Juventus lost 2-1 to Sevilla in extra time at Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan on Thursday evening and 3-2 on aggregate in the Europa League semi-finals. The defeat means that the Bianconeri will end a second consecutive season without a trophy.
Dusan Vlahovic had opened the scoring in the 65th minute, but former AC Milan forward Suso equalised six minutes later, and the ex-AS Roma forward Erik Lamela put the Rojiblancos ahead five minutes into extra time.
Sevilla defender Marcos Acuna was sent-off late in extra time but it made little difference as Juventus will now go 27 years without European silverware.
Juventus eventually crumble under Sevilla pressure
In what was an enthralling semi-final, Sevilla dominated possession and pressed aggressively while Juventus posed a danger on the counter-attack. Wojciech Szczesny had a great game in goal for the Bianconeri, making several world-class saves.
In the first half, Nicolo Fagioli came off injured after he was on the receiving end of a strong bump from Nemanja Gudelj while Juan Cuadrado committed a cynical foul on Oliver Torres. There was a VAR review for a potential penalty, but nothing was given and Cuadrado was let off the hook.
Massimiliano Allegri made a double substitution with over an hour gone, bringing on Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa for Moise Kean and Angel Di Maria respectively, and the moves had varying degrees of success.
Vlahovic scored with a delicate chip just minutes after coming on, but Chiesa was dispossessed soon after and it resulted in Suso equalising for Sevilla. Then in extra time, Bryan Gil supplied a cross from the left for Lamela to score with a header.
Juventus’ European trophy drought continues
Although Juventus have remained a powerhouse in Italian football, their wait for another European trophy continues after their latest elimination from Europe.
The Bianconeri have not won the Europa League under its current guise, having last won the UEFA Cup 6-1 on aggregate against Borussia Dortmund in the 1993 final. 1996 was the last year La Vecchia Signora won European honours, beating Ajax on penalties in the Champions League Final and then defeating Paris Saint-Germain 9-2 on aggregate in the European Super Cup.
Since then, Juventus have lost five Champions League Finals and reached two Europa League semi-finals. European trophies remain elusive for La Vecchia Signora despite years of domestic hegemony in Italy.
