marco Asensio could still leave the Real team. Then Werner could become an issue, the Spaniards report. However, only on loan, not as a permanent commitment.
In Leipzig, too, a loan would probably be the only viable model – because Werner still has a contract with Chelsea until 2025 and, with a gross weekly salary of 295,000 euros, is one of the five best-paid players in the star ensemble from Stamford Bridge. According to SPORT1 information, Werner would forego part of his salary.
SPORT1 also knows that Juventus Turin is still interested in Werner after signing Ángel Di María. In turn, Bild reports that the 53-time national striker is also under discussion at Newcastle United and could thus remain in the Premier League.
A loan to RB Leipzig is also still on the table for Werner as well:
Sky’s Florian Plettenberg also chimed in with more Werner-to-Leipzig noise:
Update #Werner: Juventus is definitely interested. But at this stage, Werner is too expensive for them. Leipzig still has very good chances. He can really imagine to come back. Mintzlaff is pushing this transfer. Talks about a loan. Leipzig & Werner gets warmer … @SkySportDE
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) July 30, 2022
Could FC Barcelona star midfielder Frenkie de Jong join Bayern Munich on a loan assignment? It appears that De Jong’s salary is one of the primary issues with Barca’s ability to register its new players and the club might have to find an inventive way to get rid of — and/or pay the Dutchman — for this season:
Frenkie de Jong has been mooted as the ideal candidate to leave the club as he is currently sitting on a lucrative wage packet. Widely considered one of the best midfielders in Spain, the Dutchman can also generate significant revenue that will go a long way in helping Barça register the new players.
However, the midfielder has so far resisted all attempts to lure him away from Camp Nou, with the player already rejecting Manchester United several times this season.
It appears de Jong does not fancy a move to Old Trafford as the Premier League giants are not in a position to offer him Champions League football. But according to Diario AS, a new alternative has emerged in the form of Bayern Munich.
The report suggests de Jong would prefer a move to a top European giant that can offer him UCL football next season. A loan to Bayern, to that end, is increasingly becoming a possibility, though it remains to be seen whether the Bavarians are open to such a deal.
The German giants did reinforce their options earlier in the summer by bringing in Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax. But with Leon Goretzka picking up an injury, it will be interesting to see if Julian Nagelsmann entertains the possibility of signing someone like de Jong on a loan deal.
Sport Bild’s Christian Falk, however, continues to report that Bayern Munich is not interested in De Jong this summer, but guess who is? Chelsea FC:
TRUE✅ @ChelseaFC is interested in Frenkie de Jong (25) if N’Golo Kanté (31) doesn‘t sign a new contract (at the moment til 2023). Bayern is not interested in de Jong for this summer @FCBarcelona
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) July 30, 2022
Hey, hey! I’m back and ready to chat all things Bayern Munich!
Apparently, I missed A LOT last week, but big thanks to Samrin for filling in. That said, I am ready to get yapping. Let’s take a quick look at the explosive talking points for this week’s show:
- Recapping all of the craziness that happened on the one freaking week I was on vacation and unavailable.
- Assessing what moves could happen.
- Winners and losers from the U.S. tour.
- Potential red flags for this season.
- Reasons to be optimistic for this season.
Help support BFW’s quest to be the best, by checking out this link and giving us a vote: World Soccer Talk Awards — Best Club Podcast
He might he insinuating otherwise, Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly is still looking for a way out of Manchester United:
Update #Ronaldo: To our info he still wants to leave #MUFC. He wants to play CL. Clubs to which he was offered, they received the info that it’s NOT a question about money. He is ready for drastic salary reduction. Return to Sporting? If it all via loan. @Sky_Marc @SkySportDE
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) July 30, 2022
There has been no movement in the negotiations between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig on midfielder Konrad Laimer:
News #Laimer: Bayern ist totally relaxed in this poker. They rely on the YES from Laimer. Personal terms agreed. But no contact between the bosses since the beginning of this week. Leipzig still wants around €30m. Bayern won’t pay that. Transfer could happen late. @SkySportDE
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) July 30, 2022
Zlatan Ibrahimović appears to have no love for Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola:
It’s our pleasure to announce that Bavarian Podcast Works has been nominated for the “Best Club Podcast” by World Soccer Talk.
That’s right your (hopefully) favorite Bayern Munich podcast network is up for an award. While we are humbled and honored that we have not chased everyone away, we could use your help in securing the trophy. That’s right…you can vote! Help support BFW’s quest to be the best, by checking out this link and giving us a vote (or INNN will hunt you down): World Soccer Talk Awards — Best Club Podcast
Bear in mind, we didn’t nominate ourselves or anything like that for this award…somebody likes us!
We’ve put a lot of hard work into helping the podcast network grow and evolve over the years. We’d love to bring home the gold here and frankly we have not been this fired up over a competition since the Bunducksliga was at its peak. Voting closes at midnight EST tonight. (Direct link: https://worldsoccertalk.com/best-club-podcast-2022-world-soccer-talk-awards)
TODAY IS THE LAST DAY!
