Juventus
and Aston Villa were paired in the Quarterfinals of the 1982/83 Champions Cup.
The
Italians, managed by Giovanni Trappatoni, boasted a squad that contained six
recent World Cup Champions; Zoff, Gentile, Scirea, Cabrini, Tardelli and Rossi.
In
addition they had the French and Polish superstars Michel Platini and Zbigniew Boniek.
In
the previous two rounds they had eliminated Denmark’s Hvidovre and Belgium’s
Standard Liege.
They
were lagging behind in the League to AS Roma due to their poor start with
Platini taking time to adapt, but by the spring time they had regained their
form with Platini in superb form.
Aston
Villa were the defending Champions of this competition. They were off the pace
in the League but had weeks before defeated Barcelona in the UEFA Super Cup.
The
team was captained by Dennis Mortimer was led upfront by Peter White and
supported by Gordon Cowans, Gary Shaw and Tony Morley among others.
In
the previous two rounds they had eliminated Turkey’s Besiktas and Romania’s
Dinamo Bucharest.
The
first leg, on March 2nd, was played in Birmingham’s Villa Park with Juventus in
confident mood despite playing away from home.
Aston
Villa were missing Scottish defender Allan Evans, who was suspended after the
violent clash with Barcelona in the Super Cup.
 |
Photo
From: L'Annee du Football 1983
(Massimo Bonini and Tony Morley) |
Des
Bremner took his place in defense.
Much
was expected of Gordon Cowans who had just celebrated first cap, a week before.
After
38 seconds, Bettega sent Cabrini clear on the left side clear, who then crossed
for Paolo Rossi to head home.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 1926, March 8, 1983
(Michel Platini surrounded by Aston Villa
players) |
Juventus
had assigned Gentile to guard Gary Shaw.
In
the 13th minute, McNaught scored from a corner from Cowans, however,
his attempt was ruled out after a foul on Scirea.
 |
Photo
From: Mondial, April 1983
(Roberto
Bettega and Dennis Mortimer)
|
Before
halftime, Aston Villa defender Gary Williams was subbed off and replaced by
Deacy due to injury.
 |
Photo
From: Mondial, April 1983
(Clausio Gentile and Gary Shaw) |
Early
in the scond half, Tony Morley passed to Gibson who sent in a cross from the
lft for Cowans to head home.
This
did not deter Juventus and just before the end Platini sent Boniek clear with a
through ball for the winner.
 |
Photo
From: Mondial, April 1983
(Gary
Shaw and Gaetano Scirea)
|
March 2, 1983
Aston Villa Football
Club-Birmingham (England) 1- Juventus Football Club-Torino
(Italy) 2
Champions
Cup- Quarterfinals, First Leg
Venue: Birmingham-Villa Park
Attendance: 45,531
Referee: Walter Eschweiler (West
Germany)
Goalscorers: (Aston Villa): Gordon
Cowans 53
(Juventus): Paolo Rossi 1-Zbigniew Boniek 83
Lineups:
Aston
Villa:
1-Nigel
Spink, 2-Gary Williams (14-Eamon Deacy (Republic of Ireland) 41st),
4-Des Bremner (Scotland), 5-Ken McNaught (Scotland), 3-Colin Gibson, 6-Dennis
Mortimer, 8-Gary Shaw, 10-Gordon Cowans, 7-Andy Blair, 9-Peter White, 11-Tony
Morley
Coach:
Tony Barton
Booked:
Eamon Deacy 54
Team
Captain: Dennis Mortimer
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Le Coq Sportif
Shirt
Sponsor: None
Uniform
Colors: Claret with Sky Blue sleeves Shirts, Claret Shorts, Sky
Blue Socks
Juventus:
1-Dino
Zoff, 2-Claudio Gentile, 3-Antonio Cabrini, 5-Sergio Brio, 6-Gaetano Scirea,
8-Marco Tardelli, 4-Massimo Bonini, 10-Michel Platini (France), 11-Zbigniew
Boniek (Poland), 9-Paolo Rossi, 7-Roberto Bettega
Coach:
Giovanni Trappatoni
Team
Captain: Dino Zoff
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Kappa
Shirt
Sponsor: None
Uniform
Colors: Black White Vertical Striped Shirts, White Shorts , White Socks
The second leg, on March 16th, was played at Turin’s Stadio Communale.
