October 02, (THEWILL) — Villarreal salvaged a 2-2 draw with Juventus after Renato Veiga headed home a stoppage-time equaliser at Estadio de la Ceramica. The hosts had fallen behind twice during a pulsating contest but refused to surrender, with Veiga’s intervention ensuring both sides left with a share of the points.
Georges Mikautadze put Villarreal ahead in the 18th minute, converting Nicolas Pepe’s pass beyond Mattia Perin. Alfonso Pedraza struck the frame of the goal shortly afterwards, yet the home side could not extend their advantage before the interval. Juventus pressed for a response, with Kenan Yildiz and Jonathan David going close without success.
The visitors transformed the match within 15 minutes of the restart. Federico Gatti produced a stunning overhead kick to restore parity after Lloyd Kelly’s flick-on from a throw-in. Half-time substitute Francisco Conceicao then capitalised on Dani Parejo’s misplaced pass, slotting past Arnau Tenas to complete the turnaround for Igor Tudor’s side.
David thought he had sealed victory for Juventus when he rounded the goalkeeper, but his chipped effort bounced back off the woodwork. That miss proved costly when Villarreal won a late corner, and Veiga rose above the defence to meet Ilias Akhomach’s delivery and restore parity.
The result leaves both teams with mixed emotions after an entertaining encounter. Juventus will rue their failure to hold on for all three points, whilst Villarreal can take satisfaction from their refusal to accept defeat despite twice trailing in front of their own supporters.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
