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Juventus logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Sep 30, 2015 at 7.45pm UK
 
Sevilla logo

2-0

Morata (41'), Zaza (87')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Live Commentary: Juventus 2-0 Sevilla - as it happened

Follow Sports Mole's live coverage of the Group D clash between Juventus and Sevilla in the Champions League.
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Goals from Simone Zaza and Alvaro Morata have given Juventus a 2-0 win over Sevilla in their second match in Group D in the Champions League.

The Italian champions top the group after maintaining their 100% record in the competition this season.

The hosts were dominant throughout, creating 20 chances, while their opponents had just one shot on target.

Read how all the action unfolded below.


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Good evening! Two champions go head to head in Turin this evening as Serie A winners Juventus host Europa League cup holders Sevilla. Let's start with a look at the teams.

JUVENTUS STARTING XI: Buffon, Chiellini, Barzagli, Bonucci, Evra, Khedira, Pogba, Hernanes, Morata, Cuadrado, Dybala

SEVILLA STARTING XI: Rico, Tremoulinas, Kolodziejkzak, Andreolli, Coke, Krychowiak, Krohn-Dehli, Reyes, N'Zonzi, Konoplyanka, Gameiro

JUVENTUS SUBSTITUTES: Neto, Sandro, Rugani, Lemina, Pereyra, Vitale, Zaza

SEVILLA SUBSTITUTES: Soria, Ferreira, Iborra, Cristoforo, Luismi, Immobile, Munoz

So, Sami Khedira makes his first start for Juventus as Masimilliano Allegri makes four changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Napoli in the Italian league at the weekend. Alvaro Morara also comes in, partnering Paulo Dybala up front.

Meanwhile, there's just one change for the Spanish side after they beat Rayo Vallecano in La Liga at the weekend. Yevhen Konoplyanka gets the nod ahead of Renato Iborra, who is on the bench.

Here's a look inside the Juventus Stadium as kickoff approaches:


Ahead of this fixture, Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri told reporters: "Winning the Champions League is a dream. I think Juventus's aim has always got to be to reach the knockout stage. In the past you had only four teams you wanted to avoid at that stage; now there are eight. So the aim has got to be to reach the last eight. First we've got to win the group and that's not easy. The Champions League has got to be a dream. At the moment we've got to focus only on what we've got to do on the field. If you spend your time thinking of what you could have done, you don't get anywhere."

Sevilla coach Unai Emery said at his pre-match press conference: "After a unique experience the last time we were here in Turin, for a huge game [the 2014 Europa League final], we're now back for the Champions League, the best club competition in the world. We want to enjoy it as much as we can. It's a top-level game which gives us a lot of motivation and we're going to give it our best. Football moves on and we've done a lot since our last game here. We will remember that night forever, but we've got a new challenge that we want to grasp and maintain for as long as we can, for the club and for our fans."

Both sides have make mixed starts to their domestic campaigns this season. Sevilla sit 16th in La Liga, having only picked up their first win of the season at the weekend. They've lost three of their last five outings in the Spanish top flight. Juventus are also struggling, winning only once so far this season, leaving them 15th in Serie A.

These two sides have only met once before, playing a friendly in 2009, which Juventus won 2-1.

PREDICTION! The players are in the tunnel ready to make their way out ready for kickoff, so there's just time for the pre-match prediction. Neither side have really peaked yet this season, but both made strong starts to their Champions League campaigns in a group which also features Manchester City. A win this evening could really kick start the season of the victor, but it's too close to call, so I'm going for a 1-1 win.

The players head out in front of a packed Juventus Stadium. It's quite an atmosphere in Turin as the fans of both sides make themselves heard as the teams get ready for the start of this evening's action.

RESTART! Juventus get the match underway.

CHANCE! Juventus are inches away from the perfect start as Alvaro Morata slices the ball into the path of Paul Pogba, but the French international chips his finish just high of the crossbar.

It's been all Juventus in the opening couple of minutes as Juan Cuadrado makes a run forward looking to set up Giorgio Chiellini, but he couldn't get his header away. The on loan Chelsea winger makes another run moments later, but his cross ends up going straight out the other side.

Cuadrado gets a long ball forward to Evra, who slips, but Chiellini keeps possession for the visitors. Dybala's effort is blocked, before it balls to Andrea Barzagli on the edge of the box, but he rushes his finish, allowing Sevilla to easily clear it.

CHANCE! Morata leaps up high in the box, beating Andreolli to get his header away from a Pogba cross, but it was always rising.

CHANCE! The home side continue to pile on the pressure in the Sevilla box as Hernanes tries to curl the ball in from the edge of the box, but Sergio Rico appears to have it covered while watching it fly just wide of the near post.

