Alves’ strike puts Juventus in Champions League final

Brazilian wing-back Alves’ 25-yard strike followed Mario Mandzukic’s opener for the treble-chasing Italian champions as any semblance of a contest was snuffed out by half-time. 

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. It will be the ninth time Juventus, runners-up in 2015, have contested the final of Europe’s elite club competition.

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. 

Jardim said he expected Juve to be facing Real in Cardiff and said the Italians would be anything but underdogs. 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. 

For Monaco, the loss of Nabil Dirar to injury in the warm-up meant a hasty return for Benjamin Mendy as coach Leonardo Jardim opted to match Juve’s 3-5-2 set-up.