Del Piero the hero as Juventus pass first hurdle
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Updated: 2001-10-24 10:01

Juventus of Italy booked a place in the second round of the European Champions League on Tuesday at the Stadio Delle Alpi, a comeback 3-1 win over Portugal's FC Porto enough to see them qualify with a match to spare.

Goals from the outstanding Alessandro Del Piero, Paolo Montero and David Trezeguet saw Juve home after Porto had taken a lead through a freak goal from Brazilian Clayton.

Marcello Lippi's side are thus still on course for their third triumph in this competition, the last coming in 1995-6 in Lippi's first spell in charge.

Appropriately it was Del Piero, the only surviving player in the starting line-up from that team, who led Juve into round two, scoring and creating another after Porto's early shock in this Group E match.

Juve, wearing an all black kit, made a bright start with Italian international winger Gianluca Zambrotta heavily involved, twice going close in the opening stages.

But after 13 minutes Porto took the lead - although the wound self-inflicted by Juventus.

A freekick was awarded but Clayton's shot did not look particularly testing. However, Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and his entire defence left each other to deal with the ball and it drifted into the net untouched.

It was the latest howler from Buffon, who was recruited for a world record fee for a goalkeeper from Parma in the summer.

Juve tried to get on level terms but a well-organised Porto defence contrived to make life difficult, although their Russian goalkeeper Sergey Ovchinnikov had his heart in his mouth when Jorge Andrade almost headed an own goal, in the end conceding a corner.

But then Juve came levelled the scores, Del Piero's curled freekick defeating Ovchinnikov and his defensive wall.

Del Piero was at the centre of Juve's playmaking, with the Italian then setting up Czech colleague Pavel Nedved whose shot was well saved by the Russian.

All square at the interval, Juventus did not wait long to go into the lead after the restart.

Juve won a corner and Del Piero's superb delivery was headed firmly past Ovchinnikov by Uruguayan veteran Montero.

Porto, who won this competition back in 1987, poured forward in search of an equaliser. However it was Juventus who missed a good chance to kill the game when their Dutch midfielder Edgar Davids failed to find Del Piero who was totally unmarked.

Juve's Croatian defender Igor Tudor also went close as the Italians scented a place in the next round.

Del Piero then had the ball in the net after linking up with Nedved but Swedish referee Anders Frisk ruled it offside despite Del Piero appearing to be in a regular position.

Porto coach Octavio Machado brought on Helder Postiga and Rafael for Clayton and his fellow Brazilian Deco.

Lippi replaced Zambrotta with Cristian Zenoni but then Juventus finally came up with the killer goal, Nedved centring to French striker Trezeguet who struck home for Juve's third.

Del Piero was given a standing ovation when he departed to be replaced by Enzo Maresca.