Villarreal and Juventus played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in the Champions League, with Renato Veiga scoring a last-minute header to deny Juventus their first win.
Villarreal hosted Juventus in a highly anticipated Champions League match, and the visitors had a tough time containing the home team’s attacking prowess.
Nicolas Pepe was instrumental in Villarreal’s early dominance, beating Juan Cabal for pace multiple times and earning the Colombian a booking. Unfortunately for Juventus, Cabal’s hamstring injury forced him off the field after just 15 minutes.
Immediately after Cabal’s substitution, Villarreal broke the deadlock. Pepe and Georges Mikautadze combined beautifully, with the Georgian slotting home a tidy finish. Mattia Perin made crucial saves to deny Alfonso Pedraza and Tajon Buchanan, but Juventus struggled to create scoring opportunities in the first half.
The Italian side stepped up their game in the second half, and their efforts paid off. Federico Gatti scored an incredible bicycle kick goal off a throw-in, and Francisco Conceicao’s individual brilliance gave Juventus the lead.
Conceicao intercepted a loose pass from Dani Parejo, carried the ball the length of the field, and slotted it past Arnau Tenas with ease.
However, Conceicao’s hard work was undone in the final minute of regular time when Renato Veiga, a former Juventus defender, headed home a corner kick to salvage a point for Villarreal. This dramatic turn of events denied Juventus their first win in the competition.
The 2-2 draw extends Juventus’ unbeaten streak to four matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Villarreal earned their first point in the tournament.
