Juventus are in the Champions League Round of 16 after flattening Zenit St Petersburg 4-2 with Paulo Dybala scoring two and assisting Alvaro Morata, while Federico Chiesa got a great solo effort.
Champions League liveblog: Atalanta vs. Man United and Juventus vs. Zenit
The Bianconeri were in crisis in Serie A with one point from three rounds, so went into a training retreat this week, but their European form was perfect with three wins out of three and all clean sheets. Moise Kean, Aaron Ramsey and Mattia De Sciglio were injured, but Federico Chiesa returned to the starting XI. The Russians were without Magomed Ozdoev, Douglas Santos and Daler Kuzyaev, while Malcom and Danil Krugovoi were not at 100 per cent.
Dejan Lovren threatened in the opening minutes, his header flashing wide from a corner, but Paulo Dybala went even closer with a strike from outside the box was fingertipped onto the upright on nine minutes.
Moments later, Juve took the lead when a corner was knocked down by Matthijs de Ligt for Dybala to fire in on the half-volley with his left boot from 13 yards. It was a great way to mark the Argentine’s 50th Champions League appearance.
Dybala shimmied between two defenders to set up Alvaro Morata, only for the Spaniard to balloon over from 12 yards.
Federico Bernardeschi tested the goalkeeper from distance, but Zenit equalised with a stroke of luck, because Vyacheslav Karavaev’s cross seemed harmless enough, Leonardo Bonucci’s headed deflection saw it loop up and dip viciously into the far top corner with Wojciech Szczesny stranded.
Morata had the ball in the net on 37 minutes, but only after wandering offside, then Weston McKennie’s header was parried by the goalkeeper.
After the restart, Dybala cut inside past a defender to drill inches wide of the upright, while Morata attempted an audacious back-heel flick over.
Federico Chiesa was brought down by Claudinho for a penalty. Dybala stepped up and initially drilled it wide of the target, but the referee ordered a retake because of encroachment. At the second attempt, La Joya got it into the bottom corner for 2-1.
Dybala fired wide from the edge of the box, while McKennie smashed his finish onto the underside of the crossbar after running pretty much the entire length of the pitch.
Moments later, Chiesa made it 3-1 with a sensational solo effort, bursting down the left, twisting and turning to make the defender dizzy and score with an angled drive.
Chiesa almost had a second soon after, the goalkeeper getting a fingertip touch to the finish, allowing his defender to clear off the line.
There was the first Champions League goal of the season for Morata too, as Dybala flicked up the ball over the top for the Spaniard to come sliding in. The referee played a good advantage on an earlier Zenit handling offence.
Zenit did get one more consolation goal in stoppages, as a ball over the top was nodded down, Sardar Azmoun took a touch and flicked it past Szczesny from six yards.
Juventus 4-2 Zenit
Dybala 11, pen 58 (J), Bonucci og 26 (Z), Chiesa 74 (J), Morata 82 (J), Azmoun 92 (Z)
This is the juventus we all want to see. Attacking, hungry for more goals, defending well… It was such a delightful game, only one I can say that didn’t play well was Morata, even though he still scored. De Ligt was phenomenal, so was Chiesa and Dybala. McKennie had a great game too, what a run he had, that should’ve been a goal, he deserved it. Really hope we can keep this for the next games.
All hail Lord Allegri, cometh the hour, cometh the man.
I told you stupid brain dead Rube haters that the master tactician of the zombie ball would have a plan.
The ritiro is going to plan and McKennie has decided not to chase Bonucci in his underwear in the locker room for at least a week. TikToking to the Allegri catenaccio dance has lit a fire in him. Grande Max for using reverse psychology and keeping the haters at arms length. Thank god the young man only hit the cross bar as Max would have gone nuts had the ball gone in. The back pass would have been safer
Unfortunately Max will now revert to a different midfield against Fiorentina. Chiesa will be brutally punished for weaving into the box in the 64th minute and then scoring a sublime goal. The bench is waiting for him come Saturday.
I also heard Lord Allegri is planning to take the team to a mountain retreat in Afghanistan to hibernate with the mountain goats and bring calm to the team, thus restoring the art of the sleep ball.
Bravo Max
Im not sure if its enough to convince they have turned the corner, it is Zenit after all, but still, can’t hurt the confidence and some momemtum is a good thing.
lol Allegri hater, you’re nothing but trash. You sound like a pathetic Milan fan. Can i ask you a question? how many points Milan have in CL this season? ZERO??? So pathetic..
Excellent Game for Juve! What Allegri did in Champions League in 4 games with a team 9th place in Serie A is more than Conte’s Inter Did in 2 years being 2nd and 1st in Serie A ! Clearly the DNA for Champions League is still in Juve ….maybe in the City of Milan it has mutated ?