Juventus made a winning start in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday as they defeated Dynamo Kyiv 2-0. But it was all thanks to a pair of classic poacher’s goals from Alvaro Morata in their Group G opener.
Juventus coach Andrea Pirlo enjoyed his first win as a manager in Europe’s elite club competition, which he won twice with AC Milan during his playing days as a midfielder.
With Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out following a positive test for COVID-19, Dejan Kulusevski was twinned with Morata upfront and Federico Chiesa created some early chances for the visitors.
However, Juventus suffered an early setback when defender Giorgio Chiellini had to be substituted in the 19th minute with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
It forced Pirlo to reshuffle his defence, before Morata came to the rescue. A clever backheel by Aaron Ramsey set up Kulusevski and although the Swedish winger’s shot was saved, Morata was on hand to fire home the rebound.
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The Spaniard then stole in front of his marker to head home from close range in the 84th minute. The COVID-19-limited crowd roared on the hosts but Kyiv struggled to create decent chances on their return to the UEFA Champions League after a four-year absence.
However, Juventus comfortably closed out the win. “The goal early in the second half helped us because we had more space afterwards,” said Juventus winger Chiesa.
“We wanted this victory badly, because it’s important to have a great start in the UEFA Champions League. The expectations are always high at Juve, but we try to win every time we take the pitch,” he added.
Juventus host FC Barcelona in their next group game on Oct. 28, while Dynamo Kyiv travel to Hungarian side Ferencvaros.
