Munich, March 17 (IANS) Juventus' captain Gianluigi Buffon has called on the Italian club to leave Munich with their heads held high after a 2-4 defeat to the German football champions Bayern Munich in a second leg match for a 4-6 aggregate defeat in a Champions League last 16 match.
Juventus played out a 2-2 draw against Bayern in the first leg in Turin, Italy and were 2-0 up on Wednesday at half-time. But they conceded two goals in the second half that stretched the match into extra time.
Bayern scored two more in the extra time to win the second leg 4-2 and win the tie 6-4 on aggregate.
"It is one thing to be eliminated from the competition, but its another altogether to be sent home after that result and that performance," Buffon said after the match on Wednesday.
Understandably, there was no hiding the disappointment after the exit but Buffon nonetheless called for his team-mates to hold their heads high after an impressive showing in Germany.
"I am very proud of the team we are. This match has shown us that we are playing on a different level compared to last year. We are constantly improving as a group and tonight should give us great belief in achieving our goal of going all the way in this competition within the next two years," he continued.
But Buffon said what is hurting the most is that they were minutes away from winning and progressing to the quarter-finals before forward Thomas Mullers last-minute normal-time equaliser.
The Italy international concluded: Of course were going to be disappointed having been two-nil up in what was a repeat really of the first leg. The thing that truly hurts is conceding with one of the last attacks of the game.
