Gatti’s stoppage-time header erased Sevilla’s lead as Juventus salvaged a draw in the Europa League semi-final. Juventus snatched a late 1-1 draw against Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final thanks to a 97th-minute header from Federico Gatti.
The Spanish side had taken the lead in the first half through Youssef En-Nesyri, who finished a Lucas Ocampos pass into the bottom corner. Sevilla had several other opportunities to score but were denied by Wojciech Szczesny’s saves.
Juventus improved after the break, with Samuel Iling-Junior and Federico Chiesa adding some spark to their attack. And they got their reward in the dying moments when Gatti rose to meet a cross and headed home his second Europa League goal of the season. Gatti was the unlikely hero for Juventus, who had struggled to create chances throughout the game.
Dusan Vlahovic, Angel Di Maria, and Arkadiusz Milik were all ineffective in front of goal. Gatti, who had only 21 touches in his 30-minute cameo, made the most of his chance and gave Juventus a lifeline for the second leg.
Sevilla will be disappointed to concede so late, especially after targeting Leonardo Bonucci’s weakness in defence. The veteran center-back was at fault for En-Nesyri’s goal and had to be substituted with a leg injury in the second half. He could miss the return leg in Spain, where Juventus will have to win to reach the final.
