Champions League: Villarreal 2–2 Juventus Late Veiga header denies Old Lady comeback.
Juventus were forced to settle for a point in Spain after a dramatic 2–2 draw with Villarreal, as former Bianconero defender Renato Veiga struck a last-minute equaliser at Estadio de la Cerámica.
The hosts took the lead after just 18 minutes when Nicolas Pépé, electric down the right, combined with Georges Mikautadze, who swept in a tidy finish past Mattia Perin. Villarreal pressed hard for a second, with Pépé tormenting Juan Cabal until the Juventus full-back limped off injured and Perin tipping Alfonso Pedraza’s cross onto the post.
Juventus grew into the game, though chances were scarce before the break. Kenan Yildiz saw an effort blocked, while Villarreal’s Tajon Buchanan and Mikautadze both threatened to extend the advantage.
The turning point came with the introduction of Francisco Conceição at half-time. The Portuguese winger immediately injected life into the Bianconeri attack, creating a gilt-edged chance for Jonathan David, who inexplicably dragged wide from close range.
Moments later, Juventus found their equaliser in spectacular fashion. From a long throw, Federico Gatti produced an audacious bicycle kick to level the score. Just seven minutes later, Conceição pounced on Dani Parejo’s loose back pass, racing the length of the half before calmly slotting past Arnau Tenas to give Juve the lead.
Victory seemed within reach until the final minute of normal time, when Veiga rose highest from a corner to head home against his former club, snatching a point for Villarreal and breaking Juventus hearts.
The result leaves Juventus with two consecutive Champions League draws and four in a row across all competitions, while Villarreal showed resilience to stay unbeaten in Europe.
Scorers:
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Villarreal: Mikautadze (18’), Veiga (90’)
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Juventus: Gatti (49’), Conceição (56’)
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