UCL: Omer Atzili’s brace condemn Juventus to shocking 2-0 defeat in Israel
Omer Atzili scored twice as Maccabi Haifa defeated Juventus 2-0 on Tuesday night to record their first victory in the group stage of UEFA Champions League group in 20 years.
Following the two-nil loss to AC Milan in the league over the weekend, Juventus were hoping for a win in order to increase their chances of advancing to the next round of the competition.
Juventus were stunned by Maccabi Haifa in the 7th minute of the encounter when goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny struggled to deal with Omer Atzili’s header as the ball found its way into the net to put the Israeli club ahead.
Five minutes later, Haifa almost doubled their lead when Tjaronn Chery’s shot from a freekick beat Szczęsny, who stretched his body in an attempt to get his hands on the ball but the ball struck the bar and went out for a goal kick.
Just a few minutes before the half time whistle, Atzili found himself through with the goalkeeper and curled the ball into the top corner of the post to grab his brace of the night and doubled the hosts’ lead as the first half ended 2-0 in favour of Haifa.
Both sides failed in their attempts to score another goal in the he intensed encounter as the determined Haifa players held the two first half goals tight and went toe-to-toe with Juventus in the second half.
The hosts picked up the historic three points and their first win of the competition while the defeat condemned Juventus to their third loss in four matches in the competition.
The hope of Juventus progressing to the next round of the UEFA Champions League now hangs in balance – Juventus remains third in the Group H, trailing both PSG and Benfica who are currently on seven points each with one game in hand too.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
States
Independence: NBA urges Nigerians to expect better future
The NBA said that ordinary Nigerians should be deriving benefit from the subsidy removal rather than hardship.
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Heading 2
Tinubu’s economic reforms yielding results despite doubts: Bagudu
Mr Bagudu described Mr Tinubu as a visionary leader whose decisions demonstrated courage and commitment to national development.
Sport
Flamingos lose 2-1 to Poland in FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup opener
Poland’s Natalia Skrok made it two in the second half when Blanka Zajac, in the 65th minute, crossed into the Nigerian penalty area.
States
Gov Mbah scraps N750 daily ticket fee for Enugu tricycle operators, extends work hours
Mr Mbah also disclosed that tricycle operators would continue to use the state’s modern transport terminals free of charge.
States
FG unveils five-point strategy to tackle banditry, terrorism in Sokoto
Mr Ribadu called for sustained security deployments around vulnerable settlements, forest corridors and border communities.
Politics
2027: Wike urges Rivers traditional leaders to avoid ‘mistake’, back Tinubu for prosperity
Mr Wike said, “Supporting Tinubu is a support for prosperity.”
Heading 4
NAPTIP raises alarm over rise in parents’ facilitation of children’s sexual exploitation
The NAPTIP boss said parents and guardians were facilitating the sexual exploitation of their children to make money.
