Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain celebrates scoring his second goal in the Italian side’s 2-0 Champions League semi-final first leg win over Monaco at the Stade Louis II last night.

Monaco have no answer in first leg at home to in-form Italian giants

Gonzalo Higuain scored twice from Dani Alves passes to put Juventus in control of their Champions League semi-final with Monaco ahead of next week’s second leg in Turin.

The 90 million euro summer signing from Napoli has been prolific as Juve pursue a sixth straight Italian title, but goals seemed harder to come by on the Continent – until last night.

First, Higuain capped a remarkable team effort led by Alves to fire Juve ahead at the Stade Louis II, with his more regulation second extending the Italians’ European advantage and settling a 2-0 victory.

And after successfully negating the goalscoring potency of would-be French champions Monaco, Massimiliano Allegri’s Serie A table-toppers look likely to book a June showdown in Cardiff with Real Madrid, who lead their city rivals Atletico 3-0.

There were surprises on the team sheet, with Monaco fielding natural winger Nabil Dirar at right-back while Alves, a career full-back, was preferred to Juan Cuadrado on Juve’s right flank.

Such deployments would prove crucial to the main events of the match.

However, in the early exchanges the action was all down the left, with Kylian Mbappe living up to a growing reputation by terrorising Juve.

Come the 22nd minute it looked like Monaco had torn a hole in the Juve backline as Mbappe bamboozled Andrea Barzagli with a clever cross that Giorgio Chiellini just got his head to.

In fact,the damage was about to be done at the other end.

A sensational team move began with veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon calmly pushing the ball out to Barzagli.

Two touches later Paulo Dybala was eliciting gasps with a deft backheel inside for Alves.

The former Barcelona flyer stormed through the Monaco midfield before playing a one-two with Higuain. He received the Argentinian’s return pass just inside the box and, holding off Kamil Glik, he too backheeled the ball across the penalty area for Higuain to steer into the bottom corner.

Higuain had not scored in his last seven outings in the Champions League knockout rounds and, after reaching 30 goals in all competitions for Juve at such a key moment, he was suitably overjoyed.

Monaco’s young team, knowing they would now face an incredibly daunting evening in Turin, regrouped over the break and returned to the pitch in a belligerent mood.

However, just before the hour Juve followed through on their menaces.

Again Alves was the provider, the Brazilian lofting a ball forward after Tiemoue Bakayoko lost possession under pressure from Dybala.

Higuain got there first, his outstretched toe making it 2-0.

Picture: Getty. Gonzalo Higuain scores the first of his double for Juventus in their 2-0 win at Monaco.

Veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon celebrates a clean sheet in Monaco.