Juventus beats Monaco 2-1 to reach Champions League final

Juventus' Dani Alves celebrates scoring their second goal against Monaco during the Champions League Semi Final Second Leg at Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy, May 9, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Often described as being past his best when he joined Juventus from Barcelona on a free transfer last June, the 34-year-old Alves was often mocked during the season.

But Alves had a man-of-the-match performance against Monaco, setting up Mario Mandzukic's opener in the 33rd minute before getting on the scoresheet himself on the stroke of halftime with a sensational long-range volley as Juventus swept to a 4-1 victory on aggregate.

"The most important thing is to help my team to win, whether scoring or providing assists," Alves said. "I don't score very often, so I'm happy, but in a way I prefer the assist to a goal, so everyone goes home happy."Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid meet on Wednesday for the other second-leg match, with defending champion Real Madrid leading 3-0. But Alves, who spent eight years at Real's fierce rival Barcelona, insists he has no preference who Juventus meets in the final.