Neither the squeaky uniform with which Juventus jumped onto the pitch in Kiev nor the loss of Cristiano marred Pirlo's debut in the Champions League as coach of the Vecchia Signora. The new coach reaped his first victory, of course, thanks to a Morata who polished the best memory he left in Turin. Juve gave a good image in Kiev, without exuberance yet, but firm. Although the chances were falling and the goal did not arrive until Morata showed his opportunism. The Spanish forward left Juventus in 2016, leaving his European nights as the best argument. Morata scored two goals in Kiev and reached nine with the Juventus jersey. In total, there are 17 in 53 games in the highest continental competition.
In his two previous campaigns as bianconero He earned the nickname with which Gianni Agnelli baptized Boniek in the 80s, 'Bello di notte', when the Pole was solving the cold nights of the European Cup until that title in 1985. Morata, meanwhile, was Allegri's goal-man in the Champions League in those two campaigns Juventinas, equaling a Del Piero record even. He managed to score five goals in a row in as many games. Also important shocks. Two to eliminate Real Madrid, one in the Champions League final with Barça plus another two important to City and Sevilla. Morata left Juve with the bitter taste of having scored in that Berlin final against Barcelona, something he remembered yesterday in the bowels of the stadium in Kiev. “It is nice to play with this shirt in the Champions League, an emotion, although the last time it was a disappointment that I still have in mind. Now we have another possibility, we want to reach the end,” he said.
The truth is that Morata has been the best argument for a Juventus still in the works and that it has run into the loss of Cristiano. The party in Kiev was watched with great concern, especially after the setback against Crotone. But there Morata also played Cristiano. He scored a goal, finished off the wood once and the VAR deprived him of the second by millimeters. The idea of Juventus with Morata was to free Cristiano, a striker who attacks the space behind the defense, fast and cleans the front so that the Portuguese can operate more at will. Even, if necessary, Morata to start from the side. Morata left Atlético after his undisguised divorce with Simeone. Now he has found the complicity of Pirlo, whom he is paving the way with goals that give the new coach time to refine his idea. For now, Morata is once again the 'Bello di notte' and accumulates three goals in three games.