Juventus were denied a winner in the cruelest fashion at Allianz Stadium on Thursday, as a Jhon Lucumi goal in the 90th minute was wiped out by VAR to leave Spalletti’s side sharing the points with Rennes in a 2-2 Europa League draw. The hosts had trailed twice and looked set to drop points before Woltemade converted a penalty on 67 minutes to restore parity. A day after Woltemade took the spot-kick himself, admitting he asked Kolo Muani for the ball, the German forward was Juventus’s most influential player on the night. Rennes, meanwhile, left Turin with a hard-earned point and remain unbeaten in three league-stage matches.
Key Moments
- 5′, Juventus drew first blood early, Celik finishing from a Woltemade assist to give the hosts a fast start.
- 15′, Rennes leveled through Mousa Tamari, who converted after a Bryan Reynolds assist put the visitors back on level terms.
- 43′, Rennes turned the game around just before half-time when Dia stepped up to convert a penalty, sending the visitors into the break 2-1 up.
- 45′, Celik was withdrawn at the interval and replaced by Kalulu as Spalletti reshuffled his backline heading into the second half.
- 67′, Woltemade drew Juventus level from the penalty spot, pulling the hosts back to 2-2 after the break.
- 90′, Lucumi thought he had won it for Juventus in stoppage time, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review, leaving the score at 2-2.
Tactical Breakdown
Juventus controlled the ball throughout, finishing with 54 percent possession and 509 total passes to Rennes’s 449. They generated an xG of 2.26 against 1.77 for the visitors, and their 14 total shots included 11 inside the box. The numbers pointed to a home win, yet a slow defensive start and a conceded penalty before half-time meant they spent most of the night chasing the game.
Spalletti made a halftime change, bringing on Kalulu for the booked Celik, and followed with a double switch at the 80th minute, removing Kelly and Kolo Muani for Lucumi and Boga. The late introduction of Lucumi briefly looked decisive, only for VAR to cancel his 90th-minute finish. Spalletti expressed frustration post-match that he ‘didn’t understand’ the disallowed goal.
Rennes lined up in a 5-3-2 and made their defensive structure difficult to break down, particularly in the first half. They threatened on the counter, with Mousa Tamari and Dia giving Juventus’s backline problems all evening. Federico Gatti picked up a yellow card in the 19th minute and was taken off at the hour mark, a sign that Juventus’s defensive unit was under pressure despite their overall possession dominance. Vicario made three saves to keep the scoreline from getting worse earlier on.
Player Ratings
Match Context
Standings
Head To Head
Verdict
The draw leaves Juventus fourth in the Europa League standings with 7 points from three matches, level on points with third-placed Union St. Gilloise and still in contention for a top-eight finish that would bring automatic progression. Rennes move to 5 points and sit 13th, unbeaten across three games but needing wins to push further up the table. The VAR-cancelled goal will sting for Spalletti’s side, whose European campaign remains in good shape despite a night that felt like it slipped away.