Juventus and Sevilla draw in Europa League semi finals first leg.
I. Introduction
In a thrilling Europa League semi-final first leg match on Thursday, Juventus managed to salvage a draw against Sevilla with a last-gasp Federico Gatti goal. The match was played at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, and saw Sevilla take the lead through Youssef En-Nesyri in the 26th minute. Despite the Italians' efforts to get back into the game, the Andalusians held firm and looked set to take a crucial away victory. However, their hopes were dashed when Gatti headed home in the 97th minute to level the scores and ensure a tense second leg in Seville.Federico Gatti scores late equalizer for Juventus against Sevilla
2. First Half
Juventus started the match well and could have taken the lead through Dusan Vlahovic, but his effort was saved by Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The visitors then imposed themselves on the game, with Lucas Ocampos causing trouble down the left wing. The Argentine winger sent a shot narrowly wide before setting up En-Nesyri for the opening goal. The Moroccan international swept home from close range after Bryan Gil had left the ball for him. Sevilla continued to push forward, with En-Nesyri going close again and Ivan Rakitic testing Wojciech Szczesny from distance.3. Second Half
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri made two substitutions at half-time, bringing on Federico Chiesa and Samuel Iling-Junior in an attempt to turn the game around. The hosts looked more composed and dominated the play, but were unable to find a way through Sevilla's defense. Leonardo Bonucci, making his 500th appearance for Juventus, was forced off with a groin injury after an hour and was replaced by Gatti. The home side continued to press forward, with Iling-Junior causing problems down the left, but it looked like time was running out.4. Late Equalizer
With virtually the last touch of the game, Juventus finally managed to find the back of the net. A corner was headed back across goal by substitute Paul Pogba and Gatti nodded in from point-blank range. The Sevilla players were left frustrated, as they felt the referee should have blown the final whistle before the corner was taken. Despite their protests, the goal stood and Juventus had salvaged a draw.5. Conclusion
The 1-1 draw leaves everything to play for in the second leg in Seville next Thursday. Sevilla will feel aggrieved that they didn't come away with a victory after a solid performance, but Juventus will be relieved to have avoided defeat. The late equalizer from Gatti ensures that the Italians are still in with a chance of reaching the final, and they will look to build on this result in the return leg.Hey let me ask you a quick question about your favorite team.
How many times has Sevilla won the Europa League?
You can leave your answer in the comment section. Let's see how many of you get it right.