Well, you don’t see this every day:
Vélez Sarsfield manager Alexander Medinas got a red card against Godoy Cruz.
He tripped and fouled an opposition player! pic.twitter.com/v1DaEk6IVK
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) July 30, 2022
Real Madrid defeats Juventus in front of 93,702 fans at Rose Bowl
PASADENA, Calif. — Karim Benzema scored his second goal of preseason as Real Madrid beat Juventus 2-0 in front of a 93,702 crowd at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in the final game of their tour of the United States.
Benzema put Madrid ahead from the penalty spot in the 19th minute after Vinicius Junior was brought down by Danilo, shooting low into the bottom corner past goalkeeper Mattia Perin.
Substitute Marco Asensio made it 2-0 from Jesus Vallejo’s cross with 69 minutes played to make it a win, a draw and a loss for Madrid in the U.S. this month.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti picked the starting XI that is expected to play the UEFA Super Cup against Eintracht Frankfurt, with five changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Club America on Wednesday.
Benzema had the ball in the net with just 10 seconds on the clock after a clever routine straight from kick off, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Leonardo Bonucci hit the bar with a dipping free kick before Madrid took the lead midway through the first half.
Danilo conceded possession and when Vinicius drove at the Juventus defence he was felled by a clumsy challenge as the defender attempted to recover.
Benzema converted the penalty for his second goal in as many games, after missing Madrid’s tour opening defeat to Barcelona.
The Italian giants had a penalty appeal of their own waved away when Eder Militao was forced to dive in on Angel Di Maria to salvage Ferland Mendy’s underhit pass, while Vinicius shot into the side netting and Juventus defender Bremer threatened with a header before half-time.
Ancelotti made just one change at the break, Antonio Rudiger replacing Militao.
David Alaba had a shot blocked, Mendy’s cross was palmed away by Perrin and Dani Carvajal saw an effort saved as Madrid dominated early in the second half.
Benzema’s left-footed curler was tipped around the post by Perin before Madrid made nine further changes with just over an hour played.
One of them, Asensio, made it 2-0, sweeping in Vallejo’s cross from the edge of the six-yard box after some smart footwork from another substitute, Eden Hazard, to make sure of the win.
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Chelsea storm past Juventus into last 16 but Chilwell injury takes off gloss | Champions League
This is what revenge looks like but, moreover, what can happen when the Chelsea juggernaut is able to ramp up. After a first half of near total control, when Trevoh Chalobah’s crashed finish on the half-volley represented scant reward, Thomas Tuchel could revel in how his team simply flattened Juventus to ensure their qualification to the Champions League last 16. If they win at Zenit St Petersburg next month, they will advance as seeded group winners.
Perhaps Chelsea had been stung by the manner of their 1-0 loss in Turin at the end of September. More likely, they were intent on sending out a message. They do not intend to relinquish their grip on the trophy they won last season.
The decisive blows came in quick succession before the hour mark and, at that point, Tuchel was charging on to the pitch in celebration and Juve’s players looked as if they did not know what had hit them.
Part of the answer was Reece James, the player who, in the words of his England manager, Gareth Southgate, can be “anything he wants to be.” Here, the wing-back was provider and finisher, wowing with his passing and shooting and, at all times, his strength and composure. As the second half played out and Juve’s misery deepened, James seemed to be enjoying his team’s supremacy, his supremacy. There were some impudent embellishments from him.
He was not alone. Hakim Ziyech was excellent while Callum Hudson-Odoi got the goal that the sharpness of his performance deserved. And for the icing on the cake? Look no further than Timo Werner’s stoppage-time fourth, touched home from Ziyech’s cross, the moment that condemned Juventus to their heaviest defeat in this competition. Werner had come on as a substitute for his first action since an ankle problem five weeks ago and the only blots for Tuchel were the knee injuries that forced off N’Golo Kanté and Ben Chilwell. The latter could barely put any weight on his leg as he was helped from the field.
James ignited the occasion with his goal for 2-0. He controlled a Chilwell cross which had flicked off Matthijs de Ligt before thrashing a shot back into the far corner and he was involved in the third which came minutes later.
Juventus’s heads were spinning when James touched a crossfield ball from Antonio Rüdiger back inside his standing foot and then found Ziyech, who moved it on to the substitute, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, inside the area.
Loftus-Cheek’s feet were too quick for the defenders and he teed up Hudson-Odoi. Chalobah, James, Hudson-Odoi. It was a glorious one-two-three for the Chelsea academy.
Chelsea have missed only one win since the defeat in Turin – the shock 1-1 home draw with Burnley – and this was a night when Tuchel got virtually every detail of his tactics spot on.
