Juventus came back from a goal down to score twice at Wembley against Tottenham through Gonzalo Higuian and Paulo Dybala to send to the quarter finals via a 4-3 aggregate scoreline.

Asamoah came off the bench in the 60th minute to replace French midfielder, Blaise Matuidi, and after the match, the former Udinese man said that making it past Spurs would urge them to reach the finals of the competition again since their last appearance in 2015.

He also said their motivation to go far in the competition was to see their goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon have another shot at winning the trophy.

”We are fighting until the end. We are not looking at the quarter or semi-finals. We are very happy for Buffon. He is not going to the World Cup so this means a lot to him. It could be his final attempt but we are happy that we have made it to the last 8.”

Asamoah’s introduction was part of some tactical changes made by Juventus coach, Massimiliano Allegri, in the second half of the tie to swing things their way and he spoke of Asamoah’s value to the team on the night.

“I made changes because we needed players with different characteristics, as Asamoah is extraordinary in his passing, and has been really underestimated throughout his career.”

Juventus, Manchester City, Liverpool and Real Madrid have so far qualified for the quarter finals of the Champions League.

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By: Nathan Quao/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Massimiliano Allegri’s team provided the perfect response after a run of 10 consecutive victories had been ended in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Federico Bernardeschi laid on the decisive goal for Alex Sandro to tap in during the first half.

Napoli can move back to the top if they beat SPAL at 14:00 GMT on Sunday.

An early injury to top scorer Gonzalo Higuain did not hamper Juve, who carried more threat than their city rivals.

The Bianconeri, who are going for their seventh successive league title, are two points better off than at the same stage last season, while Torino remain ninth.

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Source: BBC

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Mauricio Pochettino’s side were 2-0 down inside 10 minutes after Gonzalo Higuain followed up a sumptuous volley with a penalty, awarded for Ben Davies’ foul on Federico Bernardeschi.

Harry Kane started the fightback after rounding Gianluigi Buffon following Deli Alli’s threaded pass and Higuain then missed a penalty for the hosts with the last kick of the first half, following Serge Aurier’s poor challenge on Douglas Costa.

Spurs dominated possession against the Italian champions and got their reward when Christian Eriksen’s low free-kick evaded Buffon to give Spurs the edge going into the second leg at Wembley on 7 March.

Spurs remain unbeaten since 16 December, and Pochettino said: “We are more mature. The team is growing and have stepped up in this aspect. I think the team was amazing in the way they reacted.”
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By:BBC

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Dybala was linked with a move away from Turin in the summer, with Barcelona tipped to be his next club, but he stayed put.

The 23-year-old Argentinian starred for Juventus last season as they won Serie A and reached the Champions League final, but agent Raiola, who does not represent Dybala, believes he will leave the club soon, and that Real Madrid or the Premier League could be his next destination.

“I think Dybala will eventually leave Juve,” Raiola told RaiSport. “He has to go to a team where he gets into a project that is already suitable for him.

“For him it is difficult now to enter a reformed Barcelona, but he would do well at Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City or Chelsea.”

Mino Raiola says Dybala suits Chelsea or either Manchester club, along with Real Madrid

According to Italian press, Dybala reportedly replaced Pierpaolo Triulzi with his brother Gustavo as his representative after the summer window closed.

He has scored 49 goals in 98 appearances in just over two seasons at Juventus, having signed from Palermo in 2015.

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Source: Sky Sports

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According to reports from the Turkish website Sporx.com, Juventus have accepted a €4.7m from the Turkish giants with Asamoah set to sign a three-year contract worth €2.5m a year.

The former Udinese midfielder is said to have pushed for the deal to happen after being left in the wilderness in Turin for the past few seasons.

Asamoah is expected in Istanbul in the next few hours to complete the deal.

By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The versatile midfielder has seen less than fifty matches in the last three seasons and has emerged as a prime target for Galatasaray boss Igor Tudor who himself featured for Juventus during his playing days.

Used primarily as a backup for Alex Sandro at the left wing back position since his return from injury last season, Asamoah could stage a come back for a place in central midfield with Juventus following a number of departures.

The Turkish giants are preparing a bid of 8 million Euros plus bonuses for Asamoah and are hoping that a deal can be done in the coming days.

The player’s agent Edoardo Crnjar has been in prolonged talks with Galatasaray and has reached an agreement with the club on Asamoah’s wages should he complete the move.

If the transfer materializes he will be the latest among a number of Ghanaian players to join the Turkish league following the acquisitions of Black Stars skipper Asamoah Gyan by Kayserispor and Agyemang Badu by Bursaspor.

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By: Benjamin Nketsia/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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However, football’s world governing body will open disciplinary proceedings against the Italian champions after asking both clubs last month for “clarification on the deal”.

The enquiry was believed to concern who was involved in the £89.3m transfer, and how much they were paid.

It has been reported Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, earned £41m from the deal.

“We can confirm that no disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Manchester United,” a Fifa spokesman told ESPN.

“We can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against Juventus FC. We cannot comment further as proceedings are ongoing.”

It has been alleged Fifa’s interest in the transfer could be related to the issue of third-party ownership, although that has been denied by Raiola.

France midfielder Pogba, 24, is in his second spell at Old Trafford, having left the club for Juventus for £1.5m in 2012.

The France midfielder first joined United from French side Le Havre in acrimonious circumstances in 2009. He returned to the club last summer for a world record fee of 105m euros.

United also agreed to pay Juventus 5m euros (£4.5m) in performance-related bonuses plus other costs, including 5m euros if Pogba signs a new contract.

