Juve share spoils with Lille | OneFootball

Juve return from Lille with a draw and with the feeling that perhaps they deserved more following a very strong performance. The Bianconeri came from behind to secure a point through Dusan Vlahovic’s penalty.

A HIGH TEMPO FIRST HALF

Lille pressed from the outset, as Jonathan David tried to squeeze through the middle of the Bianconeri defence in the third minute before attempting a shot, which was blocked.

Juve, for their part, quickly got to grips with the game and started to implement their game plan: after 10 minutes Andrea Cambiaso’s effort went wide, as did Vlahovic’s four minutes later, who was excellently played through by Kenan Yildiz, but the Serbian's low diagonal shot from the left went just wide off the post.

Both teams tried to impose their style of play on the match and the result was an enjoyable first half, with chances at both ends. On the sixteenth minute the Bianconeri defence just about managed to scramble the ball clear after David was picked out by Edon Zhegrova, but the hosts then found the opener following a Juve attack...

THE FRENCH BREAK

Francisco Conceicao was dispossessed in the final third and Lille launched a fast counter-attack, which David did well to finish off by slotting past the out-rushing Michele Di Gregorio.

It was all Juve from the 27th minute onwards: in the 32nd and 34th minutes Vlahovic caused the Lille defence some issues, first by narrowly failing to latch onto the end of a good (but just too long) pass from Yildiz, and then Lucas Chevalier did well to deny Vlahovic’s volley that seemed destined for the top corner.

TESTING CHEVALIER

In the 41st and 44th minutes Teun Koopmeiners’ tested the French goalkeeper: Koopmeiners, who had already had a goal ruled out in the 23rd minute, also found the net four minutes before the end of the first half, but in both cases he was flagged offside. He then had another effort that went just over the crossbar.

Thus ended a first half after which Juve did not deserve to be behind.

The Bianconeri were on the attack straight after the restart: in the 55th minute Chevalier had more work to do, first parrying away a cross-shot by Conceicao and then saving Khephren Thuram’s effort from outside the area.

THE DESERVED EQUALISER

Two minutes had passed before a great free kick by Cambiaso allowed Conceicao to drive into the penalty area before being brought down: it was a penalty, which Vlahovic converted (his 50th goal for Juventus).

Juve now felt they could turn the game on its head, and in the 66th minute they threatened again through Yildiz and Koopmeiners, who missed the post by a whisker as Juve sought a winner. The Biaconeri put in an excellent second half performamce, dominating for long periods, but they could not find an elusive second goal. Then came Lille at the other end, who sprung to life in the closing stages. In the 78th minute Zhegrova fired an effort powerfully towards the near post, but Di Gregorio was decisive in his intervention, and from the resulting corner, delivered precisely again by Zhegrova, Andre came very close to reinstating Lille’s lead in the 79th minute.

Juve fought for a winner until the final whistle: but in the end they had to settle for what is a positive draw, even if the feeling remains that it could have been more.

Gallery | UCL | Lille - Juventus

LILLE 1-1 JUVENTUS

Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Tuesday 5 November, 2024 at 21:00 (CEST)

Goals: 27’ David (L), 60’ Vlahovic (Pen.) (J),

Lille: Chevalier, Mandi, Diakite, Alexsandro, Gudmundsson (81’ Bakker), Andre, Bouaddi, Zhegovra, Gomes (55’ Mukau), Sahraoui (87’ Fernandez-Pardo), David. Unused Substitutes: Mannone, Caillard, Bayo, Costarelli, Baret, Lachaab. Coach: Bruno Genesio.

Juventus: Gi Gregorio, Cambiaso, Gatti, Kalulu, Cabal (68’ Savona), Thuram (68’ McKennie), Locatelli, Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz (81’ Mbangula), Vlahovic (68’ Weah). Unused Substitutes: Perin, Adzic, Fagioli, Pinsoglio, Douglas Luiz, Rouhi. Coach: Thiago Motta.

Referee: Irfan Peljto Assistants: Senad Ibrisimbegovic, Davor Beljo Fourth Official: Dennis Higler

Bookings: 62’ Cabal (J), 72’ Andre (L)

Next Match:

Juventus-Torino Serie A – Matchday Twelve Saturday, 9 November, 2024 at 20:45 (CEST) Allianz Stadium