Dusan Vlahovic wanted simply 31 seconds to indicate Europe why Juventus selected him to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Serbia striker had a dream debut within the Champions League on Tuesday, scoring an excellent purpose after his first contact with the ball in a 1-1 draw at Villarreal.
His purpose had the weather of strikes that solely gamers of Ronaldo’s caliber can pull off, combining energy, a way of the second and that additional dose of confidence which means no scoring probability, nonetheless slim, ought to go to waste.
After utilizing his chest to regulate an extended move from Danilo, the 22-year-old striker didn’t hesitate to instantly tackle center-back pair Pau Torres and Raúl Albiol. He used one contact to organize his shot taken together with his weaker proper foot whereas he spun towards the purpose. The low effort grazed the foot of a defender earlier than squirting in at an angle previous goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli.
It was his second purpose with Juventus for the reason that workforce secured his 70 million euro ($80 million) switch from Fiorentina close to the top of the January switch window to discover a prime scorer after Ronaldo’s exit 5 months earlier than within the offseason.
“It was huge to score on my debut. It was very emotional,” Vlahovic said.
“However, I cannot be 100% satisfied because we have not won the game.” Dani Parejo leveled for Villarreal within the 66th minute, leaving the playoff poised for the decider in Italy with the away-goal rule scrapped this season.
After Vlahovic’s opener, Villarreal tied to reply by way of its velocity on the flanks. Alfonso Pedraza stole the ball and sped from the left facet of the field earlier than he laid off for Giovani Lo Celso, just for his scuffed try to seek out the highest of the left put up within the thirteenth.
Vlahovic was additionally impressed together with his capability to drag down extra lengthy balls for his teammates within the first half. But Parejo’s 66th-minute equalizer got here simply after Albiol made it his mission to start out taking away that outlet.
Following Albiol’s problem to win a ball from Juventus’ new striker, the Italian workforce betrayed its defensive pedigree when it gave Etienne Capoue time to select a run ahead by fellow midfielder Parejo.
Juventus’ backline compounded that mistake by leaving Parejo freed from a marker as he fired low to make it 1-1.
“When they rating within the first minute, it ruins your recreation plan. But even so, we knew tips on how to dangle in there and go for the match,” Parejo stated.
“To draw 1-1 after starting from behind, I am satisfied with how we played and the chances we created against a giant like Juventus.”
Vlahovic nearly conjured up the winner with 5 minutes remaining with a robust shot that Rulli did effectively to cease.
United States midfielder Weston McKennie needed to be substituted for Juventus within the eightieth after he acquired a tough sort out into his decrease left leg by substitute Pervis Estupiñán.
In London, defending champion Chelsea received objectives from Christian Pulisic and Kai Havertz to beat Lille 2-0.
Juventus is attempting to achieve the quarterfinals for the primary time since 2018-19 after shedding within the round-of-16 previously two seasons.
Unai Emery has Villarreal, final season’s Europa League champion, again within the knockout rounds of Europe’s elite membership competitors for the primary time in 13 years.
The Spanish workforce will hope to have striker Gerard Moreno, now injured, again for the second leg in Turin on March 16.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
