
Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League after failing to break down Juventus at Camp Nou in a goalless draw which confirmed a 3-0 aggregate quarter-final defeat.
After recording the biggest comeback in the competition’s history in the previous round against Paris Saint-Germain, Barca were unable to repeat the feat against Juve, who backed up their stunning first-leg win with an obdurate rear-guard display.
Lionel Messi missed the home side’s best opportunities, firing off-target from close range in either half, the story of a match that saw his side rack up 19 shots but only test Gianluigi Buffon with one of them.
Juve – beaten by Barca in the 2015 final – have now reached the semi-finals in two of the last three years as they look to win a first European crown since 1996.
Massimiliano Allegri’s impressive defence has only been breached twice in 10 continental matches this season as they join Atletico Madrid, Monaco and Real Madrid in the last four.
In stark contrast to the previous round, Neymar was reduced tears at full-time as Barca went out in the quarter-finals for the third time in four seasons to leave the outgoing Luis Enrique’s hopes of winning a major trophy in his final season dependant on LaLiga and the Copa del Rey.
But a trip to Santiago Bernabeu for a pivotal match against El Clasico rivals and league leaders Real Madrid coming up on Sunday gives Barca little time to lick their wounds.
Juve – unchanged from the first leg – threatened twice early on as they searched for an away goal, Gonzalo Higuain firing over from a decent opening, while Juan Cuadrado hooked an acrobatic attempt off-target.
Luis Enrique reverted to Barca’s tried-and-tested 4-3-3 system, with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba coming into the side, and the left-back had the hosts’ first opportunity of note when, on the stretch, he diverted Messi’s precise pass wide.
A better chance went begging a few moments later when Messi lashed a left-footed strike wide from 15 yards after Luis Suarez’s flick had set him up.
Barca continued to probe as Neymar’s volleyed effort flew just past the post, before Buffon was the first goalkeeper to be tested, the veteran diving to keep out Messi’s deflected strike from the edge of the area.
Juve created a good chance of their own before half time, but Higuain could only shoot straight at Marc-Andre ter Stegen, having been picked out by Miralem Pjanic as a fiery contest – which saw Andres Iniesta and Neymar booked – reached the interval without a breakthrough.

![Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape? Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-300x200.jpg)