At
this point Juventus were odds and favorites and with Platini in super form were
favorites to win the trophy.
Platini
was in such a fine form that the Italian Sports Journal had declared that
Platini plays like an extra-terrestrial.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, April 1983
(The teams taking the field) |
Juventus
fielded an unchanged side. Aston Villa had Allan Evans back in defense, with
Bremener back in midfield.
Morley
and Andy Blair were missing, with Mark Walters starting.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, April 1983
(Paolo Rossi, Gordon Cowans and Des Bremner) |
Juventus
came out attacking from the start and Platini scored in the 13th
minute from a long rane shot from outside of the box that Nigel Spink could not
hold on to and slipped through.
In
the 26th minute, Tardelli
scored the second off of a header from a cross by Paolo Rossi on the right.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 1928, March 22, 1983
(Spink unable to stop Tardelli’s header with
Platini looking on) |
 |
Photo
From: Onze, April 1983
(Dennis Mortimer and Michel Platini) |
Juventus
scored their third goal in the 68th minute, Boniek surged from the
right, his pass across was intercepted by McNaught, but he was unaware that
Platini was right behind him and stole it from him and took a low shot past
Spink.
 |
Photo
From: Onze, April 1983
(Dennis Mortimer and Michel Platini) |
Juventus
were in complete control and the result was justified.
Ten
minutes before the end, Aston Villa got a consolation goal when Gibson sent in
a long cross from the left for Peter White to head home.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 1928, March 22, 1983
(Paolo Rossi and Des Bremner) |
 |
Photo
From: L'Annee du Football 1983
(Platini’s second goal) |
Juventus
advanced to the semifinals and eliminated Boniek’s former club, Poland’s Widzew
Lodz. In the Final , they lost to West Germany’s SV Hamburg.
They
had to wait another two years to win this coveted trophy, sadly that would turn
out to be the Heysel disaster.
 |
Photo
From: France Football, Issue 1928, March 22, 1983
(Zbigniew Boniek and Des Bremner) |
March 16, 1983
Juventus
Football Club-Torino (Italy) 3-Aston Villa Football
Club-Birmingham (England) 1
Champions
Cup- Second Round, Second Leg
Venue: Turin-Stadio Communale
Attendance: 66,000
Referee: Jan Keizer (Holland)
Goalscorers: (Juventus): Michel Platini
13, 68, Marco Tardelli 26
(Aston Villa): Peter
White 80
Lineups:
Juventus:
1-Dino
Zoff, 2-Claudio Gentile, 3-Antonio Cabrini, 5-Sergio Brio (15-Giuseppe Furino
73rd), 6-Gaetano Scirea, 8-Marco Tardelli, 4-Massimo Bonini,
10-Michel Platini (France), 11-Zbigniew Boniek (Poland), 9-Paolo Rossi,
7-Roberto Bettega
Coach:
Giovanni Trappatoni
Team
Captain: Dino Zoff
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Kappa
Shirt
Sponsor: Ariston
Uniform
Colors: White/Black Vertical Striped Shirts, White Shorts , White Socks
Aston
Villa:
1-Nigel
Spink, 2-Gary Williams, 4-Allan Evans (Scotland), 5-Ken McNaught (Scotland),
3-Colin Gibson, 7-Des Bremner (Scotland), 6-Dennis Mortimer, 8-Gary Shaw,
10-Gordon Cowans, 9-Peter White, 11-Mark Walters
Coach:
Tony Barton
Team
Captain: Dennis Mortimer
Official
Kit Supplier/Designer: Le Coq Sportif
Shirt
Sponsor: None
Uniform Colors: Claret with Sky Blue sleeves Shirts, White Shorts, Sky Blue Socks
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