27 September 2017
Gonzalo Higuain provided the spark that the Juventus offense needed coming off the bench to score the game-winner while having a major hand in the second as Juventus defeated Olympiacos 2-0 in the first home Champions League match of the season.
The first half was largely a frustrating one for the Bianconeri, as they found it hard to create any real chances. However, they did come close to taking the lead through the opposition, as a cross into the box by Douglas Costa resulted in the ball crashing against Silvio Proto’s post.
Into the second half, and things didn’t really start to begin for La Vecchia Signora until the introduction of Higuain on the 60-minute mark, as he replaced Juan Cuadrado. Pipita looked lively from the get-go, and it only took nine minutes after his introduction onto the pitch for Juve to break the deadlock.
A great burst of pace from Alex Sandro took him past the Olympiacos defender and his ball in from the left was met by the boot of Higuain, who saw his initial effort blocked, but was instinctive to pounce on the rebound and slot the ball into the back of the net in 69th minute.
Higuain would go on to play a further part Juve’s second goal of the night. A driving run from deep saw him release Paulo Dybala, who flicked the ball over the onrushing Proto. In an effort to clear the danger, the ball was diverted into the path of Mario Mandzukic who bundled it in from a yard in the 80th minute.
Olympiacos attempted to rally but the Bianconeri held strong, to record their first win of this Champions League campaign. Attention now turns to domestic matters as the squad heads to Atalanta on Sunday 1 October looking to keep their 100 per cent league record intact before a two-week international break. With three points from two matches, Juve return to Champions League play at Allianz Stadium on 18 October against Portugese side Sporting Lisbon.
