TURIN, Italy Sept 18 V7N — Juventus made a stellar return to the Champions League on Tuesday, defeating Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven 3-1 at home. The match featured two quick-fire goals from Kenan Yildiz and Weston McKennie in the first half, marking a successful debut for coach Thiago Motta in European competition.
Yildiz opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a stunning curling shot from just inside the box, striking the inside of the post and leaving PSV goalkeeper Joel Drommel helpless. This goal not only gave Juventus the lead but also made Yildiz the club's youngest goalscorer in Champions League history at just 19 years and 136 days, surpassing the previous record held by Alessandro Del Piero.
McKennie doubled the lead in the 27th minute, scoring from close range after a previous attempt was blocked by Drommel. Juventus went into halftime with a comfortable 2-0 advantage.
After the break, Nicolas Gonzalez added a third goal for Juventus in the 52nd minute, striking into the far top corner following a neat low cross from Dusan Vlahovic. Despite PSV's efforts to rally, Ismael Saibari managed to pull one back in stoppage time, but it was too late to change the outcome.
This victory marks Juventus' return to Europe's elite club competition after a one-year absence, during which they faced penalties related to transfer dealings and breaches of UEFA regulations. The team is currently unbeaten in their Serie A campaign after four matches.
As Juventus celebrates this important win, they look forward to continuing their journey in the Champions League, aiming to reclaim their status among Europe's top clubs.
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