PAP/EPA/Alessandro Di Marco/Pictured: Manuel Locatelli (right) and Pedro Goncalves (left)
In the first match of the quarter-finals of the 2022/2023 UEFA Europa League, Juventus, whose players Wojciech Szczecin and Arkadiusz Milik, defeated Sporting Lisbon 1: 0 at home.
Thursday’s game in Turin was an interesting one, and Juventus appeared to be his favourite. However, the Old Lady had to be careful, because in the previous round of LE Sporting eliminated the Premier League leaders, Arsenal F.C.
From the start of the competition, the Lisbon players did their best to attack, they wanted to impose their style of play and they succeeded in the first half.
The guests fared much better than the hosts, who owed a goalless draw before the break only to their goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Watch the video: #dziejesiewsportie: Fantastic goal by a 17-year-old from Legia
The Polish goalkeeper made a great tackle after attacks by Sebastian Kots and Pedro Goncalves, and Heidemasa Morita shot just wide from outside the penalty area.
Massimiliano Allegri’s charges threatened Lisbon’s goal only once, when Federico Chiesa made a good effort, but Antonio Adan showed an effective tackle.
In the 44th minute, due to health problems, Szczęsny, who was in high form, was replaced by Mattia Perin.
After switching teams, the Portuguese national team reigned supreme for quite some time. On the other hand, Juventus got up around the 60th minute and only from then on started playing faster and bolder.
Federico Chiesa was active, but it wasn’t he but Federico Gatti who put his team ahead in the 73rd minute. Then Dusan Vlahović (replacing the colorless Arkadiusz Milik) headed neatly in from the right wing, and the best thing in front of Sporting’s goal was Gatti, who put the ball in netting at close range.
Later, the Lisbonians fought ambitiously to equalise, but Perrin was not surprised once, essentially stopping Hector Bellerin’s goal in extra time.
The second leg will take place in Lisbon on 20 April 2023 (Thursday) at 21:00.
Quarter-finals of the European League (first leg):
Juventus – Sporting Lisbon 1: 0 (0: 0)
1: 0 – Federico Gatti 73′
Compositions:
Juventus: Wojciech Szczęsny (44′ Mattia Perin) – Federico Gatti, Bremer, Danilo – Juan Cuadrado, Manuel Locatelli (86′ Leandro Paredes), Adrien Rabiot, Filip Kostić (63′ Nicolo Fagioli) – Angel Di Maria (86′ Paul Pogba), Arcadius Milik (63 Dozan Vlahovic), Federico Chiesa.
Sporting Lisbon: Antonio Aden – St. Jeremiah Juste (45 + 4′ Ousmane Diomande), Goncalo Inacio, Sebastian Coates – Ricardo Esgaio (78′ Hector Bellerin), Hidemasa Morita, Pedro Goncalves, Nuno Santos (62′ Matheus Reis) – Marcus Edwards (78′ Dario Essugo), Yosef Chermiti (62′ Arthur Gomez), Francisco Trincao.
Yellow cards: Adrien Rabiot and Duzan Vlahovic (Juventus) and Goncalo Inácio (Sporting Lisbon).
Judge: Halil Umut Miller (Türkiye).
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