Juve in the quarter-finals of the Europa League, Vlahovic and Chiesa decide. Freiburg knockout 2-0
FROM THE ENvoy TO FRIBORG.
Victory, qualification for the quarterfinals and end of Vlahovic’s fast. Juventus takes full booty in Freiburg, repeating the victory in Turin and thus gaining the pass for the quarter-finals of the Europa League. With Di Maria left to rest on the bench, Inter are at San Siro on Sunday, they decide the penalty from the Serbian centre-forward who hasn’t scored since 16 February (again in the cup against Nantes) and was looking for joy to forget the unfortunate period . It was precisely from the penalty spot that Vlahovic was able to redeem himself, thus erasing Sunday’s mistake against Sampdoria, and on that goal in the 45th minute Juve built their serenity to continue on their European path. The rest was done by the extra man throughout the second half after the expulsion of the German Gulde on the action that decided the match and so the 2-0 signed by Chiesa arrives at the last second.
The Juventus departure is controlled, also because Allegri has to manage his strength due to the many injuries that limit his team. Bonucci, Alex Sandro, Pogba, Milik and Kaio Jorge remained in Turin, while Di Maria and Chiesa are not at risk and Miretti also goes on the bench at the end due to a muscle strain. So the attack is forced with the couple Vlahovic-Kean in the 3-5-2 launched by Allegri, while Freiburg presents itself with an aggressive 3-4-3 where, surprisingly, there is no Grifo (on the lead) and hopes to exploit the boost of the 33,000 Europa Park Stadion to overturn the 1-0 defeat of the first leg.
In the first half, the red and whites from Bresgovia, who hadn’t lost at home since 12 August, had their biggest chance in the 22nd minute, when Szczesny had to perform a miracle to fend off Ginter’s header, but were then skewered by Juve. In the 27th minute Vlahovic’s goal, after Bremer’s gore rejected by the goalkeeper with the help of the crossbar, was canceled by the Var due to the offside by the Serbian centre-forward. Who doesn’t lose heart, seeing how he fights and tries (in the 38th minute the shot is deflected for a corner), until he finds the goal that unlocks it. In the 41st minute Juve came close to scoring with Gatti’s shot headed in by a defender, but Var saw the handball on the Juventus defender’s shot and so in the 45th minute the penalty was accrued, plus a second yellow card for Gulde with a subsequent expulsion, which Vlahovic scores with some thrills for the rejection of goalkeeper Flekken.
The numerical superiority, paradoxically, revived Freiburg in the second half. Juve have the extra man, but they seem to be playing with ten players, leaving space and chances for the hosts. In the 5th minute Gregoritsch tries with a free-kick that ends wide, while in the 12th minute Szczesny still thinks about saving everything with a prodigious rejection on Holer’s attempt. The Germans also sent Grifo onto the field to attempt a turnaround, but Juve defended themselves in order and in the 25th minute brought in Chiesa and Iling-Junior to make Vlahovic and Kostic catch their breath. The bianconeri try some sorties with Kean, dangerous in the 39th minute with a shot just wide, and in the final they round up with Chiesa: in the 49th minute he hits the crossbar (providential deflection by the goalkeeper) and then in the 50th minute he finds the goal (assist from Rabiot ) with a shot that stamps the post and enters the net. Victory is sweet and tomorrow, in the draw in Nyon, Juve will discover their opponent in the quarterfinals.
