Juventus looked down and out against Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League semifinal until a late goal rescued the tie.
Sevilla led after a 26th-minute goal from striker Youssef En-Nesyri. The goal looked set to lead Sevilla to the win.
4⃣8⃣ hours to go... ⏳ pic.twitter.com/AXP0c3PRc0— Sevilla FC (@SevillaFC_ENG) May 16, 2023
4⃣8⃣ hours to go... ⏳ pic.twitter.com/AXP0c3PRc0
However, a late set-piece led to a goal from Juventus’s Federico Gatti in second-half stoppage time.
Now, the two semifinal rivals will clash in the second leg at the Estadio Ramo Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville.
The winner will meet the winner of the semifinal between Bayer Leverkusen and Roma. Roma go into the second leg of their semifinal leading 1-0.
Sevilla rebounded from their 1-1 draw with Juventus with a 3-0 victory away to Real Valladolid in La Liga play.
Since hiring manager Jose Luis Mendilibar, Sevilla have been excellent. Mendilibar took over on March 21. He has overseen 11 matches, leading Sevilla to 10 matches without a defeat during that time.
Juventus are five matches unbeaten in all competitions. Three of those five games ended as wins. The Bianconeri picked up a 2-0 win at home over Cremonese at the weekend. With both teams winning at the weekend, they will feel full of confidence for the second leg.
Sevilla’s defence kept Juventus’ attack in check for most of the first leg. Juventus scored 77 goals this season in 52 matches in all competitions.
However, Sevilla’s defence stopped the Bianconeri’s top scorer Dusan Vlahovic.
The Serbian has 13 goals in all competitions. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot has 11 goals in all competitions and is the team’s second-highest score. Rabiot is once again linked with a transfer to Manchester United. Both players should be in the starting XI.
Max Allegri will be without Paul Pogba after the Frenchman was injured in his first start since returning to Juventus.
Joining Pogba on the sidelines will be defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Mattia De Sciglio. Juventus forward Kaio Jorge is also set to miss the match.
Sevilla coach Mendilibar will be without key forward Suso following a muscle injury. Nianzou Kouassi is a doubt due to physical discomfort.
Defender Teixeira Marcao will miss the match with a muscle injury. Midfielder Joan Jordan will miss the rest of the campaign with an Achilles injury.
Mendilibar has turned Sevilla around, however, Juventus gave themselves a lifeline in the first leg with a late equaliser.
The Bianconeri should pick up a win away from home in Sevilla to progress to the Europa League final. It should be a close and cagey game with Juventus winning 1-0.