Juventus completes Lyon task
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E-mail Xinhua, April 11, 2014
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Andrea Pirlo scored an exquisite free-kick to put Juventus ahead with only four minutes into the game. |
Juventus advanced to the semifinals of UEFA Europa League as they beat Lyon 2-1 at home on Thursday.
The Turin giants, who scored a 1-0 victory in the quarter-final first leg in France last week, secured a 3-1 aggregate victory to progress to the last four of a European competition for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign.
Andrea Pirlo scored an exquisite free-kick to put the hosts ahead with only four minutes into play, but the visitors levelled when Jimmy Briand placed a header beyond Gianluigi Buffon 14 minutes later.
Claudio Marchisio wrapped up the win for the Italian champions at the 68th minute when his long-range strike took a wicked deflection off Samuel Umtiti and gave goalkeeper Anthony Lopes no chance.
The victory extends Juve's unbeaten home record to over a calendar year, with their last defeat at the Juventus stadium against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League last April.
Leading scorer Carlos Tevez, who has been nursing a thigh injury but was passed fit, missed a third-minute effort as Antonio Conte's side wasted no time in stamping their authority on the game.
"It wasn't easy to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League. We started well tonight, then conceded an equaliser," Marchisio said.
"My goal was fortunate, but now we will play the semi. Our objectives are to keep going to the end in every competition."
If Juventus reach the final, they will have the privilege of playing it in their own stadium next month.
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