Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata scored in Juventus’ 3-0 win over Malmo in Tuesday’s Champions League Group H opening match.
Alex Sandro was the unlikely scorer of the first goal before Dybala added a double from the spot after a foul on Morata, who scored a third on the stroke of half-time.
Substitute Moise Kean overtook Ismael Diawara in the second half, but Juve were denied a fourth goal from the offside flag as Malmo struggled in their first group stage appearance since 2015-16.
Massimiliano Allegri, who led Juve to the final in 2014-15 and again two seasons later, may be winless in Serie A upon his return to Turin, but his team has started the continental season impressively.
2 – This is only the second #UCL match in which Juventus scored with an Argentine (Dybala) and a Brazilian (Alex Sandro): the previous one was in 2016 against Dinamo Zagreb (Higuain, Dybala, Dani Alves). Bongo.#MalmoeJuventus
– OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) September 14, 2021
Dybala turned down a glorious opening opportunity as he slipped and fired to no avail when through one-on-one with Diawara before Soren Rieks flew for Malmo.
The hosts look brilliant, but it is Alex Sandro who broke the deadlock after 23 minutes with a diving header in the lower left corner after a serve from Juan Cuadrado blocked Rodrigo Bentancur and found the left-back.
Alex Sandro should have doubled up, but swerved wide before Dybala centered his penalty after Lasse Nielsen dragged Morata in the closing minutes of the half.
Morata joined the act moments later, the Spain forward ran before accidentally chipping away at the incoming Diawara as Juve scored three Champions League first-half goals for the first time since 2012.
After the break, Morata looks for second but only manages to push to the side before seeing his left foot denied by a clever reflex from Diawara after Dybala’s clever lineout.
Kean, inserted by other substitute Weston McKennie, thought he had scored a fourth goal, but was offside as Juve approached their first win and final whistle at the Eleda Stadion.
