Juventus and Rennes played out a 2-2 draw in the Europa League last night after a potential late winner for the Bianconeri was ruled out following a VAR check.
Juventus welcomed Rennes to the Allianz Stadium days after suffering a shock 3-0 defeat to Lazio at home in Serie A over the weekend. The result had left supporters hoping for a much improved performance from their team in Europe.
Luciano Spalletti was not banned from the touchline this time, giving him the opportunity to guide his players throughout the match. However, as has been the case in several recent games, Rennes proved the stronger side during the first half.
Juventus took the lead through Zeki Celik just after five minutes, but Rennes gradually gained control of the contest. The Ligue 1 side soon found an equaliser through Mousa Tamari before Boulaye Dia converted a penalty just before half-time to put the visitors ahead.
Juventus respond after the break
Spalletti needed to deliver the right message to his players during the interval, with Juventus facing the prospect of another disappointing result. The Bianconeri returned for the second half with greater determination, and their performance improved considerably.
The home side began to apply more pressure and looked more threatening going forward. Their efforts eventually paid off when Nick Woltemade converted a penalty to make it 2-2, bringing Juventus back into the contest and giving the supporters renewed hope of a positive result.
The equaliser also changed the atmosphere inside the Allianz Stadium, as Juventus continued to search for a decisive goal. Having struggled to impose themselves before the break, Juve showed greater urgency and purpose in the second half.
(Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)
VAR denies Juventus a late winner
Juventus appeared to have completed their comeback late in the match when Jhon Lucumi believed he had scored the winning goal. However, the celebrations were cut short after the referee reviewed the incident with the assistance of VAR.
Following the check, the goal was ruled out, denying the Bianconeri a dramatic victory in front of their home supporters. Juventus were consequently forced to settle for a 2-2 draw despite their improved second-half display.
Although the result offered Juventus a point, the match highlighted their inconsistency across the two halves. After falling behind against a determined Rennes side, they fought back impressively, only to see their hopes of a late winner disappear following the VAR intervention.