30 September 2015
Goals by Alvaro Morata and Simone Zaza secured a valuable 2-0 win for the Bianconeri against Sevilla on Wednesday evening at Juventus Stadium, which sees the hosts create a three-point gap at the top of Group D.
Massimiliano Allegri’s men were the fastest out of the traps and quickly posed a goalscoring threat with Paulo Dybala going closest in the 17th minute when he wrapped his foot around the ball to send a beautifully curled effort just wide of Sergio Rico’s upright.
Juventus continued to knock on the door, producing 12 first-half shots to Sevilla’s single attempt, and they took a deserved lead in the 41st minute when Morata headed in Andrea Barzagli’s pinpoint cross to match Alessandro Del Piero’s record of scoring in five successive Champions League matches.
The Bianconeri would continue to control proceedings in the second period, forcing Sergio Rico into three more saves, most notably Dybala’s close-range drive in the 50th minute.
While the visitors were unable to muster any further efforts on goal, the hosts eventually doubled their lead in the 87th minute when Zaza kept his cool to tuck the ball past Sevilla’s keeper after a strong 60-yard run.
The strike capped off a fine performance which puts the Old Lady in control of Group D, sitting top of the pile with maximum points from their opening two games in Europe’s premier club competition.
Juventus got their first sight of goal within just 30 seconds, as Paul Pogba collected Morata’s chipped ball before lifting his shot over the crossbar, but in any case the linesman had his flag up for offside.
The attempt was a sign of things to come as the Bianconeri enjoyed far more threatening possession in and around Sevilla’s box, while also creating genuine goalscoring chances.
After Hernanes came close with a long-range strike, Paulo Dybala almost edged his side in front in the 17th minute with a wonderful, curled effort that bent narrowly wide of the post after brilliant build-up play from Juan Cuadrado and Sami Khedira. The German midfielder, making his first competitive start for the Old Lady, would put in a highly impressive and commanding display in the centre of the park.
Cuadrado then had a chance himself moments later, but the Colombian was caught offside before dinking the ball over Sergio Rico and the bar too.
Juventus continued to carve out the better opportunities and could easily have taken a 35th minute lead when Khedira burst into the penalty area and picked out Dybala in the middle, but the Argentine slipped over just before the ball could arrive at his feet.
Just four minutes later, however, the hosts found the breakthrough when Barzagli whipped in a perfect cross and Morata rose highest to head powerfully and accurately into the bottom corner to match Del Piero’s distinguished Champions League goalscoring record, while also notching his seventh goal in his last nine appearances in the competition.
The Bianconeri began the second half as they started the first, pushing forward at any given opportunity, and they might have doubled their lead in the 50th minute when Sergio Rico got down low to save Dybala’s close-range strike after La Joya had latched onto Bonucci’s brilliant through ball.
The forward forced Sevilla’s stopper into further action in the 61st minute, firing in a fierce free-kick from the edge of the box, but the ball was struck too centrally to be able to trouble the 22-year-old keeper, who also got his palms to Cuadrado’s stinging effort in the 73rd minute after a period of play in which Unai Emery’s men were unable to add to their solitary attempt on goal.
However, as the Rojiblancos chased an equaliser with the game entering its latter stages, the hosts exploited the new-found spaces behind the backline and doubled their lead in the 87th minute when second-half substitute Zaza capped off a fine run with a calm, composed finish that all but sealed a second successive win in this Champions League campaign.
With the visitors failing to muster any further chances, Massimiliano Allegri’s men held on comfortably for the three points, which sees them sit top of Group D and in control of proceedings ahead of their fixture against Borussia Monchengladbach in three weeks’ time.
JUVENTUS
Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Cuadrado, Khedira (Alex Sandro 74), Hernanes, Pogba, Evra; Dybala (Rugani 88), Morata (Zaza 79)
Unused Substitutes: Neto, Lemina, Vitale, Pereyra
Manager: Allegri
SEVILLA
Sergio Rico; Coke, Andreolli, Kolodziedjczak, Tremoulinas; Konoplianka, N’Zonzi (Iborra 65), Krychowiak, Krohn-Dehli; Gameiro (Immobile 65), Reyes (Munoz 79)
Unused Substitutes: Soria, Cristoforo, Luismi, Mariano
Manager: Emery
