Villarreal had an uphill battle on Tuesday night in the first leg of their last 16 tie against Juventus, but came from behind to draw 1-1 after falling behind inside the opening minute.
2021/2022 UEFA Champions League
1-1
Match Report
Dani Parejo scored a second-half leveller for the Yellow Submarine, after Juventus' big-money January signing Dusan Vlahovic had opened the scoring with just 34 seconds played as he made his first-ever Champions League appearance.
Most of the players on the pitch hadn't even touched the ball by the time the Italians got their noses in front, and it took just 34 seconds and two Champions League touches for Vlahovic to get his first goal in the competition, excellently taking the first chance that fell his way to give Unai Emery's side an even more complicated task.
Massimiliano Allegri came in for criticism for how he set up from there on out, though, with the Old Lady reverting to their old ways and trying to defend their one-goal lead for the remaining 90 minutes, plus stoppage time.
But they were made to pay for their lack of ambition in the second half, when Adrien Rabiot fell asleep and let Parejo wander past him and into an empty box to meet a cross and equalise, with Wojciech Szczesny unable to react in time. ??The Frenchman was lucky to stay on the pitch when he was booked for a horror challenge on Samuel Chukwueze, but VAR rather curiously didn't intervene and Rabiot got away with just a yellow card.
Villarreal travel to Turin for the second leg on March 16 and will take confidence from Tuesday's showing and from the knowledge that Juventus away goal won't count for any more as the away goals rule has been abolished this season.
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
1' GOAL! Villarreal 0-1 Juventus (Vlahovic)
12' CLOSE! Lo Celso's hits the post
16' Groeneveld's shot stopped
25' Locatelli's long shot over the bar
33' Morata's shot over the bar
47' Morata's shot wide out
57' Moreno's shot stopped
65' GOAL! Villarreal 1-1 Juventus (Parejo)
72' Yellow Card! Rabiot booked
85' Vlahovic's shot stopped
Line-ups
Villarreal XI: Albiol, Capoue, Parejo, G. Rulli, Moreno, Lo Celso, Pedraza, Groeneveld, P. Torres, S. Chukwueze, Foyth
Subs: Asenjo, Iborra, Gaspar, Mandi, Aurier, Moi Gómez, Trigueros, P. Estupiñán, F. Jörgensen, Yeremy, B. Dia
Juventus XI: Szczesny, Cuadrado, Danilo, Sandro, Morata, De Sciglio, Rabiot, Locatelli, De Ligt, D. Vlahović, McKennie
Subs: Bonucci, Pinsoglio, Perin, Arthur, Zakaria, L.Pellegrini, Kean, Matías Soulé