With the departure of captain and club legend Alessandro Del Piero in June 2012, it was speculated that Marchisio would "inherit" the number 10 jersey but he declined, stating that he was a midfielder, not a striker, and had grown accustomed to his number 8. He captained the team on the opening match of the season against Parma in the absence of captain Gianluigi Buffon and first vice-captain Giorgio Chiellini. In November, he scored his first-ever goal in a UEFA club competition in the Champions League group stage home fixture against Nordsjælland. He also assisted Fabio Quagliarella's equaliser against Chelsea. He was one of four Juventus players nominated for the 2012 UEFA Team of the Year and was voted into the Serie A Team of the Year at the Oscar del Calcio awards. Although he played fewer matches compared to last season due to suspension and a minor injury, he contributed crucial goals to his side, including the match winner against Siena and a brace against intercity rivals Torino as Juve won a second consecutive league title. Marchisio also scored in the first leg against Celtic in the Champions League round of 16, which Juventus eventually won 5–0 on aggregate to progress on to the quarter-final stage, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Bayern Munich.