“However, in the last seconds, Unai Emery’s decisive goal for the team was disallowed.”, — write: champions.football.ua
However, in the last seconds, Unai Emery’s decisive goal for the team was disallowed.
And when two teams with such problems meet each other and they both need to get a result, it is not difficult to guess that it is the spectators who, in the end, turn out to be the ones who get the most pleasure from watching such a game. However, there was a moment that was frankly disturbing – two good crazy tactics Unai Emery and Thiago Motta led the teams participating in this confrontation, so you could scatter chessboards on the field, and on each of them these two coaches would be happy to cut themselves.
It is not difficult to guess what this conversation is leading to – the lack of goals, of course, although there were hopes for this until the last. Because the “zebras” constantly dragged the opponents with counterattacks, while the “lions” responded with high-quality standards and active flanks. In the end, there was almost a fight between Bailey and Dean for Villa’s penalty area, because everyone wanted to score, because there were a lot of fights and fouls, but only the Frenchman managed to hit the crossbar at the end of the first half.
And so — the match itself, as a match, nothing unusual and not a single overture from goal-scoring moments throughout the confrontation. In the closing minutes, though, it really started to look like Villa were about to take this game away. However, when Locatelli cleared McGinn’s shot from close range off the empty goal line, and Rodgers’ goal in the dying seconds was disallowed by Diego Carlos’ foul on Di Gregorio, the tie went nowhere.
Yes, there were still plenty of moments, including Conceição’s superb chance, when Martinez also had to drag the ball on the goal line after a close header, but no, this game wasn’t about what happened on the pitch, it was about how the coaches teams will find ways out of crisis situations in their heads. Everyone had their own – so a point for each, and for the next round.
In the next round, Birmingham’s Aston Villa will visit Germany’s RB Leipzig, while Turin’s Juventus will host England’s Manchester City.
Aston Villa – Juventus 0:0
Aston Villa: Martinez – Cash, Diego Carlos, Torres, Digne – Camara (Duran, 78), Tielemans – Bailey (Filogin, 86), Rodgers, McGinn – Watkins (Barkley, 78).
Juventus: Di Gregorio — Savona (Danilo, 66), Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiazo — Locatelli, Thuram (Fagoli, 86) — Conceisan, Kopmeiners, Yildiz (Mbangula, 82) — Wea.
Warnings: Tielemans, Bailly, Torres – Kalulu, Weah, Kopmainers