- Juventus threw away a two-goal lead in their Champions League tie with Spurs
- Gonzalo Higuain scored twice but missed a penalty at the Juventus Stadium
- Italian papers painted a bleak picture on Wednesday morning after the draw
- However, there was a consensus that the Serie A side are still in the tie
There was a sombre mood portrayed through Italian’s biggest sports papers on Wednesday morning after their top side slid to a disastrous draw against Tottenham.
Juventus had cruised into a two-goal lead in Turin thanks to Gonzalo Higuain’s double, but the Argentine was guilty of missing a penalty as Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen steered the tie firmly in the north London side’s favour.
There were feelings of regret and fears over an opportunity missed etched across the front pages of Italy’s big three sporting dailies, but all concurred that a place in the Champions League quarter-finals is not yet out of the Serie A side’s reach.
Christian Eriksen fired home an unlikely equaliser for Spurs as they drew 2-2 with Juventus
Italian sports papers had the knives out for Juventus after they spurned a two-goal lead
La Gazzetta dello Sport summed up the feelings of supporters with their headline, stating: ‘Ouch Juve, but it’s not over’.
The pink tabloid actually states that Higuain’s penalty in the first half could have been the ‘KO blow’ had he converted, giving the hosts a healthy lead to defend in the second half.
They also echoed the words of Juve manager Maximiliano Allegri, urging fans not to ‘get depressed’ after the bitter blow.
Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain scored twice in the first nine minutes but missed a penalty
Tuttosport said Juventus were ‘too scared’
Corriere dello Sport are all together a little more downbeat on the chances of last year’s beaten finalists after the disappointing result, saying that ‘Juve know how to throw it away’.
They blamed a series of mistakes on the galling result, citing Higuain’s penalty miss as one of a many that secured their demise. They too quoted Allegri on the front page, who insisted that it was ‘tough’ but that the tie was not yet over.
Tuttosport were similarly scathing of Juventus’ ability to lose their composure in a seemingly strong situation.
They claim Juventus were ‘too scared’ in their main headline, and even suggest Tottenham did not need to be that impressive to secure an unlikely draw.
A lack of courage is also suggested as a reason for letting Mauricio Pochettino’s side back into the clash.
The sides meet again on March 7 at Wembley stadium to decide the tie. The Italian press, and Allegri, will both be hoping Juventus have rediscovered their courage by then.