Juventus boosted their Champions League knockout round hopes Wednesday night with a commanding 2-0 victory over Manchester City, whose recent struggles deepened at the Allianz Stadium.
Dusan Vlahovic broke the deadlock eight minutes after halftime when his powerful header slipped through Ederson’s grasp, barely crossing the line before the goalkeeper’s attempted clearance. American substitute Weston McKennie sealed the victory with a spectacular 75th-minute scissor kick following Timothy Weah’s precise cross on a swift counterattack.
The victory lifts Juventus to 14th place with 11 points, just two points shy of the crucial top-eight positions. City’s worrying form continues as they fall to 22nd with eight points, precariously positioned above Paris Saint-Germain and Stuttgart who trail by just one point.
Manuel Locatelli orchestrated Juventus’s performance with four accurate long balls, two key attacking passes, and impressive defensive statistics including seven won duels and six tackles. Despite City dominating possession (69%), Juventus proved more clinical with five shots on target to City’s three.
“A lack of urgency, summarising Man City’s performances in recent weeks, enabled Juventus to comfortably keep a clean sheet,” noted match observers. The defeat extends City’s poor run to just one win in their last ten matches across all competitions, with a crucial Manchester derby looming Sunday.
