Genoa 0-2 Juventus: First Serie A Win Of The Season For Champions

Source: thewillnigeria.com

Juventus picked up their first Serie A victory of the season with a 2-0 triumph at 10-man Genoa on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors were fortunate to break the deadlock in the 37th minute when Paul Pogba’s close-range strike hit the crossbar and the ball bounced off Genoa goalkeeper Eugenio Lamanna and went in.

Genoa suffered a further blow six minutes later when defender Armando Izzo was sent off for a second yellow card.

Italian Serie A – 23rd Sep
Pogba then doubled Juve’s lead from the penalty spot on the hour after Genoa’s Diogo Figueiras brought down Giorgio Chiellini in the box.

The home side failed to test Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon throughout the encounter and suffered their third loss of the campaign.

With only one point from their opening three matches, Juventus gained a boost in confidence with a 2-1 Champions League triumph at Manchester City on Tuesday.

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri fielded the same attack that won their Group D opener at the Etihad Stadium, with Juan Cuadrado playing alongside Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic.

It took just 23 seconds for the visitors to make their mark at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Morata threatened with a right-footed shot from the edge of the Genoa box that was saved by Lamanna.

Genoa went close in the 12th minute, when Diego Capel’s powerful header from Diego Perotti’s cross went over the bar.

Juve could have taken the lead three minutes later.

Mandzukic fed Cuadrado in the box and the Colombian forward struck a right-footed shot that was blocked by Izzo.

The visitors were forced to make their first substitution midway through the first half with Roberto Pereyra replacing an injured Morata, before Juve went in front in the 37th minute.

Pogba got behind Pereyra’s cross and his close-range shot hit the crossbar and then Lamanna before going in and things got even worse for Genoa before the interval as Izzo was sent off for a late challenge on Cuadrado.

In the 52nd minute, Cuadrado’s long-range went wide and the referee then pointed to the spot after Chiellini went down in the area after contact from Figueiras.

Pogba struck a right-footed shot towards the centre of goal to beat Lamanna.

In the 69th minute, Mandzukic almost scored his team’s third but saw Lamanna save his left-footed strike from eight yards. The Italian champions did not extend their lead but nevertheless got their Serie A campaign up and running with a first victory.

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