Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzukic scored late to give Juventus a 3-1 win at 10-man Sevilla and a spot in the Champions League knock-out phase.
Sevilla took an early lead when Nicolas Pareja struck a long-distance volley that Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon didn’t appear to see as the ball skimmed through a crowded area.
Sevilla’s Franco Vasquez was sent off for two yellow cards in quick succession midway through the first half and Claudio Marchisio equalised with a penalty just before the break. Bonucci and Mandzukic then found the net in the final 10 minutes.
By contrast, Sevilla’s first defeat in Group H means they have to avoid defeat by a two-goal margin away to Lyon in two weeks to guarantee their place in the last 16.
The French side won 1-0 away at Dinamo Zagreb thanks to Alexandre Lacazette’s 72nd-minute effort.
Juventus can do better
“We still need to improve, because we have the quality to do so much better in this team,” Marchisio told Mediaset after the match.
“It was not easy here. The fans were really fired up, even when we scored the third goal.
“Our performance was not bad, as Sevilla are strong on home turf and rarely concede goals, but we scored three.”
Juventus manager Maximiliano Allegri echoed his star’s sentiments regarding the performance, and added more sharpness was needed in future matches.
“We are happy, as we achieved one of our objectives,” Allegri added. “But we have to improve and be sharper.
“I get angry when I see crazy things like giving the ball away in the final minutes or allowing cheap corners against a team so strong in the air – we conceded a goal in their only real chance — a corner — after 10 minutes.”