Juventus-FC Nantes MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP
Authors of a heroic match against Juventus in the round of 16 first leg of the Europa League (1-1), the Nantes people believe in the feat next Thursday in front of their public.
Nantes did not miss their big European meeting in Turin by standing up to Juventus (1-1) Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League, maintaining their dreams of exploit in a week at La Beaujoire. After the opening of the Juventus score by Dusan Vlahovic (13th), Ludovic Blas equalized on the hour mark after a perfect counter.
Nantes then defended the draw tooth and nail, with the help of the uprights and with a final scare on a penalty claimed by the Bianconeri in added time but ultimately not granted by the referee.
Crazy return match at La Beaujoire next Thursday
“A big congratulations to my players who were heroic, solid. (…) But the hardest thing will be to finish the job, I expect a rebound Juve“, launched Antoine Kombouaré. They did not regret their trip, the 2,000 Nantes supporters who came to Turin to find the flavor of European matches, where the Canaries had played in April 1996 in a semi-final of the Champions League.
Juventus-FC Nantes MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP
Juve then won the first leg 2-0 and, despite the defeat on the return to Beaujoire (3-2), then won their last continental trophy to date.
For some of these Nantes fans, the start of the evening was however complicated since they only won their place at the time of the kick-off, after being blocked at the entrances, according to testimonies. In 1996, the Nantes had held a half before cracking. This time, the defense where Nicolas Pallois made his return after a month of absence, yielded in the first quarter of an hour against a strong entry Juve, in the wake of a sparkling Angel Di Maria.
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Lafont trapped by ex-Fiorentina
The Argentinian asked for Alban Lafont (3rd) before delivering a marvelous opening for Federico Chiesa who served Vlahovic alone in front of goal. Cruel for Lafont trapped by his two ex-partners of Fiorentina.
Juventus-FC Nantes MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP
Nantes had the merit of not sinking and remaining compact. Little by little, the Canaries even pointed the tip of their beak near the Italian surface, while Juve gradually dropped in pace.
Lafont, impeccable in front of Di Maria (28th, 49th), left Nantes in the match and Blas did not miss the first opportunity when it presented itself: the N.10 concluded an express counter led by Fabien Centonze taking advantage a bright pass from Mostafa Mohamed (60th) and a slip from Gleison Bremer.
Nantes trembled until the last moments with the VAR
Massimiliano Allegri regretted that his players did not make a mistake to stop this counter. Trapped by the cunning Antoine Kombouaré, his Juve then finally woke up. But the Nantes people competed with heroism and success to hold on, saved by the uprights on a strike from Chiesa (62nd) then a corner from Di Maria (66th) and by the clumsiness of Danilo in a final hot situation (90 + 1st ).
They still trembled in added time when the referee was called back by the VAR to assess a possible penalty for a handball by Centonze. But he finally absolved the Nantes defender for a Turin foul.
Juve has therefore always won only one of its seven European matches of the season after a disastrous course in C1. She will go to Nantes for “play a final“says Allegri, but can expect a warm reception, because the Nantes supporters will be well over 2,000 this time. “We need everyone to have a boiling Beaujoire“, Launched Kombouaré.
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