Monaco and Juventus through after subdued goalless draw

MONACO, Jan 28 : AS Monaco and Juventus played out a low-key 0-0 draw in the Principality on Wednesday in their final Champions League match of the league stage, a cautious game that was still enough to send both sides through to the playoffs for a place in the knockout phase.

The result lacked sparkle but it was enough for both sides to progress, with Juventus taking a seeded spot and Monaco advancing as unseeded qualifiers.

The hosts began on the front foot, pressing early, but visiting goalkeeper Mattia Perin calmly dealt with the shots that came his way before the break.

The second half followed much the same pattern, with Monaco dominating possession and probing around the Juventus area, but their attacks either lacked a cutting edge or proved no real test for Perin.

With a draw comfortably within reach for both sides, the closing stages were played with limited urgency and the match was increasingly broken up by stoppages and substitutions and, despite a brief late flurry, it drifted to a largely forgettable end.