Dusan Vlahovic makes dream Champions League debut but Juventus pegged back by Villarreal

Dusan Vlahovic made a dream Champions League debut but Juventus were pegged back by Villarreal in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie.

Vlahovic, who joined the Old Lady for roughly £70m in the January transfer window, found the back of the net inside 32 seconds of his bow in the competition. But the Spanish hosts levelled in the second half through Dani Parejo.

It was a first meeting between the teams. Vlahovic showed his quality straight away, seizing on a through ball from Danilo after Villarreal lost possession in midfield and guiding his shot inside the far post.

Tottenham loanee Giovani Lo Celso should have equalised in the 14th minute. But having been set up by a brilliant run from Alfonso Pedraza, he could only find the angle of post and bar.

Villarreal huffed and puffed for the remainder of the first half without really creating anything meaningful. Juventus were content to sit back and probe on the break.

The pattern did not change early in the second half. But the hosts, last year’s Europa League champions, continued to try to find the breakthrough. And it arrived with 24 minutes left.

Etienne Capoue lifted a ball through to Parejo in the middle of the penalty area. And he exploited space to defeat Wojciech Szczesny.

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Juve were dealt another blow in the final 10 minutes when Weston McKennie limped off.

Vlahovic bookended the match with the final chance, running onto a pass from Alvaro Morata but this time seeing his shot saved by Geronimo Rulli.

They now head to Italy in two weeks with nothing to separate them. Away goals are no longer a factor.

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