Juventus 2-0 Pafos: McKennie and David secure much-needed Champions League win
Juventus needed a win and they earned one in a lively encounter at home to Pafos in the Champions League.
Weston McKennie and Jonathan David were on target as Juventus gave their Champions League campaign a much-needed shot in the arm with a 2-0 win over Pafos at Allianz Stadium.
The Bianconeri were just inside the top 24 before Wednesday's games, level on points with their Cypriot opponents, but Luciano Spalletti's men are now 17th with a three-point buffer.
Juve – who had drawn their last two at home in the league phase – avoided early calamity when Bruno Felipe's cross hit both Lloyd Kelly and Andrea Cambiaso and drew a fine save from Michele Di Gregorio.
Anderson Silva went even closer when he curled one onto the base of the right post from the edge of the box, while Vlad Dragomir and Derrick Luckassen passed up good chances for the visitors.
David missed a glorious close-range chance from Kelly's knock-back shortly before the break for Juve, while Kenan Yildiz also blazed over after Teun Koopmeiners' drive was parried.
Francisco Conceicao then twice went close before Juve did make the breakthrough in the 67th minute when McKennie drilled inside the near post after being found by Cambiaso on the right of the area.
Juve then took complete control with a lightning quick counter that ended with Yildiz laying one on a plate for David to find the bottom-right corner from near the penalty spot.
Data Debrief: Juve win despite wayward shooting
David has had a mixed start to life at Juventus but was lively here – finishing with three shots, eight touches in the opposition box, and two big chances, though he did underperform an individual xG of 1.41.
Juve were a little wayward in general with their shooting, registering 26 shots in total but just five on target, and scoring only twice from four big chances.
Still, the Bianconeri have now won all seven of their European matches against Cypriot sides by an aggregate score of 27-3.
