Youth League, play-offs: Genk-Juventus 4-3 on penalties, black and white eliminated

Juve Primavera lost 4-3 after penalties on the Genk field and said goodbye to the Youth League with much regret, at the end of a match played in double numerical inferiority in the last half hour of play. Montero’s boys would have deserved another fate, due to the chances built up in the opponent’s half and the way they were able to react to the difficulties of a match conditioned by questionable referee direction: 9 cards, two of which were red against Juve, despite a fair race. The error on Yildiz’s last spot kick was decisive: the trajectory deflected on the post by the goalkeeper.

Equilibrium

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At the start Daffara defuses a free-kick from Martens, the bianconeri try instead with Hasa from distance: the conclusion is not precise. The first fraction actually offers few interesting ideas for about half an hour, Montero’s team relies too much on the initiatives of the individuals – Yildiz above all – and struggles enough to express quality in the game. Genk nearly took the lead with a shot by Arabaci just over the crossbar. Two attempts by Juventus before the interval: a shot by Yildiz that deludes the outside of the net and a free-kick by Rouhi just oversized. Balance reigns.

Juventus in 9

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Everything inevitably changes five minutes into the second half, due to the direct red light waved at Dellavalle for a bad foul on Rotundo. Montero runs for cover by calling out an attacker, Mancini, to patch up the defense with Domanico. Juve’s immediate reaction was entrusted to a shot by Rouhi, saved, and an attempt by Hasa, closed by a defender, on the rebound. The match director, the Serbian Milanovic, was once again the protagonist in the 63rd minute: Nonge launched deep, fell on a push from Martens perhaps accentuating the fall a little but not to the point of being sent off for a second yellow card.

Stoic ending

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With two players down, Juve tries to handle the impact with two very narrow lines, leaving Turco forward as the only reference to restart. The last half hour for Juventus was stoic: while Genk proved unable to make the match their own, Nzouango nearly took the lead with a header from a corner kick, the newcomer Anghelé took the post with a fine left foot from before at the suggestion of Rouhi (the best of Montero’s boys) and Yildiz gave the Belgian goalkeeper the creeps with a left-footed shot that grazed the crossbar. Daffara rejects Smakens on Genk’s only shot, who then celebrates on penalties.