Juventus claimed its first win of the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era by beating Malmo 3-0 in the Champions League after a flurry of first-half goals.
Alex Sandro’s 23rd-minute opener was followed by goals in the space of 60 seconds by Paulo Dybala — from the penalty spot — and Alvaro Morata on the stroke of halftime in the south of Sweden on Tuesday.
Juventus has failed to win any of its three games in Serie A this season, the last two being losses that came after the departure of Ronaldo to Manchester United.
A trip to the Swedish champions offered some respite from its domestic problems for Massimiliano Allegri’s team, which can take some momentum into a big match in the Italian league against AC Milan on Sunday. “We came here after some bad results, but we knew that this is another competition and we knew what to do,” Dybala said.
“We did it, playing with serenity.” Sandro’s goal — a stooping header from a right-wing cross from Juan Cuadrado that was flicked on by Rodrigo Bentancur — came just as Malmo was starting to apply some pressure on Juventus. After that, the visitors dominated.