Aston Villa and Juventus played out a goal-less stalemate on matchday five of the Champions League league phase on Wednesday night.
The contest struggled to get going until after half-time, and although Morgan Rogers controversially had a would-be late goal ruled out for a soft foul on Juve goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio, neither side deserved to claim all three points.
How the match unfolded
Villa Park readied itself for the arrival of another European giant on Wednesday night as two-time European champions Juventus came to town.
The hosts entered the contest without a win in six games across all competitions having also been beaten last time out by Club Brugge, and they were tentative on home soil against a depleted Juve side that stifled the home crowd through slick and controlled work in the build-up phase.
The Bianconeri’s control tamed a typically buoyant atmosphere under the lights, and their ability to recover in transition ensured Villa had little joy in the opening period. The hosts struggled to progress and penetrate centrally, with Juve condensing the pitch and tracking the runs of Ollie Watkins diligently.
Watkins did draw the first save out of Di Gregorio 37 minutes into the contest with a snap-shot inside the box, while Lucas Digne clipped the crossbar with a free-kick on the stroke of half-time. Juve’s control, meanwhile, failed to result in sustained pressure at the other end of the pitch and they were limited to low-quality efforts from distance.
The low-quality attacking play permeated into the second-halr, although there was a sense of the contest opening up. Villa continued to fight for momentum, but Juve remained resolute in a bid to shun their flat hosts. Francisco Conceicao worked wonders down the right on occasions, and it was the diminutive winger who came closest to breaking the deadlock midway through the second half. However, his close-range header was superbly kept out by Emiliano Martinez.
Di Gregorio was then called into action at the other end, with McGinn the man denied after latching onto Leon Bailey’s tempting cut-back (although the goalkeeper was helped out by the boot of Manuel Locatelli). Entering the final 20 minutes, it was anyone’s game.
Inspiration failed to arrive off both benches, though, and the tie seemed destined for a stalemate. However, Villa fashioned one moment from a hopeful free-kick in stoppage time. Di Gregorio looked set to claim the cross with ease, but fluffed the catch and allowed Morgan Rogers to tap home. The error was deemed to have been forced by Diego Carlos’ nudge, though, and the goal was ruled out.
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