The Malta Independent 26 April 2024, Friday
View E-Paper

Champions League: Subs give Juventus 2-0 win at 10-man Porto; Vardy ends goal drought in Sevilla

Associated Press Thursday, 23 February 2017, 06:13 Last update: about 8 years ago

Two substitutes, two goals, one clever coach.

Struggling to break through 10-man FC Porto in the Champions League Round-of-16 match, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri resorted to two second-half substitutes who quickly scored as the Italian champions won 2-0 Wednesday.

Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves broke through with goals in the 72nd and 74th minutes of the first leg to give Juventus a commanding advantage.

Porto had held out since Alex Telles was sent off in the 27th after two rash fouls.

Juventus hemmed Porto in its area and Pjaca scored five minutes after coming on.

Allegri then sent Alves on and he was even quicker in finding the net — two minutes after joining the game.

"We hit twice in quick succession when they got tired, exactly as Allegri told us to do," said Juventus midfielder Miralem Pjanic. "He kept telling us to stay calm and serene and wait for the right moment because it would certainly arrive."

Porto's Telles was sent off after the left back cut down Stephan Lichtsteiner, just two minutes after a yellow card for his studs-first tackle on Juan Cuadrado's heel.

Porto manager Nuno Espirito Santo took off striker Andre Silva, who has scored five goals in the competition this season, and restructured his defense with Miguel Layun.

The visitors slowly but surely pressed Porto into its box before Paulo Dybala's long strike smacked the base of the post in first-half injury time.

Hector Herrera mustered an off-target header in the 48th as Porto tried to change the flow of the match. But Juventus quickly restored its control and shots from Dybala and Sami Khedira followed.

Layun was at fault in Pjaca's goal when he deflected Dybala's pass to the Croatian midfielder inside the box.

Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas had made an earlier save to frustrate Gonzalo Higuain, but the Spaniard could do nothing to stop Alves when he received a cross from Alex Sandro at close range.

While the former Real Madrid 'keeper had a busy night for the hosts, Casillas' counterpart Gianluigi Buffon barely had to intervene at the Estadio do Dragao stadium. The two veteran 'keepers embraced after the final whistle of their 17th career meeting.

"The tie is much more difficult now, but it is not over," said Porto's Espirito Santo.

Allegri was saying much the same.

"Porto defended in its half, but my players played well. They had patience and knew when to score in the right moment," Allegri said. "In the Champions League no result is decisive. We will face the second leg as if this had finished 0-0."

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci missed the match as punishment for his outburst aimed at Allegri. Andrea Barzagli and Giorgio Chiellini were both back after the defenders recovered from thigh injuries.

Sevilla was unable to capitalize on its dominant performance in a 2-1 Champions League win over Leicester on Wednesday as Jamie Vardy scored a crucial goal — his first of the year — to keep the English champions alive in the Round of 16.

Vardy capped a spirited second half for Leicester in the first leg with a 73rd-minute goal in one of the few chances created by the visitors at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium in Seville.

Pablo Sarabia and Joaquin Correa scored in each half for Sevilla to leave the Spanish club a draw away from reaching the quarterfinals of the European competition for the first time in nearly 60 years.

"We were far superior, with some 10 clear chances, but we were not able to earn the advantage that we wanted," Sevilla coach Jorge Sampaoli said. "We deserved more."

Only a quarter-hour into the game Correa missed a penalty for the hosts, which are a three-time defending champion in the Europa League but haven't advanced past the last 16 in the Champions League since 1958.

"We suffered," Leicester coach Claudio Ranieri said. "In the end we improved a bit and the goal leaves it open for the return match. That was crucial for us. We know they are favorites but we have played some great games at home in what has been a very strange season for us."

Sarabia opened the scoring with a firm header into the far corner after a cross by Sergio Escudero from the left side, and Correa made up for his missed penalty by adding to the lead from close range after a pass by Stevan Jovetic in the 62nd.

"They had 22 shots or something like that and we knew today was going to be tough and we'd have to ride our luck a couple of times and I was going to have to come up with some saves here and there but everyone deserves great credit for today," said Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who easily stopped Correa's weak penalty shot.

Struggling to stay out of the relegation zone in its Premier League title defense, Leicester scored the important away goal when Vardy got to a low left-side cross by Danny Drinkwater.

"We knew we had to be patient but we also knew we could hurt them if we got through their first press and hit them a bit quicker, and that's exactly what we did," Vardy said. "(Drinkwater) got through and put it on a plate for me and I've managed to slot it in."

Sevilla almost claimed a third goal after an 88th-minute header by Adil Rami struck the crossbar.

"We had several opportunities, we had to score more goals," Jovetic said. "You have to score in every chance you get, especially in a Champions League game like this, otherwise it becomes difficult."

The result kept Sevilla unbeaten in eight games in all competitions, a run of six wins and two draws.

  • don't miss