Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both scored twice as the young guns of Juventus made a statement in their 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 Turkey forward Kenan Yildiz also found the net as Juventus dazzled the crowd at Audi Field with some mesmeric football.

“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.”

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

Twice Asian champions 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 metres 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 which 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 they were going to get anything out of the game but they paid the price for their 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 Old Lady.

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

Patricio finally showed the quality that earned him 108 Portugal 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 play Morroco’s Wydad in Philadephia on Sunday, while Al-Ain, who lost to Real Madrid in the 2018 Club World Cup final, face City in Atlanta later the same day.

-Reuters

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Boca Juniors players Ander Herrera and Nicolas Figal were handed four-match bans by FIFA after being sent off in their Club World Cup opener against Benfica, a spokesperson for the Argentine club told Reuters on Wednesday.

Boca disagreed with the sanctions imposed on their players after Benfica’s Andrea Belotti received a two-match ban for catching Ayrton Costa in the head with a high boot in the 72nd minute.

“We have already contacted FIFA to submit an appeal,” said the club spokesperson.

Spanish midfielder Herrera, who was subbed off due to a muscle injury, was shown a red card in the 45th minute after protesting to Mexican referee Cesar Ramos from the bench over a penalty awarded to the Portuguese side.

Defender Figal was sent off in the 88th minute with a straight red card for a foul on Florentino Luis when the match was tied at 2-2.

Boca will face Bayern Munich at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Friday in their second match in Group C.

-Reuters

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Fluminense, Palmeiras, and Boca Juniors gave spirited performances in the opening days of the new-look Club World Cup in the United States, but Europe’s 13-year dominance over South American clubs remains intact after a series of draws.

Fluminense controlled proceedings against Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday but were held to a goalless stalemate by the German side, thanks to a stellar display by Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

Similarly, Palmeiras dominated Porto but were also forced to settle for a 0-0 draw.

Argentinian giants Boca Juniors came closest to breaking the European run, racing into a two-goal lead against Benfica before the Portuguese club rallied to secure a 2-2 draw.

The results underscore the challenge South American teams face in ending Europe’s unbeaten streak, which stretches back to Corinthians’ victory over Chelsea in the 2012 Club World Cup final. Since then, European clubs have gone 33 matches without defeat against teams from other continents.

Historically, South American sides enjoyed success in the Intercontinental Cup, a competition that pitted the winners of the Copa Libertadores against the European Cup champions and was the precursor to the Club World Cup.

Memorable triumphs include Penarol’s 4-0 aggregate two-leg victory over Real Madrid in 1966, Pele’s Santos defeating AC Milan in 1963, Zico’s Flamengo beating Liverpool 3-0 in 1981 and Sao Paulo’s victories over stellar Barcelona and Milan sides in the early 1990s.

HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

The rivalry sometimes led to ill-tempered clashes, such as Racing Club’s games against Celtic in 1967 and both legs of Argentina’s Estudiantes against Manchester United the following year.

Estudiantes’ second leg against Milan in 1969 ended with three of their players being arrested in the hostile environment of La Bombonera stadium, leading to many European sides refusing to play the fixture during the 1970s.

Tempers calmed as the fixture became a one-off match in 1980 and the competitive level remained fierce and balanced.

However, the landscape shifted dramatically following the 1995 Bosman ruling, which allowed European clubs to field unlimited EU players and bolstered their financial and competitive strength.

South American clubs, meanwhile, have seen their top talent move to Europe at increasingly younger ages.

Before the ruling, South American teams led European sides 20-14 in wins. However, European teams have won 16 of the last 17 finals played, reflecting a widening gap.

The revamped Club World Cup, however, with 32 clubs from around the globe including 12 European and six South American, opened the door for fans to watch different levels of teams from each continent pitted against one another.

“Brazilian teams, Brazilian players are always very strong technically, it’s always difficult to play against them, Manchester City forward Bernardo Silva told Reuters on Tuesday.

“Physically, I think the Brazilian teams will be a little better prepared than us, because they are in the middle of their season. The weather and conditions here are more similar to what they are used to. Small details could make the difference in this kind of tournament.”

Five more intercontinental clashes remain in the group stage, including Thursday’s showdown between Copa Libertadores holders Botafogo and Champions League winners Paris St Germain.

With Brazilian league leaders Flamengo preparing for Friday’s clash against Chelsea with a 2-0 victory over Esperance de Tunis, South American clubs — buoyed by passionate travelling support — are hoping to reignite the intercontinental rivalry and challenge Europe’s supremacy once more.

-Reuters

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