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Juventus collect first Champions League points with win over Maccabi Haifa

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Juventus collect first Champions League points with win over Maccabi Haifa
Juventus collect first Champions League points with win over Maccabi Haifa
Juventus collect first Champions League points with win over Maccabi Haifa

Juventus struck three goals at the Allianz Stadium for the second time in as many matches. This time it brought victory in Europe and the first three-points of the Champions League campaign. A double from Adrien Rabiot and another Dušan Vlahović strike were enough for Juve to overcome Maccabi Haifa in Matchday 3.

MINUTE'S SILENCE

Before kick-off the players gathered around the centre circle in memory of the victims of the Kanjurujan Stadium tragedy last weekend.

DUŠAN DENIED

The first real chance of the match fell to Dušan Vlahović on 10 minutes. The striker peeled off his marker to receive a cut-back from Juan Cuadrado, and just as he was about to turn away in celebration following a sweetly struck left-foot shot, Maccabi keeper Josh Cohen at full stretch finger-tipped the effort round the post.

Two minutes later again Vlahović had an opportunity. Ángel Di María won the ball in midfield and released the number 9 who exchanged passes with Filip Kostić but stroked his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

The Bianconeri stuck to their gameplan and patiently waited to break through the Maccabi defence again.

ADRIEN WITH APLOMB

With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Juve broke the deadlock. Di María played the killer pass in behind the Israeli champions' defence for Adrien Rabiot to unleash an unstoppable drive into the top corner.

Juve headed into the interval with a one goal advantage.

DV9 DOUBLES THE LEAD

Five minutes into the second El Fideo produced the vision and the class again to open up the opposition rearguard. This time taking advantage was Vlahović, drilling his shot low into the net.

Four minutes later, Dušan could have had his double when again one-on-one he hit his shot straight at Cohen.

END-TO-END FINALE

Maccabi's substitutes breathed a new lease of life into their play and the visitors managed to open up the contest. First Omer Atzili hit the post - the first of his three shots that would hit the upright - before Din David finished off a counter-attack that saw Wojciech Szczęsny come racing out of his goal in vain.

To restore calm to the Juventus side a third goal was needed and the decisive goal was delivered again by Rabiot. With seven minutes to play the midfielder rose at the near post to flick his header into the far corner. A third assist from Di María.

Both sides had chances to add to the tally. Manuel Locatelli tried an audacious long-range effort, Moise Keane also came close but at the final whistle what was iimportant was that the Bianconeri had put three points on the board. Next week, the return fixture in Haifa.

JUVENTUS 3-1 MACCABI HAIFA (HT: 1-0)

Scorers: 36′ Rabiot (J), 50′ Vlahovic (J), 75′ David (M), 83′ Rabiot (J).

JUVENTUS: Szczesny; Cuadrado (66′ Bonucci), Bremer, Danilo, De Sciglio (46′ Alex Sandro); McKennie, Paredes (85′ Miretti), Rabiot; Di Maria, Vlahovic (72′ Kean), Kostic (66′ Locatelli). Subs not used: Pinsoglio, Perin, Milik, Gatti, Rugani, Soulé, Fagioli. Coach: Allegri.

MACCABI HAIFA: Cohen; Sundgren, Seck, Batubinsika, Goldberg, Cornud (59′ Haziza); Mohamed (84′ Rukavytsya), Chery, Abu Fani (71′ Lavi); Tchibota (59′ Atzili), Pierrot (71′ David). Subs not used: Fucs, Mishpati, Levi, Menachem, Arad, Eliyahu, Gershon. Coach: Bakhar.

Referee: Schärer.

Assistants: De Almeida, Zogaj.

Fourth official: Bieri.

VAR: Fritz.

BOOKINGS: 52′ Tchibota (M), 80' Alex Sandro (J).

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