Paulo Dybala celebrated his first ever Champions League hat-trick and could’ve had more as Juventus dominated Young Boys 3-0.
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Paulo Dybala celebrated his first ever Champions League hat-trick and could’ve had more as Juventus dominated Young Boys 3-0.
Follow all the action as it happens and give your views on the LIVEBLOG.
The Bianconeri had a 100 per cent record in all competition this season, but Cristiano Ronaldo was suspended after his controversial red card against Valencia. With Douglas Costa, Mattia De Sciglio, Leonardo Spinazzola and Sami Khedira injured, Max Allegri moved to a 3-4-1-2 formation with Federico Bernardeschi behind the strikers, resting defender Giorgio Chiellini. Swiss side Young Boys lost their opener 3-0 at home to Manchester United and came to Turin without Gregory Wuthrich, Pedro Teixeira and both right-backs Jordan Lotomba and Kevin Mbabu, so Thorsten Schick had to move from right-midfield to a deeper role.
It took just five minutes for Paulo Dybala to make an impact in the Champions League this season, as he watched a long Leonardo Bonucci ball float over the top of Camara and placed a cushioned volley with the inside of his left boot.
Not long after, Miralem Sulejmani should’ve taken advantage of Bonucci being off the field due to a knock, as he went round Wojciech Szczesny, but narrowed the angle too much and Blaise Matuidi got back for a decisive block.
Bernardeschi’s snapshot was only pushed away by David von Ballmoos, then Bernardeschi ran on to a long ball and rolled it across for Dybala, only for La Joya to scuff the finish straight at the goalkeeper.
Bernardeschi was given a lot of freedom to roam and he turned Leonardo Bertone at the touchline only to get the final pass wrong for Mario Mandzukic.
Dybala learned from the earlier Von Ballmoos error and was ready to tap in when the goalkeeper again scooped away a Matuidi snapshot at the end of a good team passing move.
There should’ve been a third on the stroke of half-time when Alex Sandro swung a dangerous ball across the box, but Dybala slipped and Juan Cuadrado completely missed his shot.
After the restart, Dybala thought he’d completed a hat-trick when set up by Bernardeschi, but the angled drive beat Von Ballmoos only to bounce off the inside of the far post.
Moments later, Dybala appeared to be scythed down by his former Palermo teammate Steve von Bergen, but the referee waved play on and there was no VAR to rely on in the Champions League.
Guillaume Hoarau’s effort was deflected wide, but Juventus added a third with a long passing move. Eventually Alex Sandro crossed to the back post, where Cuadrado knocked it straight back into the middle for Dybala to come sliding in for his hat-trick.
Mohamed Ali Camara foolishly received two yellow cards in quick succession, the second for a shove on Dybala, as Young Boys finished with 10 men.
Juve should’ve added a fourth goal when Cuadrado pulled back from the by-line, but substitute Sami Khedira’s header was inches wide of both the far post and Bonucci.
Teenager Moise Kean came off the bench and put the ball in the net, but only after the offside flag had been raised.
Juventus 3-0 Young Boys
Dybala 5, 34, 69 (J)
Juventus: Szczesny; Barzagli, Bonucci, Benatia; Cuadrado, Pjanic (Khedira 70), Matuidi (Emre Can 46), Alex Sandro; Bernardeschi; Dybala, Mandzukic (Moise Kean 78)
Young Boys: Von Ballmoos; Schick, Camara, Von Bergen, Benito; Fassnacht (Assalé 71), Sow, Sanogo (Lauper 46), Bertone, Sulejmani (Ngamaleu 71); Hoarau
Ref: Karasev (RUS)
Sent off: Camara 78 (Y)