Sevilla are starting to show a little more promise as they try to exploit the space at the back on the counter-attack. Michael Krohn-Dehli makes an excellent run forward, but sees his cross blocked, before Konoplyanka gets the ball back into the penalty area, but there's no-one there to turn it in.

CHANCE! Pogba whips a brilliant cross in from the left looking for Morata, but Kolodzieczak beats the Spaniard to it to clear the danger for the visitors.

A late challenge on Cuardado from Krohn-Dehli gives Juventus a free kick right on the edge of the penalty area. Dybala curls it in, but it's an easy clearance for the visitors, as the striker puts too much on his delivery.

CHANCE! Dybala almost makes amends for his sloppy free kick straight away as Sami Khedira slips a through-ball in for the striker, who hits it superbly from the right-hand side of the box, looking for the top corner, but it's a fraction wide.

CHANCE! The home side continue to dominate the match as Hernanes attempts to blast the ball in from outside the box, but it's at a comfortable height for Rico.

Cuadrado thinks that he's through for another Juventus effort, but the winger is surprised to see that he is flagged offside. It didn't actually look like he was ahead of the last defender, but the officials give it anyway.

Sevilla are starting to see a bit more of the possession a Reyes and Gameiro work their way forward, looking to get the ball in towards Konoplyanka, who is lurking in the middle, but the move breaks down, allowing Khedira to press back down the other end, but Barzagli, who absolutely bolted forward, was unable to keep it in.

Juventus keep the pressure coming, but there's still no goal for the home side as Morata sees Kolodziejczak turn his effort away. Despite Juventus's dominance so far this evening, there has been very little to trouble Rico.

Dybala has been busy in the opening half an hour, with some decent effort, as well as a few wayward shots. He's on the move again, but once again his effort is blocked.

CHANCE! Morata keeps the pressure coming for the home side, but Andreolli is in the right place at the right time to make sure the ball doesn't find the back of the net.

CHANCE! Morata is involved again, this time turning provider for Cuadrado, but the winger misses the target, as has been the case for so many of this teammates' efforts so far tonight. Sevilla seem comfortable letting Juventus run at them, with so few of the efforts resulting in on-target finishes so far, but sooner or later you have to assume Juventus are going to get the better of Rico if they continue to be given this much time and space.

GOAL! Juventus 1-0 Sevilla (Alvaro Morata)

The home side's commanding performance finally pays off as Alvaro Morata times his jump to perfection to not the ball past Sergio Rico after a pinpoint accurate cross from Barzagli.

CHANCE! Sevilla try to get back on level terms with half time approaching, as Hernanes threads the ball through for Konoplyanka, but his finish is straight at Buffon, who hasn't had much to do so far tonight.

HALF TIME: Juventus 1-0 Sevilla

So, at the break it's Alvaro Morata's header just a few minutes before the interval that separates the two sides after an action-packed first half dominated by the hosts.

Despite the scoreline, Sevilla actually saw a fraction more of the possession than their opponents in the opening 45 minutes, with 51% of the of the ball. Juventus have had 12 shots though, while Sevilla have had just one. Juventus have lacked accuracy though, with just two of their efforts being on target.

The goals is Morata's fifth in as many Champions League appearances for Juventus. The club is celebrating that fact by sharing some of his previous goal-scoring moments on Twitter during the half-time break:


However, this is what he celebration after the most recent one looked like:
Juventus' forward from Spain Alvaro Morata celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Champions League football match Juventus vs FC Sevilla on September 30, 2015© Getty Images

Ciro Immobile has been going through a vigorous warm-up at half time, suggesting he could be coming on early in the second half for the visitors. Sevilla haven't done much wrong, and have looked sharp on the counter-attack, but they haven't really taken the game to Juventus. Now that they trail, they're going to need to lead from the front foot a bit more.

The players are starting to head back out ready for the start of the second half.

RESTART! Sevilla get the match back underway.

Konoplyanka is waiting in the middle as Coke Andujar makes his way down the right before crossing the ball into the middle looking for the Ukrainian, but it's claimed by Buffon.

CHANCE! Juventus are clearly trying to play the match at a slower tempo than in the first half, with Chiellini and Evra passing the ball around in the middle to try to keep possession while waiting for Khedira and Pogba to try to get into space. Eventually the through-ball finds Dybala, but his low strike is booted clear by Rico.

CHANCE! Cuadrado takes the ball around Krychowiak before teeing it up for Pogba. The French international goes for the spectacular with an overhead bicycle kick, but he didn't catch it quite right, booting it well high of the crossbar.

