Juventus kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven at Allianz Stadium on Matchday 1.
The Old Lady made a strong start, netting three goals within the first 52 minutes. Kenan Yıldız set the tone with a goal in the 21st minute, giving Juventus an early lead.
Weston McKennie doubled their advantage with a strike in the 27th minute, and Nicolás González added a third in the 52nd minute, putting Juventus comfortably ahead at 3-0. PSV managed to pull one back in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late.
Juventus sold Federico Chiesa to Liverpool to let Kenan Yıldız grow
Yıldız flashed his potential in the win over PSV as the winger played 69 minutes in the match while having two total shots on 54 touches. Moreover, the teenager won five of 10 ground duels while completing 30 of 35 passes for 86 completion percentage.
After the match, Sky Sport Italia pundit Paolo Condò stated that he believes Juventus sold Federico Chiesa to Liverpool as part of their plan to allow Yıldız to take the next step in his development.
"I didn’t expect Juventus to spend this much," Condò said (h/t TuttoJuve). "There are many clauses that will come into effect next year, and we'll see the financial impact then.
"Clearly, the team was seen as too weak technically and needed significant reinforcement. Maybe Chiesa was moved to make space for Yildiz, who could become Juventus’s hope for developing a top-class player from within."
The Serie A side sold Chiesa to Liverpool for a reported £10 million upfront, plus £2.5 million in add-ons, which depend on Liverpool winning the Premier League and Champions League.
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