PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kenan Yildiz scored two goals in Juventus’ 4-1 win over Wydad in the Club World Cup on Sunday.
The victory leaves Juventus in first place in Group G.
In the sixth minute, Juventus took the lead as defender Abdelmounaim Boutouil deflected a shot attempt by Yildiz into the back of Wydad’s net.
Ten minutes later, Yildiz showed up again in front of the 31,975 fans in Lincoln Financial Field, less than half the stadium's capacity, to double Juventus’ lead with a powerful volley into the top right corner.
Wydad made it 2-1 in the 25th minute after a pass from team captain Nordin Amrabat left Thembinkosi Lorch one-on-one with Michele Di Gregorio, who wasn't able to stop Lorch's chip shot.
Following the goal, the referee paused the match after Wydad's supporters threw three flares onto the field and set off red and black smoke in the stands that affected visibility on the field. The four-minute pause also served as a hydration break for the players as temperatures in Philadelphia reached 89 degrees in the first half.
With his second goal of the game, Yildiz secured the win for Juventus in the 69th minute after an assist by Randal Kolo Muani.
In stoppage time, Dusan Vlahovic added a goal after converting a penalty kick.
Key moment
Vlahovic's score in the 94th minute was key to make Juventus' goal differential better ahead of a tough match against Manchester City for the lead in Group G.
Takeaways
Juventus is an Al Ain loss away from being through to the round of 16 of the Club World Cup. They will play Manchester City next Thursday to try to finish atop Group G. With the loss, Wydad is eliminated from the tournament. They will face Al Ain next.
What they said
“Before the game started, I said to (Yildiz), ‘Just go and do your thing. Get on the ball, create opportunities,’ and that’s what he does. I would hate to be playing against him if I was the opposition.” — Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly.
“We got a lot of good things out of the matches. We played against really strong teams. It also is a very different game at the highest level, and we still have one more game left to win.” — Wydad defender Guilherme Ferreira.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
Mario Rodriguez Canuto, The Associated Press
