Sevilla, defeated in Turin with time served

Sevilla were beaten in Turin with time already running out when, after so many sacrifices and a defensive line to secure the victory in the 96th minute, Juventus equalized later in the final game, thanks to Gatti’s header into an empty net. exit from the corner. The draw ‘in extremis’ for the Italians, who never give up, was cruel for José Luis Mendilibar’s team, although it is a good result for Sevilla, who next Thursday, at the Sánchez Pizjuán, with the support of the fans of the bases that give wings, will have a chance make it to the finals of your favorite competition.

Sevilla, who continue to improve with José Luis Mendilibar on the bench, were dealt an unexpected blow when they should have been celebrating a well-deserved victory. He only needed to retaliate in that decisive action from the ball, because his first semi-final match against Juventus was more than extraordinary. Until Pogba and then Gatti headed in that cursed corner kick that left the Sevilla team more sour than sweet. Faced with the conservatism imposed by Massimiliano Allegri in the first half that marked the entire duel, Sevilla showed courage and football at the Juventus stadium, where they scored a goal on the counterattack, exactly what the Italian team likes the most and until the 1-1 final, completely deactivated second place in the pre-alpine league, powerless to break the visiting defense after the break, until he succeeded with luck in the last action.

The Europa League king, however, exposed Juve at home with an exercise in ambition and play in the first half and, with the result in their favour, a collective sacrifice and solidity at the back against an opponent who scored in the first 45 minutes, and when they reacted, it was too late. Sevilla forced Allegri to even modify his usual system and deploy four defenders after the break after such a disastrous spell for the Italians in which they didn’t have a single shot on target. And the coach of Juventus made as many as five substitutions in 70 minutes, removing even Di Maria from the field, although in the end the substitutions were crucial to at least reach a tie.

Juventus were subdued by Sevilla’s authority and confidence in the first half, and frustrated by Sevilla’s resilience in the second half, throughout added time. The six-time European League champion did not stop dominating, playing in the opposite field, attacking and creating opportunities in the first half in which Lucas Ocampos had one more scorer. Unfortunately for the Sevillistas, the author of the assist for En-Nesyri’s goal after galloping down the right wing had to withdraw injured just eight minutes later, although Mendilibar’s team barely acknowledged his absence.

Sevilla successfully passed the demanding test of the first game of the semi-final against Juve, outmatched by the soccer game of the team led by Rakitić, while the Italians did not have to step up, played a lot in the opposite field. Juventus trusted their defense, the offense, and the balls to Di María and Vlahović, and collapsed. The Argentinian, as a midfielder with complete freedom of movement, was barely allowed to breathe by Acuña and company, and they denied the Serbian when, always offside, he bumped into Bono several times.

Szczesny had work to do in the first half, especially against Ocampos, who was in danger until he left, and he decided by passing to En-Nesyri, who already has four goals in this European League, which winning with Jorge Sampaoli was a utopia, and now, without threats of relegation, it is more than a realistic goal for Sevilla. When it was their turn to play and attack against an opponent who did not shy away from shamelessly retreating hoping for some spark on the counter, Sevilla did it brilliantly, and when they had to hold back, because Juventus had no choice but to take risks, they also responded as tactically disciplined block. Not closing in on his own area, but holding Juve back with pressure and collective commitment.

Suffice it to say that, with Sevilla not allowing the opposition to approach their area until the final stretch, the first stop Bono had to make didn’t come until after the hour mark. It was after a shot from the edge of Iling-Junior that was caught by the Moroccan goalkeeper, always well protected by a defense that also made a big jump under the new coach. What was not counted on was that header at the last moment when a minute had passed since the concession.