Juventus was getting frustrated by PSV Eindhoven’s gritty defending when Weston McKennie broke the deadlock in style in their Champions League playoff on Tuesday.
The United States midfielder hit a blistering shot into the top right corner from just inside the penalty area in the 34th minute, following a scramble.
It sent Juventus on the way to a hard-fought 2-1 win over the resilient Dutch side, with substitute Samuel Mbangula grabbing the winner in the 82nd for his first Champions League goal.
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The 26-year-old McKennie has a decent return of 11 goals in 58 games for the U.S. team and although he has been consistent since joining Juventus five years ago, scoring has not been his strong point.
However, this was his third in the Champions League this season — all with his trusted right foot and all in victories. In the league phase, he scored against Manchester City and in the opener also against PSV. The emphatic manner of this finish hinted at more goals to come.
The goal came after PSV neutralized in-form striker Randal Kolo Muani — who had netted five goals in his three games since joining on loan from Paris Saint-Germain.
McKennie was not the only U.S. international on form.
Tim Weah threatened with a couple of good runs down the right; almost setting up Kolo Muani early in the first half and Mbangula early into the second period.
The home crowd was silenced in the 56th when veteran midfielder Ivan Perisic scored in the 56th. The technically gifted Perisic was roundly jeered by Juve’s fans because he played seven years for Italian rival Inter Milan from 2015-22, scoring 55 goals and winning the Serie A in 2021 and the Italian Cup a year later.
Draws have been an ongoing curse this season for Juve, which drew three of eight games in the Champions League group stage and 13 in 24 matches in Serie A.
So there was widespread relief, from the fans to coach Thiago Motta, when Mbangula swept the ball in after goalkeeper Walter Benitez spilled Francisco Conceição’s right-wing cross.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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