When they confirmed the transfer, Juventus said the “economic effect” to their club was “about 72.6m euros”.

A book published in Germany last month – The Football Leaks: The Dirty Business of Football – and reproduced in media reports, included what it says is a breakdown of the fee for the France international.

When contacted by the BBC last month, Raiola declined to comment and said the matter was in the hands of his lawyers.

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Source: BBC

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“Here we are: Juve-Real in the Champions League final. I say ‘we’ because even if this time I will not be on the pitch, I will be the number one supporter,” the veteran midfielder wrote in a column for La Stampa, the daily based in Juventus’s home city of Turin.

Now playing for New York City FC, Pirlo said he would be racing home after his new club’s MLS clash with Philadelphia to watch the final on television.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sit still,” he wrote.

Pirlo won four Italian titles in his 2011-15 stint at Juventus. He was part of the side that lost the 2015 final to Barcelona and the pain lingers still.

“Sometimes I think back to that night two years ago in Berlin. When you lose a final you find yourself back there in your mind and you’d love to play it again. Unfortunately for me, I can’t do that, but I’m happy they can.”

Pirlo, who won European football’s biggest prize twice with AC Milan, said a Juve triumph would be a fitting honour for club captain Gigi Buffon as the Italy goalkeeper nears the end of his trophy-laden career.

“I say this as a friend and a former teammate who knows him well – he deserves it,” Pirlo wrote. “This is the only thing he’s missing.”

The 38-year-old said Real would be formidable opponents but were not unbeatable.

“There are reasons to be wary of them, but that is true of every team at this level. If Juve approach this clash the way they know how, they’ve got a great chance. They’ve not gone wrong in all the matches that have counted so far this season.”

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Source: AFP

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The Turin giants have been in very impressive form in this season’s competition and dispatched some big name teams including Barcelona on their way to the final.

Juventus have already asserted their dominance on the home front winning both the league and the cup and will be looking to complete the treble with a win against Real Madrid.

Juventus defeated Real Madrid two years ago in the semi-final and Asamoah believes that that added psychological advantage will prove telling on Saturday their way to the final

After suffering four defeats in their previous four finals, and with the added psychological advantage of defeating Real Madrid two years ago in the semi-final, Asamoah believes 2017 will be the year they finally get it right.

“They haven’t changed much and they are still almost the same players. It is not easy though because for the past years Madrid has been a very good side and last year they were the champions,” he told South African based newspaper Soccer Laduma.

“They are used to these kinds’ of games so we have to do more. Since I have been here this is the second time we are going to the final, and Madrid have been here so many times.

“For us, we have to do more because we really need it. I know they want to win it, but we are really hungrier than them. I think they have won enough. This is our time,” he added.

The 28-year-old midfielder has made 24 appearances for the Turin giants this season and will be hoping to be involved in Saturday’s final.

Kwadwo Asamoah will be aiming to become the sixth Ghanaian to lift the coveted trophy after Abedi Ayew, Ibrahim Tanko, Samuel Osei Kuffuor, Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari.

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By Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Trailing 3-0 from the first leg, Barca peppered the Italian goal but failed to repeat their last-16 heroics when they overturned a first-leg 4-0 deficit to beat Paris St-Germain.

Lionel Messi, who had earlier been denied by Gianluigi Buffon, fired wastefully over the bar while Luis Suarez and Neymar also spurned chances on a night Barca were restricted to one shot on target.

Juve’s Gonzalo Higuain fired tamely at Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Juan Cuadrado missed another chance but the final whistle was celebrated wildly by the champions of Italy, who have not conceded a single goal from open play in this season’s Champions League.

Juventus join Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Monaco in Friday’s last-four draw (from 11:00 BST).

Juve march on after defensive masterclass

The champions of Italy are 180 minutes away from the final in Cardiff on 3 June after a superb defensive performance as Barca and their formidable strike force failed to score over two legs.

Juventus join Manchester United (2007-08) and Bayern Munich (2012-13) as one of only three teams that have stopped the Catalans scoring in both legs of a Champions League tie.

They were as brave and aggressive as they were calm and disciplined with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini monumental at the heart of the defence.

When Barca did manage to carve out chances, Suarez, Messi and Neymar failed to deliver.

All three had chances before the interval. In the space of a few minutes, Suarez had a goal-bound shot blocked, Messi dragged a chance from 12 yards and Neymar volleyed wide.

It said everything about Juve’s defensive display that Buffon only had one save to make, the 39-year-old denying Messi before the Barca forward hammered the rebound into the side-netting.

Yet Juve, as adventurous going forward as they were solid at the back, might have beaten the Spanish champions for the second time in a week.

Higuain should have done better from close range after a ball over the top before Cuadrado flashed a chance narrowly wide on the counter.

In the end it did not matter, Juve and their travelling fans celebrated a night to remember.

Barca’s season in danger of unravelling

Barca boss Luis Enrique will leave the Nou Camp this summer having failed to reach the semi-finals for a second successive season.

This was every bit as painful as their exit at the hands of La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid at the same stage 12 months ago.

They had 19 shots on the night – yet only one on target as Juve avenged their defeat against the same opponents in the 2015 final.

Neymar, who scored twice in the 6-1 return leg win over Paris St-Germain in the previous round, ended this game in tears with Barcelona’s season in danger of falling flat.

They face Real Madrid in El Clasico on Sunday (19:45 BST) knowing defeat will leave them six points behind the leaders, who have a game in hand.

Barca are in the final of the Copa del Rey but Enrique knows that even if his side beat Alaves on 27 May, it will be scant consolation if they fail to win La Liga following another disappointing European campaign.

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