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Alvaro Morata stated he “got lucky” after he grabbed a late winner, with Cristiano Ronaldo additionally scoring, as Juventus certified for the Champions League final 16 with a 2-1 victory over Ferencvaros on Tuesday. Myrto Uzuni had given the Hungarians a shock 19th-minute lead within the Group G conflict in Turin. But Ronaldo rifled within the equaliser on 35 minutes for his first Champions League aim this season, extending his report to 131 targets within the competitors. And Morata got here off the bench to seal victory two minutes into damage time together with his fifth group-stage aim this time period.
“Today I think I was lucky on the goal, but no one remembers luck, everyone remembers the goal and that’s it,” stated the Spaniard.
“It was a complicated game, that’s how it is in the Champions League now.”
Andrea Pirlo has achieved his first goal as Juventus coach having taken over from Maurizio Sarri after the Italians crashed out of the Champions League within the final 16 to Lyon final season.
“Our goal was to start the match with a different attitude but when you play these apparently simple games you run into difficulties,” stated Pirlo.
“Our game was too slow. We didn’t press hard, after many matches, it’s also normal not to have the same intensity.
“The lads have been good at reacting and making an attempt to win till the tip. We bought the end result, that is the essential factor.”
Ferencvaros pushed the Italian champions hard as they chased their first group-stage win since 1995, having lost the home encounter 4-1 in Budapest.
“The result’s the one motive to be disillusioned,” said coach Serhiy Rebrov.
“The gamers are feeling down, however they need to be pleased with how they performed.”
– De Ligt a ‘champion’ –
Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci were out injured but Pirlo was pleased with how Matthijs de Ligt has returned after undergoing shoulder surgery in August.
The Dutch defender played alongside Danilo at centre-half, with Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado as full-backs, having returned last weekend.
“He’s a champion, already a captain regardless of being in his early 20s. His is a vital comeback,” said Pirlo of the former Ajax skipper.
Paulo Dybala, wearing the captain’s armband, started up front alongside Ronaldo, but the Argentine failed to impress the Juventus coach.
“Dybala hasn’t carried out very nicely, however he’s rising as a result of he comes from a interval of inactivity,” said Pirlo.
“He has been taking antibiotics for weeks and it’s regular for him to take somewhat longer. But he has to transcend his threshold to recuperate.”
Ronaldo set up the Argentine for the first shot on goal after quarter of an hour, but goalkeeper Denes Dibusz blocked the close-range effort.
And it was the visitors who broke through four minutes later, with Uzuni turning in Tokmac Nguen’s deflected cross.
Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for offside on 33 minutes but moments later he made no mistake, creating space with a neat turn outside the area before drilling home a powerful left-footed shot that gave Dibusz no chance.
The Portuguese, who missed the first two European games this season with coronavirus, brought his tally to 70 Champions League goals at home, level with Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
He was denied a second before the hour mark, with Federico Bernardeschi also going close just after, rattling the woodwork.
Pirlo made a triple substitution after the hour with Morata, Federico Chiesa and Dejan Kulusevski coming on place of Dybala, Bernardeschi and Weston McKennie.
Morata had an immediate impact, sending the ball through for Ronaldo but Dibusz held firm.
Promoted
The Spaniard missed an opportunity 10 minutes from time, hitting the woodwork after assembly Chiesa’s cross.
But the previous Atletico Madrid striker bought his head to a Cuadrado cross, with the ball slipping in underneath Dibusz.
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