By the hour mark, the tempo had dropped, but Juventus continued to control the game, and Sevilla struggled to find Jose Antonio Reyes in attack, despite the constant energy and effort of Yevhen Konoplyanka.
Advertisement
“Things are more open in the English league, but in the Champions League, games are decided on narrow margins”, Mangala said.
“Winning the Champions League is a dream”.
For Juventus the Champions League offers respite from a poor start to their domestic campaign – the Bianconeri now sit 15th in Serie A, having already lost as many games as they did in the whole of 2014/15 (3).
“The Champions League is a dream for us, but a club like ours should always be getting into the knockout stages”, Allegri told media at the Turin giant’s stadium on Tuesday.
Three minutes from the final whistle Dybala did well to hold off two markers to set Zaza on a run from midfield to the edge of the six-yard box where the fledgling Italy striker beat Sergio Rico with a low, angled drive.
They played with fluidity, had 21 shots on goal, restricting their opponents to just one and won every single 50-50 tackle (12/12).
The first club to qualify for the Champions League as Europa League winners, Wednesday night’s opponents Sevilla boast an impressive European pedigree, a talented manager and a squad with extensive big-game experience.
Moenchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka, second from right, exercises with teammates during a training session prior to the Champions League group E soccer match between Borussia Moenchengladbach and Manchester City in Moenchengladbach, Germany, Tuesday, September 29, 2015.
Sevilla spent the next 10 minutes ball-watching as Juventus passed around at will, until Cuadrado broke the monotony with a vicious drive from outside the area that Rico did well to block.
Juventus defender Stephan Lichtsteiner has said he does not know when he will be able to play again after being referred for tests on his heart following breathing difficulties. “Juve are a great side with top players but we have a lot of belief in ourselves and I’m sure both will play well”.
Khedira was named in the starting lineup for the first time since his recent move from Real Madrid, and proved influential, giving Juve the kind of stability they have lacked in Serie A this season.
Advertisement
The Spaniard’s record is also a clear message both to Juventus’ board and supporters: Morata’s role at Juve is becoming as important as the one of Del Piero back in the 90s.
