On a thrilling night of Europa League football, Italian giants Juventus and Roma both emerged victorious from their respective fixtures against Sevilla and Bayer Leverkusen.
Juventus, who had been struggling in recent weeks with a run of poor form, travelled to Spain to take on Sevilla in what was expected to be a tough encounter. The home side started the game brightly and took the lead early on through a goal from Suso. Sevilla continued to press forward and had several chances to double their lead, but they were unable to find the back of the net.
Juventus began to grow in confidence
As the game wore on, Juventus began to grow in confidence and started to create more opportunities of their own. Despite this, they were unable to find a way past the Sevilla goalkeeper, and it looked as though the game was heading for a 1-0 defeat for the Italian side.
However, with just a few minutes left on the clock, Juventus scored a dramatic equaliser. A corner from the left-hand side was whipped into the box, and substitute Morata rose highest to head the ball into the back of the net. The Juventus players and fans erupted with joy as they celebrated a hard-fought point away from home.
The result will be a huge relief for Juventus, who have been struggling to find their form in Serie A this season. The draw against Sevilla will give them a much-needed boost in confidence ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
Meanwhile, in Rome, AS Roma hosted German side Bayer Leverkusen in what was also expected to be a closely contested match. Roma started the game brightly and took the lead early on through a goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Armenian midfielder curled a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box, leaving the Leverkusen goalkeeper with no chance.
Roma continued to dominate the game and had several opportunities to extend their lead, but they were unable to convert any of them. Leverkusen grew into the game as the first half wore on and had a couple of chances to equalise, but they were unable to find a way past the Roma defence.
In the second half, Leverkusen started strongly and had a great chance to level the scores when they were awarded a penalty. However, Roma goalkeeper Rui Patricio produced a fantastic save to keep his side in the lead.
Roma continued to defend resolutely and had a few chances to score a second goal on the counter-attack. In the end, they were able to hold on for a 1-0 victory, much to the delight of the home fans.
The win will be a huge boost for Roma, who have also been struggling in Serie A this season. The victory against Leverkusen will give them a much-needed confidence boost ahead of their upcoming fixtures, and they will be hoping to build on this momentum in the weeks to come.
Overall, it was a fantastic night of Europa League football, with both Juventus and Roma securing important victories. The draw for the knockout stages is fast approaching, and both teams will be hoping to progress as far as possible in the competition.
For Juventus, the Europa League represents their best chance of silverware this season, while for Roma, it is an opportunity to salvage something from a disappointing campaign. Whatever happens in the coming weeks, both teams can be proud of their performances on this memorable night of European football.