Young guns shine for Juve in five-goal Al-Ain clobbering

WASHINGTON — Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both scored twice, as the young guns of Juventus made a statement in its 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 Turkish forward Kenan Yildiz also found the net as Juventus dazzled the crowd at Audi Field with some mesmeric soccer.

"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."

Juventus, which finished fourth in Serie A, is hoping to make up for a trophyless season with success in the United States this summer.

"I just want to play well for my teammates, for the club, and we'll see (how many I can) score," said Kolo Muani.

The convincing victory sent Juventus top of Group G, level on three points with England's Manchester City, which beat Wydad Casablanca 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.

Twice Asian champion 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 meters 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 that 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 it was going to get anything out of the game, but it paid the price for its 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 Bianconeri.

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 the Emiratis in the 58th minute, when he skipped into the box from the right wing and beat Portugal keeper Patricio for the second time with a fine low strike.

Patricio finally showed the quality that earned him 108 international 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 plays Morocco's Wydad in Philadelphia on Sunday.

It is unlikely to get any easier for Al-Ain, as it next faces Pep Guardiola's Manchester City in Atlanta.

"We respected (Juventus) more than we needed to at the beginning, and this was something that let them score two or three goals easily," said Al-Ain's Serbian coach Vladimir Ivic.

"We're at the World Cup and we played against such a good team.what (is there) to do? We have to think about the next one."

Agencies