Turin: Juventus staged a superb comeback from two goals down to rescue their Champions League hopes and secure a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich in their last 16 first leg on Tuesday. 


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

Thomas Mueller pounced on a deflected cross to put the visitors ahead in the 43rd minute and Dutchman Arjen Robben doubled the lead early in the second half before goals from Paulo Dybala and substitute Stefano Sturaro drew the hosts level.


Bayern had looked to be cruising to their third straight win at Juventus with close to 70 percent possession in the first hour.


Yet last season`s finalists, who have been in superb form in recent months, refused to surrender, and staged a scintillating second-half comeback to leave the tie open after a frustrating finish for the Germans.


Bayern, the 2013 champions, shot out of the blocks in search of a quick goal and were almost rewarded when former Juve player Arturo Vidal`s powerful volley forced 38-year-old keeper Gianluigi Buffon to palm his effort round the post. 


Mueller then missed an excellent chance when he failed to tap in from two metres out after Robert Lewandowski had set up his team mate with a superb assist.


The Germany international, however, proved why he is such a prolific goalscorer, when he was in the right place to slot in from 10 metres for his sixth goal in seven Champions League matches this season, after Juve failed to clear a ball in the box.


Robben doubled their lead after the break with his first goal of the year, a trademark move by the Dutchman, who cut inside from the right and curled a left-footed effort into the net.


Dybala, however, made the most of a bad Philipp Lahm clearance to beat Manuel Neuer on the hour and inject new life into the hosts` performance and trigger a frantic Juve search for an equaliser.


Juan Cuadrado almost got it minutes later but Neuer calmly stood his ground to block the Colombian`s shot. The keeper, however, could do nothing when Sturaro beat his marker to slide in and level in the 76th minute. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Toby Davis).