Juventus claimed 1-0 victory over Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Turin this evening.
Yannick Ferreira Carrasco and Arturo Vidal both missed presentable chances for each side in the opening 45 minutes.
After the break, the hosts were awarded a penalty when Ricardo Carvalho brought down Alvaro Morata just inside the box.
Vidal stepped up and placed the resulting spot kick into the top corner, to give Juventus a vital lead ahead of next week's second leg.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
6.15pmGood evening everyone! What a match we have in prospect, as the Champions League reaches the quarter-final stage. Will it be the current champions of Italy Juventus or Ligue 1 outfit Monaco who book their place in the last four for the first time in over a decade?
6.18pmThe undoubted favourites to make it through to the semi-finals are Juventus, who are romping their way to a fourth successive Serie A title. They are 12 points clear at the top of the league and by the end of the month they could have the title wrapped up, which would allow them to solely focus on European glory.
Good evening from #JStadium! Evening sunshine and perfect conditions for a great #UCL encounter. Just 90 mins to go! pic.twitter.com/wjj1mNxHLj
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen) April 14, 20156.21pmStanding in their way are a Monaco side who have defied expectations to reach this stage of the tournament. Many expected them to fall in the last 16, when they were drawn against in-form Arsenal. However, they stunned the Gunners by winning 3-1 at the Emirates and although they lost the second leg 2-0, they progressed on away goals.
6.24pmWe should have some team news for you in around 20 minutes, but until then let's take a closer look at each side, beginning with tonight's hosts Juventus. It has certainly been a great season for the Bianconeri and they have once again dominated Italian football, with a 31st Scudetto almost in the bag.
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6.27pmOn the domestic front they have been nothing short of sensational, with just two defeats in Serie A this season. They won't be able to match last season's record tally of 102 points, but they have still been far too good for those around them. The only recent blip for Massimiliano Allegri's side was a 1-0 defeat to Parma at the weekend, but they did rest a number of key players for that match.
6.30pmDespite their dominance in Italy, they haven't always been able to replicate that form in Europe and they haven't reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 12 years. Of course, they were relegated in 2006 and although they were quickly promoted back to the top flight, it took them a few more seasons to get to the level that they are currently at now.
6.33pmThey failed to make it out of the group stages last season after a last-gasp defeat to Galatasaray and it appeared that their problems had resurfaced this time around following back-to-back defeats away from home against Atletico Madrid and Olympiacos.
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6.36pmThings threatened to go from bad to worse in their fourth group match, as they allowed the lead to slip against Olympiacos and fell 2-1 behind. Their response couldn't have been better though, as two quick-fire strikes saw them go 3-2 up and they held on to move level with the Greeks. A comfortable 2-0 win over Malmo and a goalless draw against Atletico Madrid followed and it saw them snatch second place in the group and seal a last-16 berth.
6.39pmJuventus were then drawn against Borussia Dortmund and despite the poor form of the Germans in the Bundesliga, Jurgen Klopp's side were seen as a real threat after cruising through their group. However, a good performance in the first leg saw them secure a 2-1 win and an early stunner from Carlos Tevez in the return fixture helped them cruise to a 3-0 victory. The manner of their display led to many people tipping them as potential winners of the competition and it could be seen as the pivotal turning point in their European revival.
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6.42pmRight, I can tell you that the teams have been announced for tonight's match, so without any delay here's how they will be starting when we kick off in Turin in just over an hour.
6.45pmTEAMS:
JUVENTUS XI: Buffon, Lichtsteiner, Bonucci, Chiellini, Evra, Vidal, Pirlo, Marchisio, Pereyra, Tevez, Morata
MONACO XI: Subasic, Raggi, Carvalho, Abdennour, Kurzawa, Fabinho, Kondogbia, Moutinho, Carrasco, Martial, Dirar
6.48pmThe big news for Juventus is that Andrea Pirlo is back in the side for the first time in over seven weeks. Carlos Tevez also returns after missing the last couple of games through injury, while Leonardo Bonucci, Patrice Evra and Gianluigi Buffon start having been rested for the defeat at Parma.
