Newcastle condemn Juve to defeat

Newcastle 1 Juventus 0

Newcastle United rekindled memories of their Champions League heroics against Barcelona to condemn mighty Juventus to defeat.

Not since Barca left Tyneside on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline five years ago had the black and white faithful had so much to celebrate as Sir Bobby Robson’s men snatched a must-win game to keep their dreams alive.

Victory came courtesy of full-back Andy Griffin’s 62-minute shot, which was turned into his own net by Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon.

It was hard luck on the 24-year-old, who produced a string of fine save to deny Nolberto Solano twice as well as Alan Shearer, but it was scarcely more than United deserved after a gutsy display.

True, they had to ride their luck at times as Pavel Nedved missed an open goal before the break and substitute Marcelo Zayaleta hit the bar seven minutes from time, but the roar which greeted referee Rune Pedersen’s final whistle sparked mass celebrations in the stands over a job well done.

Robson’s side stay face an uphill task if they are to make the second stage of the competition, but they will go into next week’s clash with Dynamo Kiev knowing that they are still alive and kicking.

United went into the game knowing that anything less than a victory would effectively end their feint hopes of a place in the second round and make even qualification for the UEFA Cup a slim possibility, and the message had clearly been drummed home.

If Juve demonstrated much of the class on show, the heart, determination and effort put in by their opposite numbers, who also showed that they had a trick or two up their sleeves, was equally impressive.

With Alessio Tacchinardi sitting in the middle of a midfield trio to feed Edgar Davids, Mauro Camoranesi, Lilian Thuram and strikers Alessandro Del Piero and Marco Di Vaio, the Italians always posed a major threat.

But with Gary Speed and Jermaine Jenas working hard to close down space and the back four of Griffin, Titus Bramble, Andy O’Brien and Aaron Hughes just about holding firm in the face of a series of lightning raids, their side had a firm foundation upon which to build.

Shearer and Lomana LuaLua had few clear-cut chances, Shearer thundering a 29th-minute header over the bar from a Solano corner after his strike partner had shown the Juve defence a clean pair of heels to earn the set piece.

However, it was Frenchman Laurent Robert who was handed his side’s best opportunity of the opening half in the final minute when he ran on to Speed’s intelligent flick-on but directed his half-volley wide of Buffon’s left post.

For all that Juventus did not have things their own way for much of the half, they created several good openings and will have gone in at the break disappointed not to have been in front.

Di Vaio toe-poked a sixth-minute shot just wide after racing away from Griffin and homing in on Steve Harper, making his first start since November 27 last year in place of Shay Given.

The Magpies’ keeper almost gifted Nedved the opening goal on 22 minutes when his casual pass towards Bramble was intercepted, but the Czech international shot horribly wide, and Harper redeemed himself moments later by blocking Di Vaio as he attempted to round him on the edge of the box.

Del Piero went too high with a 25-yard free-kick nine minutes before the break, but he was much closer in the 40th-minute with a left-foot snapshot which just cleared the bar.

Buoyed by their first-half showing, United set about the task of winning the game after the break, and but for Buffon, they could have had the points wrapped up long before the whistle.

The keeper saved bravely at the neat post from Solano with 55 minutes gone and then produced a superb stop to keep out Shearer’s blistering drive on the hour.

However, Buffon proved the villain two minutes later when, after Robert had picked out Griffin’s intelligent run from a short free-kick, the full-back stepped inside his man before firing a low shot across goal, he scooped the ball into his own net to send the home supporters into ecstasy.

Buffon redeemed himself in breathtaking style on 65 minutes with another magnficent save, this time from Solano’s goal-bound piledriver, and was in the right place at the right time to cling on to Robert’s swerving a dipping 35-yard free-kick 14 minutes from time.

Substitute Gianluca Zambrotta had a chance to level a minute later but shot high over, and it took a point-blank block from Harper to deny Del Piero an equaliser 11 minutes from time after substitute Marcelo Zayaleta’s mazy run.

The feeling that it was going to be Newcastle’s night grew on 83 minutes when Zayaleta again wormed his way through but crashed his left-foot shot against the bar.

Juve hammered away at the home side as time ran down, but there was to be no late heartache for the black and white faithful as their heroes managed to hang on for a result which confirmed their right to be in the competition in the first place.