Weston McKennie’s impressive goalscoring run continued on Wednesday, this time scoring the crucial goal that ensured Juventus would come back from a three goal deficit in their knockout phase playoff tie against Galatasaray and keep their UEFA Champions League hopes alive.
Juventus entered Wednesday’s second leg after a 5-2 defeat in Istanbul last week and pulled one back in the first half thanks to Manuel Locatelli and though Lloyd Kelly’s red card in the 49th minute complicated matters, Federico Gatti’s 70th minute goal put the Turin-based side within touching distance of extra time. McKennie’s goal in the 82nd minute, though, ensured the hosts would get another 30 minutes to prove themselves in the hopes of reaching the round of 16.
The hosts earned a freekick on the left flank, the ball looping to the far end of the box where Teun Koopmeiners was waiting. Koopmeiners, who scored a brace at Galatasaray last week, sent the ball near the opposite post, the ball sailing towards the goal line. McKennie had his eyes on the ball as soon as it neared Koopmeiners’ head and made a run to meet it at the post and then gets his head on the ball to ensure it lands in the back of the net.
Watch the strike below.
It was McKennie’s eighth goal of the season across all competitions for Juventus, the U.S. men’s national team midfielder already in the midst of a career-best goalscoring run. He played as a left wingback on Wednesday, which comes as little surprise for the team’s longtime utility player, but he has been in attack-minded roles since Luciano Spalletti became the coach last fall. Spalletti has showcased McKennie’s versatility even as attack remains the focus, once describing him as the “perfect central striker” and even inserting him there at Galatasaray last week.