6.51pmRoberto Pereyra has been in good form recently and he is also in the starting lineup, with Paul Pogba still ruled out. Another important decision for Allegri was who to play alongside Tevez in the attack and it's Alvaro Morata who has been given the nod ahead of fellow Spaniard Fernando Llorente.
6.54pmMonaco have also had some key decisions to make and Anthony Martial has won the race to lead the attack. He will receive support out wide from Nabil Dirar and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco. Geoffrey Kondogbia and Joao Moutinho are further back in the midfield, while Ricardo Carvalho keeps his place alongside Aymen Abdennour in the heart of the defence.
6.57pmLet's back to our build up to tonight's match by checking out the home side. Monaco have put together a decent run of form in Ligue 1 and they have climbed up to third in the table to boost their hopes of reaching the Champions League next season. A 3-0 victory over Caen last Friday means that they are now four points behind league leaders PSG, so perhaps a late challenge for the title is not beyond their reach.
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7.00pmAs for this season's tournament, they have exceeded all expectations to reach the quarter-finals. Their success in the group stage was based on their brilliant defensive record and they conceded just one goal in their six matches to finish top ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, Zenit St Petersburg and Benfica.
7.03pmMonaco were then drawn against Arsenal in the last 16 and very few people backed them to progress any further. They proved everybody wrong though, as a clinical display of counter-attacking football saw them leave the Emirates with a famous 3-1 win in the first leg.
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7.06pmFor the return fixture they were in the positon of favourites as no team who had suffered a two-goal deficit in their home game had been able to turn it around. It did look for a long time that the Gunners would make history, as goals from Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey saw them level the tie at 3-3, but despite a late onslaught, Monaco held on and managed to edge through on away goals.
7.09pmWith the likes of Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez leaving the club in the summer you would never have thought that the club would be able to put together such a fine run in Europe, but this is the furthest they have been in the Champions League since they were runners up in 2004. They were brilliant that season and beat Chelsea and Real Madrid on their way to the final, before falling to a 3-0 defeat to Jose Mourinho's Porto side.
7.12pmSo, who are the players that could make a difference this evening? For Juventus, Carlos Tevez is the key man who makes everything tick for them in the attack. The Argentine has scored an impressive 26 goals this season and he was brilliant in the last round against Dortmund, scoring twice and setting up a goal for Alvaro Morata as they blew the German side away. Andrea Pirlo's long-awaited return from injury is also a massive boost and Monaco will know that if they allow him time and space on the ball, then he will be able to dictate the tempo and take a firm grip of the midfield.
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7.15pmI would usually mention the classy Paul Pogba, but the Frenchman is currently on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury in that game at Dortmund. He is expected to return next month and his loss is a huge blow considering the impact he has made in the past three seasons. It's no wonder that he has been linked with every major club out there and Juve will have a tough job of hanging onto him this summer.
7.18pmYou can't really talk about Juventus without mentioning their defence. The Bianconeri have conceded just 15 goals in Serie A this season and they have kept a clean sheet in six of their previous seven games. Having one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time in Gianluigi Buffon certainly helps and the Italian centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci provide a wall that most team's find impossible to breach.
7.21pmMonaco have also been solid at the back and goalkeeper Danijel Subasic has kept an impressive number of clean sheets this season. He also made a string of fine saves in the two games against Arsenal and you get the feeling that he will have to be on top form this evening if his side are to come away from Turin with a positive result.
7.24pmI've already mentioned Pogba, but Geoffrey Kondogbia is another young French midfielder who looks to have a very bright future. The 22-year-old scored the opening goal in their first-leg win at Arsenal and his impressive form is said to have attracted the interest of Liverpool.
