Dusan Vlahovic had never played in the UEFA Champions League before the first round of 16 first leg match at Villarreal on 22 February, but Juventus looked a bit out of place in the January star signing competition.
Vlahovic put Juventus ahead on the road after only 33 seconds, scoring the fastest debut goal by a starter in Champions League history.
The 22-year-old demonstrated why Juventus were so eager to sign him, with Vlahovic replacing Cristiano Ronaldo as the face of the club's forward line following the latter's return to Manchester United last summer.
Juventus still have a lot to work on as a unit, with Dani Parejo returning a goal for Villarreal in the second half after the game ended 1-1.
Despite the failure to maintain the lead, and a massive injury in American Weston McKennie, Juventus fans will walk away from the match feeling more optimistic than ever about Velahovic's influence, which will keep things going on the field. There was, even Ronaldo was. is not able to.
Champions League record set by Dusan Vlahovic
It caused some sensation when Vlahovic used an expert control to single-handedly beat Villarreal's backline less than a minute later.
It turns out that he beat former German international Andy Möller by four seconds to score the fastest goal by Champions League debutant from the start of the game:
Dusan Vlahovic's goal is officially the fastest debut goal by a player in the #UCL, beating Andreas Moller's set in 1995.
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 22, 2022
It only took him 33 seconds. 😳 https://t.co/wDYVQ1Dz4N
3️⃣2️⃣ seconds.
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 22, 2022
Dusan Vlahovic’s first #UCL goal is the fastest by a debutant in the competition. 💫 pic.twitter.com/WyK6Vx6sXZ
There was one budding player who came off the bench for his Champions League debut and who made an even greater impact with immediate effect: Sevilla's Yvene Konoplanka.
Players who needed the least time to net on their Champions League #UCL debuts
— MisterChip (English) (@MisterChiping) February 22, 2022
[19 sec ] Konoplyanka* (Sevilla) in 2015
[33 sec] VLAHOVIC (Juve) in 2022
[37 sec] Andy Möller (Dortmund) in 1995
[41 sec] Gary McSwegan* (Rangers) in 1992
[*] off the bench. pic.twitter.com/K4pbH8WGSH
How Vlahovic changed the Juventus attack
Vlahovic was mainly signed on to score goals, but he offers much more than that. Against Villarreal he demonstrated that his link-up game was also of a high standard as he often joined his teammates in the opening period.
In addition, forward teammate Alvaro Morata was able to play alongside Vlahovic. The burden of attack was shared between the two.
Unfazed by the big stage, Vlahovic showed he could help make Juventus a cohesive unit, at a time when Ronaldo was individualistic at times.
But Vlahovic's selfless running and his combination with teammates differed more from his clever moves with the ball. Whenever possible, Juventus looked to play longer deliveries in the path of their centre-forward, although he was equally comfortable getting possession with short passes.
As the first half ended, it became difficult for Vlahovic to get the ball, but he continued to score good runs looking for a place. In the second half he was somewhat hungry for serve, but he still had an opportunity with a quick effort after being discovered by Morata.
Vlahovic as Ronaldo's replacement at Juventus
There is no doubt that Ronaldo made a huge contribution to Juventus - he scored 101 goals in 134 games for the club. Now, however, Juventus are looking to the future, with Vlahovic leading the attack.
Although he had mixed success starting his Juventus career – he scored on his debut against Hellas Verona and forced himself a goal-winner in the Italian Cup against Sassuolo, before netting against Atalanta and Torino. failed to find - it is clear Vlahovic is an injection of quality and Juventus will be heavily dependent on him as they look to progress both domestically and in the Champions League.
His goal against Villarreal was a brilliant solo effort from a difficult angle with his weak leg. Once he builds more chemistry with his teammates, they should be able to work better together as a unit and Vlahovic won't have to go it alone.
But if Vlahovic really wants to stand out from Ronaldo - they both wear the No. 7 jersey for the Old Lady - he would like to make more of a Champions League impact than his predecessor.
Juventus brought in Ronaldo to help them top the UEFA Champions League, but that never happened. During his years with the club the club was not able to progress beyond the quarter-finals of the tournament.
If Vlahovic can produce in his next three Champions League matches (second leg versus Villarreal and the quarter-finals), he could potentially lead an uninjured and injury-prone Juve team to places Ronaldo could never Were. Vlahovic is already making club history in his short time with Juventus (see below), but Champions League success will take his position in the institution to another level.
2 - Dušan Vlahović (22 years, 25 days) is the second youngest player to score on their Champions League debut for Juventus after Alessandro Del Piero (20 years 308 days). Arrival. pic.twitter.com/XieQ5Anqbc
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 22, 2022