Watch: Juventus shuts out Barcelona again, reaches Champions League semis
Barcelona could not replicate its effort against PSG in its Champions League quarterfinal against Juventus, with the Italian side defiant in shutting out the Spanish power for a second straight game to reach the semifinals.
Juventus held firm at Camp Nou, holding Barcelona to a 0-0 draw to advance on a 3-0 aggregate. Barcelona, which overcame a four-goal, first-leg deficit against PSG, was off the mark with its opportunities Wednesday, failing to test Gianluigi Buffon with a number of wayward opportunities and only managing one shot on goal.
Juventus rolled in Turin in the opening leg, with Paulo Dybala scoring twice in the first half and Giorgio Chiellini adding a third, all while keeping Barcelona from scoring an away goal. The stingy defense carried over into the second leg, with Juventus avenging its defeat to Barcelona in the 2015 Champions League final while continuing to carry the Serie A flag in the competition. It joins Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Monaco in the semifinals.
The pregame scene at Camp Nou was goosebump-inducing, as it typically is on Champions League nights.
That didn't lead to an immediate attacking onslaught, though. Neymar had a shout for a penalty in the fifth minute, but it wasn't given as Juventus warded off the early threat.
Barcelona's best early chance came in the 20th minute, when Messi had a chance fall to him in the center of the box, but he uncharacteristically shanked his effort wide of the post.
Adding injury to insult was this late in the first half, with Messi face-planting after going up for an aerial challenge.
Barcelona shot off target all game, and that continued midway through the second half. Messi had a golden opportunity in the 67th minute after Buffon's attempt to swat away a corner went awry, but he put his volleyed attempt off the cross from the right wide of the mark.
Sergi Roberto, the unexpected late hero against PSG, continued the theme a couple of minutes later by curling his left-footed attempt from inside the box wide of the far post after Messi's set-up.
Juventus's Champions League shutout streak remains alive at 541 minutes.
