Champions League, Juve snatches a heartfelt draw at Aston Villa

Birmingham (UK), 27 November 2024 – A few days after the emotionless draw at San Siro, Juventus also suffers another 0-0 draw in the Champions League at Aston Villa. A very precious draw for Thiago Motta's men, forced to deal with a major injury emergency at Villa Park, but capable of withstanding the impact of the hosts' physicality. As happened against Milan, overall, the match did not provide great excitement: in the first half of the game better the English who hit the crossbar with a free kick right at the 45th minute with Digne. However, Juve was able to react and give the "Villians" a run for their money and in the second half they came close to scoring with a header from Conceicao, stopped by the miraculous intervention on the line by Martinez. In the end, then, a few too many thrills qWhen Rogers put the ball into the net, but he couldn't celebrate because the referee Jil Manzano rightly disallowed the goal for a foul against Di Gregorio.

Motta and Emery's choices

Thiago Motta is forced once again to deal with a long list of absences who especially reduce the offensive department to the bare minimum, but do not give up the 4-2-3-1: between the posts of the black and white goal Di Gregorio, protected by a line of four formed by Savona, Gatti, Kalulu and Cambiaso. In front of the defense, instead, the tandem composed of Locatelli and Thuram, with Conceicao, Koopmeiners and Yildiz deployed in the three-quarter line to support the striker who, given the many unavailabilities, is Weah. Same formation for Unai Emery's Aston Villa: in front of “Dibu” Martinez there are the four defenders Cash, Torres, Diego Carlos and Digne. In midfield, Tielemans and Kamara. Finally, up front, the attacking trio composed of Bailey, Rogers and McGinn, lined up behind Watkins.

First half

Juventus had a very low centre of gravity at the start, trying to move the ball with personality but having to deal with the high pressure of Aston Villa, who crushed the Bianconeri in their own half of the pitch and in the 14th minute, following a corner, created the first danger of the match with a header from Pau Torres, which ended just over the crossbar. The Bianconeri's rare offensive forays were entrusted to a decidedly lively Conceicao with his accelerations down the right lane. As the minutes passed, however, the home team managed to take control of the game, gaining ground and in the 36th minute they let the Bianconeri run a few shivers down the backs of the Juventus defence with the shot fired from the centre of the area on an assist from Kamara by Watkins, for which Di Gregorio knows how to be ready. The Bianconeri reply is immediate, entrusted to Weah, who in his unusual role as striker moves a lot to avoid giving references and look for the ball and in the 37th minute he grazes the crossbar with a right-footed shot from the edge of the area. Conceicao's conclusion in the 42nd minute is also poisonous, but the clearest goal opportunity of the first half fell right at the 45th minute to Digne's feet who, directly from a free kick, made the crossbar vibrate with Di Gregorio beaten.

Second half

The second half began without substitutions and followed the same pattern as the end of the first half, with Aston Villa making the game with a tight exchange of passes and Juve remaining dependent on the flashes of Conceicao who in the 52nd minute sowed panic in the opposing defence and then complained about a penalty for his cross from the edge of the box (Pau Torres' arm was however attached to his body and in the right position). The Portuguese winger missed the clearest opportunity in the 65th minute when, on the corner kicked by Koopmeiners, he is lost by the English defence and all alone he strikes a few steps from the opponent's goal but finds in his path the miraculous intervention of “Dibu” Martinez who avoids the goal with a save of reflexes and talent on the line. At 66' comes the first change of the match: due to a muscular problem, Savona is in fact forced to leave his place to Danilo, while a few minutes later Aston Villa risked making the Bianconeri pay dearly for their previous opportunity with McGinn who from the heart of the area strikes with a sure shot but is stopped by the providential intervention in a split by Locatelli. To try to unlock a match marked by some individual flashes but overall tactically a bit blocked, Emery draws from the bench by first inserting Duràn and Barkley and then Philogene, while Motta also plays the Mangula and Fagioli cards. Thanks also to fresher forces on the pitch, the ending is vibrant and right at the last gasp Juventus risked a lot when Rogers put the ball in the net. The joy of the goal for the English, however, lasted only a few moments because the referee Jil Manzano immediately disallowed the goal for a foul by Diego Carlos on Di Gregorio and a few seconds later he declared the score 0-0 with the final whistle.

The little table

Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Torres, Diego Carlos, Digne; Kamara (from 78' Barkley), Tielemans; Bailey (from 86' Philogene), Rogers, McGinn; Watkins (from 78' Duran). Coach Emery.

Juventus (4-2-3-1): By Gregorio; Savona (from 66' Danilo), Gatti, Kalulu, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Thuram (from 86' Fagioli); Conceicao, Koopmeiners, Yildiz (from 82' Mangula); Weah. Coach Motta.