As the Camp Nou scoreboard clock ticked into the 77th minute, it seemed inevitable that the man of the match award was heading to Manuel Neuer. The German giant had held firm as the Bayern defence folded around him, with Bayern contemplating taking a 0-0 draw back to the Allianz Arena.

But, just three minutes later, Neuer was watching forlornly as Lionel Messi’s chip looped over him and into the net – the Argentine’s second strike in a ridiculous 180-second spell. That one moment highlighted why goalkeepers rarely challenge for individual accolades such as the Ballon d’Or because, regardless of how good they play, one moment of brilliance can make them look utterly ridiculous. It’s hard to see another stopper joining Soviet Union's Lev Yashin on the Ballon d’Or role of honour.

2. Pep Guardiola’s early tactics may not have worked, but they were entertaining

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola deserves massive credit for the tactics he adopted in the opening stages of the match. Many called it brave; many called it stupid – whatever it was, it was certainly fun to watch. All eyes were focussed on the former Barca manager ahead of the match as he made his return to Camp Nou, and that remained as the game began to unfold. Bayern went man-to-man with Barca, meaning that they started with three at the back: Medhi Benatia, Jerome Boateng and Rafinha man-marking Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. It made for one of the most enthralling 15 minutes of football you’ll ever see, until Guardiola realised that his side might end up travelling back to Bavaria on the wrong end of a hiding. 

Oh, wait…

3. Jamie Redknapp’s comments were premature, but Manuel Neuer WILL go down as the best keeper ever

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp was almost lost for words at half-time having watched a thrilling first 45 minutes from the gantry. But what he did have to say was this:

"Manuel Neuer is the best goalkeeper ever.”

Well, at 29-years-old, it’s surely a little early to label the German as the best goalkeeper of all time. The likes of Peter Schmeichel, Gordon Banks, Gianluigi Buffon, Dino Zoff and Yashin would certainly have something to say about that, but the Bayern stopper is well on his way to achieving such a title.

The German is renowned for his sweeper-keeper antics – and can stake a claim for the best of the bunch at that particular skill – but what he possesses, which very few since Schmeichel have, is the ability to smother the striker in a flash, making the goal look impossibly small to shoot in. Neuer’s size, starting position, ability to read the danger, pace and tenacity all contribute to this most brilliant and underrated skill. 

4. Cristiano Ronaldo’s refusal to defend could cost Real Madrid

The reason Cristiano Ronaldo can repeatedly explode away from defences isn’t merely due to an intense training regime. The Portuguese man refuses to expend energy when his team is out of possession, something that was particularly noticeable during the opening exchanges of Real Madrid’s clash at Juventus. Andrea Pirlo regularly dropped in alongside the two Juve centre-backs and had the freedom to dissect the Real midfield, with only a disinterested Ronaldo and worryingly anonymous Gareth Bale for company.

Ronaldo’s pursuit of personal accolades is part of what makes Real so successful, but it could cost Real Madrid in the second leg. If Massimiliano Allegri is smart, he can station Pirlo near the winger at the Santiago Bernebau in the knowledge that the Italian can dictate without fear of being put under pressure.

5. Real Madrid should have tried harder to nail down Alvaro Morata’s clause

When Real Madrid allowed Alvaro Morata to leave for Juventus in July 2014 for a fee of around €20 million, very few would have envisaged the Spanish striker coming back to haunt them. However, the powers that be at the Santiago Bernabeu attempted to write a clause into Morata’s contract stipulating that he could not feature against them in any competition. This, of course, was thrown out by Juventus.

In all likelihood it would have been impossible for Real to ensure that this clause remained in the contract, but had they pushed a little harder then they may well have left Turin on level terms and not facing an uphill battle to reach their second consecutive Champions League final.  

6. Carlo Ancelotti's Sergio Ramos experiment went horribly wrong

Real Madrid may well pay the price for having a small squad this season. After all, how can it be that with only one midfield player registered as injured – Luka Modric – Sergio Ramos is playing in midfield? The defender was chosen ahead of Asier Illarramendi, Lucas Silva and Sami Khedira for a spot in central midfield but he gave the ball away countless times, passing it straight off the pitch and killing all of Real’s attacking momentum. The experiment worked against a stodgier Atletico side, but cost them against Juventus’ more fluent players.

7. Only Juventus can stop Barcelona winning the Champions League

Can anyone halt Barcelona’s front three? Bayern Munich proved they can’t. Real Madrid’s shaky performance in Turin suggests they can’t either at present – especially given they’ve also leaked four goals in their last two Liga away games. No, the only side capable of stopping Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar are a team that would fully respect them: Juventus.

The Italians boast the finest defensive record in the Champions League and would not push forward in pursuit of goals, should they reach Berlin. Barca, on this evidence, have too much firepower for a Real side that would inevitably leave gaps in a Clasico final, but they just might come unstuck in a cagey game against the recently crowned Serie A champions.

(uk.eurosport.yahoo.com)