Alvaro Morata, Juventus' man for the big occasion, is seen differently in Italy

When Juventus needed Alvaro Morata, he delivered. Faced with a tricky Champions League opener away to a stubborn and well-organised Dynamo Kyiv side, the Spaniard delivered the game’s two decisive moments, netting what proved to be the match-winner less than a minute into the second half.

In terms of the quality of the two goals Morata has scored better. The build-up play involving Aaron Ramsey for the first was tidy, with the Welshman setting up Dejan Kulusevski with a clever backheel flick, but the ball ended up in the back of the net through the Juventus striker’s opportunism, reacting quickest to the rebound.

The finish for the second goal did a better job of demonstrating what Morata offers Juventus following his return to the club in the summer window, with the Spaniard getting ahead of his man to power home a header from an early Juan Cuadrado cross into the box. A well-taken goal, but not enough to make an end-of-season highlight reel.

That Morata came up big when Juve needed him, however, was notable. With Cristiano Ronaldo ruled out through Covid-19 self-isolation, the 27-year-old was deployed as Juventus lone frontman. The Spaniard had Paulo Dybala for support, with Cuadrado and Federico Chiesa out wide, but the onus was on him to provide the cutting edge.

And that’s what he did, getting Juve off to a winning start in this season’s Champions League. While this may have surprised some who watched Morata struggle in the Premier League and La Liga over the last few years, he has frequently found his best form for Juventus in Europe.

In fact, Morata has earned himself a reputation as something of a clutch figure for the Bianconeri, known for coming up with big goals when they are needed most. This is in stark contrast to how the Spaniard is remembered at Atletico Madrid and Chelsea, where fans were left wondering what all the fuss was about.

Morata’s brace against Dynamo Kyiv didn’t come out of the blue either. He scored Juventus’ only goal in a 1-1- draw against Crotone on Saturday, also striking the woodwork and having another goal chalked off for a marginal offside. There’s just something about the Bianconeri shirt that fits him better, particularly in the Champions League.

The two goals against Dynamo Kyiv means Morata has now scored nine times in his last 16 Champions League appearances for Juventus. Much was made of Ronaldo’s arrival in Turin and how it formed a central part of the Old Lady’s plan to be crowned European champions. The Portuguese remains their primary difference maker, but Morata’s return could also help them edge closer to achieving their ultimate objective.

Juventus’ win in Ukraine was one that came with some significant collateral damage, with Giorgio Chiellini withdrawn through injury in the first half. Leonardo Bonucci also appeared to pick up a knock despite playing the full 90 minutes. But Morata’s performance gave Pirlo reason enough to be quietly satisfied on the flight back to Italy.

For a player who has played for some of Europe’s biggest clubs, from Atletico Madrid to Real Madrid, Chelsea to Juventus, Morata has often struggled to find a team willing to truly embrace him. Whether he is overrated or underrated depends on who you ask, and who they support, but Juve have always seen the best of the Spaniard and his brace against Dynamo Kyiv suggests that will continue to be the case.