Young guns shine as Juventus hammer Al-Ain 5-0 at Club World Cup
WASHINGTON - Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both scored twice as the young guns of Juventus made a statement in their Club World Cup opener with a dominant 5-0 win over Emirati club Al-Ain on Wednesday.
Kolo Muani grabbed both of his goals in the first half, Conceicao scored either side of the break while Turkey forward Kenan Yildiz also found the net as Juventus dazzled the crowd at Audi Field with some mesmeric football.
"I'm very happy to win the game, the team played a great game so we're happy and now we'll get ready for the next game," said Kolo Muani.
"I finished last season well and we've started this good as well."
The convincing victory sent Juventus top of Group G level on three points with England's Manchester City, who beat Wydad Casablanca 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.
Twice Asian champions Al-Ain conceded two thirds of the pitch for much of the first half and Juventus midfielder Khephren Thuram ran the show from about 35 metres out with Conceicao and Yildiz buzzing around in front of him.
A neat exchange of passing in the 11th minute set Alberto Costa free on the edge of the box and the young Portuguese right back lofted over a cross which Kolo Muani met with a powerful header at the far post for the opening goal.
Costa's fine work down the right flank 10 minutes later set up the second goal for Conceicao, who ghosted across the box before unleashing a shot which took a deflection and flew over the outstretched arms of Rui Patricio in the Al-Ain goal.
A further 10 minutes on and the lively Yildiz took the ball on the left before cutting inside, taking two touches and firing a shot into the net off the post.
Al-Ain had to push forward if they were going to get anything out of the game but they paid the price for their ambition in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
A through ball from Thuram found Kolo Muani peeling off the last defender and the French striker slotted the ball into net with the outside of his right foot to take his tally to five goals in his last six games for The Old Lady.
The Emirati side had a goal ruled out for offside at the start of the second half and skipper Kodjo Laba drew a fine save out of Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio in the 49th minute.
Conceicao, however, put the game well beyond them in the 58th minute when he skipped into the box from the right wing and beat Portuguese Patricio for the second time with a fine low strike.
Patricio finally showed the quality that earned him 108 Portugal caps to deny Kolo Muani a hat-trick in the 66th minute and Juventus substitute Douglas Luiz came close to further blowing out the scoreline in the last couple of minutes.
Juventus next play Morroco's Wydad in Philadephia on Sunday, while Al-Ain, who lost to Real Madrid in the 2018 Club World Cup final, face City in Atlanta later the same day. REUTERS
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