With Romelu Lukaku fit enough to be named only as a substitute on his return from an ankle problem (he would remain there), Werner also on the bench and Kai Havertz out with hamstring damage, Tuchel had to improvise up front. He started Christian Pulisic as the false nine to mixed results but Chelsea buzzed around him from the first whistle.
Ziyech had the licence to drift inside from the right and it was noticeable how high Kanté pushed from midfield, dominating the space that his teammate vacated before his departure on 37 minutes.
Chelsea’s tempo was slick, their pressing suffocating and, if there was an element of scruffiness about the breakthrough, it was nonetheless merited. Ziyech’s corner flicked off Adrien Rabiot and cannoned into the forearm of Rüdiger, who had jumped as part of a posse, before breaking kindly for Chalobah. Juventus wanted handball against Rüdiger but he had no time to react. Leonardo Bonucci also appealed in vain for a push on him by Jorginho and Chalobah’s finish was a beauty.
If teams are to create a chance against this miserly Chelsea defence, they had better take it and Álvaro Morata, booed on his return to Stamford Bridge, thought he had done so in the 28th minute, spinning on to Manuel Locatelli’s ball and lifting up and over the advancing Édouard Mendy.
Enter Thiago Silva with a wonderful stretching clearance from in front of his goalline. It would be the only time that the visitors truly threatened. Chelsea, by contrast, created a fistful of chances, with Chilwell going close early on and James twice extending Szczesny before half-time.
Hudson-Odoi (twice) and Silva almost scored at the start of the second period and Juventus could be grateful to Szczesny, who denied Ziyech in a one-on-one near the end.
Juventus v Chelsea: Champions League – live! | Football
Both teams make three changes from their weekend fixtures. Wojcech Szczesny is back in the Juventus goal in place of Mattia Perin. Danilo and Adrien Rabiot come in for the injured pair of Alvaro Morata and Paulo Dybala, which means a bit of a reshuffle. Enrico Chiesa and Federico Bernadeschi, who usually play wide, are likely to start up front.
The Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has brought in Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz to replace Reece James, N’Golo Kante and Timo Werner.
Juventus (possible 4-4-2) Szczesny; Danilo, Bonucci, de Ligt, Alex Sandro; Cuadrado, Locatelli, Bentancur, Rabiot; Bernadeschi, Chiesa.
Substitutes: Pinsoglio, Perin, De Sciglio, Chiellini, McKenzie, Kean, Rugani, Kulusevski.
Chelsea (possible 3-4-3) Mendy; Christensen, Thiago Silva, Rudiger; Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso; Havertz, Lukaku, Ziyech.
Substitutes: Kepa, Bettinelli, Werner, Loftus-Cheek, Chalobah, Saul, Hudson-Odoi, Chilwell, Barkley, Sarr.
Referee Jesus Gil Manzano (Spain).
Cristiano Ronaldo misses Juventus training as Manchester City move edges closer
Cristiano Ronaldo has missed Juventus training, according to ESPN sources, as his proposed move to Manchester City edges closer.
Sources told ESPN on Thursday that Ronaldo was close to finalising an agreement with City after speaking to manager Pep Guardiola.
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Sources at Juve confirmed to ESPN that Ronaldo did not take part in training on Friday, though he was present at Continassa to say goodbye to his teammates.
However, sources told ESPN that Juve have yet to receive an official offer from any club for their No.7.
City had made Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane their No. 1 target this summer as they look to bring in a striker but after the England captain announced he was staying at Spurs, the Premier League champions turned their attentions to Ronaldo.
Ronaldo’s future has been the subject of speculation throughout the summer and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner hit out at the “disrespectful” transfer talk on Instagram.
Ronaldo joined Juve in 2018 after nine seasons with Real Madrid where he won the Champions League four times and LaLiga twice.
In Italy, he won back-to-back Serie A titles in his first two seasons.
Should the 36-year-old complete a move to City, he would return to the Premier League for the first time since 2009 when he left rivals Manchester United, having won three titles and the Champions League.
Meanwhile, United legend Wayne Rooney has questioned his former teammate’s proposed move to City.
“I don’t know what to make of it, to be honest,” the Derby County manager told a news conference. “If you’re asking me if I think it’s possible then I have major doubts that it is a possibility.
“Cristiano has got a great legacy at United. I don’t think he’s going to move somewhere for financial reasons.
“I’d be unsure if that’s going to happen. I think there’s more chance of it being Paris Saint-Germain if he is to leave Juventus.”
Ronaldo will also come up against his old rival Lionel Messi if he completes his move to City as they were drawn alongside PSG in the Champions League group stage.
Porto v Juventus: Champions League round of 16, first leg – as it happened | Football
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Match report: Porto 2-1 Juventus
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Full time: Porto 2-1 Juventus
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GOAL! Porto 2-1 Juventus (Chiesa 82)
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GOAL! Porto 2-0 Juventus (Marega 46)
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Second half: Porto 1-0 Juventus
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Half-time: FC Porto 1-0 Juventus
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