7.27pmFurther up the pitch, Monaco aren't exactly renowned for scoring many goals and none of their players have found the net more than once in this season's Champions League. Their main goal threat will come from 19-year-old Anthony Martial, who has scored 10 goals this season, while Dimitar Berbatov can never be ruled out and has bagged eight strikes. Joao Moutinho is also one to watch, and although he has only set up five goals and scored three of his own this campaign, the Portuguese midfielder is more than capable of making the difference.
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7.30pmThese teams last played each other in the semi-finals of the Champions League back in 1998. A hat-trick from Alessandro Del Piero and a goal from Zinedine Zidane helped Juventus to win 4-1 in the first leg at the Stadio delle Alpi. Monaco claimed a 3-2 victory in the first leg, but it was not enough to prevent their exit from the competition. Juventus would go on to lose the final against Real Madrid thanks to a sole strike from Predrag Mijatovic.
7.33pmThere are plenty of famous faces that have played for Juventus and Monaco over the years, with David Trezeguet and Lilian Thuram enjoying particularly successful spells at each club. Another who played for each team was Thierry Henry, but he spent just six months at Juve after a big-money move from the Ligue 1 club. He scored three goals in 16 appearances for the Bianconeri and was sold to Arsenal, where he became one of the greatest players of his generation.
7.37pmPREDICTION: I don't think we will be seeing too many goals this evening due to the great defensive records of each team, but it's hard to look beyond a Juventus win. The Italians are in such brilliant form and they have claimed some impressive wins in recent weeks. Monaco have shown how much of a danger that they can be, but I don't expect them to repeat their shock win at the Emirates, so I'm going to tip Juve to claim a 2-0 victory that should help them on their way to the semi-finals.
7.41pmWe're around four minutes from kick off now and the two teams have just emerged from the tunnel. Just a reminder that we have live coverage of this evening's other Champions League quarter-final in Madrid that starts at the same time.
1 minKICKOFF! We are underway at the Juventus Stadium!
3 minJuventus are enjoying a lot of possession and they seem keen to get an early goal here. They haven't created any chances yet, but the visitors almost capitalize when Pirlo's loose ball is pounced upon by Fabinho, who then tries to thread a pass to Ferreira-Carrasco, but it is just too long and heads through to Buffon.
5 minCHANCE! With just five minutes on the clock Juventus really could be ahead. Morata finds himself in acres of space after latching onto a ball over the top at the back post, but instead of trying to find Tevez in the middle, he goes for a first-time volley that he lashes high over the bar.
7 minSHOT! The hosts have made a strong start to the game and Tevez is looking lively as ever. The Argentine has popped up all over the pitch and after collecting the ball on the left, he cuts inside before firing in a low strike that has plenty of power, but is well held by Subasic.
8 minSHOT! Monaco show their own threat going forward when Kurzawa is found in space just outside the box. He then lashes in a fierce effort which goes just over the bar, but that should serve as a warning to the hosts.
10 minCHANCE! What a huge, huge chance this is for Monaco. Martial slides in Carrasco and he has acres of space to get a shot away inside the box. He looks to direct a low shot into the corner, but he ends up placing it right into the gloves of the keeper.
11 minSAVE! The visitors have really come into this game over the past couple of minutes and Carrasco has another attempt on goal with a curling effort from outside the box that takes a slight deflection and forces Buffon to touch the ball wide of his far post.
14 minMonaco look a real threat on the counter attack this evening and they have so much pace up front, with Carrasco and Martial more than capable of seriously troubling the Juve backline. It hasn't helped the home side that they have given the ball away poorly in the midfield, with Pirlo the main culprit so far.
17 minCHANCE! Another decent opening for the visitors goes to waste when Kurzawa leaps highest to win a corner, but he plants his header wide of the far post. He was stretching to meet the delivery, but they must take at least one of the great chances that come their way this evening.