Konoplyanka gets forward down the right flank, beating Evra for pace before sending a cross into the box, but Buffon has time to claim it, with no-one imminently arriving in the box for the visitors. Sevilla have been more willing to get forward in the second half, but they still haven't created anything that will have worried the veteran Juventus keeper.

Krychowiak is awarded a free kick when Dybala clatters into the Sevilla middle, but N'Zonzi hands possession straight back to the hosts when he fouls Morata down the other end. The referee has kept his cards in his pocket so far this evening, but the former Stoke man is clearly starting to test the official's patience, having put in a couple of rather heavy challenges so far this evening.

Juventus win a free kick right on the edge of the box as N'zonzi brings Dybala down from behind. Dybala takes it himself, and manages to slip it through a gap in the wall, but Rico is there to parry it away.

The home side have a corner as a result of Rico's parry, with Dybala still on set piece duty. He curls the ball in for Pogba, but the midfielder's effort is wide.

SUBS! Steven N'Zonzi and Kevin Gameiro are heading off, with Ciro Immobile and Vicente Iborra coming on for the visitors.

After Evra sees his shot deflected behind for a corner, Dybala whips the ball back into the box, but Sevilla are able to scramble is clear, leaving the visitors' freshly introduced duo looking to get involved, but the home side soon win it back, leaving Evra to square the ball to Pogba, but Krohn Dehli clears the danger.

Cuadrado has been lively all night, if a little lacking when it's come to the final ball, but he forces a good save from Rico after running from midfield before carving out some space on the edge of the box, leaving the keeper to tip it away with his fingertips.

PENALTY APPEAL! Khedira takes a tumble under pressure from Andreolli, resulting in the German claiming he should have a penalty. It wasn't clear that it was on the box, let alone a foul, so the referee waves play on.

SUB! Juventus make their first change of the night, and it's Khedira who makes way for Alex Sandro.

BOOKING! Coke Andujar has the dubious honour of being the first player to be shown the yellow card after a late challenge on Morata.

SUB! Sevilla make their final change, taking off captain Jose Antonio Reyes, who has been quiet in the second half, to send on 19-year-old Juan Munoz.

SUB! It's changes a plenty at the minute as Simone Zaza is coming on in place of the goalscorer, Alvaro Morata.

Cuadrado breaks into the Sevilla box looking to get on the end of a chip forward from Dybala, but Tremoulinas times his tackle to perfection to stop the Colombian getting his shot away.

Immobile hasn't seen much of the ball since coming off the bench a little earlier for the visitors. He came through the Juventus academy, and has been getting quite a bit of stick off the home supporters, despite making just a handful of appearances of the bench during his time with the Italian side.

Evra makes a run forward looking to put the win beyond doubt for the hosts inside the final five minutes, but the defender is unsettled in the box by the presence of Konoplyanka, forcing him to scuff the ball behind.

GOAL! Juventus 2-0 Sevilla (Simone Zaza)

What a spectacular solo effort from Juventus substitute Simone Zaza to put the win beyond doubt surely for the home side. He slides in to take the ball away from Andreolli near the half way line before sprinting to the edge of the area on his own, drawing Rico off the line before coolly slotting into the bottom left.

SUB! With the two-goal lead, Juventus use their final change to sure up at the back, with defender Daniele Rugani coming on for striker Paulo Dybala, who has certainly worked hard this evening.

As the match heads into three minutes of stoppage time, Krohn-Dehli is on the move for Sevilla, looking to get a consolation back for the visitors, but he loses possession, allowing Alex Sandro to pile down the other end, slipping the ball through the middle to Zaza, but the striker is unable to find the target again.

CHANCE! Well, more like a half-chance, but you have to admire the ambition. Zaza plays the ball on for Leonardo Bonucci, and the defender spots Rico slightly off his line, to tries to lob him from 40 yards, but it ends up going quite a way over.

FULL TIME: Juventus 2-0 Sevilla

Juventus maintain their 100% record in Group D thanks for goals from Alvaro Morata and Simone Zaza. Sevilla played fine, but they lacked the cutting edge in front of goal, allowing the home side to dominate the attacking play and secure the second win.

UPDATE: Juventus will be top of Group D, but what about the other fixture in the group? Well, Manchester City have come from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach, leaving the German side as the only one without a win in the group.

If you want to catch up on any of the action from the other matches in the Champions League this evening, you can find all our match reports here. Don't forget to join us again tomorrow for more European football, with the second round of fixtures in the group stage of the Europa League taking place. Until then, thanks for joining me this evening. Goodbye.

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Sami Khedira in action for Germany against Italy on November 15, 2013.
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