Europa League champion Villarreal scored three second-half goals in a 3-0 win on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in 13 years.
𝗟𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗢, 𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟 💛!#UCL pic.twitter.com/zz126eLQut
— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) March 16, 2022
Substitute Gerard Moreno converted a penalty in the 78th minute to break the deadlock following a 1-1 draw in the first leg.
💛 @GerardMoreno9 🐐#UCL pic.twitter.com/26oP2fXglT
— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) March 17, 2022
Then Pau Torres was left unmarked to redirect in a corner before Arnaut Danjuma added another spot kick as Villarreal advanced 4-1 on aggregate.
This was a huge setback to Juventus and their manager, Allegri.
Allegri returned to Juventus this season after Maurizio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo coached the Bianconeri during successive seasons when they lost to Lyon and Porto respectively.
Including a quarterfinal defeat to Ajax in 2019, it’s the fourth straight time that Juventus has been knocked out after a home second-leg match.
Juventus sorely missed captain Giorgio Chiellini, who never left the bench following an injury layoff, and fellow center back Leonardo Bonucci, who was still out injured.
Moreno draws first blood
The penalty was awarded after a VAR ruling determined that Juventus defender Daniele Rugani fouled Francis Coquelin.
Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has saved three straight penalties in Serie A and got his gloves on Moreno’s kick but couldn’t stop it.
Torres netted from close range in the 85th after a corner was flicked on.
Then a handball from Matthijs de Ligt in stoppage time set up Danjuma’s spot kick.
🐍 @Danjuma 💛#UCL pic.twitter.com/78iFfi1uzF
— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) March 17, 2022
With the away goals rule no longer in use, both teams needed to win to advance.
Juventus miss their chances
Juventus had several chances early on.
Dusan Vlahovic hit the crossbar with one touch following a cross from Mattia De Sciglio, and a header from Alvaro Morata.
Giovani Lo Celso curled wide in Villarreal’s best chance of the first half.
At the start of the second half, it appeared that Villarreal was content to sit back and defend and try to get take the game to extra time and a shootout.
But when Moreno came on, the momentum shifted.
“That’s soccer,” Juventus midfielder Juan Cuadrado said. “We had a good first half with some chances. In the second half we tried to move the ball around more to create spaces but they were placed well.”
Here's how to celebrate reaching the @ChampionsLeague quarter-finals🕺💛!#UCL pic.twitter.com/fSbAumDDtI
— Villarreal CF English (@VillarrealCFen) March 16, 2022