FIFA Club World Cup: Conceição nets twice as Juventus hammer Al Ain; Portuguese bosses off to strong start | OneFootball

Al Ain 0-5 Juventus

Francisco Conceição scored a brace to maintain the productive showings of Portuguese players at the FIFA Club World Cup, helping Juventus to a resounding victory over Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates to send them top of Group G.

Conceição joins Vitinha and Pedro Neto in scoring in the new, expanded version of the tournament, while the double is the first time the young winger has scored twice in a game across his career.

Frenchman Randal Kolo Muani also scored twice for Juve, while Turkish forward Kenan Yıldız got in on the act with a brilliant low shot. Conceição struck in each half: the first coming after turn and some neat footwork in the box before a left-foot finish; the second a vintage drive from the right channel across his marker before a low shot found the far corner.

“I am very happy with the goals but above all with the team's victory,” Conceição told the media after the final whistle. “We started well, winning was what we wanted, and we want to continue like this. We are in good shape, we are fit, and it's something we work on every day. I like playing, in whatever role the coach requires.”

It is not just the players who have flown the Portuguese flag at the tournament in the United States as the first round of matches were concluded. On the managerial front, Renato Paiva led Brazilians Botafogo to a 2-1 win over host team Seattle Sounders in Group B, while Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, led by Miguel Cardoso, edged Ulsan of South Korea 1-0 in Group F.