Juventus secured a vital 2-0 victory against SL Benfica at the Allianz Stadium, keeping their chances of automatic qualification for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 very much alive.
The match began at a frenetic pace, with the Bianconeri coming close to an early opener.
Anatoliy Trubin had to stretch to his limits to deny Kenan Yıldız’s curling effort from 18 yards. Just 10 minutes later, the Turkish midfielder produced a similar strike, only for it to miss narrowly.
As the first half progressed, Benfica began to find more rhythm, creating their first real chance through Georgiy Sudakov.
His shot forced a parry from Michele Di Gregorio, and Lloyd Kelly cleared the rebound in a crucial intervention to keep the score level.
The opening 45 minutes offered end-to-end action, with Juventus nearly breaking the deadlock when Fabio Miretti headed a free ball narrowly over the bar.
After the interval, Juventus emerged with renewed intensity. Weston McKennie tested Trubin early in the second half, but it was Khephren Thuram who finally put the hosts ahead, firing into the bottom corner and igniting the home crowd.
The lead doubled soon after as McKennie combined brilliantly with Jonathan David, allowing the American midfielder to slot past Trubin for his third UCL goal of the season.
Benfica responded valiantly, hitting the woodwork through a header from Fredrik Aursnes. Their hopes of a dramatic comeback were dashed late on when Vangelis Pavlidis missed a penalty, slipping as he struck, much to the delight of the Juventus supporters.
The win marks Juventus’ third consecutive UCL triumph, a strong recovery after a shaky start to the campaign. They can secure a top-eight finish with a victory at AS Monaco next week, provided other results go their way.
Benfica, meanwhile, must beat Real Madrid at home and rely on favorable outcomes in other fixtures if they are to reach the knockout play-offs.