20 minJuventus certainly came out the blocks quickly, but they have struggled to get in behind this well organised Monaco defence. The same thing happened in Monaco's away game at Arsenal, where the Gunners looked good in the opening five minutes, before badly fading.
23 minThis would have been an uncharacteristic goal for Monaco to give away. They lose the ball on the edge of their own box and Tevez is quick to pounce. However, before the Argentine can get a shot away, they get enough players back to crowd him out and manage to clear the danger.
26 minCHANCE! Juventus have just started to regain their control of the match and they are working the ball around quickly inside the Monaco half. They also manage to create their first chance in a while, as Marchisio floats a brilliant ball to the back post for Tevez, who volleys an effort straight down the middle and into Subasic's arms. Either side of the keeper and his side would be in the lead.
30 minSHOT! Monaco are coming under real pressure at the moment and at this stage in the game they would be delighted to go in at half time level. Subasic has only had a couple of saves to make though and Vidal's latest effort from range that heads well over the bar causes the keeper no problems.
31 minSHOT! It's another effort from range from Juventus and this time Marchisio fires well over the top. Monaco will certainly be happy to see them do that for the rest of the match, as it would take something special to beat this keeper.
32 minSHOT! Monaco are now trying their luck from distance and Carrasco charges through the middle before dragging a low effort wide of the far post that fails to trouble Buffon.
35 minThe possession stats will make some interesting reading, as Juventus are completely dominating the ball. They haven't used it quite as well as they usually do and with Pirlo just back from injury, it may take the veteran some time before he finds his stride.
38 minI've already mentioned Monaco's win at the Emirates and there a lot of similarities between their display there and here this evening. They have stuck to their game plan exceptionally and have made it tough for Juventus to find space in their half of the pitch. It really will take something special from Allegri's players to make the breakthrough against such stubborn opposition.
39 minPENALTY APPEAL! Well, this would have changed everything. Martial cuts in from the left and shows great skill to burst past Chiellini, before going down under a challenge from the defender inside the box. The referee waves away the striker's appeals for a penalty and having looked at the replays, it seems he was right not to give anything, as Chiellini just seemed to be stronger than the Monaco player.
43 minJuventus are pushing for the opener as we edge closer to half time and they are camped inside the Monaco half. The visitors are still hanging on though and they manage to deal with some dangerous crosses into the box well under increasingly heavy pressure.
45 minCHANCE! Another massive opening goes begging for Juventus. Vidal is found by Tevez's wonderful ball over the top and a superb first touch sets him through on goal. He then looks to curl a strike beyond Subasic and into the top corner, but his effort goes narrowly wide of the far post.
45 minHALF-TIME: Juventus 0-0 Monaco
8.34pmNo stoppage time is added on by the referee and the first half comes to an end in Turin. It's still goalless between Juventus and Monaco, but both teams have had some glorious chances to break the deadlock.
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8.38pmLet's take a quick look at the stats from the opening 45 minutes. It's fair to say that Juventus have been in charge and they have had a massive 74% of the possession. In the shots department it's all square, as both sides have had eight attempts on goal, with two of those efforts finding the target.
8.42pmMonaco will be delighted at their performance so far this evening, but the job is far from done. With the players that Juventus have, they can strike at any moment, so they can't afford any lapses in concentration. I doubt that the hosts will be too upset either, as a goalless draw at home is by far the worst result.
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46 minMonaco take the kick off and get us back underway in Turin!
48 minThe visitors have made a good start to this second half and Raggi has a slight chance when he meets Moutinho's corner, before planting a header over the bar.
50 minSHOT! Vidal has scored some stunners for Juventus over the years and when he picks the ball up around 30 yards out from goal he decides to have a crack. He gets plenty of power on the strike, but it is far too close to Subasic who makes another comfortable save.
51 minSUBSTITUTION: Monaco have been forced into a change, as Dirar is unable to continue and is replaced by Bernardo Silva. The Portuguese international is in good form and scored two goals against Caen last week.
