Sporting Lisbon-Juve 1-1, goal by Rabiot and penalty by Edwards

An endless day for Juve, which at 18.15, less than three hours after the kick-off of the second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, is suddenly thrown into third position in the Serie A standings thanks to the 15 points (at the moment) re-credited by the decision of the Coni Guarantee Council. And then continued with the second sentence of the day, the one that decreed his landing in the semi-final of the Europa League, after a 1-1 draw against Sporting Lisbon, sweaty until the end. Going ahead after 9 minutes with Rabiot, they suffer the comeback with a penalty scored by Edwards, after Trincao’s sensational post. Then very little happens around Adan, with Esgaio and Coates almost doubling in the final minutes. But that is enough for Juve to win the right to challenge Sevilla in the semifinals.

Q&A

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For the match in Portugal Allegri dared less than in the first leg, proposing a 3-5-1-1 with Rabiot initially on the right, the surprises Chiesa and Miretti, and with Kostic and Milik on the bench, to be used as extra weapons against race in progress. With Kean still out with a muscle problem and Szczesny back on the pitch after a slight illness in the first leg. Amorim wants to overturn the 1-0 immediately in the first leg with a 3-4-3 that sees Trincao at the center of the trident. After a start in slow motion, in the 9th minute Rabiot hits the winning leg on confused action in the area after a corner. Juve therefore took the lead, and the game fell back into a soporific state. The hosts took advantage of this, with the very fast Edwards who left Alex Sandro in place and put in the middle: Trincao hit a sensational crossbar face to face with Szczesny, immediately after Rabiot landed Ugarte in the middle of the area. Edwards takes to the penalty spot, who with his left foot, in the 20th minute, this time displaces the Polish goalkeeper. It’s 1-1, everything needs to be redone. Sporting doesn’t cause big trouble except for a header by Diomandé which grazes the post in the 35th minute, but Juve is weighed down by a poor evening: the bianconeri limit themselves to a mere containment match, without ideas and without flashes . And without shots, of course.

Final with thrill

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A lively start to the second half for Juve, who hit two shots with Vlahovic: in the 55th minute the Serbian center forward, stationed in the small area, was unable to deflect a cross from Cuadrado towards the Portuguese net. The Colombian gives too much strength, but the Serbian could have done better. Two minutes later a right foot from the attacker was muted by Diomandé. Then the match held higher pace than the first half, but remained channeled on the tracks of predictability, and above all of a non-existent offensive danger, despite some good initiatives by Di Maria. In the 69th minute Vlahovic works a ball in the area and gives it to Chiesa, who shoots high. It will be the last action of the Serbian, who gives way to Milik. Miretti meanwhile is replaced by Pogba, while Bremer, victim of a muscle injury, leaves the field replaced by Gatti. Esgaio lights an alarm bell by finding the space for the (high) conclusion in the 75th minute. Then also the match of Chiesa ends, in place of him Kostic. But the substance of the match does not change, with Juve jolting at every Portuguese incursion without being able to make themselves dangerous in Adan’s parts. Chermiti and Reis enter Sporting, Allegri waves because he wants to see a five-man defense, the prologue to a black and white finish in the trenches. And so it is, with Coates all alone in the area he manages to waste a family-size opportunity in the 88th minute. It therefore ends 1-1, and Juve celebrates.