Internet Desk: Some ruthless brilliance from Dani Alves sends Serie-A champions Juventus storm into another Champions League final, twice in three years as a 2-1 win ensured a 4-1 aggregate victory over a highly talented Monaco, who played exceedingly well to reach the last four stage.
Former Barcelona full-back Dani Alves’s 25-yard screamer followed Mario Mandzukic’s opening goal for the treble-chasing Italian giants as any semblance of a contest was snuffed out by the half-time mark.
Teenage superstar Kylian Mbappe pulled a goal back for the principality club after the break, his sixth of the competition.
But there was never any realistic prospect of them threatening to overturn a 2-0 deficit from last week’s first leg.
And on this evidence, Massimiliano Allegri’s sinewy, battle-hardened squad stand a good chance of adding to the club’s meagre return of two triumphs when they meet either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid in Cardiff on June 3.
Allegri made only one change from last week’s first leg line-up but was soon forced to restore it as Germany midfielder Sami Khedira, returning from suspension, lasted only 10 minutes before limping off to make way for Claudio Marchisio.
The results were initially encouraging and Mbappe squeezed a fifth-minute shot past Gianluigi Buffon from a tight angle and held his head in his hands as it came back off the inside of the post, although the offside flag had come up.
The home supporters had to wait quarter of an hour to see their side emerge meaningfully from their own half.
But they were soon being treated to some slick entertainment that at times left the visitors looking like spectators.
Paulo Dybala made amends for slicing Gonzalo Higuain’s knockdown wide from the edge of the area by deftly playing his fellow Argentinian into a one-on-one with Monaco goalkeeper Danijel Subasic.
It was the kind of chance the striker usually gobbles up but this one was fluffed with a semi-shanked attempt to dink the ball over the goalkeeper.
Mandzukic had a similar chance but saw his toe-poked effort saved by Subasic before Andrea Raggi’s last-ditch block denied Dybala.
But a goal was coming and it duly arrived 12 minutes before the break after a move that began with a Buffon throw out.
The deflated body language of Monaco’s young side told its own story and any doubt about the outcome disappeared a minute before the interval.
Subasic did well again to keep out Dybala’s effort with another close-range stop and he got a firm fist to the resulting corner.
But the clearance fell invitingly for Alves 25 yards out and the Brazilian’s volley was timed sweetly enough to beat the Monaco goalkeeper to his left by sheer pace.
Comprehensively outplayed, Monaco restored a bit of pride when Mbappe pulled a goal back midway through the second period.
Portugal midfielder Joao Moutinho was the architect, working his way into the left side of the box.
His cross was clipped low from the byline and Mbappe showed quick feet to bundle it over the line in a manner reminiscent of a young Thierry Henry, also once a Monaco prodigy.