54 minSAVE! He's been on the pitch for less than three minutes, but Silva has a wonderful chance to score. Monaco break quickly from a corner and he is freed down the left by Carrasco. He then drives into the box and fires in a strike towards the near post that is touched behind by Buffon. It seemed as if his effort may have been going wide, but the keeper made safe.
55 minPENALTY TO JUVENTUS! Pirlo plays a wonderful pass over the top looking for Morata, but before the striker can get to the ball he is clipped by Carvalho and goes down just inside the box. The referee then awards the penalty, but instead of sending of Carvalho he just shows him a yellow card.
57 minGOAL! Juventus 1-0 Monaco (Arturo Vidal)
57 minJuventus finally make the breakthrough and after missing a big chance in the first half, Vidal makes no mistake from the penalty spot. He brilliantly places the ball into the top corner, with Subasic diving the wrong way and now his side are in the driving seat.
60 minYou've got to say that Juventus deserve to be in the lead and it was a moment of class from Pirlo that led to the penalty, with a stunning pass into Morata. There will still be some debate about whether Carvalho should have been sent off as he did deny a clear goalscoring opportunity.
63 minSAVE! Monaco are still capable of causing an upset tonight and Kondogbia fires in a dipping strike from range that requires Buffon to help the ball over the top. The visitors can't make anything of the resulting corner though, as Buffon comes and claims the delivery with ease.
67 minSHOT! This would have been quite some goal from Morata. The Spaniard comes in from the left and smashes a low strike towards the near post that goes inches wide of the target.
70 minSHOT! Down the other end of the pitch it's Carrasco who once again goes for goal from long range. He fails to find the target though and hits it well over the bar, but with 20 minutes left to play there is still every chance for his side to snatch a crucial away goal.
71 minSUBSTITUTION: Monaco are going for it now, as Berbatov is coming on for Raggi.
72 minCLOSE! Berbatov almost makes an immediate impact from the bench, as rises highest to meet a corner from Moutinho, before glancing a header just inches over the bar. That really was a big chance and once again Juventus have been caught out by a set piece.
74 minSUBSTITUTION: Pirlo's return from injury lasts just shy of 74 minutes, as Barzagli comes on to replace him. That will probably lead to Juventus switching to a back three, which is the formation that they usually play in the league.
77 minJuventus have really taken the sting out of the match in recent minutes and if there's any team that can hold on to a one goal lead, then it's them. They don't seem to be too bothered about grabbing a second goal and keeping the ball seems to be their main priority now.
80 minAs we head into the last 10 minutes, it's still Juventus who are controlling the tempo of the match, with Vidal helping them to dominate the midfield. He has had a great second half and he looks back to his best after his recent injury problems.
83 minSUBSTITUTION: Juventus make their second change of the match, as Morata heads off to be replaced by Matri.
86 minThe Bianconeri win a succession of corners, before Tevez picks up a loose ball hammers a strike into the side netting. They are just a few minutes away now from a massive win and they should have the experience to see it out.
87 minSUBSTITUTIONS: Both teams make their final change of the night, as Sturaro replaces Pereyra for Juventus, while Matheus Carvalho is on for Martial.
90 minWe are going to have at least three minutes of stoppage time.
90+2 minCHANCE! Late chance for Juventus to add a second goal, as Tevez picks out Lichtsteiner on the edge of the box. The Swiss international then shifts the ball onto his left foot and looks to curl a strike into the top corner, but he doesn't get enough on the attempt and it's an easy save for the keeper.
90+4 minFULL-TIME: Juventus 1-0 Monaco
9.36pmIt's all over in Turin and Juventus have held on to claim a vital win in the first leg of this Champions League clash. Arturo Vidal's brilliant penalty means that the Italians will head to Monaco next week in a great position to reach the last four.
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9.38pmRight, that's all we've got time for this evening, but make sure you stick around for analysis and player ratings of the match. Until then, goodbye!
